PAYNESVILLE

Man killed in police response to domestic dispute in west-central Minnesota

Staff reports — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 16:34:08 GMT

PAYNESVILLE, Minn. — A man is dead after an officer-involved shooting Monday night in Paynesville, where police responded to a report of a domestic dispute.

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension shared in a post on social media early Tuesday morning that BCA agents were at the scene to investigate.

According to a news release from Paynesville Chief of Police Paul Wegner, a male suspect reported to be armed had locked himself in the basement of the home. Shots were fired as police were attempting to take him into custody.

Upon arrival at the 600 block of Stearns Avenue at around 9:05 p.m. Monday, June 2, officers from the Paynesville and Cold Spring police departments and the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office were able to safely evacuate an adult female from the residence.

Officers entered the house and attempted to make verbal contact with the male, according to the news release. Officers reportedly told the male to come to the basement stairs with his hands visible. They also advised him that he was under arrest and that he needed to show himself.

The news release did not describe the ensuing shooting in any more detail.

Officers and medical personnel at the scene immediately administered life-saving measures, but the man died from his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to Wegner. A firearm was also located at the scene.

The woman who reported being assaulted had suffered minor injuries to her head and neck area, according to the news release.

Chief Wegner said body-worn cameras were in use at the time of the shooting, and the BCA is currently investigating the incident.

Paynesville Mayor Shawn Reinke issued a written statement around 1 p.m. Tuesday, stating that Wegner had kept him apprised of the events overnight and Tuesday morning.

“This tragic occurrence leaves our community in a state of shock that we were not planning to wake up to today. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved during this tremendously sad day,” he said.

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Steve Boyd seeks GOP primary upset of Congresswoman Fischbach in MN 7th District

Tom Cherveny — Tue, 30 Jul 2024 22:22:00 GMT

WILLMAR — Michelle Fischbach won her seat in Congress in 2020 by upsetting 15-term DFL incumbent Collin Peterson.

Now running for her third term, the Republican incumbent is facing a primary challenge from a candidate hopeful of pulling off an upset to match hers.

Steve Boyd, of Kensington, Minnesota, enters the Republican primary never having held an elected office, and having sworn off funding from special interests or political action committees.

In contrast, Fischbach’s experience includes serving in the Minnesota Senate from 1996 through 2018, and as lieutenant governor in 2018 and 2019. In Congress, she holds seats on the powerful Ways & Means and Rules committees.

The Aug. 13 primary determines which of the two will be on the ballot in November against A.J. Peters, the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party's endorsed candidate.

Early primary voting began June 28 and continues through Aug. 12, according to the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office.

Boyd’s political accomplishment to date: He prevented the congresswoman from getting her party’s endorsement at the Republican Seventh Congressional District Convention earlier this year in Morton. It’s no small feat, he points out, especially when considering that Fischbach has maintained a conservative voting record throughout her tenure in the most conservative of Minnesota’s congressional districts.

“I think we have a strong chance to surprise a lot of people,” Boyd, 39, told Forum Communications Co. in a recent interview.

He holds his optimism despite a poll released by Fischbach’s campaign showing she holds a 57% to 22% advantage.

“That’s a big gap for an underdog campaign to close,” said David Sturrock, a professor of political science at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall who is active in Republican Party politics.

He said Boyd has been conducting a “vigorous campaign,” but that national conservative support for him has not materialized.

Fischbach has not been ignoring the threat he might pose, either.

“Beyond her own in-person campaigning, Fischbach has aired television and digital ads and sent numerous direct mail pieces which feature her endorsement by Donald Trump and emphasize border security, gun owner rights and pro-life positions,” Sturrock pointed out in an email.

Boyd dismisses the polling as not being conducted well. More to the point, he said he’s not expecting to win the primary with support from the establishment Republicans that the polling targeted.

Boyd said he’s looking for his support from Republicans who are not always on the radar screen; many of them are raising young families and too busy to be involved in party activities, he said.

He believes he can get them to the polls on Aug. 13. They are frustrated with politics as usual, and looking for someone who will put principles before party and politics, he said.

Boyd has been referred to as a Christian conservative. He said that his faith and Christian values are important to him, and voters should know that.

He grew up the son of a minister with the Seventh-day Adventists, and a mother whom he said was very interested in politics. On his own, he took on studies in biblical citizenship and the U.S. Constitution offered by the Patriot Academy. Begun by a former Texas state lawmaker, the leadership training program's stated mission is to educate citizen leaders to "help restore our Constitutional Republic and the Biblical principles that cause a Nation to thrive."

Boyd, 39, and his wife, Talitha, are parents to five children ages 9 to 19, three of them adopted. He earned a degree in sales and marketing management from the Alexandria Technical & Community College. He owns his own fertilizer and lawn care business. The couple home-schooled their children.

Fischbach, 58, of Regal, and her husband, Scott, are parents to two grown children. She grew up in Woodbury, and earned a bachelor's degree in political science from St. Cloud State and a Juris Doctor from William Mitchell �� of Law. She was elected to the Paynesville City Council in 1994 and two years later won a special election to join the state Legislature.

Boyd and Fischbach hold nearly identical conservative positions on issues ranging from abortion to a belief in limiting the role of government. Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Fischbach. Boyd said he supports the former president. “Fully, especially in this election,” he said.

For Boyd, the biggest difference between him and his opponent is his frustration with “how we do politics. ... We play a lot of games,” said Boyd, who charges that elected officials put staying in office and party first.

He charges that while Fischbach has maintained a conservative score card in Congress, her actions are more important than her votes. As a member of the House Rules Committee, she cast the deciding vote in moving an amendment on foreign aid legislation forward despite being able to cast a "no" vote for it in the House for the record, he said.

He also underscores what he considers other differences between himself and Fischbach. She rarely hosts town hall meetings or public sessions with constituents, visiting and touring with special interest and other groups in private, he said.

Boyd pledged that if elected, he would hold a town hall meeting in each of the district’s 38 counties every year. He’s held more than 50 town hall meetings as part of his primary campaign to date, and has put on thousands of miles driving to summer parades in communities across the sprawling, rural district.

Boyd also pointed out that Fischbach does not serve on the House Agriculture Committee, despite the obvious importance of agriculture to the district. Boyd said serving on the Agriculture Committee, which Fischbach’s predecessor once chaired, would be a top priority for him.

Fischbach’s campaign team said she was too busy for an interview on the primary race. In a written response, the campaign team said she believes the country is at “pivotal point in history” with the possibility of a Republican trifecta in Washington D.C.

“With President Trump back in the White House, Congress must be bold with rolling back the excesses of federal spending and overreach,” she said in a statement.

The congresswoman said her goals are to curb inflation, close the border and pass immigration reform, and significantly deal with federal spending and the national debt.

“The good people of western Minnesota are hurting from fentanyl, rising prices, and feeling like they are falling behind,” she stated.

Boyd calls attention to his identical concerns about these issues as well, especially the debt. He said people have a sense of unease about the economy and fears that the “bubble will burst” with a national debt of $35 trillion clouding the future.

Sacrifices will be needed in the future to right the economic path, according to Boyd. He believes the country must look at programs such as Social Security, but emphasized that promises must be kept to those who have paid into it.

Boyd said he will not run a write-in campaign or throw wrenches into the process if he does not win in the primary.

Sturrock is among those who do not believe Boyd’s ability to stymie Fishbach in winning the party’s endorsement will matter in the long run.

“Both the Republican and DFL endorsements are losing their historic role in selecting nominees for state and federal office,” he explained. “Steve Boyd was able to mobilize and turn out delegates more interested in conservative issues and less impressed by incumbency, name recognition and fundraising. It is doubtful that the deadlock at the April 27 convention will have much influence on the Aug. 13 primary election.”

Win or lose, Boyd said he feels very good about the campaign and believes it will having a lasting impact on the party either way.

The winner of the primary — whether Fischbach or Boyd — is likely bound for Washington D.C. , according to Sturrock. He does not believe the Democrats can mount a serious challenge in the district.

“As Democrats have found many ways to lose support in rural areas, their candidates in greater Minnesota have become less competitive. Either Republican would figure to win comfortably in the 2024 general election,” he said.

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The boy who went missing after his first day of school in 1944

Jennifer Kotila — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 13:31:00 GMT

PAYNESVILLE, Minn. — Victor John “Jackie” Theel would have turned 86 years old on Feb. 15, 2024. On Sept. 5, 2024, Jackie will have been missing from Paynesville, Minnesota, for 80 years, having disappeared on the way home from his first day of school.

News accounts of the disappearance described a nice fall day in Paynesville on Sept. 5, 1944, as an excited 6-year-old Jackie walked with his two older brothers to his first day of school. He was wearing a blue sailor suit shirt, long pants and brand new shoes and was toting his new school supplies.

Being so excited, Jackie couldn’t eat his breakfast that morning and carried a bag of chips with him to school. Throughout the morning’s first-day-of-school activities of singing and games, Jackie snacked on some of the chips.

It was only a half-day of school for the first-grader, who was to walk home with his brothers at lunchtime, according to the note his mother Bernice sent with him to school.

After class was dismissed at 11:30 a.m., Jackie's teacher, Miss Dorothy Gladke, neglected to have him wait for his older brother to walk with him. Jackie left school with his teacher and a group of classmates.

They walked together for a short distance before going their separate ways, the teacher asking Jackie if he knew his way home and him pointing in the direction in which he thought he lived.

However, Jackie would end up going in the wrong direction and that was the last time anybody definitively saw the boy. He disappeared, apparently without a trace, carrying the bag of chips and a school registration card. He had left his new school supplies at his desk.

Sources for this article come from the Paynesville Historical Society, which has a file of old newspaper clippings from the days after Theel disappeared. Newspaper sources include the Paynesville Press, St. Cloud Times and the Minneapolis Star.

When Jackie did not arrive home for lunch on Sept. 5, 1944, his mother first called friends for help. When Jackie had not been found by 3 p.m., she notified Paynesville Mayor Russel Portinga.

Portinga and several businessmen started searching for Jackie under the direction of Stearns County Deputy Sheriff Ike Lunde and Constable Martin Kobberdahl. After not being able to find him, soon the whole town was involved in the search.

Jackie’s father, Harold, was an over-the-road truck driver. He was called home from St. Paul when Jackie went missing.

There were two reports of the boy being seen along Minnesota Highway 23 on the west side of town. Mrs. Pete Thompson, who was returning from a fishing trip at Long Lake with her husband, reported seeing a boy at about 1:30 p.m. fitting Jackie’s description along the highway. He was carrying a piece of paper and walking along the ditch about a block out of town.

Later that day, two boys, Robert Burr, 16, and William Johnson, 14, reported seeing a boy at about 4:45 p.m. getting into a light brown or gray car at about the same spot.

The car was traced to Willmar, Minnesota, where law enforcement discovered it was being driven by a 24-year-old combat veteran who stopped at three different garages in Willmar attempting to have the starter repaired.

News reports state the soldier was accompanied by his younger brother who was wearing a sailor suit. It is unclear how it was verified that the young boy was indeed related to the soldier or whether it could have been Jackie. A news report on Thursday, Sept. 7, 1944, stated, “The car has not been seen or heard of since.”

Stearns County Sheriff Art McIntee was called into the case and he called Kandiyohi County Sheriff Paul Anderson to assist. Later in the evening, the Willmar Police Department was also called to assist with the search efforts.

Searches continued until 1 a.m. Wednesday and then resumed at 6 a.m. News accounts at the time described the investigators called in to join the case as being Jack Burns of the Willmar State Crime Bureau and William Conley, an investigator with the St. Paul Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

One of Jackie’s sisters, Annabelle (Theel) Krupke, who was 16 years old when he disappeared, told the Paynesville Press in 2004 that the day of Jackie’s disappearance was nice, but the following days were rainy and cold.

But that didn’t stop local townspeople and others from thoroughly searching the town and countryside. Farmers searched buildings, fields, pastures, grain shocks, pits, wells and swamps.

The North Fork Crow River bed and its banks were searched several times. If Jackie had drowned, his body would likely have been found due to how shallow the river is in the fall.

The Civil Air Patrol stationed out of St. Cloud searched for Jackie by air on Wednesday and Thursday. The plane was piloted by Ray Ubracken, and Paynesville barber Les Spaeth was the observer.

Boys from Paynesville High �� were dismissed Wednesday and Thursday afternoons to help with the search efforts and Paynesville businessmen closed up their shops Thursday afternoon to help.

Newspapers and radio stations statewide covered Jackie’s disappearance, writing about the case and airing descriptions of Jackie, the blue-eyed, strawberry blond 6-year-old who was just getting two new bottom front teeth. He was 37 inches tall and weighed 45 pounds and had a fresh scratch under his right eye and a one-inch scar on the back of his head.

On Saturday, Boy Scouts from Cold Spring joined local Boy Scouts in the search. Also sometime in the first week, an old cistern that was no longer in use had been searched.

The following Wednesday, bloodhounds were brought in by Raymond Huelskamp (spelled Hulscamp and Hulskamp in media reports) of New Ulm. Despite the rainy weather that had occurred since Jackie went missing, the dogs were able to pick up his trail near the school and followed it to Schwartz Drug Store and then to the North American Creamery (now AMPI).

The trail led to the edge of the river where faint, small footprints were located, and then to the Evangelical Church and west to the William Johnson filling station in west Paynesville. Here the scent was really strong, but Johnson didn’t recall seeing a boy matching Jackie’s description.

The scent grew weaker as it traveled west to Highway 23 and then vanished near the location in which the boy was spotted by the couple returning from a fishing trip. The hounds were brought to Hawick to search the ditches on both sides of the highway going north, but Jackie’s scent was never picked up again.

By Thursday, Sept. 21, 1944, the Paynesville Press was reporting that hope of finding Jackie alive was waning, but that the search would continue until Jackie was found dead or alive. It also reported that the Civil Air Patrol had again searched by air the previous Friday.

The report also shared speculations of what may have happened to Jackie, including wandering off into thicker woods or swamps and perishing, having been kidnapped from the side of the highway or becoming the victim of a “sex maniac.”

Spiritual faith healers and fortune tellers had been contacted by Jackie's father Harold and were certain Jackie was still in the area and alive, according to the report. However, within the first week of his disappearance, a faith healer had given the opinion he was in a nearby mud hole, which was searched to no avail.

McIntee and Conley told the Paynesville Press that in all their experiences, they had never seen anyone cooperate as well as the people of Paynesville in searching for Jackie. “Everyone from the school age boy to the farmer has done a magnificent job. (McIntee and Conley) said that everyone seemed to think it was their boy that they were searching for. A more thorough and efficient search has never been carried on,” stated the article.

Jackie never has been found. The Paynesville Press interviewed Jackie’s siblings Fay and Annabelle for an article that was published Sept. 22, 2004. KARE 11 News interviewed Jackie’s sister Judy Espelund for a news piece that aired Feb. 4, 2016.

Annabelle and Fay, who was 5 years old when Jackie disappeared, told the Paynesville Press that there have been numerous rumors that circulated throughout the years that Jackie has been missing.

"I tend to believe that someone saw him wandering and picked him up," Annabelle said in 2004. "I don't see how it could have been anything else."

Fay said that he also believed that the most likely scenario was that Jackie was kidnapped. This was at the height of World War II and soldiers could get out of the army if they had dependents, which could have been a motive.

Both Annabelle and Fay told the Paynesville Press they thought the story about the car that was spotted picking up a boy dressed in a sailor’s suit and later located in Willmar was quite a coincidence. They wondered how the Willmar police identified that the “brother” was not Jackie.

The Willmar Police Department does not have records dating back to the 1940s, according to the 2004 article in the Paynesville Press. Stearns County records go back only to 1960 and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension does not have records of the case, according to the KARE 11 report.

A former Paynesville school teacher in the 1960s wrote Annabelle a letter stating she had seen a man getting off a Navy ship in California that resembled a Theel and signed his name “Jackie Theel.” He told the teacher he had been adopted.

Then in the 1980s, Fay was told a man came into Tuck’s Cafe in Paynesville looking for family, but could not find the name Theel in the phonebook. Fay reported the incident to the FBI, but doubted the story since there were Theels that lived in town and had their names listed in the phonebook.

"It's impossible to know," Fay told the Paynesville Press in 2004. "You don't know if he's dead or alive."

Jackie's mother Bernice was traumatized by his disappearance, Annabelle and Fay told the Paynesville Press. "Ma turned gray overnight," said Fay. "She had salt-and-pepper hair, but she turned white practically overnight."

The Minneapolis Star in September of 1945 reported, “A sobbing mother sent a five-year-old son for the first time here today, recalling the tragedy in a similar experience a year ago.” This was in reference to Fay’s first day of school. “I hope it doesn’t turn out the same way with him,” Bernice said, according to the report.

It stated that Bernice had several theories about Jackie’s disappearance, but would not disclose what they were. “I can’t prove any of them.”

It also stated that McIntee theorized that Jackie had been taken by someone, which was investigated by the FBI. “There is something in the community we haven’t figured out,” the Star reported McIntee saying.

In a Websleuths forum thread about Jackie’s disappearance, Gary L. Theel joined the conversation. He stated he was the son of Jackie’s brother, Tom, who was supposed to walk with Jackie home from school.

He shared that each time his family would come to visit his grandparents in Paynesville, his father would talk about the day his brother disappeared and the cloud that hung over the family.

“When he would speak his voice would sometimes break, and you could hear the sadness in his tone,” Gary wrote. “... I guess, looking back in retrospect, this could be why we were so guarded as children.”

Gary also shared that his father died in 2004, and would have wanted answers to what happened to his brother. However, Gary and the people on the Websleuth forum have not gotten any closer to solving the mystery of Jackie’s disappearance.

He attempted to track Federal Bureau of Investigation records regarding the case, contacting the Minnesota office of the FBI, the Washington, D.C., offices and the FBI national archives in Maryland and was told there were no records.

He also checked with the federal Department of Justice and was told there are no records of the case there.

It is not unreasonable to think that Jackie could possibly still be alive if he were kidnapped, as several family members have been long-lived. Fay is 85 years old. Annabelle died in December of 2023 at the age of 96.

Jackie’s father and mother lived to 86 and 83, respectively. Cross-referencing a photo of the Theel children from 1944 and Annabelle’s obituary, brothers Carl and Denton are still alive and in their 90s and a brother Norman is alive in his early 80s. A sister, Judy Espelund, born five years after Jackie disappeared, is in her 70s.

Eight other siblings, Donald, Lloyd, Floyd, Milton, Tom, Andrea Calendar, Dorothy and Myron, are all deceased. Dorothy died as an infant and Myron died just six months after Jackie went missing at a little over a year old.

Many online mystery sleuths have written about or created videos about Jackie’s disappearance and there is also a chapter about it in the book “Cold Cases of Stearns County, Minnesota” by Robert M. Dudley.

Those who have information regarding the case should contact the Stearns County Sheriff's Office at 320-259-3700.

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ABC to air two-hour special Friday on search for Jacob Wetterling

Shelby Lindrud — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 22:33:00 GMT

WILLMAR, Minn. — For the past several months, ABC News has been working on a special two-hour "20/20" focused on the story of Jacob Wetterling. Set to air at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 13, the show will include interviews with those closest to the case — including Patty and Jerry Wetterling, Jacob's parents.

Patty Wetterling announced the special on the website for her new book, co-written with Joy Baker, titled "Dear Jacob: A Mother's Journey of Hope." The book will be released Tuesday, Oct. 17.

According to the announcement, crews from "20/20" have visited Minnesota several times since April, interviewing investigators, suspects, witnesses, reporters and many others close to the case, including Baker, a freelance writer from New London.

A story about the book — and the journey both Wetterling and Baker took to write it — will be published on Saturday, Oct. 14, in the West Central Tribune.

Jacob Wetterling was abducted on Oct. 22, 1989, near his home in St. Joseph. The kidnapping set off a nationwide search and, for 27 years, his family worked tirelessly to find and bring Jacob home. Patty Wetterling became a nationally known advocate for missing and exploited children.

It wasn't until the fall of 2015 that investigators were finally able to make an arrest in the case. Denny Heinrich was arrested on child pornography charges after law enforcement searched his home for evidence connected to both the Wetterling case and a separate kidnapping and sexual assault case.

In a plea deal with authorities, which was agreed to by the Wetterlings, in early September 2016, Heinrich confessed to the Oct. 22, 1989, kidnapping, sexual assault and murder of Jacob. He led investigators to where he had buried the young boy's remains in a field near Paynesville. Heinrich also confessed to the January 1989 abduction and sexual assault of Jared Scheierl.

As part of the plea deal, Heinrich was convicted of one count of receiving child pornography and was not criminally charged with any of the crimes against Jacob Wetterling or Scheierl. Heinrich is currently serving his sentence in a federal prison in Massachusetts.

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West central Minnesota Fourth of July celebrations begin Saturday, July 1

Jennifer Kotila — Fri, 30 Jun 2023 22:33:00 GMT

It’s time to celebrate the nation’s birthday and several area communities hosting events for the Fourth of July celebration.

Family-friendly events will take place all weekend long, from street dances to outdoor church gatherings and parades to fireworks — there is something out there for everyone to enjoy.

Spicer

Events in Spicer draw thousands of people during the Fourth of July weekend, beginning on Saturday night with a street dance and ending with fireworks at dusk on the Fourth of July.

BellaDiva performs at the annual street dance at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 1. Green Lake Road Race starts at Saulsbury Beach at 7 a.m. on Sunday, July 2. Church on the beach takes place at 8 a.m. on Sunday, July 2. The Green Lake boat parade takes place at 10 a.m. on Sunday, July 2. The Briggs Motley Treasureland Arts and Crafts Show takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 2-4. The Kiddie Night starts at 4 p.m. on July 2 with a kids' pedal pull, an adults' pedal pull, the kiddie parade, bouncy houses, entertainment and more. The Grand Day Parade begins at 10 a.m. on July 4 and fireworks take place at dusk.

Prinsburg

Fourth of July events in Prinsburg will take place Saturday, July 1, beginning with the Freedom Fun Run at 8 a.m. and ending with fireworks at dusk.

The Freedom Fun Run and the Adam’s Race for children will take place at 8 a.m. registration begins at 7:15 a.m. A free-will donation dinner will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the school. There will be a variety of entertainment, inflatables and patriotic celebrations in town throughout the rest of the day. The parade will take place at 5 p.m. and fireworks take place at dusk. Paynesville

Fourth of July events in Paynesville will take place July 1 with a boat parade on Lake Koronis in the afternoon and fireworks at dusk. In case of rain, the celebration will be moved to Friday, July 7.

Maynard

Maynard will celebrate the Fourth of July beginning with a parade at 11 a.m., a noon dinner at the park and free entertainment in the afternoon. Fireworks will take place at dusk.

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Spicer, Prinsburg among area communities to celebrate July 4 with fun, music, fireworks

West Central Tribune staff report — Sun, 25 Jun 2023 14:22:00 GMT

Family-friendly events are held in several area communities on the Fourth of July, with food, parades, music and fireworks intertwined with patriotic celebrations of Independence Day.

Here’s a look at some of the celebrations across the region:

Spicer

Located on Green Lake, the city of Spicer draws thousands of people seeking sun and fun during the Fourth of July holiday.

A weekend of celebration begins with the annual street dance featuring BellaDiva beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 1.

The annual Green Lake Road Race starts from Saulsbury Beach at 7 a.m. Sunday, July 2. The event brings runners from around the state and has many divisions. To register, go online at runsignup.com/Race/MN/Spicer/GreenLakeRoadRace.

The Fourth of July celebration continues with church on the beach at 8 a.m. July 2.

Also on Sunday morning, the Green Lake boat parade begins at 10 a.m. Those interested in participating are asked to line up at the old Spicer Castle location. The Danny Boy from Green Lake Cruises will lead the parade around the lake.

The annual Briggs Motley Treasureland Arts & Crafts Show will take place each day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 2-4.

Kiddie Night starts at 4 p.m. Sunday, July 2. There will be a kids’ pedal pull, an adults’ pedal pull, the kiddie parade, bouncy houses, entertainment and more.

Wrapping up the celebrations, the Grand Parade begins at 10 a.m. July 4. Fireworks are at dusk over Green Lake.

For additional information about Fourth of July activities, visit www.explorespicer.com.

Prinsburg

The Fourth of July celebration in Prinsburg will be on Saturday, July 1.

This event begins with the Freedom Fun Run at 8 a.m., which has a 2.5-mile running route and 1.5-mile walking route. It also includes Adam’s Race for children from preschool through eighth grade. The distance for that race is based on a child’s age.

There is no entry fee for runners/walkers. Registration begins at 7:15 a.m. in front of Central Minnesota Christian ��.

Event sponsors donate to Central Minnesota Christian �� for each person who finishes the walk or run.

Online registration will be available on the school's website beginning in June. For more information about activities, go to www.cmcschool.org/support/freedom-fun-run-adams-race

There will be a freewill donation dinner from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the school.

The rest of the day will include a variety of entertainment, inflatables and patriotic celebrations in town, with a parade at 5 p.m and fireworks at dusk.

All proceeds for the day support the school.

Paynesville

The Koronis Lake Association plans an afternoon boat parade in the afternoon and fireworks at dusk on July 1. In case of rain, the celebration will be moved to July 7.

Maynard

Maynard’s Fourth of July activities will kick off with the parade at 11 a.m.

After the parade, there’s a noon dinner at the park at noon and free entertainment in the afternoon.

Fireworks will go off at dusk.

The event is sponsored by the Maynard Lions Club.

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Regional historical societies and museums tell the history of the area

West Central Tribune staff report — Sat, 27 May 2023 17:22:00 GMT

History buffs can learn a thing or two about west central Minnesota by visiting historical centers in Kandiyohi County.

The Kandiyohi County Historical Center in Willmar is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

The center, on North Business Highway 71, features a museum, a one-room school, a log shed and a Great Northern locomotive; admission $5, ages 12 and up. Visit the website at www.kandiyohicountyhistory.com.

The Sperry House, built by Willmar pioneers in 1893, will offer guided tours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through Labor Day. Open by appointment during the week.

The Guri Endreson site, located on County Road 5, with a field road gate open June through August from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Guided tours available by appointment.

Tourists may pick up maps of historical sites at the Center. For more information or to pre-register, call 320-235-1881, email kandhist@msn.com or check the Facebook page at @kandihistory.

Atwater Area Historical Society and Museum, 500 Pleasant Avenue West, is open 10 a.m. to noon, Saturdays or by appointment; call Jon at 320-444-0337.

The Norway Lake Log Church is a replica of the first church originally built in 1868 in the northwestern part of the county. It, and the restored original 1862 Knutson cabin, are located west of New London off of County Road 40 at 9601 195th Ave NW. Except for July 1st it is open from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturdays from June 17, which is Midtsommer Music night, through Aug. 12, with a Vespers service at 7:15 p.m each night. July 29th is the Children's Vespers. There is always a little lunch after. The church, interpretive center and Knutson cabin are open by appointment for private tours by calling 651-734-3107 or 320-905-1539 . Everyone is invited and welcomed.

The annual celebration is planned for Aug. 20th and the Advent Service December 3rd; website is www.nllha.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nllha.org

Raptor Ridge Natural History Museum is located at 212050 Co. Rd. 40 NE, Spicer. Call 320-354-8820 for hours. The museum features collections of butterflies, seashells, rocks, minerals, Indian artifacts and dinosaur bones collected by Larry and Barb Levin. Admission is free.

Visit regional historical societies and museums

The Lac qui Parle History Center, 250 8th Avenue South, Madison, houses a vast collection of artifacts and exhibits on the county’s history. It includes a large collection of dolls, wildlife and plants, military and 22 individual exhibits on the county’s township. The center is also home to several outbuildings including a log cabin, rural school house, gas station and the Robert Bly Study. There is also a large research library.

The center is open weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. from May through October. A bridal show is scheduled for June 11 and on July 30 Heritage Day will be held. More information can be found at www.lqphc.org.

The Meeker County Museum & Research Library is located at the G.A.R Hall, 308 Marshall Ave. N. near Central Park, Litchfield. The Frank Daggett Post No. 35 was constructed in 1885 by veterans of the Civil War, and is the last remaining Hall of its kind in Minnesota. It is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The museum includes two floors worth of exhibits highlighting Meeker County's origins and history. The library has various historic records including biographies, church records, maps, military records, obits, newspaper and photographs.

The museum, research library and the G.A.R. Hall are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon to 4 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $3 for adults and free for children under 12. Call 320-693-8911.

The Chippewa County Historical Society includes Chippewa City, Swensson Farm Museum and Lac qui Parle Mission. For information about them or to schedule an appointment out of regular hours, call 320-269-7636 or visit www.chippewacohistory.org.

Chippewa City, 151 Pioneer Drive, Montevideo, is a re-creation of a late 1800s-era village, complete with town square and boardwalk. The city is open May 27 through Sept. 5. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; Sept. 4-30 the city is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; adults $5, students $3, 5 and under are free.

The Olof Swensson Farm Museum, a 17-acre farmstead located six miles east of Montevideo on state Highway 7 and five miles south on County Road 15, preserves turn-of-the-century farm life and features a 22-room house, timber-frame barn and the remains of a gristmill. The farm is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, May 27 through Sept. 3; adults $5, students $3, 5 and under are free. A horse power show is held at the farm the second Saturday in September from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Private tours available by appointment.

The Lac qui Parle Mission was the Minnesota Territory’s first Protestant mission and is one of the few remaining in the state. The reconstructed building houses exhibits of the missionaries and their work; the Dakota people; and Joseph Renville, who invited the missionaries to Lac qui Parle. Mission Sunday is the second Sunday in July beginning with a worship service at 10:30 a.m., potluck picnic and afternoon program.

The site is located north of Montevideo on County Road 13 and is open daily April 30 through Labor Day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.; free admission.

The Renville County Historical Society is located near the Minnesota River in Morton. It has been around since 1940 and includes a large research library along with multiple historic exhibits. People can learn about the county’s agricultural, educational and military history along with its geological past. There are also multiple out buildings including two schools, a church, machine shed and a protected pioneer cabin. The museum is located at 441 North Park Drive, Morton. Hours from June through August are Mondays through Saturdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Appointments can also be made by calling 507-697-6147. More information can be found at www.renvillecountyhistory.com.

Milwaukee Road Heritage Center, 301 State Road, Montevideo. Open for tours 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, June 17 through Sept. 4. 11th annual craft, vendor, antique and collectibles sale 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 17. Website is www.montevideomrhc.org.

Paynesville Historical Museum, 251 Ampe Drive, Paynesville. Exhibits include Indian artifacts, personal and household items from the 1860s to 1970s, agriculture, and a one-room schoolhouse. The museum is open June 1 through Labor Day, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

The Minnesota Machinery Museum in Hanley Falls is open from May 15 through Sept. 15. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. The 2023 Good Old Days and Threshing Show is Aug. 5 and 6. The website is www.mnmachinerymuseum.com.

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Motorcyclist dies in crash in west-central Minnesota

Forum News Service — Sun, 21 May 2023 23:12:00 GMT

PAYNESVILLE, Minn. — A motorcyclist was killed in a crash with a car on state Highway 55 in Paynesville Township, Stearns County at 1:28 p.m. Sunday.

The Minnesota State Patrol will release the identity of the fatality on Monday pending notification of family.

According to the preliminary information from the Patrol, a 2004 Buick La Sabre was westbound on Highway 55 and a 2014 Harley Davidson Touring motorcycle was eastbound when they collided near milepost 107.

The driver of the Buick, Thomas Leonard Groby, 60, of Long Prairie, was not injured.

He was wearing a seatbelt and alcohol was not a factor.

The driver of the motorcycle was a 53-year-old man from Mora and his passenger was a 49-year-old woman from Mora.

The Paynesville Fire and Police Departments, Stearns County Sheriff’s Office, CentraCare., and Life Link Air responded.

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Student, 18, arrested after shooting threats made at central Minnesota school

Dale Morin — Wed, 19 Oct 2022 21:30:00 GMT

PAYNESVILLE, Minn. — An 18-year-old Paynesville Area High �� student was arrested after police say he talked about “shooting up” the school and named three staff members and a student as targets.

Matthew Paul Herr-Ramirez was arrested Monday, Oct. 17, at his home in Grove City, Minnesota, according to the criminal complaint filed in Stearns County District Court. He is charged with five counts of felony threats of violence.

He made his first court appearance Wednesday morning, Oct. 19. He was assigned a public defender, and his next appearance is an omnibus hearing scheduled for Nov. 2.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Herr-Ramirez remained in custody in the Stearns County Jail on $200,000 bail without conditions and $100,000 bail with conditions, including staying a reasonable distance from the school.

According to the criminal complaint, Paynesville police officers responded Monday evening to a complaint of a threat made earlier in the day at Paynesville High ��.

Officers spoke with several students who heard the suspect make threats about shooting people at school, according to the criminal complaint, and interviewed three teenage witnesses who reported that Herr-Ramirez had talked about individuals he was going to shoot at school and when he was going to do it. He had also made threats on Oct. 14, according to the complaint.

Two of the witnesses told law enforcement that Herr-Ramirez also allegedly showed them and others pictures of a pistol on his cellphone and named two staff members he wanted to shoot. The other witness also alleged that Herr-Ramirez said he would continue shooting random students and staff after shooting the individuals he specifically named.

According to the complaint, law enforcement found an airsoft gun — a type of pellet gun — on Herr-Ramirez when he was arrested.

A message left for the superintendent of the Paynesville Area �� District was not immediately returned.

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Zebra mussels join starry stonewort as unwanted species in central Minnesota's Lake Koronis

Forum News Service — Tue, 02 Aug 2022 14:48:26 GMT

PAYNESVILLE — Add zebra mussels to the list of aquatic invasive species in Lake Koronis.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has confirmed a report of zebra mussels in Lake Koronis, near Paynesville in Stearns County, it was announced Monday.

The DNR reported that a fishing guide snagged an adult zebra mussel on a hook on July 8 and reported it.

DNR invasive species specialists searched the area and found no other zebra mussels. During a follow-up search, the DNR found one juvenile zebra mussel near the Lake Koronis Regional Park public water access.

According to the DNR, zebra mussels can compete with native species for food and habitat, cut the feet of swimmers, reduce the performance of boat motors, and cause expensive damage to water intake pipes.

Zebra mussels join starry stonewort as invasive aquatic species in Lake Koronis. Starry stonewort was first confirmed in Lake Koronis in 2015, making it the first lake in Minnesota to be infested by the single-strand alga.

According to West Central Tribune archives, in the past five years, the Lake Koronis Lake Association in partnership with the Minnesota DNR and others have invested $800,000 to manage starry stonewort. The invasive species has spread to more than 70 percent of the lake’s littoral area, according to the Lake Association.

The DNR reminds all lake users to abide by the law and help stop the spread of aquatic invasive species.

Minnesota law requires people to do the following:

Clean watercraft, trailers and equipment to remove aquatic plants and prohibited invasive species. Drain all water and leave drain plugs out during transport. Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash. Never release bait, plants or aquarium pets into Minnesota waters. Dry docks, lifts and rafts for 21 days before moving them from one water body to another.

People should contact a Minnesota DNR aquatic invasive species specialist at www.dnr.state.mn.us/invasives/ais/contacts.html if they think they have found zebra mussels or any other invasive species.

More information is available on the aquatic invasive species page of the DNR website at mndnr.gov/AIS.

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