Authorities in Meeker County are investigating a crime spree in the town of Dassel.Last weekend many downtown businesses suffered broken windows and doors The Meeker County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the crimes and narrowing in on suspects “We have some suspects at this time,” Sgt “Not at liberty to identify them yet or the number Thirsty’s Bar and Grill had their front door smashed by the vandals “It’s just crazy for Dassel to have this violence going around,” bartender Kari Davis said call the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office at 320-693-5400 Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the content of the FCC Public File may contact KSTP via our online form or call 651-646-5555 Logan Englund defeated Dassel-Cokato’s Evan Halonen in the CI Boys Singles by one pin Alexandria hosts its section tournament at 3:30 p.m deputies saw heavy smoke and flames coming out of the home was outside in the backyard with three dogs when she noticed the fire she attempted to go back inside to rescue three cats but the smoke was too heavy and she was unable to find them The Sheriff’s Office received the report at 2:47 p.m Wednesday in the 800 block of Fifth Street North in Dassel Dassel and Cokato fire departments also responded to the fire along with Mayo Ambulance The American Red Cross was contacted to assist the occupants of the home The cause of the fire is currently unknown and the investigation remains open (ABC 6 News) — The Stewartville Tigers looked to repeat as State Champions as they faced Dassel-Cokato for the Minnesota Class AAA Football Championship on Saturday Stewartville won its first ever State Championship in 2023 while the Chargers looked to claim the Class AAA again after winning it all in 2021 The Tigers got the party started first at U.S driving all the way to the endzone on their opening drive Malik Abdi running it in on 3rd & Goal for the touchdown scoring off a pitch to Caleb Smock for a 7-yard touchdown The ground game continued to shine as Stewartville’s Dylan Scanlan tore off a 58-yard run to the house Stewartville missed the 2-point conversion making the score 13-7 with 1:23 in the first quarter Stewartville’s defense managed to get a 4th down stop with 10:40 left but the Chargers’ defense held strong in the endzone Stewartville flexed its defensive muscles again with a major 4th down at 5:10 mark of the second Head Coach Garrett Mueller’s bled the clock down to the final seconds of the half trying to punch in another score the Tigers managed to break the Chargers line for a rushing touchdown by Parker Wangen it was not without controversy as it took a booth review to determine if Wangen broke the plane or not there wasn’t enough evidence to turn over the call Stewartville padded the lead thanks to a 2-play drive culminating in a Wellik to Wangen touchdown pass for 30 yards Dylan Scanlan added his second rush TD of the afternoon on 20-yard dash making the game 37-7 in Stewartville’s favor Wangen added his third total TD of the day later in the 4th as Stewartville finished the job repeating as Class AAA Champions once again ABC 6 News will update this article with more information Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the FCC Public file should email news@kaaltv.com or call (507) 288-7555 you might never suspect Dassel-Cokato to be the up-tempo Many see the Chargers as a prototypical grind-it-out 3-yards-and-a-blizzard-of-rubber-turf-pellets team that leans on its rushing attack There’s no shortage of such teams in high school football in Minnesota What makes the Chargers unique is how they do it personnel-heavy attack made the difference Saturday as Dassel-Cokato rallied to beat Pequot Lakes 29-26 in the first Class 3A semifinal at U.S For more on the Chargers' victory, click here to read this story on startribune.com MINNEAPOLIS — MINNEAPOLIS — Top-seeded Minneapolis ended Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato’s season Wednesday in the Section 2A boys hockey quarterfinals at the Parade Ice Garden Minneapolis beat the eighth-seeded Dragons 4-0 Litchfield/DC finishes the season with an 8-18 record The Novas are 16-7-3 and are ranked ninth in the state in Class A by Let’s Play Hockey Minneapolis plays Providence Academy at 5 p.m 7 Mound-Westonka/Watertown-Mayer 6-1 and No one of the best baseball players in the state put on a show yesterday leading the Rockford Rockets to a 10-0 win against Dassel-Cokato ***Click the video box on this page see highlights from this game*** The lefty struck out 13 batters in five innings of work the Dassel-Cokato football is headed to state at the expense of Litchfield The top-seeded Chargers ran for five touchdowns in a 33-18 victory in the Section 2AAA championship game over the second-seeded Dragons Friday at Buffalo High School Both teams trampled the ground under their feet combining for 525 rushing yards and 42 first downs D-C (9-1) had a 20-6 halftime lead after TD runs by Cole Zeith Smock added two second-half touchdowns as he ran for a Chargers-best 123 yards on 25 carries Litchfield tied the game in the second quarter with a two-yard Anthony Taylor touchdown run The sophomore running back carried the ball 79 times for 21 yards The Dragons added a pair of second-half passing touchdowns Alex Medina-Lizarraga connected with Ben Olson for a seven-yard score and Taylor for a six-yard score Ethan Holtz finished with 21 total tackles and a fumble recovery for the Dragons Litchfield finishes the season with a 6-4 record dispatchers from Saturday to Monday received 12 calls regarding damage to property and a report of suspicious people walking in town Businesses within the downtown area of Dassel were damaged — which included broken windows and damaged doors — along with a vehicle on the south end of town Deputies gathered evidence at several locations are seeking surveillance footage Anyone with information or video footage of any of these incidents is encouraged to call the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office at 320-693-5400 Information can also be shared anonymously on the confidential tipline at 320-693-5411 DASSEL (WJON News) -- The Meeker County Sheriff's Office is investigating a series of break-ins and property damage incidents in Dassel The sheriff's office says they received 12 calls related to property damage and suspicious people walking in Dassel from April 12th through the 14th Authorities say several businesses in the downtown area were damaged along with a vehicle on the south side of town Deputies have gathered evidence and are investigating the incidents The sheriff's office is asking anyone with video footage of the crimes or information to contact them Any information can be provided anonymously on the office's confidential tip line at 320-693-5411 Series of break-ins and property damage in Dassel under investigation\nRead More DASSEL (WJON News) -- The Meeker County Sheriff's Office is investigating a series of break-ins and property damage incidents in Dassel DASSEL (WJON News) -- A home in Dassel is heavily damaged by fire and three house cats are presumed dead The Meeker County Sheriff's Office responded to the 800 block of 5th Street North at around 2:45 p.m Deputies arrived to find smoke and flames coming from the house Officers learned a woman with three dogs was outside in the backyard when she noticed the fire Katherine Christianson told authorities she tried to go back into the house to find her three cats but was overcome by the smoke No people were hurt in the fire and the cause is unknown The sheriff's office says the house is owned by 44-year-old Dylan Walker of Dassel Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF A home in Dassel is heavily damaged by fire and three house cats are presumed dead.\nRead More DASSEL (WJON News) -- A home in Dassel is heavily damaged by fire and three house cats are presumed dead It got a lot easier to keep food fresh at home in the 1920s, when the refrigerator started to become an essential appliance for every kitchen. Manufacturers produced about 5,000 refrigerators in the U.S. in 1921, according to History Magazine (via The Packer). Over the next decade, another 1 million refrigerators were manufactured in the country. [Pictured: Men stand beside the first Frigidaire, made by Delco Light Company, a subsidiary of General Motors, 1921.] A touchdown with 51 seconds left lifted Dassel-Cokato over Pequot Lakes. Stewartville defeated Albany for its 27th consecutive victory. If you didn’t know differently, you might never suspect Dassel-Cokato to be the up-tempo, fast-paced football team it truly is. Many see the Chargers as a prototypical grind-it-out, 3-yards-and-a-blizzard-of-rubber-turf-pellets team that leans on its rushing attack. There’s no shortage of such teams in high school football in Minnesota, where the late fall weather holds sway. Said running game defines Dassel-Cokato. What makes the Chargers unique is how they do it. They move fast. And do it with a lot of players.. The up-tempo, personnel-heavy attack made the difference Saturday as Dassel-Cokato rallied to beat Pequot Lakes 29-26 in the first Class 3A semifinal at U.S. Bank Stadium. Kobee Thielen capped a comeback from a 19-point second-half deficit with a 5-yard dive into the end zone with 51 seconds left. The Chargers added a two-point conversion for the game’s final score. The key to the comeback was Dassel-Cokato’s pressure-cooker style. The Chargers operate fast. Keep up if you can. “That’s kind of what we do,” coach Ryan Weinandt said. “We try to put a lot of guys on the field and we try to go as fast as we can and we think we can wear down teams a little bit.” It’s a style that needs time to be effective. When Pequot Lakes got out to a 26-7 lead early in the second half, Dassel-Cokato didn’t worry. The Chargers kicked it into gear and started moving the ball, mostly on the ground. The Chargers were building momentum, and Pequot Lakes was starting to feel the wear-and-tear. “They kept coming at us and our kids just sucked it up,” Patriots coach Bill Magnuson said. “I’ll tip my hat to them. They get off the ball. We knew a little bit about the muddle huddle, that they would go right away, but it’s too hard to sub on something like that.” Patriots senior lineman Jackson Jorgens said the warm conditions in U.S. Bank Stadium played into Dassel-Cokato’s hands, too. “We played the last four or five games in cold and then just going to a really warm stadium, for sure it affected us,” Jorgen said. “And is was really hard to stop because their tempo was so fast. They kept just running and huddling. Obviously, that played in their favor.” Dassel-Cokato got in position to win with a pair of touchdown runs by running back Caleb Smock. Dassel-Cokato finished with 321 yards rushing and 409 yards of total offense, most in the second half. “It’s probably not a very well-kept secret, but we play 22 different starters as a Class 3A football team,” Weinandt said. “We try to get a lot of guys on the field. I think it’s good for our program, and it’s good for their safety and their health, to keep them fresh. And the way to make it advantageous is to try to go at a fast pace.” Pequot Lakes (11-1) had won 11 games in a row with a versatile, balanced attack. Quarterback Mike Oseland completed 16 of 23 passes for 212 yards and three touchdowns Saturday. Stewartville came in known for its stout defensive unit, but Parker Wangen’s route running and hands can’t be taken lightly. The 6-4 senior wide receiver caught nine passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns in the first half and added a scoring run, leading the defending state champion and No. 1-ranked Tigers to a 33-20 victory over No. 3 Albany in the Class 3A semifinals Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium. It was the Tigers’ 27th consecutive victory. “Parker is one of a kind,” Tigers coach Garrett Mueller said. “He makes it look so easy. An outstanding talent.” Stewartville (13-0) scored first when junior running back Abdimalik Abdi plowed in from the 1-yard line four minutes into the second quarter. Wangen set up the touchdown with a 47-yard reception where he broke three tackles and 7-yard catch down to the one on a fourth down-and-5play. “He is savvy with the ball. He is elusive and tough to tackle,” Albany coach Mike Ellingson said about the MSU Mankato, recruit who has 68 catches for 1,126 yards and 20 touchdowns on the seasonand also has run for seven scores. “The kid makes plays.” Albany (11-1) took a short-lived 7-6 lead when senior quarterback Boone Roemeling found classmate Ethan Meyer on a perfectly thrown out-and-up pass play that covered 23 yards. It was the first of three touchdown passes for the tandem, the others covering 2 and 7 yards. “This was one of the best games we’ve played,” Meyer said. “It’s a terrible feeling knowing we won’t be playing together any more.” It only took Wangen 57 seconds to answer, outjumping two defenders to haul in a 50-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Vince Wellik. After a quick three-and-out by Albany, Wangen went back to work. He caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Wellik in the back corner of the end zone with 34 seconds remaining in the first half. Wellik completed 13 of 17 passes for 179 yards. “That was a big end to the second quarter,” Mueller said. “Our guys are comfortable in that situation. They responded well.” The Tigers took a 26-7 lead when senior running back Dylan Scanlan scored on a 1-yard run midway through the third quarter. The short 15-yard drive was set up by Wangen’s 44-yard punt return. Wangen capped his outstanding performance with a 9-yard scoring run out of wildcat formation early in the fourth quarter. “His punt return was a backbreaker,” Ellingson said. “The kid made some unbelievable plays. When they needed to make big plays they made them.” Jim Paulsen is a high school sports reporter for the Star Tribune.  High Schools Minnesota high school scores and results for all sports from around the state Owen Marsolek struck out 17 to lead the Hilltoppers to a 3-0 victory Monday at Siebert Field has a state-high 40 goals in seven games for St Stewartville faced off with Dassel-Cokato in the Class 3A state championship football game on Saturday ABOVE: Trevor Maakestad fired up after a defensive stop against Waseca in the Section 3AAA championship game in New Ulm on November 1 FAIRMONT – The Fairmont Cardinals (8-2) are preparing for their matchup against the Dassel-Cokato (9-1) in the Class AAA State Tournament Saturday at 3 p.m at Minneapolis Washburn High School after coming of a 17-12 win over Waseca in the Section 3AAA Championship game to punch their ticket to the tournament “I think we can do a little bit of everything,” said Fairmont football head coach Mat Mahoney “We’re still gonna try and run the football you know we feel pretty comfortable throwing the football against these guys” In the game against Waseca running back Elijah Johnson led the Cardinal offense with 45 carries for 190 yards and two touchdowns Quarterback Joe Long added 10 carries for 53 yards went 7 for 9 through the air totaling 27 yards On the receiving end was Hank Artz who caught three for 11 yards while Nolan Schultze snagged two for 11 yards on the night Defensive standout Trevor Maakestad managed to take the Waseca quarterback to the ground three times in the Cardinals’ win redeeming themselves for their loss in the final game of the regular season coming off of a 33-18 win against Litchfield is another run-heavy offense that will test the Cardinals’ defensive front running back Caleb Smock had 26 carries for 129 yards and three touchdowns Quarterback Cole Veith came out of that match up with a 100% completion percentage for 33 yards while Isaac Salmen had 13 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown “Dassel does a really good job controlling the line of scrimmage,” said Mahoney “I mean really they have one formation We have to make sure that we get enough hats on the ball and and not let them control the line of scrimmage” The Cardinals showed further versatility in their ground game against Waseca showing a wildcat option that proved to be effective against the Bluejays’ defensive front turnover prevention was a huge factor that Fairmont got under control Despite the ball coming loose on more than one occasion the Cardinals were able to rapidly cover the ball and maintain possession something that the Cardinals have been working on over the course of the season Long showed solid decision making when they did take to the air not forcing his passes and keeping the ball out of reach of the opposing defense The return of Maakestad seemed to revitalize the Cardinals defense who were struggling with outside containment The height of the defensive ends also proved to be extremely disruptive in the pass game they’re both very quick,” said Mahoney and what’s unique about them is that they can squeeze down to stop the run but then they can also get upfield and you know get to the quarterback and knock down passes [to] try and speed up that quarterback progression a little bit.” The quarterfinal game is scheduled for a 3 p.m kick off at Minneapolis Washburn High School on Saturday November 9 Tickets are available at https://www.mshsl.org/tickets and are $13 for adults and $9 for students FAIRMONT – With the dust settling on the 69th Sentinel Relays the Fairmont Cardinals boys did enough to bring .. Copyright © 2025 Ogden Newspapers of Minnesota | https://www.fairmontsentinel.com | 64 Downtown Plaza MEEKER COUNTY (WJON News) -- Two people were hurt in a crash east of Dassel on Sunday morning The Minnesota State Patrol says at about 9:45 a.m a car driven by a 26-year-old man from Atwater was going west on Highway 12 and a Jeep driven by a 23-year-old man from Woonsocket Rhode Island was going east on Highway 12 when they crashed Twenty-six-year-old Edward Martinez of Atwater and 23-year-old Carlos Rodriquez of Rhode Island were both taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries Gallery Credit: Image Credit: Gregg Larsen Coldwell Banker Realty A crash on Highway 12 near Dassel injures two people\nRead More MEEKER COUNTY (WJON News) -- Two people were hurt in a crash east of Dassel on Sunday morning. The Minnesota State Patrol says at about 9:45 a.m. a car driven by a 26-year-old man from Atwater was going west on Highway 12 and a Jeep driven by a 23-year-old man from Woonsocket, Rhode Island was going east on Highway 12 when they crashed. Twenty-six-year-old Edward Martinez of Atwater and 23-year-old Carlos Rodriquez of Rhode Island were both taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. - Weight: 6 lbs 9 oz- Length: 36\"\n- Location: Saint Croix River - Stillwater\n- Record set by Matthew R. Brown in 1997 Dassel Fire and Rescue, Allina Ambulance, Meeker County deputies and Lifelink III all responded to a residence in the 70000 block of 178th Street in Collinwood Township, on the eastern shore of Lake Jennie. Jeffrey Holmquist, 46, was found to be the victim of an apparent gas explosion inside a fish house, burning a significant portion of his body, according to the news release. Holmquist was airlifted from the scene to the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis for treatment. He later died from his injuries. The cause of the explosion is currently under investigation. The Minnesota State Fire Marshal responded to the scene to assist with the investigation. Stewartville finished with a second consecutive perfect season, and the program’s 28th consecutive victory. To some observers, Stewartville has been masquerading as a Class 3A football program all season, culminating with a 43-22 Prep Bowl victory over Dassel-Cokato on Saturday. Too big to fail? Not at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Tigers (14-0) boasted too much talent in too many places to not repeat as 3A state champions. The defeat was so complete, Stewartville widened its margin of victory enough to warrant the mercy rule for a small portion of the fourth quarter. Stewartville also earned a second consecutive perfect season, and the program’s 28th consecutive victory. Two years go, the Tigers competed as a Class 4A power. The drop in classification was for administrative purposes only. “We go compete with the guys we have walking our hallways and we’re just blessed to have this group of athletes,” Stewartville coach Garrett Mueller said. “Could we go compete against bigger schools? Maybe. But to go with 28 in a row is really tough. To do that consistently just speaks volumes.” Consistency set Stewartville apart Saturday. Dassel-Cokato (11-2), the 3A champion in 2021, could not get its defense off the field. The Tigers went 8-for-11 on third down and 1-for-1 on fourth down. “Being really good on first and second down sets us up for success on third downs,” Mueller said. Senior running back Dylan Scanlan ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns for Stewartville. Junior running back Abdimalik Abdi added 63 yards on the ground and a score. Junior quarterback Vincent Wellik posted an efficient 6-for-7 on passes for 87 yards. For statistical beasts, however, look at Parker Wangen’s numbers as a runner, kicker and defensive back: He had two catches for 47 yards and one touchdown, two rushing touchdowns, one interception, went 1-for-1 on field goals (25 yards) and had seven kickoffs for 360 yards (51.4 average). Dassel-Cokato was led by Kobee Thielen (107 rushing yards) and Caleb Smock (92 yards). The duo represented the 23 seniors battling for the Chargers. Stewartville, which entered the game with seven shutouts this season, gave up only 4.5 points per game entering the championship game. “We came up a little short on a couple plays and you’ve got to be almost perfect against them,” Dassel-Cokato coach Ryan Weinandt said. David La Vaque is a high school sports reporter who has been the lead high school hockey writer for the Minnesota Star Tribune since 2010. He is co-author of “Tourney Time,” a book about the history of Minnesota’s boys hockey state tournament published in 2020 and updated in 2024. Stewartville's Abdimalik Abdi (22) rushes the ball as Dassel-Cokato defensive back Anthony Briseno (3) defends in the second half of the Tigers' 43-22 victory over Dassel-Cakato in the Class 3A championship game at U.S. Bank Stadium on Nov. 23. ANTHONY SOUFFLE • anthony.souffle@startribune.com Stewartville has been masquerading as a Class 3A football program all season culminating with 43-22 Prep Bowl victory over Dassel-Cokato on Saturday The Tigers (14-0) boasted too much talent in too many places to not repeat as 3A champions Stewartville widened its margin of victory enough to warrant the mercy rule for a small portion of the fourth quarter Stewartville also earned a second consecutive perfect season and the program’s 28th consecutive victory The drop in classification was for administrative purposes only “We go compete with the guys we have walking our hallways and we’re just blessed to have this group of athletes,” Stewartville coach Garrett Mueller said “Could we go compete against bigger schools But to go with 28 in a row is really tough To do that consistently just speaks volumes.” For more on the Tigers' victory, click here to read this story on startribune.com Stewartville's Justice Deno (19) celebrates a stop with his coaches in the first half of the Tigers' 43-22 victory over Dassel-Cokato in the Class 3A championship at U.S. Bank Stadium on Nov. 23. ANTHONY SOUFFLE • anthony.souffle@startribune.com MINNEAPOLIS — When the Pequot Lakes Patriots scored a touchdown with 9:20 left in the third quarter to take a 26-7 against the Dassel-Cokato Chargers it looked like Pequot was on its way to the first Prep Bowl in school history The Chargers changed those plans and scored the last 22 points — a comeback that climaxed with a 5-yard touchdown run by Kobee Thielen with 47 seconds left to secure a 29-26 victory in the Class 3A State Semifinals Saturday “I was super proud of our guys,” DC head coach Ryan Weinandt said but these guys buy in and are very talented players.” The Chargers' power running offense mixed with tempo wore down the Patriots' defense in the second half but we did move quickly and that was a big advantage for us,” Thielen said Pequot Lakes head coach Bill Magnuson was dejected when talking about how his team lost a 19-point lead in the state semifinals “We let that one slip through our fingers,” he said “I tip my hat to Dassel-Cokato and we made some mistakes that cost us the game We rose to the occasion after some injuries Dassel-Cokato fumbled the second-half kickoff and gave the Patriots the ball at DC’s 33 Bryar Nordby scored on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Michael Oseland to give the Patriots a 26-7 lead early in the third quarter The comeback started for the Chargers on the next drive Caleb Smock scored a 30-yard touchdown run to inch DC closer 26-15 Oseland threw a red zone interception looking for Nordby in the end zone and the Chargers responded with an 11-play 80-yard touchdown drive to cut the Patriots’ lead to 26-21 Smock scored his second touchdown from 1 yard away with 10:50 left “I don’t think we ever stopped believing,” Weinandt said “We were down 20-7 at halftime in the quarterfinals but I felt like two things hurt us in the first half and that was penalties and turnovers.” the Patriots stopped the Chargers on downs to get the ball at its own 34 the Patriots were forced to punt back to the Chargers who had one timeout left and 2:27 remaining DC went 79 yards in nine plays and did not use a timeout to score the game-winning touchdown “We knew we had to go quick and keep our feet moving,” Thielen said “Most of our offense is seniors and we wanted to make everything count.” Magnuson added: “We knew they liked to go quick but it’s hard to sub on defense when they do that.” The mistakes for the Patriots came in the form of penalties Pequot was called for 10 penalties for 65 yards Pequot received the opening kickoff and went 77 yards in 11 plays for a touchdown Oseland found Harrison Kennen for a 13-yard touchdown and a 6-0 lead The Chargers took a brief 7-6 lead in the second quarter when Thielen launched into the end zone on fourth and goal from the 1 yard line Pequot responded with a touchdown drive that went 80 yards in six plays Oseland found Ethan Arellano for a 14-yard touchdown with 45 seconds left in the first half “Michael did a good job tonight,” Magnuson said “We ran a lot of play action and we knew they were going to try to stop the run Michael was on fire and I’m proud of the way he played.” Nordby led the way with 92 rushing yards on 17 carries John Paul Elsenpeter rushed for 38 yards on six carries but left the game in the first quarter with an injury and did not return “We have some good running backs and when John Paul went down I was going to put Nordby back there as much as I could,” Magnuson said “Elsenpeter was a big loss right away in the game We had to change our game plan a little bit Oseland threw for 223 yards on 17-24 passing and two touchdowns Aaron Clark was the leading receiver with seven catches for 92 yards Quarterback Cole Veith led the Chargers with 113 yards on 20 carries Thielen rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries Smock collected 77 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries We were two minutes away from moving on,” Magnuson said CONRAD ENGSTROM may be reached at 218-855-5861 or conrad.engstrom@brainerddispatch.com Follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/the_rad34 Pequot Lakes 26Key: The Chargers score the final 22 points to come back and beat the Patriots.Overall: PL 11-1 Authorities in Meeker County are investigating a crime spree they say occurred in Dassel from Saturday to Monday The Sheriff’s Office says during that period they received 12 calls related to damage to property and a burglary alarm related to the property damage reports Many businesses in the downtown area were damaged along with a vehicle on the south end of town Businesses suffered broken windows and damage to doors from attempted break-ins Deputies gathered evidence at several locations and are searching for surveillance footage Anyone with information or video footage of any of these incidents is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Office dispatch at 320-693-5400 Information can also be left anonymously on the confidential tip-line at 320-693-5411 Ingstad Media is a third generation family owned media company with 19 radio stations in MN along with stations in AK & OR online auction WHEELERDEALERMN.COM and of course Ingstad Tours Our stations have been in these markets for generations and enjoy strong audience loyalty We have several major events that run in all markets including The Rock of the North scavenger hunt our King of the Castle & Queen of the Cash promotion and the IMRN Comedy Tour The Hutchinson Tigers bested the Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato Dragons 4-1 on Tuesday The Tigers started off strong and took the lead right after the puck drop with Manny Pearce scoring in the first period Nathan Thode scored early in the second period Jaeden Mckinley narrowed the gap to 3-1 with a goal early in the third period Emmett Reiter increased the lead to 4-1 with a goal seven minutes later while the Dragons face Prairie Centre at 7 p.m MINNEAPOLIS — For the first time since 2017 the Pequot Lakes Patriots are in the state semifinals Following a 22-15 victory over Annandale in the Class 3A State Quarterfinals on Saturday Pequot will play the Dassel-Cokato Chargers in the Class 3A State Semifinals at 2 p.m The Chargers (10-1) beat Fairmont 29-28 in their state quarterfinal game Saturday Dassel-Cokato won Section 3-2A with a 33-18 victory over Litchfield in the section final The last time the Chargers reached the state tournament was in 2019 They lost in the Class 3A State Finals to Pierz Pequot Lakes head coach Bill Magnuson said Dassel-Cokato plays a similar style they see in the Patriots district “They are very much a power-run team,” Magnuson said I compare it to a lot of teams we play in our district Teams like North Branch and Two Harbors are ground and pound So our district has probably helped prepare us a little bit more for this type of game Dassel is very well coached and very athletic they are a 4-4 team and very athletic at the linebacker position The Patriots relied heavily on the run game in the state quarterfinals John Paul Elsenpeter rushed for 101 yards on 19 carries He eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards for the season Bryar Nordby rushed eight times for 75 yards including a 40-yard touchdown to ice the game in the fourth quarter The Patriots turned it over four times in the win against the Cardinals A trend Magnuson doesn’t want to see at US Bank Stadium “Saturday was a good game for us moving forward,” Magnuson said “We haven’t had a lot of games where we’re behind Our kids showed resolve and played a tremendous fourth quarter We survived the four turnovers and just kept battling We will have a film session to talk about some of the mistakes We still want to be able to throw the ball and Michael has done a great job all year leading us in that He’ll have a better game this next week because he’ll prepare himself mentally.” The Patriots’ defense forced Annandale into three turnovers including a game-sealing fumble on the final drive which set up the Patriots only touchdown of the first half against Annandale Magnuson said defense wins championships and hopes the defense can come up big against the Chargers’ offense “If your defense is playing well you can slow down an offense and it allows your other side of the ball to get on the field,” Magnuson said “Our defense is going to have to play well Saturday It’s a system that we’re ready to face and that we’ve seen before I think our defense could have a heck of a game and really keep us in that game to give us a chance to win.” Pequot Lakes has never reached the Prep Bowl in school history A win Saturday would put them in position to win its first football state title It would be the Patriots’ second consecutive fall state title with volleyball winning the Class 2A state championship last November “Every kid’s dream is to play at US Bank Stadium where the Minnesota Vikings play,” Magnuson said We’ve been knocking at that door of going to state and haven’t been able to break it down until this year We’ve been on the verge almost every year and to have it finally happen we hope to build off it as a program I was a part of the 2017 team that got to the semis and this team is in the same spot but we have a chance to do something and go a step further.” while the South top-seed Stewartville (12-0) knocked off No the low-seeded South team remaining plays the high-seed in the North while the low-seed in the North plays the high-seed in the South “I think the matchups have just been wonderful,” Magnuson said “They make for great high school football and when people see close games it keeps the crowd into it It’s a very well-matched state playoff and it should make for a fun semifinals.” The Delano Tigers and the Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato Dragons were tied going into the third but Delano pulled away for a 6-5 victory in game action on Thursday Delano's Aaron Halonen scored the game-winning goal The Tigers started off strong and took the lead right after the puck drop with Aaron Halonen scoring in the first period The Dragons tied the game 1-1 in the first period when Carson Brummond scored assisted by Kasey Melquist and Anton Haataja The Dragons took the lead with a goal from Keeran Niska late in the first period The second period ended with the score being tied at 3-3 only 51 seconds into the third when Aaron Halonen netted one yet again The Dragons tied the score 4-4 early in the third period when Bjorn Anderson beat the goalie Daniel Halonen took the lead with a goal six minutes later Isaac Salmen tied it up 5-5 with a goal less than a minute later Just just one minute later Aaron Halonen scored again The teams will face off once again at Litchfield Civic Arena on February 0th The teams will soon play again in the next matchup on Monday Both drivers were wearing their seat belts but suffered non-life-threatening injuries Both men were the only listed occupants in their vehicles Road conditions were wet at the time of the accident at 9:43 a.m Sunday near the intersection with 735th Avenue COKATO TOWNSHIP (WJON News) -- A woman from Dassel was hurt in a Wright County crash Thursday morning The incident happened on Highway 12 in Cokato Township just after 11:00 a.m The Minnesota State Patrol says a pickup driven by a 16-year-old boy and a car driven by 56-year-old Dawn Wheeler were both traveling westbound when the two vehicles collided but Wheeler went to Hutchinson Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries A woman from Dassel was hurt in a Wright County crash Thursday morning.\nRead More COKATO TOWNSHIP (WJON News) -- A woman from Dassel was hurt in a Wright County crash Thursday morning Legend has it that the Band-Aid was created by a Johnson & Johnson employee for his wife, who was prone to suffering nicks in the kitchen Rather than wait to return and dress the wounds at night Earle Dickson invented the Band-Aid so his wife could attend to her own wounds throughout the day The product became such a success that it's now become the standard name for most adhesive bandages Charlie \"Yardbird\" Parker set the jazz world on fire with his progressive saxophone style he found kindred spirits in other future legends like Dizzy Gillespie Parker changed the face of jazz forever with his inventive time signatures and solos but passed away prematurely at 34 due to several health issues The Southwest Christian Stars picked up a decisive home win against the Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato Dragons on Thursday The hosting Stars started off strong and took the lead early in the game with Paul Hornor scoring within the first minute assisted by Tate Hardacre and Bennett Breuer The Stars made it 4-0 when Bennett Breuer netted one assisted by Paul Hornor and Ashton Hendel early in the third period The teams play each other again at Litchfield Civic Arena on February 1st The Stars will play the Breck Mustangs on Saturday 2025 at Richfield Arena while the Dragons will face Delano on Tuesday ST. AUGUSTA (WJON News) -- One person was hurt in a single-vehicle crash in St The Stearns County Sheriff's Office says they received a crash detection all with multiple impacts on County Road 136 just before 1:00 a.m dispatch didn't hear anyone on the phone a man started screaming that he was stuck in the vehicle Deputies found the vehicle in a heavily wooded area about 50 yards from the road It was being driven by 21-year-old Russell Parks of Dassel Parks was traveling eastbound on County Road 136 and drove through multiple large trees where the truck came to a rest on the driver's side door Cloud Hospital and treated for his injuries The Sheriff's Office says it is believed that drugs and alcohol are a factor in the crash Gallery Credit: Stephen Lenz One person was hurt in a single-vehicle crash in St. Augusta.\nRead More ST. AUGUSTA (WJON News) -- One person was hurt in a single-vehicle crash in St Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Denmark to Cicero and the late Elka Rose Rauch Canady Linda attended Rio Linda High School in Rio Linda California and graduated with the Class of 1976 at Northside High School in Warner Robins Dale and made her career as a stay at home mom and homemaker Linda was of the Catholic faith.She leaves her memory behind with her husband of 39 years she will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her but will always live forever in our hearts Add to Calendar This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors PEQUOT LAKES — The Pequot Lakes Patriots football team will make its second Class 3A state semifinal appearance in program history at 2 p.m when it faces the Dassel-Cokato Chargers at U.S Both the Patriots and Chargers earned semifinal trips by rallying for quarterfinal wins Pequot Lakes advanced to the semifinals for the first time since 2017 by rallying to defeat Annandale 22-15 after trailing the Cardinals 15-8 heading into the fourth quarter Dassel-Cokato advanced with a 29-28 win over Fairmont as senior Caleb Smock’s fourth touchdown run of the game with 25 seconds remaining The reward for those close wins is an invitation to now play at U.S the largest capacity facility in Minnesota and home of the NFL’s Vikings “We are excited about playing in the state semifinals at U.S Bank Stadium and being one of the last four teams in Class 3A still playing,” said Pequot Lakes coach Bill Magnuson “I think every football player in the state of Minnesota dreams about playing where the Vikings play We are excited to represent our school and community.” This is believed to be the first meeting between Pequot Lakes (11-0 and the highest remaining seed in the north bracket) and Dassel-Cokato (10-1 and the lowest remaining seed from the south bracket) The top seed and defending champion Stewartville (11-0) will face the lowest north seed remaining Albany (11-0) in the other semifinal we have never faced Dassel-Cokato,” Magnuson said “They are one of the top teams in the state in Class 3A each year and they were the state runners-up (to Pierz in 2019) We will have our hands full with their wishbone power run/option attack but our players will be up the challenge We will continue to take our season one game at a time.” The Patriots' other trip to the state semifinals came in 2017 when they lost to eventual runner-up St “I was on the staff as an assistant the last time we went to U.S and we want to go down there and get another win.” Pequot Lakes is led in rushing by John Paul Elsenpeter with 995 yards and 17 touchdowns and Bryar Nordby with 335 yards and 12 scores Quarterback Michael Oseland has completed 73 of 109 passes for 1,365 yards and 16 touchdowns while Nordby has a team-high 30 catches for 496 yards and five scores and Aaron Clark has 22 catches for 463 yards and six touchdowns linebacker Bryson Berg has a team-high 67 tackles Jackson Jorgens has 43 tackles and Dane Mudgett has 39 tackles and 3 quarterback sacks Nordby leads the Patriots with five interceptions while Landen Brill has two Pete Mohs is the Northern Lakes Group publisher of eight Forum Communications newspapers including the Echo Journal and Brainerd Dispatch Contact him at 218-855-5855 or pete.mohs@brainerddispatch.com ALEXANDRIA — Rumors have swirled about authenticity of the Kensington Runestone since it was discovered in the roots of an aspen tree on a farm near Kensington in 1898 Runestone expert Janey Westin will discuss those rumors and more during her 1:30 p.m. free presentation at the Dassel History Center She will show how researchers determined that the slab of greywacke stone covered in runes or letters is authentic based on her study of medieval manuscripts that slab is known as the Kensington Runestone which is housed in the Runestone Museum in Alexandria Westin will feature the Kensington and the Spirit Pond “Medieval Runes & Two Particular Rune Stones (One is Local)." Westin will also include a rune letter carving demonstration She has carved letters as small as one inch and as large as two feet high in a variety of stone medieval writings expert and co-author with her father Robert G Johnson of "The Last Kings of Norse America: Runestone Keys to a Lost Empire." She has taught on this topic for more than 30 years and her carvings and are prominently displayed in many venues An exhibit of her work will be displayed at the Dassel History Center before her presentation and throughout the following weeks BRAINERD — Linemen are king on the 2024 Brainerd Dispatch All-Area Second Team Twelve different offensive and defensive linemen represent the 26 players named to the Second Team Brainerd’s Sawyer Riffle is the only kicker on the Second Team with a long field goal of 42 yards Brainerd’s Drew Herkenhoff led the area in tackles with 77 to land a spot on the Second Team Pierz’s Will Stangl led the area in sacks with five to get a spot on the Second Team He blocked for an offense that rushed for 1,897 yards and 2,525 total yards He finished with 12 tackles and four solo tackles RB/LBNamed All-District Northeast Blue Honorable Mention He rushed for 305 yards and four touchdowns on 70 carries two fumble recoveries and two blocked kicks one forced fumble and one blocked extra point He made 28-29 extra points and 5-9 field goals with a long of 42 yards He averaged 55 yards per kickoff in 48 kicks OLNamed All-Northstar-North District Honorable Mention He blocked for a team that totaled 3,018 yards of total offense He blocked for a team that totaled 2,050 rushing yards He blocked for an offense that totaled 3,128 yards WR/DBNamed All-Northeast White District Honorable Mention He caught 29 passes for 555 yards and six touchdowns He rushed for 279 yards and one touchdown on 32 carries He caught eight passes for 195 yards and three touchdowns He blocked for an offense that totaled 4,468 yards OLNamed All-Northeast White District Honorable Mention LBNamed All-Northeast White District Honorable Mention OL/DLNamed All-Mid-Northwest White District He blocked for an offense that totaled 3,321 yards He finished with 30.5 tackles and five sacks OL/DENamed All-Mid-Northwest Central District four sacks and one interception returned for a touchdown TE/DENamed All-Mid Northwest Central District He caught 10 passes for 132 yards and four touchdowns LBNamed All-Mid-Northwest Central District five tackles for loss and two interceptions three fumble recoveries and 3.5 tackles for loss He blocked for an offense that totaled 4,756 yards 9.5 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles RB/LBHe rushed for 860 yards and 12 touchdowns on 89 carries 4.5 tackles for loss and one forced fumble OL/DLNamed All-Nine Man North-South District He blocked for an offense that totaled 2,899 yards RB/DBNamed All-Nine Man North-South District He rushed for 260 yards and one touchdown on 44 carries He caught 10 passes for 195 yards and four touchdowns RB/LBNamed All-Nine Man North-South District He rushed for 481 yards and five touchdowns on 79 carries RB/LBNamed All-Mid Northwest Central District He rushed for 271 yards and one touchdown on 63 carries QB/LBNamed All-Mid Northwest Central District He threw for 131 passing yards and two touchdowns on 13-26 attempts He rushed for 270 yards and two touchdowns on 77 carries