Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Today is the 15th Little Falls Community High School Day of Caring. Between 8am-12pm today hundreds of students, volunteers and organizations with teams will be heading out to houses signed up for outdoor care on the lawns. There are 185 signed up for care today in Little Falls, Randall, and the villages of Flensburg and Sobieski. A reminder that students can only do outside work and cannot be on ladders or off the ground. Also the school asks by health standards that all outdoor animal waste in your yard should be cleaned up before arrival. Treats can be left for the students but students cannot enter houses and there must be a homeowner or someone at the house this morning, or the students will not be allowed to do the outside work. Motorists are reminded to watch for students out today for the Day of Caring around towns and students also watch for motorists to make this a safe Day of Caring in Little Falls. Also the school thanks all the sponsorship and help they are receiving for the day of caring today.

The City of Little Falls has been awarded a $1.38 million Surface Transportation Block Grant from the Central Minnesota Area Transportation Partnership as part of the Carbon Reduction Program. The grant money will be used to help construct a roundabout at the intersection of Highway 27 and 18th Street on the Northeast side of town. The grant is capped, and the city is responsible for providing matching funds. The project is currently scheduled to start in 2027.

Authorities are asking for the public's help in finding a missing St. Augusta woman. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office says they received a call about a missing person from family members on May 1st. Authorities say their investigation determined that 48-year-old Rebecca Philippi of St. Augusta had left the location where she was staying at and her family was not able to find her. The family also expressed concern for Philippi's welfare because she did not have her medication with her. Stearns County deputies, along with deputies from the Morrison County Sheriff's Office, and officers from the St. Cloud, St. Joseph, and Sartell Police Departments searched several locations and were unable to find Philippi. Philippi is about 5'4" tall, 180 pounds, with blue eyes and brown hair. She would be driving a white Chevy Impala with Minnesota license plate HBL-599 and was last seen in the Willmar area. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Stearns County Sheriff's Office or the Morrison County Sheriff's Office at 320-632-9233. 

Erik Sogge of the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery is reminding those that the cemetery will be hosting their Memorial Day Observance Service on Sunday, May 25th at 2pm for the program and 1:30pm for the music like in years past and you are asked to bring your lawn chair as their will be limited seating. If your American Legion, VFW, DAV or other military organization wish to be in the parade of flags you are asked to be at the cemetery by 1:45pm to line up. Sogge also reiterated the floral policy in case you are planning on bringing items to the cemetery for Mother's Day, Memorial Day etc. Fresh cut flowers may be placed on graves at any time. Temporary containers and water are provided in locations around the main cemetery drive. Floral items will be removed from graves by cemetery personnel as soon as they become faded or unsightly. Artificial flowers may be placed on graves during the periods specified on the floral regulation signs located around the main cemetery drive. Plantings, statues, vigil lights, breakable objects of any nature and any other type of commemorative items are not permitted on the graves. Questions contact Sogge at 320-616-2527.

One person had to be life-flighted to the hospital with serious injuries on Saturday after what witnesses describe as a T-bone-style crash in Brockway Township. The accident occurred at about 12:45 p.m. at the intersection of County Road 17 and County Road 3. A Minnesota Department of Natural Resources officer was first to the scene and noticed one vehicle on its roof with the other in the roadside ditch. The intersection features stop signs to control traffic on County Road 3 only. An 18-year-old Holdingford woman was driving a Volkswagen Jetta north on CR 3 when she was hit by a pickup truck headed west on CR 17, driven by a 33-year-old man from Melrose. The Ram ran into the passenger side of the Jetta. The teenager was flown to the hospital with the driver of the truck going by private party. A 66-year-old passenger in the Dodge Ram was taken by Mayo Ambulance. The accident is still being investigated. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office has asked the Minnesota State Patrol to help with reconstruction.

The Stearns County Board of Commissioners set the date for a special election to replace the retired Leigh Lenzmeier in District 4 at its Tuesday meeting. The board adopted a proclamation honoring Lenzmeier for his decades of service. He was the second-longest tenured county commissioner in Minnesota history when he stepped down late last month. It then officially declared a vacancy and wrapped up its Lenzmeier discussion on election details and divvying up committee appointments given to Lenzmeier by Chair Jeff Bertram. The special election schedule depends on how many candidates run for the spot. While the board announced it was unlikely to have only two people vying to finish the term, the general election gets bumped to the second Tuesday in August if that happens. If a primary is required, it would take place in August and the general would be the traditional first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The state determines the election schedule. August and November are the next possible dates. District 742 will also be running an election in August on a separate matter. The vote to accept the election schedule was 3-1, with only First District Commissioner Tarryl Clark against the motion. She was concerned with turnout for a campaign in the summer in Minnesota if no primary is needed. She wanted to have the general take place in November, regardless of the number of candidates.