NEWS
--A Rice resident was hurt in a rollover crash near Little Falls Wednesday morning. The incident happened shortly before 7:30am on Haven Road about one mile south of Little Falls. The Morrison County Sheriff's Office says 40-year-old Heather Buttenhoff was driving north on Highway 10 and hit a patch of ice when exiting on the overpass to Haven Road. Authorities say Buttenhoff lost control and the vehicle went into the ditch and rolled over onto the roof. Buttenhoff was taken to the hospital for injuries.
--A rollover crash near Motley Wednesday resulted in minor injuries for the driver. The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office was called to a rollover crash on Dove Road, north of 340th Street, about six miles southeast of Motley in Scandia Township, shortly before 11am Wednesday morning. Authorities say 56-year-old Stephan Umbarger of St. Cloud was driving north on Dove Road and lost control of his vehicle while going around a curve. The roads were reported to be icy at the time of the crash. Umbarger’s vehicle left the road and rolled. He was treated for minor injuries at the scene and released.
--A 64-year-old Avon woman is dead after a crash Wednesday morning on a slick, frost covered road. According to the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office, they were called to the crash in Collegeville Township around 9:45. They say Susan Lemke was driving northeast on County Road 9 and was approaching the curve at County Road 156 when she lost control of her car and collided head on with a Ford work truck driven by 31-year-old Austin Weaver from Royalton. Lemke was pinned inside her car and was extricated by members of the Avon Fire Department. Life-saving measures were taken at the scene, but Lemke died. The other driver was treated by paramedics. The Minnesota State Patrol is assisting with crash reconstruction.
--The Minnesota State Patrol reported a pedestrian was killed just after 6am Thursday on Highway 371 and Woida Road in Baxter. The 61-year-old died at the scene. The name was not released. The driver was a 45-year-old from Pierz who was not injured.
--A Milaca woman was killed when the vehicle she was driving went through the median and struck a semi head-on. The Minnesota State Patrol says the incident happened just before 7:30am Wednesday on Highway 169 just north of Elk River. Forty-one-year-old Kimberly Woods of Milaca was driving south when she lost control on the slick road, went through the median, and into the oncoming northbound traffic. Woods died at the scene. The driver of the semi, 47-year-old Chad Toenyan of Big Lake, was not hurt. The Minnesota State Patrol closed the northbound lanes for several hours Wednesday morning.
--The Recovery Community Network (RCN) announces that the co-founder of their organization, John Donovan, will step down from his leadership position and pass the baton to incoming Board Chair, Rik Lundgren. Said Donovan, “I have been with the organization now for nearly a decade and it’s time to let new energy and ideas take the agency to the next level.” Ten years ago Donovan had a vision of increasing recovery options for people in Central Minnesota. As a person in long-term recovery he witnessed numerous heartbreaking cases of people wanting help with their substance use problem, but not knowing where to turn. He was determined to do something about it. Donovan recently received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the prestigious organization the Minnesota Association of Resources for Recovery and Chemical Health (MARRCH).
--The Little Falls City Council meets Monday at 7:30pm at City Hall.
--This is the busiest weekend of events likely for the year. Christmas Tours continue today and wrap up on Sunday at Linden Hill “Christmas at the Mansions”, Minnesota Fishing Museum “Christmas Tree Lane” with Santa Saturday and Sunday there. The Rosenmeier House “Nutcracker Suite” proceeds go to the local humane society and Lindbergh House and Museum with “Holiday of Flight”. Spaghetti dinner for St. Edwards in Elmdale tonight 4-7:30pm at St. Mary's Church in Upsala with there large raffle drawing at 7pm. Saturday there is a Bird Feeder making event at Crane Meadows at 9am, First Lutheran Church Advent Sale and Soup Luncheon at 9am, Faith Lutheran Church Christmas Boutique starts at 8am, Carousel of Crafts at the Middle School in Little Falls starts at 9am, Holiday Gift Giving Program has their fill the truck campaign to help out the needy kids at Christmas 10am-2pm in Wal-Mart Parking Lot with Santa Claus in the morning for the kids to enjoy. St. Mary's Christmas Bazaar in Little Falls 8-6:30pm Saturday with food and many items to view, Sunday 9-12pm with breakfast and raffle and much more. St. James Church in Randall has a Christmas Holiday Bazaar Saturday with fresh donuts at 9:30am Saturday chicken noodle soup at 11am and other bake and craft goods 9am-3pm Saturday and 10am until after the Mass on Sunday in Randall. Breakfast with Santa will be at 8:30am at the Upsala Area Schools in Saturday. Pierz is doing Photos with the Grinch near Emblom Brenny parking lot in Pierz at 10am on Saturday. The Horsin' Around Parade and events happening in Harding on Saturday with events at the church, around the grounds and the Horse Parade at 5pm Saturday in Harding. Heartland Symphony Orchestra performing their free Holiday/Winter concerts at 7:30pm Saturday in Little Falls at High School and then Sunday at 2:30pm at Center for the Arts in Brainerd. Sunday the Madrigal Dinner is at 5:30pm at Middle School in Little Falls with again some of the Saturday events also still going on Sunday and there is a Toy Bingo at 1pm at Holy Trinity School gym in Pierz put on by Father Pierz School of Religion on Sunday and a pancake breakfast Sunday at the Little Falls Senior Center. Details many of these events can be found at fallsradio.com community calendar.
--The Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce announced their December Employee of the Month is Julie Derosier who is a RN at the Family Medical Center in the anti-coagulation management department. Julie has worked over 2.5 years at the medical center.
WEATHER
TODAY= mostly sunny, cooler day, high near 32.
TONIGHT= clouds increase tonight, low near 20.
SATURDAY= cloudy skies, high 34, flurries overnight, low 26.
SUNDAY= flurries early, then sunny skies, high 36, low 24.
MONDAY= snow showers possible, still mild, high 36, low near 18.
SPORTS
NFL= The Vikings have their bye week and don't play until Dec. 10th.
WRAP= the Saturday Morning Sports Wrap a look back to high school sports from the past week is Saturday at 8:30am including an interview with local runner Wanda Gau on KLTF.
Keep getting dairy recipes in to KLTF as there will be another dairy qualifier on each Party Line now until the bucket giveaway on Dec 21st. Each qualifiers gets a pound of butter.