NEWS
--Due to the extreme cold weather conditions, all Little Falls, Pierz Royalton, Swanville, Holdingford, Upsala, Pillager, Long Prarie-Grey Eagle, Brainerd and Staples-Motley schools will be closed today and Wednesday. This means no meetings or activities at any of those schools. Central Lakes College in Staples and Brainerd is also closed Tuesday and Wednesday and Mid State College in Wadena. The announcements came after Governor Tim Walz stated he would not do a statewide shutdown of schools and that the districts would be able to decide if they wish to close for the next two days due to the extreme cold as close to 300 school districts and organizations announced within 2 hours after they had closed for the 2 days.
--Around 6:05pm Sunday the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a vehicle that was hit by a train near Greyhound Road and 165th Street, approximately one mile north of Little Falls, in Green Prairie Township. 62-year old Kent Regelin of Little Falls was traveling on the railroad tracks north of 165th Street, alongside Greyhound Road when his vehicle got stuck. Regelin was able to exit his vehicle on his own prior to it being hit by a southbound train. He was not injured. Regelin was arrested on suspicion of DWI. Charges are pending with the Morrison County Attorney’s Office.
--A woman and her pet cat escaped without injury in a home fire in Morrison County Saturday morning. Around 2:30am, firefighters from Pillager were called to the home on County Road 1 between Randall and Pillager in Morrison County. Crews were able to subdue the blaze and were on scene until about 7:00am. The home did sustain extensive damage. The official cause is under investigation.
--Gary Creger's 5.2 pound northern pike won the $150,000 Brainerd Jaycee's Ice Fishing Extravaganza on Hole in the Bay on Gull Lake north of Brainerd Saturday. Creger from Forest Lake won the Ford F-150 pickup as the grand prize. There was reportedly around 9,000 people at the event Saturday battling the cold conditions.
--The Crow Wing County Dairy Association is searching for dairy princesses and ambassadors for 2019. Candidates must be not yet 24 years of age and the young women must have her or her parents active in the dairy industry either through farming, contributing to the dairy industry or the dairy checkoff program. If interested contact Emily Caughy at (218) 831-3376 by February 6th. The Crow Wing County Dairy Princesses Banquet is March 23rd in Pierz.
--The Morrison County Attorney's Office has filed charges against 34-year old Benjamin Tschida of Little Falls for a receiving stolen property charge in Morrison County District Court. He is also charged with driving after his driver’s license was revoked and driving an uninsured vehicle, both misdemeanors. The charges stem from a January 16th incident, when a Morrison County Sheriff’s Deputy pulled a vehicle driven by Tschida over for driving 83 miles per hour in a 55 mph zone near Little Falls. The license plate on the vehicle allegedly belonged to a vehicle stolen from St. Cloud. The vehicle had allegedly been spray-painted black over its original blue color, the ignition was punched and the steering column significantly damaged. If convicted of the felony, Tschida could face up to five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.
--Due to schools closed today and Wednesday the KLTF Party Line programs at Mary of Lourdes and Holy Trinity for Catholic Schools week will not happen this week. Hopes are to make up the programs at a later date at the Morrison County Catholic Schools.
--Due to the cold weather, tonight's author at the Upsala library has been postponed until February 5th, Wednesday's Dine and Discover event at Horizon Health moved to March 6th, Mass in Lastrup tonight and Harding Wednesday and Thursday morning has been canceled, the Little Falls Senior Center has canceled some of their events and so did the Pierz Senior Center today and Wednesday, Faith in Formation in Randall Wednesday canceled. Also Little Falls Radio did receive word that some businesses and organizations may be closing early or closed completely today and Wednesday best to call ahead if you even need to venture out at all over the next two days.
--A woman was hurt in a crash near Albany on Friday night. The incident happened on Interstate 94 just before 7:00pm. The Minnesota State Patrol says a car was going west on Interstate 94 when it lost control, hit the guard rail, and crossed over into the west lanes. The driver of the car, 34-year-old Nicole Koppelman of Sauk Centre, was taken to Melrose Hospital with injuries.
--Around 10:45am Sunday the Stearns County Sheriff's Office received a report of snowmobile crash in the ditch at Highway 238 and County Road 17 in Krain Township. 26-year old Tyler Anthony Douvier of Albany was driving his snowmobile northeast along Highway 238. As he continued to follow the highway, he lost control of the snowmobile when making a curve at County Road 17. After losing control the snowmobile, it rolled causing Douvier to be thrown from the snowmobile. Douvier was taken by ambulance to the St. Cloud Hospital for treatment of his injuries.
--Some lawmakers want to crack down on deer farms as concern grows about chronic wasting disease among wild deer in a pocket of southeastern Minnesota. They point to neighboring Wisconsin, where the fatal brain disease is well-established, as an example of what could happen if Minnesota fails to take more aggressive action soon. Representative Jamie Becker-Finn has introduced a bill to require 10-foot high double fencing around commercial deer and elk farms to protect wild deer. The Roseville Democrat says she also plans to introduce a sure to be controversial measure to allow authorities to kill off infected captive herds. Becker-Finn says this is a disease outbreak and it needs to be fought on multiple fronts. While chronic wasting disease hasn't been shown to infect humans, health officials warn against eating infected animals.
--Modern day outlaw Gary Allan was added to the 2019 Lakes Jam Lineup. Lakes Jam is a three-day music fest of multi-genre music. This year the event will be June 27th-29th at Brainerd International Raceway. The music festival is in its seventh year.
DEATH NOTICES
--Robert “Bob” J. Nennig, age 83 of Little Falls.
WEATHER
WIND CHILL WARNING IN EFFECT FROM THIS MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON.
TODAY= partly sunny, temps dropping to -22 by 5pm and the winds picking up to 15-30 mph or gustier, causing wild chills near -50.
TONIGHT= very cold, low -33, wind chills around -60 by morning.
WEDNESDAY= very cold, high -17, wind chills around -60 at times.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT= dangerously cold, low near -40, wind chills -50
THURSDAY= cloudy, not as cold as winds die down, high -7.
by Saturday temps expected to be close to 40 above zero.