NEWS
--The body of a St. Cloud man who went missing while kayaking on the Mississippi River has been recovered. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office says the body of 39-year-old Donald Worden was found Friday night following three days of search and recovery operations. Authorities say around 6:20pm, a boater on the river called 911 to report what looked like a body floating in the water near the St. Germain Street bridge. Worden went missing earlier in the week after putting in near the Holiday Station Store in Sartell and heading for Munsinger Gardens in St. Cloud. Around 4pm Wednesday, a boater found his overturned kayak on the river. Due to the body's description given it was verified to be Worden. His remains have been sent to the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy.
--June is Dairy Month, and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture is recognizing several local farms for excellence in quality. Twenty-four central Minnesota dairy farms are among 93 top herds with low somatic cell counts (SCC). Somatic cell count is a key indicator of milk quality – a lower SCC count is better for cheese production and a longer shelf life for bottled milk. Processors also pay a premium for milk with low counts. A farmer whose herd has a very low count can receive a higher price per hundredweight than a farmer whose herd average is high. Minnesota Department of Agriculture and University of Minnesota dairy experts have worked with the state’s dairy farmers for 20 years to lower somatic cell counts. The farms honored are Brandon and Jill Marshik of Benton County, Morrison County farms include Calvin Beumer, Chad Waltman,, Dennis and Wayne Wolters, Fussy Farm LLC, Kaylie and Bob Gruber, Kent Happke, Mark Flicker, New Heights Dairy LLC and Robin Winscher. Stearns County Farms on the list are Cory and Jenna Middendorf, Evergreen Acres Dairy LLC #7, Jeff and Austin Middendorf, Jeremy and Amanda Wentland, Joe and Kim Engelmeyer, Knisley Dairy Inc., Magedanz Foreview Dairy LLC, Merdan Dairy Inc., Paul Mehr, Randy and Amanda Hartung, Schefers Bros LLC, Schwing D. Farm, Scott and Denise Gathje and
Vogt Dairy LLC. A thank you to all the farms promoting dairy and also showing the safety standards for our dairy products.
--At a recent Morrison County Commissioners meeting, the Morrison County Board meeting started with recognition of employees for their years of service. Employees recognized included five years of service Amy Kanieski, Daniel Baert, Anthony Starr, Nick Reed, Bonnette Bachan and Kyle Muncy. Ten years, Michael Wagner and Cynthia Nienaber. Fifteen years, Duane Doble, Linda Day and David Kicker. Twenty years, Joel Gross and Alvin Yoder and Twenty-five years were Randy Lundgren, Douglas Rekstad and Shawn Larsen. There was a big congratulations for Forty years to Gloria Austin. The County Board thanked all for their continued service to the county.
--A 43-year-old Brainerd man was injured in an all-terrain vehicle crash Thursday, June 1, east of Brainerd in Nokay Lake Township. The Minnesota State Patrol reported the crash at 11:10pm Thursday. Jacob Thomas Johnson, 40, of Zimmerman, was westbound on Highway 18 near Nokay Lake Road when a CF Moto ATV, driven by 43-year-old Richard Eugene Haberle, exited the ditch and entered the westbound lanes of Highway 18 where the Johnson's Expedition struck the ATV. Haberle was transported to St. Cloud Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. Johnson was not injured.
--Morrison County Administrator Matt LeBlanc is the guest on the AM960 KLTF Community Program today at 8:30am.
--A reminder that Highway 27 around the 4th Street Project in Little Falls will be detoured beginning today and lasting into early August. A detour around the site is posted by using 1st Street Southeast to 5th Avenue to 11th Street and back to 27. Please use caution around the work zones as work continues in Little Falls through the summer.
--A St. Cloud woman already facing murder charges is also facing new charges of sex trafficking. According to a criminal complaint, Angela Renee Jones was in the Wright County Jail, where she met the victim in February of this year. Investigators reviewed phone calls and text messages that showed Jones had specifically arranged for the woman to engage in sexual acts with her husband and pay her $300 plus lend her a van. There was also discussion about her selling drugs for Jones. Jones was charged with sex trafficking, promoting and engaging in prostitution. The charges come nearly two years to the day from when the body of Janessa Lashay Harris was found in her St. Cloud apartment. Police were called to the scene in the 1400 block of 12th Avenue North on June 2nd, 2021 and found Harris had been shot to death. A Stearns County Grand Jury indicted Jones on one count of first and second-degree murder in that case. The next day, officers were called to the 4300 block of Cooper Avenue South in St. Cloud, where Keisa Marie Lange was found shot to death and her body lying in the street. Jones was charged with aiding and abetting. Motion hearings were recently done on both of the murder cases.
--St. Cloud and Waite Park have deep ties to the railroads, beyond the 70 trains that still pass through the area daily. The Great Northern Railway Historical Society has scheduled its annual convention at the River’s Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud next month. This is the 50th anniversary and the group has about 2,000 members. The convention runs July 22nd through the 26th. Beyond the convention, there will be side trips to many more train stations and depots across the region with stops in Kandiyohi County, Stearns County and Mille Lacs County during the five days.
DEATH NOTICES
--David A. Barnes, age 62 of Little Falls.
--Arlene E. Stangl, age 90 of Buckman.
WEATHER
TODAY= scattered T-storms possible, partly sunny, high 85.
TONIGHT= partly cloudy, isolated stormy early, cooler, low 54.
TUESDAY= partly sunny, less humid, high near 80, low 55.
WEDNESDAY= sunny skies, high 77, clear night, low near 50.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins win a pitchers duel Friday 1-0 over Cleveland as Polanco doubles in the only run of the game. Cleveland beat the Twins Saturday 4-2. Guardians win on only 3 hits Sunday to beat the Twins 2-1. Twins are off today, at Tampa Bay Tuesday night.
HS BAB= Little Falls shut out Sauk Rapids 4-0 on Saturday then goes on to beat Alexandria 6-1 to advance to Section Championship on Wednesday against Rocori in St. Cloud. Today in baseball playoffs Pierz vs. Albany in an elimination playoff game today from St. Cloud, action starts at 4:30pm on AM960 KLTF. Also Foley vs. Holdingford in an elimination game in St. Cloud, Upsala-Swanville is also in an elimination game in baseball playoffs today against Browerville. All trying to advance on.
HS SB= Upsala will play the #1 seed in Class A Randolph to open the State Softball Tournament on Thursday at 1:30pm in Mankato.