NEWS
--The Pierz City Council met on Monday night. At the meeting the council approved moving forward with 2020 street improvements on Kamnic Street, 1st Avenue South and Memorial Drive. The city of Pierz approved a $500 sponsorship of Pierz Freedomfest this summer. Jackie Ballou and Dave Fischer will represent the city of Pierz at the Sourcewell Annual Meeting of the Assembly. The Morrison County 2020 Clean-up Day Grant was agreed upon and approved. The clean up day is scheduled on April 25th. A joint City Council/ Park Board Workshop was scheduled at 6:00pm on Tuesday, February 25th. This workshop will feature a discussion of adding another nine holes to the Pierz Golf Course. There won't be any decisions that night, only a discussion of future possibilities to gather more information. The Pierz Police Chief Eric Hanneken presented his 2019 report. Also the annual field audit days will be next week.
--A Stearns County jury has found a Grand Rapids man guilty of burglary and assault charges after kidnapping his children from their mother's St. Cloud home last September. 33-year old Deangelo Bey has been found guilty on four felony charges. The jury convicted Bey on two counts of 1st degree burglary and two counts of 2nd degree assault. Jurors also found additional aggravating factors because the children were present when the crimes were committed.
--A Belgrade man was hurt in a rollover in western Stearns County. The Minnesota State Patrol says it happened on Highway 55 east of Belgrade just after 7pm Wednesday. 58-year-old Rick Anderson was driving his pickup west when it hit glare ice and rolled off the road into the ditch. He was taken to Paynesville Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Authorities say alcohol may have been involved.
--As plans move forward to remodel the building that currently houses Baxter Elementary into a new center for Early Childhood programs, the Board of Education turned its attention Monday evening to the question of what to name this center that will serve children ages birth to 5 years old and their families. The Board of Education is requesting input from the community on this question. The public is invited to submit ideas for a name for the new center via a short survey located on blueprint181.org. Name submissions will be accepted through Friday, February 28, 2020. Community members will then be invited to vote for their favorite finalist on blueprint181.org in March. The results of voting on the top three names will be shared with the Board of Education at a meeting this spring in the boardroom of the Washington Educational Services Building at 804 Oak Street in Brainerd.
--Minnesota Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan was awarded the Native American Leadership Award by the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) in Washington, D.C. The highest-ranking Native woman elected to executive office in the history of the United States, Lieutenant Governor Flanagan was recognized for her work raising awareness of issues affecting Native communities, increasing civic engagement, improving lives in Indian Country, and transforming tribal-state relations in Minnesota.
--The famed Oscar Mayer Wienermobile will be at stores around central Minnesota this weekend. The hot dog and bun-shaped vehicle will be making stops at area Cashwise and Coborn's stores between Friday morning and Sunday afternoon. Weiner whistles will be handed at stores in Waite Park, Sartell, Elk River, Sauk Rapids and St. Cloud. Check with the store's websites for times and locations.
--A reminder that Monday is President's Day a federal holiday that falls on the Monday between Lincoln's and Washington's birthdays. All federal, state, county and city offices are likely closed Monday including city halls and government centers so call head before venturing out or get your business done there today. There is no regular mail delivery Monday as the U.S. Post Offices will be closed for the holiday. Many banks, schools and other business many have special hours or be closed Monday. Best to call ahead.
--Two teens charged in a St. Joseph park armed robbery last April have been sentenced this week. 17-year-old Tanner Crane pleaded guilty in adult court to a felony count of 1st-degree aggravated robbery involving a gun last August. A Stearns County judge has sentenced Crane to a stayed sentence of just under five years in prison with supervised release for 20 years. Crane was given credit for serving 194 days in the Stearns County jail and if he violates his probation, he could be sent to serve the prison term. 18-year-old Sebastian Terres of St. Joseph pleaded guilty to the same charge in November and was sentenced to a stayed prison term of four years and will be on probation for five years. If he violates the terms of his probation, he could be sent to serve the prison sentence. Terres was given credit for serving 207 days in the county jail. The two robbed a 21-year-old Rice man at gunpoint in Millstream Park in April 2019.
--Check out the weekend events including the Love Train show Saturday night at the Falls Ballroom, dance tickets only for $15 can be purchased from businesses and tomorrow night at the door. A prime rib and chicken dinner Saturday at St. Rita's in Hillman, Little Falls FFA Breakfast Sunday at the Little Falls VFW for a free will offering, St. Mary's in Upsala has a quilt bingo on Sunday. Get details on the events at fallsradio.com and click on community calendar.
DEATH NOTICES
--Debra Ann Borash, age 63 of North Prairie.
--Rita Venske, age 92 of Randall.
WEATHER
WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 9AM TODAY.
TODAY= partly cloudy, high 17, light snow after 6pm possible.
TONIGHT= few snow showers early, gusty winds, temps rising.
SATURDAY= partly sunny, mild, high 33, clearing cold night, low -5.
SUNDAY= partly cloudy and windy, high 16, low around -3.
PRESIDENT'S DAY= snow likely, high near 20, low around 5 above.
SPORTS
HS WRE= Wrestling Section playoffs for Little Falls begin today in Sauk Rapids against Brainerd at 4pm on Q92 WYRQ. Little Falls would have to win three times Friday to advance to state tourney.
COL HK= Gopher Hockey tonight and Saturday on AM960 KLTF.
COL BB= Gophers vs. Iowa Sunday at 11:30am on AM960 KLTF.
VALENTINE'S DAY HISTORY
Today is Valentine's Day, originally named St. Valentine's Day but the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One most remembered is helping lovers secretly meet under a guise until captured. Though Valentine's Day is not a public holiday, more gifts like flowers and candy are sold today and only Christmas and Mother's Day have more cards sold then Valentine's Day.