NEWS --Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka joined Governor Tim Walz on Tuesday morning as he signed HF80 which included $6.9 million in available funding from the Public Facilities Authority (PFA) for Little Falls to renovate their waste water treatment plant. With the governor’s signature, HF80 clears the way for the project in Little Falls to move forward. The 2018 Bonding Bill originally funded the Little Falls treatment center through appropriation bonds from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF). This funding mechanism was under threat of a lawsuit and at the Governor’s request, the legislature began looking for alternative methods to fund the projects. Using General Obligation bonds in the 2019 bill will allow work in Little Falls to begin as soon as it is needed.
--The Morrison County Sheriff's Office reported that a city snow plow for the city of Upsala was rear-ended by a vehicle Saturday right outside city hall when the plow truck was stopped. Frank Koopmeiners said he had seen a pickup truck approach from behind and that it did not have its lights turned on. He said the male driver and his female passenger allegedly fled the scene on foot. The plow truck's sander had been severely damaged. No one was injured in the accident. The sheriff's office is still investigating trying to find the other driver involved who allegedly fled the scene.
--The Laura Jane Musser Fund announced the 2019 grant of its Little Falls/Morrison County granting initiative. The Laura Jane Musser Fund wants to help the citizens of Little Falls and Morrison County continue to develop and maintain strong, vibrant and healthy communities. Musser Fund grants in this area are available through two distinct programs – the General Operating Support Program and the Small Grants Program. Charitable, 501(c)(3) organizations located in Little Falls and/or Morrison County are eligible to apply to the Laura Jane Musser Fund’s Little Falls/Morrison County Initiative. Online application instructions and grant guidelines can be found on the Fund’s website at www.musserfund.org. The application will be available online through March 26th. The funding decisions of which groups will receive monies will be announced in July.
--Students from across Region Five, Morrison, Crow Wing, Cass, Todd and Wadena County can enjoy a Regional Science Fair today at the Sourcewell in Staples. The fair is open to students in fourth through sixth grades. The science fair is designed to encourage kids' natural curiosity through the exploration of the scientific method. The event focuses on finding answers to a question or observation through an experience, research or project. The fair's open house is 3-5:30pm with awards at 6:00pm tonight in Staples. All are invited to attend.
--Hands of Hope Resource Center in Little Falls is hosting a benefit concert for continued education and operations of their facility on March 23rd at the Falls Ballroom in Little Falls with the Killer Vees in a classic country show. Tickets are $25 and available by contacting Hands of Hope in Little Falls or in Long Prairie. They are also available to purchase online at handsofhope.net/events.
--A Winter Storm Watch goes into effect Saturday morning through Sunday afternoon. Snow heavy at times, with strong winds on Sunday will cause major traffic problems. Current radar findings believe the heaviest snow will fall from just north of the Twin Cities Metro Area through St. Cloud to Little Falls and off into eastern Minnesota where 7-12 inches could fall by early Sunday.
--On Wednesday the Acting Secretary of the Interior, David Bernhardt, announced the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will soon propose a new rule to administratively delist and remove Endangered Species Act protections for wolves. This would allow for state management of wolves. The USFWS will publish their proposed rule in the Federal Register in the coming days, and a public comment period will follow. Dr. Maureen Hackett, founder and president of Howling For Wolves, a Minnesota-based wolf advocacy organization, said in response: “Removal from the Endangered Species List means wolves will lose federal protections and states may allow senseless wolf trophy hunting, which is a death sentence and the road to extinction for the wolf. Many state officials will disregard the damage that wolf-killing has on the population, the pack structure, and the wolves' genetic diversity. Wolves die in many ways when they lose federal protections, and this harms the long-term survival of wolves for future generations.”
--An Elk River man was hurt after another vehicle lost control and crashed into his SUV Monday morning. The Minnesota State Patrol says 30-year-old Kyle Heitschmidt of Big Lake was driving his pickup eastbound on Highway 10 in Elk River just after 8:30am when he lost control on the ice and snow-covered roads. Heitschmidt's pickup struck small SUV causing it to roll, went across the median hit a suburban driven by 68-year-old Richard Kurth who was westbound and then spun out and hit the cable barrier. Kurth was taken to Mercy Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Neither Heitschmidt nor the occupants of the rolled vehicle were hurt.
--A Minnesota college student was killed at an Interstate 10 rest stop in Mississippi when two tires came loose from a passing tractor-trailer and struck her. 21-year-old Margaret Maurer, of Forest Lake, Minnesota was attending Tulane University. The tractor-trailer was traveling westbound when it lost the wheels, which then crossed the eastbound lanes and entered the rest stop.
--Ladies Night Out Pierz Style March 21st- details at fallsradio.com.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT --Kyle and Paige Jackson of St. Stephen had a boy born March 1st.
WEATHER WINTER STORM WATCH GOES INTO EFFECT SATURDAY 9AM. TODAY= sunny skies, high around 18. TONIGHT= clouds increase, low 4 above. FRIDAY= cloudy and warmer, high near 30, low around 19. SATURDAY= snow likely, 5-10 inches by nightfall, high 33, low 28. SUNDAY= snow early, then windy, high 30 then dropping, 1-3 inches.
SPORTS HS BBB= Royalton at Foley tonight at 7pm on FM94 KFML. HS BBB= St. John's Prep at Upsala tonight 7pm on Q92 WYRQ HS BBB= Pierz vs. Esko scheduled for 7:15pm on Saturday from Duluth Denfeld High School on FM94 KFML. BHK= Cathedral wins first match at State Boys Hockey Wednesday and will continue in the semi-finals on Friday, title games Saturday. TWINS= in an attempt to bring more families to Target Field this year for Twins baseball, the Twins dropped their prices on Wednesday stating that most items (hot dogs, soda, nachos) will be 4-bucks or lower at the ballpark. Beer will be at 5 dollars for this year.