NEWS
--On Monday morning the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a business burglary at the Red Rooster Bar in Genola. According to the Sheriff’s Office, sometime around 2:30am Monday the suspect(s) made entry into the business through a small sliding window on the back side of the bar. Cash tills, pull tab machines, game machines and an ATM were pried open and money was taken. Surveillance photos of the suspect(s) have been posted to the Morrison County Sheriffs Office facebook page. If you have information regarding this burglary, you are asked to call the Morrison County Sheriff’s office at (320) 632-9233.
--Governor Tim Walz on Monday closed all Minnesota restaurants and bars to the public in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Also closed are a number of other venues including movie theaters, fitness clubs, gyms, cafes, bowling alleys, bingo halls, arcades, and country clubs. The order goes into effect at 5:00pm Tuesday and extends to 5:00pm on March 27th. Delivery and curbside pickup of food orders will be allowed. Grocery stores and pharmacies are unaffected, and Walz encouraged them to stay open as “critical.”
--Morrison County Administrator Deb Gruber announced that at this time, Morrison County Government Center will remain open for business during regular hours. However, in response to the recommendations of the Minnesota Department of Health and the CDC, Morrison County Government Center is discouraging non-essential visits. For those of you who need assistance or who need to conduct business, please contact them by calling 632-2941 or via email at mcadmin@co.morrison.mn.us. Morrison County is trying to do their part to help respond to this emerging public health threat. The City of Little Falls City Hall and Police Departments are also operating with normal business hours and are taking many of the same precautions. Non-essential visitors are discouraged at this time. Even bill paying options are available to avoid in person visits. Call ahead to learn more details.
--Effective immediately the Morrison County Sheriff's Office have suspended all public visiting with inmates until further notice. The public can still visit remotely by going to www.jailatm.com during their normal scheduled times. At this time, they have suspended public fingerprinting until further notice. If you have any questions, please feel to call them at (320) 631-2880 or (320) 632-0197. Also on Monday the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office has closed their main lobby to visitors at this time, Social Security Offices have closed their offices to all visitors including the offices in St. Cloud and Baxter. The Initiative Foundation announced they will be working remotely and that they are restricting all vistitors at this time.
--Due to the COVID 19 and halting of large events, the Morrison County ADA announced the Dairy Princess Banquet this Saturday has been cancelled to the public. There will be the crowning of the dairy princesses but will be held privately and closed to the public. The St. Francis Convent announced they are cancelled all events into May including Masses, communion, fundraisers, lessons and other items at the convent, Also FM94 Ladie's Night Out this Thursday in Pierz has been postponed with a later date still to be determined. Polish Echos tonight cancelled, Crane Meadows Saturday cancelled. A site has been set up with the entire list of cancelled or postponed events received at Little Falls Radio from last week through this morning and can be viewed at fallsradio.com and click on the link on page.
--Little Falls Schools Superintendent Stephen Jones stated Monday on AM960 KLTF that within 24 hours of Sunday into Monday a plan was put into place for now on the closings of schools announced by Governor Walz Sunday. Little Falls, Pierz, Swanville, Upsala and other schools are closed today (some from yesterday) and the rest on Wednesday will be closed until at least March 30th (possibly longer). The Little Falls School District will offer a free food option for students today. The program will have a couple of options for it. First, they will be running their normal 30 bus routes per day but not to pick up students to go to school. These bus routes will run two hours later than on a normal school day. The buses will be used to deliver both breakfast and lunch to students who want it. The buses will stop at every bus stop in the district, and the students will come to the bus to pick up breakfast and lunch. If a student is normally picked up at 7:15 on a school day by bus, the bus will now come at 9:15 and will deliver breakfast and lunch to those students who want it. If this is something you want for your children, you must contact either your bus provider or the school district today. You can call Palmer Bus at 632-1555; Strack Bus at 749-2742; or the district at 632-2002 or 632-2029. For students who do not ride our buses but want to have food delivered to them, you also need to contact either Palmer Bus, Strack Bus, or the District. A second free food option available beginning today is a Grab 'N Go program headquartered at Little Falls Community High School and Dr. Knight Elementary. Students can pick up breakfast and lunch between the hours of 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. at either of those schools. Our goal with offering options is to continue to provide nutritional services to as many children as possible. Please contact us as soon as possible if you would like to be a part of either of these food program services...or if you have questions about the program. During this period of time the school will work with the next phase of full cleaning of the schools, working on distance learning as many elementary school students yesterday received a large packet of distance learing materials after March 30th if the closures are prolonged by the government. Superintendent Stephen Jones said he will come back to KLTF next Wednesday morning with further updates on the closures and what other phases are being done. Any questions don't hesitate to call Jones at 632-2002.
--Morrison County Social Services stated that it is possible to apply for Health Care, Food Support, Cash Assistance and Child Care Assistance Without Having to Come to Social Services. This Is Especially Helpful During The Current Health issues. If you wish to apply online: https://applymn.dhs.mn.gov or call 631-3599.
--All Great River Regional Libraries closed at 6pm Monday night and will be closed until the end of March in the area.
DEATH NOTICES
--Curtis R. Pantzke, age 61 of Randall.
--Sandra (Gosiak) Kraemer, age 57 of Freeport.
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny skies, high 36, snow after 1am, low 29.
WEDNESDAY= snow, freezing rain and rain at times, high 38, low 31.
THURSDAY= snow, freezing rain, rain and gusty winds, high 37.
SPORTS
NFL= Kirk Cousins signed a 2 year extension with the Vikings then they traded Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills for mutiple draft picks.