NEWS
--Local Morrison County turkey farmer Garrett Doucette representing the Upsala Fire Department is one of five national finalists in the Hormel Firehouse Chili Contest. Garrett will fly to New York City next month to compete in the finals with his Creamy Turkey Chili recipe. Garrett has entered this chili in the Kinship Soup and Chili Cookoff annually in March several times and now is getting national recognition for his recipe. You can watch Garrett demo his recipe on WCCO-TV this Friday morning at 9:40am.
--The Pierz Oktoberfest Medallion was found around 10:00am Wednesday by Brock Smude and his siblings Brady, Ellie, and Josi. Brock found the medallion wrapped in caution tape just over the skunk river underneath the speed limit sign outside of Pierz Park. As a prize he receives $500 in Pierz Bucks donated by the Pierz Area Commercial Club. Congratulations Brock Smude.
--Prosecutors say a Clear Lake man's blood alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit for driving when he caused a crash that killed a teenager. 38-year old Jason Rothmeyer is charged in Sherburne County with criminal vehicular homicide, fleeing police and drunken driving in an August 10th crash the led to the death of 18-year old Kyle Foley, of Dassel. An officer was attempting to stop Rothmeyer who then sped away and that led to the collision that killed Foley. Rothmeyer's attorney has declined to comment.
--The attorney who represented hundreds of survivors of abuse by priests in Catholic Churches across Minnesota is calling for a grand jury investigation into all Minnesota dioceses. Jeff Anderson, who represented victims in cases against the church is urging the Minnesota Attorney General and local prosecutors to launch a grand jury investigation. The grand jury would be similar to the one in Pennsylvania which uncovered decades of organized cover-ups and abuse by priests and bishops.
--Authorities have canceled the search for the missing man 35-year old Franklyn Sherman Jr. of Deer River who was found deceased near the area he was last seen. His body was recovered with the help of a National Guard helicopter on Monday. No foul play is suspected.
--Were you an Orphan Train Rider? Are you a decedent of an Orphan Train Rider? The 58th Annual Orphan Train Conference will take place at the St. Francis Center (Convent) on Saturday, September 29th from 9am-2:30pm. Between 1854-1929 over 250,000 children were placed out on orphan trains from the East Coast, venturing into unknown territory in the West by train, to settle with unfamiliar families across America. The transfer was the first emigration plan and largest mass migration of children ever to take place on American soil; formulating our country’s first child welfare system. For many of these children arriving in new family homes throughout America, the placement left them facing kind and loving families, or as indentured servants bound to hard labor. Descendants and interested persons gather annually to celebrate and discover the saga of those little pioneers drawn into a social experiment spanning more than three quarters of a century. There are less than twenty orphan train riders living throughout the United States today. A meeting, entertainment, lunch and orations by orphan train rider descendants will fill the day at the 58th Annual Orphan Train Riders celebration. The conference is open to any interested persons. Walk-ins are welcome. Contact Kim Carstens Piehl at tkdplace@brainerd.net or (218) 330-8108.
--Rebekka Paskewitz, a 20-year old college student from Browerville, representing Todd County, was crowned the 65th Princess Kay of the Milky Way in an evening ceremony at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds last night. Paskewitz will serve as the official goodwill ambassador for nearly 3,000 Minnesota dairy farm families. She is the daughter of Alan and Vicki Paskewitz, and attends the South Dakota State University, where she is pursuing a degree in agricultural education. Twelve county dairy princesses from throughout Minnesota competed for the Princess Kay of the Milky Way title. Blaize Dankers of Plainview, representing Wabasha County, and Korissa Lindquist of Kerkhoven, representing Kandiyohi County, were selected as runners-up. Katherine Gathje of Richmond, representing Meeker County, Ashley Maus of Freeport, representing Stearns County and Julia Mullenbach of Rose Creek, representing Mower County were named scholarship winners. Lindquist was also named Miss Congeniality. Paskewitz’s first official duty as Princess Kay will be to sit in a rotating cooler in the Dairy Building for nearly six hours to have her likeness sculpted in a 90-pound block of butter today. The new Princess Kay will join KLTF Radio Friday at 12:30pm on the Central Minnesota Farm Report.
--The Brainerd VA Clinic is holding an event on Veteran Mental Health and Suicide Awareness tonight. Statistics show that 22 Veterans a day in the United States take their own lives. The forum is for all interested in preventing suicide. The forum will be at the Brainerd VA Health Clinic tonight from 6-8pm.
--The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Monday reversed a Crow Wing County District Court's decision regarding a 34-year old man's predatory offender status. Luke Ryan Doud was sentenced last September in Brainerd court as a predatory offender who knowingly violated his registration requirements and provided false information to authorities. He was sentenced to two years in the Minnesota Correctional Facility in St. Cloud and was given 103 days of credit for time served. Doud argued the evidence was insufficient to convict him because the prosecution failed to prove he had a new primary address, therefore it was not proven beyond a reasonable doubt he failed to register his new primary address. The court of appeals agreed. As of Tuesday, Doud is still expected to be released on his previous charges October 8th.
--Knight of Columbus Council 1804 are having a chicken and corn feed on Friday from 4-7pm at Lions Park in southeast Little Falls.
WEATHER
TODAY= increasing clouds, high 78.
TONIGHT= showers and storms likely after dark, low 61.
FRIDAY= storms before noon, cloudy, high 74, low near 60.
SATURDAY= sunny skies, high 81, storms late night, low 61.
SUNDAY= storm early and late day, sunny in between, high 81.
SPORTS
TWINS= The Twins lost to the White Sox yesterday 7-3. Minnesota hosts Oakland tonight for the first of a four game series at Target Field, pregame begins at 6:30pm on 92.1FM WYRQ.
HS= High School sports are already underway for some events. The High School Football season begins next Thursday (August 30th) for Pierz, Royalton and others while Little Falls opens play on August 31st. Check out local sports broadcast schedules at fallsradio.com.