Monday, June 9, 2025

The Pierz Pioneers were seeded #6 in the Class AA State Baseball Tournament and will play Pine Island on Wednesday on 12:30pm at Dick Putz Field in St. Cloud. You can hear the game live on Wednesday on AM960 KLTF and fallsradio.com. 

The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office reports that on Thursday at approximately 10:11pm, their office received a report of a one-vehicle crash near the intersection of 93rd Street and Imperial Road, approximately four miles north of Royalton in Bellevue Township. According to the Sheriff’s Office, 71-year-old Nancy Doucette of Little Falls, MN was traveling north on Imperial Road. Doucette was unable to stop at the intersection of 93rd Street. Her vehicle continued into the ditch on the north side of 93rd Street and struck a tree. Doucette was transported to St. Gabriel’s Hospital by Mayo Clinic Ambulance with unknown injuries.

Two people were hurt Saturday night around 9pm on Highway 10 at Greyhound Road in Pike Creek Township when the Harley Davidson they were on struck a deer. 72-year-old Michael Babb of Pike Creek and passenger 51-year-old Michael Klinghagen of Pike Creek both had non life threatening injuries and were treated at the local hospital. 

Tony Housey of Camp Ripley reported Friday that they have received citizens asking about the noise at their military base. Housey stated that you will hear loud noise and see smoke trails as National Guard Soldiers organize and train to meet readiness requirements and certifications. Throughout the month of June and during the busy summer training months, several military organizations will utilize Camp Ripley for monthly and annual training. These training periods will include the firing of large caliber weapon systems, both day and night as well as maneuver. Currently, Field Artillery crews from the Missouri National Guard, South Dakota National Guard and The Minnesota National Guard are conducting qualification tables for their 155mm howitzers and Multiple Launching Rocket System MLRS platforms. “This training prepares our service-members, making them ready to meet their federal mission requirements,” said 1Lt. Colton Rossow, public affairs officer for Camp Ripley. “It is understandable that loud noises can be an interruption for our neighbors, we do truly sympathies, but this training is a necessity to equip our professionals should they need to defend our state and nation,” he added. The biggest impact this summer is the type of ammunition being allocated to the artillery units. Due to national ammunition priorities the logistical allotment of 155mm rounds for the training center’s customers will be made up of service ammunition as opposed to the lesser affecting M1122 HE Training Projectile. The M1122 is made from the recycled shell bodies that used to
carry sub-munitions and although made to maintain weight and ballistic standards, have a smaller amount of explosives. Overall, these rounds have been used on Camp Ripley for training artillery units conducting fire missions and was intended to replace the more expensive 155mm M804A1 Practice Projectile and M107 HE Projectile for training. The M795 High Explosive Round, which has been the Army’s standard service HE round since the late 1990s has not been used on Camp Ripley since 2022. The round itself is defined as a
complete 155 mm round to include fuze, primer, explosively loaded projectile, and a propelling charge. “How it all works is the artilleryman pulls a lanyard which makes the firing pin strike the primer. The primer ignites the propelling charge, the propelling charge pushes the projectile out of the gun tube, and the fuze, screwed into the projectile, makes the projectile explode,” explained Chief Warrant Office 4 Derek Lindburg, Ammunition Supply Point Supervisor for Camp Ripley. “Sincerely, everyone on Camp Ripley works hard to be the best of neighbor we can for the communities of Central Minnesota. We do appreciate the support and understanding we receive as we continue to be the prime training site for the Minnesota National Guard, state partners and professionals, both military and civilian from across the country,” concluded Rossow. 

Over two dozen people were taken to CentraCare – St. Cloud Hospital Friday morning following a chemical spill at Pilgrim’s Pride in Cold Spring. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office says the leak of peracetic acid happened about 8:15. Buildings were quickly evacuated, and workers were shepherded to safety before first responders reached the scene. The spill was contained to the inside of the facility, but 26 people were taken for further treatment. Peracetic acid is made by combining acetic acid with hydrogen peroxide. It’s an effective disinfectant that neutralizes bacteria, fungi, yeasts, and viruses in the food industry.

Brainerd Schools will have full administration changes into next year after their superintendent Laine Larsen announced retirement at the end of the school year. At the recent meeting the Brainerd High School Principal Andrea Rusk and Forestview Principal Jon Anderson resigned their positions. Also at the meeting it was reported that Baxter Elementary School Principal Tammy Stellmach will take over the Middle School Principal position for the next school year. 

Governor Tim Walz has called for a special session after reaching a budget agreement with Republican and Democratic legislative leaders. The special session will begin at 10am on Monday morning. Legislators will look to pass 14 pre-negotiated bills as well as four non-budget bills, including a bonding bill. Walz said in a statement that the agreement is “the result of hundreds of hours of good-faith, bipartisan debate on the best ways to improve the health, safety, and wellbeing of Minnesotans,” and that all sides had to make concessions in order to reach a compromise. Governor Walz also issued flags to be flown at half-staff through sunset Monday to remember fallen Amboy firefighter Andrew Karels who died on June 2nd. 

Due to Canadian wildfires still burning, the winds becoming northwest and cooler air, the smoke returned on Sunday across Minnesota prompting an Air Quality Alert through Sunday night for all of Minnesota. Cooler conditions Monday with rain showers will keep the smoke to the north today but for filtered in smoke is expected over central and southern Minnesota on Tuesday with warmer and dryer conditions. 

Death Notices- Jacob T. Thiel, age 29 of Mooreton, North Dakota formerly of Pierz. Joan Thielen, age 91 of Little Falls. Elmer C. Beale, age 80 of Little Falls. Ronald "Ron" W. Unger, age 80 of Motley. 

Weather- scattered showers at times today with rumbles of thunder, cool and breezy, high 63. Isolated evening showers tonight then clearing, low 48. Sunny and mild Tuesday, possible smoke in air, high 80. Partly cloudy Tuesday night low around 51. Isolated AM and PM shower Wednesday most of the day will be sunny with highs around 76, again isolated showers Wednesday night low around 55.  

Sports- Toronto beat the Twins Friday 6-4 then Blue Jays win again 5-4 on Saturday over Twins. Twins take one game in the series Sunday winning 6-3 over Toronto. Twins are off Monday host Texas on Tuesday night. Lynx beat Dallas 81-65 Sunday to go to 9-0 on the WNBA season. Oklahoma City 123-107 win over Indiana last night to tie NBA finals series 1-1. Good luck to the participants from Little Falls and Pierz at the State Golf Tournament tomorrow in Jordan. Little Falls, Pierz, Royalton, Upsala-Swanville, Foley, Holdingford, Staples-Motley and Pillager all have participants at the State Track and Field meet Tuesday through Thursday at St. Michael Albertville High School and the State Baseball Tournament begins Wednesday at four different locations including Pierz vs. Pine Island Wednesday at 12:30pm at Dick Putz in St. Cloud and you can hear the game on AM960 KLTF.