Bomb squad called to Willmar; arrest made
WILLMAR — A Benson man who had explosive components in his vehicle was arrested Tuesday in Willmar.
The incident required the expertise of the Minneapolis Bomb Squad and charges are pending against the 31-year-old, according to the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office.
According to a news release, the incident started with a call Monday afternoon asking law enforcement to check on an individual sleeping in a vehicle on the side of the road near Kandiyohi County Road 41 and 37th Avenue Northeast.
As deputies were checking the man's driving status, he fled the truck into a nearby cornfield.
It was later determined the man’s driver’s license was revoked, and during an inventory of the truck, an object with a fuse was located and removed.
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The Minneapolis Bomb Squad was consulted and later came to the scene, where the device was confirmed to have explosive components and was rendered safe at the time, according to the report.
On Tuesday the driver of the truck was located and arrested by the Willmar Police Department and charges are pending with the Kandiyohi County Attorney’s Office.
The Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the CEE-VI Drug and Gang Task Force, the Willmar Police Department, the Minneapolis Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
MnDOT flagger struck
ORTONVILLE — A state highway employee who was flagging traffic for road maintenance in Big Stone County was injured Wednesday morning when he was struck by a vehicle.
The accident was reported at 10:44 a.m. Wednesday on U.S. Highway 12 near Ortonville.
According to the State Patrol, a 2017 Buick LaCrosse driven by Silas George Ulrich, 95, of Ortonville, was going east on Highway 12 when the vehicle struck Lon Eugene Moen, 63, of Odessa.
Moen, who is a flagger working for the Minnesota Department of Transportation, was taken to the Ortonville Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the State Patrol report.
The report also indicates Ulrich suffered a non-crash-related medical incident prior to striking Moen.
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Road conditions were dry at the time of the incident and alcohol was not a factor in the crash, according to the State Patrol.
The Big Stone County Sheriff's Office assisted at the scene.
Counterfeit money
WILLMAR — A counterfeit $10 bill was discovered Tuesday morning at a business located in the 500 block of Willmar Avenue Southeast. It was unknown who passed the bill or when it was received.
Theft
WILLMAR — Police took a report at 9 p.m. Tuesday of a ring stolen from the 3000 block of First Avenue Northwest.
