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Little Falls Radio News
Wednesday, October 23rd 2019
NEWS --Barring a significant change in plans to establish a children’s museum in Region Five, the Brainerd lakes area will be the host — the two sites are either the Potlatch property right off Highway 371 in southwest Baxter, or the Lum Park site in Brainerd. The initiative to establish a children’s museum was started in 2015 by foundational activists at Sourcewell (then the National Joint Powers Alliance), inspired in part by successful similar programs in Mankato. While it’s difficult to say when decisions will be made, a final site could be chosen by the end of the year. Region Five covers Morrison, Cass, Crow Wing, Todd and Wadena counties.
--The Minnesota Department of Transportation is excited to announce all lanes and sidewalks along Highway 27 on the west side of Little Falls are expected to be back open by Saturday, pending good weather conditions. To mark the occasion, the city of Little Falls had a ribbon cutting celebration Tuesday. The highway on the east side of Little Falls was completed in the beginning of September. The $7.6 million improvement project reconstructed or resurfaced two miles of Highway 27 between 15th Street W and Ninth Street E, installed new underground city utilities, curb, gutter and sidewalks, improved signals and adjacent entrance connections. MnDOT thanks the local community for their patience during this improvement project.
--Morrison County maintenance crews will be sealing cracks on CSAH 76 North of Little Falls this week as weather permits. Crews will be doing bridge work on County Road 213 north of Little Falls. Public works will be patching potholes on CSAH 21 in the southwest part of the county. Please use caution around work crews.
--A St. Cloud man is charged with providing the drugs that caused another man to overdose and die last February. Nineteen-year-old Brayden Thompson is charged with 3rd-degree murder. According to the criminal complaint, St. Cloud Police were called to the 700 block of 10th Avenue South February 17th on a report of a man who wasn't breathing and was cold to the touch. Police arrived to find the man dead. His name is withheld in the complaint filing. Police say they searched the victim and found a blue pill suspected to be an opiate. Officers also learned the victim had taken a blue pill that was supposed to be oxycontin and was provided by Thompson. Court records allege Thompson admitted to providing the pills to the victim and was quoted as saying "I'm going to live with this the rest of my life. I killed my best friend." Court records show Thompson was regularly buying drugs off the dark web and paying for them with cryptocurrency. Thompson was then allegedly selling the drugs. An autopsy of the victim determined his cause of death as fentanyl toxicity. Thompson's next court date is scheduled for November 25th.
--Three women, two of Onamia, were treated for injuries after a rollover accident in Kathio Township, Mille Lacs County, on Highway 169. At 7:11pm Thursday, Jenika Rose Pemberton, 18, of Ashland, Wisconsin, with passengers Dionne Jade Cash, 20, and Raquel Marie Maurstad, both of Onamia, was traveling northbound on Highway 169. The Minnesota State Patrol reported the vehicle struck a barrier at Gone Fishin Road a 3 treated for injuries after Mille Lacs County rollover. All three women were transported to Mille Lacs Health System in Onamia for non-life-threatening injuries. All wore seat belts, according to the state patrol.
--Grace Methodist Church in St. Cloud is hosting a Trunk or Treat event Friday from 5-8pm, bring a non perishable food item for it.
--A Paynesville man survived a house explosion Tuesday morning. The incident happened around 8:45 a.m. in the 500 block of Morningside Avenue. Paynesville Police Chief Paul Wegner says when officers arrived they found the living quarters of the home collapsed and a small fire was still burning on the southside of the house. Wegner says the homeowner, 76-year-old Dennis Pederson, was inside the home at the time of the explosion and was able to crawl out of the debris. He was treated and released at the scene. Fire crews arrived to put of the blaze, which had cause damage to a neighboring home. The case remains active and the cause of the explosion is under investigation by the State Fire Marshall's Office. Authorities are reminding you if you smell gas or think you smell gas to get out immediately and contact your local authorities.
--Three people were hurt in a crash involving two motorcycles Saturday afternoon. The incident happened just after 3pm at the intersection of County Road 136 and County Road 115 in St. Augusta. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office says 52-year-old Michael Skillingstad, of Andover, and 42-year-old Michael Havelak, of Ramsey, were riding side-by-side heading north on County Road 136. Skillingstad attempted to turn east onto County Road 115 crashing into Havelak who continued to go straight. Both drivers, along with Skillingstad's passenger, 56-year-old Kelly Laumann of Maple Grove, were taken to St. Cloud Hospital for treatment. Authorities says they were not wearing helmets and alcohol was a factor in the crash.
--A cow is dead after a driver struck the animal early Saturday morning. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office says 31-year-old Christopher Madigan of Eden Valley was heading south on County Road 9 just before 3am when the crash happened. Madigan told officers he swerved to avoid another vehicle that pulled out in front of him at the intersection of County Road 21 in Eden Lake Township. Madigan's SUV then went into the ditch, entered a small pasture and hit the cow. Authorities say alcohol was not involved.
--The Royalton Drama Club is hosting its third annual fundraising Halloween Event at the Royalton High School Cafetorium for elementary aged children and below, on Halloween October 31st from 5-8pm. With photo opportunities with characters, spooky snack, eerie drinks, crafts and haunted house and there will be a Trunk-and-Treat available in the Royalton High School parking lot.
DEATH NOTICES --Patrick “Yid” David Roscoe, age 46 of Brainerd.
WEATHER TODAY= becoming mostly cloudy, high near 40. TONIGHT= partly cloudy, low around 27. THURSDAY= sunny skies, chilly, high near 40, low around 25. FRIDAY= sunny and warmer, high near 50, low around 35.
SPORTS HS FB= Royalton, Pierz and Holdingford all picked up first round playoff wins on Tuesday night, Little Falls and Upsala-Swanville were eliminated, the playoffs continue this Saturday for area teams. HS VB= Pierz at Pequot Lakes playoffs tonight 7pm FM94 HV VB= Pillager at Little Falls playoffs tonight 7pm Q92. WS= Juan Soto hit a 3 run homer to lift Washington to a 5-4 win in Game 1 of the World Series last night over Houston. Game 2 of the World Series is tonight in Houston.
