NEWS
--It was reported on how Minnesota Voted on the Impeachment of President Donald J. Trump. House District 1- Jim Hagedorn voted no on both counts. District 2- Angie Craig voted yes on both counts, District 3- Dean Phillips voted yes on both counts, District 4- Betty McCollum voted yes on both counts, District 5- Ilhan Omar voted yes on both counts, District 6- Tom Emmer voted no on both counts, District 7-Collin Peterson voted no on both counts (1 of only 2 Democrats to vote no in the House), and District 8- Pete Stauber voted no on both counts. Though many spoke from the U.S. House before the vote on Wednesday, no Minnesota lawmakers spoke before the vote was taken on Wednesday night.
--The Pierz School Board was informed at their December meeting that the multi-faceted $12.3 million Pierz school construction project is for the main part done. Public school officials met recently with Preston Euerle, president of RAMorton Construction Managers, who oversaw the Pioneer Elementary and Healy High School additions. He said work is complete except for payment of retainage fees amounting to about $330,000 consisting mainly of punch list paper work. Pierz School Superintendent George Weber stated that there are still a few things left to do in the spring like the drainage of a small parking lot east of Pioneer Elementary among some minor corrections but for the large project that was done it was worth the money. Eurele said they found some technical items surfaced in the heating/cooling management systems and light programming issues in one of the classrooms which will be completed in the spring.
--A woman is hospitalized after being shot multiple times in south St. Cloud Wednesday morning. St. Cloud Police were called to the 1000 block of 15th Avenue South just before 9:00am. Officers arrived to find a 42-year old woman who was shot multiple times. She was taken to St. Cloud Hospital where she is being treated for serious but non-life threatening injuries. The shooting suspect or suspects had fled the scene prior to police arriving on scene. About an hour later, the suspect's vehicle was found near Becker and the occupants were taken into custody without incident. Although police have not released the names of the victim or any suspect, they say there is no public safety threat and the incident was not random.
--A Cottage Grove man was arrested following a vehicle pursuit that took place in two different counties on Wednesday morning. Wright County authorities say they were following a vehicle after it was involved in a hit and run crash near Dassel Township but discontinued the chase after the vehicle entered Cokato at a high rate of speed. The Meeker County Sheriff's Office says they started pursuing the same vehicle just before 8:00am on westbound Highway 12 after it had slowed down but was veering into oncoming traffic. Authorities say stop sticks were used to catch the vehicle on Highway 12 east of Litchfield. The driver of the vehicle, 31-year old Fernando Mejia, was arrested at the scene and taken to the Meeker County Jail. He faces charges of fleeing a police officer, DUI, and driving after revocation. The Meeker County Sheriff's Office also says a Litchfield police officer discharged his weapon at the vehicle at the time that the stop sticks were being deployed. Nobody was hurt, and the incident remains under further investigation.
--The Holiday Gift Giving Program will be distributing the gifts and items to the needy kids on Saturday who had placed tags on trees. If you wish to help out call Judy at 630-8497.
--Congratulations to the 34th Military Police Company based in Stillwater. The 34th MP Company is the first Army National Guard unit to be awarded the U.S. Army 2019 Major General Bandholtz Award. One of the many achievements that makes the 34th MPs an invaluable asset to the 84th Troop Command, 34th Red Bull Infantry Division and the Minnesota National Guard was their dedication to the NOREX - Norwegian Reciprocal Troop Exchange on Camp Ripley in February.
--Fire crews responded to a house fire near Eden Valley Wednesday. The incident happened around 11:00am in the 56,000 block of 385th Street in Manannah Township. Emergency responders arrived to find the home fully engulfed. Fire crews from Eden Valley and Paynesville were able to extinguish the blaze, but the home was deemed a total loss. The homeowner, 48-year-old Merle Miller, was not hurt. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
--A Howard Lake man has been sentenced for his role in a St. Cloud drug deal gone bad, that left another man with a gunshot wound to the head. A Benton County Judge has sentenced 19-year old Julian Hill to four years in prison. Hill pleaded guilty to the drive-by-shooting in October. According to the Benton County criminal complaint, Hill met the victim in an alley in the 400 block of Wilson Avenue Northeast on the night of April 23rd to exchange marijuana for cocaine. But, court records show the victim and his partner planned to rob Hill rather than exchange drugs. Hill said he got out of the car and fired a gunshot toward the dark shadowy figure running away. He said he heard a man yell then he fled the scene in his car. Police arrived to find a 9mm handgun and two bags of cocaine in the alley. The victim was found with a head wound nearby. A witness confirmed the robbery plans and that the victim owned a handgun like the one found in the alley. Hill was arrested the following day on DWI charges in Meeker County and authorities found a gun on him.
--Weekend events include a Christmas concert with Harpers Chord tonight at Great River Arts in Little Falls, St. Stanislaus Rosary Sodality in Sobieski are having a bake sale Saturday before and after the 4:30pm Mass in Sobieski, a pipe organ concert will be held with Bill Messerschmidt at 3pm Sunday at Our Lady of Lourdes Church, there is a free will offering for Oasis Central Minnesota to help the homeless during the holiday season. Details at fallsradio.com.
WEATHER
TODAY= partly cloudy, AM light snow possible, high 27.
TONIGHT= clearing skies, low around 12.
SATURDAY= sunny skies, high near 37, low around 25.
SUNDAY= sunny skies, high near 40, low around 21.
MONDAY= cloudy skies, flurries late, high 34, low near 23.
SPORTS
HS BBB= Albany at Pierz tonight 7:15pm on FM94 KFML.
NFL= Green Bay at Minnesota is Monday night, there are 3 games all with playoff implications Saturday including LA Rams at San Francisco and if the Rams lose then Vikings would clinch a playoff spot even before their game Monday night. Listen to the NFL on AM960 KLTF.
HOCK= Hockey Day Minnesota 2020 marks the 14th year of Hockey Day Minnesota and this year will be in Minneapolis. Most of the games will be at Parade Stadium near the Minneapolis Sculpture Gardens including an NHL Alumni game and this year a State of Hockey Women's All Star Game. Tickets are available through Hockey Day Minnesota website.