NEWS
--The Pierz City Council met Tuesday night because Monday was Veterans Day. At the meeting the council approved a $100 donation to Habitat for Humanity of Morrison County; the Law Enforcement Labor Services Agreement was passed as presented; the 2020 special assessment was approved (there were no new assessments so this was to verify proper amounts left to pay in 2020); tobacco licenses were approved at each Red's Auto, Lloyd's Liquor, Vet's Superstop and Pierz Foods; Schlenner, Wenner and Company Audit proposal was approved; the Pioneer Wrestling Club was approved for a gambling permit; and the City of Pierz Liability Waiver was approved as presented. A few department reports were also given including City Administrator Bob Otremba who attended a Census meeting last week in Little Falls. Otremba urges residents to fill out the census data correctly that many will receive around April 1st.
--The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office wants everyone to stay safe this fall/winter. The ice is never 100 percent safe. There have been reports of anglers falling through the ice and this is a good reminder to be patient and let Mother Nature run its course, until the ice is safe enough to venture out. Please use good judgement and be patient. The ice is forming rapidly on the Mississippi River but there are also many open areas. Ice is forming quickly on creeks and ponds with colder than average weather but already thin ice has shown to be a factor in rescues in Isanti, Polk and two rescues on Tuesday on Red Lake. In total around 20 anglers were stranded when a crack in the ice widened to about 30 feet. Please use caution on the ice.
--During the week of November 3rd through November 9th, the Todd County Sheriff's Office responded to 179 calls for service. The following were the types of calls: 49 traffic stops, 9 civil process, 6 suspicious activity type complaints, 7 assist other agencies, 2 traffic complaints, 3 disturbances/domestics, 13 car/deer accidents, 9 accidents, 4 welfare checks, 4 trespassing complaints, and 4 farm animals out complaints. Also the Todd County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of gun shot incident at a property in Gordon Township. It was reported that a juvenile female received a gunshot wound to her lower body while hunting with family members. She was transported to the Long Prairie Hospital by ambulance to get treatment for non life threatening injuries.
--More than half of Minnesota's lakes, rivers and streams don't meet state pollution standards. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's has added 581 waterways to its list of impaired waters in its biennial report to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released Wednesday. The 3,416 waterways represent 56% of the state's waters. They have a range of problems, including excess mercury, bacteria, phosphorus, nitrate and other pollutants, as well as struggling fish and insect populations. The impaired waters include a lower stretch of the St. Croix River, considered one of the Upper Midwest's most pristine waterways. About one-third of the waterways are impaired for recreational use because of high bacteria in streams and phosphorus in lakes.
--A large power outage affected Xcel Energy customers Wednesday around 11am throughout a large portion of Stearns, Benton and Sherburne Counties. It is unknown what caused the outage, but crews are assessing the damage. According to the Xcel Energy website, nearly 5,000 customers were impacted by the outage.
--stream all three Little Falls Radio stations at fallsradio.com.
--Starting next week the Weyerhaeuser Museum in Little Falls will be temporarily closed for mobile shelving installation. Thanks to a grant from Minnesota's Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, the Morrison County Historical Society is installing high-density mobile shelving in its Archives at The Charles A. Weyerhaeuser Memorial Museum in Little Falls. Installation will take place next week. Following installation, museum staff will need several weeks to rehouse archival materials on the new shelving. From November 18th, 2019 through January 1st, 2020, the Weyerhaeuser Museum will be closed. The museum will reopen January 2nd, 2020, with new seasonal hours. Starting that day, the museum will be open Tuesday through Friday, 11:00am- 4:00pm, and Saturdays from 10:00am-2pm. Winter hours will continue through April 30th. Summer hours at the museum will be Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00am- 4:00pm. Those who need to reach museum while it's closed is to call 632-4007.
--Today is the eleventh annual Give to the Max Day. An annual giving tradition that has raised more than $170 million for more than 10,000 Minnesota-based causes in the last decade. To celebrate the occasion, GiveMN is encouraging Minnesotans to participate a new way in addition to donating this year: Tweeting to the max by posting a 280-character tweet with #TweetToTheMax that explains why they give to their chosen nonprofit or school. Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen kicked off the campaign with a video posted to Twitter Monday afternoon explaining how donors can participate and sharing his own charitable cause, The Thielen Foundation. Those who participate may be rewarded with a bonus $280 donation in their honor, courtesy of GiveMN and its partners. To give today go to the website givemn.org and you can click on a chosen charity in your area that includes non profits and schools on Give to the Max Day.
NATIONAL NEWS
--Yesterday began the impeachment hearings in Washington D.C. Diplomats William Taylor and George Kent were first witnesses to testify in the hearings against President Donald J. Trump.
DEATH NOTICES
--Josephine Roering, age 86 of Albany formerly Upsala
--John Urman Jr., age 87 of Long Prairie.
WEATHER
TODAY= mostly cloudy skies, high 30, partly cloudy night, low 22.
FRIDAY= sunny skies, high 34, temps steady into Saturday.
SATURDAY= cloudy, high 41 rain in PM hours, turning to snow late.
SUNDAY= cloudy and breezy, high 37, low around 18.
SPORTS
HS FB= the first games of the State Semi-Finals begin today at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Pierz plays on Saturday at 4:30pm.
SWIM= State Swimming and Diving begins today at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center. Little Falls swimmers Rachel Josephson competing individual competition while Rachel and Ella Rausch, Lindy Welinski and Layla Waltman will compete in the 400 Freestyle Relay. Foley will also be bringing swimmers to state including Bryn Greenwaldt, Hailey Chmielewski, Lexi Helmin, Kelsey Starry, Tessa Schumann and Ellie Piepgras. In the 200 medley relay and the 200 freestyle relay and Bryn qualified for the 50 and 100 freestyle at the State Swimming and Diving Competition that wraps up Saturday.