Minnesota News Briefs: One dead in hotel fire in St. Charles

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ST. CHARLES, Minn. -- One person is dead after a motel fire in the southeastern Minnesota town of Saint Charles.

The blaze broke out around 11 p.m. Thursday at the Downtown Motel and first responders found the victim's body in one of the guest rooms. Several other guests and their family pets were able to escape. Firefighters returned to the motel early this morning to put out some embers that re-ignited. The American Red Cross is helping occupants find shelter.

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The Pearl Harbor Survivors Association and Fort Snelling National Cemetery Rifle Squad hosted a remembrance ceremony this morning. It marks the 71st anniversary of the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and Minnesota Naval Reservists are credited with firing the first American shots of World War II. The USS Ward was conducting a patrol near the harbor entrance when it sank a Japanese midget submarine. The number-three gun which fired the shot sits on the state Capitol grounds near the Veterans Services Building. Today's program honored those who served and those who gave their lives in defense of Pearl Harbor.

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Union members were joined by community leaders outside American Crystal Sugar's annual meeting in Fargo Thursday, calling for an end to the lockout that's now in its 17th month. Jeff Offutt, a middle school teacher in Moorhead, says he sees the effect on workers' children who he says wonder: "What's Christmas gonna look like this year?" CEO David Berg says American Crystal will "talk earnestly" if a federal mediator calls the two sides back to the bargaining table.

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After just one day of negotiations, the Minnesota Nurses Association and six hospital systems in the Twin Cities have reached a tentative agreement. A spokeswoman for the nurse's union said the only topic discussed at the negotiation was wages, and nurses will receive a four-point-five-percent raise over three years if the new contract is approved. About 11,000 union members will put it to a vote, starting December 18th.

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A man who was trying to get away from police might be glad they hauled him in after all. 26-year-old Jared Maes led police on a high-speed chase through downtown Moorhead this morning crashed his car at a bridge, then ran out onto the partially-frozen Red River. Maes broke through the ice several times before police pulled him in using rescue ropes. Police say he might have slipped under the ice and been in bigger trouble if the river level wasn't so low.

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Two pedestrians were injured when they were struck by a vehicle in downtown Perham Thursday. A man and woman, both 74 years old, were crossing the road when they were hit by a pickup driven by an 85-year-old man. Officials say both victims were transported to a local hospital and the man was later airlifted to Fargo. The driver of the pickup did not sustain any injuries. The pedestrians were not in a crosswalk area at the time and speed does not appear to be a factor. No names have been released.

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Police are asking for help locating a missing man from Andover. Twenty-one-year-old Michael Davids left his home around nine p.m. last Saturday to visit a friend's house just a couple miles away. Davids did not make it to his friend's house and hasn't been seen or heard from since. He may be driving a 2005 Ford Escape hybrid, Minnesota license plate 3AK-187. Davids is 6-foot-4, 220 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. He was last seen wearing black slip-on shoes, no socks, knee-length black shorts, a T-shirt and a hooded black, zip-up sweater. He had a chin beard and large brown earring in his left ear. Anyone with information should contact the Anoka County Sheriff's office.

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Tickets went on sale today for next summer's Kenny Chesney concert at Target Field in downtown Minneapolis. The "No Shoes Nation Tour" is coming to the Twins outdoor ballpark on Friday July 12th. The lineup also includes the Grammy Award-winning Zac Brown Band, the Eli Young Band and Kacey Musgraves. Tickets can only be purchased at twinsbaseball.com. Last summer's first-ever concert at Target field featuring Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw was a sell-out.

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A couple of winter storms are moving into Minnesota for the weekend. First, a winter weather advisory is posted across west-central and south-central Minnesota later today and tonight. Forecasters say one- to three-inches of snow could fall. The National Weather service is also watching a storm which could dump around half-a-foot of snow on northeastern Minnesota Saturday into Sunday.

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Minnesota winter can take on different forms during early December. This day in 1927 brought a blizzard with 70-mile-an-hour winds to Duluth and the Arrowhead. By contrast, on December 7th, 1982, a farmer was busy at work near the Twin Cities in St. Bonifacius. The story goes he was busy bailing the season's fourth crop of alfalfa.

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Investigators are still looking for the murder weapon, a 20-gauge shotgun, which killed Cold Spring police officer Tom Decker. Decker was found dead near a bus and dumpster behind a bar over a week ago after he responded on a welfare check. An arrest was made but the suspect was released on Tuesday because of insufficient evidence. The next day, hundreds of people gathered for his burial and procession.

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Gas prices in Minnesota haven't been this low in nearly a year. Minnesota-Gas-Prices.com reports regular unleaded averaging under $3.22 a gallon this morning. You have to go back to early January for a lower statewide average. That's still a good 15-cents under the national average and cheaper than all surrounding states except North Dakota.

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Minnesota's exports hit another record in the third quarter of 2012 with five-point-one billion dollars in manufactured, agricultural and mining products going to other countries. Ed Dieter, acting executive director of the Minnesota Trade Office, attributes the milestone to a growing middle class in countries like China, who are buying more technology. Canada is Minnesota's largest export market, followed by China, Mexico, Japan, Germany and South Korea.

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Another squad car was involved in a collision on Minnesota roads -- this time in a tiny town in Itasca County. A driver in an SUV crossed the center line of Highway-2 in Wawina, sideswiping a State Patrol Crown Vic. Both women ended up in the hospital but were later released. The accident follows a fatal crash west of the Twin Cities on Tuesday where a man drove into a squad car which was responding to a call.

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A citizens group is gathering petition signatures online, urging state Public Safety officials to investigate circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting of a toddler by his young brother in Minneapolis. Heather Martens with Protect Minnesota points to allegations that a gun safety class instructor told the boy's father it's alright to keep a stored gun loaded if the safety catch is on -- which is contrary to state law. Martens says the issue might not be resolved during a normal investigation -- and she wants to be sure that question is answered. State Public Safety Department officials declined to comment.

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The group "Wives Behind the Badge" is sponsoring a holiday toy drive for the four children of fallen Cold Spring Police Officer Tom Decker, in hopes of making Christmas a little brighter for them. Melanie Snyder says they're looking for toys for Decker's two girls and boys under the age of eight. Along with toys, they are requesting money and gift cards. For more information you can go to the Facebook page of Minnesota Auxiliary: Wives Behind the Badge.

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Texting while driving can kill, but a situation on Thursday in Pine City shows how a text message in another context saved a life. Police were able to rescue 55-year-old Dawn Christen on Wednesday after she was shot by her ex-husband and then sent a text message to a friend asking for help. She was taken to the hospital, where she is currently in stable condition. Authorities say the shooter, 55-year-old Daniel Shilts, killed himself after talking with authorities for about two hours. The couple reportedly had a messy divorce.

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Minnesota's flu season is beginning to take shape, with 26 more people being hospitalized in the most recent week of accounting. The Health Department says the statewide total is now up to 70 hospitalizations since the start of fall. Four schools reported outbreaks along with one nursing home in this most recent week. Still, no one in Minnesota has died from influenza this year.

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A fire in the Stearns County town of Grove Township destroyed a turkey barn, killing 17-thousand day-old turkeys. The Terres family, who operates Quality Turkey, says the turkeys had been brought to the farm just hours before the fire, which caused about half-a-million-dollars in damage. The cause of the fire is being investigated.

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Job interviews with Governor Dayton today for two finalists to succeed MnDOT Commissioner Tom Sorel, who left to head Triple-A Minneapolis. Dayton will meet with Bernie Arseneau, who's been with MnDOT for almost 30 years and has had a wide variety of roles in the agency. The other candidate for Mn-DOT commissioner is Charlie Zelle, CEO of Jefferson Lines, the bus company.

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In Minnesota, it's called "Click It or Ticket." Over the border in Wisconsin, it's called "Booze and Belts" -- a campaign starting today where law enforcement will be on the lookout for drunk drivers and those not buckled up. Increased patrols run through December 16th. More heavy patrols will be out in the Badger State later in the season, for New Year's Eve and the day before, when the Packers and Vikings play.

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