NEWS
--The State FFA Convention wraps up today at the University of Minnesota. Hundreds of FFA members are attending the event to learn and show off items from their organizations from around the state. Students competing from Pierz include Jody Nelson, JT Pawlu, Elissa Pawlu, Samantha Hayes, Brandon Przybilla, Seth Winscher, Macy Hoffman and Ethan Hayes. Another school note from Pierz; good luck to Simon Kroll who is competing in the National BPA Convention later this week in Anaheim, California.
--According to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, Morrison County had a 7.8% unemployment rate in March. Here is how our other area counties fared with March 2019 unemployment rates: Aitken 9.1%, Benton 5.5%, Cass 8.1%, Crow Wing 6.1%, Mille Lacs 8.4%, Stearns 4.2%, Sherburne 4.9%, Todd 6.4%, and Wadena County 8.9%. The non seasonally adjusted state rate was 4.9% and the national rate was 3.9%.
--Morrison County Public Works Maintenance Crews will be out sweeping streets and intersections on various roads around the county. Maintenance workers will also continue patching potholes and be out blading gravel roads this week as weather permits. Maintenance crews will continue crack sealing this week on County State Aid Highway 1, and County Road 262. Crews will work in one lane, and control traffic with flaggers. Please use caution around work crews. Morrison County would like to remind farmers that planting crops within road right of way is illegal. State law prohibits plowing, tilling and/or planting in the right of way. They want to prevent any situation where crops block motorists’ vision, create erosion concerns or other safety issues.
--A motorcycle crash on County Road 143 near 208th Street in Lynden Township near Clearwater occurred Friday morning in Stearns County. Around 11:35am, Terry Brockman, 56, of Clearwater was traveling eastbound on County Road 143 when he left the roadway. Upon entering the ditch, Brockman loss control of his motorcycle and crashed. Deputies found Brockman lying in the ditch next to his motorcycle. Brockman was alert and talking and had an injury to his right leg. He was taken to the hospital for treatment of his leg injury.
--A pilot and passenger safely walked off their plane after requesting emergency services about 5pm Sunday at the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport. The pilot of the twin-engined Beechcraft Baron, registered to Soaring Soul of Brainerd, called for help after experiencing mechanical problems with its landing gear. The plane eventually made a successful landing with its gear up, or a "belly landing." A gear-up landing, Wright explained, requires the same approach as that with the landing gear down, with the pilot completing his emergency checklist and then landing as softly as possible on the runway.
--A home on Wise Road sustained damage Sunday evening from a fire that appeared to have started on the deck. The Brainerd Fire Department were called out after 6pm to the house on the 10000 block of Wise Road after a report of a structure fire. The small fire started outside the home and burned a portion of the deck and the exterior of the house. The interior of the house sustained some smoke damage, no injuries, a lit cigarette in a disposal can is likely the cause of the fire. This was the fourth call on Sunday for Brainerd firefighters who helped with the emergency landing at the airport and also two grass fires from earlier in the day.
--A suspect in a shooting last week on Tuesday that left a St. Cloud man with a gunshot wound to the head has been arrested. 19-year old Julian Deuce Hill of Howard Lake, was arrested at 11:00am Monday in Howard Lake. Police said Hill was transported to the Benton County Jail to await charges that police expect to include second degree assault and reckless discharge of a firearm in a municipality. The victim remains hospitalized with non life threatening injuries. The shooting occurred after 9:00pm last Tuesday. Officers responded to a report of a gunshot heard in an alley between the 400 block Wilson Avenue Northeast and Fifth Avenue, about four blocks east of Wilson Park in St. Cloud. The original caller said after the gunshot, they saw several people running from the area. Officers found a handgun, signs of a struggle and packages of a controlled substance in the alley. Using a drone and a dog unit, officers found a 25-year-old St. Cloud man with a gunshot wound to the head about two blocks from the crime scene. He was conscious and mobile.
--The state Court of Appeals ruled Monday that the former DNR Commissioner Tom Landwehr lacked authority to change the name of Lake Calhoun after it had existed for more than 40 years. In January 2018, Landwehr ordered the lake's name revert to its original Dakota name: Bde Maka Ska. The federal government approved it and signs around the lake were changed. But the unanimous opinion by a three judge panel said the name will go back to Calhoun because Landwehr's action was illegal and only the Legislature holds the authority to change the name after it existed for 40 years. The dispute over the lake's name paralleled a national movement to remove the names of segregation and slavery supporters from monuments. Lake Calhoun was named in honor of John C. Calhoun, the 7th vice president of the United States from 1825 to 1832 and a senator from South Carolina. He was a staunch defender of slavery.
--It was reported that the residents of Gilbert Lake north of Brainerd/Baxter this past weekend were able to remove the bog from the lakes channel. It took about 10 boats and four hours to complete the process to remove the bog.
–A Garrison man was injured Friday in Kathio Township of Mille Lacs County. 53-year old Russell Thomas turned left onto Timber Trail Road about 7pm and rear-ended another vehicle. Thomas was taken to a hospital for his injuries. The 17-year-old driver and the driver's 17-year-old passenger in the 2nd vehicle both were not injured.
--The Tri-Parish of Little Falls Catholic Churches announced this past weekend with the Highway 27 construction moving eastward on 27 this May, they have decided to move their 9am Mass Time on Sundays at St. Mary's Church to 8am beginning on May 12th.
DEATH NOTICE
--Beulah L. Jaschke, age 95 of Cushing
WEATHER
TODAY= afternoon rain showers, high 48.
TONIGHT= rain likely, some wet snow possible late, low 34.
WEDNESDAY= mostly cloudy, showers early & late, high 47, low 36.
THURSDAY= rain likely again, especially in afternoon, high 53.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins win 1-0 on great pitching and a solo homer by Adrianza to beat Astros last night. Game 2 tonight at 6pm on Q92.