Newsletter: Tuesday, August 3rd 2021
NEWS
--As weather permits, Morrison County maintenance employees will be working on the following activities this week: They will be patching various roads around the county and also shouldering work on CSAH 1 north of Randall, and County Roads 229 and 230 south of Upsala. Traffic will be controlled by flaggers. Please use caution around work crews and flashing lights.
--Nearly two years after drawing down Little Rock Lake to improve the water quality, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is seeing some modest success. Eric Altena is the Area Fisheries Manager and was tasked with overseeing the project. He says the goal was to improve water clarity, decrease the amount of phosphorous in the lake and increase fish and wildlife habitat. He stated that “We've increased water clarity by over 50%. We've had decreased phosphorous from 300-parts-per-billion to around 100-parts-per-billion and just that reduction in phosphorous is actually a big benefit. And then we've had an increase in vegetation by almost 60%”. Altena says with the drought conditions we are experiencing there are some algae blooms appearing a bit earlier than normal. Overall, Altena says Little Rock Lake is improving, albeit at a slower pace than most people had hoped it would.
--The Benton County Fair in Sauk Rapids begins today. Benton County Sheriff Troy Heck stated Friday that says his department is getting ready to provide security for the event and there will be an increased presence of law enforcement at the fair this year. This is due to the recent uptick in crime and the St. Cloud having to deal with four murders already from late spring into summer. He says they'll also be using St. Cloud police officers this year and describes it as an 'all hands on deck' situation providing security both inside and outside the fairgrounds. Heck says even before the fights last week that shut down the Anoka County Fair, they were preparing for a larger police presence this year. Heck says there will be more than a dozen uniformed officers on duty at the fair each evening. There will also be a number during the day to help with any emergencies that may arise during the days of the Benton County Fair in Sauk Rapids.
--The Crow Wing County Fair begins today in Brainerd. There will be a special ceremony at 5:30pm to remember the Bataan Death March survivors and a memorial to be placed at the fairgrounds in their memories. Join AM960 KLTF Party Line Wednesday at 10:05am from the Crow Wing County Fair and online at fallsradio.com.
--The Morrison County Food Shelf announced they will be hosting an open house to show off their SuperShelf facility that was started back in 2019. This is to give all who enter the food shelf, access to a variety of healthy, culturally-appropriate foods has expanded. Better food options are being showcased and promoted to help encourage clients to make healthier food choices. The Food Shelf continues to work to ensure that access to healthy food is available to everyone in the community. The support it has received from the community members and businesses has helped to support this continued effort. All are welcome to the Food Shelf, 912 First Avenue Southwest in Little Falls on Thursday, August 12th from 11:30am-1pm for an open house with food and beverages to thank all of those that have supported the food shelf.
--The Annual DAV Picnic will be held August 11th starting at 5:30pm at the Swanville Park Building. For info call Dan Noss 232-9412.
--Get news, weathers and event info 24/7 at fallsradio.com.
--Some businesses and stores announced Sunday that they have reinstated mask mandates at Grand Casino's Mille Lacs and Hinckley, some Wal-Mart and Target stores and others smaller businesses in the hot spot counties around the state that were recommended to start these procedures again. Also the University of Minnesota, St. Cloud State, University of St. Thomas and other colleges and universities Monday announced they bringing back their mask requirements even if the person is vaccinated or not. Signs were posted at facilities where they are following CDC recommendations after 44 counties including Morrison, Todd, Crow Wing, Stearns and Mille Lacs have been listed in possible hot spots due to rising numbers of the COVID-19 Delta varriant. Area schools and other entities are discussing protocols of safety for the upcoming school year which is now about a month away starting after Labor Day. Again these are only recommendations from the CDC and not actual state or local mandates at this time, but that could always change.
--Governor Tim Walz Monday released the following statement on the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan introduced Monday by the United States Senate; “The bipartisan infrastructure plan is a win for Minnesota,” said Governor Walz. “I’m incredibly grateful to Senator Klobuchar and Senator Smith for their tireless work to improve our roads, make the largest investment in our bridges since the construction of the interstate highway system, and supplement our efforts to expand broadband to all Minnesotans. This bill will create good-paying jobs while providing the foundation for communities across the state to thrive.”
DEATH NOTICES
--Eugene “Gene” Epling, age 73 of Swanville.