NEWS
--Little Falls will be booming this weekend with the 47th Annual Arts and Crafts Fair Saturday 8-6 and Sunday 9-4 throughout the downtown area with over 600 crafters and food vendors taking over the town. Please expect delays in the downtown area during the event, slow down, expect heavy flows of pedestrian traffic Saturday and Sunday. Also the West Little Falls Antiques and Collectibles will be the same hours Saturday and Sunday with trinkets, treasures and many items of homemade nature at LeBourget Park on the west side of Little Falls. There is construction on the west side and many roads may be blocked off so respect the detours and be safe this weekend. On Sunday, The Lone Eagle Auto Club presents their classic car show and swap meet out at the Morrison County Fairgrounds from 7-4. Food and many other cool things on display on Sunday. There is a shuttle bus from the fairgrounds to the downtown area both days to avoid the heavy parking flow this weekend. Please be safe, have fun and enjoy the events in Little Falls.
--Four people are jailed and another is wanted by authorities after St. Cloud Police say four children were kidnapped by their father early Wednesday. Police were called to the 300 block of 4th Avenue South around 12:30am on a report of four children ages 18-months to 12-years-old who were taken from their mother. Police say the father, 33-year-old Deangelo Bey of Minneapolis, 31-year-old Kailee Lucking of Grand Rapids, 34-year-old Andre Taylor of St. Paul, 28-year-old Tamarah Taylor of St. Paul and another man entered the woman's apartment to take the children. Police say the father displayed a handgun and Tamarah Taylor used a taser on the mother during the abduction. With the help of Grand Rapids Police, Bey, Lucking, Taylor and the four children were found at a home in Grand Rapids around 6am that morning. Officers were able to take the children into protective custody unharmed and arrested the three suspects. Tamarah Taylor was later found in Minneapolis and arrested. Police are searching for a fourth suspect who assisted in the kidnapping. The suspects are being taken to the Stearns County Jail on suspicion of kidnapping assault and burglary. The children are remaining in protective custody until they can be reunited with their mother.
--A Patriotic Rosary will be prayed next Wednesday, September 11th at 12:45pm at St. Joseph's Church in Pierz. The Hearts of Faith, local Catholic Women’s Groups, Legion and Auxiliary, Knights of Columbus, and students of Holy Trinity School will each lead a decade of the rosary. They will pray for each fo the 50 states, government officials and others in need of prayer and peace. The event was established following the 9-11 attacked in 2001 in keeping peace in the nation.
--The Department of Natural Resources is trying to figure out what caused about two dozen deer to die in Stearns County. Area Fisheries say all of the adult dead deer have been found west and south of the Rice Bridge toward St. Stephen. The initial inspection has shown no signs of anything clinical. Further lab samples were sent to the National Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Iowa, and some samples were also sent to Colorado State University. They're hoping to get those lab results back next week.
--Other events this weekend include church bazaars on Sunday in Long Prairie and in Onamia, other rummage sales, craft sales, book signings and church functions will also take place during the crafts weekend in Little Falls. The Carnegie Library book sale started Thursday and continues 12-6 today and 10-3 on Saturday.
--The House Capital Investment committee will be reviewing plans for a shared Minnesota Military Museum and Minnesota Fishing Museum today at Camp Ripley. Representative Ron Kresha, R-Little Falls, released the following statement regarding the project. “When I visit the fishing museum or the military museum I think of families. So many people grew up fishing with grandma or grandpa and hearing stories about military service,” said Rep. Ron Kresha who is advocating for the project. “This facility will offer a perfect spot for families to stop on their way ‘Up North’ and to share memories.” The proposed project will build a facility to house both museums. Visitors will be able to relive memories of veterans through the extensive collection of donated military artifacts. Additionally, visitors will also be able to see and hear stories of how Minnesota became a destination fishing state. “The vision for this project is to combine two important interests of Minnesotans: fishing and the service of Minnesotans in our military,” said Kresha. “These two legacies are intertwined in the lives of Minnesota families and this combined facility will give Minnesotans a chance to share memories and to respect the sacrifices of veterans.” Both museums are currently located in the Little Falls area and attract visitors from all areas of the state. By combining the museums, the State of Minnesota will save money and be able to promote two important legacies from Minnesota’s history.
--A 64-year-old Brainerd man is accused of sexually abusing a girl during a four-year period. Charles Leroy Mass was charged in June with three felonies in Crow Wing County District Court in Brainerd with two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct using penetration with a person under age 13 and second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a victim under age 13. Mass denied the charges stating he may have undressed in front of the girl or touching her over her pants in his house but not sexually. Mass denied penetration. Mass has a prior conviction for third-degree criminal sexual conduct from an incident in 2001 when he had intercourse with a 14-year-old girl after giving her alcohol.
--The Minnesota National Guard is promoting Johanna Clyborne as the first female two star general. Brigadier General Johanna Clyborne will be promoted to the rank of major general during a promotion ceremony on Saturday in St. Paul.
DEATH NOTICE
--Marianne Rose Johnson, age 83 of Upsala
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny skies, high 75, partly cloudy night, low 49.
SATURDAY= cloudy skies, high 63, rain after dark, low 48.
SUNDAY= rain likely in morning, then cloudy, high 60, low 45.
MONDAY= AM sun, PM storms develop, high 66, low near 50.
SPORTS
HS FB= Albany at Little Falls tonight at 7pm on AM960 KLTF
HS FB= Pierz at Paynesville Area tonight 7pm on FM94 KFML.
TWINS= Eddie Rosario throws out a Red Sox at the plate for the Twins to hold on to a 2-1 win last night over Boston. The Twins return home and face the Cleveland Indians this weekend. Pregame tonight at 6:30pm, Saturday 5:30pm and Sunday 12:30pm on Q92.
COL FB= Gophers at Fresno State Saturday at 9:30pm on AM960.
NFL= Vikings host Atlanta to open regular season Sunday at noon.