NEWS
--The first real taste of winter weather returned late yesterday into this morning with gusty winds over 30mph, coatings to 1-2 inches of snow in areas mostly in the grassy areas in central Minnesota however a different story to the northwest where 5-10 inches of snow was falling in the northern region of the state. A reminder from law enforcement and the Department of Transportation to slow down as road conditions could slick with changing temperatures, areas of snow will lead to blowing and possible drifting snow in spots that will make for very difficult traveling in areas. Use caution around snow plows that are expected to be back out sanding and salting icy roads and plowing the areas of snow. The cold and possible light snow is expected to continue right through the weekend. For the latest road conditions in the state use 511mn.org on or 511 on your cell phone.
--Minnesota deer hunters bagged and registered 58,370 deer over opening weekend of the 2021 season, according to Minnesota Department of Natural Resources data. That’s down 11 % from 2020, which was an unusually slow opening weekend, and down 15% from the five-year average for opening weekend. The harvest in the 100-series management areas, which includes all of Northeastern Minnesota, sat at 13,222 after the first two days, down 20 % from last year. The 200 series units were down 10% from last year, while the 300, 600 and 700 units were up 10%. Generally, about half the deer shot during a Minnesota firearms deer season are taken over opening weekend, which would put this year’s firearms harvest at about 120,000. The DNR has a general goal of 200,000 deer taken by firearms, archery and muzzleloader by the time seasons end in December. Many hunters reported very little deer movement over the weekend, which saw temperatures well into the 60s across northern Minnesota. This weekend a big difference as snow, wind, recent rains and temperatures 30-40 degrees colder are in the forecast.
--A man was killed in a crash involving a semi-truck in Anoka County Wednesday afternoon. The incident happened just before 1:30pm on Highway 47 at Old Viking Road in Nowthen. The Minnesota State Patrol says a car was going south on Highway 47 when it crossed the centerline and hit a semi-truck that was traveling north. The driver of the car, a 25-year-old Bloomington man died. The other driver 41-year-old Jeremy Triebernig of Princeton, was not hurt.
--Faith Lutheran’s Mission & Outreach Team in Little Falls is once again sponsoring Operation Christmas Child (OCC) and serves as a collection site. OCC is nationally sponsored by Samaritan’s Purse, a ministry of the Billy Graham Evangelical Society. Collection week is next week November 15 through the following Monday November 22nd. OCC collects shoeboxes filled with toys and sends them to children throughout the world. Churches in Little Falls and the surrounding area bring their filled shoeboxes to Faith and we haul them down to the nearest regional collection point. Churches from Pierz to Holdingford have previously participated. Laura Fellbaum is our OCC coordinator. Collecting shoeboxes makes a great Youth Group activity. For more information call the church at 414-0533.
--Events this weekend include more turkey bingos and events this weekend as bingos are scheduled in Harding, Sobieski and Bowlus on Sunday afternoon. Also Upsala is performing there play All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten tonight and Saturday at 7pm at Upsala High School. Get details on events at fallsradio.com then click on the community calendar link on the top of the page.
--A Reichert Bus went off the road Thursday morning after dropping students off at Nisswa Elementary School. The bus driver was the only person on the bus when it went into the ditch along County Highway 18. The driver is believed to have had a medical issue, though the incident is still under investigation. There were minor injuries to the driver reportedThursday afternoon. There were no students on the bus. The driver's name was not released.
--More closings for Thanksgiving this year as Mall of America and Crossroads Center announced they will be closed Thanksgiving Day. Already Wal-Mart, Target, Coborns Inc. and others announced all of there stores would not be opened for Thanksgiving Day or night with some stores opening earlier hours on Friday, November 26th.
--The Little Falls City Council meets Monday at 7:30pm at City Hall. There will be a special work session Monday beginning at 6:30pm.
DEATH NOTICES
--Patrick Brady, age 78 of Hutchinson formerly Little Falls.
--Gary Marquedant, age 57 of Little Falls.
WEATHER
TODAY= snow showers, changing to rain, windy, cold, high 34.
TONIGHT= mostly cloudy, gusty winds, low near 20.
SATURDAY= cloudy, snow showers, up to 1 inch, high 32.
SATURDAY NIGHT= snow showers early, then cloudy, low 19.
SUNDAY= partly sunny and chilly, high 29, low around 14.
MONDAY= cloudy skies, breezy, high 35, low around 20.
SPORTS
COL FB= Gophers are at Iowa Saturday 12:30pm pregame, kickoff is at 2:30pm for Floyd of Rosedale (pig) live on AM960 KLTF.
NFL= The Vikings are at Los Angeles Chargers Sunday with many players out for the game already due to COVID or injury. The kickoff is scheduled at 3:05pm and can be heard live on AM960 KLTF.
NFL= The Los Angeles Rams announced they have acquired Odell Beckham Jr. after he waived this week by the Cleveland Browns. Also Cam Newton has returned to the Carolina Panthers where he spent most of his career after the QB injuries piled up in Carolina.
WRAP= The Saturday Morning Sports Wrap will look at section swimming for Little Falls, state volleyball and state football playoffs and some opening games for winter sports. The program airs just after 8:30am Saturdays on AM960 KLTF and fallsradio.com.
TODAY IN HISTORY
IN 1910= considered first movie stunt, a man jumped into the Hudson River from a burning hot air balloon.
IN 1942= the Battle of Guadalcanal begins.
IN 1946= Disney's “Song of the South” opens in theaters, the movie won an Oscar for best song Zip a Dee Doo Dah, due to controversy around the movies sterotypes the movie was removed from most video stores by 1989 and has not been rereleased to public since.
IN 1969= Minnesota Twins Harmon Killebrew voted League MVP.
IN 1978= WKRP in Cincinnati airs “Turkey's Away” with the famous line from newsman Les Nesman “As God as My Witness I Thought Turkeys Could Fly”. Which became a classic each Thanksgiving.
IN 1984= Madonna released her “Like a Virgin” album, the album at the time became the highest selling album for a solo female artist.
IN 1988= The Escape Club hit #1 with “Wild Wild West”.