NEWS
--Around 5:20pm on Monday the Morrison County Sheriff's Office received a report of a snowmobile accident with injuries on property located off Lakeview Drive, on the east side of Lake Alexander, in Scandia Valley Township. 70-year old Mary Schmidt of Cushing was driving a snowmobile on her property. Schmidt drove down a steep hill and hit a tree. Scandia Valley Fire Department responded to the scene to assist in getting Schmidt up the steep hill. She was taken to the hospital by ambulance with a possible leg injury.
--Congratulations to Eric Hanneken, the Pierz Police Chief who was 2019's first nominated Scheels Hometown Hero.
--The Todd County Sheriff's Office in the past week reported a hit and run accident in Browerville on Monday when a vehicle was damaged by the post office. It was reportedly backed into by another vehcile. The sheriff's office asks if you saw anything around 12:20pm Monday with that accident to call their office. On Sunday around 9:00am it was reported that Matthew Hass of rural Osakis was riding his snowmobile in the ditch on county road 4 west of county road 11, he lost control and the machine rolled. Hass injured his arm and was taken to the Sauk Centre hospital by a private party. The sheriff's office responded to a theft of a portable fish house on County Road 16 near Cushing and a house fire in Eagle Bend where Clarissa Fire extinguished the fire within a half hour and there were no injuries.
--The National Weather Service reported Tuesday that the snowfall from last Wednesday (December 26th) through New Years Eve was the 7th largest snowfall for the lakes region dating back to 1908 for the month of December. A line from Little Falls to Fort Ripley to Brainerd to Nisswa to Pine River received 9-16 inches of snow with even more falling between Mora to McGregor to Aitkin with the heaviest recorded amount over the past week of 28 inches northeast of McGregor from last Wednesday through New Years Day morning.
--A Willmar man was taken to the hospital after rolling his vehicle Sunday night. The accident occurred just after 10:15pm on Highway 71 and Highway 55 near Belgrade. The Minnesota State Patrol says 62-year old Gary Bregel was heading south on Highway 71 when he hit a patch of ice, lost control of his vehicle, went off the road and rolled. He was taken to Paynesville hospital for his injuries.
--The Cultural Center in New York Mills announced the 2019 Great American Think-Off question is: "To vote or not to vote: does it matter?" This is the 27th annual Think-Off topic—a clearly debatable, timely yet timeless philosophical quandary meant to inspire thinkers from all walks of life. Do you remember a teacher telling you that it is your duty to vote? Have you heard someone say that they don't vote because they don't think their one vote will make a difference? Do you have an internal debate on Election Day about whether or not to vote? The Great American Think-Off is an essay and debate competition held each year in New York Mills (population 1,224). 2019 marks the 27th year of the contest, which is free to enter and open to all. The contest has received entries from all 50 states and a number of international countries throughout its nearly three decade history. To enter, submit a 750-word essay by April 1st, 2019. Four finalists will be selected to receive $500 each, plus travel expenses and a chance to win the title of America's Greatest Thinker at this year's annual debate held on June 8th, 2019 in New York Mills.
--You can stream all 3 Little Falls radio stations at fallsradio.com.
--Due to the Soo Line Trail being groomed for snowmobile use, the east segment of the trail (from US Highway 10 east) will be closed to ATV use. Anyone with questions may call the Morrison County Public
Works Department at (320) 632-0121.
--The frigid temperatures in the past week has not helped as much as many would think with the lake ice conditions. Since December 29th, there have been reports of vehicles going through the ice in Sauk Centre, two incidents in Becker County and a snowmobile on the north end of Lake Mille Lacs. Fortunately no one was seriously hurt but all were treated for hypothermia. A reminder again from the DNR and law enforcement that lake ice is never 100-percent safe. Ice could be 14-18 inches thick in one area and a hundred feet away less than 2-3 inches along some ridges. The DNR also states that if your vehicle does go through the ice, you are financially responsible for getting it out. That cost could be thousands of dollars.
--The Minnesota State Patrol says there were 111 arrests for drunken driving overnight on New Year's Eve. The arrests statewide by law enforcement agencies happened between 6:00pm Monday and 6:00am Tuesday. That is six fewer arrests than last year.
--No one was hurt when a fire broke out at a home near Sauk Centre Tuesday. The fire started around 1:45pm at a home in the 36000 block of County Road 26 in Raymond Township. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office says one of the homeowners, 58-year old Robert Dean, called 911 and reported that flames were traveling up the wall and he was unable to put them out. The fire severely damaged the house before Sauk Centre firefighters could put out the flames.
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
--Longtime pro wrestling announcer “Mean” Gene Okerlund died on Wednesday at age 76. Okerlund began his career in Minneapolis with the AWA in 1970 and was a WWE Hall of Famer in 2006. Okerlund's family had many ties to Minnesota and Morrison County.
--Daryl Dragon, the Captain of Captain and Tennille, is dead. Dragon teamed with his wife Toni Tennille to form the pop hit duo Captain and Tennille and had a string of top hits in the 1970s including “Love will keep us together”, “Do that too me one more time” and “Muskrat Love” Dragon was 76 years old.
DEATH NOTICES
--Sister Mary Mercita Pipp OSF, age 94 of St. Francis Convent LF.
--Robert “Bob” Westholder, age 88 of rural Hillman.
WEATHER
TODAY= partly cloudy skies, high 35, clear night, low 24.
FRIDAY= sunny and mild, high 37, freeze fog late night, low 30.
SATURDAY= sunny and mild, high near 40, low around 22.
SUNDAY= cloudy and breezy, high near 30, snow late night, low 20.
SPORTS
HS BBB= Alexandria at Little Falls tonight 7pm on Q92 WYRQ.
HS GBB= Pierz at Holdingford tonight 7pm on FM94 KFML.
COL BB= Gopher men (11-2) at Wisconsin 7:30pm on KLTF.
NFL= The NFL playoffs begin Saturday with Indianapolis at Houston at 3:30 followed by Seattle at Dallas at 7:15pm. Sunday at noon it will be the LA Chargers at Baltimore followed by the Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears at 3:30pm all live on AM960 KLTF.