MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — The Benton County Sheriff’s Office is searching for a suspect wanted for theft-related crimes, and are alerting the public to be on the lookout. The sheriff’s office tweeted that officers are actively searching near Garden Brook Drive Northeast and Strawberry Court Northeast in Sauk Rapids, where the suspect was last seen. Police described the suspect as standing 6 feet tall and weighing about 300 pounds, with short black hair and a short black beard. He is 37 years old. He was last seen in a light grey Champion sweatshirt, blue jeans and white tennis shoes. Anyone who see ..read more

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO — Despite recent rain, much of the state has been dry most of the summer. The ground is especially in the central and northern parts of the state. It shows not only on front lawns, but also on lakes. Chris Walter of Sauk Rapids says it’s “pretty gross.” “It’s thick, it can get caught on your hook easily,” Walter said. Whether you happen to be casting a line or kayaking, the algae on some lakes and rivers this summer is like a greenish gruel. Algae blooms are more widespread, and Eric Altena of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says a lack of rainfall is to blame ..read more

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Police in Sauk Rapids say an attempted home robbery ended with one of the suspects shot in the leg. The incident happened before 5 a.m. Friday along the 700 block of Broadway Avenue South. Police report that two Black young adults were involved in the attempted robbery, and one of them had a handgun. Officers said during the incident one shot was fired, striking one of the suspects in the leg and causing a non-life threatening injury. The suspects then fled the residence. The police report does not say who fired the gun that struck one of the two suspects. Police say the p ..read more

SAUK RAPIDS, Minn. (AP) — A Benton County bar that has an extensive collection of Confederate memorabilia was removed from Minnesota’s official tourism website after receiving complaints the owner was “glorifying” the Confederacy. But after about 30 complaints were reviewed, the listing for Rollie’s Rednecks and Longnecks in Sauk Rapids has been reinstated to the Explore MN website, which allows local agencies to maintain listings for businesses in their area. Visit Greater St. Cloud executive director Julie Lunning tells the Star Tribune it’s up to the business owners to determine what they w ..read more

Stay Informed: Coronavirus Latest | COVID-19 Resources | Download CBS Minnesota App | CBSN Minnesota MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — People are looking for meaningful ways to give back during the COVID-19 outbreak. A Sauk Rapids family found an easy, actionable way to help. They replaced the books in their Little Free Library with food. It’s their way to spread the love – and it’s a movement that’s starting to take off. Someone shared the idea with Mindy Thomes on Facebook. Soon, she and her parents traded out the books in each of their libraries for non-perishable good ..read more

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A 24-year-old Sauk Rapids man is reportedly facing charges accusing him of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl while working as a personal care assistant. According to the St. Cloud Times, Cole Kenneth Van Halbeck faces one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct with a person under 13 years old, which is a felony. The criminal complaint states Halbeck sexually assaulted the juvenile victim while he worked in her Sartell home as a personal care assistant between February and April 2016. The child reportedly told investigators that Halbeck assaulted her on more th ..read more

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A central Minnesota man is accused of sexually assaulting a woman Monday night as she was closing up at the Sauk Rapids business where she worked. (credit: Benton County) Matthew Pearson, 32, of Sauk Rapids, is charged with three counts of criminal sexual conduct, court documents filed in Benton County show. According to a criminal complaint, the victim called 911 around 9:25 p.m. screaming that a man was attacking her, saying “He won’t get off me.” When police got to the business, a tanning salon on 2nd Avenue North, they found Pearson on top of the victim, whose pants ..read more

SAUK RAPIDS, Minn. (WCCO) — A man has been charged with murder in connection to a woman who was found dead in her Sauk Rapids home Saturday with four children present. David Lee Williams, Jr. was charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the death of 30-year-old Crystal Bundy, who was found unresponsive and with multiple injuries early Saturday morning in her home. David Lee Williams, Jr. (credit: Sauk Rapids Police Department) RELATED: Woman, 30, Found Dead In Sauk Rapids Home According to the complaint, police arrived to the home on the 1200 block of 1st Avenue North in Sauk Rapid ..read more

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — In what police are calling a “suspicious death”, a 30-year-old woman was reportedly found unconscious and not breathing in a residence on the 1200 block of 1st Avenue North in Sauk Rapids early Saturday morning. Police say they were unable to revive the victim after they were called to the home just before 3 a.m. They say there is no ongoing danger to the community. Police say no further information will be released until Monday, July 29 ..read more

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Two 23-year-olds managed to avoid a potentially deadly situation when their kayak overturned on the Mississippi River over the weekend. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office said the two were near the Sauk Rapids bridge when their kayak overturned at about 11:30 a.m. Sunday. One of them managed to swim toward the shore. The other became stuck in a hydraulic whirlpool and was pulled under the surface of the water several times. “I just like being outside on the water, it’s peaceful, calming, ” Leo Johnsen said. Johnsen and his girlfriend, Anna Rosburg, decided to spend their ..read more