NEWS
--Drivers in Little Falls will face a detour on Friday if they travel on Highway 27 over the railroad tracks in Little Falls. Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad will be repairing the crossing at Highway 27. The road will close from 6am until at least 6pm from Paul Larson Memorial Drive and Lindbergh Drive west of the Mississippi River. Drivers will be detoured via Paul Larson Memorial Drive, 9th Avenue Northwest, and Lindbergh Drive. The project is weather-dependent because it requires good weather to complete it.
--Reminder that per the Morrison County Trail Ordinance, the Morrison County Soo Line Trail will be closed from November 1 st through November 30th. For questions, please contact Morrison County Public Works at 320-632-0121.
--Four Minnesota men have been indicted for their roles in a multi-million dollar scheme to transport stolen catalytic converters across state lines. According to court documents, from May 2020 through October 2022, 41-year-old John Kotten of Hutchinson, 32-year-old Justin Johnson of St. Paul, 31-year-old Soe Nye Moo of St. Paul, and 34-year-old James Jensen Minneapolis, and others knowingly participated in a lucrative scheme in which they acquired stolen catalytic converters and transported them across state lines to buyers who paid large sums of money for the stolen car parts. As part of the conspiracy, individuals who operated as street-level cutters stole catalytic converters from vehicles throughout the state of Minnesota and transferred them to Kotten or Johnson. At times, Kotten and Johnson met with cutters directly to buy stolen catalytic converters, other times they instructed cutters to transfer the catalytic converters to intermediary buyers acting on their behalf, such as Jensen and Moo. After receiving stolen catalytic converters, the defendants concealed and stored the inventory in preparation for shipment across state lines. After sorting, categorizing, and pricing out the anticipated loads, the defendants transported the stolen catalytic converters across state lines using rented U-Haul trailers and personal vehicles. Payments for the stolen catalytic converters were typically in the form of wire transfer, cash, check, or a combination thereof. In total, the conspiracy yielded approximately $21 million in payments to the defendants, most of which came from a small number of high-volume buyers based in New Jersey, Oklahoma, Colorado, and New York.
--Rural Minnesota CEP-Little Falls will have an open house on November 2nd from 1-3pm. Meet the team, take a tour of the career lab and training facility, refreshments will be provided at the event and all are welcome to the CEP office in CareerForce inside the old Crestliner building (609 13th Ave NE) on the north end of Little Falls.
--Sawyer's Dream will be putting on a 70s retro music night at Great River Arts on Saturday at 7pm, doors open at 6pm. Come for the music and a costume contest for a Halloween party feel also for the event on Saturday, tickets are at greatart.org or call 632-0960.
--Haven of Mercy ACC Vocations Brunch, Sunday, November 5th at St Mary's church in Little Falls. Country Sausage, Scrambled Eggs, Country Potatoes, Fruit & Homemade Rolls will be served from 9:30am to 12pm for a free-will offering. Takeout will be available. There will be a HUGE bake sale. 50% of the funds raised will go to the St Cloud Diocese seminarians, with the other 50% going to our ACC "Religious Vocation Scholarship Fund" to assist both male &
female student religious vocations discernment events and activities.
--The City of Little Falls and Mayor Greg Zylka has proclaimed October Manufacturing Month after the state already named the same item. The Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce, Community Development of Morrison County and Rural Minnesota CEP (RMCEP) Little Falls has planned public tours for Minnesota Manufacturing Month. The group will be touring DJ Products Inc. and Falls Fabricating on Monday between 10am-2pm. If you are touring you must wear closed toed shows. Little Falls Area Chamber CEO Purva Watten will be the guest on KLTF Friday at 8:30am to discuss this event and also Trick or Treating on next Tuesday from 3:30-5pm downtown Little Falls.
--The Morrison County Republican BPOU presents Liz Collin tonight at the Little Falls VFW Post #1112, doors open at 6pm and speaker will begin at 7pm. Collin has written They're Lying. The event is $20 at the door tonight at the VFW to attend tonight in Little Falls.
NATIONAL NEWS
--The U.S. House has elected Mike Johnson as the next Speaker of the House on a vote Wednesday. The Louisiana Representative was voted in 220-209 and got the 217 needed to become the next speaker. Ending a three week period without a House Speaker.
--Weather has changed in areas to the west as Montana received over a foot of snow this week and North Dakota received a ½ foot and more snow forecast today and Friday in parts of the Midwest.
DEATH NOTICE
--Thomas Bahns of Milaca.
WEATHER
TODAY= cloudy, rain showers, high 52.
TONIGHT= rain showers likely, colder, low 34.
FRIDAY= rain and windy, temps near 40 then falling to 22 late.
SATURDAY= snow showers, high 33, low near 20.
SUNDAY= sunny and cold, high near 35, low near 15.
SPORTS
HS FB= Pierz at Esko Saturday at 2pm on 94ROCKS
HS FB= Browerville at Upsala/Swanville Saturday 2pm Q92 WYRQ
HS FB= good luck to many other teams in action Saturday including Royalton, Pillager, Staples-Motley, Foley and Holdingford in sections.
COL FB= Gophers host Michigan State Saturday at 2:30pm.
NFL= Vikings at Green Bay Packers Sunday at noon.
MLB= after losing to the Rangers in the ALCS and beating the Twins in the ALDS a week earlier, Dusty Baker announced Wednesday he is retiring as the manager of the Houston Astros baseball team.
TODAY IN HISTORY
IN 1492= first record of lead being used for writing, early pencils.
IN 1774= the Continental Congress creates the Minute Men.
IN 1858= Hamilton Smith patents the rotary washing machine.
IN 1881= the gunfight at OK Corral ends in Tombstone, Arizona.
IN 1954= Walt Disney's first TV program “Disneyland” airs on ABC.
IN 1964= The Rolling Stones appear on Ed Sullivan for 1st time.
IN 1970= Doonesbury debuts in comic strips.
IN 1997= after only 4 years in the major leagues, the Florida Marlins win the World Series 4 games to 3 over Cleveland Indians.