NEWS
--Around 10:00am Wednesday the Little Falls Fire Department responded to a gas leak at Coborn's Marketplace in Little Falls. As they were removing snow they hit the gas meter causing the leak. 16-Little Falls firefighters were on scene for around an hour. When firefighters arrived they started to evacuate the building but were quickly able to shut off the gas so the evacuation was no longer necessary and thus canceled. There were no injuries.
--As plans for the new elementary school in Baxter continue to develop and with groundbreaking expected later this spring, the Board of Education turned its attention Monday evening to the question of what to name this school: Baxter Elementary or something different. The Board of Education is requesting feedback from the community on this question. The public is invited to vote via a short survey located on blueprint181.org to let the Board of Education know what you think the name of the new elementary school ought to be. The survey will be open until Friday, March 15th. The results of it will be shared with the Board of Education at their meeting on Monday, March 18th, 2019 at 6:00pm in the boardroom of the Washington Educational Services Building in Brainerd.
--St. Cloud Police have released the name of the man who was found dead inside a home last Thursday. The man has been identified as 63-year-old Donald Salmela. Police say they were called to a home on 7th Avenue South just before 10:30am Thursday, where he was found dead inside. The case remains an active investigation.
--The record-breaking snowfall totals have not only been a huge problem for drivers but for dairy farmers as well. Throughout the state, at least 16 dairy barns, including one in Little Falls, have collapsed due to the weight of the snow. The hope is that insurance and other programs should help farmers dealing with any milk production losses from the loss of barns. It could be a few months before farmers get operations back to normal, which will affect milk production across the state. Of the farms impacted, roughly 12 are in the southern part of the state, while the others are in the middle of the state including one in Stearns County and again one in Little Falls from the heavy snow.
--An All Aboard Rally is being held next Wednesday, March 6th in St. Paul to gain support on pushing more passenger rail service from Chicago through the Twin Cities, St. Cloud and up to Fargo, North Dakota. There would also be a line from the Twin Cities to Duluth. Lawmakers are mulling over whether to back an initiative which would be around $2-million a year for the upkeep on the train service. That would not include the cost for the pavement work done for the tracks to move through which would also be in the millions. The hope is that if the passenger rail services runs statewide it would generate over $8 million dollars in revenue a year if rider services is around that 150,000 passengers per year.
--Brace yourself for more cold weather as March will definitely come in as a lion tomorrow. Another cold air mass will effect not only Minnesota but most of the lower 48 states March 1st through the 10th. Bringing below zero temperatures across the upper Midwest. Air temps should be close to 40 in Minnesota by the middle of March but air temps this weekend will be highs and lows below zero Sunday and Monday for most of the state. Temps expected into the 20's by March 8th through the 15th which is still 15-20 degrees below average.
--The Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce holds their annual chamber dinner tonight at the Falls Ballroom in Little Falls where they will celebrate the large and small business of the year and the volunteer of the year from their chamber. This year Anderson Custom Processing is the large business, Froggy's Signs Inc. is the small business and Kristine Hoheisel of Horizon Health is their volunteer of the year for 2019. A social begins at 5:00pm followed by dinner at 6:15pm with a program and entertainment by Harpers Chord at 7:00pm. Tickets are $30. Call the Chamber for info 632-5155.
--Officials in Douglas County say a suspect is dead after deputies responded to a domestic disturbance call Tuesday morning. According to the county sheriff’s office, two deputies responded at 5:15am to a domestic disturbance in the city of Miltona. At one point, a deputy discharged his firearm. The suspect is dead. The deputies were not injured and will be placed on standard administrative leave. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office requested that the Minnesota BCA investigate the shooting. The deceased suspect’s identity and autopsy results will be released at a later time by the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office.
--Crow Wing County Land Services received the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources — Parks and Trails Division Director's Award for dedication and commitment to the snowmobiling community. The award was presented during the annual Minnesota United Snowmobile Association event earlier this month. Crow Wing County was one of the first sponsors of snowmobile trails when the DNR's Grant-In-Aid program started back in the 1970s.
DEATH NOTICES
--Sister Mary Bernarda Sanoski, age 102 of St. Francis Convent, LF.
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny skies, high near 20.
TONIGHT= increasing clouds, low around 0.
FRIDAY= snow after 7am, 2-4 inches through day, high 20, low -3.
SATURDAY= partly sunny and windy, high 11, low around -17.
SUNDAY= sunny and very cold, high -3, low around -14.
SPORTS
HS GBB= Pierz at Foley tonight at 7pm on FM94 KFML.
HS GBB= Oglivie at Swanville tonight 7pm on Q92 WYRQ.
Other teams have playoff games tonight KMS at Upsala, Kimball at Holdingford, Milaca at Royalton with winners all playing on Saturday.
WRE= State Wrestling for teams start today in St. Paul. In Class A- Bertha-Hewitt-Verndale-Parkers Prairie, Aitkin and top seed Long Prarie-Grey Eagle-Browerville are in action, Class AA teams include Foley, Perham and Mora and in Class AAA teams include Bemidji. Teams will all play only today with championships tonight in St. Paul. Individual competition begins at 9am Friday on Q92 WYRQ.
COL BB= Gophers vs. Northwestern tonight 7:30pm AM960 KLTF.
COL WRE= The St. Cloud State Wrestling Team is going to their 4th National Championship in the past 5 years.
TODAY IN HISTORY
IN 1827= first commercial railroad service began Baltimore & Ohio.
IN 1943= Porgy and Bess opened on Broadway.
IN 1983= 125-million people watched the final episode of M.A.S.H.