NEWS
–Congratulations to Jessica Clusiau and her family for finding the Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union Dam Festival medallion Thursday morning. Jessica found the medallion underneath the bike rack in front of the AT Black and White restaurant on main street in Little Falls. Jessica and her family will receive a $500 prize.
–This weekend is the Little Falls Dam Festival. Events begin today with a sidewalk sale at area businesses, food and music tonight at Maple Island Park with Levi Pelzer Band playing at 7:00pm. Saturday there is a bike ride, 5K run at Belle Prairie Park, parade at 11:00am starts at City Hall and goes to the hospital staying on First Street. You can sit on either side of the street to see the parade. Events continue at Maple Island Park, turtle races, bingo, BMX bike riders and more with beer garden, Diamondback plays Saturday night and fireworks at dusk. Get more details on the Dam Festival at fallsradio.com.
–Three from Royalton were injured Thursday morning around 5:30am on Highway 10 in Benton County. 42-year old Terrance Gorecki was southbound on Highway 10 and unable to avoid an abandoned unoccupied vehicle on the roadway in Watab Township. The vehicles collided and started on fire. Gorecki and his two passengers, 13-year old Gabe Gorecki, and 12-year old Will Gorecki were all taken by ambulance to St. Cloud Hospital for treatment of injuries. The State Patrol would not elaborate on why the abandoned vehicle was on the roadway and there was no driver with it at time of the accident. The State Patrol continues with their investigation.
–A Pequot Lakes man who got stuck in the mud Wednesday had to be pulled to safety by law enfrocement. Baxter police and Crow Wing County were called to a construction site in Baxter off of Clearwater Road where they found an 18-year-old working for an excavating crew in mud past his thighs. Two ropes were needed to secure to the man and use of a large garbage can to lean up against to get him out of the mud-hole. Dave Schroeder told authorities they were digging in a sewer line when the mud they where shoveling out from Tuesday’s rain storm slid back down the hole and closed it up before he could get out. He was very appreciative for the help getting free and Schroeder was not seriously hurt from the incident.
–Motorists should be able to drive on all lanes of Highway 27 at I-94, south of Osakis which reopened at 5:00pm Thursday. The Highway 27 bridge spanning I-94 has been closed since late March while crews repaired and resurfaced the bridge. Daytime lane closures on Highway 27 and the Highway 27/I-94 interchange ramps south of Osakis are scheduled to resume June 22nd- 30th. Highway 27 and the interchange ramps will remain open, and flaggers will control traffic through the daily work zones. The closures and work are part of a project to rehabilitate and resurface the Highway 27 bridge, repair and resurface both bridge approaches and resurface all four Highway 27/I-94 interchange ramps.
–Longtime Representative Paul Thissen joins an already crowded field of DFL candidates for governor. Thissen anounced his candidacy joining Congressman Tim Walz, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman and state Auditor Rebecca Otto in the race so far. Thissen became speaker in 2013 before the House DFL lost their majority in 2014 and additional seats in 2016 to Republicans.
–The KFC Restaurant on C Street Northeast in Baxter offically closed its doors Tuesday as the business has been sold.
–Congratulations to the Pierz Pioneer baseball team beating New London Spicer 6-2 last night at the state tournament in St. Cloud. Pierz faces Marshall School-Duluth today at 2:30pm in the state semi-finals. A win moves Pierz to the state championship Monday at Target Field at 1:00pm. A loss and they would play for third place right after the game this afternoon which would also be in St. Cloud. Hear the action of the Pioneer baseball games throughout the state tournament with James Hershey on FM94 KFML and online at fallsradio.com. Again Pierz plays today at 2:30pm.
–A bomb squad disabled a homemade device while two businesses temporarily closed in downtown St. Cloud on Thursday. St. Cloud police say the Minneapolis Bomb Squad responded after an 8 by 4 inch item was found at about 11:00am near dumpsters in the 10 block of 15th Avenue South in St. Cloud. The bomb squad confirmed it was “a simple homemade device”. It was removed without incident by about 1:30pm. The case is active and will be investigated by the St. Cloud Police Department.
–St. Cloud school board unanimously approved Wednesday hiring Derek Fagan as director of buildings and grounds. Fagan replaces Bryan Brown, who resigned April 3rd after 27 years with the district. Brown became the building and grounds supervisor in 2011. Fagan is scheduled to begin working for St. Cloud school district on June 26th. Fagan has worked for nearly 20 years in Oak Park, Illinois, as a custodian, building engineer and custodial supervisor.
–The Little Falls City Council meets Monday 7:30pm at City Hall.
WEATHER
TODAY= partly cloudy skies, high near 80.
TONIGHT= showers & T-storms after midnight, low 57.
SATURDAY= showers & T-storms early, then partial sun, high 74, afternoon storms likely with some strong later in the day.
SATURDAY NIGHT= showers and storms likely after dark, some storms could have heavy rainfall, low near 50.
SUNDAY= morning showers, then cloudy & breezy, high 65, low 50
MONDAY= partly cloudy skies, high near 70, low around 45.
SPORTS
TWINS= The Twins won yesterday to split the four game series with Seattle. Chris Gimenez homered twice to lead Minnesota to a 6-2 win at Target Field. Twins have 4 games in the next 3 days as they host Cleveland at Target Field. Pregame tonight 6:30, Saturday at 12:30 and then again at 6:30 and Sunday at 12:30pm all on Q92 WYRQ.
LYNX= Lynx return to action Saturday night against Connecticut.
GOLF= Ricky Fowler leads at the U.S. Open after the first day.
VL= Buckman at Royalton Sunday at 1:30pm on KLTF and fallsradio.com. Next Saturday Sobieski will take on Raymond at Target Field in Minneapolis, this will be the Victory League Game of the Week on June 24th at 10am on AM960 KLTF.
TODAY IN HISTORY
IN 1775= The Battle of Bunker Hill began during the American Revolution (though the battle was actually on Breed’s Hill).
IN 1858= Abraham Lincoln gave his famous speech stating “A house divided against itself cannot stand”. Many feel that this speech was what gave him his Presidential nomination 2 years later.
IN 1884= first roller coaster in U.S. began at Coney Island, NY.