NEWS
--Little Falls City Administrator Jon Radermacher stated on KLTF Party Line Tuesday that the city wide leaf pickup for this year will be on Saturday, October 29th rain or shine. Leaves should be bagged and left at the curb with a rock holding the bag in place and not tied. Radermacher is also the President of the Little Falls Kiwanis this year year and is urging anyone who would like to participate in the Kiwanis Trivia night next Thursday at 7:00pm at Great River Arts, either as a team or as a sponsor of the event, which can be used a tax deduction to contact Jon at Little Falls City Hall at 616-5500. All the proceeds of the trivia event goes to help Junior Achievement of Morrison County which Teresa Giese stated Tuesday has doubled in the past year to be included in schools in Little Falls, Pierz, Royalton, Upsala, Swanville and Randall with more plans to exapand further.
--A 72-year-old Edinburg, Texas, resident was injured at about 7:30pm Tuesday after a pickup broadsided her vehicle near Big Lake. Donna E. Johnson was driving south on Sherburne County Road 81 when her vehicle was broadsided by a pickup driven by 19-year-old Austin P. Dahlheimer of Foley. Dahlheimer was driving a pickup west on U.S. Highway 10 and failed to stop at a red light at the intersection of County Road 81. The road was wet at the time of the collision. Johnson was taken by ambulance to a hospital with non life threatening injuries. Dahlheimer and a passenger in the pickup, 39-year-old Brian P. Dahlheimer of Foley, suffered no apparent injuries.
--A Pine River woman was injured when the vehicle she was driving was struck by an SUV at 9:05pm Monday on Highway 371 near Crow Wing County Highway 15 near Jenkins. 22-year old Whitney M. Swenson of Pine River, was driving north on Highway 371 as 33-year old Christiana E. Goodemote of Osceola, Iowa, was driving south on Highway 371. Goodemote's vehicle turned into the Swenson vehicle striking it on its left side. Swenson was taken to Essentia Health-St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd for what the State Patrol described as minor injuries. Goodemote and her passenger 35-year old Daniel G. Goodemote of Osceola, Iowa, had no apparent injuries.
--The Minnesota State Patrol responded to a head on collision Wednesday around 7:45am in Douglas County. The report stated there was a head on collision involving the two drivers; 21-year old Joel McDonald of Garfield and 26-year old Jonas Stumbo of Wadena. The incident occurred on a Blacktop Road on Highway 29 at Prairie Road in Douglas County. Stumbo suffered non life threatening injuries. The report did not state if McDonald was injured.
--Governor Mark Dayton has authorized almost $3.3 million in disaster relief funds for July storm damage in northern Minnesota. Heavy thunderstorms from July 19th through July 21st brought 7 inches to 14 inches of rain, causing some flooding. Storm debris and downed utility lines caused even more damage. Dayton on Tuesday approved the disaster funding for Aitken, Cass, St. Louis, Beltrami, Lake and Clearwater counties where the damage was heaviest. The authorization also includes several tribal communities in the region. The $3.3 million sum will cover 75 percent of repairs, with local governments picking up the remainder of the tab.
--The Heartland Symphony Orchestra will perform their fall concert on Saturday at Charles D. Martin Auditorium in Little Falls and Sunday at Tornstorm Auditorium in Brainerd. The orchestra has a new conductor, Alexander Corbett. Corbett will be the guest on KLTF Community Events Friday at 8:45am on KLTF and fallsradio.com.
--The Morrison County Soil and Water Conservation office reminds residents that they have a free nitrate clinic going on through Tuesday, October 11th. The hours are 8am to 4:30pm Thursday, Monday and Tuesday and from 8:00am-4:00pm Friday. The test is free and results are immediate. They ask that you bring the sample in a clean, sandwich-sized Ziploc baggie with three-four ounces of water for testing. For more information, call 616-2479 extension 101.
--The Department of Natural Resources is holding a public meeting tonight to discuss sunfish bag limits on Pleasant Lake. The meeting will be held at Rockville City Hall at 7:00pm. Another meeting will be held next Thursday at 7:00pm at Kimball City Hall to discuss the same regulations for Carnelian Lake. Under the rules, anglers would only be able to keep five sunfish on either of those lakes. Experimental regulations initially put in place in 1996 reduced the possession limit from 30 fish to 10. In 2007, the limit was further reduced from 10 to five. Since then, the average size of sunfish has improved and the percentage of fish larger than eight inches has increased. If approved, the regulations would be permanent.
--St. Cloud was recognized Wednesday for its renewable energy and efficiency initiatives. The Minnesota Department of Commerce awarded the city the 2016 Clean Energy Community Award, which is given to communities that increase energy efficiency or renewable energy opportunities, or drive innovation to advance the state's clean energy goals. The city's renewable energy and efficiency initiative includes the city's solar initiative, wastewater energy efficiency and biofuel project, street light improvement project and action plan with Xcel Energy's Partners in Energy.
--For the first time in four years, the Mall of America plans to be closed on Thanksgiving. The nation's largest shopping mall in Bloomington will still have the "Walk to End Hunger" on Thursday morning, November 24th. Stores and attractions can stay open on the holiday if they choose, and the mall will provide security for them.
--Volunteers are needed at the COLOR RUN 5K which is being held at Belle Prairie Park this Saturday, October 8th from 8:30-11:30am. If you are able to help, please contact Sheila Funk at the following email: sfunk@lfalls.k12.mn.us or by phone at (320) 616-2284. The event raises funds for the Little Falls Community Schools “Arts Alive” projects for students.
DEATH NOTICES
--Patrick Albright, age 63 of Royalton
--Michael “Mike” Meyer, age 84 of Pierz
--Robert Samler Jr., age 55 of Randall
WEATHER
TODAY= increasing clouds, rain after 3pm, high 54.
TONIGHT= rain in evening, frost overnight, low 34.
FRIDAY= frosty start, sunny, breezy, cold, high 48, low 30.
SATURDAY= frost start, sunny, not as breezy, high 49, low 31.
SUNDAY= frost start, sunny and warmer, high near 60.
SPORTS
MLB= Giants score 3 in 9th to eliminate Mets 3-0 last night, while on Tuesday Toronto needed extra innings to beat Baltimore 5-2 in 11. The ALDS series begins today, Toronto at Texas, Boston at Cleveland. NLDS starts Friday, LA at Washington, San Franscisco at the Cubs.