News briefs: Man electrocuted by extension cord

Editor’s note: The following is a collection of news briefs from Minnesota that have appeared in Forum Communications newspapers this week.

MINNESOTA

Man electrocuted by extension cord

WILLMAR, Minn. — An Eagle Lake, Minn., man was electrocuted Sunday evening while working on a boat lift at his home.

According to the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Department, Brian Van Engen, 56, was moving his boat lift when it came into contact with an extension cord that had been rubbed bare of insulation. The cord had been used to supply power to the electric boat lift.

Van Engen went under the water and a neighbor unplugged the extension cord and pulled him from the water. He was transported to Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar, where he was pronounced dead.

Girl thrown from car, left waiting

BLACKDUCK, Minn. – A sleeping 15-year-old Baudette, Minn., girl was tossed from a car Sunday morning and then had to wait alongside the highway for the car to return.

Kendall L. Ericksen was sleeping in the backseat of a 2006 Chevrolet Impala at about 10:23 a.m. when the vehicle left state Highway 72 north of Blackduck and went into a ditch, according to a report by the Minnesota State Patrol out of Thief River Falls.

The Impala traveled along the ditch slope and struck a no passing sign on the left rear door area, which broke out a window. Erickson was sleeping in the rear passenger area and was ejected through the window and landed in the ditch, according the report.

The driver, 72-year-old Louise C. Ericksen of Baudette, got back on the highway and continued driving south before she and another passenger realized Ericksen was missing.

They returned to where the Impala had entered the ditch and found Ericksen standing alongside the highway.

Kendall Ericksen suffered minor injuries and was taken to Sanford Bemidji Medical Center.

The vehicle sustained minor damage.

Five weekend heroin overdoses, one fatal

DULUTH — Five people overdosed on heroin over the weekend — and one of them died, Duluth police said.

Officers responded to four overdose incidents between Friday and Sunday.

Information obtained at the scenes indicated that the five people involved had used heroin.

“Similar reports of overdoses and increased heroin potency are occurring state and nationwide,” the department said in a news release. “Over the past 12 months, the department has engaged in efforts to combat the trafficking, sale and use of prescription painkillers and heroin through the arrest and prosecution of several persons involved in trafficking these types of drugs.”

Drowning victim identified

BAGLEY, Minn. – The man who drowned in Lake Lemond here and discovered by a boater has officially been identified.

The Clearwater County Sheriff’s Office said Monday the death of Cisco Rolando Johnson, 23, doesn’t appear suspicious.

Johnson was not living in the Bagley area when he died, but it is believed he was staying recently in Crookston, Minn., according to Chief Deputy Todd Spray.

Johnson has relatives who live in the Bagley and surrounding area.

Law enforcement was called at about 3:30 p.m. July 8 after a boater reported finding a body floating in Lake Lemond within Bagley city limits. Bagley police officers then recovered Johnson’s body.

Woman sentenced for fatal crash

WILLMAR, Minn. — A 45-year-old Raymond woman was sentenced Monday to 180 days in jail, 200 hours of community work service and 10 years of probation on charges stemming from a crash that killed two people.

Ronda Lynn Malvin also was ordered to pay $1,500 in fines and $1,021 in restitution as part of her sentence handed down in Meeker County District Court on two felony convictions of criminal vehicular homicide or operation.

As part of a plea agreement, six additional felony charges, plus two gross misdemeanors, stemming from the crash along Minnesota Highway 22 on November 20, 2010, were dismissed.

A sentence of 58 months in prison was stayed.

Malvin pleaded guilty to the two charges May 8. She was travelling south of Litchfield in icy conditions when she attempted to brake and lost control of her vehicle. The vehicle slid into the oncoming lane of traffic, setting off a three-car collision. Two passengers in her vehicle: Kimberly Mead, 44, of Willmar, died at the scene, and Barbara Wold, 55, of Spicer, Minn., died two days later from her injuries.

Malvin admitted she had used drugs two days before the crash. Urine testing showed both amphetamine and methamphetamine in her system.

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