NEWS
--Reminder that the brush and leaf pickup in Little Falls is scheduled rain or shine tomorrow morning starting at 6am. Have bags of leaves and brush in untied bags with rock or weight on them to be pickup and the weight or rock with empty bag will be left behind. Any questions call City Hall today at 616-5500.
--A Duluth man charged with fatally shooting a St. Cloud State University professor in June has avoided a jury trial and has pleaded guilty. Forty-five-year-old Jason Beckman has pleaded guilty to 2nd degree murder with intent without pre-meditation. A felony theft charge and a felony gun possession charge have been dismissed. Ed Ward was shot and killed in the incident at his home on June 20th. Following the shooting Ward was rushed to the hospital where he died from two gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen. Beckman's trial was scheduled to begin Monday. Instead, he'll be sentenced in Stearns County District Court Friday, October 29th.
--Authorities are investigating a car versus pedestrian accident in St. Cloud. The St. Cloud Fire Department was dispatched as first responders to the incident just after 6:30pm Wednesday evening. According to the fire department, it happened near the interchange of Highway 10 and Highway 23. When firefighters arrived at the scene they found a person in the northbound lanes of Highway 10 with multiple injuries from being struck by a vehicle. The pedestrian was brought by ambulance to St. Cloud Hospital. No other information about the person, including their condition, is available.
--St. Cloud Area School District Superintendent Willie Jett will be stepping down from his position at the end of the 2021-22 school year. He announced the move during a school board meeting Wednesday evening. "I'll be stepping down at the end of the school year, and have decided not to seek another contract”. Jett was hired to lead Central Minnesota's largest school district in 2013. He was previously an assistant superintendent in the St. Paul school district. Jett said his children will have graduated from the St. Cloud district then. "As a family, we've been blessed to be part of this community, I'm also thankful to this board, to the students, families and staff of [district] 742, and to the greater St. Cloud community for your care, and for your support," Jett said in his statement. "I have loved my time here”. The board will now begin the process to find the next Superintendent for St. Cloud schools.
--More than 650 people, including 23 Minnesotans, have been infected with salmonella likely due to contaminated onions. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, the Minnesota cases range from people between the ages of 7 and 77, and that people began feeling ill between August 8 and September 18. Officials say four people were hospitalized but no deaths have been reported. The CDC say the contaminated onions came from Chihuahua, Mexico and were distributed by ProSource, Inc to restaurants and grocery stores throughout the United States. So far, 37 states have reports of salmonella linked to the contaminated onions. The CDC recommends people throw away any whole red, white, or yellow onions that doesn't have a sticker or packaging. Seek medical attention if you're experiencing any severe symptoms, such as diarrhea, high fever of over 102 degrees, bloody stool, vomiting and signs of dehydration like feeling dizzy when standing up, dry mouth or throat and not using the bathroom as much. Check out the CDC's website for more information about the outbreak.
--Join Ron Specker who will be broadcasting live from Boo Fest Saturday on AM960 KLTF at the Pine Grove Zoo Boo Fest which runs 3-6pm Saturday, trick or treating, animals out, haunted houses and lots of pumpkins come and see 3-6pm Saturday at the Zoo.
--Area law enforcement is reminding motorists to expect more children out and about as there was no school Thursday and also no school today due to what was called MEA break, some schools still do but others have stopped attending the original MEA conferences for teachers and now call it fall break or just no schools for a few days. So heavier flows of younger drivers and pedestrians will be out again today so slow down for children at play in your areas.
--Lakes Jam 2022 announced their lineup for next year in Brainerd which will be June 23rd thorugh the 25th and headlined by Jon Pardi (who was to be in 2020 but due to reasons could not be there), Cole Swindell and Tesla. Other bands performing are Warrant and Kix on Thursday Rock night with Tesla, Gabby Barrett, Jameson Rodgers, Mark Wills and Bobby McClendon with Pardi on Friday night, Jordan Davis, Priscilla Block, Tim Hurley and Eric Chesser with Swindell on Saturday night next year at Lakes Jam 2022 in Brainerd at BIR, details at lakesjam.com.
--A very busy weekend of events including a free magic show this afternoon at 3:30 at the Carnegie Library in Little Falls, Bethany Lutheran of Ramey has a potato pancake supper tonight, the big fundraiser for St. Gabriel's Advocates tonight with White Sidewalls Rock and Roll Revue at 7:30 at the Falls Ballroom. Saturday is Boo Fest at Pine Grove Zoo 3-6, soup supper and bake sale Saturday 4:30-7pm at Holy Cross Parish in North Prairie, fundraiser for basketball program in Pierz with AWF Pro Wrestling show at 7pm at Pierz Healy High School, Sacred Heart Church and School in Staples putting on Chicken and Beef Dinner and bazaar with plenty of events on Sunday at Sacred Heart in Staples, church bingos for quilts or turkeys or cash going on at St. Joseph's in Pierz, St. Rita's in Hillman, St. Mary's Church in Upsala all on Sunday, details at fallsradio.com.
--Pierz City Council meets Monday at 7pm at Pierz City Hall.
DEATH NOTICES
--Delores Soltis, age 89 of Bowlus.
WEATHER
TODAY= frost in morning, then sunny, high 47.
TONIGHT= clear skies, frosty night, low 25.
SATURDAY= sunny skies, high 47, clouds increase late, low 30.
SUNDAY= AM rain/snow shower, then cloudy, breezy, high 44, low 33
MONDAY= cloudy skies, few rain showers, high 51, low around 40.
SPORTS
COL FB= Gophers host Maryland Saturday 12:30pm AM960 KLTF
MLB= Atlanta leads Los Angeles 3-2 in NLCS game 6 Saturday, Houston leads Boston 3-2 in ALCS game 6 is tonight.
HS FB= Little Falls will open football playoffs at St. Cloud Apollo on Tuesday night 7pm on Q92 WYRQ and Pierz will be home against Minnewaska Tuesday at 7pm on 94ROCKS KFML. Other teams such as Holdingford, Foley, Staples-Motley, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle and Pillager begins on Tuesday while others like Royalton and Upsala-Swanville both finished first in their respected sections and will get a bye Tuesday, and play Saturday, October 30th for their start in the football playoffs. Listen to coverage live on Little Falls Radio.