NEWS
--With the help of many volunteers and businesses the Morrison County Salvation Army Red Kettle Bell Ringing Campaign raised $20,000. 212 volunteers worked about 220 volunteer hours. There were many individuals, nine businesses and fifteen clubs/ groups that rang. The Morrison County Salvation Army Chapter is a "Service Unit". It is run by an all volunteer board and staff of ten people. Members of the Morrison County Salvation Army want to give a big public thank you to the volunteers, local stores, and donors who helped to raise these funds. The majority of these funds will be used to help low income individuals and families in crisis and the homeless. If certain criteria are met, these funds are planned to help with the cost of food, rent and at times gas money during crisis situations.
--As the start of tax filing season approaches, the Internal Revenue Service is reminding taxpayers to start thinking about who will prepare their 2016 federal tax return.The IRS will begin processing tax returns on Monday. The IRS stresses that no matter who prepares it, by signing the return, the taxpayer becomes legally responsible for the accuracy of all information included. Taxpayers will have until Tuesday, April 18th, 2017 to file their 2016 returns and pay any taxes due. The customary April 15th deadline falls on Saturday, which would normally give taxpayers until at least the following Monday. Since Emancipation Day, a D.C. holiday, is observed on Monday, April 17th it gives taxpayers nationwide an additional day to file.
--A pregnant woman was injured Tuesday after she lost control on a patch of ice and flipped her vehicle over on Crow Wing County Road 11 east of Crosslake in Mission Township. Around 1:40pm 43-year-old Jennifer Sheets of Deerwood, who is 9 months pregnant, was taken to the Crosby hospital and treated for injuries and later released. There were six children as passengers and none of them were injured. Deputies wanted to thank the quick action of witnesses for getting Sheets and her children out of the vehicle and aiding them before deputies arrived.
--A fish house on Mille Lacs Lake was destroyed by fire Tuesday afternoon. Garrison firefighters were called just after 4:00pm to the fish house that was unoccupied at the time. The fish house was engulfed in flames and a total loss. The cause of the fire is unknown.
--The Brainerd firefighters responded over the weekend to a brush fire on Porcupine Path off of Highway 371 Sunday around 1:00pm and a snowmobile fire around noon Tuesday on Elder Drive in Baxter. No injuries were reported in either case.
--The Little Falls Police Department in the past week reported a theft Saturday of two snowmobiles on Gayle Drive, theft of a four foot metal star from a yard on 4th Avenue Northeast, shoplifting complaints from a local liquor store, a homemade dolly stolen from the 600 block of 2nd Street Northeast and multiple reports of suspicious activity. In those cases nothing was found to be serious.
--The Minnesota Twins Caravan will stop at Holy Trinity School today from 12:30-1:30pm. The event is open to Holy Trinity School students and their families. Twins attending include Eduardo Escobar, Hector Santiago, 1991 Twins pitcher Jack Morris and Announcer Cory Provus. Question can be called to Holy Trinity in Pierz at 468-6446.
--View details on upcoming events by logging onto fallsradio.com and clicking on the community calendar.
--Students and faculty of the Central Lakes College Fire & Emergency Medical Service Programs trained Saturday and Sunday at Camp Ripley to validate skills learned in the classroom through hands on training. The Central Lakes College Fire and Emergency Medical Service Program has often been recognized as one of the best in the region for their innovations with live, interactive training and experienced faculty. The main focus of the program's curriculum is the application of hands-on training incorporating real life scenarios with research-based, proven techniques. Of the 20-30 students that make up the program each term, there is a healthy mix of both male and female students. The classes, which are open to everyone, are a mix of fire and EMS training which can be applied to support public and private interests following completion of the course. The use of Camp Ripley as an in the field resource for the program falls in line with the cooperation between inter-agency partners as well as the provision of support of realistic training environments. In addition to the training space, Central Lakes College leases billeting which can double as a classroom for lecture opportunities. While on Camp Ripley the program utilizes the collective training facilities which offer several variations of scenarios in an urban environment. Additionally, the students use the Emergency Vehicle Operators Course as an ability to place the student and their vehicle in situations simulating real life rescues under multiple conditions. All firefighters successfully participated in the final repitations of the training and on Sunday passed the Minnesota State Fire Certification Testing.
--A 17-year-old from St. Cloud has been charged with first-degree assault after a fight sent another man to the emergency room with bleeding in his brain and other injuries. Brandon Alan Bemboom was charged in a juvenile petition after a fight December 23rd in Sartell. According to the court complaint charging Bemboom another 17-year old was beaten and suffered a skull fracture, a fractured eye socket and fractured knee. He also suffered bleeding in the brain that was considered life-threatening. The victim had to be treated in the intensive care unit because of his injuries.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT --Tony and Sherry Johnson of Little Falls, boy on January 16th
DEATH NOTICES --Diane Ella Sufka, age 69 of Royalton. --Charles S. Schneider, age 55 of Flensburg and Little Falls.
WEATHER DENSE FOG ADVISORY IN EFFECT THIS MORNING. TODAY= fog, then partly sunny, high near 40. TONIGHT= fog overnight, drizzle possible, low 34. FRIDAY= rain showers high 38, freezing drizzle late, low 30. SATURDAY= sleet to rain then rain to snow, high 40, low 29. SUNDAY= rain/snow mix likely in morning, high 34, low 25.
SPORTS HS GHK= Brainerd/Little Falls at Sartell tonight 7:15pm on FM94 HS BBB= Little Falls at Foley tonight 7:15pm on Q92 WYRQ. MLB=Baseball Hall of Fame class will include catcher Ivan Rodriguez, first baseman Jeff Bagwell and outfielder Tim Raines. The three were the only ones to receive more than 75% of the vote needed.