NEWS
--Camp Ripley will host a ribbon-cutting ceremony with Minnesota Power and the Minnesota National Guard at 10:30am next Thursday at the solar array observation platform on Camp Ripley. A partnership between Minnesota Power and the Minnesota National Guard has produced a solar array at Camp Ripley in Morrison County that boosts clean energy production for Minnesota Power customers and provides energy security for Camp Ripley. The $25 million, 10-megawatt solar farm covers more than 60 acres of the Camp Ripley cantonment area, making it the largest solar farm in Minnesota and one of the largest on any National Guard installation in the United States. Last September, a ceremony was to take place but the night before a tornado struck the area causing significant damage to areas in Camp Ripley including the solar panel area. The solar array helps the Minnesota National Guard meet energy security and renewable energy goals at Camp Ripley while providing Minnesota Power with one-third of the electricity needed to meet the Minnesota Solar Energy Standard.
--A St. Cloud area woman was sentenced Thursday to more than seven years in prison, a sentence that was stayed by the judge, after she previously pleaded guilty supplying fentanyl to a man who overdosed on the drug. 36-year old Amy Wanda Lauer had pleaded guilty in December to third degree murder. According to the criminal complaint charging Lauer, she provided fentanyl patches to 33-year old Ryan Stirling Boen who died in April 2016. An autopsy by the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office determined that Boen's cause of death was toxicity related to fentanyl consumption. The court documents say Lauer admitted to law enforcement that she provided fentanyl patches to Boen the day he died. The judge sentenced Lauer to seven years, two months in prison, but stayed the sentence for 25 years. Lauer was required to serve 191 days in jail, which she already has done. She has to abide by numerous other conditions of her probation or face the possibility that she'll be ordered to serve part, or all, of the remainder of her sentence.
--A Waite Park man is charged with first degree assault after allegedly attacking his girlfriend. According to the criminal complaint, 47-year-old Hakeem Rochao was in an argument with his girlfriend in the early morning hours of March 28th when the assault happened. The victim told responding officers that he allegedly knocked her to the ground and kicked her several times before climbing on top of her and began punching her. The woman escaped and ran screaming to a neighbor’s house to call police.
--The Foley City Council Tuesday night rejected an amended chicken ordinance that would allow residents to keep chickens on their property. The proposed amended ordinance would have required citizens who wanted to have chickens on their property to purchase an annual permit from the city for a price of 15-dollars. The ordinance would have also created a “chicken committee” made up of volunteers that would help enforce the ordinance. The council decided against the ordinance based off guidance from city officials, who cited the low cost of the annual fee and enforcement of the ordinance as the primary concerns.
--A busy weekend of events from plays and dramas, fish and smelt frys, bingos and breakfasts and more can be found at fallsradio.com on the community calendar.
--Two St. Cloud men face charges due to involvement in an operation that trafficked methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana from Mexico. Francisco Nambo-Chacon and Hernando Nambo-Salas both face first-degree controlled substance charges. The complaint said for the past three years the Central Minnesota Violent Offenders Task Force, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Investigation and law enforcement agencies from other states had been investigating an organization operating a large-scale drug trafficking operation. During the search officers found 3 pounds of marijuana, 29 grams of methamphetamine and less than a gram of cocaine. Officers also found plastic bags, scales, a large amount of U.S. currency, passports, money receipts and numerous cell phones. Both men are being held in Stearns County Jail. According to the jail log, the two are also being held for the U.S. Department Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Nambo-Chacon has bail set at $500,000, and Nambo-Salas has bail set at $600,000.
--Tick season is back, and state health officials are reminding you to take precautions if you’re going into wooded or long grassy areas where they thrive. State Epidemiologist Dave Neitzel says mild temps over the last several weeks has brought the ticks out of dormancy. He says they were out as early as February when we experienced a warm spell. Neitzel says the ticks move slower when the temperature is lower, but they are active and will bite this time of year. To protect yourself against ticks wear a repellent with DEET, or treat your clothing with permethrin. Deer ticks can transmit diseases like Lyme Disease and Babesiosis.
--More grass fires sparked Wednesday, one southwest of Brainerd and one in Aitkin. Just a reminder that with the warmer temperatures and lack of mositure that any outside burning could easily spark grass fires or fires that get out of control. Burning restrictions remain in effect for a large portion of central Minnesota and the Twin Cities Metro Area. The two fires Wednesday did very limited damage.
--The Pierz City Council meet Monday 7pm at the Pierz City Hall.
DEATH NOTICES
--Donald Tate, age 94 of Hillman.
--Colleen May Nelson of Randall.
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny skies, high 64, clear night low near 35.
SATURDAY= sunny and warm, high 76, storms after dark, low 48.
SUNDAY= cloudy, AM and PM showers & storms, high 63, low 42.
MONDAY= cloudy with showers, blustery and colder, high 46.
SPORTS
HS SB= Pierz vs. Foley today at 4:30pm on FM94 KFML.
TWINS= Twins complete the sweep over KC yesterday after a 5-3 win with another 7th inning rally with doubles from Castro and Polanco. The Twins (3-0) open a series with White Sox in Chicago tonight at 6:30pm then day games Saturday and Sunday both starting at 12:30pm. Inside Twins Sunday at noon on Q92 WYRQ.
CC= Coaches Corner Saturday at 9am on AM960 KLTF this week Al talked to Royalton coaches, and a recent interview with Gopher Football Coach PJ Fleck. Show streamed online at fallsradio.com.
NBA/NHL= Wild beat Colorado Thursday, Wolves lost to Portland.
GOLF= The Masters continues today through Sunday in Georgia.