Local News

Rodriguez juror shocked, confused with order that throws out death penalty

FARGO (KVRR) – A jury member who handed down Alfonso Rodriguez’s death penalty sentence says he disagrees with the judge who overturned the death penalty. Luke Lillehaugen was one of 12 jurors who unanimously found Rodriguez guilty and recommended he be sentenced to death in 2006. Lillehaugen says he was shocked when he found out that Eighth Circuit Court of…

Body of fisherman recovered from river in Mandan

MANDAN, N.D. – Mandan police are investigating the death of a man whose body was found in the Heart River. Deputy Chief Lori Flaten says the body of the 32-year-old man was found in the river Monday morning. He has not been identified. A bicyclist spotted the body in the river near the Sitting Bull Bridge on Highway 1806 in…

Judge rejects Minneapolis ballot language on policing

MINNEAPOLIS – A judge has struck down ballot language that aimed to replace the Minneapolis Police Department with a new agency, saying the wording was misleading and unworkable. Judge Jamie Anderson issued the order Tuesday just ahead of a deadline for ballots to go to the printer. The language approved by the City Council would have asked voters whether to…

Man found dead following 911 call in Beltrami County

TURTLE RIVER TOWNSHIP, Minn. (KVRR) – Police are investigating a suspected homicide in Beltrami County. The sheriff’s office responded around 3:30 Sunday afternoon after a man said he was shot at a home in Turtle River Township. When deputies arrived, they found a man dead. His body was taken to the Midwest Medical Examiner’s office for identification and an autopsy….

Driver found dead in crash near Erhard, Minnesota

The Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office says the victim is a 29-year-old man from Elbow Lake

ERHARD, Minn. — A man is dead after crashing his vehicle into a tree in Otter Tail County over the weekend. The sheriff’s office responded to the crash east of Erhard, Minnesota after 2 o’clock Sunday afternoon. A pickup was in the ditch of County Highway 24. Authorities say the only person inside was the 29-year-old driver from Elbow Lake….

LIVE: New Series Premieres This Week Examining Rural/Urban Divide In MN

"Rural By Choice" is hosted by Perham native and Twin Cities radio host Cory Hepola

  A new documentary series premiering this weekend examines the divide between rural and urban living. Cory Hepola is a host at WCCO Radio in the Twin Cities. He’s also a Perham, Minnesota native who went to college in Moorhead. His new video series, “Rural by Choice”, examines why people chose to live rural life in Otter Tail County. He…

Will the end of federal unemployment benefits help local businesses find workers?

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — Federal pandemic-related unemployment benefits are ending Monday. This comes as business owners across the Red River Valley continue to struggle with finding new workers. “I know every restaurant out there is hiring and we’re right alongside them, ” Great Plains Hospitality CEO Dan Hurder said. Hurder owns three restaurants and a catering business in both Minnesota…

Alert Issued Out of Stearns County For Children Who May Be In Danger

STEARNS CO., Minn. — Stearns County Sheriff’s Office issued an alert on Saturday searching for a family including four children who may be in danger. They say 2-year-old Delilah, 3-year-old Briella, and 8-year-olds Landon and Carter, are traveling with their parents, identified as Robert and Erika Herrington. Deputies say there is a domestic assault no-contact order in place for Robert…