NEWS
--Free testing of well water for nitrates will be held next week Monday through Friday at the Morrison Soil and Water Conservation District. Water samples may be brought in clean ziplock bags (2-3 ounces). Testing results are immediate and a quick questionnaire on well construction is voluntary. The Minnesota Department of Health recommends having wells checked annually. The Soil and Water office is located in the Ag Service Center on the north side of Little Falls off county road 76. Hours of testing next week is from 8:00am-5:00pm Monday-Thursday and until 4:00pm on Friday. For information call 616-2479.
--A cool and wet April has prevented many farmers from getting into the fields to plant their crops. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says as of last week, Minnesota’s corn crop is only 12% planted, which is 13 days behind last year and nine days behind average. Dan Martens is a U-of-M Extension Educator for Morrison, Benton and Stearns counties. He says here in central Minnesota, we are likely a little behind those figures. Martens says there’s still time to get the seeds in the ground. May 25th is the unofficial deadline to get corn planted and June 10th is the target date for soybeans. He says after that, they need to make adjustments to the yield potential due to a shorter growing season.
--A former St. Cloud State University employee has been found guilty in a prostitution sting involving what he believed was a 17-year old girl. A Stearns County jury deliberated for about an hour Tuesday before convicting 54-year old Kevin Barnes on a felony count of soliciting a prostitute under the age of 18 and a misdemeanor count of soliciting prostitution. According to the charging complaint, Barnes responded to an ad on backpage.com last March which was offering sex with a 22-year-old woman and a 17-year-old girl. Undercover officers were acting as the women through several text messages with Barnes, who agreed to pay $150 for an hour of sexual intercourse. He agreed to meet at an apartment unit in the 1400 block of 12th Avenue North in Waite Park. Police arrested Barnes at the scene. They say he had a large amount of cash and condoms on him at the time of his arrest. Barnes worked in SCSU’s billing and payments department. He resigned May 19th, 2016 and is no longer employed by the university. Sentencing is scheduled for June 23rd.
--One woman is hurt in a three car crash in Sherburne County. The Minnesota State Patrol says the crash happened Wednesday around 2:45pm on Highway 169 near 193rd Avenue Northwest in Elk River. Authorities say a van driven by 31-year-old Justin Eischens from Cedar, was driving north on Highway 169 when he slowed for traffic. The cargo-van traveling behind him driven by 42-year-old Clay Thompson from Elk River, was hit from behind by 25-year-old Rachel Moore from East Bethel. Thompson then hit Eischens as a result of being hit by Moore. Moore was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Eischens and Thompson were not hurt.
--The Little Falls Community High School Drama and Music Department are performing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat tonight and Saturday at 7:00pm at the Charles D. Martin Auditorium. The performance includes 80 students elementary through high school and a full orchestra. Tickets are $8 for adults or $5 for students. Call the actiivities office for more information.
--Pierz City Council meets Monday night 7pm at Pierz City Hall.
--St. Cloud police say they arrested a Cold Spring woman Wednesday after surveillance equipment showed her taking prescription medication at a home she was cleaning. 45-year old Nichole Renee Zachow was taken to Stearns County Jail and could face felony theft charges. The police department received a theft complaint in April and investigators began investigating Zachow after linking the April case to similar complaints received in 2016. Zachow is a suspect in thefts in St. Cloud, Sartell, Cold Spring and other parts of Stearns County. Anyone with information is urged to call the St. Cloud Police Department or Tri-County Crime Stoppers.
--A Waite Park man is jailed in lieu of $80,000 bail after being charged with exposing himself to a woman in a St. Cloud-area store, at least the 10th time he’s been accused of exposing himself or interfering with privacy for peeping into windows of women. 30-year old Derek David George faces charges in Stearns County that accuse him of tapping on the window of a woman’s bedroom in October in north St. Cloud. He was scheduled to be sentenced on similar cases this summer, before his most recent arrest.
--Students from the Brainerd Area Education Center recently participated in the 24th annual Minnesota Association of Alternative Programs STARS Spring Events Competition held in Bloomington. Students from 29 alternative high schools from across the state competed in events such as: Public Speaking, Employment Interview, Career Portfolio, Decision Making, and LifeSmarts. Brainerd’s team of: Mikey Menzie, Quez Pindegayosh, Jarica Salgado, Kylee Nielsen, and Nina Sullivan won the LifeSmarts competition. The team of: Emily Irion, Sherydan Gilbertson, Kylee Nielsen, and Cyndi Thompson won in Team Management Decision Making. Emily Irion and Kylee Nielsen took third place in the Team Parenting event. Emily Irion got third place in Workplace Relations Decision Making.
--There are no confirmed cases of measles in the St. Cloud area. Last week, the Minnesota Department of Health listed one case from Stearns County. They have now amended their findings, saying that case was not confirmed by later tests. There have been 41 cases of measles in Minnesota in the recent outbreak. 39 out of the 41 have not been vaccinated. 38 were in Hennepin County.
--Check out weekend events like Bingo in Randall Sunday, Sacred Heart in Staples events Saturday, treasure day in Randall Saturday, picnic and raffle Sunday in Lastrup, 2 Cylinder Club event Saturday and Sunday at Morrison County Fairgrounds, bird watching event at Crane Meadows Saturday, breakfast at LF Senior Center Sunday and more at fallsradio.com then click on community calendar.
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny and mild, high 74, clear night low 42.
SATURDAY= sunny and cooler, high 61, frost late, low 33.
SUNDAY= sunny skies, high 66, clear night, low near 40.
MONDAY= partly cloudy, high 72, storms late night.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins hit 3 homers but lost to the A's 8-5 yesterday then announced after game that Kyle Gibson has been sent down to the minors after a 0-4 start and high ERA. Twins open series at home against Boston tonight with pregame 6:30pm then Saturday and Sunday at 12:30pm, all games live on Q92 WYRQ.
VL= Pierz Brewers at Royalton Sunday 1:30pm on AM960 KLTF