Wednesday, October 28, 2026

The Storm Prediction Center has put a marginal to slight risk of severe thunderstorms in eastern and southeastern Minnesota today. Showers and storms likely at times, and a line from Duluth to the Twin Cities and east of Lake Mille Lacs may deal with severe storms of thunder, lightning, hail and isolated tornadoes with warm air from the south then cooler air from the north. The chances are minimal but still in the forecast today. Central and Northern Minnesota will deal with scattered showers and some isolated thunderstorms through the day ending before dark tonight with cooler temps Thursday and Friday. You can listen to Little Falls Radio today if any weather developments arise. 

The Morrison County Sheriff's Office has recently received inquiries regarding donation requests from an organization identifying itself as the United States Deputy Sheriff's Association. The Morrison County Sheriff's Office would like to inform the public that we have no affiliation with this organization, and we question the authenticity and legitimacy of these solicitation efforts. Citizens who receive letters or donation requests from the United States Deputy Sheriff's Association are encouraged to use caution. We strongly recommend that recipients discard these mailings and do not send money or provide personal or financial information. For those wishing to support legitimate law enforcement-related organizations, we encourage you to research reputable and established groups such as: Minnesota Sheriffs' Association. National Sheriffs' Association Before donating to any organization, always verify its legitimacy through independent research and trusted sources. If you have questions or concerns regarding suspicious donation requests, please contact the sheriff's office.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is pleading with ATV and side-by-side riders to put safety first after seven people have died in crashes in October alone. The most recent fatality happened near Swanville in Morrison County on the 25th. Officials say 44-year-old Eric Spaeth of Little Falls died when the Polaris Ranger side-by-side he was driving left the road while making a left turn on Highway 28. He was ejected and died at the scene. His passenger, 45-year-old Nicole Spaeth of Long Prairie, suffered life-threatening injuries. Neither was wearing a seatbelt. ATVs are not manufactured to highway standards. Most of the crashes aren’t happening on state trails or forest lands, but in the road right-of-way for highways and in ditches and another contributing factor is riders not taking the required DNR safety course. Anyone born after July 1st, 1987 must take it, but he recommends it for all riders. “It’s designed to preach the fundamentals of safety, riding, and training. Why do I need to wear a helmet? Why should I wear a seatbelt? Why should I drive sober? Why should I not have a passenger, or when is it allowed?” Of the 20 fatalities this year, the majority had not taken the operator safety course. “Some, obviously, they were born before 1987, didn’t need it, but there are several that did need it, who didn’t have it.” An ATV a great tool to have out in the woods, but cautions that its usefulness puts more people on the machines, so it’s best to practice safety every time you ride.

A St. Cloud man accused of raping a woman he hired as a housekeeper has withdrawn his demand for a speedy trial. A Stearns County judge has now rescheduled the criminal sexual conduct trial of 56-year-old Marquell Goree for January. Goree is standing trial again after a judge vacated his guilty verdict last June. The judge threw out the verdict after a juror failed to disclose that they were a victim of sexual assault. The judge vacated the conviction after learning from a member of the jury that another juror answered dishonestly about whether she was a victim of sexual assault, was moved by partiality, and that if the true facts were known, it would have supported striking the juror for cause. The court concluded that Goree was denied an impartial jury and is entitled to a new trial. Goree's trial was scheduled to begin this month, but was reset after Goree's speedy trial demand was withdrawn. He's now scheduled to have his retrial from January 26th through January 29th. A second case accusing Goree of a similar incident in 2015 is still making its way through the court system.

A former St. Augusta man who was charged twice with sexually abusing a juvenile girl has pleaded guilty. Forty-nine-year-old Terry Morris has pleaded guilty in Stearns County District Court to one count of 2nd-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a significant relationship with the victim and multiple acts over time. As part of the plea agreement, Morris will be ordered to spend up to nine years in prison at his sentencing hearing in January. Morris was previously charged with abusing the same victim in 2023, but charges were eventually dropped in that case. According to the criminal complaint, the Stearns County Sheriff's Office responded to a home along Highway 15 in St. Augusta in August 2025. The victim told authorities that Morris had sexually assaulted her a few days prior. The girl was forensically interviewed at the Child Advocacy Center, where she identified Morris and explained that he is in a position of authority with a significant relationship to the victim. The victim said the sexual assault happened while she and her siblings were staying overnight at Morris' home without their parents or any other adults present. Court records show that a forensic examination of the child's underwear found sperm cell fractions on them.

Students from across central Minnesota came home from Indianapolis with plenty to be proud of after the 99th National FFA Convention and Expo. More than 1,000 Minnesota FFA members made the trip for the four-day event, which ran October 21st through 24th and drew more than 70,000 people from across the country. Several chapters from Stearns, Benton and Sherburne counties were among those bringing home national recognition. FFA, which started as Future Farmers of America, is the largest student-led organization in the country, with more than 1 million members. Students learn about agriculture, food and natural resources through classroom work, hands-on projects and competitions. Seven students from Stearns and Benton counties earned the American FFA Degree, the organization’s highest honor. Fewer than 1% of FFA members ever earn it. Eden Valley-Watkins led the area with three recipients, Henry Lemke, Mitchell Lipinski and Abby Niewind. They were joined by Bryce Frericks of Albany, Ayla Young of Holdingford, Chase Dahler of Foley and Morgan Westerhoff of Sauk Rapids-Rice. The degree recognizes years of work on hands-on agriculture projects, along with leadership and community service. Rocori had one of the busiest weeks of any area school. The Cold Spring chapter was named a three-star chapter, the highest ranking possible in the National Chapter Award program. The honor goes to chapters that complete a full year of activities focused on personal growth, teamwork and community service. Rocori’s Agricultural Issues Forum team also earned a bronze rating, and its Parliamentary Procedure team earned silver. Holdingford had a strong week too. Along with Young’s American Degree, the chapter’s Agricultural Technology and Mechanical Systems team earned a silver rating in national competition. The Sauk Rapids-Rice, Eden Valley-Watkins and Princeton chapters were each recognized as two-star chapters for their year-round work in their schools and communities. Statewide, Minnesota had a big showing. Cannon Falls student Cameron Addington was elected National FFA Secretary, one of only six national officer spots. Russell Tyler Ruthton’s Farm and Agribusiness Management team took first place in the nation, and 104 Minnesota students in all received the American FFA Degree. The Minnesota FFA Association represents more than 16,000 students in 218 chapters across the state. Next year’s national convention will mark the organization’s 100th.

Little Falls Community Schools is hosting Flyer Fest on Thursday at the Falls Ballroom. This is to raise funds for activities, sports, band, choir, drama, knowledge bowl and other items at the schools. For more information contact the Little Falls Community High School 616-2200 and ask for activities or you can call Superintendent Greg Johnson for details at 320-632-2001. 

Randall Business Group invites all to Trick or Treating at businesses in Randall on Friday 3:30-5pm. Watch for the posters in the stores and businesses and bring the kids to Randall for trick or treating this Friday. 

Entertainment News: Star Trek Actor Walter Koenig as died at age 90. Known as Ensign Pavel Chekov for the TV shows and movies, Koenig had a 60+ year acting career. Actress Susan St. James as died age 80. She starred in McMillian and Wife in the 70s, and Kate and Allie in the 1980s. Singer Donny Iris has died at age 82, he had hits in the 1960s as JaggerZ, and then his big solo hit  "Ah Leah" in 1980. 

Death Notices: Mina R. Lindquist, age 86 of Little Falls

Weather: today chance of showers and thunderstorms at times, mostly cloudy, high 61. Chance of showers  and thunderstorms early tonight, clearing late low around 34. Partly sunny Thursday high 55, clear skies Thursday night low around 32. Sunny Friday, high 57, clear Friday night low 33. Cloudy skies Saturday, high near 58, rain Saturday night low 45. Sunday cloudy skies, few showers, high near 60, low around 46. Rain likely Monday, high 52, rain Monday night low 37. 

Sports: High School Playoff Football scores: Little Falls 42-20 over Detroit Lakes. Royalton 42-35 over Pillager. Holdingford 28-0 over Wadena-Deer Creek. Staples-Motley 51-22 over Menagha. Bemidji 35-21 over Sauk Rapids-Rice. West Central Area 30-8 over Browerville-Eagle Valley. Winners move on to Saturday, Little Falls at Becker 1pm on AM960 KLTF. Esko at Pierz 2pm Saturday on 94ROCKS KFML. Royalton at Holdingford, Ashby-Brandon Evansville at Upsala-Swanville, Staples-Motley at Osakis. Mora at Foley, Bemidji at Brainerd and others in section semi-finals. There is a send off for Little Falls Tennis Player Myla Ballou Wednesday at 2:45pm at the Little Falls Community High School as Myla heads to the state tennis tournament on Thursday morning in Bloomington. World Series: Tampa Bay survives a 4-3 12 inning win last night over Milwaukee to avoid the sweep, Brewers lead 3-1 and game 5 is tonight in Tampa Bay of World Series. NHL: Karil Kaprizov gets his 14th goal of season to lead NHL in a 3-1 Wild win last night over Utah. NBA: Timberwolves host Golden State tonight. NFL: Carolina at Green Bay Thursday at 6:30pm on AM960 KLTF.