NEWS
--Minnesota lawmakers will have a $1.4 billion budget surplus to spread around next year. It’s an unexpected bit of good news for most state officials who weren’t expecting such a sizable sum of extra cash. Much of that money comes from nearly $730 million the Legislature left unspent this year due to stalled tax and transportation bills. But that sum shrinks after some cash gets put into a rainy day fund. Governor Mark Dayton and the Republicans who control the Legislature in 2017 will set a two-year budget.
--A teenager is hurt after rolling his vehicle along 1-94 near Sauk Centre Thursday morning. The state patrol says 19-year-old Aaron Clark, of Murdock, was heading east when he swerved to avoid another vehicle, hit the median, lost control and rolled in the ditch. Clark sustained non-life threatening injuries in the crash.
--A military veteran from Coon Rapids is getting a second chance after robbing a St. Cloud bank in 2013. Twenty-nine-year-old Michael Berger avoided prison time when he was sentenced on one count of 2nd degree aggravated robbery Thursday. He pleaded guilty to the felony count in November. Berger was sentenced to 15 years probation with several conditions including no drugs or alcohol, remain law abiding and complete the Veterans Protocol Court. Berger must also pay restitution on the $1,400 he stole from the bank. He gets credit for the one day he served in the Stearns County Jail but did not receive any additional jail time as part of his sentence. Court records show Berger walked into the TCF Bank on 25th Avenue South in October 2013, handed the teller a note that read “I am sorry, I have a gun, quietly and quickly put your $20’s, $50’s and $100’s from your drawer into an envelope just as if I was making a withdrawal.” He admitted to the robbery last May and pleaded guilty to it in court.
--The Fish Trap Lake Improvement District announced their assessment and budget recently the Morrison County Board of Commissioners and it was announced that the zebra mussel infestation on the lake has more than doubled in the last year. While the group has done research into methods of combating the invading mussels, they are not allowed to spend money on it. County Auditor/Treasurer Deb Lowe said the DNR recommends LIDs update their management plans every five years. Out of the four LIDs in Morrison County eight to 10 years old, Fish Trap, Alexander, Crookneck and Sullivan, none have updated management plans. Lowe said back when the plans were created they looked at one or two specific issues. In order to change the plan, Lowe said, the Board of Commissioners needs to approve it and another public hearing is needed. The LID voted to increase the assessment per property from $10 this year, to $60 in 2017. Commissioner Kevin Maurer, who attended the LID meeting where the budget and assessment were voted on, said no one spoke against the idea. The Board unanimously approved the budget and assessment.
--The 10th Annual St. Nick Night in Pierz will be on Wednesday. Free horse drawn trolley rides from 5:00-8:00pm and refreshments and cookies served with Mrs. Claus at Farmers and Merchants State Bank; holiday social and pictures with Santa at Pierz Ballroom; Santa's reindeer will be on site at Hartmann's along with Santa's elves from 4:00-6:30pm; holiday boutique and more throughout Pierz.
--Little Falls Community High School has parent teacher conferences 3:45-6:45pm tonight. The only conferences for quarter 2 at LFCHS.
--After previously asking for a recount of the votes following last month's loss to U.S. Representative Rick Nolan, Stewart Mills on Friday announced he was cutting the recount effort short. The cost of the discretionary recount, for which Mills and his campaign would have had to pay themselves, turned out to be prohibitive. Mills stated in a press release Friday, the cost estimates of this recount in terms of volunteer time and expense was excessive. Instead of spending financial resources to recount votes, Mills decided to donate a portion of that to the Salvation Army. Any donations made to the Mills campaign for a recount will be refunded in full to those individuals or if people choose, they will be added to the Salvation Army donation.
--Two people were injured Saturday night around 10pm on Highway 15 and County Road 1 near Sartell in Stearns County. 24-year-old Angela Schlangen of Sartell was turning left onto the county road when she collided with an oncoming vehicle driven by 45-year-old Theresa Brown of Waverly. Brown and her passenger 15-year-old Charese Brown of Waverly were treated for non life threatening injuries at an area hospital. Schlangen was not hurt.
--A three vehicle accident sent two people to the hospital around 5:15pm Saturday near Waite Park. None of the drivers were injured but two passengers in separate vehicles were taken to a hospital for their injuries. Rain/snow at the time may have been a factor in crash.
--The Morrison County Commissioners hold their next regular meeting tomorrow at 9am at the government center.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT
--Josh and Kelcea Bue of Little Falls, girl on December 1st
DEATH NOTICES
--Valeria Helen Peka, age 85 of Holdingford
--Fern Vanderpoel, age 91 of Onamia.
--Dr. Duane Lund, age 90 of Staples.
WEATHER
TODAY= increasing clouds, rain/snow in afternoon, high 36.
TONIGHT= light snow, mostly cloudy, low 23.
TUESDAY= snow at times, blustery, falling temps through teens.
WEDNESDAY= partly cloudy, windy and colder, high 15.
SPORTS
GOPHERS= The Gopher football team will face Washington State on Tuesday, December 27th at 6:00pm in the Holiday Bowl in San Diego.
COL FB= Penn State defeated Wisconsin 38-31 to win the Big 10 Championship. Badgers led 28-7 in 1st half only to have Penn State who won 8 straight to make the Big 10 Title Game claim victory. On Sunday, Ohio State, Clemson, Washington and Alabama announced as the four teams that will vie for the National Championship.
NFL= Vikings got no help from the NFL North Teams on Sunday as Green Bay beat Houston, Chicago downed San Franscisco and Detroit goes to 8-4 with a 28-13 win over New Orleans.
MSHSL= The Minnesota State High School League announced last week that there will now be consolation games for the state girls and boys basketball tournament in 2017. This means no more one and done at state for many teams that make the state quarter-finals at Target Center, Williams Arena and other sites. The consolation game sites will be determined before the playoffs begins in early 2017.