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| KRWC News 10/6/03 - 10/12/03 |
Area Lawmakers Plan to Attend District 877 School Board Meeting
Two state lawmakers say they will attend the District 877 school board meeting next week. State Senator Mark Ourada and State Representative Bruce Anderson, both from Buffalo, plan to attend the October 13th meeting of the Buffalo-Hanover-Montrose school board to discuss legislative issues, new state laws, and to answer questions from school board members. The meeting is set for 7 PM on Monday, October 13th at the Parkside Elementary School in Buffalo. |
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Coleman Announces New Agricultural Grant
Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman recently announced a new grant which he says should provide some help for innovations on Minnesota farms and ranches. The 1 million dollar grant from the USDA will go to the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute as a part of a ten state, ten million dollar grant award. The funding is expected to be used to fund centers that can provide help to rural businesses, farmers, and ranchers in developing value-added companies or products through better utilization of ag commodities. Coleman says he believes his "rural renaissance" act that he plans to introduce in the coming weeks will continue the effort to revive rural Minnesota's economies. |
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Explosion Levels Home Near Maple Lake
People for miles around got an early morning wake-up call this morning of a very disturbing kind. A home about 4 miles on Gowan Avenue north of Maple Lake exploded around 6:20 AM. Fire officials have not determined the exact cause of the explosion, but they believe propane gas was the combustible material involved. Thankfully, the owner of the residence was not at home at the time of the explosion, and it is believed that no one was injured. The explosion however completely leveled the home, and sound waves from the explosion could be heard nearly 10 miles. Investigators and fire fighters from several communities will monitor the site throughout the day. |
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Fall Colors Peak Quickly
Fall colors have reached near-peak levels in many parts of the state, including Wright County this week. Locally, there are several opportunities to get a close look at the annual fall splendor. All Wright County parks are open to foot traffic to enjoy the hiking trails. Another option is Lake Maria State Park near Monticello. Fall color reports for other parts of the state are easy to find too. Log on to the Minneosta DNR website at www.dnr.state.mn.us. |
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Fire Prevention Week Continues
Local fire departments are observing National Fire Prevention Week with visits to area schools, and open house festivities. Fire officials say this week is a perfect time to check home smoke detectors, plan escape routes, and hold home fire drills. Saturday, the Buffalo Fire Department will host an open house at the Centennial Fire Station from 10 AM to 2 PM, and the Monticello Fire Department will host an open house from 1 to 4 PM. Games, refreshments and demonstrations will be among the attractions at both events. |
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High-Speed Chase Ends in Freeway Crash
A high-speed chase in Sherburne and Wright Counties Tuesday afternoon ended with a head-on crash on Interstate 94. Authorities say the chase started in Sherburne County where calls had reported a woman driving erratically. The woman, 34-year old Deanna Knoll of St. Cloud was said to be armed and possibly suicidal. Sherburne County squads pursued the car on highways 10, 24, and eventually I-94. Wright County deputies deployed tire deflation spikes in order to try to disable the woman's car, but she avoided the spikes by crossing the median on I-94, hitting a car transport semi truck head-on. Amazingly, neither driver suffered life threatening injuries, and no other vehicles were involved. The crash however, backed up traffic for miles in both directions on the interstate. Charges against the woman are pending. |
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House Explosion Update
Friends and relatives say they consider it to be almost miraculous that the owner of a home that was leveled by an explosion early Tuesday morning in Wright County was not at home at the time of the incident. The Gordon Henry home, in the 6700 block of Gowan Avenue, just north of Maple Lake was flattened by the blast. Neighbors and family members say that Henry normally would have been home, but had been called to work at a job site in northern Minnesota just a day earlier. Officials say it's unlikely anyone would have been able to survive the blast had they been home. No one was injured in the incident. The State Fire Marshal's office and the Wright County Fire Investigation team are looking into what might have caused the explosion. |
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Local Man Faces Criminal Vehicular Homicide Charges
A Wright County man faces charges stemming from a fatal traffic crash in the area last weekend. 31-year-old James Moos of Monticello is charged with criminal vehicular homicide in the death of 15-year-old Rico Barrientez, also of Monticello. Late Saturday night, Moos was at the wheel of a car which was westbound on county road 75 in Clearwater Township. The car went out of control near 160th Street, ran off the road, crashed through the freeway barrier fence, and came to rest on westbound I-94 near Clearwater. The teen who was a passenger in the car was airlifted to North Memorial Hospital, where he died from his injuries late Sunday. Two other passengers in the car, both young men from Monticello, were treated for minor injuries. Moos, the driver of the vehicle, reportedly fled the scene on foot, and was arrested several hours later. Complete details on the investigation are not being released at this time pending results of several medical tests. |
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Minnesota Pheasant Hunting Opener Saturday
The Minnesota pheasant hunting season opens Saturday, and hunters have plenty of reasons to be optimistic. Pheasants have enjoyed good breeding conditions over the past two years, and the bird populations show it. Minnesota DNR officials say that in many areas of the state, pheasant populations are at the highest levels since the early 1990's. |
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Red Cross Rocks!
Music fans can get their fill of local rock sounds Sunday, and support the Wright County Red Cross at the same time. Several local groups from the Wright County area will play a benefit concert on Sunday at the Medina Entertainment Center. The music runs from 1 to 10 PM. All ages are welcome, and proceeds from the 10 dollar admission fee go the Wright County Chapter of the Red Cross. |
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Sheriff's Department Explorer Post Meeting
Students in the area who are interested in law enforcement careers can find out more about the profession by participating in the Wright County Law Enforcement Explorer Post open house tonight. The "first nighter" meeting will give students insight into the program, and some of the opportunities offered. Tonight's meeting is scheduled for 6 PM in the west lecture room at the Monticello High School. |
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Voices Against Violence Vigil Tonight
A special vigil is scheduled for tonight in Wright County to mark domestic violence awareness month, and to inform the community of the growing number of domestic violence crimes. The 1st annual "Voices Against Violence" vigil was organized by Rivers of Hope, the local advocacy agency that serves victims of domestic violence in Wright and Sherburne counties. Guest speakers at the event will include Wright County Sheriff Gary Miller, Wright County Attorney Tom Kelly, and Sherburne County Attorney Kathleen Haeney. A candlelight vigil and other activities will be a part of the event which will be held from 6:30 to 8 PM at West Bridge Park in Monticello. |
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Wright County Wins International Salt Storage Award
The Wright County Highway Department recently received an international award for its innovative ideas in storage of road de-icing salt and associated materials. The award was given by the Salt Institute, and was awarded to only 38 government agencies in all of North America. Salt Institute President Richard Hanneman said Wright County's storage facility is a model for how to store salt in an environmentally safe manner. County officials say they're proud of the award, and of the highway depatrment's continuing attention to the balance between environmental concerns and traffic safety. |
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