NEWS
--Today is Primary Election Day in Minnesota. There are many races on the ballot with multiple candidates for the party they are trying to win and move on to the November election. The ballot will have multiple candidates for Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, U.S. House and several other races. Morrison County is now in US House District 7. In US House District 7 incumbent Michelle Fischbach is the only republican running while Jill Abahsain and Alicia Gruenhagen are both running for the DFL party. Travis Bull Johnson is also running as the only Legal Marijuana Now party candidate. State House and State Senate seats and some local races where more than two candidates for vying for the seat also have primaries. In newly redistricted Senate District 10 three are vying for the Republican Party, Jim Newberger, Nathan Wesenburg and Stephen Wenzel while Suzanne Cekalla is the lone DFL candidate. In newly redistricted House District 10A currently District 9B Representative Ron Kresha and Charles Parins are on the ballot for Republicans though Parins announced he is no longer actively seeking that seat citing family health reasons. There will be no DFL candidate on the ballot for District 10A which includes Little Falls and the area north and mostly east. District 10B has been redistricted to include the southern half of Morrison County from Upsala, south of Little Falls and then to Pierz and Hillman. Running for the Republican Party in 10B is John Ulrick, Isaac Schultz and Blake Paulsen. In District 10B Hunter Froelich is the lone DFL candidate. District 5B will include Scandia Valley to Motley in Morrison County and Sheldon Monson and Mike Wiener are running for the Republican side. There is no DFL candidate on that seat either but there is an Independence-Alliance candidate Gregg Johnson. District 5 Senate Seat goes along the Crow Wing/Morrison County Line and running for District 5 Senate Seat is Paul Utke, Dale Anderson and Brett Bussman vying for the Republican Party. If you are unclear where to vote for the Primary Election today contact your local city hall, or the county government center and talk to the auditor/treasurer, or use the find my polling place tool on the Secretary of State website. Many township halls, city halls and other entities are open for primary voting today from 7am-8pm. Many others had mail in ballots already for the primary and will also have mail in ballots for the general elections.
--County seats also have primaries across the state today but there are no primaries in Morrison County for these seats. Running unopposed are County Auditor/Treasurer Chelsea Robinson, County Recorder Jennifer “Jenny” Sanders, County Sheriff Shawn Larsen, County Attorney Brian Middendorf, Soil and Water Supervisor District 3 Scott Saehr and District 4 Dale Scholl, County Commissioner District 2 Jeffrey Jelinski. There are two candidates for the other four county commissioner seats but since the top two in each race advance to the general election, none of these are contested primaries. District 1 is Todd Krajsa and Mike Lemieur, District 3 is Jeremy Pekula and Randy Winscher, District 4 is Robert “Bobby” Kasper and Mike Wilson, and District 5 is Greg Blaine and Rene' Krousey. According to the Secretary of State website other municipal and school district offices that don't have primaries have a filing period until August 16th.
--Crow Wing County Sheriff Scott Goddard reported Sunday at 12:42pm deputies responded to 34703 Gasink Road near Pequot Lakes for a report of a missing person. The missing person was found deceased in Bass Lake and later identified as 22-year-old Trenton Robertson of Pequot Lakes. The incident remains under investigation.
--At 6:15pm Saturday the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a residential burglary on Skyview Road, approximately five miles north of Hillman, in Richardson Township. According to the Sheriff’s Office, sometime last week between Wednesday and Saturday the suspect(s) gained entry into the garage on the south side by lifting it up and breaking the latch. Several items were stolen from the property, to include an early 1980’s Mustang OMC Skid Steer, yellow in color. It has a smashed front window, a smashed driver’s side window and is missing the back panel for the engine. Also taken were three 250-foot rolls of wire, a Cobalt Table Saw, an 80-gallon air compressor and several tools. If you have information regarding this burglary, please call the sheriff at (320) 632-9233.
--A former Rockville man who pleaded guilty to murder after a fatal drug overdose in 2020 has been sentenced. 30-year-old Travis Anderson pleaded guilty to 3rd-degree murder in April. He received a stayed sentence of seven years and two months in prison. He must serve 360 days in the county jail. The sentence will be served in staggered 90-day terms. Anderson provided a 30-year-old man heroin laced with fentanyl. The man died and an autopsy determined the victim died of mixed drug toxicity specifically heroin and fentanyl.
--Morrison County Public Works maintenance employees will be conducting the following activities this week, mowing roadside ditches this week in all areas of the county, sealing cracks on the bridge deck on CSAH 1 south of Pillager, shouldering CSAH 19 west of Upsala. Please use caution around work crews.
--Minnesota Department of Transportation continues with road work in many parts of central Minnesota. A large construction project has Highway 371 business lane closed which started Monday before that the lanes were open for work on the ditches but now the road is closed and alternate routes will need to be taken and more road work continues north of Brainerd toward Nisswa and beyond on Highway 371. Road work continues around St. Cloud, Long Prairie, Osakis and many other areas. Get the latest road work updates at 511mn.org.
--Little Falls Community High School is the site for registration for each of the 5 public schools starting today from 8-3, tomorrow and Thursday is 12-7pm at the High School. No appointments necessary.
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
--Singer and Actress Olivia Newton John has died at age 73. She was Sandy in “Grease” and also had a string of hits in her music career.
DEATH NOTICE
--Kelly Mohler, age 54 of Little Falls
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny and warmer, high 85, clear night low near 60.
WEDNESDAY= sunny and breezy, high 81, clear night, low near 50.
THURSDAY= sunny and cooler, high 76, showers overnight, low 58.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins open a series tonight against the Los Angeles Dodgers, pregame at 8:30pm on Q92 WYRQ.
REGION 8C= last night Foley eliminated Randall 12-1 in 7 innings. The Region tournament moves to Avon this Saturday with elimination/qualifying games between St. Stephen and Buckman at 4pm and then Foley vs. Pierz Lakers at 7pm. Sunday at 11am is the championship between Nisswa and Avon followed by the winners of Saturday's action playing each other for the 3rd and 4th seed at state.