NEWS
--The Minnesota State Patrol reported at 12:56pm Thursday a vehicle left the roadway in Cushing Township in Morrison County. The sedan driven by 25-year-old Jaclyn Fortman of Verndale was on Highway 10 at mile post 125 when the vehicle left the roadway and rolled several times. Fortman was taken to Staples Hospital for injuries sustained.
--One man was killed and another was seriously injured in a two-vehicle crash Wednesday night on snowy roads in Stearns County. According to the State Patrol, a 1998 Ford Explorer, driven by 35-year old Jesse Lee Johnson of St. Cloud, was going north on Highway 15 when it collided head-on with a 2017 Nissan Maxima that was going south. Johnson was taken to North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale with life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Nissan, 48-year old Anthony Heitz of Kingston was pronounced dead at the scene.
--Morrison County Veterans Service Officer Kathy Marshik stated yesterday on KLTF that there are COVID relief grants and distance learning grants where if a Veteran has lost income from the recent pandemic and closures or having to stay home when a student was on distance learning. They can file for up to a $3,000 grant by calling her office at 632-0290 as you do need to go through the Veterans Service Office for these grants. Marshik said that scams have been an issue but she wanted to mention if you are getting a call from Tricare and on Tricare for life, Tricare is calling to work out the premium if your spouse on the coverage for those under 65, over 65 no premium has to be paid. However, if you are receiving other calls such as saying they are from the VA, Veterans Offices, National Guard and others these are scams if they are asking for personal information, years of service, bank accounts, even family situations about recent moves and other items to get you to give out information that will prove to be a lot more harmful. Back in April, if you had copay for prescriptions the VA stopped sending out the bills due to the recent COVID-19 related items. Now the bills are coming back out in January. If you have questions on this call Kathy at 632-0290.
--Today is the 48th annivesary of the 1973 Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion in the United States. Each year Pro Life supporters rally in St. Paul to try and get the decision repealed. This year due to COVID-19 there events will be changed a bit and become for virtual to get their message out to Minnesotans. MCCL stated they do not encourage people to come to the Capitol building, which is also shut down to visitors from security upgrades. Some MCCL chapters will hold local in-person gatherings, and we encourage everyone to view our Virtual March for Life at noon on their facebook page to watch the events this year. It was reported a while back that the local MCCL chapter in Morrison County had decided not to take a bus to St. Paul prior to the announcement to make the event virtual for today. Supporters of the Roe vs Wade decision will also be holding events today and also decided to move theirs to a virtual style event for 2021 due to the recent pandemic.
--Minnesota Department of Health reported Thursday 1,292 new cases and 32 new deaths linked to COVID-19. There were 8 new cases reported in Morrison County on Thursday's report. The county website showed 82 active cases yesterday 31 of those were in the Little Falls zip code, 12 in Pierz, 10 in Randall and 9 in Royalton.
--Pierz Healy High School announced that senior Emily Sadlovsky has been selected as the 2021 High School Big Sister of the Year for the Central Minnesota Program. She will be going on to the state competition. Results will be announced in March.
--Weather forecasters are watching a fast moving winter storm on Saturday with accumulating snow to the area. Beginning shortly afternoon light snow will start 1-2 inches by evening, then snow will pick up at times before midnight with another 2-4 inches in central Minnesota giving most areas from Brainerd, Little Falls to St. Cloud around 3-6 inches. Snow totals will be heavier to the south and east of that where the Twin Cities could see 6 inches plus and areas east of Mankato to Rochester could be 7-10 inches by late night when the snow tapers off. It will be out of the state by early Sunday morning.
--The Minnesota Department of Public Safety announced Thursday they will be doing their safe and sober enforcement campaign now through the February 7th which is the Super Bowl. With more bars and restaurants open in the state and many sports establishments showing more games the state patrol feels that this could uptick impair driving in the state and so they have decided to up their efforts and have extra law enforcement out through the Big Game.
--The Swanville Girls Basketball Team is supporting one of their students, Lexi Hanson, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. She and her family will be recognized at an upcoming girls home game, to be announced. As part of the effort they will be selling the t-shirts. They are $10 a shirt. If you are interested in a shirt contact a girls basketball player or head coach Aaron Gapinski. He may be reached at agapinski@swanville.k12.mn.us or 320-248-7343. All profits will be donated to Lexi and her family. There are youth and adult sizes available. The deadline to order is by February 5th.
--The Pierz City Council meets at 7pm Monday night at city hall.
NATIONAL NEWS
--One of the first act as President Joe Biden Thursday initiated a national COVID-19 strategy to ramp up vaccinations and testing, reopen schools and businesses and increase the use of masks — including a requirement that Americans mask up for travel. The President has vowed to take far more aggressive measures to contain the virus than his predecessor, starting with stringent adherence to public health guidance. One big part of this is that the President want to take a National approach in the fight against COVID-19 instead of President Trumps approach allowing each state to the say in how to handle the COV-19 situation.
DEATH NOTICE
--Bruce E. Thompson, age 64 of Little Falls
WEATHER
TODAY= partly cloudy skies, colder, high 15.
TONIGHT= clear skies, low around 0 early then temps rise.
SATURDAY= cloudy, high 20 snow after noon 1-2 inches by evening.
SAT NITE= snow likely, 2-4 inches before midnight, low near 10.
SUNDAY= partly sunny, high 19, clear night low 3 above.
MONDAY= sunny and colder, high 12, low around 5 below zero.
SPORTS
HS BHK= Morris/Benson at Little Falls tonight 7pm on Q92.
HS GBB= Pierz at Albany tonight at 7:15pm on FM94 KFML.
WRAP= listen to the Saturday Morning Sports Wrap with a recap of the week in high school sports starting around 8:30am on KLTF.
COL BBB= Gophers vs. Maryland Saturday 12:30pm on KLTF.
NFL= NFC and AFC Championship games Sunday on KLTF with the coverage beginning at 12:30pm with the preview show.