NEWS --St. Cloud authorities and the FBI are investigating the stabbing of multiple victims by one man Saturday night at Crossroad Center Mall in St. Cloud where the suspect was shot and killed by an off duty Avon police officer who is being ruled a hero. Around 8:15pm, police say the man dressed in a security uniform entered the mall, victims said he referenced “Allah” and asked if they were Muslim before attacking them. Three of the nine victims remained hospitalized with stab wounds as of last night are all are expected to recover from the wounds. The off-duty part-time police officer Jason Falconer located the suspect and opened fire, the suspect apparently continued to get up after being shot and Falconer repeated fire until the suspect was dead. Family members on Sunday identified the suspect as 22-year-old Dahir Adan who was a college student in St. Cloud had lived in the U.S. for 15 years. The mall was closed Sunday with plans of reopening today. The FBI and police stated in a press conference Sunday that the attack Saturday was an isolated attack by the suspect and authorities do not believe anyone else was involved. The stabbings are being investigated as a potential act of terrorism according to the FBI after a Middle Eastern news agency reported that the extremist Islamic state group Isis reported that Adan was quote “their soldier” though Adan has never had any history of violence. Leaders of the Somali Community spoke Sunday condemning the stabbings and actions by Adan and addressed concerns about retaliation from the attacks. The investigation is ongoing and officials said the mall would reopen today.
--Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad will be closing the railroad crossing at 113th Street in Little Falls Township for necessary maintenance from this morning until sometime Tuesday. BNSF will also be closing the railroad crossing at 103rd Street in Little Falls Township at Highway 10 for necessary maintenance from Tuesday morning until sometime on Wednesday. These two roads run east to west from Highway 10 to Hillton Road. For information contact Chuck at (320) 232-9554. Another reminder that bridge work on the Rice Creek bridge on Highway 27 between Little Falls and Pierz is scheduled to begin today with a detour in place around the bridge work until mid-October. Also motorists on Highway 10 in Motley should plan for delays while both directions of the road are closed between Front Street and Main Street starting September 27th. All lanes of Highway 10 in Motley are scheduled to reopen by the next day Wednesday the 28th. A short, signed detour will direct Highway 10 traffic along Front Street, First Street and Main Street. The closure is needed while crews replace the signal system at the Highway 10 railroad crossing located between Main Street and Front Street. Crews also replaced the railroad crossing in summer 2015. When this year’s signal replacement project is complete, the combined projects will improve motorist and railroad safety, and reliability of the local freight transportation system.
--An evening with Dr. Brian Kobilka is tonight at 7:00pm in the Charles D. Martin Auditorium of Little Falls Community High School. Dr. Kobilka is a Little Falls native whose family ran Sanitary Bakery. He is also the co-winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. The event is $10 and tickets are available at the door tonight or by calling the Morrison County Hisctorical Society 632-4007.
--The Little Falls City Council meets tonight 7:30pm at City Hall.
--There was a heavy police response at the Midtown Mall in St. Cloud on Thursday night, due to a call that there was a man with a gun inside. However, the threat was quickly found to be a false alarm. A caller reported to dispatch at 5:25pm that they saw three men inside a hallway of the mall and that one had a handgun. Multiple officers responded quickly and began to find that there was no threat inside. After meeting with the caller and going through security footage, it was determined that the person who called dispatch likely had mental health issues. There was never a person holding a gun in the mall. Police say no charges will be made against the individual due to their mental health situation. The incident was over by 5:45pm and activity went back to normal at Midtown Mall.
--The owner of the Perkins in St. Cloud damaged by fire last week stated Thursday that the restaurant and bakery in the Crossroads Center Plaza remains closed while contractors and city offiicals inspect the facility to make sure they can open again with hopes to reopen in the near future. The fire started in the cooking hood and spread right into the duct system causing flames to shoot over 10 feet in the air from the roof last Monday evening. None of the 75 employees that worked there were injured. Owner Dave Hanson hopes to have them back on the job very soon. The damage estimate of the fire was over $100,000.
--More details are being released about a community memorial service for Jacob Wetterling. The College of St. Benedict will host the event Sunday at 10:00am. The community is welcome to join the Wetterling family for an ecumenical prayer service of remembrance, hope and healing. Officials say there will be limited seating so those wishing to attend are asked to sign an online guestbook to secure their seat. The guestbook can be found at www.jwmemorial.net. Location information and directions will then be emailed to you in advance of the service. If you are unable to attend, the service will be streamed live on that same website.
DEATH NOTICES --Terry Gail Benjamin, age 53 of Onamia. --Lloyd E. Eystad, age 86 of Little Falls.
WEATHER TODAY= morning showers, afternoon sun and windy, high 73. TONIGHT= clear skies, low around 50. TUESDAY= sunny morning, afternoon clouds, late storms, high 73. WEDNESDAY= showers and T-storms likely, high 67, low 52.
SPORTS NFL= Sam Bradford tosses two touchdowns as the Vikings beat Green Bay 17-14 Sunday night for home opener at U.S. Bank Stadium. Adrian Peterson left the game with a knee injury and reports on his status should come later today. The 2-0 Vikings travel to Carolina on Sunday to take on the 1-1 Panthers. TWINS= Mets sweep Twins over the weekend taking all 3 games. Twins are off today and host Detroit on Tuesday at Target Field. LYNX= Lynx beat Indiana 82-75 Friday and Atlanta 95-87 Saturday to finish regular season at 28-6 and look ahead to the playoffs. HS FB= Pierz rolls 46-6 over Melrose, Becker beat Little Falls 45-0, Royalton 21-0 over West Central to go to 3-0, Parkers Prairie handed USA first loss 32-21, Holdingford and Staples Motley won, Foley lost.