NEWS
--Morrison County Sheriff Shawn Larsen stated yesterday on KLTF that there will be another Prescription Take Back Event on Saturday from 10am-2pm at Coborn's Marketplace, also there will be a Coffee with a Cop event on May 25th at the Falls Ballroom. Sheriff Larsen stated that drug task force recently told the sheriff that there is a Perk 30 Heroin pill that is laced with fentanyl which is related to the uptick in heroin overdoses that were recently seen in the area. Larsen said right now events like take back events has shown that theft and overdoses related to prescription drugs are way down but unfortunately Black Market drugs and illegal narcotics are rising at a rate that is quite alarming to rural communities and law enforcement. Events like Coffee with the Cop shows the signs and symptoms of Opiod abuse in the community to help those at risk and their loved ones understand what steps can be taken to help them. Sheriff Larsen said help is always available by contacting CHI St. Gabriel's Health 631-7274- Control Substance Care Team, Recovery Service hotline is 320-316-2065 and also you can contact Chaplin Gregg Valentine 630-7876 and he can gladly help with counseling and those grieving from recent overdoses and drug related deaths in the county. Larsen said their task forces are investigating a number of leads that have led to some arrests of drug sales but the community needs to work together to stop this by noticing signs of possible drug use, parents talking to children about the dangers if illegal drugs and calling in suspicious activity of any kind to the Morrison County Sheriff's Office at 632-9233 or in case of emergency call 911.
--Morrison County Public Health invites the general public to their COVID-19 vaccine clinic on April 28th between the hours of 2pm-6:30pm. They will be administering the Moderna vaccine to any adult 18 years of age or older. Please call Public Health to register at (320) 632-6664, no walk-ins. At the time of registration, you will be scheduled for your second dose that will take place on May 26th. The vaccine clinic will take place at the Morrison County Government Center, Garden Level, 213 1st Ave SE, Little Falls.
--Over 700 Soldiers from the Minnesota National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 135th Infantry Regiment headquartered in Mankato, Minnesota, will be returning to Minnesota over the coming weeks after an 11-month deployment in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel and Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa. Task Force Bayonet’s mission in the Horn of Africa was to provide force protection through security forces in the region of Djibouti, Somalia and Kenya, to support the Africa Command Theater Security Cooperation Strategy, and to ensure the success of the East Africa Response Force. The task force arrived in the Horn of Africa last July. The battalion deployed as a multi-state Army National Guard task force including Soldiers from units in Iowa and Illinois. While deployed, the battalion worked with several foreign partners, including the French Forces of Djibouti, the Armed Forces of Djibouti, the Uganda People’s Defense Force, the Kenya Defense Forces, the Somali National Army, the Royal British Army, the African Union Mission to Somalia and many more key international partners in the Horn of Africa. The 2-135th Infantry has a long and proud history of service to the nation, dating back to the First Minnesota Regiment’s service in the Civil War.
--Active COVID-19 in Morrison County dropped to 180 on Wednesday, Little Falls at 71, Pierz 45, Royalton 28 and Randall at 11 cases.
--The DNR is reminding residents of an elevated fire danger across central Minnesota today with temperatures near 60, relative humidity levels at 15 to 25% and winds around 15-20mph from the southwest.
--A St. Cloud woman has been charged in the fatal stabbing of a man Monday. 40-year old Lindsay Shelltrack-Miller is charged with 2nd degree murder without intent while committing a felony. She's being held on $1-million bail without conditions or $500,000 with conditions. Officers late Monday morning found a man with a stab wound and making gasping sounds on 9th Avenue North. He was taken to the hospital where he later died. Police have identified him as 36-year old Justin Berge of St. Cloud. According to the charges, Shelltrack-Miller called 911 to report she stabbed the man after an argument. She said that Berge allegedly then threw a can of pop at her. The woman said the victim was coming toward her and she pepper-sprayed him. She said Berge then threw her to the ground and was kneeling over her. That's when the woman said she reached into her fanny pack, grabbed a knife, reached across his body to try to nick him to get him to back off. Court records show police watched surveillance video that showed Berge running down the alley to escape the woman when she latches onto his back as if she was trying to grab something and then a stabbing motion ensued.
--A 35-year old man is charged with trafficking a woman for sex in the St. Cloud area in 2018 and 2019. Kareem Waites is charged with soliciting a person to practice prostitution, promoting prostitution, sex trafficking and receiving profits from prostitution. According to the charges, Waites and the woman began communicating in July of 2018. Waites took provocative pictures of the woman and then set up an ad for prostitution. Police say there were numerous text messages between the two discussing prostitution and drug sales. Court records show the woman admitted to investigators that she was having sex for money and sharing the profits with Waites.Both Waites and the victim are charged in separate complaints with selling drugs.
--The Royalton Playhouse is proudly presenting “Singin' in the Rain” Friday at 7pm, Saturday at 7pm and Sunday at 2pm at the Royalton High School. Tickets will be sold at the door for each performance with seating limitations for first come first serve and doors will open a half hour before the performances start.
WORLD NEWS
--Today is Earth Day, a day started in 1970 to learn, work and restore the Earth. Many events can be found at earthday.org.
DEATH NOTICES
--Ashley Oothoudt, age 78 of Moorhead formerly of Randall.
--Edward “Eddie” Woitalla, age 79 of Harding.
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny and mild, high near 60, rain after midnight, low 40.
FRIDAY= rain showers early, then cloudy, high 52.
FRI NIGHT= cooler night, sprinkles/flurries possible, low 28.
SATURDAY= sunny and breezy, high 47, low around 32.
SUNDAY= rain/snow mix early, then rain showers, high 46, low 37.
SPORTS
TWINS= an ugly loss for the Twins after leading late 10-7, Oakland tied the game in the 9th then won it in the 10th after 2 errors by the Twins 13-12. Twins have today off, host Pittsburgh tomorrow night.