NEWS
--Two men were uninjured when the truck they were driving in fell through 2-3 inches of ice on Big Swan Lake Friday according to the Todd County Sheriff. As a result, the sheriff's office is reminding everyone of this year's poor ice conditions and to use caution any time people venture out on to area lakes. Around 1:30pm Friday authorities responded to a pickup falling through the ice north of Grey Eagle. Owner Duane Scepaniak and passenger David Walz, both of St. Joseph, were able to climb out of the vehicle as it came to rest in 4 feet of water. They had been driving south on the lake, near the narrows when the truck went through. Once on the ice, they were able to walk to shore and call for help. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources recommends there be at least 12-15 inches of new, clear ice to hold a medium-sized truck. Many factors other than thickness can cause the ice to be unsafe. White ice or snow ice is only about half as strong as new, clear ice. The DNR recommends doubling the thickness guidelines when traveling on white ice. Ice conditions cannot be judged by appearance or thickness. Other factors including water depth, size of waterbody, currents, snow cover, and local weather all combine to determine its strength. Ice seldom freezes uniformly. It may be 9 inches thick in one location and only an inch or two just a few feet away. Ice formed over flowing water and currents is often dangerous. Ice along streams, springs, and channels between lakes, bridges or aeration systems is usually weaker due to faster current.
--Les Laidlaw of Mankato caught the biggest fish during the Brainerd Jaycees $150,000 Ice Fishing Extravaganza this past Saturday. Laidlaw caught a 5.54 pound northern pike. The Extravaganza is completely volunteer driven and all funds go to over 40 charities in the Brainerd lakes area. The recipient of 70 percent of the funds is the Confidence Learning Center. The Confidence Learning Center is an outdoor education facility for individuals with cognitive and developmental disabilities. The Brainerd Jaycees invest nearly 25,000 volunteer hours in the year-long planning of the contest. The Brainerd Jaycees have donated nearly $3.5 million to over 50 charities since the first Extravaganza in 1991.
--A Little Free Library that has provided free books to the residents of the Seberger neighborhood in St. Cloud for two years was damaged by vandals Sunday night. Someone apparently set fire to the library kiosk on Second Street North by Seberger Park and the roughly 20 books inside. The Little Free Library was put up in 2014 in memory of Karen Mrja, a longtime St. Cloud volunteer who was active with the library and in the arts. The library has been vandalized a couple of times since it opened.
--The state Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of a Foley man who repeatedly sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl. 40-year old Filbert Okari Onyoni was convicted by a Benton County jury of third-degree criminal sexual conduct and sentenced to three years in prison, a sentence that was stayed. Onyoni argued to the appellate court that there wasn't sufficient evidence to convict him, that the girl's testimony was substantially inconsistent and uncorroborated. The Court of Appeals opinion disagreed, ruling that any inconsistencies in the girl's testimony were minor and don't provide a basis for a reversal of the conviction.
--Join AM960 KLTF Party Line today live at Mary of Lourdes Middle School for Catholic Schools Week. Find out what Mary of Lourdes has going on for this week for students and families. The program airs at 10am today on AM960 KLTF and online at fallsradio.com. Tomorrow Party Line will be live at Holy Trinity School in Pierz.
--Sarah Thommes of Pierz competed at the Region BPA contest in Alexandria on Friday. Thommes placed 3rd in Management Marketing and Human Resources, 6th in Banking and Finance, and 7th in Fundamentals of Accounting. She qualified for the state meet in all three categories. The state meet will be March 23-25 in Minneapolis.
--Crews continue to work as weather allows to hit the expected fall opening of the new Minnesota Highway 24 bridge in Clearwater. The project will replace the 57-year old bridge over the Mississippi River with a two-lane bridge featuring wide shoulders and a multipurpose trail. The new bridge is just downstream from the existing bridge. Crews are placing 46 beams on the bridge piers that were finished last fall. Once the beams are placed, crews will begin working on the bridge deck. The placing of the beams does delay traffic. Traffic is stopped in both directions intermittently while crews are placing the beams. These closures may last up to 15 minutes. The existing bridge is expected to be torn down in the summer of 2018.
--A Minnesota homeowner was charged with second-degree manslaughter after prosecutors say he shot at suspected burglars driving away from his house. David A. Pettersen of rural Madelia was charged Monday in Watonwan County District Court in the death Saturday of 19-year-old Nicholas Embertson, of Madelia. Bail was set at $100,000 for Pettersen, but he was released without having to post bail after agreeing to several conditions.
DEATH NOTICES
--Jerald Naber, age 62 of Little Falls
--Dennis R. Barton, age 75 of Bowlus
--Rita Kloss, age 91 of Royalton
--Glenn Garman, age 78 of Onamia
--Fern Wilkes, age 90 of Onamia
WEATHER
TODAY= snow showers, some drizzle, icy spots, breezy, high 35.
TONIGHT= light snow early, cloudy and colder, low 6 above.
WEDNESDAY= sunny skies, high 14, wind chills near zero.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT= clear skies, low near 0, wind chills around -15.
THURSDAY= partly cloudy skies, high 16, cloudy night low 2 above.
SPORTS
BHK= Little Falls at Sartell tonight 7:15pm on Q92 WYRQ.
HS BBB= Pierz at Holdingford tonight 7:15pm on FM94 KFML.
TODAY IN HISTORY
IN 1905= A.G. McDonald is first driver to reach 100 miles per hour in an automobile racing on Daytona Beach.
IN 1928= 3M in Minnesota first sells scotch tape to the public.
IN 1950= President Harry Truman approves building hydrogen bomb.
IN 1969= The Beatles perform for the final time together on top of the Apple Records building doing live version of #1 song Get Back.
IN 1975= Barry Manilow has first #1 with Mandy.
IN 1990= first McDonalds fast food chain opens in Soviet Union.