NEWS --The Pierz City Council met Monday night. At the meeting the council discontinued the CIP program. The CIP Program was once mandatory for all cities, but if you are under 1,000 electric utility customers it is no longer mandatory. It was costing the city $10,000 a year in administration fees to have the program. The city of Pierz was never able to meet the rebate goals because they had too few customers utilizing the program. The City Council also approved the preliminary tax levy with a 3% increase. When levies are finalized they can't be raised higher than the preliminary levy but can still be lowered. The Truth-N-Taxation meeting was also set for December 11th at 6:30pm.
--Governor Mark Dayton Wednesday named a replacement to lead the Minnesota National Guard, as the Guard prepares for the mandatory retirement of Major General Richard Nash in October. Major General Jon A. Jensen has been chosen to take over as the 31st adjutant general of the Minnesota National Guard. He currently serves in two top leadership positions, as the Commanding General of the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division and also as the Chief of Staff at the Guard’s Joint Headquarters. Nash has held the position of adjutant general for the past seven years.
--Around 3:50pm Monday the Little Falls Fire Department responded to a car fire at 1008 6th Street SE. The car was owned by Becky Monnier. 19-Little Falls Firefighters were on scene for around 45 minutes. The fire was contained to the car. There were no injuries.
--Brainerd Public Schools Monday presented the 2017 employee Above and Beyond Awards. Recipients of this award serve as inspirations not only to the school district community but also to the broader community because they are role models who strive to have a positive impact every day with our young people. The 2017 Above and Beyond awards went to Natalie Embertson, Adam Extrand, Bob Johnson, and Jessica Wales. The Above and Beyond Awards annually recognize employees who demonstrate a positive attitude that inspires others and consistently go above and beyond what is expected so that students can be successful. All school district employees are eligible for this award and anyone can nominate.
--Autopsy results on the woman found Sunday in Moorhead wrapped in plastic in the Red River states she died from homicidal violence. 22-year old Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind of Fargo went missing August 19th and was found in the river deceased last Sunday. The Fargo police department stated that the cause of death has been ruled a homicide but exact cause would not be released to media so not to jeopardize the upcoming trial against the two people that were arrested in connection with her disappearance, the finding of a newborn baby believed to be Greywind's and her death.
--The Little Falls Police Department responded to a number of suspicious activity reports, made arrests for obstructing the legal process, domestic assault and driving without revocation in three different cases. They reported property damage to a business on West Broadway, responded to a situation at the hospital with an unwilling patient and helped firefighters with a pop machine fire at a gas station on the west side of Little Falls last Saturday.
--One person was hurt Monday in an accident on Crow Wing County Road 2 in Garrison around 1:20am. 34-year old Carrie Shedd of Onamia reportedly was taken to the hospital with injuries from the accident when her vehicle struck a horse on the county road.
--A 48-year old Paynesville man died early Wednesday morning when the motorcycle he was driving collided with a vehicle at Minnesota Highway 4 and Stearns County Road 32. Greg Darrel Brown was traveling north on Highway 4 about 4:30am when a Chevrolet Equinox traveling west on County Road 32 turned left to go south on the highway. The motorcycle struck the driver's side door and came to rest in the southbound highway lane.
--A 19-year old Michigan woman died early Wednesday morning after being struck by a vehicle in the 3600 block of Stearns County Road 75. A St. Cloud Police Department news release said the woman, whose name was not released, stepped off a center median about 4:20am and was struck by a northbound vehicle driven by 59-year old Mohamed Egal of St. Cloud. Egal, who was driving in the left lane on his way home from work. Life-saving efforts were performed, but the victim was declared dead at 4:34am. The police report stated Egal displayed no signs of impairment and is cooperating with the investigation. The victim, originally from Michigan, was taken to Ramsey County Medical Examiner's office for examination.
--A St. Cloud man was arrested Monday in connection with a July 26th shooting in St. Cloud. 20-year old Willie Demont White Jr. was charged August 2nd with second degree assault with a dangerous weapon and illegal possession of a firearm. White appeared in court Monday in Sherburne County on charges of aggravated robbery, and was taken into custody on the Stearns charges. White's next scheduled court appearance related to the shooting incident is an omnibus hearing set for September 21st.
--On Tuesday night the Sartell-St. Stephen school board appointed Jeremy Snoberger to fill the vacancy left when former school board chair Michelle Meyer resigned. He currently serves on the New High School Steering Committee, president of the Sartell All Sports Booster Club and served as the chairperson for the 2016 Bond Referendum “Vote Yes for Success” committee.
--Upsala Schools will host a back to school event tonight from 4-8pm for all grades kindergarten through 12th grade at the Upsala schools. Come and meet teachers and bring your school supplies.
DEATH NOTICES --Mary Jane O'Day, age 62 of Little Falls. --Kenneth “Ken” R. Miller, age 85 of Little Falls.
WEATHER TODAY= sunny skies, high near 70. TONIGHT= clear skies, low around 50. FRIDAY= partly cloudy, high 68, showers late, low 48. SATURDAY= showers early, then sunny, high 77, low 51. SUNDAY= sunny skies, high near 80, low around 54.
SPORTS TWINS= Eddie Rosario 2 homers, Joe Mauer homered too as Twins clobber White Sox 11-1 last night. The Twins (69-63) wrap up with the White Sox today 11:30am on Q92 WYRQ. COL FB= Gophers open 2017 season under PJ Fleck tonight at home against Buffalo, 5:00pm pregame on AM960 KLTF HS FB= Milaca at Pierz tonight 7pm on FM94 KFML. LYNX= Lynx beat Indiana last night 80-69, Maya Moore 18 points. NFL= Vikings last preseason game tonight at home against Miami.