NEWS --The Little Falls Police Department responded to numerous thefts earlier this month including a couple of gas drive offs. They are also investigating a fake $20 bill received by an area business. There were two burglaries in the past couple weeks too. In one of the burglaries on February 15th at 1114 Lindbergh Drive South responding officers observed a garage service door appeared to be broken into. The vehicle parked next to the garage appeared to match a party who had an active warrant so the vehicle was towed. The vehicle had stolen license plates on it. The Little Falls Police Department is also actively investigating a burglary on February 11th at 711 Buck Lane, but due to the ongoing investigation status no further details are available at this time.
--The Little Falls Fire Department responded to five incidents in a 24 hour span on Thursday into Friday but there were no injuries in any of the incidents. On Thursday at 5:47am the Little Falls Fire Department responded to a grease fire on a stove at Central Minnesota Care Center. It was extinguished with a fire extinguisher before firefighters arrived. At 1:30pm Thursday 14-Little Falls firefighters responded to a vehicle fire of a 2014 Ford Pickup at Ray's Body Shop. The fire was believed to have started under the dash in the pickup. At 2:30pm Thursday 14-Little Falls Firefighters responded to a couch on fire outside at the Ray Booth residence at 205 7th Street SW. A cigarette ash was believed to have been the cause. At 8:20pm Thursday the Little Falls Fire Department responded to a residence at 929 11th Street SW for a potential gas leak. There was no leak found but a gas spill was believed to cause the gas smell in the garage. Also at 3:25am on Friday the fire department responded to a water flow alarm on the 4th floor of CHI St. Gabriels Hospital. Again, there were no injuries in any of these incidents.
--The Morrison County American Dairy Association is seeking dairy princess candidates to participate in their Coronation and Banquet on March 24th at the Falls Ballroom. Candidates are interviewed and judged earlier in the day. The top four are selected to be dairy princesses for Morrison County for the following year. The deadline to sign up is this Wednesday, February 28th. Sign up or get more information by calling Stacy Happke at 468-6257.
--An apparent shooting threat made toward "bhs students" spread rapidly among Brainerd High School students late Thursday night, prompting response from the police chief. Brainerd Police Chief Corky McQuiston called the threat not credible in a 9:30pm news release Thursday. The release came after a number of reports concerning the anonymous threat distributed through the mobile messaging app Snapchat. The message went on to state the anonymous attacker would seek revenge by bringing an AR-15 in a duffel bag. McQuiston said through investigation, law enforcement learned an identical post was received in other areas of the country with schools sporting the same "BHS" initials. In fact, the Valencia County News Bulletin, based in Belen, New Mexico reported Thursday a 16-year old student at Belen High School admitted to posting the original threat. Jonathan Flores told police he created a new Snapchat account to share the threat, adding he did it to see "what kind of response he would get from the school and law enforcement." The threat forced a two-hour late start at the New Mexico school, and law enforcement searched the campus. McQuiston said his department had no reason to believe the threat was credible or directed at Brainerd High School. Anyone with information regarding this is asked to call the Brainerd Police Department at (218) 829-2805.
--There was a small outbreak of property damage and thefts across Stearns County this past week. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office says a shooting range in Maine Prairie Township was damaged when a suspect went onto the range and fired rounds at targets, doors and a table last Saturday. Two thefts were reported in the Freeport area. Authorities says someone took several toolboxes, three space heaters, some metal and a storage car from an industrial site in the 300 block of Industrial Drive. The other theft happened in the 100 block of 2nd Avenue Northeast. Authorities say someone broke into a truck and took about $500 worth of stuff from inside. The final incident took place at Eddie's On Grand, whine someone broke in and stole over $2,000 in cash and pull tabs. Anyone with information is asked to call the Stearns County Sheriff's Office at 320-259-3702.
--Many accidents from the snow Thursday and again on Saturday. The Minnesota State Patrol reported one person hurt Friday near Royalton, one person is dead in an accident Saturday in Foley, another person was injured in an accident early Sunday in Little Falls, four people were hurt when the vehicle they were struck collided with a MN Dot snow plow just after 6am on Friday. Two from Minneapolis and two from Bemidji were taken to the hospital with injuries. A 53-year old was injured Thursday afternoon when her vehicle spun on some ice and struck another on Highway in Waite Park, she had minor injuries. A 16-year-old driver was injured when the vehicle the 16 was driving spun out on Highway 371 in Crow Wing County Thursday and struck another vehicle. The 16-year-old was hospitalized and a McGregor man was killed when the truck he was plowing ran him over as he checked underneath it.
--One person has now died from their injuries in an apartment fire in St. Cloud. The incident happened shortly before 7:15pm Thursday at 1521 Sherburne Drive, in an upper floor apartment. St. Cloud Fire Marshal Michael Post says the victim was taken to St. Cloud Hospital where they later died. The name of the victim has yet to be released. The blaze caused about $60,000 worth of damages in only one unit of the complex. The cause of the fire was an unattended cigarette.
--Little Falls Community Middle School and Upsala schools are hosting conferences today get details through the schools websites.
DEATH NOTICE --Delford “Del” Vernier, age 79 of Freedhem --Agnes Regina Karpinski, age 89 of Little Falls.
WEATHER TODAY= sunny skies, high near 40. TONIGHT= fog overnight, clear skies, low 14. TUESDAY= becoming cloudy, high 35, clearing late, low 14. WEDNESDAY= sunny skies, high 35, light snow after midnight.
SPORTS GHK= after Brainerd took a 3-0 lead on Friday, Andover fought back and beat the Warriors 4-3 in overtime eliminating them from state. OLY= The U.S. Men's Curling team won gold early Saturday morning with a 10-7 win over Sweden. First medal in curling since 1996. The United States finished fourth in overall medals with 23. Norway was the top finisher with 38 total medals as the games finished Sunday. NBA= Jimmy Butler of the Timberwolves injured his meniscus in his knee Friday and is likely to miss the rest of the regular season. Butler stated he hopes to be back by the playoffs as it is not a ligament tear. WRE= State Wrestling Tournament begins on Thursday in St. Paul.