Friday, March 27, 2026

The Upsala Cardinals lost Thursday to the Henning Hornets 61-45 in the Class A Quarter-Finals in boys basketball at Target Center. Upsala will be in the consolation semi-finals against Southland at 10am Friday at Concordia University in St. Paul. If Upsala wins they will play on Saturday in the Consolation Championship. Hear the game Friday morning with pregame after 9:30am on Q92 WYRQ and fallsradio.com. 

A 41-year-old man is accused of sexually abusing two girls at their home in Melrose. According to charges filed in Stearns County District Court, a woman met with a sergeant in the Melrose Police Department on Monday after a 12 or 13-year-old girl reported Jorge Esparza had been sexually abusing her. A second child, who was either 14 or 15 years old, then reported finding a camera hidden in her bedroom vent. She also said Esparza had touched her inappropriately. The younger girl reported that Esparza had been sexually assaulting her, starting when she was nine or 10 years old and as recently as this past Sunday. Court records show the girl told authorities that Esparza would sexually touch her both over and under her clothes and had offered her money if she would allow him to touch her. Esparza is charged with two counts of criminal sexual conduct with victims under the age of 16, including multiple acts.

Charges have been filed against a man who is accused of viciously assaulting a stranger outside a St. Cloud porta-potty. St. Cloud Police were dispatched to the Stearns History Museum at around 7:15 a.m. on Tuesday. Officers met with a man who was bleeding from his face, with his left eye completely swollen shut. Police say the man had no recollection of how he got the injuries. According to the criminal complaint filed in Stearns County District Court, the victim had been driving a work truck and stopped to use the portable restroom at around 6:15 a.m. Video surveillance from the man's work truck showed a man identified as 27-year-old Nykolas D'Heilly open the door to the porta-potty. Court records allege D'Heilly eventually got the door open and immediately began punching the victim in the head until he fell to the ground. Authorities say the assault continued with D'Heilly punching and kicking the victim in the head until he went unconscious.  The victim was rushed to the hospital with a suspected brain bleed. When police caught up with D'Heilly, they say he admitted to the assault. Officers say he also admitted to stealing a running car from a driveway after the assault and leaving it on the side of the road along County Road 75. The victim suffered a broken nose, a brain bleed, and a shattered eye socket that will require surgery. He remains hospitalized, and the assessment of the full extent of his injuries is ongoing. D'Heilly is charged with 1st-degree assault causing great bodily harm and auto theft.

Three central Minnesota high school seniors are headed to college with a little extra financial backing this fall, thanks to a competitive scholarship program. Compeer Financial’s philanthropic arm has awarded $2,000 each to Addison Dahler of Foley, Sven Storbakken of Princeton, and Isabella Schiffler of Albany. The three students are among 35 Minnesota recipients selected statewide. To be considered for the scholarship, applicants had to live within the company’s 144-county service territory, maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0, and either designate an agricultural major, express interest in an agriculture-related field, or have an agricultural or rural background. Final selections were based on application materials and essay responses.

Recall News: Toyota is recalling more than 144,000 vehicles in the U.S. due to a rearview camera issue that could increase the risk of a crash, according to federal safety regulators. The recall affects about 144,200 vehicles, including certain 2022–2025 Lexus NX250 and NX350 models, 2023–2026 Lexus RX350 models and 2024–2026 Lexus TX350 vehicles, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said. Officials said the rearview camera image may not display when the vehicle is put into reverse, reducing the driver’s visibility behind the vehicle and failing to meet federal rear visibility safety standards. To fix the issue, dealers will update the camera software or replace the rearview camera if needed, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed starting May 3, 2026. Owners can contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331 and reference recall numbers 26LB02 and 26LA02 for more information.

Events: another busy weekend of events, including many Friday Night Fish Frys including St. Mary's Church in Upsala Friday night. St. Francis of Assisi south of Upsala Journey to Jesus to Calvary Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 1pm. Glowing Easter Egg Hunt Friday night at Faith Lutheran Church in Little falls at 6pm. Heartland Symphony Orchestra presents American Travels Saturday 7:30pm at Little Falls Community High School then also on Sunday at 2:30pm in Brainerd. Haven of Mercy Churches St. Mary's, Our Lady of Lourdes and Holy Family will have bake sales this weekend. St. James in Randall doing an Easter Egg Hunt Sunday after 8:30am Mass. Buckman Lions breakfast on Sunday at the parish hall at St. Michael's in Buckman 8am-11am, Morrison County Area Foundation has their Easter Egg Hunt Sunday from 1-3pm scavenger hunt and many items to check out, $2 per person as a fundraiser. Holy Family of Belle Prairie has a Ham Bingo at 1:30pm at the church hall on Sunday. Check out the events at fallsradio.com. 

Weather: Friday, sunny and cold, high 32, gusty winds 15-25mph, clear night Friday low around 23. Saturday partly cloudy skies, high 52, clouds increase Saturday night, low around 34. Sunday becoming sunny and mild, high 64, clouds increase Sunday low 46. Monday partly sunny and 55. Monday night rain develops low around 38. Rain changing to snow on Tuesday high near 48, low around 28 Tuesday night. 

Sports: State Boys Basketball continues Friday and wraps up Saturday in Minneapolis. Listen to a recap in high school sports Saturday at 9:05am on AM960 KLTF. Twins are off Friday, at Baltimore for more games Saturday at 3:05pm and Sunday at 12:35pm. Gopher Women's Basketball takes on UCLA Friday night at 6:30pm the winner advances to the Elite Eight on Sunday.