COKATO TOWNSHIP, MN - A house on Newcomb Avenue Southwest in Cokato Township was destroyed Sept. 26 due to fire, according to Cokato Fire Chief Mike Holmquist.
The blaze began sometime around 10 p.m. Saturday evening with Annandale Fire Department assisting with water and Howard Lake Fire Department assisting with both water, and manpower, Holmquist said.
The fire started up again Monday morning at 4:30 a.m., according to Holmquist.
The house was a rental property owned by Steve LaPlant of Annandale, but the renters weren’t home at the time, Holmquist reported.
According to Deputy State Fire Marshal Investigator Casey Stotts, the fire began in the a second floor bedroom that was being used as a closet.
All indications lead to an accidental cause, however, the exact cause was not determined and the case remains under investigation, according to Stotts.
Monthly Archive for September, 2009
WRIGHT COUNTY, MN — An Otsego man, who was a passenger in a one-car accident ,died as a result of the crash in northern Wright County Saturday, reported the Wright County Sheriff’s Office.
Dennis Hanenburg, 51, of Otsego was flown to North Memorial Hospital by helicopter after an accident, and then shortly later died, after he was traveling in a vehicle that was southbound on Ohland Av NE near 92nd Circle in the City of Otsego.
The driver, Gregory Thomas, 46, of Otsego, hit the right shoulder, lost control and slid into the ditch on the east side of Ohland Ave, striking a retaining wall and rolling onto its roof. The accident took place at about 2:30 p.m.
Thomas was taken by ambulance to Mercy Hospital with serious injuries.
The Elk River Fire Department, along with North Memorial Ambulance, assisted Wright County Deputies at the scene. The accident remains under investigation by the Wright County Sheriff’s Office
WILLMAR, MN – Two Willmar women made their first court appearances Friday on drug charges for allegedly receiving more than 10 pounds of marijuana in the mail, reported KDUZ Radio.
Ana Patricia Gutierrez, 27, and Vanessa Marie Garza, 19, both face fifth-degree drug sale and possession charges. The women were discovered when a Postal Service inspector found two suspicious packages containing more than 10 pounds of marijuana addressed to the two women, according to the West Central Tribune.
The postal inspector delivered the first package to a home where Gutierrez signed for one and put it into a vehicle in the driveway. Later, she and Garza drove and were stopped by the Willmar police, who found the first package as well as money orders and Express Mail tracking numbers for both packages.
Both make their next appearance Oct. 5.
ST. PAUL, MN – As the H1N1 novel influenza virus continues to circulate widely throughout the community and seasonal flu begins to circulate as well, county public health agencies remind residents to practice basic flu prevention strategies, such as covering your coughs and sneezes with a sleeve or a tissue and frequent hand washing. Health officials are urging those who do become ill with flu-like symptoms to stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others.
Flu-like symptoms can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. In some cases, symptoms of novel H1N1 can also include vomiting and diarrhea in addition to respiratory symptoms.
In most cases, people who do become ill with the flu can recover at home without the need for medical care. “It’s not necessary for everyone to rush to their physician or the emergency room if they start having symptoms,” said Carolyn Schmidt, Interim Director of the Public Health Division. “If the symptoms are mild, it’s best not to expose themselves to others who are sick.”
For those who are sick with the flu, the best thing to do is drink plenty of liquids, get adequate sleep and rest, use acetaminophen (Tylenol®) or ibuprofen (Motrin®) for reducing fever and muscle aches and continue to stay home for at least 24 hours after the fever is gone without fever-reducing medication. Aspirin or medications containing aspirin should not be given to anyone 18 and under.
Individuals with flu-like symptoms who have severe illness or are at high risk of serious complications from influenza should contact their health care provider. Those at high risk for complications from H1N1 include children and young adults up to age 24, pregnant women, and people with underlying medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes or heart disease. Individuals at high risk for complications from seasonal flu include these groups, as well as people over the age of 65.
Seek medical attention right away if you develop any of the following symptoms:
• Difficulty breathing or chest pain
• Purple or blue discoloration of the lips
• Vomiting and unable to keep liquids down
• Signs of dehydration, such as dizziness when standing, absence of urination or lack of tears in infants
• Seizures, uncontrolled convulsions
• Confusion or difficulty staying awake
For more information on H1N1 flu or seasonal flu, visit www.readycarver.org. Specific questions can be directed to public-health@co.carver.mn.us or call 952-361-1329 for the Public Health Information and Resource Line.
SILVER LAKE, MN - The McLeod County Sheriff’s office reported a single vehicle accident that occurred Sept. 3 at 1:40 a.m. on Swan Lake Road, west of Jet Ave, northwest of Silver Lake. The accident involved a 2002 Chevy Cavalier owned by Jean Irene Smith of Litchfield, but was being driven by Troy Lee Rollag, 42, of Dassel. Rollag left the roadway and entered the ditch on the west side of the road rolling the vehicle on its side. There was $1,000 in damage. Both Rollag and the passenger, Joseph Donald Smith, 42, of Litchfield, were wearing their seatbelts and sustained no personal injuries.
QUINCY, MASS – Four of every ten home fire deaths resulted from fires with no smoke alarms in 2003-2006, according to a new report Smoke Alarms in U.S. Home Fires, released today by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Continue reading ‘Fires: 40% of fatals are homes without detectors’
