NEWS
--Today is Township Election Day. Many Townships will have elections for supervisor, clerk, treasurer, some have votes on if to move to November for elections as other townships have already decided to do. Check with your local townships if they have elections today and times when the voting booths are open as each township may have a different start time but polls in all would be open to 8pm tonight. Also a reminder to township officials to call Little Falls Radio after your votes are in to give the radio station the results on our answering machine for the Wednesday newscasts.
--The 18-year-old from Holdingford eletrocuted while on a work site last week in Eagan has died from his injuries. Aaron Welle was reportedly holding an electrical cord in water at the time of the incident and was taken to Fairview Hospital in the Twin Cities where he died on Friday. Welle's funeral is today in Holdingford. OSHA announced that they are investigating the incident.
--Authorities say no one was hurt when 22 cars of a Canadian Pacific train derailed in Plymouth. City officials say the train went off the tracks about 1pm Sunday in a wooded area. Reports say the cars contained molten sulfur, asphalt and lumber. Crews found no leaks in the cars and there was no evacuations to the public Sunday.
--A St. Cloud man is suspected of sexually assaulting a former classmate at a high school basketball game in December 2019. 19-year old Robert Shannon Epps Jr. is charged with felony first-degree criminal sexual conduct causing personal injury. According to a criminal complaint filed in Stearns County District Court, a juvenile was at a high school basketball game at Apollo High School, as was Epps. The girl went into the bathroom and heard someone shaking the stall door. When she left the stall, Epps grabbed her, pushed her against the stall, put his hand on her throat and threatened to cut her with a knife if she didn't have sex with him. He then sexually assaulted her. Epps denied anything sexual happened. He said he was in the bathroom, but that he and the girl shared a consensual kiss. Epps has an omnibus hearing scheduled for April 13th.
--Another free grocery giveaway is today from 3-5pm at the Living Hope Church north of Little Falls on Haven Road. No food will be distributed until 3pm and the parking lot will not open to the public until the truck has delivered the food and it is ready for pickup.
--Holy Trinity Prinicpal Debra Meyer-Myrum stated that this year the Holy Trinity Carnival will be a virtual raffle and silent auction. Raffle tickets are available at the school during school hours call 468-6446 the silent auction items can be seen at the givergy.us website with a link on the Holy Trinity School website. Auction items can be bid on until 4pm. At 3pm Sunday will be the raffle drawing live on the website where the winners will be named. Donations can be made also on that website which all goes to Holy Trinity School in Pierz. Again due to the Bishop's recent restrictions for catholic schools and churches they cannot have an indoor carnival this year in Pierz.
--The Sunday at 2am we “Spring Ahead” one hour as Central Daylight Time returns this weekend, turn the clocks one hour ahead before bed Saturday night or 2am Sunday. This is also a good time to check the smoke and fire detectors and carbon monoxide detectors in the homes to make sure they are working correctly. Fire officials also state to check fire extinguisher dates of effectivness and always good to make sure that a plan to evacuate the house is in place when a fire occurrs to get all family members and pets out of the house safe.
--Jury selection in the highest profile murder case in recent memory has been delayed at least a day, but the judge says it will start Tuesday unless a higher court orders him to stop. Most of the debate centers around a potential third-degree murder charge that could be added to the case, an issue that is now making its way through the higher courts. The defense attorney for Derek Chauvin said Monday morning that he intends to ask the state Supreme Court to review the appeals court's decision on that charge. In light of that, the prosecution asked the judge to delay jury selection. He refused, so the prosecution is asking the court of appeals for a stay. The court of appeals has agreed to consider the prosecution's request for a stay, but has not given any indication of whether proceedings should pause while they decide. Judge Peter Cahill delayed jury selection until Tuesday, but said at the end of proceedings Monday, "Unless the court of appeals tells me otherwise, we're going to keep moving." Meanwhile, demonstrators are marched through downtown Minneapolis, chanting for justice for George Floyd. The protesters are expected to continue to march through the streets through the process of the entire trial until the verdict is read.
--The Department of Health website Monday reported 473 new cases and 6 new deaths linked to COVID-19. Morrison County had 4 new cases yesterday. Recent uptick in the county now shows 68 active cases on Monday (from 44 cases last Friday), 22 cases in Little Falls zip code, 17 in Royalton and 11 cases Pierz zip code on the report.
--Authorities responded to a house fire north of St. Joseph over the weekend. The incident happened Saturday around 2:30pm at 35274 County Road 4 in St. Wendel Township. Fire crews arrived to find 70-year-old Dana Crosswhite, of St. Joseph, outside the house sitting in her car. She told authorities her son, 47-year-old Theodore Dirks, was still inside. Firefighters were able to find Dirks and got him to safety. He was evaluated at the scene before being taken to St. Cloud Hospital for further treatment. Authorities say a 2nd person at the scene was also taken to the hospital for possible smoke inhalation. The report stated neither person suffered life-theatening injuries.
DEATH NOTICE
--Eleanor S. Kasper, age 95 of Pierz.
WEATHER
TODAY= partly sunny, breezy and mild, high 64.
TONIGHT= rain/snow shower overnight, breezy, low 35.
WEDNESDAY= rain showers during day changing to snow after 5pm then all snow at night 1-2 inches possible, high 41 falling to 27.
THURSDAY= sunny and cooler, high near 40, low around 18.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins and Orioles today at noon, spring training on Q92.
COL BB= Gophers open the Big 10 tournament Wednesday against Northwestern, game at 5:30pm. Winner plays Thursday at 2pm.
TODAY IN HISTORY
IN 1864= Ulysses S. Grant named Commander of Union Army.
IN 1959= first Barbie doll goes on sale in the United States.
IN 1961= The Supremes sign first record contract at Motown, originally four girls, one leaves and Diana Ross takes the lead role.
IN 1964= Ford introduces the Mustang.
IN 1976= first female cadets are accepted at West Point Academy.