NEWS
--Weekend events include St. Mary's Christmas Bazaar at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Little Falls. Lots of trinkets and treasures to browse through, bingo Saturday afternoon, lunch items on Saturday and a breakfast to enjoy on Sunday. Many things to take in at the bazaar Saturday and Sunday in Little Falls. Immanuel Lutheran will have a pancake breakfast, gift items to buy and a quilt raffle on Sunday at the church north of Hillman. Live Radio Play of Its a Wonderful Life continues today and tomorrow at Center for the Arts in Brainerd. St. Francis Convent presents the Chorale Christmas Concert Sunday afternoon at 2pm, free event but good will donation accepted at the Sacred Heart Chapel at the Convent. The book sale from Friends of the Library continues today and Saturday during regular hours at the Carnegie Library in Little Falls. An Advent carols event and you can have your baby Jesus figure blessed Sunday evening at 6:30pm, a free event at Our Lady of Lourdes Church. More details on events can be found at fallsradio.com on community calendar.
--The Morrison County Sheriff's Office stated that their office received a call on Wednesday afternoon regarding a Belgian horse missing from a residence off Abbey road, southwest of Upsala. It’s possible that the Belgian went missing on Tuesday prior to the recent snow fall. If you have any information on the whereabouts, or you witnessed any suspicious activity, please contact (320) 632-9233.
--Two people were hurt in a three-vehicle crash in Wright County. The Minnesota State Patrol says the incident happened just before 6pm Wednesday on Highway 12 in Delano. All three vehicles were going east when one driver failed to notice the others slowing down for a stop sign and they collided. Seventy-seven-year-old Glenn Roberts of Waverly was taken to Buffalo Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Seventy-seven-year-old Edward Stockert of Delano was also taken to Buffalo Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Forty-one-year-old William Banduch of Delano was not hurt.
--A Waite Park man is charged in Stearns County District Court after allegedly threatening a woman with a knife. Waite Park Police responded to a knife complaint on Tuesday and met with a woman who said 24-year-old Bobby Barela stood over her while holding a knife and threatening to stab her. Court records show the incident began with an argument over some cell phones, a credit card, and some gas money. The woman said she was talking on the phone with another person when Barela came into the room and demanded the cell phones. The woman told police she ended up on the ground with Barela standing over her with the knife raised and saying he would stab her. The witness on the other end of the phone call confirmed hearing the woman yelling about the knife and pleading for Barela not to stab her. Court records show Barela admitted to a verbal argument but denied knowing why she would tell him not to stab her. He is charged with 2nd degree assault with a dangerous weapon, felony threats of violence, and misdemeanor domestic assault.
--Sartell police are investigating theft of packages this holiday season. Authorities are asking you to keep you packages safe, if you are going have packages delivered make sure someone is there to pick them up so they are not left outside for a lengthy period. Sartell has had calls of packages taken from open cars and porches. So please make sure to lock up and get others to help with your packages. They also ask if you noticed suspicious in the area, vehicles or people who are not usually in that area, contact their office to investigate.
--The Pierz City Council meets Monday at 7pm at Pierz City Hall.
--The National Weather Service is watching what could be a large winter storm over central Minnesota starting late Monday and lasting into Wednesday. Numbers are still too early to determine how much snow will fall but indications that some areas could see over a foot of new snow during the time period and some rain and ice is also possible with warmer temperatures early in the week. Stay tuned to Little Falls Radio for the latest weather details into next week.
--The Little Falls Police Department is looking at hiring a new police officer. Interested individuals can learn more and apply if they qualify by going to the website of cityoflittlefalls.com.
--A number of internet providers in Minnesota will share in a $100-million appropriation to expand broadband coverage across the state. A total of 61 expansion projects have been chosen as part of the Department of Employment and Economic Development's Border-to-Border Program. It's the largest single investment in broadband infrastructure in the state's history. Federal funding through the American Rescue Plan accounts for $70-million of the appropriation with the state covering the rest. In the Tri-County area, the Benton Cooperative Telephone Company will get just over $1.5-million, Tekstar Communications operating as Arvig in Sherburne County will receive just under $1.1-million while Melrose Telephone Company in Stearns County will receive nearly the maximum amount allowed at just under $5-million, and Albany Mutual Telephone will get just about $747,000. In Wright County, Spectrum will use approximately $2.8-million to expand broadband in their communities. The programs are expected to expand access to more than 33-thousand homes across the state.
WEATHER
TODAY= cloudy skies, high 31, freezing drizzle overnight, low 26.
SATURDAY= freezing drizzle/light snow early, then cloudy, high 34.
SAT NITE= partly cloudy skies, low around 20.
SUNDAY= partly sunny, high 33, flurries overnight, low 22.
MONDAY= cloudy skies, high 31, snow develops late night, low 27
TUES/WED= snow, rain and sleet likely, possible heavy at times.
SPORTS
HS BBB= Pierz at Royalton tonight 7:15pm on 94ROCKS KFML.
EXCEL= Congratulations to the 2022-23 Excel Representatives from Pierz. Alyssa Sadlovsky and Joseph Stuckmayer. Excel stands for Excellence in Community, Education and Leadership. This is for high school juniors and sponsored by the Minnesota State High School League. The State Excel winners are announced in the late winter and addressed during the basketball tournaments next year.
LF= Little Falls High School Senior Ella Rausch has committed to compete in swimming at St. Cloud State University. Ella is the daughter of Matt and Amber Rausch of Fort Ripley. She signed her letter of intent on Thursday at the high school.
WNBA= WNBA Star Brittney Griner was freed in a prisoner swap between Russia and the United States. She had been jailed and sentenced in Russia from a drug arrest back in February.
TODAY IN HISTORY
IN 1793= Noah Webster introduced first newspaper to New York.
IN 1851= the YMCA first opens to young Christian men in Montreal.
IN 1907= first Christmas Seals are sold to the public.
IN 1965= first airing of A Charlie Brown Christmas on CBS TV.
IN 1979= Arch Bishop Fulton J. Sheen died at age 84.