NEWS
--The Morrison County Commissioners will meet Tuesday morning at 9:00am in the Government Center Boardroom. This will be the first meeting since the passing of District 5 Morrison County Commissioner Duane Johnson earlier this month. The County Auditor/Treasurer Deb Lowe will give out the information on the special election for Johnson's position. As County statute requires that a special election be held to fill a vacancy after a minimum of 120 days of the death notification; the Morrison County Board of Commissioners adopts the following procedure for a special election shall be implemented. Interested candidates to fill this vacancy shall file their Affidavits of Candidacy and pay the filing fee with the Auditor/Treasurer between December 5th and December 9th during business hours. If needed, the Special Primary Election shall be held on Tuesday, February 13th, 2018. Polling hours will be 7:00am-8:00pm. The Special General Election is scheduled for Tuesday, February 13th, 2018 if no Special Primary is needed, with canvassing to take place on Thursday, February 15th, 2018. Otherwise the Special General Election will be held on Tuesday, April 10th, 2018. Other agenda items include a proclamation for Domestic Abuse Awareness Month, receive a report from the historical society, Crookneck, Shamineau and Fish Trap Lake Improvement Districts reports. The board will also hear from the Sheriff, Social Services, Public Health and get contract payment reports from Public Works.
--The National Weather Service released their annual weather outlook for the winter, spring and summer ahead. According to forecasters, La Nina will be a factor this winter bringing a cooler than average winter temperature mainly in January and February, with above normal precipitation in December for Minnesota, North and South Dakota. While the northern half of the nation will see wetter and cooler conditions the southern half of the state will be extremely dry this winter with near normal temperatures. The spring and summer outlook for 2018 right now shows a cooler and below average outlook for temperatures and precipitation for March through May. The National Weather Service in 2016 was about 65% accurate from their outlook calling for the drier than average winter, which turned into a wet and cool summer for 2017.
--Minnesota communities and schools wanting to develop safer routes for students to walk and bicycle to school can apply for planning assistance grants through the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School program. Application deadline is January 5th 2018. After a plan is developed, schools and communities use this assessment to apply for funds to advance infrastructure such as sidewalks, crosswalks and signage and non-infrastructure solutions such as educational programming, events and enforcement. The planning process works to engage stakeholders, analyze existing data and set a prioritized list of strategies to make it safer and easier for youth to walk and bicycle to school. Since 2006, MnDOT has worked with communities around the state to fund nearly 300 schools’ plans to develop and advance safe routes to school. For more information, go the Mn Dot Website.
--We Fest 2018 has announced their headliners for next year will be Carrie Underwood, Florida-Georgia Line and Jason Aldean. The large country music festival is scheduled for August 2-4 in Detroit Lakes.
--The Pierz City Council meets tonight 7pm at Pierz City Hall.
--The Benton County Sheriff's Office arrested three individuals Thursday night after witnesses identified them as having carried a box of items out of an abandoned building. At 6:00pm Thursday, the sheriff's office received a call from a person living in the 9500 block of Hemlock Road Northwest in Watab Township. The caller reported three individuals stealing items from an abandoned residence next to the former King's Inn building. Deputies went to the area and made contact with 41-year old Nichole Frances Dixon of Crystal, and 52-year old John Patrick Charron of St. Cloud. Witnesses at the scene told deputies the abandoned residence was a frequent target for criminals seeking to steal items to sell as scrap, and they identified Dixon and Charron as two of three people they had seen approach the residence. After searching the area, deputies found a third suspect, 39-year old Ryan Matthew Granger of Crystal. Dixon, Charron and Granger were arrested on charges of theft and possession of burglary tools.
--An Ashley Township barn and several pieces of property are a complete loss after a fire Friday afternoon. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office says they responded to the call at 43528 County Road 184 around 2:45pm. Homeowners, 31-year old Melanie Borgerding and 35-year old Jason Borgerding told dispatch the west side of the barn was on fire. When authorities arrived, the barn was completely engulfed. Inside the barn were small straw and alfalfa bales, two lawn mowers and ATV’s, along with a snowmobile. The barn is considered a total loss. The fire did spread to a cornfield damaging it slightly. No one was injured and the fire is under investigation.
--The Initiative Foundation based in Little Falls announced they are awarding $350,000 for five innovative pilot projects to help interrupt the spread of invasive species in a multi county statewide effort to make serious inroads to enhance water quality, outdoor recreation, and tourism while stopping the spread of invasive species in water.
--There will be a National Prescription Take Back Event Saturday at Coborn's from 10:00am-2:00pm. All who wish to drop off their unwanted or unused prescriptions can do so at the event Saturday.
DEATH NOTICES
--Sister Helen Hassler, age 84 of the St. Francis Convent/Little Falls.
--Helen Vogt, age 86 of Little Falls.
WEATHER
TODAY= clouds and sun mix, very windy, temps steady near 50.
TONIGHT= cloudy, sprinkles, breezy, low 36.
TUESDAY= partly cloudy, very gusty winds, high 45, low 35.
WEDNESDAY= sunny and warmer, high 57, cloudy night, low 37.
SPORTS
NFL= Vikings beat Baltimore 24-16 to go to 5-2 and stay in 1st place in the NFC North. Vikings travel to London Sunday to take on Cleveland with an 8:30am kickoff U.S. time.
MLB= Houston shut out Yankees 4-0 Saturday to win the series 4-3 and advance to the World Series Tuesday against the LA Dodgers.
COL FB= Gophers hold off Illinois to win 24-17 Saturday for their homecoming game. Gophers at Iowa 4:30pm Saturday on KLTF.
HS FB= Little Falls at St. Cloud Apollo Tuesday 7pm on Q92
HS FB= Parkers Prairie at Upsala/Swanville Tues 7pm on FM94
HS FB= Pierz and Royalton got 1st round byes and play Saturday.