NEWS --Tonight is Rock the Park 9 at Maple Island Park. The concert gets underway with Laverne and the Starlites at 6:00pm followed by Brothers Tone and the Big Groove at 7:00pm. There is no charge to attend but there will be food and beverages to purchase at the event. Before the concert is Kids Arts in the Park event at Maple Island Park, where a number of businesses and organizations will be putting on free arts events for kids to enjoy. Another event going on today around the streets of Little Falls is the Chalk the Walk event where many will be showing off chalk art around the city of Little Falls on sidewalks and parking lots. The chalk art competition will be voted on by judges to see who has the best chalk art. The competition is 10:00am-4:00pm today with the chalk art (if the weather cooperates) to be still in place for the evening events for people to walk around and view. Little Falls Radio will also have a chalk art project on display in our parking lot.
--The Morrison County Sheriff's Office reported on Facebook that the 2016 Polaris Side X Side reported stolen on June 10th has been located. This case remains active and under investigation. The sheriff's office would like to thank the public for their assistance.
--Currently Morrison County State Aid Highway 45 is closed from State Highway 27 to County State Aid Highway 43. Residents should either follow the marked detour or find their own alternate routes. This segment of CSAH 45 is closed until approximately July 6th. Be cautious of construction areas and the crews that are working. Give yourself extra time to reach your destination safely.
--The public should be advised that extra law enforcement will be on area roads focusing on speed enforcement during the month of July. This is part of the Toward Zero Death Initiative.
--The Rinde Farm in Long Prairie will host the Todd County Breakfast on the Farm event this Saturday from 10:00am-2:00pm. Since parking will not be available on site, visitors are directed to park at the Long Prairie Grey Eagle High School and shuttle busses will take visitors to and from the farm. At the farm, several education booths will be set up. Visitors can tour the farm to get an insight into what agriculture is about. A meal of cheeseburgers, milk, chips and ice cream will be available for a free will offering. For more information contact the Todd County Extension Office.
--A Sauk Rapids woman was taken off a Spirit Airlines flight heading from Houston to Minneapolis after a mid flight meltdown Monday. Video captured by a passenger shows the woman pacing up and down the aisle screaming hysterically. The video shows the woman swearing, making threats and acting erratically. Reports stated that the woman was irate after the flight landed in Rochester due to a medical issue, and another passenger was removed from the plane before the other woman's outburst. Rochester Police said the woman with the medical emergency had a diabetic reaction and was taken to the hospital for treatment. The 38-year old woman who had the meltdown said she was a military veteran, was traveling alone for the first time and panicked. A passenger who was sitting near the woman said she had told him she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Rochester police removed the woman from the flight, and say she made other arrangements to get home. Police returned to the flight again to remove another woman who wanted off, telling police she didn't agree with how Spirit Airlines treated the woman.
--A Little Falls man is facing multiple charges in Iowa on suspicion of stealing a car from Albert Lea and leading authorities on a high-speed chase that ended just off Interstate 35 near Clear Lake, Iowa. 32-year old Jacob Aaron Eberly is being held in the Cerro Gordo County (Iowa) Jail on charges of eluding authorities, second-degree theft, operating while under the influence and leaving the scene of an injury accident. Eberly is being held in the Cerro Gordo County Jail on a $13,000 cash only bond.
--A 36-year old Sauk Rapids woman faces three felony counts of wrongfully obtaining assistance worth about $44,000 while also employed for over a year. According to a Benton County criminal complaint, Sara Ann Brixx received welfare assistance from June 1st, 2015 to December 1st, 2016. She received cash, food support, a housing grant and Uncle Harry Food Support. The new complaint states the county's human services department obtained information that the defendant was working while receiving the aforementioned public assistance. If officials had known of the unreported income, Brixx would not have been eligible for benefits.
NATIONAL NEWS --US Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy announced Wednesday he's retiring at the end of July. In a statement, the Supreme Court said the 81-year old Kennedy will step down effective July 31st. The judge called it "the greatest honor and privilege to serve our nation in the federal judiciary for 43 years, 30 of those years in the Supreme Court." The Supreme Court wrapped up their year earlier in the day. --The US Supreme Court struck down an Illinois law that required non union workers to pay fees that go to collective bargaining and overturned a 1977 law that required employees to pay so called "fair share" fees. The ruling was 5-4. Minnesota is one of 22 states impacted by this ruling because some public unions forced non-members to pay fair share dues. After yesterday's decision, non members will no longer be forced to pay.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT --Jacob and Kelsey Zeis of Burtrum, boy on June 26th
DEATH NOTICES --Monte R. Martin, age 58 of Pillager formerly of Rice.
WEATHER TODAY= sunny and warm, high 86. TONIGHT= chance of storms late, muggy, low 73. FRIDAY= sunny and hot, high 94, storms late, low 70. SATURDAY= strong storms early and late in day, high 82, low 59. SUNDAY= showers possible early, then partial sun, high 76.
SPORTS TWINS= White Sox beat Twins again this time 6-1 last night. Adrianza had 4 of the Twins 5 hits. The Twins wrap up series with White Sox today, pregame at 12:30pm on Q92 WYRQ.
TODAY IN HISTORY IN 1917= The Raggedy Ann Doll is introduced in the United States. IN 1982= Charles & Diana name first born son William in England. IN 1996= Eddie Murphy's remake of Nutty Professor-opens theaters.