NEWS
--Absentee voting begins today for the Pierz School District 484 $18.45 million bond authority. The official voting day is on Monday, May 22nd. Polling places will be at Harding Community Center, Buckman, Lastrup and Pierz City Halls from noon-8:00pm. Absentee ballots are available in the Pierz School District Office beginning today from 7:30am-4:00pm. You can fill out the application for absentee voting and complete your ballot at the same time in the district office.
--Around 3:15am Wednesday the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a man that was fatally struck by a train on the railroad tracks near Highway 10 and 60th Avenue in Cushing Township. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe train was traveling north when it struck 35-year old, Kyle Schiltz of Sauk Centre. Schiltz was pronounced dead at the scene. The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the cause of this accident.
--The 7th annual Day of Caring is from 8:00am-12:00pm on Wednesday, May 3rd. Little Falls Community High School students, staff, and area adult volunteers will assist homeowners in Little Falls, Randall, Flensburg and Sobieski with outdoor yardwork and tasks that don't involve power equipment on ground level. The focus is to help homeowners who are elderly, homebound or disabled. Project registration forms are available at several locations including Little Falls Radio. The project registration form deadline is to be postmarked by next Wednesday, April 12th. Another way homeowners can register for the project is to call Mary at Live Better Live Longer 631-5677. The project is also actively seeking individual and teams of adult volunteers to help on the Day of Caring. For those who are interested in volunteering please call Becky at 616-2215. The deadline to volunteer is by Friday, April 14th.
--On Wednesday, April 26th, Pierz Healy High School will be the location for a mock car crash and emergency drill for several local emergency medical services. All 9th-12th graders will attend the program organized by Healy High School and local emergency personnel. Sirens, lights and helicopters will be used during the event. Reminder this is only a mock car crash and practice drill scheduled April 26th.
--A St. Cloud man was taken to the hospital after the vehicle he was driving went into the ditch in Benton County and rolled. Around 4:00pm Tuesday, 48-year old Abdulkadir Abdi was going west on Highway 10, approaching Benton Drive South, traveling in the left lane when he tried to change lanes during the lane change, Abdi saw an unidentified vehicle in the right lane approaching at a high rate of speed. While avoiding collision with the vehicle, Abdi overcorrected, crossed the right lane, entered the right ditch and overturned onto its driver’s side. Abdi was taken to St. Cloud Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
--Two people are hurt after a rear end crash in Monticello Tuesday evening. Around 6:00pm, 76-year old Wilfred Potter of Zimmerman was at a stop waiting for a semi to clear the intersection, when he was rear ended by a pickup driven by 28-year old Keegan Armstrong of Becker at Highway 25 and Broadway Street in Monticello. Potter’s passenger, 71-year old Lynda Potter of Zimmerman was hurt, but did not need treatment. Armstrong was taken to Monticello Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Wilfred Potter was not hurt.
--The Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office has listed the provisional manner and cause of Marc Welzant's death as undetermined. The final autopsy has not yet been completed. Last week, Brainerd police reported there were no preliminary indications that foul play was involved in Welzant's death. Welzant's remains were located March 25th on private property not far from the Mississippi River in a undeveloped wooded area about 2 miles south and west from where Welzant was last seen.
--A 52-year-old Brainerd man faces domestic assault and punishing a child charges following a March 28th incident at a residence in Crosby. Jimmie Robert Benjamin was charged in Crow Wing County District Court in Brainerd with felony domestic assault by strangulation, gross misdemeanor malicious punishment of a child and misdemeanor domestic assault to intentionally cause bodily harm. Benjamin's next court hearing is May 30th. According to the victim's report, a 16-year old male, reported Benjamin assaulted him repeatedly after the boys' mother and the son had gotten into a dispute and the mother allegedly held the boy down for Benjamin to repeatedly kick him.
--Minnesota environmental leaders want to raise park and license fees. Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Tom Landwehr says the extra dollars are needed to keep up with inflation, to maintain current services and meet the growing demand for them. The proposal calls for a five-dollar daily park permit to increase by one buck. An annual pass would go from 25 dollars to 30 dollars a year. Minnesota is home to 75 parks and recreation areas, hundreds of trails, public waterways and miles of snowmobile trails.
--The Minnesota House, Senate and Governor have each laid out budget plans to increase E-12 education funding. The governor's proposal would increase spending by $711 million, the Senate budget would increase funding by $300 million and the House budget would increase funding by $271 million. Locally the difference for school disticts would be in Little Falls $1,335,696 increase under the governors budget; $778,254 increase under the Senate, and $552,663 increase by the House budget proposal. Another example includes Pierz an increase of $624,751 under the Governor's proposal, $374,520 under the Senate proposal, and $261,954 increase under the house budget plan. The session ends May 22nd.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT
--Derek and Alesha Fussy, girl on April 4th
DEATH NOTICE
--Sister Mary Vianney Weier, age 92 from the St. Francis Convent, LF
--Claude J. Dahmen, age 77 of Lastrup
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny skies, high 55.
TONIGHT= clear skies, low near 27.
FRIDAY= sunny and warmer, high 62, low around 42.
SATURDAY= sunny and very mild, high 76, storms late, low 50.
SUNDAY= storms early, strong storms late day, high near 70.
SPORTS
HS BAB= Pierz vs. Foley today 4:30pm on FM94 KFML.
TWINS= Twins win yesterday 9-1 and improve to 2-0. Twins wrap up with KC Royals today with an 11:30am pregame on Q92 WYRQ.