NEWS
--After more than three hours of deliberation, Brainerd School Board members voted 4-2 in the early hours of Friday, April 15, to offer the superintendent job to Heidi Hahn. Hahn is the current assistant superintendent for Brainerd Public Schools and informed the board she will think over their offer and return soon with a decision.
--Mike LeMieur, a lifelong resident of Morrison County, announces his intent to seek re-election to the Morrison County commissioner seat in District 1. Due to redistricting, the term will be for two years, and Morrison County District 1 will consist of the cities of Randall and Motley and the townships of Cushing, Darling, Green Prairie, Motley, Rosing, Scandia Valley, Ripley and Platte. He was first elected for Morrison County District 1 Commissioner in 2016.
--Sheldon Monson announced his campaign for the newly formed House District 5B. This newly formed House District includes Todd County and portions of Wadena, the northwestern section Morrison and Cass counties. Monson is from Wadena County where he served two years as a County Commissioner.
--A St. Cloud man has been sentenced for having sex with a 14-year-old girl he was tutoring. A Stearns County judge has sentenced 22-year-old Leroy Moore to a 12-year stayed sentence and probation for 30 years. Moore was also sentenced to one year in jail to be served in four staggered segments. The first segment is 95 days, followed by three 90-day sentences. Moore will be able to serve those terms on electronic home monitoring or Huber work release. Moore pleaded guilty to 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct with a victim between 13-15-years-old and being in a position of authority. The incidents took place in the spring of 2019 at North Junior High School when Leroy Moore was 19-years-old. Court records show Moore was working as a tutor/coach for Dreamline, a youth-development program partnering with the St. Cloud Area School District. Interviews with the girl and with Moore confirmed the sex took place inside a Dreamline classroom at the school on two separate occasions in March of 2019. According to the complaint, Moore said he first kissed the girl in the hallway. He then told investigators he took her out of class and to the Dreamline classroom where he locked the door and had intercourse with the victim. He said they had sex again the following week.
--Amid outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), the University of Minnesota's Raptor Center is urging individuals to help mitigate its spread by taking down their bird feeders and other apparatus that birds use to congregate. Raptor Center Executive Director Dr. Victoria Hall posted of the "unprecedented" nature of the U.S. HPAI outbreak on the center's Facebook page, and reminded the public that "all bird species are potentially susceptible to HPAI," though there is a gap of understanding in how the virus manifests in certain species over others. Just this week Raptor Center crews responded to reports of three young great horned owls in distress at their nest near Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis. All three were transported to the center suffering from extreme neurological systems: One died suddenly, and the other two had to be euthanized. All tested positive for the avian influenza. The parental pair was found dead in the same area as the infected nest. The Morrison County Sheriff's Office has also posted information from the Extension Office and Board of Health on their facebook and the information is also on the Morrison County website to view.
--The Little Falls City Council meets tonight 7:30pm at City Hall.
--Pine Grove Zoo has scheduled their annual spring clean-up for Saturday, May 7, 2022 from 8-10am. They need help raking leaves, trimming trees, hauling branches in the zoo and picking up garbage at Pine Grove Park. Everyone who volunteers for the entire 2 hours, will get a special zoo adventure during your volunteer experience. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. They ask that you bring any rakes, pruning shears and gloves for your use. All volunteers are asked to bring their own working gloves and rakes if they are able. To sign up to volunteer or for more information, contact Pine Grove Zoo at 320-616-5595 or email the zoo.
--The Morrison County Commissioners meet Tuesday at 9am at the government center boardroom. There will be proclamation of National Crime Victims Rights Week, Vulnerable Adult Awareness and Prevention Week and Distraction Free Driving Month. The Board will hear reports from Extension, Sheriff's, Health and Human Services, Information Technology Public Works and other committee reports.
--A Menagha woman was injured Friday afternoon at 12:15pm on Highway 71 in Hewitt of Todd County. 63-year-old Diane Schmitz was at the intersection of Highway 210 and Highway 71 when her vehicle struck the guardrail left the roadway and struck a tree. The vehicle then kept going until stopping in a nearby yard. Schmitz was taken to St. Cloud Hospital with reportedly non-life threatening injuries.
DEATH NOTICES
--Constance “Connie” Fields, age 73 of Randall.
--Elvira Stumpf, age 93 of Pierz.
--Rosemary Capko, age 85 of Little Falls/Flensburg area.
--Thomas “Tom” Heying, age 81 of Little Falls.
WEATHER
TODAY= AM snow showers, cloudy and breezy, high 37.
TONIGHT= clearing skies, windy, low near 20.
TUESDAY= AM sunshine, PM clouds, high 43, low near 35.
WEDNESDAY= rain likely, isolated thunder, high 48, low 29.
SPORTS
TWINS= Miguel Sano has a big homerun and Joe Ryan pitches 6 strong innings to help Twins to an 8-4 win over Red Sox Friday. Boston shuts out the Twins on Saturday 4-0 to even the series. Boston beats the Twins 8-1 on Sunday in game 3. The Twins wrap up with Boston today with a morning game on Patriot's Day in Boston, pregame is actually at 9:30am this morning on Q92 WYRQ.
NBA= Timberwolves beat Memphis 130-117 on Saturday to take Game 1 of the NBA first round series. Game 2 is Tuesday night.
NHL= Wild lose Saturday in OT to Blues, beat Sharks in OT Sunday.
BOS= The Boston Marathon is today for Patriot's Day in Boston.
TODAY IN HISTORY
IN 1775= the night Paul Revere made his famous ride warning the colonists that the “British are Coming”. However Revere would be captures and William Dawes retreated so the only one to finish the entire ride in 1775 was Dr. Samuel Prescott.
IN 1909= The Roman Catholic Church declares Joan of Arc a Saint.
IN 1924= Simon and Schuster publishes first crossword puzzle book.
IN 1956= Prince Rainier III of Monaco marries American Actress Grace Kelly, the event was first done private, then a large public one.
IN 1975= John Lennon releases “Stand by Me” the original song done by Ben E. King hit #1 in 1961, Lennon's hit #4 in 1975.