NEWS
--The 9th annual Day of Caring will be from 8:00am-12:00pm on Wednesday, May 8th. On previous years it was scheduled on the first Wednesday in May but with all of the snow in our area it has already been bumped back to May 8th. Little Falls Community High School students, staff and volunteers will again be providing community service to seniors, disabled, and homebound individuals and the community at large by offering assistance with spring cleanup. Types of jobs that can be completed includes washing ground floor windows, cleaning flower beds, raking leaves and other miscellaneous projects. Due to safety concerns volunteers will not do any projects involving climbing a ladder or on rooftops. All those living within the city limits of Little Falls and Randall, as well as the villages of Flensburg and Sobieski are eligible. If you were helped last year you can expect a phone call from the students with the project around dinner time on Tuesday, March 19th. If you miss the phone call or were not helped last year you will need to fill out a registration form that will be available at several area businesses including Little Falls Radio and at the Little Falls Community High School. The deadline to register for cleanup is Friday, April 12th and volunteers will have until Friday, April 19th to sign up. For more information about project registration call Julie Mushel at the high school at 632-2002. For information about volunteering call Becky Abbott at 616-2215.
--The Little Falls Fire Department responded to a garage fire in Crow Wing Township on Wednesday around 3:15pm. 15 Little Falls firefighters, 8 Camp Ripley Firefighters and two brainerd trucks responded to the blaze. The owner arrived to find the unit already on fire. Firefighters were on scene for around 90 minutes. There were no injuries. The official cause is under investigation. According to authorities the garage is believed to have been totaled.
--On Friday morning two students at Little Falls Community Middle School were involved in a verbal exchange and a knife was pulled. The situation was immediately defused. The student was detained and the weapon was confiscated. Law enforcement and school administration are handling the situation. All students were safe and the school progressed as normal on Friday.
--A 37-year-old Brainerd woman was injured in a two-vehicle crash reported just before 8 am Tuesday at the intersection of Northwest Fifth and Charles streets in Brainerd. The Brainerd Police Department reported Logan Hines, 16, Brainerd, was driving east on Charles Street, when a vehicle driven by Catherine Klocke, 37, Brainerd, started driving south across Charles Street from Northwest Fifth Street. The vehicles collided in the middle of the intersection. Hines was not injured, but Klocke suffered injuries and was treated and released at an area hospital.
--An 18-year-old driver and his 10-year-old passenger were involved in a one-vehicle rollover Tuesday morning west of Staples near Aldrich. The Wadena County Sheriff's Office said that 18-year-old Nicholas Drone of Verndale lost control on the ice and spun out running into a snow bank and rolled in the ditch. Drone and his passenger, a 10-year-old girl, were both checked by medical personnel and released at the scene.
--Due to Saturday's weather, the Pierz Pizzazz Dance team soup fundraiser was moved to this Saturday the 16th at the Pierz Ballroom along with other events this weekend postponed or canceled.
--Another round of heavy snow Saturday into Sunday giving 5-8 inches in many spots with rain and freezing rain beforehand making a snow go on Sunday. Over 300 accidents reported in the state late Saturday through Sunday afternoon. The other issue was many vehicle stalled or stuck due to the heavy snow and ice underneath.
--Twenty one Morrison County Townships will host elections on Township Day tomorrow. Times for voting may vary on the township area with most ending at 8pm for election polling. Agram, Belle Prairie, Bellevue, Buckman, Buh, Culdrum, Cushing, Darling, Granite, Green Prairie, Lakin, Leigh, Little Falls, Motley, Parker, Pike Creek, Platte, Ripley, Swan River, Swanville and Two Rivers will all hold either annual meetings, elections or both on Tuesday. Township officials are encouraged to call Little Falls Radio when election results are finalized at 632-2992 and leave a message on the answering machine.
--A Benton County jury has returned verdicts in the murder trial of two men in the shooting death of a Sauk Rapids man and the wounding of a second man. The jury found 21-year-old Willie White guilty of 2nd-degree intentional murder, 2nd-degree murder committed during a felony assault, 1st-degree assault with a deadly weapon and 2nd-degree arson. He was acquitted on two counts of 1st-degree murder, and 2nd-degree murder - drive-by shooting. The jury deadlocked on one count of 2nd-degree attempted murder. Twenty-seven-year-old Nokomis Jefferson was acquitted on being an accomplice on all counts except 2nd-degree arson. The men, along with 38-year-old Vance Laster were accused of murder in the shooting death of 25-year-old Joe Ditthideth and wounding 29-year-old Nathan Phrachomphonh in February of 2018. The men were shot at 3466 Old Creek Place in Sauk Rapids after an argument broke out. The victims were taken to the hospital where Ditthideth died from multiple gunshot wounds. Phrachomphonh suffered a gunshot to his abdomen and underwent successful surgery. Jefferson and White then torched Ditthideth's car. Laster pleaded guilty to a charge of aiding an offender and being an accessory after the fact in November. He'll be sentenced March 13th. White and Jefferson's sentencing date has not yet been set.
--The Pierz City Council meets tonight at 7pm at Pierz City Hall.
--The Morrison County Commissioners meet Tuesday at 9am.
BIRTH ANNOUCEMENT
--James and Jessica Gunther of Royalton, a boy born March 5th
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny skies, high near 30.
TONIGHT= clear skies, low 10 above, freeze fog in early AM.
TUESDAY= drizzle and rain in afternoon, windy, high 37, low 32.
WEDNESDAY= rain likely, some heavy, sleet possible too, high 41.
SPORTS
HS BBB= Pierz at Esko tonight in boys basketball playoffs (made up from Saturday) will be at 7pm in Esko on FM94 KFML.
HS BBB= Upsala will face BBE tonight in the 2nd game in Foley starting around 7:45pm (made up from Saturday) on Q92 WYRQ.
BHK= Congratulations to St. Cloud Cathedral winning their first State Boys Hockey title 5-2 over Greenway on Saturday in Class A, Edina won the Class AA title beating Eden Prairie in overtime Saturday.
TWINS= Twins in action for spring play at noon today on Q92.