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- UPDATE……..11:42 AM………26 year-old Joshua Barron has been formally charged in Rice County in connection with the shooting of 51-year-old Loran Sirek. Barron is charged with one count of attempted murder in the first degree, premeditated; one count of attempted murder in the 2nd degree with intent not premeditated; one count of assault in the first degree involving great bodily harm; one count of assault in the 2nd degree with a dangerous weapon; one count of assault in the 2nd degree with dangerous weapon and substantial bodily harm; and one of assault in the 2nd degree with a dangerous weapon. All six counts are felonies. Barron is suspected of shooting Lisek in Northfield on Monday following an argument. Barron had been on the run from the law and was captured early yesterday in Aitkin County. Northfield Police, working on a tip, notified authorities in Aitkin of the suspect’s whereabouts. It was around 3:00 in the morning when officers from the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office, the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office, the Aitkin Police Department, and the Minnesota State Patrol – including a State Patrol helicopter—closed in on Barron. Barron fled on a snowmobile.A 20-minute chase followed and involved the snowmobile traveling down roads, trails and across a lake. The chase ended when the snowmobile crashed into some trees and brush along the ditch of Hwy 169 and became immobile. Two other adults that were at the residence from which Barron fled were also arrested on 5th Degree Controlled Substance charges. All remain in the Aitkin County Jail with formal charges pending.Barron had been on the run since Monday. That’s when authorities believe Barron shot 51-year-old Loran Sirek with a rifle following a domestic confrontation. Sirek is recovering from the gunshot. KYMN will have more information on this story as there are developments.
- The Rice County Board of Commissioners is seeking a representative for its twelve-member Community Health Services Advisory Committee. The Committee consults with and makes development and funding recommendations to the Rice County health board. Program areas represented by the committee include Family and Child Health, Home Care, Long-term care and Environmental health, as well as Emergency medical services and disease prevention and control. Members are appointed to two-year terms and can serve up to three terms. If you’re interested in applying for membership on the committee, you can log on to Rice County’s web site for more details.
- (AP) Republican Senator-elect Mike Parry is losing the temporary title as he becomes a full-fledged member of the Minnesota Legislature. The Waseca businessman is due to be sworn in today as the Legislature opens its 2010 session. Parry takes over the Senate District 26 seat long held by Republican Dick Day, who resigned to become a lobbyist. Parry defeated Democrat and St. Olaf professor Jason Engbrecht and Independence Party candidate Roy Srp in a Jan. 26 special election. The seat will be on the ballot again in November.
- Rice County citizens made their preliminary choices in Minnesota’s governor race at precinct caucuses on Tuesday. On the democrat side, State Senator John Marty won the preference poll with nearly 30 percent of the votes. Minneapolis Mayor RT Ryback finished second with 21.2 percent of the votes and House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher finished third with nearly 11 percent of the votes. In all there were 11 democrat candidates on the ballot. 10.4 percent of the people who voted in the caucuses were uncommitted. On the Republican side in Rice County, Tom Emmer garnered about 50% of the caucus vote, and Marty Seifert was second with just over 40% of the votes.
