NEWS
--The Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce has selected Chris Monroe to lead the Pequot Lakes Chamber as its new director. Monroe recently served as executive director of the Iowa Newspaper Association in Des Moines. She and her husband, Bill, moved to the Crosslake area in 2016. Monroe replaces Jenna Crawford, who departed the chamber in May. Sue Galligan, the chamber’s events and connections manager, has served as interim director since then. Monroe’s first day at the Pequot office will be October 9th.
--Region Five Development Commission based in Staples has received a 2017 Innovation Award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for the Sprout Growers and Makers Marketplace. Sprout Growers and Makers Marketplace is a newly constructed 20,000 square foot local food processing facility, cooking demonstration kitchen and indoor winter marketplace for growers and makers. Its grand opening was April 1st, 2016. Award-winning projects were honored during NADO’s 2017 Annual Training Conference, held September 9th-12th in Anchorage, Alaska. 80 projects spanning 21 states won awards. “The Innovation Awards program is an opportunity to recognize the important work of regional development organizations that are promoting economic development and improving quality of life for local residents,” said 2016-2017 NADO President Lynne Keller Forbes.
--Two people were injured when their vehicle left Highway 10 at Azure Road in Cushing Township around 4:20pm Tuesday. 78-year old John Thielen of Park Rapids was north on Highway 10 when he left the road and struck the ditch. Thielen and his passenger 77-year old Mary Thielen of Park Rapids were treated at an area hospital for non life threatening injuries.
--A Foley man was injured Wednesday when his car collided with a semi on Minnesota Highway 25 in Gilman. 33-year old John Thomas Kelash was taken to St. Cloud Hospital for treatment of non life threatening injuries after his northbound vehicle drifted across the centerline and collided with the front left tire of a semi pulling a trailer. The accident occurred around 12:10pm on Highway 25 and 115th Street Northeast. The semi, driven by 38-year old Gery Robert Pietrowski of Sauk Rapids, went off the road and came to a stop in a ditch. Pietrowski was not injured in the accident.
--One man was hurt after a rollover on Highway 10 east of St. Cloud in Haven Township. The Minnesota State Patrol says the incident happened just after 10:00am Tuesday. A pickup driven by 18-year old Chad Berthiaume of Big Lake was heading east on Highway 10 when he moved to the right lane to let a faster vehicle go by. Authorities say when Berthiaume merged back into the left lane, the vehicle he let pass braked hard. Berthiaume braked as well, lost control, entered the ditch and rolled. He was taken to St. Cloud Hospital with non life threatening injuries.
--A 34-year old has been charged with domestic assault after he allegedly broke a cellphone and an iPad in order to stop a victim from calling 911 in Nisswa earlier this month. Travis Johnson of Pillager was charged in District Court with one felony and three gross misdemeanors. Johnson has prior domestic assault convictions on his record from 2015.
--Get information on Ladies Night Out Little Falls Style October 12th by getting details at LF Radio, sponsors and fallsradio.com.
--The Minnesota State Patrol is looking for a vehicle involved in a hit and run accident on August 22nd around midnight near Brandon. The vehicle believed to be eastbound on Interstate 94 west of Brandon in Douglas County struck a pedestrian walking in the shoulder of the road off of the traffic lane. The pedestrian, 36-year old Marshall Jarvela of Crosby suffered serious injuries in the incident but has since been released from the hospital. The vehicle should have damage to its front passenger side and likely missing a mirror. Anyone with information is asked to contact the State Patrol at (651) 582-1415. Authorities continue to investigate the hit and run as Jarvela has a criminal record including four felonies in September of last year for threatening two women with a hammer and a saw.
--Breezy Point authorities responded to the Lakeside Ballroom Saturday morning around 5:30am after a call of a large amount of smoke coming from the building. Fire departments from Pequot Lakes, Nisswa and Ideal responded. They found two smoke machines plugged in. The building had filled with smoke from the machines left on. The building was ventilated. No fire was reported.
--On Saturday, Brainerd firefighters responded to a garage fire on the 12000 block of Crow Wing County Road 8 around 2:00am, then assisted with a missing person that afternoon with Crow Wing County authorities. The person was found safe. There were four fire calls on Sunday due to thunderstorms, a tree blocking Northeast B Street, power lines that came down on Northeast D Street and Northeast Second Avenue and smoke from a structure on Northeast Sixth Avenue. There were no major structures damaged and no injuries.
--The U.S. Department of Education has provided $21 million to improve student literacy for some 30,000 students in Minnesota. Preschool programs, low-income students, those who are learning English and students with special needs will benefit from the funding. The money reportedly comes from the Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Program and used to support teachers, nonprofits and families working to improve students' reading skills. The funding can be used for reading coaches, summer literacy programs, teacher training, classroom supplies and data collection.
DEATH NOTICE
--Margaret Wielinski, age 89 of Little Falls
--Michael James Day, age 37 of Isle.
WEATHER
TODAY= isolated sprinkles, partly cloudy, high 67.
TONIGHT= clearing skies, low near 40.
FRIDAY= sunny skies, high 59, clear and cool night, low 39.
SATURDAY= sunny skies, high 64, showers after dark, low 50.
SUNDAY= showers and windy, high 61, low near 50.
SPORTS
TWINS= Indians beat Twins 4-2 last night, but White Sox win on a walk off homer in the 10th to beat the Angels meaning that the Twins clinched an American League playoff spot next week. The Twins will play in a one game wild card match next Tuesday against either New York or Boston. The Twins (83-75) today wrap up with Cleveland today with a 10:30am pregame on Q92 WYRQ.
NFL= Chicago at Green Bay tonight 7pm on AM960 KLTF.
COL FB= Gophers vs. Maryland Saturday 10am on AM960 KLTF.