Albertville Fire Department Lieutenant Honored at Funeral Services
Funeral services were scheduled for this morning in Albertville for a longtime Albertville Fire & Rescue Department member. 42-year-old Paul Heinen died unexpectedly November 29th. Heinen was a 22 year veteran of the Albertville Fire Department, and held the rank of Lieutenant with the department. Heinen also was a youth hockey coach in the community. |
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Body Found in Flaming Car at Monticello Apartment Complex
Wright County Sheriff's Department officials along with the State Fire Marshal's office are investigating the cause of a car fire this weekend at a Monticello apartment building parking lot, as well as the identity of a body found in the front seat of that car. Authorities say they were alerted to the fire around 2:30 Saturday morning. When firefighters and deputies arrived on the scene, they found the car fully engulfed in flames. When the fire was extinguished, officials discovered the body inside. The apartment building is on Washington Street in Monticello. |
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Car Fire Victim Identified
The person who died in a weekend car fire at a Monticello apartment building parking lot has now been identified. The Wright County Sheriff's Office says 40-year-old Dean Friske was found in the front seat of a car that erupted into flames while parked outside the apartment building early Saturday morning. The Wright County Coroner's preliminary report shows that the man died of smoke inhalation, but the complete report has not yet been completed. Meanwhile, the Wright County Sheriff's Office and the State Fire Marshal's Office are conducting a joint investigation. |
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Deputies Exchange Gunfire with Domestic Dispute Suspect
Wright County Sheriff's Deputies were involved in a shoot-out with a suspect in an industrial area of Monticello early Sunday morning. Sheriff Gary Miller says deputies attempted to stop a vehicle in Monticello around 2 AM Sunday. The driver of the car, 31-year-old Jeremy Buschman of Brooklyn Park was wanted on an outstanding felony warrant related to a domestic dispute. Buschman fled in his vehicle, reportedly firing at least one shot at the deputies. The chase led to a parking lot in the industrial park where deputies say more shots were fired at them. The officers returned fire, wounding the suspect. Buschman was apprehended, and airlifted to North Memorial Hosptial where he is being treated for what are believed to be non-life threatening injuries. The deputies involved in the incident are 3-year veterans of the Sheriff's Department. Sheriff Miller says authorities had been alerted by family members that Buschman was headed for Monticello, and was armed. No other injuries were reported in the incident. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating. |
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Highway 25 Expansion Open House Scheduled
The Minnesota D.O.T. will host an informational open house later this month to discuss options being looked at for an expansion of state highway 55 between Buffalo and Monticello. The open house has been set for Tuesday, December 16th from 4 to 7 PM at the County Board room at the Wright County Government Center in Buffalo. MN DOT officials will be on hand to explain the options being looked at, as well as taking input from the public on issues such as right-of-way acquisition, and other concerns. Highway 25 has been identified for expansion because of traffic growth and safety concerns. No timetable for possible upgrades has yet been determined. |
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Howard Lake Joins Metro Calling Area
Howard Lake area phone customers enjoyed their first day of being part of the extended metro phone area on Wednesday. More than 2/3rds of phone customers voted to accept an increase on their monthly residential or business phone bill in order to be able to place and receive calls to the metro area without a long-distance charge. Howard Lake is the latest in an ever-growing list of Wright County communities to join the Minneapolis-St. Paul extended phone service area, which is one of the largest in the country. |
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Icy Dicey!
The majority of Wright County area lakes have frozen over in recent days, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're ready for winter recreation. Wright County Sheriff's Department Water and Snowmobile Safety specialist Joel Mackereth says outdoor enthusisasts should think hard about venturing out onto any frozen bodies of water. In most cases, ice is very inconsistent. Though no persons, objects, or vehicles have been reported going through the ice so far, Mackereth cautions that ice on even the smallest bodies of water in the area is most likely shaky at best. He reminds sportspersons that the DNR says that ice is never comletely safe. He says anyone who insists on going out onto the ice at this time of year must know exactly where underlying currents and other lake inconsistencies can cause thin ice. |
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New Information on Car Fire Fatality at Monticello Apartment Complex
The identity of a person who died in a weekend car fire at a Monticello apartment building parking lot is not yet known, but there is some new information regarding the incident. Wright County Sheriff's Department officials say witnesses report that they heard the engine of the newer model sports coupe racing before the car erupted into flames around 2:30 AM Saturday. The State Fire Marshal's office and the Wright County Sheriff's Office are continuing their investigation. |
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Otsego Boy Dies in Car / Pedestrian Accident
An young boy from Otsego died early Monday evening when he was struck by a car near his home on county road 39 in Otsego. 11-year-old Dale Moehlmann was struck by the car apparently as he was attempting to cross the county highway after putting some mail in the family mailbox. Authorities say the driver of the car was 56-year-old Donna Steinkopf of Otsego. Officials say she called 9-1-1 moments after the accident saying she thought she may have struck something on the road, but in the darkenss, couldn't see what it was she might have hit. Authorities say the driver was not speeding and was not impaired. Funeral services for the boy who was killed will be held on Friday. |
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Salvation Army Kettle Campaign Starts Sluggishly
Officials with the Wright County chapter of the Salvation Army say that the annual holiday kettle campaign is off to a slow start. Kettle campaign co-ordinator Jerry Goeb says only about 22 hundred dollars have been collected so far in the Buffalo area after 5 days of the 26 day campaign. Last year, more than 24 thousand dollars were collected in the Buffalo area, more than 43 thousand dollars were donated throughout Wright County. Goeb says more importantly, only about 60 hours of close to 860 available bell ringing hours have been assigned to volunteer bell ringers. If you have a group that would like to volunteer to ring at an area retailer or supermarket, contact Jerry Goeb at (763) 682-6943. |
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Vandalism Continues in Buffalo
Recent acts of vandalism have Buffalo police officials asking for the public for help in identifying suspects in the crimes. Police Chief Mitch Weinzetl says several vehicles and buildings have had windows broken out, or shot out with a BB gun or pellet gun. Anyone who can provide information on any acts of vandalism in recent weeks should contact the Buffalo Police. |
