NEWS
--All are invited to join MnDOT staff and local officials at one of two open houses today to learn details about the Highway 27 reconstruction project through downtown Little Falls. Construction is scheduled to begin in late April. This is your best chance to learn details about the project and get all of your questions answered from project staff. Business owners and managers are encouraged to attend the “Business Meet and Greet” from 2:00-4:00pm and a second open house will be held from 6:00-8:00pm both at Little Falls City Hall. Everyone is invited to attend either open house. By attending, you’ll be able to view the project layout, learn details about construction including the tentative schedule and work plans, take home project information and get questions answered from staff working on the project. The project as proposed will: Reconstruct and resurface Highway 27 through downtown Little Falls; Install new sidewalks, bike lanes, upgraded traffic signal systems and improve intersections to meet modern accessibility standards; Replace or repair city utilities.
--A St. Cloud man with several active warrants was arrested after running from police Tuesday. The incident happened just after 1:00pm at 3300 Division Street West in St. Cloud. As St. Cloud Police Officers were responding to a possible domestic assault when they arrived the suspect, 27-year-old Dustin Quirk of St. Cloud, ran from police on foot. Quirk was eventually caught by police, who learned he had three active warrants, one of them being a felony level. Quirk was arrested and faces additional charges of fleeing police on foot and obstructing the legal process. He was taken to Stearns County Jail where he is being held for court on the warrants. Police say there was not probable cause to charge Quirk with domestic assault.
--The DNR reported at an open house Tuesday in Brainerd that there are now no reports of Chronic Wasting Disease in the deer they have checked out. They will continue to monitor the area where one deer was found to have tested positive back in January. Discussions and open houses will continue throughout the spring and summer with the DNR and public officials to continue to update the situation.
--Baxter police had a standoff with a suicidal man on Monday. Around 4:00pm they got a call of a man dealing with a mental health crisis threatening his life with a gun in a vehicle on Cypress Drive in Baxter. The team of negotiators were able to eventually get the man to put the gun down and come out of his vehicle after around 6 hours of intense talking by telephone and at the vehicle. The man was taken to the hospital for a mental evaluation. There is no word yet if the man faces any charges from the incident that ended peacefully.
--As mentioned recently the Staples Motley School District Referendum vote for their school district is on May 14th. Pillager will also have a referendum vote on May 14th in their district. Pillager polls will be open from 7:00am-8:00pm at Sylvan Town Hall. Absentee ballots in Pillager School District are available at the Pillager School District Offices or online through the Cass County website. For more information on the referendum which is for facility additions and improvements you can call the school or visit www.isd116.org.
--The Upsala Drama Club will be presenting “Mamma Mia” as their spring musical this year. Shows are Friday through Sunday, April 12-14th at the Upsala Auditorium. Friday and Saturday shows are at 7:30 and Sunday's show is at 3pm. Tickets $7 adults, $5 students.
--A workshop today at Camp Ripley will address traffic deaths. East Central Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths regional workshop partners will discuss crash trends and determine best practices for reducing traffic deaths and serious injuries on east central Minnesota roadways today from 8:30am-3:30pm at the Camp Ripley Hangar. Since Toward Zero Death’s inception in 2003, traffic-related deaths declined by 42 percent. During the last 10 years (2008-2017), motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of unintentional injury deaths for Minnesotans, ages 5 through 24. Nearly 90 regional traffic safety stakeholders will attend the East Central Minnesota Regional TZD workshop. They represent law enforcement, engineering, education, and emergency medical and trauma services as well as local leaders. The Minnesota departments of Public Safety, Health and Transportation are hosting the workshop.
--A St. Cloud woman has been arrested on suspicion of choking a 10-year old child. 31-year old Leah Marie Au faces possible charges of felony domestic assault by strangulation and gross misdemeanor malicious punishment of a child. Au was arrested Friday evening and is being held in Stearns County Jail.
--A Rice woman is facing charges after admitting to falsely reporting a robbery at a Waite Park Subway. 41-year old Stacy Lynn Rymer is facing one gross misdemeanor count of theft and one misdemeanor count of falsely reporting a crime. Rymer reported a robbery on December 28th at the Subway in Waite Park. Rymer told officers she was taking a money bag from Subway to the bank when a black man came around the corner, "knocked her to the ground" and ripped the money bag away from her. She said the man ran west of the business. On January 3rd, officers found video from another building showing Rymer leaving Subway in her vehicle for a few minutes before returning. Rymer admitted January 4th she left the parking lot, drove to a Super America and placed the money bag in the back of her vehicle before returning to Subway. Rymer took around $762. The maximum sentence for gross misdemeanor theft is one year in jail and $3,000. The maximum sentence for one misdemeanor count of falsely reporting a crime is 90 days in jail and $1,000. Rymer's first court appearance is scheduled for May 6th.
DEATH NOTICES
--Betty Yamry, age 90 of Royalton
--Harold Davis Jr. age 60 of Minneapolis
WEATHER
TODAY= increasing clouds, showers by late day, high 50.
TONIGHT= showers early, then cloudy, low 36.
FRIDAY= clouds early, then sunshine, high 61, rain late night, low 46.
SATURDAY= showers and T-storms possible, high 64, low 51.
SUNDAY= showers likely, high near 60 by noon, then temps falling.
SPORTS
TWINS= Willians Austudillo continues his great start with 3 hits and 2 RBIs yesterday and Mitch Garver had 3 hits as the Twins battle back to win again 7-6 with 2 runs in the 8th and one in the 9th over the Royals. The Twins (4-1) have today off then at Philadelphia on Friday night on Q92 WYRQ.
LOCAL= check out the local sports broadcast schedule which starts next week for spring sports at fallsradio.com then local sports.