Monday, May 5, 2025
The Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force executed a knock and search warrant on Friday on the 300 block of 3rd Street Northeast in Little Falls on suspicion of sale and distribution of methamphetamine. Officials say when they entered the house, they found enough methamphetamine to arrest the property owner, 58-year-old Rick Fisher of Little Falls. The man was taken to the Morrison County Jail on charges of 1st degree sale and 5th degree possession of a control substance. The Morrison County Sheriff's Office and the Little Falls Police Department assisted in the search warrant execution.
The Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism is proud to announce that the Little Falls Arts and Crafts Fair has been awarded the prestigious ‘Community Event of the Year’ by Mid-America Chamber Executives (M.A.C.E). The honor was presented at the annual MACE Conference in South Dakota, recognizing the fair’s profound impact on both the cultural and economic vitality of the Little Falls community. Organized by the Chamber, the Little Falls Arts and Crafts Fair has grown into a cornerstone event, attracting more than 580 vendors from 17 states and welcoming over 100,000 attendees annually. The event serves as a dynamic platform for artistic expression, small business growth, and nonprofit fundraising, creating a ripple effect that benefits nearly every corner of the local economy.
A reminder from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources even with the rains last week, the ground is still in some of the county and also most of north central and northwestern Minnesota are still in abnormally dry conditions causing wildfires and grass fires to spark with ATV motoring and some outdoor burning. Some counties still have burning restrictions in place including all of central Minnesota and the northern parts of the state while vegetation continues to green up. A reminder to use caution outdoors.
A St. Cloud man has pleaded guilty to allegedly helping steal clothing and a Rolex watch worth over $10,000. According to the criminal complaint, the victim went to meet a man identified as Stephen Daryel Boose Jr. (bottom) at Taco Bell in the 3300 block of 2nd Street South in St. Cloud. The two had been talking using Snapchat about selling clothing and jewelry. The victim arrived in a truck around 6:20 on December 11th with his girlfriend and a 13-year-old. Court records state that Boose Jr. approached the truck and was acting strange. The victim decided not to sell the items because of the man’s suspicious behavior. According to court records, Boose Jr. then reached into the passenger side window of the truck in an attempt to take the items and shouted, “Mauree, come help me!” At that point, “Mauree,” whose real name is Sumaree Deashon Boose (top), allegedly grabbed the victim by the neck while his brother snatched a Bape T-shirt from the truck’s backseat, valued at $99.00. Both suspects then fled the scene in a vehicle. The victim says he called 911 and began to follow the two men to several locations on St. Cloud’s south side. At one stop, both men exited their vehicle and pointed guns at the victim. Believing the guns were fake, the victim approached them. Investigators say Boose Jr. demanded the victim hand over his Rolex watch, valued at $11,017.76. Afterward, the victim drove to the police station with his girlfriend and the teenager. Based on the victim’s description and social media posts, police arrested Boose later that night after pulling over his girlfriend’s car and finding him in the passenger seat. In the glove box where he was sitting was a handgun believed to have been used in the crimes. Boose has prior felony convictions in Stearns County for theft of a firearm, second-degree riot and fifth-degree drug possession. The convictions make him ineligible to possess or use a firearm. He agreed to plead guilty to one count of first-degree aiding and abetting aggravated robbery, and in exchange, a second robbery charge and two weapons charges will be dismissed. He will be sentenced on May 13th to seven years in prison and fined $50.
Flags were flown as half staff this past weekend for Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend around the nation and the state. A statewide event was held yesterday to remember Minnesota firefighters killed in the duty.
A crash in Stearns County sent two people to the hospital Friday afternoon. The incident happened just before 2pm on Interstate 94 near Melrose. The Minnesota State Patrol says a pickup driven by 64-year-old Jeffrey Cigelske of Albany was eastbound while an SUV driven by 67-year-old Bruce Krueger of Crookston was also eastbound. The two vehicles collided, causing the SUV to leave the road and roll. Krueger and his passenger, 65-year-old Jill Krueger, were both taken to Melrose Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Cigelske and his passengers, 39-year-old Adam Cigelske of Becker and 56-year-old Timothy Primus of Cold Spring, were not hurt.
Crow Wing Power’s Operation Round-Up® Community Trust is proud to announce Lakes Area
Restorative Justice Project (LARJP) as the recipient of its 2025 Impact Grant. LARJP will receive
$20,000 to support its continued growth and expansion across central Minnesota. Founded in 2004 as a grassroots initiative, LARJP uses restorative practices to help youth, families, and communities heal from harm. Its mission is to foster a stronger and healthier community using restorative approaches that can positively impact generations to come. The organization’s core program, Restorative Group Conferencing (RGC), takes a human-centered approach that focuses on restoration rather than retribution—bringing together those who’ve caused harm, those affected by it, and community members to create meaningful resolutions. With a caseload that has more than tripled in the past year and more than 200 cases projected
in 2025, the need for sustainable support is urgent. This year’s Impact Grant will help LARJP advance its Elevate program, expand outreach to reach kids earlier, and fund experiences and continued support for youth. Funds will also go toward staffing and professional education for those facilitating critical work. LARJP currently serves areas in and around the Brainerd Lakes Area and is working toward broader engagement in Region 5, including Pierz, Morrison County, Cass County, Pine River, and Aitkin County.
A farm credit cooperative is awarding nearly two dozen county fairs in Minnesota grants to upgrade or repair livestock buildings, 4-H buildings, judging arenas, and other facilities. Compeer Financial is issuing grants worth up to $4,000 to 20 Minnesota county fairs. The program, Fund for Rural America, supports initiatives to enhance safety, functionality, and the experience for the animals, exhibitors, and visitors. Among the county fairs receiving grants are the Stearns County Fair Association to install fans in the Heritage Barn, Mille Lacs County Fair for an addition to the rabbit and poultry barn, Crow Wing County Fair Association for roll up curtains in the livestock arena, and Aitkin County Fair to install gates and pens for sheep, pig, goat and livestock exhibits. Since the program began in 2018, the fund has awarded 483 County Fair Facility Upgrade Grants across the Upper Midwest, totaling more than $1.6-million.
Death Notices- Loren Timothy Sutton, age 59 of Swanville. Larry Medek, age 63 of Pierz.
Weather- Monday lots of sunshine, high 75, clear night low around 47. Tuesday sunny and warm, high 82, low around 51. Cloudy skies, very slight chance of sprinkles early then sunny high 67, low around 45.
Sports- Red Sox beat the Twins 6-1 on Friday night, Twins get off their losing streak holding off Boston 4-3 on Saturday. Twins battle back to win from behind 5-4 on Sunday to take the series in Boston. The Twins are off today then host Baltimore on Tuesday night on Q92 WYRQ. Golden State beat Houston 103-89 Sunday to win their series in 7 games and Golden State will travel to Minnesota to take on the Timberwolves in Game 1 of the 2nd round of the NBA playoffs Tuesday night at 8:30pm from Target Center. Upsala beat Randall yesterday in the KLTF Victory League Game of the Week 12-2 in 7 innings. Listen to Alex today for scores from over the weekend on Little Falls Radio and fallsradio.com. Next local broadcast is Tuesday Albany at Pierz in baseball in a double-header first game at 4pm with the second game to follow live on AM960 KLTF and fallsradio.com.