Newsletter: Thursday, December 20th 2018

NEWS
–The holiday dairy recipe contest winners were announced on Wednesday’s AM960 KLTF partyline program. The three winners of a dairy bucket from the Morrison County ADA, Coborns Marketplace and Little Falls Radio are Joann Nelson, Marjerie Kahl, and Lorraine Thoma. Congratulations to the winners. The $50 dairy bucket prize can be picked up at the Little Falls Radio Station. Also over 25 businesses around Morrison County also had giveaways of dairy buckets of their own. All those winners should have been notified.

–On Wednesday morning the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a burglary at the Randall Café located on Superior Avenue in Randall Tuesday night. According to the Sheriff’s Office, the suspect entered the business at approximately 9:55pm on Tuesday. The suspect used a prybar to gain access through a door on the west side of the building. The suspect, appears on surveillance cameras is Caucasian but the gender is unknown, the person looks to be approximately 5’11” tall, wearing a ski mask, dark coat with a hood and gloves. If you have information regarding this burglary, you are asked to call the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office at (320) 632-9233. The video of the unknown burglar has been posted on the Morrison County Sheriff’s facebook page. The Sheriff’s Office did not elaborate if any items from the cafe were taken.

–Around 3:05pm on Monday the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a burned deceased male in a field in the 10600 block of River Street in Brockway Township. 86-year old Edwin Opatz of Rice was found deceased in a burned field in this area. The preliminary investigation revealed Opatz was burning grass pastureland earlier on Monday. Opatz’s remains were sent to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office and the Minnesota State Fire Marshal’s Office are working with the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office to determine an exact cause of death. This investigation is ongoing.

–One person from Melrose was hurt in a rollover in Todd County. The Sheriff’s Office says it happened at about 5:45 p.m. Tuesday at the intersection of County Road 98 and County Road 2 near Grey Eagle.
An SUV driven by Felisa Ambriz Deraya went off the road and struck a driveway approach. After the vehicle landed it struck an electric pole and then rolled. Deraya was taken by Lifelink Air Ambulance to St. Cloud Hospital. Alcohol appears to be a factor in the crash.

–The Minnesota State Patrol will be out in force through the first weekend in January watching for impaired drivers. The number of drunken driving offenses in the past 5 years has dropped between Christmas Day and New Years Day there is still many arrests during that 7 day period. In the past year, Christmas Eve and the Saturday after New Years has been become more frequent with alcohol related arrests so the campaign has been expanded to run this Friday through the 6th of January with more enforcement on roadways.

–Judy Buckingham of the Holiday Gift Giving Program is asking anyone who took tags from trees to please return them or the gift attached as they need to fill all the toys for distribution this Saturday. Please return the tags to Wal-Mart in Little Falls or call Judy as soon as possible at 630-8497 as distribution is this Saturday.

–The Morrison County Salvation Army still needs bell ringers through December 31st at Coborn’s and Wal-Mart in Little Falls. Please help out this holiday season by calling Betsy at 360-0332.

–Two teenagers were taken to the hospital after rolling their vehicle Tuesday afternoon. The incident happened at about 3:15pm on Quaker Road, east of Albany. 16-year-old Caleb Albritton, of Avon, was heading east on Quaker Road when he lost control on a curve, went into the ditch, hit a field approach, struck a tree and rolled. Albritton and his passenger, 14-year-old Isaac Sonnenburg of Avon, were able to get out of the truck just before it caught on fire. Both teenagers were taken to St. Cloud Hospital for non-serious injuries.

–A Sartell man is facing one charge of felony terroristic threats after sending threatening messages to a woman on Facebook, according to a criminal complaint. 43-year old Steven Jay Kuebelbeck created a fake Facebook account and sent messages to a woman Sunday threatening to kill her and “commit a sexual assault,” according to a criminal complaint. An investigator located the IP address that created the Facebook account. The IP address and phone number connected to the account belonged to Kuebelbeck. The maximum sentence for felony terroristic threats is five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

–Health Source Chiropractic in Little Falls for the 2nd year in a row has been recognized by Minnesota Monthly as one of their 2019 Best Chiropractors. Health Source Chiropractic and all of the others that received the honor will be recognized in the May/June 2019 Minnesota Monthly edition.

–First United Church in Little Falls (across from the Hospital) will be holding a Blue Christmas service this Friday night at 7pm. The service will give those who have lost loved ones the opportunity to remember them with stories and music during the service on Friday night.

ENTERTAINMENT
–Penny Marshall, Laverne from TV’s Laverne and Shirley and Happy Days then later a director for films like A League of their Own, Big and Awakenings died Monday at age 75.

WEATHER
TODAY= morning drizzle, clearing late day, high 32.
TONIGHT= clearing skies, colder, high 14.
FRIDAY= sunny skies, high near 30, flurries late, low near 20.
SATURDAY= light snow possible, less than 1 inch, high 30, low 15.
SUNDAY= partly cloudy, high near 25, low around 11.

SPORTS
HS GHK= Alexandria vs. Brainerd/Little Falls tonight 7pm on Q92.
HS GBB= Foley at Pierz tonight 7pm on FM94 KFML.
PRO BOWL= The Vikings found out that four players have been selected to play in the Pro Bowl on January 27th. Wide Receiver Adam Thielen, Linebacker Anthony Barr, Defensive Back Harrison Smith and Defensive Lineman Danielle Hunter who will going to his 1st Pro Bowl.

TODAY IN HISTORY
IN 1803= The Louisiana Purchase was agreed upon by the United States and France at 27-million dollars for land west of the 13 original Colonies to the Mississippi River which include parts of Minnesota.
IN 1957= Elvis Presley got his draft notice from the U.S. Army.
IN 1967= The Graduate with Dustin Hoffman opened in theaters.
IN 1985= Sportscaster Howard Cosell announced on Monday Night Football that he was retiring after that game from ABC Sports.