NEWS --The Morrison County Sheriffs Office reported that Friday morning around 7:30am there was a three-vehicle accident involving a school buss on Nature Road west of Little Rock in Buckman Township. According to the Sheriffs Office, 60-year-old Jane Gerwing of Pierz was traveling westbound on Nature Road and was attempting to pass a vehicle driven by a 17-year-old minor. While attempting to pass this vehicle, she noticed the Royalton school bus, driven by 70-year-old Susan Oelrich of Royalton, which was stopped in front of the vehicle she was attempting to pass. Gerwing ultimately collided with the vehicle she was attempting to pass which then collided with the school bus. The school bus was displaying flashing caution lights at the time of the incident. Gerwing was transported by private vehicle with unknown injuries. The 17-year-old minor, school bus driver and passengers were not injured.
--A Elk River man was injured Friday morning just before 11am on Highway 10 near Randall in Morrison County. A vehicle driven by 71-year-old Donald Wille was crossing 1st Street near Highway 10 when he was struck by an approaching truck driven by 58-year-old Michael Smith of Galesville, Wisconsin. Smith was not hurt. Willie was taken to the Staples Hospital and treated for injuries.
--A Bowlus man wanted on several warrants was arrested September 23rd in Holdingford. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office says they received a tip 31-year-old Kurt Olson would be in the area around Holdingford in Stearns County. A deputy was heading to the location of Olson’s whereabouts, when the deputy saw two men, one believed to be Olson, on ATV’s drive into a nearby farm. The deputy talked to one of the drivers and asked where the second man had gone. When the deputy found the second man he called him by name, and Olson pretended he had no idea what the deputy was talking about. The deputy was able to identify the man as Olson thanks to a picture he had in his pocket. Olson was arrested and faces charges of gross misdemeanor DWI in Stearns County, felony assault in Morrison County and Stalking/Violation of a protection order in Colorado. During the arrest deputies learned Olson was also in the presence of an individual he was not suppose to have contact with. The case has been turned over the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office.
--The Benton County Sheriff’s Office announced that their office located the owner of a trailer recovered last week. On September 25th at about 4:30 pm the Benton County Sheriff’s Office was called to a commercial property in the 700 block of 21st Ave NE, just east of the city of St. Cloud. A flatbed utility trailer had been located on the property and it was determined not to belong to anyone associated with this property. It is suspected that this trailer was stolen. Formal charges are still being processed in the case but the owner of the trailer was found and has since picked up his stolen property.
--A 15-year-old boy was arrested Thursday for allegedly threatening students on a school playground. The incident happened around 5:30pm at Rice Elementary School. He is being held in a juvenile detention center on threats charges. The 15-year-old is a high school student not from the district. All students on the playground are safe.
--The Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce has announced Bonnie Becker is their October Employee of the Month. Bonnie Becker has been a Job Counselor at Rural MN CEP for the past 29 years. Congratulations Bonnie Becker, October employee of the month.
--Storms that moved through Central Minnesota early September 20th included tornadoes according to the National Weather Service. Six tornadoes have been documented, they included in the Belgrade area, near Elrosa which destroyed several farm and outbuildings that line of storms moved northeast in the Melrose area. Big Swan Lake had a tornado touched down just east of Big Swan Lake in Todd County. It hit one house, then moved across the northern end of Long Lake which went through the Pillsbury area to the northeast going through the Swanville and Flensburg with wind gusts on average around 95 miles per hour. More homes were damaged, including one that was pushed off its foundation. The other tornadoes were reported at Camp Lake which headed through Swift and Pope County which had the largest width of tornadoes, another life also affected portions of Swift and Kandiyohi County and another was located down by the Minnesota River near Montevideo.
--Six acres of dry grassland within Camp Ripley's boundaries and adjacent to the Mississippi River was restored on Saturday by native prairie by 30 Master Naturalist volunteers as part of the massive nationwide volunteer effort on National Public Lands Day. The nonprofit National Environmental Education Foundation initiates the annual event as the nation's largest single‐day volunteer effort for public lands, engaging over 200,000 volunteers annually, according to a news release from Prairie Restorations Inc.
--Due to recent rains in Crow Wing County, public works announced that street projects to start today are on holds until drier conditions.
--The Little Falls City Council meets Monday 7:30pm at City Hall.
DEATH NOTICE --Joan Mildred (Clemus) Seifert, age 85 of Little Falls --Dale “Art” Noble, age 80 of Motley. --Tad Hoskins, age 56 of Brainerd. --James “Jim” Spicza, age 69 of Pierz.
WEATHER FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT TONIGHT & TUESDAY. TODAY= showers & t-storms, high 65. TONIGHT= heavy rains likely 1-2 inches, low 55. TUESDAY= rain in morning, clearing in afternoon, high 63, low 44. WEDNESDAY= sunny skies, cooler, high 58, low around 40.
SPORTS TWINS= Dozier and Escobar hit back to back homeruns as Twins beat Detroit 6-3 Friday. Detroit holds off Twins 3-2 on Saturday. Twins finish regular season with a 5-1 win over Tigers to finish 85-77 on the year. Twins will face the New York Yankees in the winner moves wild card playoff on Tuesday 6pm pregame live on Q92 WYRQ. LYNX= LA beat Lynx 75-64 Friday to go up 2-1 in series. Lynx avoid elimination winning 80-69 last night as Sylvia Fowles had 22 points. The deciding Game 5 is Wednesday at 7pm in Minnesota for the title. VIKINGS= 3 fumbles cost Vikings as they lost 14-7 Sunday to Lions. The Vikings 2-2 will face Chicago next Monday night (10-9) on KLTF. COL FB= Maryland scored a late 4th quarter touchdown to defeated the Gophers 31-24. Gophers at Purdue Saturday 1:30pm on KLTF. HS FB= Pierz is 5-0 with a 50-12 win over Eden Valley Watkins. Zimmerman beat Little Falls 38-14. Royalton beat Kimball 44-42, Upsala-Swanville goes to 5-0 with a 30-14 win over Browerville.