NEWS
--At 5:30pm on Tuesday a diesel pump was hit causing a spill at the Holiday gas station on the east side of Little Falls. 16 Little Falls firefighters were on scene for about 3-4 hours and were able to contain the spill to the parking lot. WCEC out of Foley was called in to help finish the cleaning of the area. WCEC specializes in dealing with hazardous materials. Again, since the spill was contained to the parking lot, no hazardous materials reached the sewer or city water system. Subsequently, there are no safety concerns for the public.
--The City of Little Falls is hosting a public informational meeting this Monday at 6:30pm in the City Hall Council Chambers. The meeting will include discussing the feasibility study on the Highway 27 bridge improvements, which would include a grade separation over the railroad tracks on the west side of the river. Starting around 7:00pm will be discussion about the local option sales tax. The council is gathering input on project ideas that could be supported through a local option sales tax of 0.5% within the city of Little Falls. Again, this meeting starts at 6:30pm Monday at Little Falls City Hall.
--One man was found dead Wednesday after a plane crash Tuesday in Getty Township. Authorities identified 50-year old Matthew James Skwira of Rice as the deceased pilot. On Tuesday, the sheriff's office was notified a pilot of a single-engine experimental aircraft was last seen around 3:30pm at the Sauk Centre Airport. The pilot, Skwira did not respond to efforts to reach him and law enforcement was notified. Sauk Centre police and the Stearns County Sheriff's Office, with the assistance of the FAA, began a search of the area, but weather prevented an aerial search at the time. Telephone carriers assisted in efforts to pinpoint the location of the aircraft. The aircraft was found by the Sauk Centre Fire Department at approximately 8:25am Wednesday about 6 miles south of the airport. The FAA is conducting a crash investigation.
--Blueprint 181, the comprehensive long range proposal to address the facility needs of Brainerd Public Schools, will be presented to voters as three ballot questions on a special election on Tuesday, April 10th with early voting beginning on February 23rd. As part of the district’s effort to inform residents of the three question proposal, public information sessions open to all are being planned throughout the school district. The public is invited to attend any and all of the following information sessions: Tonight at 6:30pm at Lowell Elementary Gym; January 29th at 6:30pm at Brainerd High School North Campus Cafeteria; January 30th at 6:30pm at Harrison Elementary Gym; February 1st at 6:30pm at Garfield Elementary Gym; February 5th at 6:30pm at Riverside Elementary Cafeteria; February 6th at 6:30pm at Washington Educational Services Building; February 12th at 9:00am at Brainerd Public Library; February 13th at 6:30pm at Forestview Middle School Cafetorium; February 20th at 1:00pm at Brainerd Public Library; February 22nd at 4:00pm at Central Lakes College Cafeteria; February 22nd at 6:30pm at Nisswa Elementary Gym; and March 5th at 6:30pm at Baxter Elementary Gym. Plan details will be presented and there will be time for questions annear 20d answers. Details can also be viewed at blueprint181.org.
--The Minnesota Twins Winter Caravan stopped in Royalton on Tuesday morning. View photos of the event with Twins player Eddie Rosario, Minnesota Twins mascot T.C. the Bear, TV broadcaster Dick Bremer and the Royalton students and staff at fallsradio.com.
--The Little Falls Chapter of Let’s Go Fishing, a program which provides free pontoon based fishing outings for seniors, veterans and youth groups, is holding a restructuring meeting next week on Tuesday at 5:00pm on the 3rd floor of the Little Falls Carnegie Library. The state wide Let’s Go Fishing program (of which Little Falls is a chapter) is changing its legal relationship with chapters, which will have a major impact financially on our local group. All past Lets Go Fishing volunteers and anyone interested to see this program stay and thrive in the Little Falls area, are encouraged to attend. To RSVP for the meeting please call (320) 232-8205.
--Earlier this month during an event called “I.C.E. Fest”, a world record setting ice carousel was created. During the event funds were raised to benefit Flyer Pride Pack. Yesterday, the Flyer Pride Pack was presented a check for $4,340 raised from the event.
--Around 6:40pm on Tuesday area law enforcement were dispatched to the 29000 block of State Highway 6 in Crow Wing County for a report a person, described as a 12 year old male, with a gun threatening to harm himself and family members. Officers were able to safely remove the residents of the house while the juvenile male remained inside. A short time later, the juvenile male walked outside the residence with a handgun and a shotgun and repeatedly pointed the weapons towards the law enforcement officers that were on scene. The juvenile male did not comply with commands to drop the weapons and at one point fired a round into the air. The juvenile male then went back inside the residence, then returned outside with the weapons. The juvenile male then complied with orders to set the weapons on the ground. The juvenile male was struck in the right leg with a less-lethal round, which allowed the officers to take him into custody. The juvenile male was taken by ambulance to the Crosby Regional Medical Center and later transferred to a facility in Fargo, North Dakota.
DEATH NOTICES
--Lorraine (Doble) Meadows, age 95 of Oregon formerly Royalton.
WEATHER
TODAY= fog, mist and drizzle, cloudy, high 32.
TONIGHT= cloudy skies, patchy fog late, low 22.
FRIDAY= becoming sunny, breezy, high 41, low near 20.
SATURDAY= cloudy, snow showers in afternoon, high 28, low 4.
SUNDAY= partly cloudy, colder, high 15, low -1.
SPORTS
HS GBB= Paynesville Area at Pierz tonight 7:15pm FM94 KFML.
MLB Hall of Fame= Jim Thome, Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, and Trevor Hoffman are headed to Cooperstown after being voted in as the Baseball Hall of Fame's Class of 2018. Thome spent a couple years towards the end of his career as a Minnesota Twin. Former Minnesota Twins pitcher and three time world series champion Jack Morris is one of the inductees selected by the Modern Era Committee.
TODAY IN HISTORY
IN 1924= the first Winter Olympics opened in Chamonix, France.
IN 1937= The Guiding Light soap opera debuted on radio later TV.
IN 1949= first Emmy Awards presented- mostly game shows won.
IN 1961= Walt Disney debuted 101 Dalmatians in theaters.