NEWS
--The Pierz Oktoberfest Committee announced yesterday that the 2nd medallion hunt is over. Julia and Jake Jurek found it under the volleyball pole at Pierz Park. They win $200 in Pierz Bucks for their find. The first medallion was found earlier this by Carter Meyer who wins $500 in Pierz Bucks.
--The Minnesota Department of Transportation will be completely closing a stretch of Highway 10 in east St. Cloud next week. From 8am Monday, to noon on Wednesday, the busy freeway will be shut down in both directions between 15th Avenue/Seventh Street SE and Benton Drive in neighboring Sauk Rapids. Crews will be tearing down the old Highway 23 bridge that crossed over the interchange in that 52-hour window. Detours will be mandated. Officials say eastbound Highway 10 will detour along Highway 15, Highway 23 (Division Street), Lincoln Avenue and 15th Avenue SE back to eastbound Highway 10. Westbound Highway 10 will detour along Highway 23, Benton County Road 1 (Mayhew Lake Road) and Golden Spike Road back to westbound Highway 10. Travelers can use Highway 15, Interstate 94, or Highway 24 as alternate routes. MnDOT says that the traffic diversions will lead to stop-and-go vehicle flow through St. Cloud during the afternoon and morning rush hours. The new Highway 23 bridge, currently down to one lane of traffic in each direction, will remain open during the work.
--A western Stearns County bridge has had weight limits implemented for commercial trucks crossing over it. Effective immediately, the restrictions were put in place after a recent structural evaluation. The span is located along County Road 14, about a mile west of County Road 12. It is east of the small town of Spring Hill and south of Sauk Centre and Meier Grove. Single units must keep their weight below 26 tons gross. Semis and tractor-trailers can go up to 40 tons. Highway Department staff say the bridge will be replaced as soon as possible.
--As mentioned yesterday 19-year-old Emma Kuball from Waterville, Minnesota, representing Rice County was crowned the 70th Princess Kay of the Milky Way in an evening ceremony Wednesday at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. She is the daughter of Nate and Shannon Kuball and attends the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Makenzie Alberts of Pine Island, representing Dodge County, and Megan Ratka of Cold Spring, representing Stearns County, were selected as runners-up. Alberts, Kuball and Ratka were also named scholarship winners. Gracie Ash of Milaca, representing Mille Lacs County, was named Miss Congeniality. Kuball’s first official duty as Princess Kay will be to sit in a rotating cooler in the Dairy Building which is now two days for Princess Kay so her 2nd day is today. The order for the remaining candidates goes as followed: Saturday, Montana Krueger, Arlington, representing Sibley County, Sunday, Megan Ratka, Cold Spring, representing Stearns County, Monday, Makenzie Alberts, Pine Island, representing Dodge County Tuesday, Josephine Sutherland, Flandreau, South Dakota representing Pipestone County, Wednesday, Katherine Hills, Monticello, representing Wright County, Thursday, Gracie Ash, Milaca, representing Mille Lacs County, next Friday, September 1: Anne Simpson, Pine Island, representing Olmsted County, Saturday, September 2nd Jalyssa Beaudry, Otsego, representing Wright County and the final one is Sunday, September 3: Riley Ward, St. Charles, representing Winona County. The State Fair began yesterday.
--A very busy weekend of events, Minnesota Fishing Museum 25th Anniversary Open House today 1-5pm, Knights of Columbus Corn Feed with hot dogs and hamburgers today 4-7pm at Holy Family Parish of Belle Prairie for Server Appreciation Night. Saturday is the Walkin' Wings event through Pierz with cooking 10am-2pm, walking and eating 2-6pm with events in the church parking lot for the kids and live music through afternoon and evening and plenty of food. There is a 5K run Saturday at the school registration at 7:30am with the proceeds going to help Grad Bash 2024 for Pierz graduates. There is a fundraiser spaghetti dinner in Pillager on Saturday. Sunday is Pierz Oktoberfest parade at 11am, events at the park starting around 12:30pm with water wars, a juggler, lots of food and the button drawings for winning cash and prizes. Sunday is also the St. Francis of Assisi Fall Festival south of Upsala, north of Albany with Mass at 10am with Laverne and the Starlites, large homemade chicken and ham dinner at 11am, events and music all afternoon to play and enjoy and large raffle at 7pm Sunday in St. Francis. Get details on events at fallsradio.com and community calendar.
--A St. Joseph man escaped serious injury after crashing his motorcycle near Holdingford Tuesday night. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office says 44-year-old Chad Phillipp was heading north on County Road 3 just before 10pm when a deer ran in front of his bike. Phillipp swerved to avoid the animal, entered the ditch, lost control, and flipped. Phillipp was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash and suffered only minor injuries. Alcohol may have been a factor.
--The Drought Monitor Thursday said overall drought has not expanded, it’s still at about 73% of the state. Severe drought is growing, though. Last week, it covered 22.98% of Minnesota. Now it’s at about a third. That includes all of Morrison, Benton County, most of Sherburne County, and the northeast portion of Stearns. This week has seen the hottest weather of the year and no rainfall. We will cool off over the weekend, but sunshine is expected to dominate until the next soil moisture measurements are taken on Tuesday.
DEATH NOTICES
--Richard “Dick” Engle, age 84 of Little Falls.
WEATHER
TODAY= chance of showers & t-storms early, late sun, high 83.
TONIGHT= clearing skies, cooler night, low 53.
SATURDAY= partly cloudy, breezy, high 72, clear night low 48.
SUNDAY= sunny skies, high near 77, storms late, low 55.
MONDAY= showers early morning, then sunny, high 75, low 48.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins rally late to beat Texas last night 7-5 at Target Field. The Twins continue series with Texas tonight with pregame coverage at 6:30pm, Saturday at 5:30pm and Sunday pregame begins with Inside Twins at noon on Q92 WYRQ.
CLASS C= Buckman vs. Kimball Saturday at 7pm from Litchfield.
CLASS C= Nisswa vs. Cannon Falls at Litchfield Sunday at 11am
CLASS C= Avon vs. Hibbing at Dassel Sunday at 4:30pm. Hear all the State Tournament games this weekend on AM960 KLTF.
NFL= Vikings host Arizona in preseason play Saturday at noon.
HS FB= Pierz will take on Little Falls at Flyer Field for the first game of their football seasons, August 31st at 7pm on AM960 KLTF.