Newsletter: Friday, September 2nd, 2022

NEWS
--At 6:59pm Wednesday the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a boating accident on Round Lake, approximately four miles northeast of Randall in Cushing Township. According to the Sheriff’s Office, 56-year-old Harold Parduhn of Baxter was driving a boat on Round Lake. While driving the boat, the tiller handle broke causing the boat to make a sudden sharp turn. Harold’s passenger, 54-year-old Cynthia Parduhn fell overboard and cut her leg on the edge of the boat. Cynthia was transported to St. Gabriel’s Hospital by Mayo Clinic Ambulance with a deep cut on her leg. The Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by Randall Fire and Rescue and Mayo Clinic Ambulance.

--As of Thursday, additional (final) grant awards are available to any homeowner in the City of Randall (plus four townships: Darling, Cushing, Green Prairie, and Parker) impacted by the June 23-24 flood. Applications are available at the City of Randall during their business hours until Friday, September 16th at 4:00pm. There is approximately $10,000 in remaining funds available to date. Donations will continue to be received at the Initiative Foundation office at 405 First Street S.E. in Little Falls and online at https://www.givemn.org/Randall-Flood through September 15th. Make checks payable to Initiative Foundation and note "Randall Area Flood Recovery Fund" in the memo line. Any donation received after the 15th will be disbursed to the City of Randall and added to the disaster infrastructure rebuild account. Task force will review applications on September 22nd with a plan to award grants to homeowners through St. James Catholic Church in Randall. Grants will be awarded based on the greatest need and number of applications received.

--As the deadline approaches to apply for disaster assistance loans for two Todd County storms earlier this summer, the Initiative Foundation is asking for support. The Initiative Foundation will match donations totaling $10,000. Straight-line winds with speeds of 85 miles-per-hour tore through Clarissa on May 12th damaging homes, machine sheds, silos, and barns. An EF-1 tornado then touched down in Eagle Bend on Memorial Day weekend. The twister had wind speeds topping 95 miles-per-hour. Main Street saw the heaviest damage with toppled building walls, destroyed grain bins, and damaged homes. The deadline to apply for the Small Business Administration disaster loans is September 23rd. If you want to donate to the Initiative Foundation's Todd County disaster relief effort check with the Initiative Foundation based in Little Falls or go to the givemn.org website with a link attached to Todd County storms.

--The Little Falls Community School district has sent out a reminder for the first day of school. All K-5 students will start school on Tuesday. Additionally, students in grades 6 and 9 also start on Tuesday. All other students start on Wednesday. Mary of Lourdes students in grades K-6 start on Tuesday while grades 7-8 begin on Wednesday. Royalton schools also announced that grades 6-8 return on Tuesday, grades 9-12 return on Wednesday next week. K-5 have parent teacher conferences on Tuesday during the day for elementary students to drop off items and meet teachers then the first full day of classes for K-5 in Royalton will be on Wednesday the 7th.

--The Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Taylor Hernandez from Hands of Hope Resource Center is their September Employee of the month. Part of Taylor's position is outreach to the schools where she talks with youth about healthy relationships. Congratulations to Taylor Hernandez.

--New Little Falls Community Schools Superintendent Greg Johnson spoke on KLTF Thursday. He is pleased to be returning to the area as he grew up and was a Little Falls Graduate and now returns after working in Sartell, St. Cloud and the past 8 years as Superintendent in Albany. Johnson said it has been a lot of learning for him. He thanked the former superintendent Stephen Jones for mentoring him in this role. He wants to focus on mental health of students, bringing in more social workers and counselors to focus on that at all grade levels. The district has also expanded new math curriculum at the schools, tech services upgrade and work on the north side of the high school to expand the tech outlook. Johnson is excited and really glad to see that this year the kids and staff have a bit more excitement than the past two years of uncertainty with COVID. He mentioned that staff is pretty full at the school with an exception of a few para needs as subs in the school year and some custodian positions that need to be filled. If interested in filling those roles you should contact the school for details. Johnson is ready to take on the community role with working with businesses, organizations in town and be part of the athletics and activities which included yesterday checking out tennis, soccer and the football game. If you have questions for Greg Johnson at Little Falls Community Schools, call the high school at 320-616-2200.

--Weekend events include Holy Cross Church Bazaar in Harding on Sunday with polka mass at 10am, chicken and ham dinner 11-2, more food all afternoon, bingo, silent auction, gun raffle, live music and large grand raffle at night this Sunday in Harding. Little Falls Senior Center has their pancake breakfast Sunday 8am-12pm. St. Stephen has their church festival on Labor Day Monday with music from Laverne and The Starlites at Mass and during the day. Get details on events by going to fallsradio.com then community calendar.

DEATH NOTICES
--Theresa DesRoisers, age 81 of Little Falls.

WEATHER
TODAY= shower or storm in morning, then sunny, high 84.
TONIGHT= clearing and cooler, low 49.
SATURDAY= partly cloudy, cool, high near 70, low 43.
SUNDAY= sunny skies, pleasant, high 73, low near 53.
LABOR DAY= sunny and warmer, high 81, low around 56.
TUESDAY= sunny and even warmer, high 86, low near 60.

SPORTS
TWINS= after yesterday off, Twins (67-62) are in Chicago against the White Sox tonight, pregame begins at 6:30pm, Saturday at 5:30pm and Sunday begins at 12:30pm, Inside Twins at noon. Labor Day an early game for the Twins at New York against the Yankees at 11:30am with pregame coverage live on Q92 WYRQ.
COL FB= Gophers rout New Mexico State last night 38-0 in their season opener. Host Western Illinois on Saturday September 10th.
HS FB= Maple Lake at Upsala/Swanville tonight 7pm on 94ROCKS.
CLASS C= Buckman vs. Waconia Saturday at 1:30pm then Avon against St. Patrick Saturday 4:30pm both games on AM960 KLTF. Also Saturday at 4:30pm Nisswa vs. New Ulm on 94ROCKS KFML. If the teams win then more games Sunday and Monday on LF Radio.

There will be no newsletter on Monday for Labor Day as Little Falls Radio offices will be closed. Returns on Tues.