NEWS
--At 8:02am Tuesday the Little Falls Police Department responded to a break-in and burglary reported at Little Falls Alliance Church. This is an active investigation at this time. No further details are available.
--A Sauk Rapids man has been sentenced to the statutory maximum of five years in prison for unlicensed manufacturing and selling ghost guns. According to court documents, between the fall of 2021 through April 2022, 22-year-old Jay Olson engaged in the business of manufacturing firearms for profit, despite the fact that he is not and has never been a federally licensed manufacturer of firearms. In the spring of 2022, Olson offered to sell numerous unserialized firearms, commonly referred to as “ghost guns,” and various firearms-related accessories, including a silencer, a machine-gun conversion device, carbine conversion kits, and multiple high-capacity magazines, to an individual for $20,000. Unbeknownst to Olson, the individual was working with law enforcement as a confidential source. On April 26, 2022, at a home in Waite Park, Olson sold the confidential source 16 ghost guns, nine high-capacity magazines, one silencer, a machine gun conversion device, and other firearms accessories. Immediately after the transaction, law enforcement arrested Olson and executed a search warrant at the home. During the search, investigators recovered various firearm assembly kits, unserialized lower receivers, and multiple miscellaneous firearms parts and accessories. On May 4, 2022, investigators executed a search warrant at Olson’s Sauk Rapids house and recovered from the basement manufacturing tools, various firearm assembly kits, and a Glock firearm assembly diagram. The investigation revealed that Olson was trafficking these firearms and offering to sell them to others whom he knew or had reason to know were otherwise prohibited from possessing firearms or intended to use them for unlawful purposes.
--One person was hurt when a semi collided with a pickup just south of St. Cloud. The Minnesota State Patrol says the incident happened at about 6pm Wednesday on westbound Highway 10 at 45th Avenue Southeast in Haven Township. A semi driven by 38-year-old Mustafa Mohamed of St. Cloud was in the median attempting to cross the westbound lanes of traffic when it collided with the pickup. The pickup driver was 36-year-old Jozy Olson of Rochester. Olson was taken to St. Cloud Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
--Drivers in Sartell are being warned of a road closure due to flooding. Sartell Police say barricades have been put up at the intersection of Grizzly Land and 13th Avenue North and Grizzly Land and 15th Avenue North due to street flooding. Authorities say cars have flooded out and stalled and the wake caused is pushing more water in to neighboring yards. Sartell police say only those that live in the area may drive past the barricades.
--The DNR and the National Weather Service issued Red Flag Warnings Thursday for 31 of the 87 counties in central, southwest and southeast Minnesota. Under Red Flag conditions a wildfire can spread quickly and get out of control. The DNR will not issue or activate open burning permits during the Red Flag Warning, and campfires are discouraged. There are restrictions in many parts of southern Minnesota and the Metro Area. Permits are required in a number of central Minnesota counties and that includes Morrison, Todd, Stearns and Benton. For more on fire risks, warnings and current open burning restrictions, check out the DNR website.
--The Little Falls City Council meets Monday at 7:30pm at City Hall.
--Warm weather is causing rapid thawing of this winter’s snow pack creating sporadic flooding across many County Highways, Township Roads and Bridge/Culvert Structures in Morrison County. Morrison County Public Works Staff is monitoring roads and bridges and closing areas when necessary. Road closures indicate water covered driving surface, road deterioration or elevated travel risk. Please travel with caution and be patient if you encounter a closed road. Do not travel around road closures or remove barricades, doing so may put yourself or others in harm’s way.
--The Morrison County Sheriff's Office stated that due to high water at the Morrison CSAH 1 and the bridge south of CSAH 12 was closed as of yesterday. The post stated that CSAH 1 will reopen but only when water resides and the bridge has been evaluated for safety.
--A 17-year-old from Brainerd was injured Thursday on Highway 25 at 143rd Street near Pierz in Morrison County. Corina Schefers was westbound on 25 at 2:43pm when her vehicle veered off the road and struck a light pole then continued south striking another power pole. Schefers was taken to St. Gabriel's Hospital for treatment of what the state patrol deemed non life threatening injuries.
--A 67-year-old from Princeton was critically injured when his vehicle collided with a semi-truck in Mille Lacs County Thursday. Just after 7am, Stuart Nelson was on Highway 95 at Greenbush Township when he pulled out from an intersection and was struck by the semi which caused the semi-truck to jack knife into the ditch. Nelson had serious life threatening injuries in the accident and taken to St. Cloud. The 24-year-old semi-driver from Wisconsin was not injured.
--Weekend events include The Friends of the Carnegie Library of Little Falls is hosting their Spring Used Book Sale today and tomorrow starting at 10am each day, the German Dinner and Raffle tonight for the church in Pierz (this is for those who had tickets for the event). A spaghetti supper at St. Edwards Church in Elmdale. Jason Schommer performs at GRA Saturday night, a breakfast put on by the Ramey-Morrill Lions Sunday at the church in Morrill where you can also drop off used eyeglasses to help the Lions give to others in need. Check out the latest lists of events at fallsradio.com community calendar.
WEATHER
TODAY= increasing clouds, high 72, rain after 3pm, some t-storms.
TONIGHT= rain, isolated t-storms, then colder and windy, low 38.
SATURDAY= rain showers, possible t-storm early, high 45 windy.
SAT NIGHT= rain changing to wet snow, cold and breezy, low 27.
SUNDAY= AM snow shower, then partly sunny, high 40, low 20.
MONDAY= sunny and breezy, a bit warmer, high 50, low 32.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins score 9 runs in the first inning on route to rout the Yankees last night in New York 11-2. The Twins (9-4) continue series with Yankees this weekend. Pregame tonight at 5:30pm, Saturday at 11:30am and Sunday Inside Twins at 11:30am on Q92 WYRQ.
NBA= last chance of the Timberwolves to get into the playoffs as they host Oklahoma City tonight at 8:30pm. The winner moves on as the final seed in the Western Conference Playoffs, loser is eliminated.
TODAY IN HISTORY
IN 1865= President Abraham Lincoln shot at Ford's Theater.
IN 1912= RMS Titanic strikes iceberg, would sink next morning.