NEWS
--The Little Falls School Board will hold a special meeting on Thursday at 9am at the Middle School Media Center. Agenda items include the Superintendent's report, take action on Federal program, building and construction budget revisions, and approval of the budget 2019-20.
--A longtime Sauk Rapids optical company is shutting down. X-Cel Optical, which is owned by Essilor of America, has notified state and local officials of their plans to close the facility sometime in June 2020. According to a letter sent to the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, the facility located at 806 South Benton Drive and its two satellite plants will be impacted. All affected employees have been notified of the permanent closure. There are about 125 full-time employees who work at X-Cel Optical in Sauk Rapids, the rest are through a temp agency. A spokeswoman for the company says that while consumers are buying more glasses than ever, there has been a steady decline in consumer demand for bifocals, trifocals and glass lenses, which are the primary products made at X-Cel. Sauk Rapids Community Development Director Todd Schultz says the company plans to move their operations to other countries. Shultz also says they may keep the main building on Benton Drive to absorb space needs from the other plants. He says it does sound like they will be closing the back building at their Benton Drive location and the smaller building on Stearns Drive. The company says they plan to offer jobs to everyone that wants to remain working at one of the other Essilor-owned plants in the area. According to their website, X-Cel Optical has been in Sauk Rapids for 73 years when Elmer Voss and Vincent Condon moved the company to town from California in 1946. Their website also says they are the only remaining manufacturer of glass lenses and polarized glass lenses in the US.
--St. Joseph man has pleaded guilty to having child pornography after an investigation revealed around 90 videos of sexual assault of children on his laptop. Thirty-eight-year-old Dale Benjamin pleaded guilty to five felony counts of child pornography. Five additional counts will be dismissed at his sentencing August 29th. According to the criminal complaint, the investigation into Benjamin was based on him allowing child pornography to be downloaded from his account on a file sharing network.The criminal complaint details videos that were found on his laptop containing graphic images of sexual acts performed on children as young as 6-12 months old and including both boys and girls.
--A ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house to celebrate the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport's new general aviation terminal is going to be held on Saturday, June 29th from 10am-4pm. The public is invited to come explore all things general aviation at the airport. With the new terminal, airport businesses are excited to showcase their aircraft and share with the public their various services. The open house was decided to be this week due to construction on Highway 210 past the airport entrance scheduled to begin after the Fourth of July and continue through October. Airport visitors should watch for detours and plan extra time to and from the airport, especially those traveling between the airport and those using Highway 210 from Brainerd to Ironton and Crosby.
--This Thursday is the Rock the Park 10 convert at Maple Island Park with Arts in the Park at 4pm and concert beginning at 7pm.
--The City of Little Falls will hold an appliance, electronics, tire and bulk garbage clean-up day on July 13th rain or shine. Have your items at the curb by 6am. They will be picked up on your curbside not in the alley. You must preregister all items with the city of Little Falls and prepay any additional items before pickup. A list was sent out with your latest water bill. If you have questions call 616-5500.
--When Swanville Elementary students return to school this fall, they’ll discover a new playground has been installed. Superintendent Gene Harthan said that a new, used playground was purchased by the school to replace the old, wooden playground. Harthan said the new, large commercial playground is 11years old and is in really good condition. It was purchased from an individual who had it in their backyard. The playground was purchased for $9,900. Harthan said he estimates the playground to have cost about $25,000 when it was brand new. The playground will be completed by start of school year.
--Hubbard County authorities are searching for 16-year-old Casey Richards who went missing June 22nd after being with an adult female companion at Lake George. Richards is 5'6 190 brown hair and eyes of American Indian Heritage. She may have gone to the Twin Cities or to Cass Lake with her companion. Anyone who knows of the whereabouts of Casey Richards should call 218-732-3331.
--A St. Cloud man has been sentenced to just under two years in prison after beating on a woman and threatening to kill her. Thirty-four-year-old Michael Smith pleaded guilty in April to a felony charge of threats of violence. According to the criminal complaint filed in Benton County, Smith had been drinking when the incident happened at an apartment in the 400 block of East St. Germain Street in January. The woman told police Smith grabbed a knife from the knife block in the kitchen and swung it at the woman and told her he was going to kill her. Smith put the knife away and the woman went into the bathroom and shut the door. Smith then allegedly forced open the door and began punching her in the head and kicking her side and stomach. Records show he threatened to kill her again and threw a glass ashtray at her, hitting her.
--The Otter Tail County Recycling Center in Fergus Falls was evacuated Thursday after somebody left an artillery round in their hazardous waste removal area. Police said they were called out after the artillery round was dropped off around 10am. The Crow Wing County Bomb Squad was brought out to remove the artillery round. Police weren't sure if it's illegal to have an artillery round or how old this particular one was.
DEATH NOTICES
--Jeanette Miller, age 84 of Little Falls.
WEATHER
TODAY= rain showers likely, possible T-storms, high 72.
TONIGHT= showers & storms early, clearing late, low 57.
TUESDAY= sunny and breezy, high 82, low around 60.
WEDNESDAY= sunny and warmer, high 86, low around 60.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins down early battle back to win in the late innings 8-7 over KC Friday. Twins give up a 3-0 lead on Saturday but win it in extra innings 5-3 in 10 over KC. Kansas City beat the Twins on Sunday 6-1. Twins are off today, host Tampa Bay Tuesday night.