POPE COUNTY

A family of five was shot to death in their rural Sunburg home in 1970. The confessed murderer, Neil M. Pladson, was sentenced to 25 years in prison. In 1987, Pladson was released to a halfway house. A year later, he was found strangled to death in his apartment. His killer, Douglas Tank, was his roommate and he told authorities that Pladson had threatened to kill the man's family while brandishing a knife. Tank said he knocked the knife out of Pladson's hand and strangled him.

The Minnesota Supreme Court has overturned the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruling that upheld a lower court finding that Pope County and its child protection workers are immune from liability in the 2013 child abuse death of 4-year-old Eric Parker Dean. A physician, day care provider and teacher had reported suspected maltreatment of the youth prior to his death. The girlfriend of Eric Dean's father was convicted of murder while committing child abuse and is serving a life sentence.

The crash took place Sunday afternoon on Highway 29.

While investigating alleged threats that Gregory Hartwig made, the Pope County Sheriff’s Office obtained text messages from Feb. 16 between Hartwig and his ex-wife.

GLENWOOD, Minn. — An 18-year-old man from Starbuck was killed Sunday, June 28, when he was ejected from his vehicle following a head-on collision with a semi on Pope County Road 18.

The Minnesota Court of Appeals affirmed a Pope County District Court decision that Pope County and its social workers are immune from liability in the 2013 child abuse death of 4-year-old Eric Parker Dean. A physician, daycare provider and teacher had reported suspected maltreatment of the youth prior to his death. The girlfriend of Eric Dean's father was convicted of murder while committing child abuse and is serving a life sentence.

FARGO - A West Fargo woman charged with drowning her newborn child was arrested in west-central Minnesota and will be brought back to Cass County. Ginny Lubitz, 36, faces one count of murder and a count of attempted murder stemming from her baby'...

FARWELL, Minn. - The Farwell Norwegian Lutheran Church was in bad shape.Spotted with mold and bat droppings, it was decaying right in the heart of Farwell, population 51 along Highway 55 in northern Pope County.The once-thriving church had sat va...

GLENWOOD, Minn.-When announcing the discovery of starry stonewort in Lake Minnewaska last week, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said the invasive algae has never been eradicated from any U.S. lake where it has been found.Minnewaska ...