NEWS --Staff Sergeant Anthony Housey appeared on KLTF Party Line Friday and spoke about the cleanup from the storms at Camp Ripley. The storm that struck around 10:30pm on Wednesday September 7th was an EF-1 Tornado and damaged a number of facilities. The clean up went well and only a few units had to rearrange training schedules due to pickup and debris. Estimated damage amounts are around 15-25 million dollars for Camp Ripley and around 2-3 million more for the Minnesota Power solar field. The buildings will likely take 6-9 months before they can be livable again and meet all the structural inspections. Housey was unclear how much time would be needed before the solar field would be able to be unveiled again. They were scheduling an unveiling just days before the storm hit. Minnesota Power is aiming for next spring. The big thing from the storm was that with over 100 people on base, no one was injured. In another topic, Sgt. Housey mentioned that the Court of Honor Memorialization which began in 1933 will be coming up again in early October. This year Camp Ripley will be honoring the 19 members of the Minnesota National Guard soliders that have died in the line of duty. Since 1933, over 400 inductees had been added to the court of honor which is around the Military Museum site of Camp Ripley.
--Three people may face charges after a St. Cloud man told police he was being held against his will. Officers were called at 2:00am on Wednesday to an apartment in the 500 block of Seventh Avenue North after a caller told dispatch that they saw someone walking in the hallways with a knife. Before police arrived, a Stearns County Deputy stopped a vehicle near the location. Inside the vehicle was 49-year-old man who told the officer he was being held against his will. During the investigation, officers found out the victim had a disagreement 47-year old Marvin Motten of St. Cloud, which led to Motten entering the victim's apartment and threatening him with a knife. Motten was taken into custody and could be charged with first-degree burglary, kidnapping, second-degree assault and fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance. Police also took 31-year old Sheresse McDowell of St. Cloud and 40-year old Graham Eaton of Sartell into custody. McDowell and Eaton could each be charged with aiding and abetting kidnapping and first-degree burglary.
--St. Cloud school board unanimously approved Thursday financing for the $17 million early childhood education and community education building near Discovery School in Waite Park. The district will pay for the project by selling $17 million in certificates of participation, which are like bonds. Approximately $15.63 million will be repaid by levying taxpayers, and the remaining $1.37 million will be paid for with the district's community education fund. Despite the increase in the lease levy, there won't be a net increase in taxes for school district residents because the district is reducing its long-term facilities levy, which covers the cost of replacing equipment such as boilers. St. Cloud school board also approved the preliminary 2017 levy Thursday. The estimated amount is $23.98 million, a decrease of about $2 million from last year's levy.
--There will be a pillow cleaning fundraiser for the Pierz Legion Auxiliary on October 3rd from 7am to 3pm at the Red Rooster Bar in Genola. Crush foam pillows can be cleaned, polyester pillows can be recovered, cleaned deodorized, sanitized and fluffed at the event. The pillows will be on the spot cleaned and returned the same day.
--One person is dead after a one vehicle rollover early Saturday in Morrison County. Around 1:00am, the driver 18-year old Cloe Crabtree of Prior Lake was on Highway 10 near Royalton, entered the median and rolled over in the northbound lanes of Highway 10. Crabtree was dead when authorities arrived. A passenger, 21-year-old Alexander Myhre of Mankato had no apparent injuries.
--Jury selection begins today for Tyler Cronquist in Crow Wing County District Court. Cronquist is charged with first degree murder with premeditation and attempted first degree murder with premeditation in the double shooting in Brainerd in January 2015. The jury selection is expected to take 2-4 days with the trial set to begin on October 3rd.
--The Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerice is hosting a forum of Ward 1 and Ward 2 candidates for Little Falls City Council on Wednesday. Ward 2 candidates at 9am and Ward 1 candidates will be at 10:30am. These are forums not debates and questions have been provided to them prior to the forum which mainly gives each candidate a time to speak about why they are the best candidate for the seat on the Little Falls City Council. The public is invited to attend.
--The Morrison County Commissioners will hold their next meeting Tuesday morning at 9 at the Government Center boardroom.
NATIONAL NEWS --Hall of Fame golfer, Arnold Palmer died Sunday at a Pittsburgh hospital, he was 87. Palmer had 62 PGA wins in his career. --The first Presidential Debate between Donald Trump and Hilliary Clinton is tonight at 8:00pm from Hofstra University in New York.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT --Wayne Schmidt and Acacia Smith of Little Falls, a boy born Sept 22
DEATH NOTICES --Brian M. Kummet, age 30 of Bemidji formerly of Lastrup. --Sister Latona Kalis, age 77 of St. Francis Convent in Little Falls.
WEATHER TODAY= mainly sunny, very windy with gust 35mph, high 60. TONIGHT= clear skies, low 43. TUESDAY= sunny skies, windy, high 60, clear skies at night, low 40. WEDNESDAY= sunny skies, less windy, high 66.
SPORTS VIKINGS= Vikings defense comes through again with a number of sacks and turnovers to beat Carolina 22-10 to go 3-0 on the season. The Vikings will take on 2-1 New York Giants a week from tonight on Monday Night Football at 7:30pm. COL FB= Gophers beat Colorado State 31-24 Saturday, now 3-0. TWINS= Seattle beat Twins Friday 10-1 after a rain delay. Sano and Polanco homer to give Twins a 3-2 win Saturday. Mariners come back to win Sunday 4-3- giving the Twins their 100th loss. Twins off today. HS FB= Royalton, Upsala Swanville, Pierz, Holdingford and Foley were all winners on Friday night Football. Albany beat LF 19-0. Little Falls hosts New London-Spicer for homecoming Friday 7pm KLTF. NBA= Kevin Garnett announced Friday his retirement from the NBA. Garnett played 21 years in the NBA, most with the Timberwolves. MLB= Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez was killed in a boat crash Sunday morning. The All-Star pitcher was 24 years old.