NEWS
--On Friday the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office took a theft report of (2) 30 pound liquid propane tanks and (4)12-volt deep cycle batteries from Monahan’s Marine, located south of Little Falls on Highway 10. The Sheriff’s Office is looking to identify the owner of the vehicle and the suspect on a facebook post shared to the Little Falls Radio facebook page. Authorities believe the vehicle may be a late 1990’s 4-door Ford Taurus. If you have any information about the theft, please call the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office at (320) 632-9233. The Sheriffs Office believes this is related to the theft at Hilmerson RV and they have offered a $500 cash reward for any information that leads to an arrest.
--A 25-year old man claimed a pack of neo-Nazis killed his mother before confessing to stabbing and beating her in the family’s central Minnesota home. Isaiah A. Pedersen of Milaca was charged in Mille Lacs County District Court with two counts of second degree murder in connection with the death Sunday of 59-year old Ariel S. Pedersen. According to the charges, deputies answered a 911 call to a home next door to the Pedersens, where the son reported that “four to five neo-Nazis had stabbed [his mother] and ran away into the woods.” Pedersen accompanied the deputies back to his home after handing over a BB gun and a knife. They found blood on the garage floor and drag marks leading into a bedroom where Ariel Pedersen’s body was located. Isaiah Pedersen “changed his story multiple times,” the charging document read. He said an intruder killed his mother, then he said he stabbed her but acted in self-defense. In his later confession, Pedersen said he argued with his mother and hit her with an object from the fireplace. Investigators located a bloody knife and a fire poker with hair and blood. The son remains jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail.
--Through the support of local donors, SHIELD616 and We Got Your Back USA funds have been secured to equip 30 local Officers and Deputies with bullet proof vests. Most of the officers receiving these vests will be from the Alexandria Police Department and the Douglas County Sheriffs Office. In addition to those agencies thanks to donations from Nettie Emblom, Christopher Emblom, Kayla Emblom, Dustin and Kelly Emblom, two vests will be presented to officers Josh Burgardt and Jon West of the Little Falls Police Department. Each set which comes with rifle rated plated vest, glasses, helmet, trauma aid kit, and vortex solo monocular costs $1,400. The sets will be presented this Saturday from 1:00-3:00pm at Alexandria Technical College. If you would like to learn more about this organization or how you can donate, visit their website at wegotyourbackusa.org.
--St. Cloud police say a man dropped his 4-year old niece from a third-story balcony in the 1900 block of Quarry Road. The girl was taken to the St. Cloud Hospital with injuries that are not life-threatening. 33-year old Baraka Mohamed Ahmed of St. Cloud was arrested around 10:00pm Sunday. The incident took place around 4:30pm Sunday. Ahmed is "non-verbal and has some type of undiagnosed developmental issues," according to police. He was being held Monday in the Stearns County Jail. A witness saw a man holding a girl over the balcony by the wrists, before letting her fall to the ground. Police have not identified a motive behind the incident. The investigation is ongoing. The police department is working with Stearns County Social Services on the matter.
--The Crow Wing County American Dairy Association held its annual dairy ambassador and princess banquet Saturday night at the Pierz Ballroom. Selected as dairy ambassadors were 14-year old Allison Struffert of Brainerd, 14-year old Alexis Schroer of Brainerd and 14-year old Addison Hillman of Brainerd. Selected as junior dairy princesses were 15-year old Jenna Caughey and 16-year old Arica Caughey both of Brainerd. Arica Caughey was also named Miss Congeniality. Board member Becky Joerger was presented with the Milk Pitcher award for her continued support of the county's dairy farmers. The dairy ambassadors and junior princesses will represent the county's dairy farmers in the upcoming year. The Morrison County Dairy Princess Banquet and Coronation is this Saturday at Cabin Fever north of Little Falls. The four dairy candidates are 18-year old Elizabeth Dickman, daughter of Josh and Linda Dickman of Pierz; 18-year old Holly Saehr, daughter of Darrel and Amy Saehr of Pierz; 21-year old Eliza Theis, daughter of John and Kelly Theis of Little Falls; and 18-year old Sam Winscher is the daughter of Shawn and Sarah Winscher of Royalton. Banquet is Saturday night at 8:00pm.
--The Minnesota State Patrol says it made hundreds of arrests for drunken driving over the St. Patrick's Day weekend. The patrol says that from Friday evening through early Monday, 370 motorists were arrested for driving under the influence. That's despite plenty of urging to use smarter options for getting home, including free bus rides and sober rides. Last year only 175 arrests were made.
--Mary of Lourdes Middle School is hosting an open house tonight at 6:30pm for families in the Little Falls area interested in learning more about Mary of Lourdes and what it has to offer for students going into the grades 5 through 8 for the upcoming school year.
--Two people were hurt in a crash that the State Patrol says was caused by a driver who fell asleep. It happened on westbound Interstate 94, east of Albany around 1:20pm Sunday. 66-year old Gary Rockswold of Vining was heading west when the State Patrol says he fell asleep and rear ended another vehicle. The second vehicle was driven by 72-year old James Beutz of Freeport. Rockswold and his passenger, 60-year old Wendy Rockswold of Vining, were both taken to St. Cloud Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Beutz was not hurt.
DEATH NOTICES
--David Anthony Reznicek, age 88 of St. Otto's Care Center
--Elizabeth I. Johnson, age 89 of Princeton formerly Little Falls.
WEATHER
TODAY= snow in the morning, 1 inch, high 32.
TONIGHT= flurries early, then clearing, low 17.
WEDNESDAY= partly cloudy, high 38, low around 20.
THURSDAY= sunny skies, high 43, low around 24.
SPORTS
TWINS= Minnesota Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco has been suspended 80 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. The commissioner's office announced the penalty Sunday. Polanco tested positive for Stanozolol and became the sixth player to be banned this year for substance violations.
Spring officially begins at 11:15am today