NEWS
--A statement from the Swanville School District that Friday, January 22nd is the end of the second quarter. Starting with the third quarter, which begins Monday, January 25th, students will be in the building every day, including Fridays. There will be distance learning on Fridays, but only for those that have committed to full time distance learning. This change in scheduling is due to the decrease in the county and state case rate numbers of new positive COVID-19 cases, and the governor and MN Department of Education’s push to have students return to in-person learning. School will start at the normal time on Fridays, but will dismiss at 1:38pm. Classes for the high school will be shortened on Fridays so each class will meet. Lunch will be served for all students. The school board has been polled, and is in agreement with this plan. Of course, this is subject to change depending on what happens with case rates in the state, county and school, questions can be directed to Swanville schools.
--Minnesota's second-largest utility announced that it plans to provide customers 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050. Duluth-based Minnesota Power (which is a major electric provider in Morrison County ) said Tuesday that it will show its plan for the next 15 years to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission. Minnesota Public Radio reports that the company serves about 145,000 homes and businesses in northeastern Minnesota. A decade ago, the company had been producing most of its electricity from coal, which reports incidate worsens climate change. But since then, the utility shuttered seven of its nine coal-operated generating units. The company also invested in wind farms and hydroelectric facilities in Canada.
--St. Cloud Police are investigating a crash that damaged a light pole and could lead to criminal charges against the driver. Officers were dispatched to the intersection of University Drive Southeast and 15th Avenue Southeast at around 5:00pm Tuesday. Police met with 22-year old Linus Segbe who had lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the pole near the intersection. Police say Segbe was driving through the intersection at a high rate of speed when he lost control and collided with the Xcel Energy pole. Segbe was not hurt, but police say he may face charges stemming from the incident.
--Three people were hurt in a crash involving a semi Wednesday morning. The incident happened just before 9:30am at the intersection of Highway 4 and County Road 32 in Lake Henry Township. The Minnesota State Patrol says 20-year-old Jordan Clegg of Waite Park was stopped at a stop sign heading west on County Road 32. Troopers say he didn't see a semi heading south on Highway 4 and the two vehicles collided in the intersection. Clegg and his passenger, 22-year-old Nitasha Borchert of McGrath, were taken to Paynesville hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The driver of the semi, 43-year-old Abraham Harder of Canada, was also taken to Paynesville Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
--Instead of a traditional fall production this year, the Upsala Drama Club put together a video of the play "10 Ways To Survive Life In A Quarantine." The students all recorded their scenes remotely and then edited them all together. If you can set aside about an hour to watch it go to the Upsala Schools Facebook page and click on the youtube link for the show. Since ticket sales to help offset the cost for royalties and scripts were not done this time with the virtual event, the school is accepting any donations you would like to give through the school's webstore and designate “Drama Department”.
--Little Falls Community Schools announced that Bus 54 has slid off the road Thurday morning due to the icy conditions. It was reported by the school that there no injuries and everyone onboard is fine.
--The Minnesota Department of Health reported Thursday 1,598 new cases and 43 new deaths of COVID-19. Morrison County had 14 new cases on yesterdays report. The county website reported 137 active cases, Little Falls Zip Code 70, Royalton 14, Pierz 12 and Bowlus 10. --The Minnesota Department of Health has told hospitals, health care systems and other vaccination providers that they can now provide coronavirus shots to a broader group of the population, including Minnesotans 65 and older. Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm that the move is meant to free providers to use all available doses as quickly as possible while still ensuring that the doses are targeted to those most at need for protection from COVID-19. The federal government this week urged states to immediately start vaccinating groups that had been lower down the priority scale than before.
--The Brainerd Fire Department assisted with a crash Thursday night at 6:30pm at Spencer Road and Crow Wing County Highway 3 near Merrifield. The Brainerd Fire Department was called for extrication.
The Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office reported there were no injuries in the accident which is under investigation.
--The Minnesota DNR is exploring the possibility of swan hunting with the increased population of swans in the state. Glen Schmitt from Outdoor News Radio says the state is just exploring this as a possibility and won't likely happen this fall. It is legal to shoot swans in both North and South Dakota during their designated seasons. Also the issue of ice safety has been big for the DNR this month and even with the recent snowfall, temperatures have been too warm and many lakes and rivers have thin ice or open water in areas especially when using ATV's or other motrorized vehicles on the waterways.
--Due to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Monday and City Offices being closed, the Little Falls City Council meet Tuesday at 7:30pm.
DEATH NOTICES
--Dennis “Denny” W. Fyten, age 80 of Ramsey formerly of Buckman.
--Steven “Steve” Lindquist, age 59 of Little Falls.
WEATHER
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH 6PM.
TODAY= snow mixed with rain at times, windy, 1-2 inches, high 33.
TONIGHT= becoming partly cloudy, breezy, low 13.
SATURDAY= mostly cloudy, high 26, low around 7 above.
SUNDAY= partly sunny, high 25, low around 3 above.
MONDAY= cloudy, snow showers at times, high 28, low around 16.
SPORTS
HS BBB= Little Falls at Albany tonight 7:15pm on Q92 WYRQ
HS BBB= St. Cloud Cathedral at Pierz tonight 7:15pm on FM94.
HS GBB= Swanville at Little Falls Saturday 2:30pm on Q92 WYRQ.
COL HK= Gophers vs. Notre Dame tonight 6:30pm on KLTF.
WRAP= The Saturday Morning Sports Wrap returns tomorrow with scores, highlights and interviews, 8:30am on AM960 KLTF.
NFL= The NFL Divisional Round of Playoffs starts Saturday with the Los Angeles Rams at Green Bay at 3:30pm, Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills at 7:15pm Saturday, Sunday at 2pm it is Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs followed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the New Orleans Saints, all games live on AM960 KLTF.