District Court, Kandiyohi County
- Judge Donald Spilseth sentenced Cruz Florez, 61, of Willmar on Tuesday to 28 months in prison after the defendant pleaded guilty on Jan. 17 to third-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. He was charged with stabbing a man in the leg in Willmar on July 25, 2003. Spilseth gave Florez credit for serving 154 days in jail and ordered the defendant to pay $15,963 in restitution.
- Jacquelin L. Bentler, 42, of Willmar was released on her own recognizance Monday by Judge Michael Thompson after Bentler made her first appearance on three counts of check forgery and one count of taking, using or transferring mobile property. She did not enter a plea.
Another hearing was scheduled for April 27.
Bentler is charged with making cash withdrawals and forging checks totaling $7,588.85 on the Willmar EMS Association fund while she was the organization's treasurer. A criminal complaint alleges Bentler cashed association checks from April 30, 2004, through Nov. 16, 2005, and made cash withdrawals from the association's account from Oct. 15, 2004, through Oct. 31, 2005.
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Accident
PAYNESVILLE -- The Minnesota State Patrol said Harry A. Driste, 95, of Paynesville was injured when the 1998 Buick he was driving and a semi tractor truck collided head-on Tuesday afternoon at the intersection of state Highway 55 and Koronis Drive near Paynesville.
Driste was first taken to Paynesville Hospital and then to St. Cloud Hospital where his condition was not released. The patrol did not release any injury information for Driste's passenger, Viola B. Nelson, 82 of Paynesville.
The driver of the 2001 Volvo tractor truck, Joseph L. Johnson, 25, address not given, was not hurt, the patrol said.
The patrol said the truck was eastbound on Highway 55 and Driste was turning onto Highway 55 westbound at the intersection when the crash occurred.
The patrol said the Paynesville Fire Department, Paynesville Ambulance and Paynesville Police Department also responded to the scene.
