Plane forced to make emergency landing at Willmar's new airport
WILLMAR -- An airplane in distress made an emergency landing Saturday at Willmar's new but not-yet-opened airport.
The Beechcraft aircraft and its pilot and two passengers landed safely and without incident at 2:55 p.m., reported Sgt. Glenn Negen of the Willmar Police Department.
The aircraft's pilot, Stuart Foster, 46, of Lees Summit, Mo., was about four miles northwest of Willmar when he radioed the Minneapolis Air Traffic Control seeking help.
Foster reported that there was smoke in the cockpit and problems with the electrical system.
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The Minneapolis Air Traffic Center directed him to vector to Rice Memorial Field in Willmar and land. Foster spotted the new airport runway first and landed there believing it was Rice Memorial Field.
Foster was flying from Kansas City, Mo., to a Park Rapids destination at the time.
His wife, Deanna Rae Foster and another passenger were aboard the plane.
The Willmar and Pennock Fire Departments, along with the Willmar Police Department, Willmar Ambulance, Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Office and Civil Air Patrol all responded.
No problems were reported.
Negen said the pilot was apparently able to keep the electrical problems from causing a fire by turning off some devices.
Accident
GRANITE FALLS -- A 44-year-old Montevideo woman was treated at the Granite Falls Municipal Hospital after she lost control of her motorcycle and crashed on Minnesota Highway 67 at 5:16 p.m. Saturday.
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Susan Loken suffered a non-incapacitating injury, the Marshall State Patrol reported. She was not wearing a helmet. She was driving a 2004 Harley Davidson motorcycle that drifted off the highway about one mile west of Granite Falls. She lost control of the motorcycle on the gravel shoulder, the patrol reported.
Vandalism
WILLMAR -- Police are investigating a case of vandalism discovered Saturday at the Kandiyohi County Fairgrounds in Willmar. A bathroom door was ripped from its hinges and a variety of items from the fairgrounds, including four truck tires, a hydraulic cylinder, lumber and PVC pipe were tossed into the lake.
WILLMAR -- A resident at Scandia Apartments reported Friday that four tires were slashed on his vehicle. The damage was estimated at $300 to $350.
WILLMAR -- A fight at 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Parkwood Mobile Home Court resulted in six windows and a door at a residence being broken. A juvenile male was arrested and taken to Prairie Lakes. The damage is estimated at over $750.
WILLMAR -- A resident on the 400 block of Northwest 30th Street reported that an intoxicated neighbor threw a bike at the windshield of her vehicle and shattered it during an incident at 10:13 p.m. Saturday. The suspect was taken to a detoxification facility on a police officer's order.
SPICER -- A Spicer man reported that someone stole his car while he attended a party Friday night. The vehicle was driven into a nearby wooded area and totaled.
Assault
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WILLMAR -- A 44-year-old man was arrested for indecent exposure after an incident reported Friday evening by a woman.
The victim told police that the man had purchased beer for both of them at Liquor Mart and that he later propositioned her. When she refused, he chased her down as she fled on a bicycle. He exposed himself to her but she was able to get away.
Ammonia leak
LAKE LILLIAN -- Firefighters in Lake Lillian responded to a residenence on the 100 block of Milky Way Avenue after a report of a strong odor of ammonia after 10 p.m. Saturday.
The firefighters found two anhydrous ammonia tanks with small leaks.
Loud parties
WILLMAR -- Police officers responded to separate reports of loud parties over the weekend and issued citations to juveniles at both for underage consumption or for violating the city's loud noise and party ordinance.
Police officers responded to complaints about a loud party on the 600 block of Southwest 16th Street at 11:20 p.m. Friday. The occupants initially denied entry to the officers. Officers returned with a search warrant and issued citations to 19 people. Some of the citations were for possession of small amounts of marijuana.
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In another incident, police officers issued 12 citations when they responded to complaints about a loud party on the 1300 block of Northwest 24th Street at 1:53 a.m. Saturday.
