NEWS
--Kathy Marshik announced they are doing fun Easter type event at the Bank Square Plaza building on the corner of 1st Street this Saturday from noon to 2pm. All are welcome to come and get their picture taken with the Easter Bunny. Donations are encouraged to help with the work inside the building. If you would like to rent a space for the event to show you your organization or items or rent a space to play games or do crafts or even if you can drop off cool things for the Easter type event or can volunteer for the couple of hours to help out please call or text Kathy Marshik as soon as possible at 320-630-4236.
--St. Cloud police have found the body of a missing St. Cloud woman. Just after 11am Sunday a person walking in the area found the body of a woman on the west bank of the Mississippi River in the general area of Sportsman's Island Road. Officers arrived and confirmed that the woman was dead. Based on the investigation, the body has been identified as that of Annette Brown. A death investigation is underway to determine the cause and manner of her death. The body was taken to the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy. Based on the information at the scene, there remains no indication that foul play is involved. Sixty-two-year-old Brown went missing on Thursday afternoon.
--The Stearns County Sheriff's Department is reporting a stolen bobcat on the 3700 block of Crossing drive near Highway 23 and Interstate 94. The vehicle was last seen on March 6 at about 2pm. The Bobcat tool cat with "K.Johnson" printed on the side. Also last week Waite Park police is reporting that 2 vehicles were broken into and a catalytic converter was taken from a separate vehicle while it was parked at a hotel. If you have information on any unsolved crimes in the Stearns, Benton or Sherburne County area please report information by calling Crimestoppers at 1-800-255-1301.
--The Minnesota Senate on Monday voted 42-24 to again extend the state's reinsurance program through 2027, in a move that supporters said could bring down the cost premiums for Minnesotans. The program helps offset the cost of patients with more expensive health conditions for health insurance companies. And it is set to lapse at the end of the year unless lawmakers agree to step in. Some Democrats in the Senate attempted to amend the bill to cap premium increases in Minnesota's individual market and limit the extension of the reinsurance program to encourage a quicker transition away from the program. Those were voted down but their authors said lawmakers should consider longer-term answers to address the state's health insurance marketplace rather than continuing to put on a "Band-Aid." A House committee has taken up and passed an altered version of the bill and legislative leaders have said the issue could come into negotiations over refilling the state's unemployment insurance trust fund and sending out hero checks to front-line workers who stayed on during the pandemic.
--Former Minnesota GOP Chairwoman Jennifer Carnahan has formally announced a run for Congress. Carnahan threw her name in the ring in a special election to fill the now-vacant seat in Minnesota's first district following the death of her husband Jim Hagedorn. Other candidates in the southern Minnesota district include Republican State Rep. Jeremy Munson and former Representative Brad Finstad, and Democrats Richard Painter and Sarah Brakebill-Hacke. A special primary is scheduled for May 24, followed by a special election August 9th to fill out the rest of Hagedorn's term.
--Two people suffered only minor injuries after a crash south of St. Stephen Monday morning. Stearns County Sheriff Steve Soyka came upon the crash at the intersection of County Road 2 and 360th Street just before 7:30am. The sheriff says one of the vehicles involved in the two-vehicle crash burst into flames. Its driver, 36-year-old Matthew Strack of St. Stephen was able to get out of the pickup before it caught fire. Authorities say Strack was heading east on 360th Street when he was unable to stop at the intersection due to the snow-covered roads. The State Patrol reported Monday a number of spin outs and fender benders also due to the snow that affected portions of Todd, Stearns and Morrison Counties. Little Falls recent just a few flurries while North Prairie had 2 wet heavy inches and around Upsala had over 3 inches of snow early Monday.
--The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers expects the Environmental Impact Statement process for Enbridge Line 5's tunnel permit application to begin soon following its selection of a contractor to prepare the EIS. The Detroit District is responsible for the tunnel project permit request review, selected Maryland-based Potomac-Hudson Engineering, Inc. as the third-party contractor to prepare the EIS for Enbridge's proposed Line 5 Tunnel under the Straits of Mackinac. A key EIS component requires gathering public input. Tribal nations, agencies, communities, organizations, citizens and other stakeholders will have opportunities to provide input. In June 2021, then-acting Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jaime A. Pinkham announced USACE will proceed with an EIS for the application. USACE is responsible for the EIS scope and content to ensure an independent review. USACE will ensure all voices are heard in an open, transparent and public process for the EIS, and is committed to ensuring meaningful and robust consultation with tribal nations occurs per President Biden's Memorandum on Tribal Consultation and Strengthening Nation-to-Nation Relationships.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENTS
--Nicholas Kaping and Shania Kahlhammer of Little Falls are the parents of a boy and a girl born on March 10th.
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny skies, pleasant, high 42.
TONIGHT= partly cloudy and mild night, low 35.
WEDNESDAY= sunny and breezy, high 45, low around 30.
THURSDAY= partly sunny, few raindrops late, high 41, low 25.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins making big moves this past weekend sending Mitch Garver to Texas and then Josh Donaldson to the Yankees. In trading catcher Mitch Garver to Texas Twins receive shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa. They also acquired two-time all-star Sonny Gray for first-round pick Chase Petty. Late Sunday night, Twins shipped third baseman Josh Donaldson, newly-acquired Kiner-Falefa and catcher Ben Rortvedt to the New York Yankees for infielder Gio Urshela and catcher Gary Sánchez. The Twins are scheduled to have their first spring training game Thursday at noon vs. Boston on Q92 WYRQ.
BRADY= after announcing his retirement on February 1st from the NFL, Tom Brady this past weekend said he has changed his mind and wants to play a 23rd season in the NFL and with Tampa Bay.
COUSINS= Vikings have given Kirk Cousins a 1 year extension with the team worth around 35-million dollars.
WNIT= Gopher Women are in WNIT have Wisc-Green Bay Thursday.