NEWS
--Little Falls Superintendent Stephen Jones Friday via U-tube addressed the recent Tik Tok challenge of one vandalizing school property and second slapping or striking a teacher or staff member by a student. Jones stated clearly “This will not be tolerated in anyway at the school and has advised parents to talk to their children about the consequences that can occur for this and how this will effect the students' education and their future as if a student is caught in a crime they could also face criminal charges of vandalism and assault from these cases. More Tik Tok challenges were posted for the year and Jones wants all students please not follow them.
--Morrison County Sheriff Shawn Larsen and Sheila Watercott of Stand Up For U are inviting all to a Coffee with a Cop event Wednesday at 8:30am at the Cass Gilbert Depot/Little Falls Chamber building on the west side of Little Falls. The sheriff said they have need an uptick in overdoses, drug use and fake pills or fake fentynyl in the area and need the community, law enforcement and Stand Up for U coalition to work together to get drugs off the streets. Also the drug disolvent pouches Detera is being asked to be delivered to area businessses where you dump your unused or unwanted prescription drugs into the pouch where it makes the drugs unuseable and safe to dispose of in the trash. Sheriff Larsen said displays of drug paraphelia, usage of drug abuse and other items can be viewed to make sure what the public should be looking for. Also the Sheriff's office, police departments in Pierz and Motley have prescription drug drop boxes during office hours and the Little Falls Police Department has a 24 hour drop box in the front lobby of the police department in downtown Little Falls. Sheila Watercott stated the community members can attend to help support the youth, what resources are available and to find out what symptoms or concerns of drugs and substance abuse and how to handle it. Questions can be directed to the High School 320-616-2200 or the sheriff's office at 320-632-9233.
--The Stearns County Sheriff's Office is investigating after a body was found along the side of a rural road. On Friday at about 5:20pm the dispatch got a call about a person found lying on 150th Street in Luxemburg Township. The caller who was just passing by said the person appeared to have died. An adult man was found dead in a field approach with a vehicle parked nearby. Authorities have ruled the wounds were self inflicted by the victim. This was an isolated incident and that there is no ongoing danger to the public.
--35-year-old Leo Joe Puchalla of Bowlus, was sentenced to five years of probation and was given a stay of adjudication in Morrison County District Court on 34 days in local confinement on a felony conviction for threats of violence. The conviction stems from an incident in May of 2020. The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office received a report of an assault in progress, with the reporting party stating there were threats involving a firearm and that the suspect was being held down on the ground. Multiple deputies responded and, upon entering the garage at the residence, found a male subject being pinned down by two individuals. Puchalla was given credit for four days served in the Morrison County Jail. A felony charge of second degree assault with a deadly weapon was dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
–USDA Rural Development has home loan and home repair funds available right now. For further information or questions regarding this matter, please contact our Baxter Rural Development Office at 7118 Clearwater Road, Baxter, MN 56501 or 218-829-5965, ext. 114.
--A former coach and teacher in the Albany School District has avoided prison time after pleading guilty to having a sexual relationship with a student. A Stearns County judge has sentenced 32-year-old Daniel Fragodt to a stay of imposition on one count of 3rd-degree criminal sexual conduct. Fragodt gets credit for serving four days in the Stearns County Jail, will be on supervised probation for five years, must register as a predatory offender, and attend a sex offender program. According to the charges, in March of 2020, a 14-year-old girl reported Fragodt had touched her inappropriately over her clothing several times including rubbing her thighs with his feet and brushing against her buttocks with his hand. He also allegedly slid his fingers through a hole in her jeans near her waist. The girl then said her teacher was having a sexual relationship with another girl. Police interviewed the second victim who said she knew Fragodt as a teacher and a coach but denied having a sexual relationship with him. A search of Fragodt's phone showed a large number of phone calls and text messages between the girl and Fragodt. The girl ultimately admitted to having sex with Fragodt when she was 17-years-old which included other sex acts at various places like at the school, in the St. Joseph Park-and-Ride, and other places in Albany.
--A dispute between two St. Cloud neighbors has left one woman charged with felony assault and the other woman with a head injury. Police were called to the 1100 block of 13th Street South Wednesday after the caller reported his wife had been struck in the head with a metal pole. Officers met with the victim who said she had been having problems with her neighbor, 47-year-old Jodi Behrman. The victim said Behrman had repeatedly entered their property, meddled with their vehicles, and had become increasingly aggressive when ordered off the property. When the victim tried to physically remove Behrman, Behrman took a metal pole and holding it like a baseball bat, swung it at the victim's head. The victim suffered a large welt on her head from the blow. Behrman is charged with 2nd-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, a non-firearm.
--Swanville Schools announced Friday that conferences scheduled for October 7th and 12th will be virtual conferences only not in person.
--Homecoming coronation for Little Falls Community High School is tonight 7pm at Auditorium. Homecoming game is Friday night.
DEATH NOTICES
--Rose Mary (Schyma) Kroll, age 88 of Osakis formerly Flensburg.
--Myrtle Starry Nelson, age 96 of Long Prairie.
--Phyliss C. Hoffman, age 91 of Little Falls.
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny skies, high 71, clear night, low around 50.
TUESDAY= sunny skies, high 72, clear night, low around 52.
WEDNESDAY= sunny skies, high 70, partly cloudy night, low 55.
SPORTS
TWINS= Kansas City beats Twins 11-6 Friday. Twins get a shut out win Saturday 4-0. Twins finish the season with a 7-3 win Sunday over Kansas City. Twins finish 73-89 but that is last in the division.
NFL= Cleveland beat the Vikings 14-7 Sunday. Vikings are now 1-3.
COL FB= Gophers beat Purdue 20-13 on Saturday, now at 3-2. The Gophers are off until October 16th when they take on Nebraska.
HS FB= Foley wins homecoming over LF 16-6, Pierz, Holdingford and Upsala/Swanville wins on the road, Royalton suffers their first loss.