NEWS
--Brigadier General Lowell Kruse, the senior commander at Camp Ripley released the annual report for Camp Ripley in 2020 stating it was a busy year at Camp Ripley, and it doesn’t show signs of slowing down any time soon. He said it would be understandable to think 2020 might have been a down year due to fewer training opportunities. Though COVID-19 did have some impact on Camp Ripley, that was more than off-set by the amount of state active duty status it experienced. In an average year, Camp Ripley averages 325,000 - 350,000 man-days — the amount of work that can be done by one person within one day — for the Department of Defense. In 2020, that number climbed to 425,000, with many of those being spent in state active duty status in support of the governor. The installation sent about 1,800 soldiers to Minneapolis and St. Paul in June 2020 to help law enforcement with its response to civil unrest in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Camp Ripley was also the logistical hub for that response, sending 4,100 cots, 4,800 Meals Ready-to-Eat (MRE), 18,000 locally catered meals and repair parts, protective equipment and personal items. Camp Ripley also served as the “national warehouse” for the COVID-19 response. It pushed out $7.6 million worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) and $10 million in medical equipment to states around the nation to aid in their response. Along with that, the installation racked up 80,000 man-days of state active duty in 2020. The average is 800. Camp Ripley activated 188 soldiers to 11 locations around Minnesota to aid with local COVID-19 responses. It also activated 275 for long-term care facility support in 21 locations. That included going into facilities and covering for staff shortages. A total of 374 Camp Ripley soldiers are helping with vaccination efforts in 28 locations. Twelve soldiers are also supporting an isolation support facility. Camp Ripley currently has 1,800 soldiers supporting Operation Safety Net, the mission to protect Minneapolis and St. Paul during the Derek Chauvin trial. Camp Ripley is where all of the soldiers involved in the operation go before being sent to St. Paul. Camp Ripley employs 800 - 1,000 state and federal employees. Kruse said about 300 of them live in Morrison County, 189 in Little Falls. In 2020, that equated to an economic impact of more than $93 million. That, too, was above average. According to Kruse, the three-year overall average is $77.627 million. Other accomplishments in 2020 included Department of Defense and National Guard awards for its environmental work, hosting joint training exercises with the Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard and mobilizing 800 soldiers to go with the 2-135 infantry to Africa to support the U.S. Army’s presence in the region. It also continues to plan for facilities upgrades and the new Minnesota Military Museum, which is slated to open in 2023.
--A new exhibit celebrating the life of Sauk Centre native Sinclair Lewis opens this weekend. "Sinclair Lewis 100 Years of Main Street" opens Saturday at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul. Lewis was born in Sauk Centre in 1885 and stayed there until he graduated from high school. Lead Exhibit Developer Patrick Coleman says after leaving to go to Yale for college he came back to the state often throughout his life. He actually lived all over Minnesota. He lived in both St. Paul and Minneapolis. He lived in Mankato. He lived kind of famously in Duluth and wrote quite a bit of fictional Duluth into his work. And, not only that, but he came back often for vacations.
--Free Grocery Giveaway NEXT Tuesday April 20th at Living Hope.
--The Little Falls Police Department issued a Public Safety Alert on Monday after multiple people overdosed over the past two weeks on what is suspected to be heroin. The overdoses occurred in different locations within the city. Investigators believe the incidents are linked to a “bad batch” of suspected heroin, which means it is laced with other illicit chemicals that make them even more hazardous and deadly. Due to the spike in overdoses, the Little Falls Police Department is alerting people to the danger and asking community members to take the following steps: Call 911 immediately if they or someone they know is experiencing an overdose. Administer naloxone (Narcan) to people experiencing a suspected overdose. Share this information with anyone they know who uses heroin; and Seek help for opioid addiction through a chemical dependency treatment center. The department is also reminding people about Minnesota’s “Good Samaritan Law,” which protects people from being charged or prosecuted if they act in good faith while seeking medical assistance for another person experiencing a drug related overdose. The goal of this alert is to help ensure that people who struggle with heroin and opioid addiction live to seek help for their addictions. Anyone with information related to these overdose incidents are asked to call the Little Falls Police Department at 320-616-5570.
--The Crow Wing County Dairy Banquet was held last Saturday at the Pierz Ballroom. Crowned were Arica and Jenna Caughey as Dairy Princesses and Alexis Schroer, Allison Woitalla and Kaylee Woitalla, as dairy ambassadors. The congeniality award went to Jenna Caughey. The Milk Pitcher award is given to someone who has been especially helpful in promoting the dairy industry and this year it went to Wally and Joan Thesing. The princesses and ambassadors will be making many appearances in the community over the next year promoting the dairy industry, especially during June Dairy Month.
--Morrison County maintenance employees will be working on the following activities this week, sweeping streets as weather permits. Maintenance crews will continue crack sealing this week on CSAH 35 south of Little Falls and on CSAH 26 west of Morrill. Flaggers will be controlling traffic as one lane will be closed. Crews will be blading gravel roads in various parts of the county. Please use caution around work crews and flashing lights.
–Number going up in Morrison County on COVID-19 to 222 active cases on Monday. Pierz numbers have jumped up to 78, Little Falls zip code at 63 and Royalton numbers are at 30 as of yesterday.
DEATH NOTICES
--Kya Bartkowicz, age 13 of Bowlus
WEATHER
TODAY= snow showers at times, strong winds, high 35.
TONIGHT= snow showers at times, windy, low 28.
WEDNESDAY= rain showers in morning, then cloudy, high 41, low 34.
THURSDAY= sunny skies, high near 50, low around 36.
SPORTS
TONY= The full interview done last week with retired Boys Hockey Coach Tony Couture on the latest season and memories of his 28 years at the helm can be heard at fallsradio.com on the home page.
TWINS= Twins decided not to play their game yesterday due to incident in Brooklyn Center. Twins will start series with Boston today, pregame at 12:30pm on Q92 WYRQ.