NEWS --A search warrant was executed around 4:00pm Tuesday at the address of 508 2nd Avenue NW Little Falls. The warrant was a result of an ongoing investigation into the trafficking of narcotics at the residence. During the search tactical team members deployed several diversionary devices to distract and confuse the occupants of the house. Residents in the neighborhood may have heard loud bangs associated with those distraction devices. No shots were fired. Several items of drug paraphernalia related to the use of heroin and other drugs were found in the residence. Four people from Little Falls were arrested. 27-year old Paul Allen Strom was arrested for sales of narcotics. 35-year old Thomas Mark Sauerer was arrested on an outstanding warrant out of Morrison County. 24-year old Colleen Marie Fietek was arrested on theft charges. 37-year old William Clyde Gaskin was arrested on an outstanding warrant out of Stearns County. The Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force wishes to remind citizens to report suspicious activity in your neighborhoods.
--Alphabet Inc stated on Wednesday it was investigating widespread reports about a spam campaign in which recipients received emails from known contacts that asked them to click on a link to review a Google Docs document. They are investigating a phishing email that appears as Google Docs. Users are encouraged not to open these emails and delete them.
--A minor fire interrupted production at the DeZURIK plant in Sartell Tuesday afternoon. The fire was called around 4:00pm at the valve manufacturer where smoke was coming from the northeast corner of the building in the rubber grinding area when firefighters arrived. The employees were evacuated and no one was injured. The sprinkler system handled most of the fire and the fire department stayed on scene to ventilate the building from the smoke. The damage was limited to the rubber grinding area and dust collection system. The exact cause of the blaze is unknown at this time. Employees were able to return to work later Tuesday night.
--Waite Park fire crews were called to a garage fire Monday night. Just before 9:30pm a fire was reported at 725 3rd Avenue South. When crews arrived they found a detached garage fully engulfed. The Waite Park fire department were able to put out the blaze. No one was hurt, but the garage is a total loss. The cause of the fire is unknown and under investigation.
--A 31-year old Brainerd man has been charged with felony domestic assault following an incident last Wednesday where he allegedly choked a woman. Jon Meierding reportedly assaulted and caused damage to her property from an argument. He was found in the woods in south Brainerd after the incident and arrested. Meierding reported to officers that he did break her cell phone but did not strike, kick or choke her as she told police. Meierding informed officers that he did drink 4-6 shots of alcohol before the argument.
--There will be cleanup days this Saturday in the Townships of Elmdale, Swan River, Swanville and Two Rivers at the Elmdale Town Hall from 7-11:30am. For details call Jerry at 573-2516. There is also a cleanup day for those living outside city limits but inside Little Falls Township Saturday from 8:00am-12:00pm at the Little Falls Town Hall. For information on that call Chuck at 632-2627. A reminder also that the city of Randall has their treasure day on Saturday where you can leave items out on the curb near your residence and anyone who wishes to pick it up can gladly do so free of cost.
--Those who travel through Wadena next week will encounter delays on Highway 10 May 10th and 11th. The highway will be reduced to single lane both days for resurfacing of the highway. This will be done during daytime hours. This work comes as Highway 238 from Albany to Upsala project is underway and also the Highway 25 project south of Foley begins Monday. That will eventually run up 25 all the way to Genola near the 25 and Highway 27 intersection by late July. For the latest travel information and road work go to 511mn.org.
--A child from Crow Wing County has become part of the measles outbreak in Minnesota. The Department of Health stated the child was unvaccinated and contacted measles from being at a Hennepin County Health Care facility. The Crow Wing case makes 34 cases of measles since April. In most cases (29 of 34) the children were under the age of five and were not vaccinated.
--The suspect in a stabbing last month at a St. Cloud Walmart will undergo a mental competency evaluation. 29-year old Christian Anthony Robert De Beche is charged in Stearns County District Court with second-degree assault. The judge signed an order Wednesday for the evaluation of De Beche. The stabbing sent a 17-year old female to the hospital and closed the store for the evening. The girl sustained a wound that was not believed to be life threatening.
--A 32-year-old Sartell man is accused of repeatedly sexually abusing a young girl from the time she was six years-old until she was 15. David Cordova is charged with six felony counts of criminal sexual conduct. The girl told an investigator that Cordova started by touching her inappropriately as early as age six. The abuse escalated by the age of 10 to include intercourse. Court records show the abuse happened primarily at a home in Sartell, but also took place in St. Paul, Shakopee, Hastings and Milaca.
--Congratulations to Brainerd native Serena Schreifels who was named Miss Minnesota International Saturday at the 2017 pageant held in St. Paul. The 20 year old Schreifels is currently a sophomore at Gustavus Aldophus College studying film. The Miss Minnesota International Pageant is for single women ages 19 to 31.
--The 25th Annual Greater Minnesota 2-Cylinder Club Field Days Show is this Saturday and Sunday at the Morrison County Fairgrounds. This year showing John Deere 30 Series tractors, mini and race snowmobiles, Allis, Case and Bolens garden tractors, auction, tractor pulls and a parade of tractors. There will be many items for the kids including a pedal tractor pull and the Ag Learning center along with great music and lots of food. Gates open at 7:30am both days. Get details at fallsradio.com, then click on community calendar.
WEATHER TODAY= partly cloudy, high 67, clear night low around 40. FRIDAY= sunny and warm, high 75, clear night low 44. SATURDAY= sunny, cooler, breezy, high 62, low 36. SUNDAY= sunny, high 65, low around 47.
SPORTS TWINS= Kennys Vargas had a homerun and 5 RBI's as the Twins beat the A's 7-4 Wednesday. The Twins try and sweep the A's today as they wrap up their series, pregame at 11:30am on Q92 WYRQ. HS BAB= Pierz at Maple Lake double header of baseball between two of the state's best teams at 4pm today on FM94 KFML. LOCAL= get local high school scores at fallsradio.com then sports.