NEWS
--The Morrison County ADA is searching for dairy princess candidates for 2023. Young women must be at least a high school senior and not yet 24 years of age. Eligibility includes: You or your parents are actively engaged in the production of milk for sale to a licensed plant and contribute to the dairy check off. You or your parents work full time on a dairy farm. You or your parents custom raise dairy cattle for farmers who contribute to the dairy check off or if you or your parents lease dairy animals from a dairy farmer. Dairy Princesses who are chosen will be the goodwill ambassador of Morrison County Dairy Farmers and promote the dairy industry throughout 2023. Call Stacy Happke at 468-6257 or Cindy Welle 745-2615 for an application. Applications must be received by March 7th. The Morrison County Dairy Princesses will be crowned on March 25th.
--The Minnesota Department of Transportation stated that the roads around central Minnesota were very slick Monday morning with conditions much worse southeast of St. Cloud to the Twin Cities Metro. Numerous cars spinning out into the ditch, off roadways, Interstate 394 had vehicles turned sideways blocking the roadways spinning out from the freezing moisture. Several spinouts and vehicles also reportedly were off the road on Interstate 94 east of St. Cloud, where rain and freezing rain have fallen. Highway 10 from Sauk Rapids to Becker, Highway 23 from Sauk Rapids to Roscoe, Highway 25 from Gilman to Highway 10 and Highway 15 from St. Cloud Kimball are all reported to be partly to mostly covered with ice. Roads locally also had freezing mix causing slick roads on Monday and now snow will come in tonight and cover up some icy areas into Wednesday morning causing another slow morning in Minnesota. Many accidents occurred including a 53-year-old St. Cloud man injured in an accident near Rockville of Stearns County, A 37-year-old from Oglivie was injured in an accident in Mille Lacs County, the report stated that the four children in the vehicle were not hurt. Minutes earlier an accident near Milaca injured a 62-year-old Aitkin. In Wright County an accident sent a Brooklyn Park woman to the hospital the other driver from Pillager was not hurt.
--Crow Wing County Sheriff Eric Klang reports on Saturday at 4:24pm the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office responded to a snowmobile crash involving injuries on Upper Whitefish Lake in Ideal Township. It was reported that a snowmobile struck a snowbank, causing it to go airborne. Upon arrival, deputies learned the victim, a 56-year-old female from Buffalo, MN, was the operator and lone occupant of the snowmobile. The victim went airborne off the snowmobile. The victim was airlifted to CentraCare Hospital in St. Cloud. Her condition is
unknown at this time.
--Authorities continue investigating a plane crash that killed a Hermantown man on Friday afternoon. The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office says shortly after 4pm. first responders were dispatched to a report of a crash near Grassy Point in Duluth. Sheriff Gordon Ramsay says authorities arrived to find a small plane crashed into the ice in the harbor and partially submerged in the St. Louis River. The sheriff's office says the plane's lone occupant, a 52-year-old Hermantown man, died at the scene. Authorities say no one else was hurt, and no structures were damaged in the crash. The Midwest Medical Examiner's Office, FAA, and NTSB are still investigating.
--Kinship of Morrison County is hosting their fish fry on Friday at the VFW in Little Falls. All are invited Friday from 4:30-7pm at the VFW. If you have questions for Kinship call Aaron at 320-632-8806.
--Last night at the Pierz City Council meeting, the council swore in John Perleberg as the new Mayor. Perleberg has been acting Mayor during the application process and was the only candidate to file for the vacancy. Toby Egan resigned in the post citing health reasons in January. Also, Sarah Fyten was sworn in Monday night as the new Pierz City Treasurer.
--Benton County has announced that high-speed internet will be coming to some under served parts of the county. Benton Communications and the county are partnering to bring high-speed fiber broadband to some communities north of Highway 23. The state of Minnesota has given Benton Communications $1.5-million in Border to Border grant money for the project. The county is contributing $1.1-million of American Rescue Plan Act money. The 148 miles of fiber-optic broadband will bring high-speed internet service to 483 rural addresses. Work will begin this fall with completion estimated by June 2025. The Benton County Board of Commissioners also pledged another $2-million of ARP funds as a local match for a second round of Border to Border grants for areas south of Highway 23. The next round of state Border to Border grants will be announced this summer.
--An employee from Target was sent to the hospital after being hit by an alleged drunk driver. Just after 4:30pm Sunday, St. Cloud police were sent to the Lincoln Avenue Target parking lot on reports of a driver hitting at least one vehicle. Officers found the car still in the lot driving at a high rate of speed. After a short chase, 18-year-old Nathan Severtson of St. Cloud was arrested without incident. Officials found a 29-year-old man laying on the pavement. After receiving first aid on the scene, he was taken to St. Cloud Hospital with serious, but not life-threatening, injuries. Officers determined Severtson appeared to swerve to hit the pedestrian after hitting two other occupied vehicles in the parking lot. The people in those cars were not hurt. Severtson faces multiple charges including second degree assault with a vehicle, Criminal Vehicular Operation, Hit and Run, DWI, and fleeing police.
--The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources are reminding those with dark houses, fish houses and portables this is the final week for those on area lakes in the southern two-thirds of the state south of Highway 200. They will have to be removed by 11:59pm on the southern line by March 6th and north of the line by March 20th. If shelters are not removed, owners will be prosecuted. A conservation officer also may confiscate, remove or destroy any ice structure and its contents if not removed by the deadline. More details on the DNR website.
DEATH NOTICES
--Virgil S. Weiss, age 87 of Pierz.
WEATHER
WINTER WEATHER ADIVSORY 9PM TONIGHT-3PM WEDNESDAY
TODAY= increasing clouds, high 33, snow overnight 3-5 inches, low tonight 24.
WEDNESDAY= snow in morning another inch, windy, high 26, low of 3.
THURSDAY= sunny skies, high near 20, low around 4 above.
FRIDAY= partly sunny, high near 30, low around 19.
SPORTS
HS BBB= St. Cloud Cathedral at Pierz tonight 7:15pm on 94ROCKS
HS BHK= St. Cloud Cathedral vs. Little Falls at Elk River Wednesday night at 7pm for the chance to go to state, it is live on Q92 WYRQ
TWINS= another Twins spring training game today at noon on Q92