NEWS
--The Brainerd Police Department thanked the public for their help in locating two missing/runaway juvenile females from Port Group Home for Girls in Brainerd. 16-year old Natasha Wright and 13-year old Shyanne Waite have been located and are safe.
--For the first time in Minnesota United States Pageant history, the location of the state pageant is moving from St. Paul to Brainerd. The Minnesota United States Pageant will be February 16th-19th at the Tornstrom Auditorium. There are seven categories for females to compete in and their ages should be as of January 1st of the year of the competition. The categories include Little Miss and Pre Teen Minnesota United States for ages 8-12; Junior Teen Minnesota United States for ages 13-15; Teen Minnesota United States for ages 16-19; Miss Minnesota United States for ages 20-29; Ms. Minnesota United States for ages 20-29; Ms. Woman Minnesota United States for ages 30 or older; Mrs. Minnesota United States is for ages 21 and older. The areas of competition include interview, swimsuit, evening gown and on stage question. The deadline to sign up is January 10th. Visit missminnesotaunitedstates.com for information on applications.
--A condemned home on Fifth Avenue North in St. Cloud is being razed this week to clear the way for riverfront green space and possibly an extension to the Beaver Islands Trail. In May, St. Cloud City Council authorized the city to acquire the property at 300 and 312 Fifth Ave. N, and established the estimated appraised value at $127,500 with development fund and park reserves as the anticipated funding source. Acquiring the property is aligned with the vision from the city's most recent comprehensive plan, which states, "currently, the riverfront lacks effective access, with disrupted segments and diverse ownership among riverfront properties in or near the downtown, which makes cohesive programming and connectivity difficult." The new green space could be used for a proposed river walk. The Rotary Club of St. Cloud, St. Cloud Planning Commission and the Initiative Foundation have committed money to pay for design costs of a river walk. Preliminary designs show the trail connecting the Beaver Islands Trail to Hester Park and St. Cloud Hospital, with possible connections to Sauk Rapids and the Lake Wobegon Trail. Preliminary designs of the river walk show a downsized, one-way roadway with a 40-foot riverfront that would include native plants, a bike trail and a boardwalk.
--A division of the U.S. State Department recently told Minnesota officials that the state will be allowed to take in 2,505 refugees for resettlement during federal fiscal year 2017. The figure is roughly in line with recent years. Data from the Department of Human Services shows that from 2003 through this October 31st Minnesota took in about 39,500 refugees from dozens of countries. Nearly 40 percent came from Somalia and about 20 percent are from Burma.
--A rollover on Highway 10 Monday injured the driver from Elk River. 18-year old Mackenzie Literski was heading east on Highway 10 in Sherburne County as Literski lost control of the vehicle, went into the ditch and rolled oved. Literski suffered non life threatening injuries.
--A driver from Perham was injured when her vehicle went off the road Saturday evening. Shortly before 7:00pm 20-year old Alyssa Graphenteen was traveling on Highway 10 east of Lake Park in Becker County as she left the road and went into the ditch. She suffered non life threatening injuries and was taken to a hospital.
--Neighbors of the home that was owned by Danny Heinrich, who admitted killing Jacob Wetterling and was sentenced last month to 20 years prison for possessing child pornography wants the home torn down or at least not sold to another party. The home went into the foreclosure after Heinrich’s arrest. The mortgage holder, JPMorgan Chase, purchased it for $62,400 on a sheriff’s sale back in May and the online real estate site Zillow shows the home listed at $42,400 in September, then removed two months later, unsold. Three times the city of Annandale has tried to purchase the home -- twice in online auctions -- but its bids were not accepted. None of the city’s offers was disclosed. By taking ownership itself, the city wants to make sure the home isn’t sold to an absentee landlord looking only for a bargain. An online petition supporting the city’s effort to acquire the house has garnered some 250 signatures.
--The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Monday upheld a Benton County judge's decision to reject claims made by renters who sued the St. Cloud Housing and Redevelopment Authority over bedbug treatment. The appellate court agreed with Judge Michael Jesse, who decided renters were not entitled to rent abatement for how the HRA chose to treat the infestations at Riverside Apartments and Westwood Village. Jesse ruled, and the Court of Appeals agreed, that the HRA offered reasonable treatment by offering chemical options at no expense to the renters. The renters argued the HRA should have paid them for the personal property they lost during the eradication process and the HRA should have paid for a more-expensive heat treatment. The Court of Appeals disagreed with that argument.
--As part of the History Film Series the Charles A. Lindbergh Historic Site will host a free showing of “The Art and Life of George Morrison” next Tuesday from 7:00-8:30pm. The art, life and impact of famed Minnesota landscape painter and sculptor George Morrison, based on the Minnesota Book Award-winning biography, "Modern Spirit" - featuring interviews with the authors, artists he inspired, some of his friends and family as well as historic moments with George himself. The museum and gift shop will be open for a short time before and after the film screening. For information call (320) 616-5421.
--Events today include the Bethel Lutheran Church lutefisk and meatball supper 4:30-8 and also Santa Claus the the Slewfoot Family Band from Grey Eagle at the Little Falls Library 4:30-6:30 today.
DEATH NOTICES
--Roger H. Bednar, age 73 of Pierz.
WEATHER
TODAY= snow showers, blustery, dropping temps into teens.
TONIGHT= snow showers, breezy, low 13, wind chills below zero.
WEDNESDAY= cloudy and windy, high 19, PM snow showers.
THURSDAY= early snow, cloudy and windy, high 19, low 5 above.
SPORTS
HS GBB= Royalton at Pierz tonight 7:15pm on FM94 KFML.
TWINS= The Twins are pondering a number of reports from many teams on second baseman Brian Dozier. Dozier has 2 years left on his contract for $15-million dollars but after hitting 42 homeruns last season he is major trade bait. The Dodgers reportedly have offered a deal for Dozier. The Twins stated right now they are only listening to offers at this point and will decide on the right option.