Central Minnesota Crime Watch & Information

01/14/2026

(KNSI) - St. Cloud Police Chief Jeff Oxton is urging residents to stop following vehicles they suspect are ope...

01/13/2026

(KNSI) - A St. Cloud School Board member is apologizing for a profanity-laden social media post criticizing fe...

01/13/2026

Community Safety Concerns Rise Over Vehicle Surveillance Of ICE In St. Cloud. Learn more:

https://wjon.com/st-cloud-police-public-safety-message/

01/13/2026

Minnesota's Sun Country Airlines is being acquired by Allegiant in a one-point-five-billion-dollar deal. Learn more: https://wjon.com/suncountry-allegiant-merger/

01/13/2026

Sales and Tentative Process Timeline for Macy's St.Cloud Closing

01/13/2026

A heads-up for your Tuesday morning commute, if you typically take Division Street in St. Cloud. Learn more: https://wjon.com/st-cloud-pothole-repairs/

01/13/2026

(KNSI) - Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers descended on a mostly Somali-owned business district in ...

01/12/2026

01/12/2026

Sartell Sees Rising Car Tampering Incidents, Police Urge Vigilance

01/12/2026

The City Council’s first regular meeting of 2026 is this evening at 6:30 p.m.

🔗View tonight’s agenda here: MonticelloMN.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_01122026-1229?html=true.

The City Council meets on the second and fourth Monday of each month in the Mississippi Room of the Monticello Community Center. Meetings are open to the public and are a key part of the City’s decision-making process.

Regular meetings are broadcast live and recorded for later viewing on cable channel 12 (FiberNet), channel 997 (TDS), and channel 180 (Charter). They are also available to stream live online or watch later with on-demand recordings. For more information, visit MonticelloMN.gov/301.

📰 Want a quick recap? Following each Council meeting, the City publishes “City Council Highlights” to recap key items and decisions made by the City Council. See past highlights here: MonticelloMN.gov/Blog.aspx?CID=3

01/12/2026

Sheriff Troy Heck has decided not to seek re-election this November.
It has been an honor and privilege to serve the people of Benton County as a member of the Benton County Sheriff’s Office over the last 32 years. The last 11 years serving as your sheriff has been the highlight of my law enforcement career. As your sheriff, I have been blessed to work with a fantastic team assembled here at the sheriff’s office, a wonderful group of public safety partners, and so many of the great citizens of Benton County. Working together as a community, we have made remarkable strides in our goals of reducing crime in Benton County and keeping Benton County safe.
After much reflection, I have concluded that the end of my current term in January of 2027 will be the proper time for me to move on to the next chapter of life. I am confident that I leave this office well-positioned to continue providing high quality public safety services under the guidance of the next sheriff. Personally, I am looking forward to having more free time to spend with my family and more opportunity to pursue my hobbies.
I would like to say thank you to all those public safety professionals who have both mentored me along my professional journey and partnered with our office to work for the greater good of Benton County and the entire Central Minnesota area. I would like to thank all the people of Benton County who have been steadfast in their support of our office and all public safety agencies in Benton County. Your support and partnership in crime prevention have been vital to our work.
I would like to offer a sincere thank you to all those who have been a part of our team here, giving of their time and talents to keep Benton County safe. Their efforts are the reason we can all feel safe and secure in our communities. I wish to say thank you as well to my friends and especially my family for their constant support through the ups and downs of a law enforcement career. Their support has been my foundation throughout the years, and I could not have done this without them.
I look forward to this final year of service as your sheriff and to what the future will hold for me and Benton County.
Sheriff Troy Heck