NEWS
--The 9th annual Day of Caring from the Little Falls Community High School will be on Wednesday, May 8th. The application deadline is April 12th but the high school informed Little Falls Radio that they are very close to the maximum for sign up (180) before they have to go to a waiting list. They also asked if more adult volunteer teams could step forward then there is a better chance that more can be helped. Since room is filling up fast if you are interested in getting helped out on the day of caring, we recommend you register now instead of waiting until the original April 12th deadline. Register by calling Julie at 632-2002. If you can volunteer call Becky at 616-2215.
--The Minnesota Department of Transportation reminds motorists to use railroad emergency notification system signs when there is a safety issue or emergency situation at a rail grade crossing. The blue and white signs are posted near the crossing on both sides of the road and should be clearly visible to the motorist. The emergency notification system sign includes the railroad’s emergency contact phone number and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s national crossing phone number, which identifies the exact location of the crossing to the railroads. This winter, a truck pulling a trailer got stuck in the snow at a public railroad crossing in Milbank, S.D., resulting in more than 20 cars and two engines derailing. Had the driver of the truck, who was not injured, known to call the contact numbers, the incident could have been prevented, said Jim Weatherhead, state rail program coordinator. He said motorists can call the phone number listed on the sign to report emergency or dangerous situations such as a signal malfunction, if someone or something is on the tracks or if the crossing is blocked for more than 10 minutes. The Federal Railroad Administration requires each railroad to have emergency notification system signs at all public rail crossings.
--A firefighter was injured Wednesday while fighting a house fire. The cause of the fire and estimated damage to the home at 13803 Lakeland Road in Collegeville Township of Stearns County were not known. At 11:50am Wednesday, the sheriff's office received a call of a possible residential fire near Island Lake Road and Stearns County Road 51. The homeowner, 74-year old Bruce Dickau of St. Joseph was not initially present but arrived later to confirm no people or pets were inside. A firefighter 34-year old Paul Ruegemer of Avon was injured while fighting the fire. He was transported to St. Cloud Hospital and treated for non life threatening injuries. The State
Fire Marshall was contacted to investigate.
--Two Staples siblings have been charged in a February incident involving the shooting of a dog north of Staples in Wadena County, some of which was recorded and posted to social media. 20-year old Josiah W. Shegstad and 18-year old Tayiah V. Shegstad have been charged with disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor, and unlawful depositing of garbage/litter, a petty misdemeanor.
--Weekend events include the Lakes Area Music Festival continues Sunday in Nisswa with a concert by a string quartet at the Lutheran Church of the Cross at 2pm; Lakeview Community Church in Hillman is hosting a seminar tonight and Saturday (call 277-3342 for information). Immanuel Lutheran Church of Hillman is hosting a quilt and ham bingo at St. Rita's Parish Hall in Hillman at 1:00pm Sunday and the American Legion Auxiliary Post 341 is hosting a fundraiser breakfast on Sunday from 8:30am-12:00pm at the Buckman Parish Hall. Get details on events at fallsradio.com.
--The Morrison County Dairy Princess Banquet is Saturday at the Falls Ballroom in Little Falls. This year there are six candidates vying to become one of four Morrison County Dairy Princesses. Candidates include 17-year old Whitney Woidyla-Wood of Swanville; 17-year old Mara St. Onge of Fort Ripley, 18-year old Alexis Krebs of Little Falls, 17-year old Annika Gunderson of Upsala, 18-year old Megan Borash of Little Falls, and 17-year old Emily Popp of Royalton. The banquet on March 30th begins with a social at 7:30pm and dinner at 8:00pm. Tickets which include a meal are $15 at the door. Morrison County Dairy Princesses act as goodwill ambassadors for the local dairy farmers and dairy industry over the next calendar year.
--The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Opioid Prevention Pilot Project involves eight communities across the state. Based on six months of data, these communities are expected to cut patient pill use by nearly 765,000 pills per year. In addition, 147 patients are receiving care for opioid use disorder, and Greater Minnesota now has 21 new providers of medication assisted treatment, which uses medicines that help prevent withdrawal symptoms. The pioneer of the approach and leader of the initiative is CHI St. Gabriel’s Family Medical Center in Little Falls. The clinic estimates it has reduced patient pill use by 724,000 pills per year, tapered about 670 patients off of controlled substance prescriptions, and currently provides about 90 patients medication-assisted treatment. The proposal given to Governor Tim Walz includes support for fatality review teams in local communities to connect patients to treatment through increased screening, access to life-saving naloxone, expanded treatment access for those in correctional facilities, and funding for medication-assisted treatment. Each community-led project includes controlled substance care teams that can consist of pharmacists, physicians, social workers, nurse care coordinators, mental health professionals and others. The teams implement evidence-based strategies developed by CHI St. Gabriel’s over the past three years to reduce inappropriate use of opioids through care coordination, addressing unmet social service needs, prescriber education and assistance, proper opioid disposal, and engaging partners outside the health care system. The initiative was modeled on the successful program initiated by CHI St. Gabriel’s Health that grappled with opioid abuse and addiction problem in Little Falls and the surrounding rural towns of Morrison County which also includes in the pilot program the hospitals in Alexandria, Redwood Falls, Montevideo, Mora, Hibbing, Fergus Falls, Aitkin/McGregor and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
DEATH NOTICES
--Mildred “Millie” Cook, age 94 of Little Falls.
WEATHER
TODAY= partly cloudy, high 45, clear skies tonight, low around 17.
SATURDAY= sunny, windy and colder, high 35, clear night, low 14.
SUNDAY= partial sun, high 46, afternoon showers are possible.
MONDAY= sunny skies, high 50, rain/snow mix develops after dark.
SPORTS
TWINS= Jose Berrios strikes out 10 (an opening day Twins record) in a 2-0 win over Cleveland to win the opener Thursday. Twins have today off, back in action with Cleveland on Saturday and Sunday at 12:30pm pregames on Q92 WYRQ.