NEWS --The Morrison County Salvation Army is in dire need of bell ringers today, Saturday and Monday to finish out their campaign by ringing the bells at Coborn's and Wal-Mart. If you can please help them call Betsy today at 360-0332. Monday is their final day to raise the funds that stay locally in Morrison County.
--Sgt. Neil Dickenson of the Minnesota State Patrol spoke on Little Falls Radio Thursday and said that the winter storm affected the area caused hundreds of accidents on Minnesota roadways. Troopers have been mainly responding to vehicles going too fast for conditions and striking the ditch or leaving the roadway. Now that the snow has ended and many areas from St. Cloud to Little Falls received 6-10 inches of snow, Brainerd a foot and east of Brainerd 12-18 inches and even a 20 inch amount near McGregor. Now that temps have dropped and roads are frozen over with compacted snow and ice. Slow down and be attentive on roadways as the cold air and strong winds will be in the area through the weekend with more snow coming in Sunday night into Monday with again more accumulations likely.
--The City of St. Cloud has declared a snow emergency starting 12:01am this morning to remain in effect for 72 hours. That means parking regulations will be enforced and towing of illegally parked vehicles will begin after midnight. Plows continue to work on State, County and City Roads across the state and expect city wide snow removal in the days ahead to remove the heavy snow from curbs.
--A 35-year old St. Joseph man who was arrested Wednesday is accused of threatening a juvenile with a sledgehammer. Michael Joe Martinez faces a felony terroristic threats charge. Officers responded to a report of a domestic assault in progress Wednesday on the 200 block of Hill Street West. According to the criminal complaint, officers spoke with a juvenile male at the residence who said Martinez was angry and started throwing things. The juvenile male and other witnesses said Martinez grabbed a sledgehammer and threatened to smash a television before telling the juvenile he was going to smash his skull in. During a Mirandized statement, Martinez admitted to getting into an argument with the juvenile and another woman in the residence, but denied making the threats with a sledgehammer. Martinez is scheduled to appear in court January 8th.
--A North Dakota man was brought to the hospital after a five-vehicle crash on I-94 East near St. Michael. The Minnesota State Patrol says around 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, traffic was stopped on 94, when a car driven by 24-year-old Ryan Smith of Minneapolis rear-ended an SUV. The patrol says this started a chain reaction, involving five vehicles. Only one person was brought to the hospital, 72-year-old Dale Lagodinski of Wahpeton, North Dakota was taken to Maple Grove Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
--The state of Minnesota has been given a $2 million federal grant to begin testing a backlog of sexual assault kits that have been sitting on shelves for years. There are more than 3,000 untested kits. Each one represents a victim that has endured a sexual assault exam. The grant from the Office of Justice Programs will initially be used in Anoka County where the sheriff's office has the largest number of untested kits. Its property room has nearly 500 untested kits. The grant is $800,000 short of the amount the state requested. The agencies involved will determine how to proceed with the amount that was received.
--A Zimmerman woman was killed in a head-on crash involving an SUV and a small bus Thursday afternoon. The Sherburne County Sheriff's Office says the crash happened on County Road 15, near County Road 83. Around 3:00pm a small bus heading north on County Road 15, hit an SUV that was heading south on 15. The sheriff's office says road conditions played a role in the crash. 47-year-old Marilyn Balogi was killed in the crash. The other seven passengers and the bus driver were taken to area hospitals. The driver of the SUV was also hospitalized.
--Authorities say an inmate assaulted a corrections officer at the Minnesota Correctional Facility-St. Cloud. The Minnesota Department of Corrections says the officer was assaulted in the dining hall Thursday morning. Three other officers were injured while responding to the assault. The department says all four staff members were evaluated at a hospital and released. The Corrections Department is investigating.
--For the second time this Christmas season a report of a missing Jesus statue. Earlier this month St. Cloud Police reported the baby Jesus taken from a Nativity scene by a bank in St. Cloud. Now reports from Pine River in Cass County of a larger Jesus statue taken from Our Lady of Lourdes Church of Pine River. The church has been a victim of thefts before including their baby Jesus and St. Francis statues were taken, both in time were returned. The Jesus statue was taken Thanksgiving weekend and no traces of it were left behind. The church would like the statue back and said no questions could be asked and no charges were be made against those if the statue is returned safely as we continue the Christmas season.
DEATH NOTICES --Karen Dahlen, age 70 of Minneapolis formerly of Onamia. --Lucy Marie Jones, age 33 of St. Cloud.
WEATHER TODAY= gradual clearing, blowing snow likely, temps drop to +4. TONIGHT= clear and very cold, low -13 wind chills near -25. SATURDAY= sunny skies, high 11, temps rise during the night. SUNDAY= cloudy, high near 30, snow likely after midnight, low 20. MONDAY= snow and wind, 3-7 inches, temps dropping through day. NEW YEARS DAY= sunny and cold, high -3, low -17.
SPORTS TOUR= many holiday tournaments were postponed yesterday due to the weather. Some are expected to be played today with some like the Little Falls Boys and Girls tournament changing to a double-header today and one game for boys on Saturday. If any of the games get played you can listen to the recaps of them on Saturday just after 9am on the Sports Wrap on AM960 KLTF. COL HK= Gophers vs. Ferris State tonight and tomorrow night starting at 6:30pm on AM960 KLTF. NFL= a wild Sunday in the NFL for the upcoming playoffs. In the AFC there are 9 teams vying for the 6 spots, 4 have secured berths but still fight for home field. In the NFC there are 2 teams for the final spot in the NFC Playoffs, Vikings win against Chicago they are win or if Eagles tie or lose to Washington. Eagles could get in with a win and Vikings loss. Vikings host Chicago Sunday at 3:25pm. Hear every playoff game starting next weekend on AM960 KLTF.