NEWS
--Today is FM94's Ladies Night Out Pierz Style. Stop into the participating businesses from 12-7pm and get your card stamped. Then head to the Red Rooster in Genola for drawings beginning at 7:30pm. The grand prize is a $500 Pierz Foods/Pierz Floral gift card plus many other prizes from the sponsors and FM94. Dress is your best cowgirl outfit and possibly win Chanhassen Tickets from FM94. Rules and sponsor list can be found at fallsradio.com or by picking up a brochure at any of the sponsors today or at FM94 KFML.
--According to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension the 75-year-old Milaca man missing on Tuesday has been found safe. Dennis Mead was found in Vernon County, Wisconsin Tuesday night. Local and state authorities thanks all who helped in finding Mead.
--A culinary cook-off in May in Little Falls pits three Central Minnesota chefs against each other in an intense kitchen showdown. This will be the second year Sprout has produced the live entertainment, which resembles the popular Food Network show Chopped. Representing their home kitchens in Pillager, Brainerd, and New London / St. Joseph, each competing chef has expressed confidence in their skills to accept the culinary challenge at Sprout in Little Falls on Friday, May 10th from 5:00-9:00pm. Chefs will not know what mystery ingredients they will have to work with, but ingredients will represent and celebrate East African food culture. Ingredients will be sourced from Somali grocery stores in St. Cloud. Last years winner Chef Scotty Stocco will host this year’s competition. Chef Scotty also won the People’s Choice award in 2018. Tickets to attend are $10 per person. Kids 12 and under are free. Representing the Pillager High School ProStart® Program (Pillager, Minnesota) is Thomas Kavanaugh. Representing Prairie Bay Grill in Brainerd is Jenna Brower Von
Siebolds. Representing Model Citizen the Restaurant in New London is Matéo Mackbee. Matéo is also developing a new restaurant and a bakery in St. Joseph.
--A Crow Wing County District court judge ruled 38-year-old David Michael Otey, who stabbed his sister to death at her Crosby workplace in January 2018, is not guilty by reason of mental illness. Otey, of Cambridge, was indicted in February of 2018 by a Crow Wing County grand jury in Brainerd for first-degree murder with premeditation, which carries a penalty of life in prison. He also was indicted on second-degree intentional murder, which has a 40-year prison sentence in the death of his sister, Danyele Marie Johnson of Ironton. Earlier this month, Otey pleaded not guilty by reason of mental illness and said he didn't know what he was doing at the time of the crime. After review of the case the judge found the prosecutor proved beyond a reasonable doubt Otey committed first-degree murder with premeditation. However, in reviewing Otey's defense of mental illness or deficiency, she found him not guilty by reason of mental illness. In the court order, the judge stated the Crow Wing County Attorney's Office will have to file a petition to commit Otey and then he would be transferred and detained at a state hospital pending completion of court proceedings.
--There are still some limited tickets for the Killer Vees show Killer Country (Classic Country of the 50s-80s) Saturday at 7:30pm at the Falls Ballroom supporting Hands of Hope Resource Centers in Little Falls and Long Prairie. Call 320-632-1657 for tickets for the concert.
--The Minnesota State Patrol is investigating a fatal crash that occurred at 7:09am Wednesday on Highway 6 near Black Lake Road in Deerwood of Crow Wing County. A car driven by 54-year old Timothy Kruse of Crosby was traveling westbound on Highway 6 and crossed the centerline colliding head on with a vehicle driven by 70-year old Barbara Jo Blood of Crosby. Blood died as a result of the crash while Kruse suffered life threatening injuries and was taken to the Hennepin County Medical Center for treatment. Both were wearing their seat belts.
--Law enforcement is reminding residents and motorists to be watchful for bear. With the warmer temperatures ahead police in northern Minnesota are urging parents not to let their kids walk to school after several bears have been spotted in the area. The Clearwater County Sheriff’s Office says bears have been spotted in front of the Clearbrook-Gonvick School. Also an uptick in bear calls to a number of sheriff's office and police department in the past week. So again a reminder to watch out for bear.
--The Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified three people found dead Monday in a home in Becker County. 28-year old Emma LaRoque of rural Ogema, died of suicide due to a gunshot wound. Her children 9-year old Shane Woods and 4-year old Frederick York both died of homicidal violence. Based on the preliminary investigation, it is believed there is no threat to the public. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s investigation of the incident is ongoing. Ogema is a community north of Detroit Lakes.
--Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced Wednesday he has sent members of the Minnesota National Guard and a helicopter to Nebraska to help with their flood efforts. Flooding along the Missouri River has caused over 1.4-billion dollars in damages and losses.
DEATH NOTICES
--Barry Johnson, age 81 of Aldrich.
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny skies, breezy, high near 50.
TONIGHT= clear skies, low around 23.
FRIDAY= sunny skies, cooler, high near 40, low around 17.
SATURDAY= sunny skies, high near 50, snow after midnight, low 27.
SUNDAY= snow and rain before noon, then cloudy, high 45.
SPORTS
NCAA= The NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament round of 64 begins today with the Gophers taking on Louisville at 11:15am in Des Moines, Iowa. Winners of today's games will play on Saturday.
HS= The State Boys Basketball Tournament continues today and wraps up Saturday. Also the Minnesota High School Basketball Hall of Fame will induct new members this weekend and they include longtime ROCORI Boys Coach Bob Brink, Norm Grow of Foley who scored 70 points in a game back in the 1950s and Girls player Kelly Skalicky of Albany who appeared in 4 State Tournaments and won the girls title for Albany in 1980. Others include Hal Haskins of Alexandria who was the first to record 1,000 points in a season back in 1943 and the Miller Twins, Kelly and Coco of Rochester Mayo who appeared in 5 straight state girls tournaments in the 1990s.
NFL= longtime Green Bay Packer linebacker Clay Matthews announced yesterday he is signing a 2 year deal with the LA Rams.