NEWS
--At 2:26pm on Saturday, the Morrison County Sheriffs Office received a report of a white V-front, 18-foot Pace fully enclosed trailer that was stolen with a MN license plate #CXT2065. The trailer had a window above the wheel well on both sides. Also stolen was a white 1977 Chevy Monte Carlo vehicle, bearing MN plate #737091 that was being stored inside the trailer. The Monte Carlo has a red soft top on the back half of the vehicle. It had four chrome rims and damage to the rear drivers side quarter panel and a red panel on the trunk lid/bumper. The location of the theft was off 170th Avenue, Bellevue Township, north of the city of Royalton. Please call the Morrison County Sheriffs Office at (320) 632-9233 and ask to speak with a supervisor if you have any information regarding this theft.
--The superintendent of the St. Cloud Area School District is responding to a social media rumor that spread Thursday morning. Superintendent Laurie Putnam says, We became aware of a rumor circulating on social media about an alleged threat at Tech High School today. Our administration is partnering closely with law enforcement, and the St. Cloud Police Department has determined there is no credible threat to student or staff safety. She says they will be talking with students about the importance of responsible social media use and reporting concerns to trusted adults. Putnam says they have communicated with families, students, and staff. St. Cloud Police have determined the images circulated on social media were from another post, more than 2-years old, and not related to the area. They say there's no threat to the school but have provided extra resources through the end of the day. Police are working to identify the person who made the threats, and the school and police said they will pursue charges once identified.
--A 23-year-old Sauk Centre man is charged with criminal sexual conduct after grooming a 14-year-old girl on a social media app for sex and explicit photos. Zachary Sureth is accused of convincing the girl to send pictures and videos of herself in sexually explicit photos and then meeting up with her to have intercourse. The crimes came to light when the girl's mother discovered sexually explicit messages on the girl's phone. The child was brought to the Child Advocacy Center for a forensic interview where she admitted to meeting Sureth for sex on three separate occasions. Sureth is charged with 3rd-degree criminal sexual conduct, while using a minor in what is considered a pornographic work.
--Another weekend of events including the final Saturday of the Little Falls Farmer's Market 7am-12pm at the Boys and Girls Club Parking Lot on the west side of Little Falls. Sacred Heart Church and School in Staples will have their fall bazaar Sunday, dinner is at the church from 10:30am-1pm, bazaar with plant sale, produce sale and cash bingo will be at the school during the same time Sunday. Polish Echos Pork Chop Dinner is Sunday from 9:30-1:30pm all proceeds to Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Little Falls cost is a free will offering. Sacred Heart Church of Flensburg having their fall bingo Sunday at 1pm. Bingo prizes will be meat platters, burgers and brats will be served and there will be two bingo winners per game. Holy Cross Church in Harding will have a turkey bingo Sunday starting at 1:30pm in the church basement, blackout game winner receives $25. Also tonight is the Halloween Dance for adults 16 and up with disabilities, tickets did need to be purchased in advance, questions can be directed to Community Services in Little Falls at 320-632-7902.
--Halloween Trick or Treating 3:30-5pm Monday in Little Falls, Trick or Treating Monday 3-5:30pm in Pierz.
--Election Day is November 8th. On Thursday, November 3rd County Administrator Matt LeBlanc will be on KLTF at 8:30am to talk elections in the county and Monday, November 7th Little Falls City Administrator will be on KLTF at 8:30am to talk city elections and where you need to vote in Little Falls. There will also be live election coverage November 8th starting at 8pm on AM960 KLTF and 92.1 FM WYRQ and online at fallsradio.com.
--A St. Paul man has pleaded guilty to his role in the $250 million fraud scheme that exploited a federally-funded child nutrition program during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to court documents, 40-year-old Abdul Abubakar Ali admitted that from December 2020 through January 2022, he knowingly and willfully conspired with others to participate in a fraudulent scheme to obtain and misappropriate millions of dollars in federal child nutrition program funds that were intended as reimbursements for the cost of serving meals to underprivileged children. Ali used a non-profit entity called Youth Inventors Lab as a shell company to carry out his scheme. Ali and his co-conspirators enrolled Youth Inventors Lab in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. In total, Youth Inventors Lab claimed to have served over 1.3 million meals between December 2020 through June 2021 and fraudulently received $3,029,786 in reimbursements.
--A Twin Cities man faces solicitation of a child charges after allegedly chatting with an undercover officer from the Central Minnesota Human Trafficking Task Force. 36-year-old Matthew Sommers of Eagan is charged with three felonies related to criminal sexual conduct involving a child. Sommers began chatting with the undercover officer, who was posing as a 15-year-old girl, in a chat room known for the solicitation of children. Court records allege Sommers turned the conversation toward a sexual nature and sent pictures of his genitals. A second undercover officer also set up a profile of a 15-year-old girl and says Sommers began soliciting them who he thought was a different 15-year-old girl. Records show he again sent nude photos of his genitals. Investigators and members of the Eagan Police Department raided Sommers' house, seized electronic devices, and arrested him on the felony charges.
DEATH NOTICE
--Delores Fussy, age 78 of Bowlus
WEATHER
TODAY= becoming sunny, high 61, mostly cloudy night, low 40.
SATURDAY= sunny skies, mild, high 65, clear night, low near 36.
SUNDAY= sunny, breezy, bit cooler, high 55, low near 40.
MONDAY= sunny and warmer, high 62, low near 38.
SPORTS
High School Football playoffs continue Saturday for area teams with Little Falls at Rocori at 1pm on KLTF, Pierz at New London Spicer kickoff at 2pm on 94ROCKS and Upsala/Swanville at Belgrade Brooten Elrosa at 2pm on Q92 WYRQ. Other teams in action include Kimball at Royalton at 2pm, Foley at Mora Saturday night at 7pm. Winners move to section finals next Thursday, Friday or Saturday.
HS VB= Little Falls, Pierz, Upsala, Royalton and Foley were eliminated last night in playoffs, Swanville and Holdingford advanced.
MLB= Game 1 of the World Series tonight Houston vs. Philadelphia. COL FB= Gophers vs. Rutgers Saturday at 1:30 in football.
NFL= Vikings host Arizona on Sunday, kickoff at noon