IT’S GOING TO BE HOT THIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND, AND WITH THAT COMES FIRE DANGER. DROUGHT CONDITIONS CONTINUE TO EXPAND, AND BURNING RESTRICTIONS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR SEVERAL NORTH-CENTRAL MINNESOTA COUNTIES. AN UNINTENTIONAL SPARK IN THESE DRY CONDITIONS COULD IGNITE A WILDFIRE.
IN COUNTIES AFFECTED BY THE RESTRICTIONS, NO FIREWORKS MAY BE IGNITED ON ANY PUBLIC OR PRIVATE LAND OUTSIDE CITY LIMITS (CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY FOR ANY ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS). NO CAMPFIRES ARE ALLOWED FOR BACKCOUNTRY OR DISPERSED CAMPING.
YOU CAN CHECK THE DNR’S WEBSITE FOR EXACT AREAS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY RESTRICTIONS.
MINNESOTA IS REPORTING ITS 200TH TRAFFIC DEATH FOR THE YEAR, THE EARLIEST DATE TO REACH THE MARK SINCE 2009. STATE TRAFFIC SAFETY OFFICIALS SAY A TOTAL OF 202 PEOPLE HAVE DIED ON THE ROADS SINCE JAN. 1, COMPARED TO 148 AT THIS TIME A YEAR AGO. THE FATALITIES INCLUDE 142 MOTOR VEHICLE OCCUPANTS, 25 MOTORCYCLISTS, 23 PEDESTRIANS AND THREE BICYCLISTS. PRELIMINARY INFORMATION SHOWS 80 SPEED-RELATED DEATHS, 46 UNBELTED MOTORIST DEATHS, 45 ALCOHOL-RELATED DEATHS AND FIVE DISTRACTED-DRIVING DEATHS.
TWO MULTI-CAR CRASHES WERE REPORTED WITHIN HOURS OF EACH OTHER ON U.S. HIGHWAY 2 NEAR GRAND FORKS. THE CRASHES OCCURRED IN A WORK ZONE NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF U.S. HIGHWAY 2 AND AIRPORT ROAD, WHERE BOTH EASTBOUND AND WESTBOUND TRAFFIC ARE HEAD TO HEAD SHARING THE NORMAL EASTBOUND LANES. NEITHER CRASH INVOLVED MAJOR INJURIES, BUT THE POLICE REPORT IN THE FIRST ACCIDENT DOES INDICATE POSSIBLE DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE CHARGES.
SEVENTY PERCENT OF MINNESOTANS OLDER THAN 18 HAVE BEEN PARTIALLY VACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19, GOV. TIM WALZ ANNOUNCED THURSDAY, JULY 1, PUTTING THE STATE AHEAD OF PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN’S VACCINATION GOAL FOR JULY FOURTH. MINNESOTA HAS YET TO ACHIEVE THE SAME FEAT FOR ALL RESIDENTS AGES 16 AND OLDER, WHO WERE AMONG THE FIRST TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE VACCINE, WITH APPROXIMATELY 67% OF RESIDENTS IN THAT AGE RANGE HAVING HAD AT LEAST ONE DOSE OF VACCINE
A CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR JON LIGHTNING OF FARGO, ND WILL BE HELD FRIDAY, JULY 7TH FROM 12:30-3:30 PM AT THE WARROAD COMMUNITY CHURCH. INTERMENT WILL BE AT RIVERSIDE CEMETERY AT 4 PM.
JON LIGHTNING PASSED AWAY JUNE 20TH AT THE AGE OF 39.
MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR DONNA LEARY OF BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY (11 AM) AT CONCORDIA LUTHERAN CHURCH IN ROSS. DONNA LEARY WAS 59.
Last modified: 07/02/2021
