NEWS
--On Friday the Little Falls School Board approved a one year at-will contract to keep Stephen Jones on as the Superintendent of Little Falls Community Schools for the 2021-2022 school year. Jones will discuss this today on Community Focus at 8:30am on KLTF.
--Little Falls Firefighters responded with the State Patrol on a crash at Sleepy Hollow Road Friday at 4:58pm off of Highway 371 in Ft. Ripley Township. 59-year-old Jacklynn Backowski of Little Falls was on Sleepy Hollow Road and turned onto 371 and collided with 24-year-old Jordan Filipek of Zimmerman. Filipek and two children 4-year-old Ivy and 3 year old Kai Hartung of Zimmerman were taken to the Brainerd Hospital with non life threatening injuries. Backowski sustsained serious injuries and had to be extricated by firefighters from the vehicle and taken to North Memorial in the Twin Cities.
--Little Falls Mayor Greg Zylka signed a proclamation making July “Think Local Month” in Little Falls. “Think Local Month” provides a time to celebrate the independence of the members of the Little Falls community and the entrepreneurial spirit representing by the core of local businesses and to salute community members and locally-owned businesses who are integral to the unique flavor of Little Falls and honor their efforts to make Little Falls the place people want to live and also want to work. Zylka thanked all of the local businesses.
--Design Electronics announced an agreement to sell its wireless retail store operations to Wireless World, according to owner Steven Andres. The agreement will take effect July 12th. All 10 Design Electronics locations will remain open, and all existing staff members will be retained or offered positions within either company, according to Andres. Design Electronics will share its existing Little Falls location with Wireless World, continuing to operate its consumer electronics, appliance, IT, security, television, satellite and retail business alongside Wireless World’s Verizon operations. Wireless World is an authorized retailer of Verizon Wireless products and services with store locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota. Steven and Eric Andres will remain active owners and managers of the Little Falls Design Electronics location following the acquisition to Wireless World.
--A Brainerd police officer rescued a 65-year-old woman from a burning home Thursday night in northeast Brainerd. Shortly after 8:30pm police and Brainerd firefighters responded to a 911 call reporting a kitchen fire at the home on the 700 block of H Street with a woman inside who was unable to exit the residence on her own. Police Officer Grant Larson was first on the scene and saw smoke coming from the home with the front door ajar. Larson entered the home and through the smoke, found the woman on the couch. He pulled her from the home to the front yard, where North Memorial Health Ambulance personnel soon began providing medical aid. Brainerd Fire Department Battalion Chief Joe Rubado said firefighters arrived while the woman was still outside lying in the front yard. Crews quickly extinguished the blaze as neighbors looked on. The woman, meanwhile, was transported to Essentia Health-St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Brainerd to be treated for smoke inhalation. Though the cause was not determined, it is estimated property loss to be between $15,000 and $20,000, mainly smoke through home.
--Due to Monday being the federal holiday, the Little Falls city offices were closed and therefore the Little Falls City Council will meet tonight at 7:30 at City Hall. Some may attend via Zoom for meeting.
--A Stearns County Grand Jury has indicted four people for their roles in the death of a Litchfield woman last month. A news release from the Stearns County Attorney's Office states the grand jury has indicted 23-year-old Deantae Davis, 26-year-old Kenneth Carter, 33-year-old Angela Jones and 36-year-old Alicia Lewis on charges of 1st-degree aiding and abetting premeditated murder and 2nd-degree intentional murder in the death of 25-year-old Keisa Lange.
--A Sauk Rapids man was seriously hurt in a crash in Benton County. The Minnesota State Patrol says it happened just before 7:30pm Thursday on Highway 95 at 180th Avenue south of Foley. A vehicle driven by 20-year-old Carter Beckler of Staples was going east while another car driven by 49-year-old Brad Eager of Sauk Rapids was going west. Troopers say Beckler crossed the center line after swerving to miss a vehicle that was stopped to make a left turn and the two vehicles collided. Eager was taken to St. Cloud Hospital with life-threatening injuries. Beckler had non life threatening injuries.
--A Stearns County jury has found a St. Cloud man guilty of attempted murder after stabbing a woman multiple times in February 2020. Fifty-one-year-old Gary Murray was convicted of 2nd-degree attempted murder with intent. Authorities arrived at the scene of the incident where a woman on the ground and Murray on top of her with a girl by her side. Officers noticed the woman was sitting in a pool of blood with several cuts to her face and arms, some of which were deep and bleeding profusely. Record show the woman told police Murray had started an argument and it escalated with Murray grabbing her, throwing her into a counter and then onto the ground. Court records show police found two kitchen knives with blood on them at the scene and the child backed the woman's story. Murray will be sentenced in September.
--Minnesota is reporting its 200th traffic death for the year, the earliest date to reach the mark since 2009. State traffic safety officials say a total of 202 people have died on the roads since Jan. 1, compared to 148 at this time a year ago. The fatalities include 142 motor vehicle occupants, 25 motorcyclists, 23 pedestrians and three bicyclists. Preliminary information shows 80 speed-related deaths, 46 unbelted motorist deaths, 45 alcohol-related deaths and five distracted-driving deaths.
DEATH NOTICES
--Charles “Chuck” Erickson, age 80 of Little Falls.
--Joseph Mallak, age 69 of Little Falls.
WEATHER
TODAY= showers likely, possible T-storms, temps drop into 60s.
TONIGHT= showers and T-storms early, then clearing, cooler, low 49.
WEDNESDAY= sunny and cooler, high 67, clear night low 48.
THURSDAY= sunny and warmer, high 74, storms likely at night.
SPORTS
TWINS= Royals beat Twins 7-4 on Friday and 6-3 on Saturday. Twins took 1 game Sunday 6-2 win over Royals. Twins get a big win with a big crowd returning to Target Field last night 8-5 over the White Sox. The Twins continue the series with the first place White Sox tonight at 6:30pm on Q92 WYRQ.
NHL= Montreal wins in OT last night to avoid sweep of Tampa Bay.
HOT DOG= Joey Chestnutt wins his 14th Nathan's Hot Dog eating competition on the 4th of July downing 76 hot dogs to win.