UPDATE: Albertville Woman Injured after Truck Blows Red Light in Crash

A multiple vehicle accident at the new Interstate 94 and County Road 19 intersection injured one person.

UPDATE: The Wright County Sheriff's Department has issued the following report in the wake of yesterday's injury accident at Interstate 94 and Wright County 19 in Albertville. The Wright County Sheriff's Office was notified of a two vehicle crash at the intersection of County Road 19 and the westbound exit ramp of I-94. The initial investigation indicates that a 2011 Chevrolet Traverse being driven by Robin Anderson, 35, of St Michael was northbound on County Road 19 when it went through a red light and struck a 2000 Oldsmobile being driven by Cassandra Littmann, 28, of Albertville. The Oldsmobile was exiting westbound I-94 to turn south on County Road 19. Littmann was transported to St. Cloud's Centra Care Hospital by Allina Ambulance. …

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Golden Girl Lindsay Whalen Makes Appearance at Albertville Outlets

Hot off its presentation of Jared Allen last month, KLN Family Brands in the Albertville Premium Outlets brought Lynx and Team USA guard Lindsay Whalen to town.

KLN Family Brands is becoming a popular spot for Minnesota sports superstars.  Hot off its rally for Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen and his Wounded Warrior project, the store in the Albertville Premium Outlets hosted USA Women's Basketball gold medalist and Minnesota native Lindsay Whalen Monday night.  Fans, again, lined the store with photos and basketballs, as they waited to visit and get a photo with the Minnesota Lynx guard, who helped guide Team USA to gold in London.  Whalen's also captured a Women's National Basketball Association title with the Minnesota Lynx (2011), appeared in the finals again this year and helped take her University of Minnesota Golden Gophers squad to the Final Four. 

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St. Michael-Albertville Police and Fire Blotter

St. Michael-Albertville Sees Small Rise in Theft, DWI Arrests

A theft and flee from police at the Albertville Premium Outlets and several DWI arrests highlight this week's police blotter.

The following arrests were reported by Wright County Deputies. An arrest means the person has been taken into custody and, in most cases, charged with the crime listed.  September 14 Christopher DeJon Ellis, 22, of Albertville was arrested in Buffalo on a Wright County warrant for 2nd degree burglary. September 16 Robert Richard Rajtar, 25, of Champlin was arrested in Albertville on the charge of 2nd degree DWI. September 18 Alex Richard Hoff, 33, of Andover was arrested in Otsego on the charge of 3rd degree DWI. Anghel Esperanza Brown, 18, of Minneapolis was arrested in St. Michael on the charge of theft. September 20 Angela Marie Jones, 24, of Dayton was arrested in Otsego on the charge of 3rd degree DWI. September 24  Daniel Patrick …

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Back to School Outlet Mall Survival Guide

Heading to Albertville Premium Outlets this weekend to get your school-shopping fix? Here’s some tips, tricks and trends you should know before you go.

As any and all area residents likely know, weekends at Albertville Premium Outlets aren’t for the faint of heart. The crowds begin pouring in on Friday afternoons during the warm weather season and then surge on Saturday and Sunday. And back-to-school shopping is truly the mall’s day(s) in the sun: the warm August weather makes for an amenable outdoor shopping experience compared with the Christmas season, and the mall’s focus on clothing and shoes fits the back-to-school shopping checklist like a glove. Kristie Zeller, assistant manager for Albertville Premium Outlets, said a special Labor Day Weekend sale will be taking place this Friday-Monday, but there are other ways to save money as well. Signing up for the free VIP shopper club on …

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Laura Nielsen

2:23 pm on Wednesday, August 29, 2012

It is nearly impossible to shop on the weekends at the center anymore. My advice to locals would be to only shop during the week after Wed. (when a lot of stuff goes on sale) during the day (if you are home) or in the evenings for those who work day hours. Most of the stores set their prices for the weekend by Wed.-Thurs. because it's too hard to change the signage once Friday rush hits the …   more ›

Fourth of July with a Bang: TNT Fireworks Sets Up Shop in Albertville

TNT Fireworks opened last Friday as the STMA source to buy fireworks this Fourth of July.

With the Fourth of July just a week away, it's not too early to think about fireworks. TNT Fireworks set up shop in the Albertville Premium Outlet parking lot and sales have been steady, employee Kate Danielson said earlier this week. The stand is open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day until July 5 and have many items on sale at 50 percent off. "In Minnesota, fireworks with up to 500 grams [of gunpoweder] are legal," Danielson said. Earlier this year, the Legislature outlawed bottle rockets and firecrackers. Thus far, Danielson said the most popular items at TNT so far this year include sparklers, pop-its and smoke grenades. To keep yourself and your children safe this summer make sure to practice proper safety when it comes to fireworks. The …

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Fargo Man Nabbed in Albertville Will Spend Nearly Five Years in Jail

Brian Schlenker, targeted in a sting operation last year, was sentenced to 57 months in prison in April for controlled substance crimes.

A Fargo, ND, man nabbed in a drug sting last spring was sentenced to nearly five years in prison last month. Brian Jerome Schlenker, 51, Fargo, was nailed for various drug violations in a sting operation back on “Friday the 13th” in May 2011. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, the Drug Enrforcement Agency, Fargo Police Department and Wright County Sheriff's Office teamed up to take down then 50-year-old Brian Jerome Schlenker Friday, May 13, 2011 as he attempted to purchase cocaine in the parking lot of the Albertville Premium Outlets, according to documents released by Wright County District Court last week.  According to the criminal complaint: Agents from the DEA and BCA were working with an informant who agreed to provide information…

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UPDATED: Work to Begin on Interstate 94 at Albertville

With the early thaw and conditions perfect for most of this week, workers are hoping to get a jump on the Interstate 94 project with preparatory work this week.

UPDATED (11:15 a.m., Monday, April 23): Traffic delays, which will be a regular thing this summer on Interstate 94 between St. Michael and Monticello, are flaring up already this morning. Traffic was backed up in both directions this morning as survey crews are mapping out the area between County Road 19 and County Road 37 in Albertville. Local drivers that are heading west and usually exit the freeway at County Road 37 could leave the freeway at Highway 241 and weave their way into Albertville via Oakwood Parkway/50th Street Northeast. * * * The Minnesota Department of Transportation is expecting motorists to encounter delays on westbound Interstate 94 in Albertville between Highway 241 and County Road 19 as construction of the westbound …

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St. Michael-Albertville Police and Fire Blotter

Police Blotter: String of Shoplifters Arrested in Albertville

April has seen more instances of people attempting to take off with stolen merchandise from the Albertville Premium Outlets and other stores in the area. Fortunately, most of the perpetrators aren't getting very far.

If there's a familiar call for Wright County Sheriff's Department deputies working in the Albertville area, it's the call to assist with a shoplifting violations. Despite the "great deals" advertised by the Albertville Premium Outlets and its surrounding stores, people are always looking for a better discount, said Sheriff Joe Hagerty in an interview with St. Michael Patch last fall. "It keeps us busy," he said of the Outlets. "However, they've got a great system in place over there with the in-store security, and then the security that's on site during mall hours. They do a pretty good job of controlling inventory." April has seen an uptick in recent arrests at the mall, with most of those arrested hailing from the Minneapolis are or …

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Perham-based KLN Opens Store at Albertville PRemium Outlets

Giving a face to the Minnesota-based company that provides snackers with chips, licorice and more, KLN has opened a site in the "outlet mall."

A longstanding Minnesota brand has found a new home in what has become a Minnesota shopping "mecca."  KLN Family Brands, the makers of such familiar names as Barrel of Fun chips and Vic's popcorn, is a Perham-based Minnesota family that was started by Kenny Nelson and his family. "He actually started with the dog food business," said Katie Leuer, manager of the KLN shop, which opened in November near the Children's Place in the Albertville Premium Outlets. Wait. Dog food?  Yep. KLN started in a downtown Perham warehouse with Tuffy's, those familiar, big, yellow bags you could find in most grocery stores.  While Tuffy's has been improved with things like Nutri-Source and other healthy pet food alternatives, KLN has, of course, expanded into…

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UPDATE: Albertville Premium Outlets Releases Black Friday Information

Several outlets will open at 9 p.m. Thanksgiving evening. Then, many stores will open on the hour, with the entire mall open by 12:01 a.m. Friday. The savings continue through Sunday. Here’s the scoop.

In what has become a holiday tradition like no other in St. Michael or Albertville, thousands of shoppers will make their way to this community Thursday night to begin a marathon day of shopping. They will be welcomed with open arms at the Albertville Premium Outlets, with several stores opening as early as 10 p.m. Thanksgiving evening (including Nike, to name one) and the rest popping open at midnight on Black Friday. According  to Abigail Opiah of Nike Communications, the Albretville Premium Outlets started a nationwide movement when it began opening at midnight a few years ago. “Shoppers will find additional savings on top of the already low every day prices when the stores open at midnight (and some even earlier on Thanksgiving evening…

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