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7 Second Avenue Sauk Rapids, MN 56379
“Minnesota’s Oldest Weekly Newspaper” Vol. 161, No. 39
Sauk Rapids, Benton County, Minnesota 56379
A continuation of the Frontiersman, The Free Press, Sauk Rapids Sentinel and St. Cloud Sentinel.
(USPS 482-240)
January 6, 2016
Huisken Meat Company recalls beef SAUK RAPIDS — A local meat company recently recalled over 89,000 pounds of beef patties. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), Huisken Meat Company, located at 245 Industrial Blvd, shipped Sam’s Choice Black Angus Vidalia® Onion items nationwide that may have been contaminated with wood particles. The foreign material originated with an incoming ingredient and was discovered during production. The Sam’s Choice Black Angus Vidalia Onion patties were produced on various dates between Nov. 19 and Dec. 9. The recall is limited to two-pound boxes containing six pieces of “Sam’s Choice Black angus Beef Patties with 19 percent Vida-
lia (there should be a registered symbol here but I cannot find it on my computer) Onion” with use-by dates of May 17, May 29, and June 6, 2016. The products subject to the recall bear EST.394A inside the USDA mark of inspection. The Class II recall specifies that there is remote probability of adverse health consequences from the use of the product, but all consumers who have purchased these patties are urged to not consume them. These products should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase. Huisken Meat Company joined two other companies in 2013 to create Branding Iron. The company has three locations. In addition to Sauk Rapids, they are located in Rochester, Minn., and Sauget, Ill.
Rice to hire police officer by NATASHA BARBER STAFF WRITER
The city of Rice will have a new face on its police department in 2016. With the recent approval of the 2016 budget, the city and Police Chief Ross Hamann are preparing the posting for a part-time officer. City clerk Lori Catton informed the Rice city council at the first meeting of 2016 that she hoped to have the finalized posting prepared for approval at the Jan. 19 meeting. The officer would work approximately 16 hours a week with hopes to free Hamann for his increasing administrative duties as chief. In other council news: • The public is welcome to help clean the Old Village Hall beginning at 9 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 14. City volunteer waivers will be available for anyone who wishes to help, but has not yet signed the form. • Approved membership to Minnesota Rural Water Association for the 2016 calendar year. • Approved the Two Rivers Baptist Church Evening Rental Application. The church has already been using the Old Village Hall
for their Bible study Sunday evenings, and have decided they would like to continue to do so. They will be renting the hall from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. with hopes of a 10:30 church service and from 5-9 p.m. on Sundays for Bible study. Other parties and organizations are encouraged to still apply for use of the Old Village Hall in the afternoon. • Adopted resolution 010416-01 2016 Annual Appointments. • Adopted resolution 010416-02 2016 Annual Fee Schedule. • Approved the new regular office hours for city hall. Rice City Hall will be open 8 a.m.- 6 p.m. Mondays, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. TuesdaysThursdays, and 8 a.m.-noon Fridays. City offices will remain closed Saturdays and Sundays, and on observed holidays. • Approved purchase of computers for city offices from CDW-G. The city budgeted $2,000 for new equipment. The CDW-G quote was for just under $1,855. • Approved the 2016 winter newsletter. • City office will be closed Monday, Jan. 18 in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER
The Stearns/Benton Dive team assisted the Benton County Sheriff ’s Department in locating a vehicle below the ice on Mayhew Lake Jan. 4. The vehicle was spotted a day earlier on a couple’s Aqua-Vu camera.
Angler looking for a lunker discovers a clunker Truck stolen in 2000 found at bottom of Mayhew Lake MAYHEW LAKE TOWNSHIP – The Benton County Sheriff’s Department along with the Benton/Stearns Dive Team and Andy’s Towing spent the better part of Monday trying to fish out a whopper of a truck, which was reported stolen in March 2000. The Benton County Sheriff’s Office received a telephone call around 2 p.m. Jan. 3 from Joe and Jennifer Machula of Sauk Rapids. The couple had gone fishing on Mayhew Lake around 12:30 p.m. with their 8-year-old son, Jake, and brought along their Aqua-Vu camera to keep Jake entertained. With no fish biting and nothing in site on the camera, the two decided to turn the camera to face Jennifer’s bait when in the murky water the truck
Fire destroys garage in Rice
PHOTO BY ANNA SALDANA
Firefighters from the Rice Fire Department monitor a fire they extinguished on Saturday night in Rice. A three-stall garage was destroyed in the fire. by ANNA SALDANA STAFF WRITER
A three-stall garage is destroyed after being engulfed in flames late Saturday night. The Rice Fire Department responded to a call around 8:30 p.m. at 11400
West Lake Rd in Rice. The homeowners’ nephew came to the home to get a fish house when he noticed the garage was on fire. The homeowners were not home at the time of the fire and no one was injured in the blaze. Cars, trucks, four wheel-
ers and personal items stored in the garage were also destroyed. The Sauk Rapids Fire Department and the Rice First Responders assisted the Rice Fire Department. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER
Joe Kampa of Andy’s Towing (center) informs the Benton County Sheriff department of his team’s plan to extract the truck from the ice.
appeared. The Machulas couldn’t believe their eyes. “He told me it was a truck and I didn’t believe him,” Jennifer said. “But when he pointed out the cab, box and side, I saw it too. How often do you see a truck submerged in water? We called our neighbor who is a sheriff’s deputy and he told us to call dispatch regardless if we were sure or not.” Deputies responded to the scene and used a camera to look at the submerged pickup truck. The truck was found about 100 yards north of the public access at a point about 25 yards from the west shore of the lake in 12 feet of water. The condition of the pickup truck suggested that it had been submerged for a significant period of time. Divers from the Stearns/Benton Dive Team reported to the scene Monday to search the truck and the area around the truck. The divers found the truck empty and concluded the area surrounding did not contain any items of evidentiary value. A registration search on the license plate on the truck showed the vehicle had been reported stolen from an address in Graham Township in Benton County.
A recovery effort was made by Andy’s Towing in hopes of retrieving the truck from the lake bottom. This effort was unsuccessful due to the difficulties presented by the relatively thin ice present
on the lake. The vehicle will be recovered from the lake in the near future when the conditions permit a retrieval, which involves less risk to those involved in the recovery effort.
PHOTO BY NATASHA BARBER
Mike Rustad paused before putting on the rest of his divegear. The Andy’s Towing employee attempted to hook the tow winch to the submerged vehicle, but was unable to due to murky water and weather related complications.