NEWS
--Steven Smith of CHI St. Gabriel's Health in a release Wednesday is reminding patients and others coming to the hospital that even though the state has ended the state mandated mask mandate the Center for Disease Control has not. The CDC is still recommending masks for healthcare facilities like hospitals, care centers, assisted living facility and nurshing homes that are requiring masks be worn. Smith understands that this is difficult for some who have forgone the masks after the mandate was lifted. But as a result of the CDC regulations all patients and visitors arriving at the hospital must still wear a mask and talk to a screener about symptoms before checking in and seeing their doctor at the clinic or visitng a patient in the hospital. Smith and the entire staff at CHI St. Gabriel's Health thanks all for their understanding at this time.
--The City of Little Falls is reminding residents who signed up and prepaid for the city recycling event this Friday and Saturday that items you signed up for pickup (again only those items will be picked up) must be on the curbside (not in the alley) of your resident by 6am Friday morning. That includes the number of tires, the 1 elecontronic (unless you paid for other items at City Hall) or items that again were signed up for through the City of Little Falls. If all items could not be picked up on Friday than they will start again on Saturday at 6am picking up the remainder of items. If you have questions contact City Hall at 616-5500.
--A driver and a passenger were injured Monday after the driver fell asleep and crashed the SUV she was driving. The Minnesota State Patrol was called at 1:11pm to the crash where a Toyota Rav4 was heading west on Highway 200, east of Hill City in Northwest Aitkin Unorganized Territory when the driver fell asleep. The Toyota ran off the road, hit a road approach and struck some trees. The 71-year-old driver, Elaine J. Sasse, and her passenger, Jodi M. Martin, 43, both of Duluth, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to Grand Itasca Clinic and Hospital in Grand Rapids The Hill City Police Department assisted the state patrol at the scene.
--Up to 7,500 hogs were killed as firefighters from multiple agencies battled a large blaze at a hog containment building outside of Frazee last Friday night. At 8:48pm emergency dispatchers received a call concerning a structure fire on the 37000 block of County Road 120. The property is owned by the Briard's Hog Farm Partnership. Travis Gray, deputy chief of the Frazee Fire Department, described the hog confinement building as an 8,000-square-foot structure with multiple buildings connected by adjoining passageways with no separating doors. He said the fire seems to have begun in the newest section of the buildings, which was completed within the last five years. Gray said he didn't get an estimate for the number of pigs lost in the fire from the owner, but in the initial incident report, the owner estimated between 7,000 to 7,500 animals were lost. Additional firefighters responded from Detroit Lakes, Wolf Lake and Vergas. Overall, more than two dozen firefighters battled the blaze until about 2:30am.
--There is the drive-thru Share a Meal today at 5:30pm at First Lutheran Church on Riverwood Drive in Little Falls. This is only for the first 75 meals to be picked up drive-thru only. This is being put on by Oasis Central Minnesota which are planning more meals this summer.
--The next Markets and Music on the Mississippi event is planned for next Thursday July 22nd from 3-9pm. Music that night from Brothers Tone and a sneak peak of the Little Falls Summer Musicial Darling.
--Burning wildfires in Canada are causing air quality issues in parts of the U.S., including Minnesota and North Dakota. Weather experts say the smoke sometimes stays aloft, but in this particular case it's lingering closer to the ground. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued an air quality alert for much of the state including Moorhead, Bemidji, Roseau, East Grand Forks, down to Todd and Morrison County through 9am Friday out of concern for public health. Those with asthma, COPD, or other respiratory illnesses are at risk.
--More events on the horizon include the Our Lady of Lourdes Church Bazaar on July 25th with Polka/Gospel Mass at 8:30 and 10:30am, bingo, pull tabs, live music, a live auction and raffle drawing on the west side of Little Falls. Scandia Valley Summerfest will be August 7th with a bake sale, craft/vendor sale through the day, trukey BBQ, kids activities, horse rides, raffle, ice cream fundraiser and a large fireworks show at dusk at the Scandia Valley Town Hall near Cushing. St. James Augustfest is back August 8th at St. James in Randall, Mass at 10, chicken dinner with corn on the cob, kids games, auction, ice cream cones for 50-cents and their large raffle in Randall. Get details on events by going to fallsradio.com then community calendar.
NATIONAL NEWS
--Overdose deaths soared to a record 93,000 last year in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. government reported Wednesday. That estimate far eclipses the high of about 72,000 drug overdose deaths reached the previous year and amounts to a 29% increase. Lockdowns and other pandemic restrictions isolated those with drug addictions and made treatment harder to get last year. There’s no current evidence that more Americans started using drugs last year, but the increased deaths most likely show that people who had already been struggling with addiction that were likely more isolated than usual due to the pandemic.
WEATHER
AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT THROUGH 9AM FRIDAY.
TODAY= AM fog, then sunny and hazy, high 81, clear night, low 58.
FRIDAY= sunny and warmer, high 85, clear night, low 61.
SATURDAY= sunny and warm, high 89, clear night, low 59.
SUNDAY= sunny and hot, high 93, low around 63.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins back on the field tomorrow for a double-header at Detroit. First game with 12:30pm pregame and the second game as a scheduled 5:30pm pregame, hear them both at Q92 WYRQ.
NBA= Bucks win 109-103 over Suns to take Game 4, series tied at 2.
WNBA= Team WNBA beat Team USA 93-85 in WNBA All Star Game.
TODAY IN HISTORY
IN 1815= Napolean surrendered exiled to St. Helena.
IN 1869= margarine is patented for use of the French Navy.
IN 1948= Alcoholics Anonymous founded in Great Britain.
IN 1952= The Patti Page show debuted on CBS TV.
IN 1965= Mariner IV takes first picutures of surface of Mars.
IN 1968= “One Life to Live” premieres on ABC TV.
IN 1973= Nolan Ryan pitched his 2nd no-hitter in the same season, he no hit the Royals on May 15th and Detroit on July 15th- as an Angel.
IN 1996= Prince Charles and Princess Diana of England finalized their divorce officially ending their marriage that started in 1981.