NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STORY
--Mother Nature as usual has changed her mind and now a Winter Storm Watch is in effect Tuesday night and Wednesday east of a line from Madison into Little Falls. This includes all of the Twin Cities metro, southern Minnesota, most of central Minnesota, and west central Wisconsin. Snowfall totals of 6 or more inches are possible in the watch area. In addition, gusty northeast winds Tuesday night will shift to the northwest Wednesday, resulting in areas of blowing snow. Travel could be significantly impacted through at least Wednesday morning. Snow will develop across southern Minnesota late Tuesday afternoon and spread northeastward across central Minnesota and western Wisconsin Tuesday night. The snow may be heavy at times. Snow will end from west to east Wednesday morning, but blowing snow could continue into the afternoon. Already Winter Storm Warnings are in effect from Colorado east into Nebraska and South Dakota and will shift northward into Southern and Central Minnesota by late Tuesday. Early indications of 3-7 inches of snow Tuesday night through Wednesday with more snow coming late Thursday into Friday which will effect the weekend forecast too.
--Morrison County had the lowest proposed property tax increase in 2020. Levies will be finalized in December. Levies can still be lowered but not raised from preliminary figures when finalized. While Morrison County had the lowest preliminary property tax increase statewide at 1.3%, here is how much our surrounding counties preliminary property tax levies increased: Aitken 6.2%, Benton 2%, Cass 3.4%, Crow Wing 6.9%, Mille Lacs 8.9%, Sherburne 4.9%, Stearns 2.9%, Todd 2.4% and Wadena County 2.8%. Percentage increases varied from the 1.3% in Morrison to 11% as the highest in Le Sueur County.
--The Department of Natural Resources is waiving entrance fees to all Minnesota state parks and recreation areas on Friday, November 29th. Research shows that spending time outdoors benefits children and adults, including improving mood, enhancing creative thinking and problem solving, promoting a conservation ethic, and improving physical fitness. On Thanksgiving Day, the average American consumes around 4,500 calories. A brisk walk can burn about 300 calories in one hour. For more information, visit the website mndnr.gov/freeparkfriday.
--After a state law passed during the 2019 session, a program aimed at having people pay off fines without losing their driver’s license has become permanent. The Drivers Diversion Program (DDP) allows people with fines to keep driving while they pay them off. In Morrison County, the program has been used since 2013 and is one of 142 cities and counties in the state using the program. If a person has unpaid fines, speeding tickets, no insurance or other convictions that would cause their license to be suspended or revoked, they can enter the program and the Department of Public Safety (MnDPS) determines whether they can keep their license. Not all cases are eligible, felony drug offenses, DWIs, fleeing police, criminal vehicular operation and other offenses disqualify people from the program. The idea is to keep people from driving who, for very good reasons should not be on the road, If MnDPS determines the individual meets criteria and Chantry accepts them into the diversion program, the person’s driving privileges are immediately restored. If a person does not follow the program’s conditions or has a new offense during the program, they may be kicked out of the program.
--A Motley woman was injured Sunday just before 5pm on Highway 210 at 67th Avenue in Motley of Cass County. 71-year-old Lana Hansen left the highway and rolled her vehicle. Hansen was taken to an area hospital and treated for injuries. It was reported that Hansen apparently fell asleep behind the wheel.
--A St. Cloud man was killed in an early morning crash Saturday in Plymouth. The Minnesota State Patrol says the crash happened just before 1:30am on Interstate 494 in Plymouth in Hennepin County. Troopers say the 30-year-old man was going northbound when his Toyota Corolla drifted to the shoulder and struck and unoccuppied stalled vehicle. The man's name has not been released yet. The State Patrol says he was not wearing his seatbelt.
--The Pierz City Council tonight at Pierz City Hall at 7pm The annual designation of the 2020 Polling Place is one item on the agenda. It appears Pierz City Hall will be that site if officially approved tonight. The Little Falls School Board also has election polling places for 2020 on their agenda tonight with their meeting starting at 5pm at the Middle School Media Center in Little Falls.
--The Community Thanksgiving Meal is Thursday at 11am at Little Falls Community High School. Tim Sumner stated that all volunteers are ready to go. If you need a ride to the event and live in the Little Falls vicinity please call Tim at 632-2540 today. Also they need desserts of all kinds, please drop off desserts Thursday morning anytime between 8-10am at the High School in Little Falls.
DEATH NOTICES
--Shirley Brummer, age 80 of Brainerd.
--Virginia Bayerl, age 92 of Duluth formerly of Pierz.
--Karen Knutson, age 81 of Little Falls formerly of Randall.
--George James Dorr Jr. age 61 of Brooklyn Park.
--Grayce Muehlbauer, age 92 of Little Falls.
--Brian Ringwelski, age 35 of Little Falls.
WEATHER
WINTER STORM WATCH STARTS AT 9PM TUESDAY.
TODAY= cloudy with afternoon showers, breezy, high 40.
TONIGHT= cloudy and windy, low 28.
TUESDAY= cloudy, high 33, snow develops after 9pm, low 27.
WEDNESDAY= snow likely, 3-7 inches total, gusty winds, temps will be dropping from 27 early down close to 20 late with cold wind chills.
THANKSGIVING= cloudy with snow showers, high 27, low around 12.
SPORTS
COL FB= Gophers beat Northwestern 38-22 on Saturday and are now 10-1 on the season. Tanner Morgan tossed four touchdown passes giving him 25 touchdowns of the season, a new school record. Tyler Johnson and Rashod Bateman both have now received for over 1,000 yards, first time in school history that 2 receivers same season reach that plateau. On Saturday ESPN announced that ESPN GameDay will be coming to TCF Bank Stadium this Saturday morning to run their pregame show live at the stadium in Minneapolis. The Gophers will host Wisconsin in the regular season finale on Saturday with kickoff at 2:30pm on AM960 KLTF. The winner will win the Big 10 Western Division and take on Ohio State in the Big 10 Championship game the following week in Indianapolis.
NFL= Baltimore at LA Rams tonight 6:30pm on AM960 KLTF.
HS BHK= Alexandria at Little Falls Tuesday 7:15pm on Q92 WYRQ.