Page 4 | SATURDAY, AUGUST 7, 2021 | SAUK RAPIDS HERALD
In late January, the St. Cloud Police Department was noti ed of a sexual assault report involving Miller, 60, and the girl. The rst incident took place at the girl’s home in the Benton County portion of St. Cloud after a bon re. According to the complaint, the girl explained that Miller entered her bedroom March 30, after the bon re while she was watching TV and pretended to be sleeping. Miller allegedly entered the room and touched the girl inappropriately. The second occurrence, about one or two months later, the girl alleged that Miller entered her room when she was close to falling asleep, and groped the girl inappropriately once more. The girl said she was wearing clothes and rolled away to get him to stop, but she alleged Miller pulled her back toward him and continued to touch her. The girl said she sat up, and Miller “ducked down beside her bed, waited there for about a minute, and then got up and walked out,” according to the complaint. In an interview between Miller and law enforcement, Miller admitted he went into the girl’s bedroom at night to turn off the TV, and he searched for the remote, which was sometimes on the oor or on a blanket, but other times, he had to lift the blankets to nd it. In that interview, Miller estimated it had been about a year and a half since he had searched for the remote under the blankets while the girl was sleeping because he started to use the power button on the TV. The complaint states Miller denied ever groping or touching the 15-year-old “anywhere … that would be of a sexual nature.” After the two incidences occurred, the girl said she locked herself in the bathroom at night waiting for Miller to go to sleep as he was usually the last person awake in the house. She wrapped herself in multiple blankets, wore extra layers of clothes and made a barrier with pillows to protect herself from Miller. She also locked her door at night until Miller installed a “door blocker,” which prevented the door from locking. Miller said he installed the blocker at the request of the girl’s mother, but the girl’s mother said she never made that request, according to the complaint. Various members of the 15-year-old’s household were also interviewed, and they disclosed a similar version of both incidents as reported to them by the girl. The girl’s mother recalled several times within the last year that the 15-year-old locked herself in the bathroom late at night. Her siblings recalled her personality was different, and she avoided Miller and looked away from him when he talked to her. In the meantime, while Miller awaits court proceedings, Benton County Administrator Monty Headley said Miller can continue serving in his role as county attorney. “Since the county attorney is an elected of cial, he is not subject to the county’s personnel policies nor the control of the county board,” Headley said in an email. “Thus, the county board or the county administrator could not place him on administrative leave while the criminal case is underway.” Headley said Miller has not indicated whether he plans to take a leave of absence. The maximum penalty for the rst count of criminal sexual conduct 25 years imprisonment and a $20,000 ne. The second and third counts each carry maximum penalties of 10 years imprisonment and a $20,000 ne. Miller will make his rst appearance at 10:45 a.m. Aug. 18. Due to the con ict of interest in Benton County, the case is assigned to the Dakotah County attorney’s of ce. Miller and Miller’s attorney could not be reached for comment.
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COVID-19 delta variant likely circulating locally CDC updates mask wearing guidelines
“People are sick of hearing about (the virus) and want it to go away, but the virus doesn’t care what we want. Stay vigilant so we don’t have a repeat of last fall.”
BY JAKOB KOUNKEL STAFF WRITER
Editor’s note: Data as of Aug. 5 FOLEY – Benton County has 39 active COVID-19 cases, and in July, new daily infections did not eclipse nine cases. However, with the arrival of the COVID-19 delta variant, Benton County Public Health is asking residents to continue to be vigilant. “The delta variant is the main variant spreading in Minnesota and nationally,” said Jaclyn Lit n, Benton County community health supervisor, adding it is safe to assume the virus is spreading locally. Lit n said viruses, like the one that causes COVID-19, change and mutate. She said the best tool available to ght mutations and new infections is vaccination. Julie Willman, Benton County Public Health emergency preparedness coordinator, said 48% of county residents ages 12 and older have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. That number is slowly trending upward, and Willman said Benton County Public Health continues to do its best to provide reliable information regarding the vaccine. Due to the gaining prominence and new evidence of the COVID-19 delta variant, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its mask wearing guidance July 27. The CDC now recommends wearing a mask in public indoor settings if in an area of substantial or high transmission even if fully vaccinated. The CDC also purports that vaccinated people can participate in many of the activities they did before the pandemic, resume domestic travel and refrain from routine screening
– Julie Willman, Benton County Public Health emergency preparedness coordinator testing if feasible. “Infections happen in only a small proportion of people who are fully vaccinated, even with the delta variant,” the CDC’s website reads regarding the new guidance. “However, preliminary evidence suggests that fully vaccinated people who do become infected with the delta variant can spread the virus to others.” Lit n said most new infections and deaths are stemming from unvaccinated people. She said vaccination is a personal choice, but she hopes those who have questions about the vaccine visit with reliable sources, like the CDC or Minnesota Department of Health, for more information. “People are sick of hearing about (the virus) and want it to go away, but the virus doesn’t care what we want,” Willman said. “Stay vigilant so we don’t have a repeat of last fall.” Lit n said everybody should continue to wash their hands and stay home when sick. Until fully vaccinated, residents should wear face masks indoors and outdoors when unable to social distance. According to Benton Coun-
ty’s COVID-19 dashboard, the county has experienced 5,914 cases since it rst appeared locally in March 2020. The dashboard reads that there have been 82 deaths linked to the coronavirus, including 283 hospitalized cases and 56 cases that needed intensive care unit treatment. The median age of those infected in Benton County is about 40 years old, with most cases coming from Sauk Rapids (2,600), Foley (1,152), Rice (883)), and the Benton County portions of St. Cloud (791), Sartell (308), Oak Park (103), Royalton (36) and Foreston (15). To nd a vaccination opportunity, visit the COVID-19 vaccine portion of Benton County’s website at co.benton. mn.us/654/COVID-19-vaccine. There, residents can schedule an appointment through the Minnesota Department of Health’s vaccine connector or schedule a vaccination appointment with CentraCare or Fairview Health. The website also offers information regarding types of COVID-19 vaccines, side effects, frequently asked questions, common myths and truths, and what to do after being fully vaccinated.
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