Cliff Buchan
News Editor

A student at Forest Lake High School was arrested last Friday on a felony third-degree drug charge.

Police were called to the school at 12:06 p.m. to assist staff who were dealing with a female student from Lino Lakes who appeared to be under the influence of narcotics. Chief of Police Clark Quiring said a white powdery substance that tested positive for methamphetamine was found in the student’s purse.

She was taken to the Forest Lake Police Station and later transported to the Washington County Jail in Stillwater. She faces formal felony charges of third-degree possession of a controlled substance — methamphetamine.

Quiring said the arrest marked the first time that a student has been arrested for possession of meth on school grounds.

Toddler OK

A one-year-old toddler who wandered away from her father and fell face first in open water of a pond on April 9.

Forest Lake police were called to the home in the 20000 block of Ingersoll Ave. N. at 6:10 p.m. after the father of the little girl pulled her from the pond where she was found face down and kicking.

Chief of Police Clark Quiring said the little one was in good condition on Thursday at Children’s Hospital in St. Paul. Police worked to open the girl’s airway and wrapped her in blankets until ambulance crews arrived.

She was breathing but unconscious when she was taken by Life Link to the St. Paul hospital, he said.

Quiring said the girl’s dad was outside the home feeding the family dogs when a three-year-old sibling ran off and diverted his attention. With ice conditions now poor on most ponds and lake surfaces, Quiring urged caution when approaching bodies of water and to keep close supervision on children.

Truck burns

Fire destroyed a semi-truck box owned by Winnick Supply late Sunday afternoon in Forest Lake. The cause of the blaze remains has not been determined, Fire Chief Gary Sigfrinius said.

A semi-truck box was destroyed by fire in Forest Lake on Sunday afternoon.

(Photo By Cliff Buchan)

Fire crews were called out at 4:58 p.m. to the truck storage area just north of the Dresel Trucking property, 21490 Forest Blvd. N. The storage area is east of the Hardwood Creek Trail.

Sigfrinius said officials found evidence at the scene that someone was living or camping in the empty truck box. Small disposable propane tanks, blankets and a mattress were found at the scene.

The truck box was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived on the scene, the chief said.

Deck burns

In a second fire call, the department was called to an apartment deck fire at 1287 SW 11th Ave. at 5:04 a.m. on Tuesday. A police officer who went to the apartment was forced to break down the door when the occupants did not respond to knocks on the door.

A 28-year-old woman and two young children were safely removed from the apartment which had filled with smoke, police said. The blaze was extinguished and the occupants were able to return to the apartment, police said.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Other crimes

In other crimes, police are:

•Investigating the theft of a purse from a car parked at Faith Lutheran Church on Sunday. The victim told police the driver’s side window of the car had been smashed out and the purse containing a small amount of money, credit cards and forms of identification was stolen. The theft was discovered at 11:02 a.m.

•Continuing the investigation of an alleged shoplifter who took DVDs from Cub Foods, 2013 W. Broadway Ave. at 8:24 p.m. on Sunday and then fled police. The suspect, a 17-year-old male from Chisago City, fled the store but was caught by police after a short foot pursuit behind Starbuck’s.

The youth was released to his parents and faces likely charges of misdemeanor theft, obstructing legal process and fleeing on foot, Quiring said this week.

---

Social Bookmarking ...