NEWS
--The 28th annual Morrison County Sheriff's Sandbox Fill will be held on May 26th. Anyone in a 3 mile radius of Bank Square in Little Falls may have their sandbox filled. This will be limited to only 40 residences on a first come-first serve basis. There will be a limit of 3 wheelbarrows per household and can only be used for sandboxes. All that is required is a donation to the Morrison County Food Shelf. Donations can be given at the time of the sandbox fill and if you are not home can be left by the sandbox. The sandbox fill will take place from 7am-4pm on May 26th. To place your name on the list call 320-631-2880 please leave your name, address, phone number and where the sandbox is located on the answering machine. The deadline to sign up will be on May 24th.
--Crow Wing County Sheriff Scott Goddard reports at 8am yesterday they responded to a welfare check on Smith Road in First Assessment. When Deputies arrived on the scene, they located an adult female deceased in the residence. An adult male was arrested at the scene and is being held in the Crow Wing County Jail awaiting arraignment. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Crime Scene Team is assisting the Sheriff’s Office with the investigation. The sheriff's office stated there is no immediate danger to the public.
--The Minnesota House has passed a measure to establish a commission to develop, design and recommend to the legislature a new official state flag and seal and to retire the existing one.
Bill author Representative Mike Freiberg of Golden Valley says the seal shows a white farmer behind the plow tilling the soil he's looking up to watch an Indian ride away on a horse in the original he's literally riding into the sunset the Indian looks back at the white man as he's leaving willingly. Freiberg says his proposal aims to ensure that the state flag "appropriately reflects the diversity of Minnesota."
The proposal has not yet been heard in the Minnesota Senate.
--The Minnesota House Wednesday passed a bill that would use over three billion dollars of the state's budget surplus for E-12 education through 2025. Mendota Heights Democrat Ruth Richardson says the bill makes important investments in student mental health and special education. The Republicans stated that "Out of a one-billion-dollar education supplemental bill, five million is for literacy." Republicans say the bill builds an education bureaucracy but does little to improve students' performance in basic academic areas.
--Benton County Sheriff Troy Heck will be seeking re-election this fall. Heck has been serving the people of Benton County for 28 years, including serving as sheriff since 2015. Heck began his law enforcement career in 1994 as a Benton County Patrol Deputy. In 1998 he was assigned to the Central Minnesota Drug Task Force as an investigator charged with fighting drug crimes in the tri-county area. In 1999 Heck was promoted to the rank of Detective Investigator, investigating felony level crimes and crimes against children. In 2005, Heck was promoted to Detective Sergeant. In this position, Heck continued to conduct investigations as well as supervising the other members of the Detective Division. In 2007, Heck was promoted to Chief Deputy and then he was elected Benton County Sheriff in 2014.
--One winning ticket was sold for Wednesday's $473.1 million Powerball lottery jackpot. The winner will be taking home a cash payout of more than $272 million after taxes are factored in. Powerball announced the jackpot-winning ticket was sold in Arizona. Someone in Indiana also bought a ticket that won $1 million.
--Today on AM960 KLTF Community Program, Little Falls Community High School Principal Tim Bjorge and others are expected to give a run down on Day of Caring next Wednesday around Little Falls, Randall, Flensburg and Sobieski for those who have signed up.
--Local author Gabrielle Meyer spoke on KLTF yesterday about her 25th published book in her career called “When the Day Comes” which is the first of three books about a different genre of time travel about a young woman in the 1700s and 1900s who must decide which era to live in kind of like her mother before her. Meyer will be at the Little Falls Carnegie Library at 6pm on Tuesday for a book release event where she will have items to give away from Colonial Williamsburg where she visited for their story and there will be books you can purchase that night. All are welcome to come meet the author.
--A Sauk Rapids man already facing gun charges stemming from an incident where he allegedly fired shots in downtown St. Cloud, has a laundry list of new weapons charges against him. Twenty-one-year-old Jay Olson is accused of assembling and selling what are known as ghost guns. They are guns put together with parts that don't have serial numbers making it impossible for law enforcement to track them. Olson is charged with 16 felony counts of possessing or selling guns without serial numbers. He is also charged with possession and intent to sell drugs while having a gun. According to the Stearns County criminal complaint, a task force of Minneapolis investigators knew Olson was selling ghost guns, silencers and devices used to convert semi-automatic guns into automatic ones. Court records show the investigation determined Olson had sold hundreds of guns to both buyers in the area and outside of Stearns County. Officers used a search warrant Tuesday at a Waite Park address associated with Olson and found numerous handguns, totes with parts for assault rifles and handguns, and other gun parts like silencers valued at more than $20,000. Police say they also found various forms of marijuana, including marijuana wax, edibles, cartridges, and flower totaling more than 6.8 kilograms. Officers were also able to seize nearly $4,200 in cash inside the apartment.
--Weekend events include Jason Schommer at Great River Arts on Saturday night, clean up days Saturday in Sobieski, Flensburg and Ripley Township, cash raffle at St. John's in Lastrup on Sunday, spring bingo Sunday at Sacred Heart in Flensburg. There are also programs at the Historical Society in Little Falls and at the Library in Little Falls and Swanville on Saturday call for more details at the sites this weekend. Details on events are also at fallsradio.com community calendar.
--The Little Falls City Council meets Monday at 7:30pm at City Hall.
WEATHER
TODAY= rain showers early and late in day, breezy, high 57.
TONIGHT= rain likely, some thunder overnight, low 45.
SATURDAY= rain like, some thunder during, high 52, low near 42.
SUNDAY= rain likely, breezy and cooler, temps dropping to near 40.
MONDAY= cloudy skies, high near 50, low around 40.
SPORTS
TWINS= Carlos Correa has 3 hits and 3 RBIs in helping the Twins to a 7-1 win and another sweep of a series over Tigers. Twins (11-8) are in Tampa Bay tonight pregame begins at 5:30pm, 2:30pm Saturday and Inside Twins starts at 11am Sunday on Q92 WYRQ.
NBA= The Timberwolves host Memphis in game 6 of the NBA playoffs at 8pm tonight at Target Center. Grizzlies lead the series 3-2 if the Wolves win tonight, Game 7 would be in Memphis on Sunday.