NEWS
--Pierz Freedom Fest announced Friday that their headliner this year is Dylan Scott with #1 songs like My Girl and Nothing to Do Town. The show will also include Little Texas, Lindsay Ell and the Shalo Lee Band. The 8th Annual Pierz Freedom Fest is July 11th at the Genola Ballfields south of Pierz. General Admission and VIP tickets are available at the Pierz Freedom Fest website. There is a link to the that site through the fallsradio.com website.
--The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has scheduled two meetings, one in Royalton and another in Sartell, for people interested in ongoing water quality projects in the Mississippi River-Sartell Watershed. At the meetings, you can share your concerns about lakes and streams you care about, learn about water quality in the watershed and the MPCA’s process and reports, and help guide how restoration and protection work is prioritized. Water quality monitoring by MPCA and area partners have uncovered excess levels of phosphorus and bacteria in the watershed. Two lakes and 15 streams are now considered “impaired” because they have failed to meet one or more water quality standard. The agency has found that alteration of flow in streams and changes in land use are stressing aquatic life and water quality. The MPCA is seeking input on strategies for protecting and restoring water quality in the Mississippi River-Sartell Watershed. Get involved by attending an upcoming public meeting. Local meetings will be at the Royalton Amercan Legion on Tuesday, February 25th from 4:00-7:00pm and at the Sartell Community Center on Thursday, February 27th from 4:00-7:00pm. For more information, contact Phil Votruba (218) 316-3901.
--Two people from St. Cloud were hurt in a crash in Benton County. The Minnesota State Patrol says it happened just before 10:30pm. Thursday on Highway 23 in Foley. A car driven by 52-year-old Paul Hansen of St. Cloud was going west on the highway while another vehicle was traveling south on County Road 4. The vehicle on the county road failed to stop at the stop sign and pulled out in front of Hansen's car. Hansen and his passenger, 56-year-old Pamela Hansen, were both taken to St. Cloud Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the second vehicle was a 15-year-old boy. His name has not been released. He was not hurt.
--One person was airlifted to St. Cloud Hospital after their car crashed head-on into a school bus. The Sauk Centre Police Department says the crashed happened just after 7am Friday in the 700 block of Ash Street South. The school bus was only occupied by the driver, who was not hurt. The driver of the car was taken to CentraCare Hospital in Sauk Centre before being airlifted to St. Cloud. No names or information about the people involved have been released yet.
--Three people were hurt in a rollover in western Stearns County. The Minnesota State Patrol says the crash happened just before 11:30pm. Thursday on Interstate 94 west of Sauk Centre. 27-year-old Alyssa Erickson-Schoen of Hoffman was driving east when she lost control of her pickup on the ice and snow-covered road. The pickup went into the median and rolled. Erickson-Schoen and her two passengers, two-year-old Weston Erickson and six-year-old Aerabella Erickson, were all taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
--The Morrison County Commissioners meet Tuesday at 9am at the government center boardroom. Agenda items include updates from Public Works, Social Services, Public Health, Land Services and the Veterans Affairs Office along with other agenda items.
--The first of three Our Town 56345 Vision Forums will be this afternoon 2-5pm at the Initiative Foundation, Tuesday from 8:30-11:30am at Purple Carrot in Victor Mall and Wednesday night from 4-7pm at Little Falls Community Middle School. The forums will be to discuss what you love about the 56345 area, what can be worked on, and what is your vision for the future of the area. Refreshments will be served, you do not to stay the entire three hours just enough time to hear your thoughts for the vision and from others. If you cannot make one of the three events; there is a survey that can be filled out which is available on the city of Little Falls facebook and copies are at Little Falls Radio to be picked up, filled out and returned to Little Falls City Hall. More information on the events will be addressed today by City Administrator Jon Radermacher on KLTF Party Line which airs just after 10am on AM960 and online at fallsradio.com.
--A pop-up seminar at St. Cloud State University on Thursday afternoon with a panel of professors from the University and members from surrounding counties Public Health Department discussed the facts about coronavirus. The 2019-nCoV outbreak started in Wuhan, China in December 2019 and world health officials believe it originated at the Huanan Seafood Market, which is about the size of nine football fields, before being transmitted human-to-human. Over 28,000 cases of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus have been confirmed worldwide including 12 in the United States. Six of those cases were in California, two in Illinois, one in Washington, one in Arizona, one in Massachusetts, and one in Wisconsin. Around 560 deaths have been reported, but only two were outside of China - Hong Kong and the Philippines. Current symptoms being reported include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Health officials say people who have been exposed to the virus can see symptoms develop in as few as two days or as many as 14. Much is still unknown about who is the most susceptible to the virus, but the Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization, and other organizations are working on a vaccine that they hope to have ready to go in the next three to nine months. Despite the attention given to the flu locally, county officials say they are ready to take on the coronavirus if it should find its way to Minnesota. The health department recommends general preventative action including washing your hands often, covering your cough, and staying home if you are sick. If you would like to learn more about the coronavirus outbreak contact your local public health agency.
DEATH NOTICES
--Archie Cash Sr., age 78 of Onamia.
--James Jones, age 78 of Onamia.
WEATHER
TODAY= cloudy, fog, mist, light snow showers in PM, high 27.
TONIGHT= snow early, then clearing overnight, low 11.
TUESDAY= partly sunny, windy, high 25, steady temps overnight.
WEDNESDAY= snow early, then clearing, temps dropping all day.
SPORTS
HS= Good Luck to the Little Falls Boys Nordic Ski team, Pierz Pizazz Dance Team who compete in their state tournaments later this week. Good Luck to the Brainerd/Little Falls girls hockey team and other area teams that have opened or will open playoffs this week. Listen to sports reports each morning on all three Little Falls Radio stations.