NEWS
--Little Falls Schools Superintendent Greg Johnson spoke yesterday on KLTF on the upcoming school year. Johnson first mentioned the Strategic Plan that they have met on over the past few months. The 3-5 year plan is to address the needs in the financial means, building work, wellness and mental health and public communication are some the pieces that they are working on. One change this year is cell phone usage as all middle school students can only leave their cell phones in their backpacks and lockers. No cell phones will be allowed in any classrooms or other areas of the middle school during class time. The High School will also have some cell phone limitations that will be addressed by high school personnel around the start of school. The school will focus more on reading for students in their particular grade levels, they will be working with college and career readiness in the high school to work with students to their life after high school. Johnson said they have completed installation of an aviation simulator and a commercial driver license simulator and beginning next year students will have a chance to take courses using both of those items. The State Legislature recently approved free lunch for all students K-12 that will start this year and also a transportation agreement that has started with some work around the school for better use of transporting students in the district. One thing that is in the waiting period is the child care facility that right now is looking more like 2025 before opening. Johnson reminds students and parents that registration is August 9th and 10th practices for teams begin the following week and the first football game is August 31st against Pierz at Flyer Field. Questions for the Superintendent call him at 320-632-2001.
--The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office responded to two accidents within minutes of each other Tuesday night. The first at 10:28pm was a tractor vs. pickup accident 2 miles east of Crosby. A tractor driven by 58-year-old Brent Burgstaler of Crosby was struck by a truck from behind by 25-year-old Joshua Garard of Aitkin. A passenger on the tractor 60-year-oldTodd Burgstaler sustained significant injuries to a leg, and was transported to the Crosby Hospital. Neither Brent Burgstaler nor Garard were injured as a result of the crash. Garard displayed signs of impairment, and was arrested and charged with criminal vehicular operation. The second accident at 10:30pm was on County Road 16 in Ideal Township. 43-year-old Aaron Schultz of Pequot Lakes collded head on with a vehicle driven by 23-year-old Ana Vilarreal of Pine River in the curve. Vilarreal was driving east, and in the wrong lane in the curve. Caike Riberio, 18, of Pine River was a passenger in Vilarreal’s vehicle. All three parties suffered injuries as a result of the crash and were transported via ambulance to Brainerd Hospital for treatment of injuries.
--Dr. Dettleff Olson was announced Wednesday afternoon as the new primary and specialty medicine director of the St. Cloud VA Health Care System. Olson began his career in the VA in Dayton, Ohio, as a primary care physician in 2006. He has been serving the St. Cloud VA in the same role in recent years. Director, primary and specialty medicine integrated clinical community is not a new position and has been vacant recently. The St. Cloud VA is still on the lookout for a new health care system director. Brent Thelen’s tenure with the St. Cloud VA is set to end on September 29th.
--Join AM960 KLTF Party Line live next Wednesday at the Crow Wing County Fair at 10:05am on AM960 and fallsradio.com.
--A very busy weekend of events, Platte River Day in Royalton is Saturday with parade at 11am, auction at 12:30pm and music from the Fabulous Armadillos at 8pm. Brainerd Jaycees Street Fest is tonight and Saturday with rib fest, live music, vendors and many items of interest on the streets in downtown Brainerd. Bethany Lutheran Church of Cushing has their open house and BBQ Saturday to show off their new solar panels and solar journey for their church. Our Lady of Lourdes church has their bazaar on Sunday with Masses at 8:30 and 10:30am, lots of food, polish food booth, auction at 2pm, kids games and large raffles at 4pm and 4:30pm on the church grounds on the west side of Little Falls. Details on events are at fallsradio.com.
--The Morrison County Soil & Water Conservation District received support from the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) last week when it was selected for inclusion in their annual recommendations to the Minnesota Legislature on how to allocate proceeds from the state’s Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. The Weyerhaeuser Museum Riverbank Restoration Project will aid in mitigating erosion issues on the property of the museum, owned and operated by the Morrison County Historical Society (MCHS), located on Lindbergh Drive South in Little Falls. It will also aid in improving water quality along this section of the Mississippi River and create habitat for fish spawning. If approved by the 2024 Legislature and signed into law by the Governor, the project would begin in July 2024. The project will significantly reduce the amount of soil and sediment entering the river during heavy rainfalls. Its use of angled jetties will also create critical fish habitat and maintain the overall health of this section of the upper Mississippi River. The project was one of 101 included in the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources’ (LCCMR) recommendation following its 2024 Request for Proposals (RFP), which sought projects across several priority issue areas, including foundational data and information, water resources, environmental education, invasive species, renewable energy, methods to protect and restore habitat, and habitat protection and outdoor recreation. They will meet on November 16th to finalize these recommendations.
DEATH NOTICES
--Ellen M. Akotchik, age 89 of Little Falls.
--Eva Urai, age 91 of Little Falls.
--Anthony (Tony) DeLong, age 74 of Pine Center.
WEATHER
TODAY= sun and clouds, still a bit humid, high 86.
TONIGHT= isolated PM shower, then clearing, low near 54.
SATURDAY= sunny and pleasant, high 78, low near 50.
SUNDAY= sunny and pleasant, high 81, low near 58.
MONDAY= sunny and warmer, high 84, storms late, low 60.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins are at Kansas City for three games this weekend. Pregame tonight at 6:30pm, Saturday at 5:30pm and Sunday Inside Twins begins at noon with pregame at 12:30 on Q92 WYRQ.
VL= The second weekend of Victory League playoffs are tonight, Saturday and Sunday with then the 8 teams making it to the Region 8C Baseball Tournament that starts next Saturday at 10:30am in Avon with 8 games in 2 days live on AM960 KLTF.