Stearns Co. Sheriff’s Office

Fraud Calls: The Stearns County Sheriff's Office Dispatch Center has received multiple calls from citizens stating that they had received a phone call from a person identifying themself as a Stearns County Sheriff’s Sergeant. The calls included requesting medical information, legal documents, or using intimidation about past due unpaid fines. These calls are fraudulent and are aimed to illicit your personal information or money. All the callers correctly called our office directly, where we were able to confirm the calls were in fact a scam.

If you receive a call like the ones described and are unsure if the conversation is authentic or not, please contact the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office at 320-251-4240. The Sheriff’s Office cautions individuals to never give out your personal information when contacted in this manner.

Arson: April 6, 2023: At approximately 2:11 p.m., the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Communications Center received the report of a building fire. Stearns County Deputies, Upsala Fire Department, Freeport Fire Department, Holdingford Fire Department, and a MN DNR Conservation Officer responded to the scene located at 43985 248th Avenue in Krain Township. Upon arrival deputies found the residence to be fully engulfed. Deputies made contact with a female party identified as Jamie Morin, 40, of Wahpeton, North Dakota and she admitted to starting the fire. Morin was taken into custody for questioning and later arrested for 1st Degree Arson. The residence was owned by Brian Blommel, 52, of Freeport, and was considered a complete loss. The incident is being investigated by the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Crash: April 7, 2023: At approximately 11:48 p.m., the Stearns County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call reporting a single-vehicle crash in the 31200 block of Birch Valley Road in Millwood Township. This location is approximately ten miles northeast of the city of Melrose, on the south side of Big Birch Lake.

Upon arrival deputies located a 2001 Buick Park Avenue that appeared to have been driving northwest on Birch Valley Rd., when the driver lost control and drove off of the road striking a tree. The driver, identified as Daniel Kapsner, 21, of Melrose, was out of the Buick and had no apparent injuries. The front seat passenger, Jake Jurek, 20, of St. Cloud, was trapped inside of the vehicle and appeared to have a serious injury to his left leg. The Melrose Fire Department extricated Jurek, who was then transported by Melrose Ambulance to CentraCare Health-Melrose. Both occupants were wearing their seatbelt at the time of the crash. Alcohol is being investigated as a contributing factor in the crash. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Melrose Police Department, Melrose Fire Department, and Melrose Area Ambulance.

View the Historic Renovation at the Minnesota State Capital

T.C.C.A. Sponsoring a Bus to the Minnesota Capitol • You do NOT need to be a Senior! Bus stops midway - riders pay for treats at this stop.

Choose your lunch at the newly renovated 115 year old Rathskeller or DOT Dining Halls beneath the Capitol. Pick and pay for the meal of your Choice -Guided Tours of the Capitol follow. (Fee pd)

Learn more about the value of Historic Preservation and Farm-to-Table Dining at the Farmer’s Bar and Grill -St. Paul. (Meal included in trip)

Bus Pick up: Staples Community Center 7:00 a.m. Eagle Bend Hilltop Kitchen 7:20 a.m. Long Prairie Long Prairie Senior Center 7:45 a.m. Bus sponsored by Todd County Council on Aging.

Call Janet Umland to register 218-924-2031- Leave a message or text. Send payment of $73 (Bus, Capitol fee, Meal at Farmer’s Bar and Grill) TCCA % Janet Umland at 14527 410th St., Bertha, MN, 56437.

If you are unable to attend, you must transfer ticket to another person. No refunds.

Sudoku is one of the most popular puzzle games of all time. The goal of Sudoku is to fill a 9×9 grid with numbers so that each row, column and 3×3 section contain all of the digits between 1 and 9. As a logic puzzle, Sudoku is also an excellent brain game.

Dave Says -By Dave Ramsey

Dear Dave, I’m thinking more seriously about buying a home in the next year or so. It seems like the housing market has cooled off a bit, so I am also planning to get a secured credit card to help me rebuild my credit score in the meantime. I make $60,000 a year, and I have about $15,000 in debt and $3,100 in savings. Is this a good idea and a good start toward getting my credit back on track and taking control of my finances?

Dear Martin,

-Martin

In a word, no. I want you to become debt-free before you buy a home. I also want you to have an emergency fund of three to six months of expenses set aside, and have a down payment—preferably of at least 20%, so you can avoid having to pay private mortgage insurance—before buying a home.

Let me tell you a couple of things. Number one, your income is your most powerful wealth building tool. If you don’t have any payments, you have the ability to build wealth and be generous. When you have debt, all you do is send money out the door to make payments. So, being in debt is a guaranteed way to stay broke. That means getting a secured credit card is not a good idea, either.

Also, did you know you can get a home mortgage with no credit score through a process called manual underwriting? All you have to do is make sure you have a good, long history of paying other things, like your utilities and rent, on time. Most mortgage lenders who do manual underwriting would also require that you have all your debts paid off completely and the accounts closed for at least six months.

Buying a house when you’re in debt and broke is a really bad idea, Martin. It’s the fastest way I know to turn something that should be a blessing into a financial and emotional curse. Just be patient, get out of debt and save up. Getting control of your finances is the smartest thing you can do before buying a home!

-Dave

* Dave Ramsey is a seven-time #1 national best-selling author, personal finance expert, and host of The Ramsey Show, heard by more than 18 million listeners each week. He has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, Today Show, Fox News, CNN, Fox Business, and many more. Since 1992, Dave has helped people regain control of their money, build wealth and enhance their lives. He also serves as CEO for Ramsey Solutions.

Albany Senior Dining

Mon., Apr. 17: BBQ rib patty, baked potato, peas, banana.

Tues., Apr. 18: Shrimp, rice, vegetable Normandy, mandarin oranges.

Wed., Apr. 19: Pork, sweet potato, green beans, applesauce, roll.

Thurs., Apr. 20: Spaghetti w/meat sauce, noodles, carrots, orange slices, breadstick.

Fri., Apr. 21: Cheeseburger on bun, macaroni salad, broccoli, apples.

Pre-registration requested to dine daily.

For more info. call 320-845-4070.

Upsala - All Ages

BREAKFAST: Mon.-Fri. 7-10 a.m.: Walk in & dine. Take out available, call ahead.

Mon., Apr. 17: Pork chops, potato, vegetable, dessert.

Tues., Apr. 18: Spaghetti hotdish, vegetable, garlic bread, dessert.

Wed., Apr. 19: Sweet & sour chicken, rice, eggroll, dessert.

Thurs., Apr. 20: 5:30 PM: Chicken wild rice, chili, bars.

Fri., Apr. 21: Hot dog, macaroni & cheese, vegetable, dessert. Pick up or eat in by 11:30 a.m. For meals, call a day before: 320-573-4435.

Dear Motor Medics,

I've got a Nissan Titan and it has a ticking noise in the engine. It has had this for about a year and it doesn't seem to get any louder, but it makes me nervous about taking it on trips far from home. When I have my engine oil changed my shop says it's just lifters and they probably are noisy because I tend to change my engine oil every 10k miles, I know, that's too long between changes. I recently put in an additive that cleans the engine oil system and the noise stopped for two weeks then came back. Should I try two cans at the same time?

-Carry in Hills, Minnesota

Dear Carry, NO! That's the best way we can answer that last question. Never use an additive in a way not directed by the manufacturer of said product or you risk permanent damage. Additives have their place and if used as directed sometimes can fix a problem and save you a ton of money, but they are also some of the most abused products out there. With your extended oil changes, you probably clogged up some oil passages and using the cleaner helped restore them. Most of those cleaners are meant to be installed, then the engine oil changed within a few minutes of running. If that works then you may be able to repeat every 1000k miles for a few months and you may save the engine.

-Take care, the Motor Medics

Dear Motor Medics, Hey, what gives with the low tire pressure monitors? I am so sick of these things. It seems like every vehicle I drive has a low tire light on and even when I add the correct amount of air the light still stays on. How do these things work and how can I shut the light off permanently so that I don't have to worry about it.

-Derik in Osage Beach, Missouri

Brian’s Painting

Dear Derik, Yikes! It's never any fun having a light come on and taunt you like that. Check Engine lights, ABS lights and Low Tire lights are some of the most annoying things on a car, but they all are there for a reason. They either are trying to save your life or the car’s life. In the case of a low tire light, it is the former. Low tire warning systems were made mandatory by the government for safety a while back due to so many accidents caused by tire failure from under inflation. The system uses pressure sensors mounted in the tire usually on the valve stem and they contain batteries and a transmitter to relay the pressure and tire temp to the vehicles computer where it determines if it is a safe pressure and either illuminates the warning lamp or not. The system can't be bypassed, and it would not be legal to do so. Get it diagnosed. Most shops can repair them at a reasonable price.

-Take care, the Motor Medics For entertainment only. Always consult your local shop and follow all safety procedures before repairs. Come visit the Motor Medics® online at Underthehoodshow.com.