NEWS
--At 8:09am on Saturday the Little Falls Fire Department responded to a vehicle fire at Ray's Body Shop located at 12897 Highway 27 West in Little Falls. The demonstration vehicle used for crash tests (Roll Over Simulator) was originally in the shop when the fire started in the simulator but was able to be pulled from the shop where Little Falls Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze. 18 firefighters were on scene for about one hour. The building was filled with smoke and ventilated by firefighters. The business is already back to normal hours. According to Little Falls Fire Chief Mike Nieman, the employee who was there was taken to the hospital to be checked for potential smoke inhalation but signs are the employee was OK.
--The Central MN Builders Association Tools for Schools Fund ran through the Initiative Foundation based in Little Falls announced that thirteen central Minnesota schools will receive funds to help with building items in their schools. The vision of the Tools for Schools Fund is to offer increased support to schools by providing tools, supplies, grants, education, and scholarships to further enhance learning opportunities for high school students in order to attract more interest in the construction trades as a career choice. In 2019 CMBA received 13 applications from area High Schools and awarded a total of $18,391 to help promote the building trades. The Tools For Schools Fund was established 2017, created by individual donations and matching funds from the CMBA and has provided $107,575 to support Work Force Development. The 13 local area high schools represented from the applications are Little Falls, Swanville, Upsala, Foley, Albany, Sauk Rapids Rice, St. Cloud Apollo, St. Cloud Cathedral, St. Cloud Tech, ALC St. Cloud, Becker, Rocori and Melrose.
--The Little Falls Flyers Hall of Fame class of 2020 will be inducted on Saturday, January 18th. The induction ceremony will be conducted between the Girls and Boys Basketball doubleheader. They will also be introduced between 1st and 2nd period of the Flyer boys hockey game. The following alumni will be honored: Curt Bailey, Steve Fregin, Deb Hilmerson, Kenneth Pinckney, Doug Ploof, Mary Larson, Rob Sorensen, and Kevin Zenner. The Flyer Athletic Boosters (FAB) sponsors the Flyer Hall of Fame night. Everyone is invited to be a part of this celebration and wish the new inductees congratulations. Questions or concerns should be directed to the Little Falls Community High School activities office.
--Stearns County reported that on Saturday evening the Sauk Centre Police Department was investigating a single vehicle crash in the 500 block of Main Street North in Sauk Centre. A white Chevrolet Silverado had left the roadway striking an electrical box. During the crash investigation, Sauk Centre Police Officers learned an individual was at CentraCare-Sauk Centre Hospital with a gunshot wound. The gunshot occurred in the 49000 block of 400th Street in Ashley Township. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office responded to Sauk Centre at 10:38pm. The preliminary investigation determined Justin Henrichs, 32, of Sauk Centre, and Jason Ruegemer, 38, of Villard, were at a residence in the 49000 block of 400th Street when a pistol Henrichs was handling accidentally discharged, striking him in the hand. The crash took place when Ruegemer was driving Henrichs to CentraCare-Sauk Centre Hospital for treatment of Henrichs’ gunshot wound. Henrichs’ injuries are considered non-life threatening.
--The Blood Drive at the St. Francis Convent in Little Falls continues today from 12-6 and Wednesday from 8:30-2:30pm.
--A reminder from Chuck Zwilling that Ice Fest has been moved to February 8th and 9th. Zwilling stated that he is still receiving calls about publications and other items showing the date still this weekend but that is NOT the case. Zwilling reported to Little Falls Radio December 26th that the date was moved to February due to lack of ice on Green Prairie Fish Lake that would cause first a big safety issue and second the unlikely chance to break the world record for the ice carousel. If you still see publications or posters showing the event is in January please disregard it as the Ice Fest on Green Prairie Fish Lake is on February 8th and 9th. If you need more information contact Chuck at (320) 249-1504.
--A 73-year-old woman was injured Saturday when the Chevrolet Impala she was driving drifted off Highway 169 in Milaca, into a median and crashed. The Minnesota State Patrol reported Susan E. Obrien of Brooklyn Park was traveling south on Highway 169 when she crashed at 150th Street in Mille Lacs County. The crash was reported at 5:06pm. Obrien was transported by North Memorial Ambulance to the hospital in Princeton to be treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
--A Kimball man was hurt in rollover crash in Meeker County on Wednesday. The incident happened on Highway 24 at County Road 17 in Forest City Township just before 3pm. The Minnesota State Patrol says a car driven by 39-year-old Nicholas Arens was going north on Highway 24 when it went off the road and rolled. Arens was taken to St. Cloud Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
--A fire caused about $65,000 damage to a north St. Cloud apartment building. Fire Department officials say the call came in just after 9:30pm Sunday for a fire at 1423 Sixth Street North. When they arrived they saw flames coming out of the unit 4 window. The cause of the fire was a malfunctioning propane torch. No one was hurt.
WEATHER
TODAY= clearing skies, temps dropping to near 5 by late day.
TONIGHT= partly cloudy, cold, low -10, wind chills near -20.
WEDNESDAY= increasing clouds, high 11 rising temps overnight. THURSDAY= snow showers early, temps near 30 then dropping.
SPORTS
HS BHK= ROCORI at Little Falls tonight 6:45pm on Q92 WYRQ.
HS BBB= Swanville at Pierz tonight 7:15pm on FM94 KFML.
STATE= There will be a State Champion Reunion for the State Basketball Champions in 1975, 1980, 1984 and 1985 of Little Falls Community High School on Friday, January 17th at the high school gym. The Girls and Boys Basketball Teams have a double header that night with Milaca the girls begin at 5:45pm then between the games Reunion Champions will be introduced followed by the boys games. There will be a meet and greet after the boys games at Johnny C's Sports Bar in Little Falls. All members from the four state championship teams are welcome and to come and be part of the event on January 17th. Both games will be heard live on Q92.
NFL= The Dallas Cowboys announced that they plan on hiring former Green Bay Packer head coach Mike McCarthy as their new head coach for the next season.
NFL= listen to the NFL playoffs this weekend on AM960 KLTF starting with Vikings at San Francisco at 3:30 Saturday. Tennessee at Baltimore Saturday at 7:15, Houston at Kansas City is 2pm on Sunday followed by Green Bay hosting Seattle at 5:40pm on Sunday.