Tuesday, September 29, 2026
A representative from Minnesota Power stopped by Little Falls Radio yesterday morning and corrected some information that the station received Friday from Minnesota Power, that was from the Duluth Office. The Little Falls representative said they had received equipment from the Duluth Office to work on 160th Avenue near the radio tower but was hoping there would be no outage. The Duluth Office reported that an outage was going to happen, but on Monday the representative said they are planning to have no outage on 160th Avenue in that area today. We appreciate the representative from the Little Falls Office informing Little Falls Radio on that information and getting the word out to the public.
Congratulations to the Little Falls Homecoming Royalty crowned last Friday at Little Falls Community High School. King Nolan Sams and Queen Maggie Graeve. Little Falls also has representatives from each class, Freshmen Klay Schlagel and Ehlin Youngberg, Sophomore Kjersti Halverson and Jeffrey Mboutchom and Juniors Sean Derry and and Emily Oberton. Congratulations to all in the Court for Little Falls who will host Pierz on Friday night in the Homecoming Game at 7pm on 94ROCKS KFML.
Authorities have confirmed that a man has died following a plane crash in Buffalo, Minnesota on Sunday afternoon. The crash was reported around 4:10 p.m. at Buffalo Municipal Airport, 1309 County Road 134, with the small aircraft carrying two men. One of the men was pronounced dead at the scene. It’s not clear whether he was the pilot of a passenger. The other man was taken to a hospital in a critical condition.
One man is recovering from injuries after a plane crash Monday morning in Pelican Township. The Otter Tail County deputies responded to reports of a crash around 8:15 a.m. in a farm field. Investigators believe the crash occurred Sunday night around 5:20pm. The pilot, 73-year-old David Ness, was the only occupant of the plane. The Otter Tail County Sheriff's Office stated he is recovering from non-life-threatening injuries at a nearby hospital.
A man was hurt and later arrested after crashing his pickup into a cemetery over the weekend. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office says they received a call around 3:00 a.m. on Saturday about an unoccupied pickup crashing through a stone fence and hitting a number of grave markers in Greenwood Cemetery on the outskirts of Sauk Centre. Authorities say around the same time they also got a 911 call that was disconnected, and upon call back the man who answered said there was no problem. Once on scene, deputies confirmed the pickup was not occupied and, a short time later, found 19-year-old Daniel Meza of Long Prairie northeast of the cemetery near 390th Avenue in Sauk Centre Township. Meza's phone was confirmed to be the one that had called 911 around the time of the crash, and he was also the owner of the pickup. After further investigation, Meza was placed under arrest for suspicion of driving while intoxicated and taken to Sauk Centre Hospital for evaluation of his injuries. The Sheriff's Office says its investigation determined Meza was going east on County Road 17, failed to stop at the T-intersection, went through the cemetery stone wall, and struck numerous gravesites before coming to a stop. Meza was later taken to the Stearns County Jail, where he is being held pending charges. A cemetery representative estimates the crash did about $50,000 in damage.
A Pope County man was injured in a single-vehicle crash in western Stearns County on Saturday night. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to the 39000 block of County Road 32 at around 9:30pm The crash happened in Crow River Township several miles northeast of Belgrade. The sheriff's office says 24-year-old Jake Knutson of Starbuck called 911 to report that he was the driver and sole occupant of the pickup. Officers from the Belgrade Police Department, Belgrade Fire and Rescue, and Glacial Ridge Ambulance also responded to the scene. The sheriff's office says Knutson was westbound on County Road 32 when he left the roadway, entered the ditch, drove through a five-strand barbed-wire fence, struck a utility pole, shearing it off at the base, and came to rest in a pasture. Knutson was taken to Paynesville Hospital for treatment of his injuries.
An Isanti man who works as a cleaner at a Roseville dental office has been charged with kidnapping a clinic employee as she left work and sexually assaulting her on threat of death during the several hours he held her captive in the Twin Cities. Pao Yang, 41, was allegedly wearing a mask and gloves and wielding a handgun when he approached the victim as she left work at a dental practice on the 1500 block of County Road C at around 5pm Wednesday, telling her he needed her car and ordering her to walk towards a wooded area south of her workplace. In the woods, Yang covered the victim’s eyes and mouth with tape and zip-tied her hands behind her back to a tree, and then tied her feet. He then allegedly went through her backpack, took her phone, wallet, and lunch bag, and then covered her with branches. The complaint says he told the victim not to scream or he would kill her, saying “they” were coming to get her in 15-20 minutes, claiming he would give her to “three black men,” and then left. He returned 15 minutes later, untied the victim from the tree and walked her out of the woods with her hands still bound, putting her in the back of a vehicle he had parked at Snelling Curve. Yang allegedly drove the woman to a building she believed to be a warehouse, and she could see under his tape he was wearing a high visibility construction vest. Yang allegedly tied her up again and left her for an hour. When he returned, the victim heard “two very loud bangs” next to her head she thought were gunshots, and thought that Yang was about to kill her. He allegedly began smashing glass around the victim, and told her she had to “take care of” him or he would give her to the aforementioned three men. Yang allegedly told the victim to undress and proceeded to rape her. After the assault, Yang allegedly said he was “just doing his job” and was going to take the victim to people who would decide what to do with her. The victim begged Yang to let her go, and he said he would think about it but first took her to another location where he made her undress and shower, giving her a new dress to wear. Yang allegedly drove the victim around, stopping occasionally to check the victim still had tape over her face and mouth. He put headphones on her and a plastic bag over her head, with the victim believing he was going to suffocate her. Eventually, the complaint says Yang pulled the tape off the victim’s face, and told her he liked killing women, and claimed he had previously killed women in Morocco. He said he had taken pictures of her ID, knew where her family lives, and would kill them if she called police. He also claimed he had recorded the sexual assault and would send it to “his people” to post on social media, telling her that people all him “big boy” and she could call him “Jensen.” Yang allegedly let the victim go on Wheelock Parkway near Phalen Golf Course in St. Paul, telling her to look down, walk away, and not turn around, or he would kill her. She went to a Holiday gas station but was afraid to call 911 because of the threats, though bystanders at the pumps flagged down officers up. An investigation by police at the scene of the kidnapping saw the discovery of a black facemask near some garbage cans, and a freshly discarded cigarette butt near the woods. Police determined that a cellphone associated with Yang was located at the dental office at the time the victim was abducted, in the area where her stolen vehicle was recovered, and at the Blaine Target at the time the dress was purchased. When arresting him on Friday, police found Yang’s Acura and similar clothing as seen on the Target security footage, as well as black gloves and black disposable face masks in his Isanti home. Police also found orange zip ties in his garage, as well as two handguns and an AR-style rifle. Police also noticed that the mailbox for one of Yang’s neighbors has the name “Jensen.” When questioned, Yang confirmed he worked as a cleaner for five different businesses, including a dental office in Roseville, but claimed he had been home on Wednesday evening. Police told them they knew he had been at the Blaine Target, but he claims he had bought a shirt for his daughter there. When told that investigators knew he had bought a dress, Yang asked for a lawyer.
A 74-year-old from Grand Forks was injured Monday just after 11am on Highway 71 near Sebeka in Wadena County. David Hagert was southbound on 71 when his vehicle left the roadway. Hagert was taken to the Wadena Hospital for treatment of injuries.
A Garrison woman was injured Saturday morning around 6:50am on Highway 169 near Garrison in Crow Wing County. 67-year-old Luverne Beavers was on a scooter making a left turn off of 169 and struck the curb tossing her from the scooter. Beavers was taken to Crosby Hospital for treatment of injuries.
Ryan Webber announced that the Heartland Symphony Orchestra is celebrating its 50th Anniversary with their fall concert October 10th and 11th. "Where We Were" will be performed October 10th at 7:30pm in Little Falls and October 11th at 2:30pm in Brainerd. Former HSO Music Directors Josh Aerie and Alexander Corbett will return to conduct portions of the program. The Little Falls Concert will have collaboration with the St. Francis Music Center and Brainerd will have collaboration with Brainerd High Sinfonia. The concerts are free of charge, though free will donations can be given. The next Concert in December will be called "Where We Are". More details on all the concerts this year during the 50th Anniversary of the Orchestra can be found at https://heartlandsymphony.com/.
Death Notices: Shirley P. Meyer, age 91 of St. Augusta.
Weather: cloudy skies, with showers likely by this afternoon, some steady rainfall is possible, high 66. Fog likely Tuesday night, showers before midnight possible, with cloudy skies, low 57. Fog Wednesday morning then sunny skies and warmer, high 75, clear to partly cloudy Wednesday night low around 54. Sunny skies Thursday high around 63, clear skies Thursday night and cooler, low around 40. Sunny skies Friday, high 62 clear Friday night low 43. Partly sunny skies Saturday with isolated showers at times, high 58, patchy frost possible Saturday night low 35. Sunday sunny skies, high 61, patchy frost Sunday night low 33.
Sports: The Minnesota Vikings have traded J J McCarthy to New York Giants for a 5th round draft pick in 2027, McCarthy who started last year for the Vikings was pushed down to the 3rd string quarterback before this season behind Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz. Former Viking, Case Keenum led the Chicago Bears to a 27-7 win over Philadelphia Eagles last night on Monday Night Football, Keenum was backing up Caleb Williams out with a hamstring injury for 3-4 weeks. WNBA Minnesota Lynx at New York Liberty tonight at 7:30pm, Liberty leads 1-0 and Lynx need a win to force a game 3 on Thursday. Also Las Vegas at Indiana game 2 tonight with Las Vegas up 1-0. The four first round MLB playoff series begin this afternoon with Philadelphia at Atlanta, Chicago White Sox at Houston, Boston at New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs are at San Diego.