NEWS
--The Morrison County Sheriff's Office stated last night that water was flowing freely and the bridge on County Road 213 over Little Elk Creek was reopened to traffic. They will continue to monitor the ice flowing issue around the bridge but as of last night it was reopened. The bridge was closed Tuesday night due to concerns from the ice.
--The Little Falls Exchange Club is seeking nominees for its annual Book of Golden Deeds Award. This year will mark the 47th anniversary of the award. Last year the winner was Mary Larson. The Book of Golden Deeds is an award to honor men and women who have unselfishly rendered services to our community usually without recognition. If you know of such a person to nominate for the 2019 award please send a narrative of their accomplishments by May 1st to Mark Gerbi at PO Box 178, Little Falls MN 56345. If you have submitted a narrative on the person in the past, you would have to renominate them but you would not have to send a past narrative as those are held onto. For information contact Mark Gerbi at 632-5425.
--On December 9th, 2018, the Morrison County Sheriffs Office received a report of two overdue fishermen on Fish Trap Lake, north of Cushing in Scandia Valley Township. It was later learned that the side-by-side ATV that the two fishermen were traveling in went through thin ice on Fish Trap Lake. The two fisherman, Leonard Sanoski and Wayne Vavarek were later found dead. They were both neighbors and friends who lived on Fish Trap Lake. After the incident occurred, the Sanoski Family asked that all memorials be donated to the Morrison County Dive Team. They received $4,820 worth of donations. Because of these contributions; every Morrison County squad car will now have an Ice Rescue Suit which will better prepare their agency for emergency water rescue missions.
--The Toward Zero Deaths campaign from the Minnesota State Patrol announced a larger stress for Crow Wing and Cass County. The two counties are near the top for lack of seat belt use, impaired driving, speeding and aggressive driving and were 1 and 2 respectively when it came to inattentive driving violations. Crow Wing and Cass and 11 other counties in the state will be the focus from the Department of Public Safety through the spring and summer months with more enforcement trying to track down and cut down on motor vehicle violations that could lead to serious injury accidents or deaths.
--After midnight Tuesday the Todd County Sheriff's Office attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation south of Long Prairie on 71 when the vehicle sped up into the city of Long Prairie. The vehicle came to a stop at Midway Gas. The driver was arrested on multiple charges including, fleeing a police officer and controlled substance crimes. Charges have been sent to the Todd County Attorney's Office. Also on Monday just after 1:00pm their office received information about an Email scam from Community Financial Domestic Assistance. In the scam they are offering grant money if you provide personal information to a representative from the company. The hackers used Facebook Messenger and got in touch with some contacts, acting like a Facebook Friend promoting the grant. The Sheriff's Office advises that you use caution when providing personal information over the phone or through the internet. Todd County also made two arrests over the weekend from domestic incidents.
--There will be parent-teacher conferences for Upsala schools today from 3:30-7:30pm and then Monday from 3:30-7:30pm.
--A St. Cloud man with a history of domestic abuse no-contact order violations faces three new charges stemming from an incident last Sunday afternoon. According to the criminal complaint, a surveillance agent with the domestic violence court in Stearns County was on the lookout for 29-year old Jermain Beasley on a felony arrest warrant. Beasley was wanted after escaping surveillance while he awaited sentencing for violating a no-contact order with a woman in January. Court records show the agent spotted Beasley outside the woman's home in the 300 block of 4th Avenue South Sunday and ordered him to stop. A struggle ensued and the agent's taser was discharged into the steps of the apartment building before Beasley escaped into the woman's apartment unit. As St. Cloud Police were setting up a perimeter, a man and woman arrived and told officers that several children were in the apartment, including their grandchildren. Court records show the grandfather ultimately kicked in a back door and fought with Beasley. Both men were tased and subdued. The children, ages 11, 10 and 2-years-old said they were left with Beasley while their mother was gone for the weekend and he wouldn't let them leave the apartment. Beasley has prior convictions of interfering with an emergency call and violating a domestic abuse no contact order conviction. He is now charged with three felony counts of violating a no-contact order within 10 years of previous convictions.
--Two people from the Twin Cities face charges in Stearns County after a traffic stop uncovered a large amount of methamphetamine and other drugs near Avon. 45-year old Samuel Seals and 22-year old Armani Dotson are each facing felony drug charges. Seals is also charged with violating a domestic abuse no-contact order and Dotson faces additional charges for a large amount of marijuana. A Stearns County sheriff's deputy made a traffic stop on Interstate 94 Tuesday for a speeding car with no rear license plate. The officer was able to identify Seals as the driver and Dotson as one of the passengers. The other passengers had outstanding arrest warrants. Court records show an indication of drugs in the car led the officer to call in a drug-sniffing dog. Police seized 714 grams of methamphetamine, ecstasy pills, marijuana and over $1,000 in cash in a purse and duffel bags. Stearns County also stated the two other passengers in the vehicle were arrested for having outstanding warrants in other counties.
--Today is the final day of the blood drive at St. Francis Convent from 8:30am-2:30pm. Walk-ins are welcome to come in and donate blood.
DEATH NOTICES
--Willis R. Schlegel, age 85 of Harding.
WEATHER TODAY= partly cloudy, high 45. TONIGHT= partly cloudy, colder, low 18. FRIDAY= sunny skies, high 43, low around 20. SATURDAY= partly cloudy, windy and colder, high 35, low around 16. SUNDAY= sunny skies, high 46, clouds increase late, low 22.
SPORTS
TWINS= The Minnesota Twins open the 2019 regular season today at home in Target Field against the Cleveland Indians. Pregame is scheduled for 2:30 with first pitch at 3:10 today on Q92 WYRQ.
COL HK= The NCAA Hockey Tournament begins tomorrow with St. Cloud State in action, UMD and Mankato begin play on Saturday.