NEWS
--Steve Smith informed Little Falls Radio yesterday afternoon that CHI St. Gabriel's Hospital's Emergency Department will be still on diversion today due to some parts not arriving until this morning to fix the malfunction in the air handler that went out Tuesday night. Therefore just like yesterday the emergency department will not be able to take non urgent patients and will triage and divert patients on their urgency today at the hospital until at least 5pm. Questions please call the hospital at 320-632-5441.
--The Pierz Police Department and the Morrison County County Sheriff's Office posted that a special coin was located on the soo-line trail between Hillman and Onamia. Police Chief Eric Hanneken assumed it is going to belong to a member of law enforcement. Law Enforcement Officers often face dangerous and difficult situations in their line of duty, and so look to St. Michael for guidance, strength, and protection. The coin is on the Pierz police of Morrison County Sheriff's Office to verify and hopefully find the owner.
--Benton County Sheriff Troy Heck is warning central Minnesotans about how cutting-edge technology, such as artificial intelligence, could be used to wipe away someone’s life savings. Heck says that AI offers crooks new ways to target residents. “We think it’s important to make sure that all of our citizens are aware of the ever-changing landscape out there when it comes to criminals using electronic means, and using the internet, and these tools that we have at our disposal every day to defraud people.” Officials say AI has brought the problem of fictitious images and video to a new level. Many are concerned about how AI can alter the perception of what is real or deceive people into believing false claims surrounding weighty topics like world events or politics. Scammers have tricked finance managers in businesses into making money transfers to criminals using faked video calls that appear to be from the company’s CEO. AI can also be used to make falsified images. One fear is scammers will search social media for videos of people and copy their voices to convince someone that their relative needs money or that they owe money. Heck advises that if you get an unexpected call or message, you need to verify that the person is who they say they are. “If it’s somebody that’s claiming to be from the power company or law enforcement, find out who they’re claiming to represent. Find a number that you can talk to somebody on the phone on your own, and call that company, or that entity and ask if this is really legitimate contact.” If it sounds like a family member claims to be in Mexico, call another family member to verify. Heck hasn’t seen anything like this happen locally yet, but he figures it’s on the way because other officers are seeing it in other parts of the country. For more crime prevention and safety information, go to Benton County website.
--A two-car crash near Becker last Thursday has now resulted in one of the drivers dying. The Minnesota State Patrol says they responded to a two-car crash on Highway 10 near Bradley Boulevard in Becker at 12:46 last Thursday afternoon. 84-year-old Ardis Irene Knight of Pennock, was eastbound in the westbound lane of Highway 10 while a Mazda CX-5, driven by 28-year-old Anne Elizabeth Lanier of Monticello, was westbound on Highway 10. The vehicles crashed head-on. Knight has now died of her injuries. Lanier and two child passengers in the SUV were hospitalized with non serious injuries.
--A reminder from Morrison Soil and Water that tree pickup for the those that purchased trees from the Minnesota DNR is today from 8am-2pm at Exchange Arena in Little Falls. Those that purchased trees from Morrison Soil and Water need to be picked up tomorrow on Friday from 8am-4pm at Exchange Arena in Little Falls.
--The Sartell Police Department is asking for the public’s help to find out who damaged the bathrooms at Watab Park over the weekend. Pictures on social media show the toilet being severely damaged, the destroyed toilet paper dispenser and the sink completely demolished. It happened in the city facilities next to the splash pad sometime late Friday into early Monday morning. Anyone with information is asked to contact Sartell police at (320) 251-8186 or Crimestoppers.
--In a bipartisan move Tuesday, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved the 2024 $240 million Legacy Budget Bill 118-13. Nearly $193 million will go to the Outdoor Heritage Fund, earmarking funds for 72,000 acres of land to establish the Minnesota Heritage Forest and to combat the spread of invasive wild carp. Over $25 million is allocated to the Clean Water Fund, which focuses on mitigating nitrate pollution in southern Minnesota through monitoring, well testing, floodplain protection and restoration. The legislation also includes $9 million for enhancing parks and trails infrastructure and subsidizing sporting equipment and fees for youth and low-income individuals. Upwards of $12 million will go for arts, arts education, arts accessibility, and aiming to safeguard the state’s historical and cultural heritage. It includes a grant program designed to honor the cultural contributions of Minnesotans, with a specific focus and various Veterans memorials and commemorations. The Clean Water, Land, and Legacy Amendment to the Minnesota Constitution was passed by voters in 2008 and enacted in 2009. Since then, it has generated close to $4 billion in funding for various projects
--More township clean up days this Saturday including for the Townships of Elmdale, Swan River, Swanville and Two Rivers will be holding a Clean-Up Day event for residents living outside city limits but within these Townships on Saturday from 7-11am at the Elmdale Township Town Hall. Little falls Township is hosting a Clean-Up Day event for Residents living outside city limits but within Little Falls Township on Saturday at the Little Falls Town Hall and community center from 8:30-11:30am. The city of Randall has their clean up day Saturday morning as part of their garage sale days this week also the city of Little Falls will be doing their brush and leaf pickup on Saturday, bags must be on the curb by 6am, not in the alleys.
WEATHER
TODAY= showers likely during day, windy, cooler, high 51.
TONIGHT= clearing skies, early shower, low near 44.
FRIDAY= sunny skies, breezy, high 63, cloudy night, low 46.
SATURDAY= partly sunny, possible shower, high 58, low 42.
SUNDAY= sunny skies, warmer temps, high 65, low near 48.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins score 8 runs in the later innings to roll over the White Sox 10-5 Wednesday, sweep the series and win their 10th in a row. The Twins (17-13), have today off, host Boston tomorrow night.
WNBA= the Minnesota Lynx open the 2024 WNBA season with two preseason games, the first is Saturday against Chicago Sky. The regular season opens May 14th for the Lynx at Seattle.