The Minnesota State Patrol responded to a 2-vehicle crash Tuesday morning at 8:13 in Gennessee Township near Atwater on Highway 12 near the 165th Street Northeast intersection. A 2004 Peterbilt semi was westbound on Highway 12 – driven by a 38-year-old Hanska man. A 2017 Kia Sportage was also westbound on 12 – driven by a 20-year-old Grove City woman, and the vehicles collided. Also responding to the scene were the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office and Atwater Fire and Ambulance.
The Minnesota State Patrol responded to a crash on Friday afternoon at 1:35 involving a 2018 Indian Roadmaster which was northbound on Highway 23 near Kandiyohi County Road 6 in Roseville Township. The motorcycle was driven by 44-year-old Ryan Christopher Riggs of Richmond. He received life-threatening injuries and was transported to the St. Cloud Hospital. Also responding were the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office, Paynesville Fire Dept., CentraCare Ambulance and Life Link III.
The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 2-vehicle crash on Saturday at 8:37 a.m. at the intersection of County Roads 7 and 146 in Fairhaven Township. Deputies located a 2019 Honda Accord in the northbound lane with heavy front-end damage, and a 2007 Dodge Ram on its roof in the southeast ditch. 59-year-old Betrina Sturges of Watkins said she was driving the Dodge Ram eastbound on County Road 146 and did not see the stop sign at County Road 7. She did not yield to the stop sign and said she entered the intersection at approximately 55 mph. Sturges sustained minor injuries and was not transported to the hospital.
53-year-old Barbara Meemken of St. Cloud was driving her Honda Accord southbound on County Road 7 and did not have a stop sign. She estimated her speed to be approximately 55 mph as well. She did not have time to brake when the Ram entered the intersection, and her vehicle was struck in the front right corner. Meemken was transported by Mayo Ambulance to the St. Cloud Hospital for treatment of her injuries.
Meemken’s passenger, 63-year-old Patrick Spahn of St. Cloud, received minor injuries and was not transported to the hospital. Sturges was issued a citation. Both vehicles were towed from the scene. Stearns County Deputies were assisted at the scene by South Haven Rescue, Mayo Ambulance, and the Minnesota DNR.
The new Princess Kay of the Milky Way – Rachel Visser of Hutchinson – just completed a very busy couple of weeks at the Minnesota State Fair. It all began as the McLeod County Dairy Princess was crowned during a pageant on August 21st.
Rachel is the daughter of Barry & Shannon Visser, lives west of Hutchinson, and works on a dairy farm near Litchfield where she helps to care for 30 Jersey cows. She says she began working on the farm when she was in the 3rd grade and has not decided on a career yet, but hopes to pursue something in the dairy industry. She’s currently attending the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities and majoring in ag and food management and agriculture communications and marketing.
Visser says she spent much of her first two days at the Minnesota State Fair in a refrigerated booth with Litchfield sculptor Gerry Kulzer having a likeness of her head shaped out of a 90-pound block of butter. She says she had to bundle up in her outdoor winter clothing.
Visser says she is planning to use her butter head for a baked potato feed sometime in the next year. She says she will be busy this next year visiting classrooms throughout the state and attending on-the-farm events, county fairs and other programs helping to represent Minnesota’s dairy farmers and to promote dairy products.
