NEWS
--Chuck Zwilling and his daughter Becca announced on Monday that they have given at check for $18,000 to Little Falls Community Schools for their Flyer Pride Backpack Program and Care Kloset to help feed the hungry children and clothed those in need during the school year. This was the largest one year total for Ice Fest which was held Valentine's weekend earlier this month on Green Prairie Fish Lake. With the $18.000 they have now in 4 years given over $54,000 to the school to help those projects and they wanted to personally thank all the volunteers, organizations that showed up including log rolling, dog sledding, Santa Claus, plane rides and other items from the lake. Temperatures were very cold both days where Sunday did not ever get above zero but that did not keep the people from coming out taking in the events and using the warming tents a lot. Unfortunately the one thing that could not be achieved was the breaking of the ice carousel record which the Zwilling family had held from the year before and got put in Guiness Book of World Records for it. The carousel was cut but the very cold conditions caused it to refreeze each night and they had to start again each morning and they could not get the ice to rotate around one full rotation which was needed for them to qualify for the world record. Chuck stated the group of Finland this week is working on breaking the world record and if successful would given the Zwilling family more reason to try and make it a bigger success in 2022. Becca said that if you would still like to donate to the icefest cause go to the mnicefest.com website to see pictures and find out how to donate. They are looking forward to the next one in February of 2022.
--A Hutchinson man has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of another man near Grove City on Friday. On Sunday, a search warrant was executed in the 700 block of Main Street in Hutchinson and 23-year-old Byron Jackson was arrested. He is being held in the Meeker County Jail on suspicion of first-degree assault, pending formal charges. The Meeker County Sheriff’s Office says the victim has been identified as 42-year-old Devon Remmel of Grove City. Deputies responded to reports of gunshots at a home in the 26100 block of 545th Avenue in Acton Township on Friday shortly after 10:30pm. When authorities arrived, they found Remmel with a gunshot wound outside the home. Authorities say Remmel was shot during a confrontation between multiple people and died at the scene. His death has been ruled a homicide by the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office. The investigation is active and ongoing.
--Three families were evacuated from their homes Sunday night after a fire in a St. Cloud apartment building. The fire department was called to 1615 Goettens Way just after 10pm to put out a fire that had started on the stove and started burning the cabinets above. The fire was extinguished quickly but it did get into some concealed spaces. The damage estimate is about $157,000. No one was hurt.
--The Morrison County Historical Society is offering a class on how to use Zoom. The class will be held on Saturday, March 27th from 1:00-2:30pm online via Zoom. Class participants will receive instructions by email on how to install Zoom on their computers and join the event, during which various features will be explained and attendees will have a chance to practice using them. Museum staff will also help participants work through any technological glitches that arise. The cost of the class is $5. To register online for to the Morrison County Historical Society website or call the museum at 632-4007.
--As weather permits, Morrison County maintenance employees will begin crack sealing this week on County Road 217 west of Randall and on CSAH 26 east of Little Rock. One lane will be closed, watch for flaggers controlling traffic. Crews will finish clearing brush and trees around bridges and guardrails on 100th Ave east of Elmdale in the southwest part of the county. Crews will also be patching potholes in the northeast part of the county. Please use caution around work crews and flashing lights.
--State health officials say Minnesota should receive more than 45,000 doses of the newly approved Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine in the first shipment this week. According to Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) spokesperson John Schadl, the order for the first shipment of the new single-dose vaccine went in on Sunday night, and they generally take a couple of days to process and receive. Future allocations could be less, as they are dependent upon how much of the vaccine is manufactured. "More doses of safe and effective vaccine in the state means more people can get protected more quickly," reads a statement MDH issued on Monday. "The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is a game-changer that will help us quickly provide immunity to even more Minnesotans. This vaccine is safe, virtually 100% effective at preventing hospitalization and death in people 18 and older, and requires only one dose." The State Report Monday had 3 new deaths linked to the virus and 636 new cases. Morrison County had 1 new cases on the report Monday.
--A reminder that the Catholic Churches are hosting a free food distribution on Wednesday 3:30-5:30pm at Holy Family Catholic Church on Riverwood Drive, Little Falls. There is no preregistration and no food will be available for pick up until 3:30pm. Please enter from the south of the church for the event watch for signs.
--Jeff Barth informed Little Falls Radio that the top prize winners of the Sobieski/Swanville Lions Fishing Tournament and raffle Saturday were Russell Fellbaum $2,500 and Jeanne Elfring of $1,000 cash. Winners were all called Sunday, complete list on Facebook page.
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
--longtime sports analyst Irv Cross has died at age 81. Cross worked for CBS Sports from 1971-1994. Cross was still seen on a number of Minnesota Vikings post game shows as he lived in Roseville, MN.
DEATH NOTICES
--Doris J. Lowe, age 82 of Little Falls.
--Dale R. Gohl, age 35 of Little Falls.
--Alvin J. VanHeel, age 88 of Swanville
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny skies, warmer and breezy, high 45.
TONIGHT= mainly clear skies, low around 25.
WEDNESDAY= partly cloudy skies, high near 40, low near 20.
THURSDAY= sunny skies, high 43, low around 24.
SPORTS
HS BHK= Northern Lakes at Little Falls tonight 7:15pm on Q92.
HS BBB= Little Falls at St. Cloud Cathedral tonight 7pm on FM94.
NFL= J.J. Watt announced Monday he has agreed to a 2 year deal to play with the Arizona Cardinals. This comes after the Houston Texas, where Watt played his career, would not be resigning him for 2021.
COL BB= The NIT tournaments this year will only have 16 teams.