Thursday, July 30, 2026
Filings for city council, mayor, school board and non primary races ended on Tuesday this week. According to the Minnesota Secretary of State's website, 4 filed for Little Falls Mayor, incumbent Greg Zylka, Laura Czech, David C. Meyer and Tony Schmolke. Council Member at Large David M. Glaze and Nicholas Potter. Council Member Ward 2 Joseph Thomas Czech, Brad Hircock and Richard (Dick) Stoner. Pierz Mayor Lynn Egan is the only to file. Pierz Council 2 will be elected are Mark Hoheisel, Gary Berg and Joseph Stangl who filed. There are other contested races in local cities of Morrison County for the full list of city elections and school board elections for those who have filed go to https://candidates.sos.mn.gov/.
The Little Falls Police Department is requesting the public's assistance as they are investigating a possible vehicle theft, by identifying the individual shown in photos on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/littlefallspd/ or locating the vehicle pictured. If you recognize this person or know the location of the vehicle, please contact the Little Falls Police Department at 320-616-5570.
A truck driver was hurt when the rig he was driving rolled early Wednesday morning on the interstate. The Minnesota State Patrol says the incident happened at about 3:45 a.m. on Interstate 94 near Sauk Centre in Stearns County. Twenty-six-year-old Bryam Cabrera of Chaska was traveling west when the truck left the road and rolled, landing onto the eastbound lane. A car being driven by 66-year-old Fred Peterson of Brooten was traveling eastbound and struck the semi. Cabrera was taken to Sauk Centre Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Peterson and a passenger in his car were not hurt.
Another teenager was killed this week when their vehicle collided with a dump trunk. An 18-year-old man was killed in a two-vehicle crash in Sherburne County early Wednesday morning. The Minnesota State Patrol says the crash happened around 6:00 am, at the intersection of Highway 169 and 221st Street Northwest, in Elk River. According to the initial incident report, a 2012 Mitsubishi Lancer was traveling south on Highway 169 when it collided with a 2007 Sterling dump truck that was heading north in the left turn lane to turn west. The driver of the Lancer, Brayden Michael Grunzke of Zimmerman, died at the scene. The State Patrol says he was wearing a seat belt and that the vehicle’s airbags deployed. The dump truck driver, a 64-year-old man from Rockford, was not hurt.
One person died in a two-vehicle crash late Wednesday morning in Isanti County. Around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, deputies with the Isanti County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash involving an SUV and a van at the intersection of Highway 95 Northeast and Vickers Street Northeast, in Cambridge Township. Emergency personnel extricated the drivers of both vehicles, which weren’t carrying any passengers. The SUV driver died at the scene, while the van driver was transported to a hospital, according to the Isanti County Sheriff’s Office. The victim’s identity is being withheld pending identification by the medical examiner and notification of family. The Minnesota State Patrol is investigating the crash.
A Mahnomen woman has died after the car she was driving ended up submerged in a lake east of Mahnomen early this morning. The Mahnomen County Sheriff’s Office reports at approximately 7:30 a.m., they received a call reporting a car going off of County Road 3 south of Highway 200. The report stated that a female driver was trapped inside the vehicle. Responding officers located the fully submerged vehicle, which was pulled from the water by a winch line from a fire truck. The driver, a 36-year-old woman, was found deceased. The victim’s identity is being withheld at this time as family and loved ones are notified. The cause of the accident remains under investigation.
After some very hot and humid days, meteorologists are stated that heavy rains will hit part of the state later on Thursday into Thursday night, some severe storms in western and southwestern Minnesota with heavy rains, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes are possible. Central Minnesota could also see a marginal risk of severe weather where most of the southern two-thirds of the state will deal with rain Thursday and into Friday with western and central Minnesota seeing 1 to 2 inches of rain, with some isolated areas over 3 to even 4 inches by Friday night. Though the areas need moisture the possibility of flash flooding is also an issue in some areas the next two days. Cooler temps Friday and Saturday before more heat returns with highs in the upper 80s Sunday and back into the 90s on Monday of next week.
Little Falls Radio will be broadcasting live Thursday after 1pm from the Minnesota Trapper's Association Annual Convention this year at the Morrison County Fairgrounds. Many exhibits, foods, Paul Antczak from TV's Mountain Men will be there and more. Tickets are $12 at the gate for non members. There is camping and other items on site the next three days. For more info https://mntrappers.org/event/2026-convention/.
Weather: increasing clouds later today, partly sunny warm and humid, high 91. Storms develops toward late evening some with heavy rain overnight, low around 63, rain totals around 1 inch in areas by morning. Rain possible in the morning Friday then clearing skies, high near 80, clear skies Friday low around 57. Saturday sunny and warm, high 87, clear Saturday night low around 62. Sunny and warm, more humid Sunday, high around 88, clear and humid Sunday night low 66. Monday hot and humid conditions, high 91, humid Monday storms after midnight, low around 64. Tuesday showers and storms, cooler, high 82, low around 60.
Sports: tough night for Joe Ryan who gives up 4 runs and 8 hits in 6 innings and the Royals beat the Twins 4-0 last night at Target Field, as the Twins could only muster 5 hits. The Twins wrap up series with Kansas City today at 12:40pm. Lynx are at Toronto to finish a home and home series with the Metro at 7pm tonight then the Lynx will host Indiana with Caitlyn Clark on Sunday. Region Baseball Tournament Action is Friday night 6pm in Avon with 2 games, then 3 games starting at 10:30am on Saturday and 3 games starting at 10:30am on Sunday all on AM960 KLTF and fallsradio.com. All teams in 4B and 9C will get one game this weekend in the tournament then all will again get 1 game or more depending on outcomes next weekend when the tournament has games in Avon and Pierz on August 7th, then Opole August 8th and 9th. For the list of games go the the fallsradio.com sports page.