NEWS
--To help ensure public safety and protect natural resources, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources activated burning restrictions started at 12:01am last Friday morning for the southern and eastern portions of Beltrami county, and all of Morrison, Cass, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Itasca, Todd and Wadena counties. In the area affected by the restrictions, burning permits will not be issued for brush or yard waste; no fireworks may be ignited on any public or private land outside city limits (check with your local community for any additional restrictions); and campfires are allowed only in an established fire ring associated with a home, campground, or resort. The burning restrictions will remain in effect until terminated by the DNR Commissioner when weather and environmental conditions indicate a reduction in fire danger.
--Former Little Falls Youth Hockey Organization Treasurer, Kelly Beth Alonso-Heath, 42, Little Falls, was sentenced in Morrison County District Court to 150 days of local confinement, restitution of $30,195 and 20 years of probation after a felony conviction for theft - diverting corporate property. She was found to have stolen more than $90,000 from the Little Falls Youth Hockey Association. Alonso-Heath must serve the first 90 days of her confinement, beginning June 18. She will then serve 30 days in 2022 and 2023, with both being eligible to be vacated if she is current on restitution payments.
--One person was killed Saturday morning around 11:30am in Benton County when their vehicle left Highway i10 n Watab Township struck the median and rolled. 23-year-old Gregory Sanchez-Carpio of Long Prairie was pronounced dead when troopers arrived. His passenger 19-year-old Daniel Martinez-Diaz of Long Prairie had non life threatening injuries, and treated at St. Cloud Hospital.
--The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) recently awarded funding to schools across Minnesota for two new grants to increase the amount of healthy local foods in school meals through its Farm to School programs. School districts across Minnesota received a total of $294,907 for purchasing Minnesota-grown and -raised foods to be used in school meal programs. Funding for this program is made available through the Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) program, which administers grants to farmers, agribusinesses, schools, and more throughout the state of Minnesota. The grant recipients may receive technical assistance to successfully implement their farm to school procurement activities from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy thanks to funding from the USDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant. University of Minnesota Extension’s Center of Community Vitality will evaluate the economic impact of this investment. Locally ISD 0487 Upsala Public Schools receiving $5,000. Regional schools like Alexandria, New York Mills, Melrose and Crosslake schools also received moneys from Farm to School grants.
--A 66-year-old woman suffered minor injuries Tuesday, June 15, after a truck collided with a bicycle built for two in Baxter. The woman was a passenger on the bike. The Baxter Police Department was called at 2:59pm to the personal injury crash on the 13000 block of Memorywood Drive. The truck, driven by Scott M. Caswell, 49, Baxter, was traveling south of Memorywood Drive when the truck collided with the bicycle, which was traveling north. Caswell was not injured. The bicycle operator, Robert S. Telste, 66, Alexandria, was not injured but his passenger, Bobbie L. Telste, 65, Alexandria, was transported to Brainerd hospital for minor injuries.
--Approximately 150 Soldiers from the Minnesota National Guard’s 34th Military Police Company headquartered in Stillwater, returned to Minnesota Saturday after a nine-month deployment to Cuba. The Soldiers provided base security in support of Joint Task Force Guantanamo whose mission is to conduct safe, humane and legal detention operations. The unit that left Minnesota in August 2020 was awarded the Major General Harry H. Bandholtz Award for the second year in a row. The award recognizes the top military police units in the U.S. Army.
--A St. Cloud man has died from injuries in a motorcycle crash. The Minnesota State Patrol says it happened at about 8pm Thursday on eastbound Highway 10 near Clear Lake in Sherburne County. Seventy-four-year-old Dennis Schrom was driving the bike when it entered the median and crashed. Schrom was taken to St. Cloud Hospital, where the State Patrol reported Sunday that he had died.
–Brainerd police stated that a 69-year-old woman was attempting to utilize her vehicle’s parking brake while outside of her vehicle, when the vehicle inadvertently ran over her causing a severe injury to her arm. The woman was airlifted to North Memorial in the Twin Cities. No other details were released. This accident happened Wednesday.
--Another drowning incident in Minnesota, this time in Wright County last Sunday. The sheriff's office was called to Cedar Lake just southwest of Monticello at about 5:15pm for a man who had gone into the water and had not returned to the boat. Fifty-two-year-old Chad Holland of Monticello had left a pontoon to assist several children who were swimming near the boat. Authorities say the boat began drifting away from the kids so Holland entered the water to help them. Others on the lake helped return the children to the pontoon, but Holland was not found. Deputies and the other boaters were eventually able to find Holland who was unresponsive in the water. Life-saving efforts were unsuccessful.
--The Little Falls City Council meets tonight 7:30pm at the City Hall Council Chambers. The Morrison County Commissioners next meeting is Tuesday at 9am the government center boardroom.
DEATH NOTICES
--John I. Ridlon, age 31 of Hopkins.
--Ida C. Robinson, age 73 of Little Falls.
--Roger Lee Walter, age 78 of Little Falls.
WEATHER
TODAY= partly cloudy and cooler, high 63.
TONIGHT= clear skies, cool night, low 42.
TUESDAY= sunny and warmer, high 76, low around 50.
WEDNESDAY= sunny and hot, high 91, storms overnight, low 65.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins win 7-5 Friday, 3-2 on Saturday and 4-2 on Sunday to get a big sweep over Texas. The Twins host the Cincinnati Reds tonight in inter-league play, pregame at 6:30pm on Q92 WYRQ.
TRACK= congratulations to Pierz's Ashley Kimman 3rd in the high jump on Friday at state track, Rebekah Muhlenkamp 8th in 800 meter from USA, Royalton Connor Carlson 8th in 800 meter in Class A boys. On Saturday Dani Schirmers of Little Falls finished tied for 14th in the Pole Vault for Class AA girls at the state track and field meet.
GOLF= John Rahm wins the U.S. Open in Golf on Father's Day.
VL= all Victory League games Sunday were rained out.