NEWS
--The Air Quality Alert for central and northern Minnesota has been extended until 3pm this afternoon.
--A Friday crash north of Holdingford took the life of a teenage passenger. Friday morning at 10:31, the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office was sent to 248th Avenue near County Road 17, about seven miles west of Holdingford, on reports of two people trapped inside a crashed car. Officials found a Chevrolet Impala on its side resting against a tree. The Freeport Fire and Rescue Department used extraction equipment to free the driver and a passenger. Officials say the driver, 15-year-old Mason Geise of Freeport was driving south on 248th Avenue when he lost control of the vehicle, overcorrected trying to regain control, went into the ditch, and rolled onto a tree. His passenger, 16-year-old Ethan Gerads of Albany, was pronounced dead at the scene. Geise was sent to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Neither was wearing a seatbelt.
--Three people were arrested at a residence north of Garrison in Aitkin County after a 2-year-old became unresponsive due to exposure to controlled substances. The incident happened in the early morning hours on Friday, the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office reported. Family members removed the child from the residence and eventually called 911 from a vehicle in the Garrison area. Crosby ambulance responded, CPR was administered and Naloxone, a drug for opioid overdose, was given. The child was transported to Twin Cities hospital by air ambulance for further care and is reported to be stable. A search warrant was later executed at a residence on Pike Avenue in Aitkin County. Teams executing the search warrant were from the Aitkin, Itasca, and Mille Lacs Drug Task Force and the Lakes Area Drug Investigation Division. Upon entry to the residence a different 2-year-old child in a crib was located in very close proximity to a plate of crushed fentanyl while a ceiling fan was running overhead, the sheriff’s office reported. Five juveniles were taken into protective custody from the residence. A protective hold was also placed on the juvenile in the hospital. Officers arrested a 31-year-old man, who also had multiple warrants for drug related offenses, for giving a false name to a police officer, third degree possession of a controlled substance and child endangerment. A 27-year-old woman was arrested for child endangerment and third degree possession of a controlled substance. A 47-year-old woman was arrested on multiple drug warrants, harboring a fugitive, aiding an offender, and violating conditions of release. The sheriff’s office reported 304 fentanyl pills were seized from the residence as well as several grams of crushed fentanyl powder. The initial overdose investigation is pending and is expected to lead to further charges.
--A 47-year-old Milaca man died Saturday after his vehicle landed in the West Branch Rum River in Mille Lacs County. The Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office responded to the crash, reported at 5:48pm near the 7700 block of Davenport Road. According to the report, a 2009 white Chevy truck was northbound on Davenport Road when it went off the road to the left and struck a concrete culvert, sending it airborne, striking another concrete culvert on the north side of the river. The truck came to rest on its driver's side in approximately 2 feet of water. The driver of the truck, Jonathan Charles Grambart, was found still seat-belted in the driver's seat and was the lone occupant of the vehicle. He was pronounced deceased on scene. The sheriff’s office reported alcohol may have been a factor.
–Morrison County is among 23 to get a major disaster declaration from the federal government. The aid will help the county replace damaged infrastructure from the flood and storm damage in April.
The declaration unlocks public assistance for local governments by helping to cover the cost of emergency work and repairing or replacing damaged facilities. The aid is only for public property.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency and Small Business Administration are tasked with helping residents and businesses. Through an assessment process, potential recipients must go through individual assistance programs or apply for low-interest loans from the SBA, which are subject to an approval process. Heavy snowfall from early April led to quick turnaround in late April early May of swollen rivers from massive snow melt in a short period of time.
--Little Falls Community Schools announced that Registration Week August 9th and 10th. All families of the District, both new and returning, are urged to come to the Little Falls Community High School Gymnasium during the week to register students who will be attending school in the district. Representatives of all 5 buildings will be available to help make sure all necessary paperwork is completed before school begins in September. This year the registration days will be Wednesday August 9th from 12pm-7pm and Thursday August 10th form 8am to 3pm. Little Falls School Superintendent Greg Johnson will be the guest on the Community Program Thursday at 8:30am live on AM960 KLTF and online at fallsradio.com.
--Pierz Freedom Fest made an announcement just days after they finished up the 10th event back on July 15th. The Statement reads: As were some of our fans, Pierz Freedom Fest committee members were disappointed when Iconic Fest and Pierz Freedom Fest both announced their 2024 dates as July 13. Pierz Freedom Fest has traditionally tried to host our event on the second Saturday following the 4th of July, and in 2024 that ended up falling on the same day Iconic Fest had planned. Instead of trying to compete with another local event and make our customers choose one or the other, Pierz Freedom Fest committee members met and have decided to change our event date to July 20, 2024. We hope this allows customers to attend either or both events as they wish. THANK YOU to all of our customers who have supported Pierz Freedom Fest in the past and we look forward to another great event on July 20th, 2024.
--Don't forget the circus is tonight in Pierz at 5pm and 7:30pm at the school grounds sponsored by Pierz Area Commercial Club and also the Log Jam 7 free concert and comedy event is tonight at Maple Island Park in Little Falls starting at 6pm. Details on events can be found at fallsradio.com and community calendar.
WEATHER
TODAY= sun and clouds, warm, high 92.
TONIGHT= storms after midnight, humid night, low 68.
WEDNESDAY= storm early, then sunny and hot, high 97, low 72.
THURSDAY= storms early and late, hazy and hot, high 95, low 60.
SPORTS
TWINS= Max Kepler's double ties the game late and Carlos Correa gets the walk off hit in the 10th to beat the Mariners Monday 4-3. Twins (54-48) continue series tonight with Seattle at Target Field, pregame begins at 6pm on Q92 WYRQ.
VFW= Little Falls VFW wins twice yesterday and are win the winner's bracket today against St. Cloud as the playoffs continue.