Newsletter: Thursday, May 5th 2016
NEWS
–The Little Falls Community Schools wishes to thank all who volunteered on Wednesday for the 6th Annual Day of Caring making it another successful event and the school is already looking forward to the 7th Annual Day of Caring next year. The event is annually planned on the first Wednesday in May which next year falls on May 3rd. The Little Falls Schools are also asking voters to head to the schools on Tuesday, May 10th for a referendum vote. More on the referendum will be discussed Friday from 9:05-10am when Little Falls Schools Superintendent Stephen Jones is the guest on KLTF’s Up Front.
–There will be a leaf pickup for city residents in Little Falls this Saturday, May 7th. Residents are asked to leave their leaves in untied bags at the curb by 6:00am Saturday. No sign up necessary. They will also accept brush as long as it is no longer than four feet long or one inch in diameter. The brush needs to be bundled in a manageable fashion. Pine needles will not be accepted. For information call Little Falls City Hall at 616-5500.
–A Stearns County judge has committed a man as “mentally ill and dangerous” who is accused of trying to kill his estranged wife in October 2014. The criminal proceedings against 68-year old Gary Vogt have been delayed after he was found incompetent to stand trial on charges that he tried to kill Sandra Vogt. Stearns County District Court Judge Frederick Grunke this week signed an order committing Vogt for at least six months. His case will be reviewed after that to determine whether Vogt has been restored to competency and whether he can face the criminal charges. Vogt is accused of shooting Sandra Vogt twice after trying to run her vehicle off the road.
–On Tuesday the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office reported that it has questioned two teens from Albany regarding the Saturday bridge fire on the Lake Wobegon Trail. According to the sheriff’s office, the teens admitted to starting the fire that damaged the bridge and lead to its’ temporary closing over the weekend. The case was sent to the Stearns County Attorney’s office for review of possible charges.
–On Saturday the Morrison County Republican delegates and alternates attended the 8th Congressional District Convention with the purpose of electing delegates and alternates to the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio. The 8th Congressional District was allotted three delegates and three alternates. Of the six that were elected, four were from Morrison County. Mandy Heffron, Morrison County Republican Chair, of Little Falls, was elected as a Cruz delegate along with Joyce Heffron as the alternate. Minnesota House Speaker, Rep. Kurt Daudt, was elected as the Rubio delegate with Isaac Schultz of Upsala was elected as the alternate. Steve Wenzel of Little Falls was elected as the Trump delegate and Boni Bieniek of Two Harbors as the alternate. The Minnesota delegates are bound on the first ballot at the Republican National Convention.
–A Brainerd man was sentenced to 12 years prison for sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl. Jarrett Min-Lee Leick was convicted of first degree criminal sexual conduct with a female who was a minor from a report in June, 2015. The girl told authorities that when she was 13 she was sexually assaulted numerous times by Leick.
–A 53-year old Rice woman was injured Wednesday on Highway 371. Around 3:30pm Marjorie Kirsling was following a truck driven by 61-year old Gayle Nelson of Brainerd and as the truck slowed down, the van driven by Kirsling did not and rear ended the truck. Kirsling suffered non life threatening injuries while Nelson was not hurt.
–The State Fire Marshal is investigating a garage fire Tuesday morning in Brainerd. Firefighters were called out around 3:45am on Pine Street in Brainerd where they reported a garage fully engulfed in flames along with a car inside the garage on fire. The garage and vehicle were destroyed with estimated losses around $30,000. No injuries were reported. The fire cause is unknown but appeared suspicious so the fire marshal was called in.
–Minnesota State Colleges and Universities decided Tuesday that all sports travel to North Carolina is nonessential state business travel. That decision could affect the St. Cloud State and St. Cloud Technical & Community College baseball teams because their national championships will be held later this month in North Carolina. On April 2nd, Gov. Mark Dayton directed that all state employees cease all nonessential state business travel to North Carolina until further notice. That decision came after a recently enacted law that bars transgender people from bathrooms and locker rooms that do not match the gender on their birth certificates. The decision to ban sports travel to North Carolina also could affect Minnesota teams in the DII World Series and DIII Series championships later this year where St. Cloud teams would participate if making it that far. No word has been given if any more discussion on this would occur.
–Warm temperatures and high winds were perfect conditions for nearly 100 wildfires in Minnesota on Monday and Tuesday. Large fires broke out in Detroit Lakes, Park Rapids, Garrison and Crosslake. In all of the over 100 wildfires, just over 500 acres burned so most of the fires were small in stature. There were no injuries reported in any of the fires. The fires in Park Rapids and Detroit Lakes had some buildings evacuated for a time but the structures though threatened by fire were not damaged. Temperatures are expected to be warm over upcoming days. With 80’s Friday, the fire risk will remain high.
NATIONAL NEWS
–Donald Trump wins Indiana primary and has all but sealed up the Republican Party’s presidential nomination. Bernie Sanders wins Indiana on the Democrat side and said he has no plans of bowing out in the race with Hillary Clinton for DFL nod for President. Following Trump’s win Tuesday, both Ted Cruz and John Kasich announced they are suspending their campaigns for President of the United States.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT
–Cody Wenzel and Brittany Anderson, boy on April 14th
DEATH NOTICE
–Arlyss Marshall, age 77 of Pillager
–Harold Germann, 88 of Staples
WEATHER
TODAY= partly cloudy skies, high near 80.
TONIGHT= mostly clear, warmer night, low 53.
FRIDAY= hazy sun early, PM thunderstorms, high 86, low 45.
SATURDAY= becoming sunny, cooler, high 65, low near 40.
SUNDAY= sunny skies, high 71, low around 47.
SPORTS
TWINS= Astros beat Twins Tuesday 6-4 and then routs the Twins Wednesday 16-4. Twins have today off, at White Sox on Friday.