Fire destroys storage barn near Big Pine Lake

By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

Sheriff deputies, on April 19, reported the death of an Erhard resident Wednesday afternoon, April 19, north of Underwood on Highway 43. This was a single-vehicle accident.

The accident took place just after 2 p.m., north of County Highway 1. The occupant of the vehicle had been traveling northbound in a Toyota pickup when the accident took place. 

Deputies said the vehicle passed over an approach and struck some trees. The victim, a male, was later pronounced deceased at a local hospital.

Assisting sheriff deputies at the scene of the accident were Ringdahl Ambulance Service and members of the Underwood Fire Department.

Fire destroys storage barn

Sheriff deputies, on April 18, reported that fire destroyed a storage barn east of Big Pine Lake in rural Perham.

The owner had burned a brush pile five days previously and a stump reignited the fire. This, in turn, caused nearby grass to catch fire and also the storage barn. The contents were a total loss but there were no injuries.

Responding to the scene of the fire after being called at 2:45 p.m. were members of the fire departments from Perham, New York Mills, Vergas and Frazee.

Potential scam avoided

A resident of 165th Street in southern Otter Tail County, on April 18, avoided becoming a scam victim after a pop-up box appeared on her computer screen and said she may have been compromised.

Even though she called a phone number that appeared on the screen (oftentimes referred to as a Microsoft identity scam) her family and financial institution intervened before any money was sent.

Law enforcement personnel point out that tech support scammers use scare tactics to try and trick people into unnecessary tech support services. They try to get people to fix nonexistent problems.

Oftentimes people are also scammed into supplying personal and/or financial information. To avoid this, shut off your computer or press control-alt-delete and then restart your computer.