Thursday, March 20, 2025

Today is Q92 WYRQ Ladies Night Out Pierz Style "Staying Alive in 2025" Disco Theme night. Starting at noon today stop into the participating businesses/sponsors and get your brochure stamp (you can pick one up at any of the places), after you have gotten all businesses stamped on card bring to the Red Rooster in Genola for drawings tonight at 7:30pm to win a $500 Pierz Foods/Pierz Floral Gift Card. Also best dressed wins a gift certificate from the Clothesline in Pierz. Many prizes, food and fun all afternoon from 12-7pm and then the drawings tonight and get your Disco items out, there will also be DJ Disco Music starting at 6pm tonight at the Red Rooster. Full details on the community calendar page at fallsradio.com. 

The Minnesota DNR has a new conservation officer, Andrew Struffert, who is now patrolling the Pierz area. Here’s a bit of background on Andrew. He grew up in Sartell. His previous career was with the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office, which he joined in 2008. He worked as an investigator with the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office for the last five years. He also has an aviation background and has his commercial helicopter and flight instructor certificates. Since starting the Pierz area, Struffert wanted the public to be aware that he has come across violations this week included ATV operators failing to stop before crossing a roadway, burning prohibited materials, burning construction debris, and burning without a permit. Struffert also continued to check local lakes for any remaining fish houses left on the ice. You may see him around the area and Eastern Morrison County and Struffert is planning to be a guest on KLTF Party Line in mid April, more details to come.

A former St. Cloud city councilman is throwing his hat in the ring in the race for governor. Jeff Johnson made the announcement Tuesday in an official campaign launch video: “My fellow Minnesotans, I’m running for governor because I want to help you find your happy place. And your happy place is not in a position of being continuously taxed to death. It’s not a position where we’re seeing over a half billion dollars of taxpayer fraud. It’s not in the position of watching unchecked violence, murders, and carjackings in Minneapolis. We could do so much better. It’s time for a change.” Johnson served on the city council from 2010 to 2018. During his time, he was most known for his strong stance on immigration. In October 2017, he proposed a moratorium on refugee resettlement, but it was voted down. Johnson continued to speak about refugee resettlement concerns, including at a Center for Immigration Studies panel in Washington, D.C., in March of 2018. In 2020, he was unsuccessful in his bid for a Stearns County Commissioner seat, losing by about 400 votes. One other Republican, Phil Parrish, has filed paperwork to run for governor. The general election is in November of 2026.

Minnesota Department of Transportation is reminding motorists again the road work has been on many projects. St. Cloud has close to 10 different projects, around St. Germain, 3rd Street, Lincoln Avenue and others have construction with closures, lane shifts and flaggers. Mn Dot will be starting more projects this year on Highway 10, Highway 115 and Highway 238 around Morrison County. Slow down in work zones.

A jury found the alleged ringleader of a massive pandemic fraud case in Minnesota guilty on all counts Wednesday for her role in a scheme that federal prosecutors say stole $250 million from a program meant to feed children in need. Aimee Bock — the founder of Feeding our Future, the group that prosecutors say was at the heart of the plot — was one of 70 defendants charged in the overall case, said to be one of the country’s largest frauds against COVID-19 relief programs. The Minnesota case has also drawn attention for an attempt to bribe a juror in an earlier trial and witness tampering in Bock’s trial, which began last month. Thirty-seven defendants have already pleaded guilty, while five were convicted in a group of defendants who were tried last year. The jury also convicted a co-defendant, Salim Ahmed Said, the owner of the now-defunct Safari Restaurant in Minneapolis. Bock’s attorney said she was deceived by dishonest people and tried to cut them off whenever she suspected fraud. Said’s attorney blamed his client’s business partner. The defendants are being tried in several groups. The first trial was marred by an alleged attempt by some defendants and people linked with them to bribe a juror with a bag of $120,000 in cash. That juror went straight to police. That led to tighter security for Bock’s trial and additional precautions ordered by U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel. Despite all that, an allegation of witness tampering surfaced midway through the proceedings. A defendant scheduled for trial in August approached a government witness who was due to testify against Bock and Said and asked to speak with him in a courthouse bathroom. That witness declined and instead told his lawyer, who informed prosecutors. That defendant, Abdinasir Abshir, 32, of Lakeville, soon agreed to plead guilty to a wire fraud charge and to have his tampering attempt factored into a longer sentencing recommendation, which isn’t binding on the judge.

DEATH NOTICES- Joann Theis, age 92 of Little Falls 

WEATHER- today mostly sunny and less windy, high near 50. Increasing clouds tonight, low 32. Isolated morning rain showers Friday then sunny and breezy, high 42, colder night low 13. Saturday mostly sunny and breezy, high near 40, snow late Saturday night low 28. Snow likely Sunday mixing with rain, could be some accumulation, high near 41, low around 25. Snow could linger into early Monday. 

SPORTS- The Vikings announced they have dropped out of the running for quarterback Aaron Rodgers after reportedly a discussion with Rodgers the team feels he would not be the right fit for the upcoming season. The NCAA Men's Basketball round of 64 begins today across the nation with many getting their brackets ready to see who gets busted today. The Gopher Women's Basketball team plays Toledo tonight in the WBIT Invite Tournament first round. Class AAA and 4A semifinals are today in Boys Basketball at state with the 1A quarter-finals to start this morning with Nevis and Henning one of the matchups.