NEWS
--Congratulations to the Little Falls boys Nordic Ski team who finished 13th as a team yesterday at the State Tournament. Sartell/Cathedral won the boys competition while Robbinsdale Armstrong won the girls title as Katie Corbett of Little Falls competed in the girls race.
--As winter continues it won't be long until road construction starts up this spring. Amongst the largest projects impacting our listening area is the three million dollar Highway 27 reconstruct and improvement project in Little Falls. It will improve Highway 27 from 15th Street West to 9th Street East and address the need for repairs and upgrades to the road and underground structure. Plans are to reconstruct from 6th street West to 2nd Street East. That includes new road surface, side street connections, curbs/gutters, sidewalks, approach ramps, railroad crossing, city water and sewer underground utilities. Construction is scheduled from April through September. MNDOT will also resurface both the West (from 15th Street West to 6th Street West) and East (from 2nd Street East to 9th Street East) segments of Highway 27 and other repairs as needed. Signals will be upgraded including the pedestrian signal button components at the Highway 27 intersections of Lindbergh Drive West, 1st Street East and 4th Street East. The project will require road or side access closures with detours. Access to businesses and residences will be maintained and open at all times. The project will have a signed truck route for the duration of the project from April to September.
--Little Falls Community Schools has announced that Monday, March 25th will be a student contact day for make up of the lost instructional time due to weather on February 8th. Again a change to the Little Falls School calendar that March 25th is now a makeup day of school.
--Crow Wing County Attorneys stated that 20-year-old Jared Allen-Tristen McCormack of Brainerd, who is a registered sex offender, waited inside the girls' locker room for nearly an hour before attacking a Brainerd High School staff member early Monday morning. McCormack was charged with first-degree burglary-assault, attempted kidnapping and attempted fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct through using force. McCormack's next court hearing in this case is a violation hearing scheduled March 4.
--Two men have been arrested after authorities found fentanyl and marijuana wax inside a Richmond home. The Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force was able to get a search warrant for a home at 22406 Fordham Road. While searching the home Thursday officers found fentanyl which is a synthetic opioid, marijuana wax along with stolen property. The homeowner, 51-year-old Dean Gangle and 49-year-old David Morseth were arrested on 5th degree possession of a controled substance charges. Both men were taken to the Stearns County Jail.
--A 120-pound sturgeon caught by an ice fisherman over the weekend may be the biggest fish ever caught in Minnesota. Darren Troseth stated that he pulled the 78-inch, 120-pound sturgeon out of the St. Croix River while ice fishing last week. It's 5 inches longer than the current catch-and-release record holder, and about 26 pounds heavier.
--Due to the President's Day holiday, the Little Falls City Council will meet Tuesday at 7:30pm at City Hall. Many government agencies, mail delivery, other businesses and schools may be closed Monday so it is best to call ahead to make sure what is open Monday.
--A Clearwater man faces criminal charges after allegedly leading a Stearns County Sheriff's deputy on a chase Wednesday just after 3:30 p.m. According to the complaint, a caller reported seeing a pickup driving erratically and had run a red light at County Road 75 and 43rd Street South in St. Cloud and heading toward St. Augusta. A sheriff's deputy responded to the area and saw the pickup driven by 58-year old Ronald Koopmeiners. The deputy activated his lights and siren and said Koopmeiners failed to stop and continued on County Road 75 toward Clearwater, at times reaching 85 miles per hour and crossing the center line. Koopmeiners ultimately pulled into his garage in the 500 block of Bluff Street in Clearwater. Court records show Koopmeiners told the deputy he saw him as he crossed over the bridge into Wright County but wanted to pull into his garage so his truck wouldn't be towed. Koopmeiners allegedly said he didn't stop because he had a few drinks and believed he was drunk. A breathalyzer showed a preliminary blood-alcohol level of 0.24 Koopmeiners is charged with felony fleeing police, two counts of DWI, and driving after cancellation - danger to public safety. Koopmeiners has a previous DWI conviction from 2012.
--Holy Trinity Catholic School is hosting a pancake breakfast on Sunday from 8:30-12 at the Buckman Parish Center. The proceeds go toward the 6th Graders Camp Foley trip later this year. Other events, the Brainerd Snowdeos' are hosting the Regional Snowcross snowmobile races this year at the Crow Wing County Fairgrounds, gates open at 8am Saturday and Sunday for racing. There will be a Valentine's weekend dinner at St. Rita's in Hillman Saturday night, bingo at St. Mary's in Upsala on Sunday, a book discussion on a Christmas book received in the tri-parish on Sunday at 11:30am in the Our Lady of Lourdes church basement and other events that can be viewed at fallsradio.com on our community calendar.
DEATH NOTICE
--Phillip Fyten, age 73 formerly of White Bear Lake and Buckman.
WEATHER
WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT THIS MORNING.
TODAY= sunny skies, high 12 above, wind chills near -20.
TONIGHT= clear skies, not as windy, low -6.
SATURDAY= partly sunny, high 14, light snow after dark, low 8.
SUNDAY= snow showers, up to 1 inch, high 20, low 5 above.
PRESIDENT'S DAY= cloudy skies, high 18, low around 0.
SPORTS
HS GHK= Brainerd/Little Falls vs. North Wright County in Section Finals from Alexandria tonight where the winner heads to the state tournament next week in St. Paul. Puck drop at 7pm on Q92 WYRQ.
HS WRE= section wrestling Saturday, Little Falls takes on Rocori at 10:30am from Little Falls on Q92 WYRQ, if Little Falls wins they would take on Bemidji around noon. Pierz will be in Thief River Falls against Pine River-Backus at 12:30pm on FM94 KFML and if they win they would likely get Perham around 3pm that afternoon. Little Falls Radio will carry all the Little Falls and Pierz matches live on Saturday and streamed at fallsradio.com.
COL BB= Gophers vs. Indiana Saturday 12:30pm on AM960 KLTF.
COL HK= Gophers vs. Ohio States Saturday 4:30pm on KLTF.
RAC= The Daytona 500 gets raced on Sunday in Florida.