NEWS
TODAY IS ELECTION DAY. A day Minnesotans vote for U.S. President, U.S. Senator, U.S. House of Representative, State House and State Senate Seats, local races include Morrison County Commissioner (for those up for election), local races for city and school boards that were up for election along with other items on the ballot. In Little Falls polls open at 7am and stay open to 8pm at the Initiative Foundation building for Ward 1 (southeast section of Little Falls), Little Falls City Hall for Ward 2 (northeast section of Little Falls), and Bethel Lutheran Church for Ward 3 (the entire west side of Little Falls). If you have questions on where to vote and also if you still need to handle a mail in ballot you can go to the Auditor/Treasurers Office which is a Mail In Ballot precinct voting site today from 7am-8pm that is for those who did not get their mail-in ballots in the mail which have to be postmarked by today to be counted in the election totals. For a list of polling sites open today in your voting precinct you can go the Minnesota Secretary of State Website. Little Falls Radio will have election coverage tonight as in years past starting at 8pm to look at results that come in.
--Little Falls Chamber of Commerce President Deb Boelz Monday stated that COVID-19 and 2020 will not stop the holidays from coming to Little Falls this year. Kudos to the businesses, nonprofits, service organizations and residents that are striving to bring holiday cheer to one and all! The Little Falls Convention & Visitors Bureau is spearheading the Morrison County wide effort to track holiday light displays. Starting December 1st and running through December 31st, the Winter Wonderland Lights Map will be available at http://www.littlefallsmn.com/winterwonderlandlightsmap. Many of our local retailers will kick off the holiday shopping season with a Holiday Open House, Saturday, November 14. The Little Falls Lindbergh Lions will again be staging their extensive light display on 11th Street NE on the Minnesota Power property. This display will be lit from Thanksgiving through the first week of January. Holly Day will be held in Randall on Friday, December 3rd from 3:30 – 6:30 pm in Bingo Park. Stop by to see Santa and enjoy some live music. Dress to be outside for this event. The Morrison County Animal Humane Society will be offering pictures of your pets with Santa, Saturday, December 12 at the Humane Society from 11am-3pm. There will be a $5 fee for the pictures. The traditional Candlelight Hike, co-hosted by the Weyerhaeuser Museum, Lindbergh State Park and the Lindbergh House & Museum will be held over several days to spread out the crowds and renamed Winter Hike. The trails between the three properties will be groomed for your enjoyment from January 1st through the 10th. Details are available on their website.
--One person was injured Sunday at 2:05pm on Highway 28 in Todd County. 26-year-old Meghan Zins of Cyrus was westbound on Highway 28 went into the curve at a high rate of speed and rolled in the right ditch. Zins was treated at Sauk Centre Hospital with non serious injuries. A 19-year-old passenger from Glenwood not injured.
--The Morrison County Website Monday reported now 936 total cases of COVID-19 since testing began, 286 active cases, 46 cases need hospitalization. Little Falls Zip Code at 131, Pierz is at 48, Royalton is now at 35, Motley at 19 and Swanville at 15 cases on the recent report with other zip codes showing less than 10 cases each. Statewide numbers Monday were 2,954 new cases of the virus with 9 new deaths. Morrison County reported 33 new cases of COVID-19.
--The Morrison County Public Works Maintenance Report this week stated that with the warmer weather maintenance employees will be working on the following activities this week: Painting stop ahead symbols and railroad crossing symbols on County 213, and CSAH 13, Continue to mow roadside ditches, Blading gravel roads in the eastern part of the county, Crews will be shouldering CSAH 52 south of Little Falls. Please use caution around work crews and flashing lights. Public Works employees continue to practice social distancing guidelines in their travels and on the various job sites as we continue to preserve and maintain Morrison County infrastructure.
--More incident reports from the Morrison County Sheriff's Office from October 22nd through October 28th showed A resident on Bison Road in Randall reported a scam. A resident on Nature Road and Sage Road in Foley reported someone had damaged their fence. A resident on Haven Road in Little Falls reported trucks whipping around and damaged the field at the Belle Prairie Park. A resident on Abaca Road in Burtrum reported a scam in which they had donated to a political campaign three times for a total of $95, but when they checked their account, it showed 12 donations for a total of $335. A resident on 203rd Street in Pierz reported two bullet holes in one of their deer stands. A resident on 183rd Street in Pierz reported a burglary. Missing was a set of 1/2 karat gold diamond earrings, valued at $600, a silver diamond ring valued at $800, a man’s Elgin watch, valued at $50. A business on Highway 10 South in Royalton reported a gas drive-off. A resident on 263rd Street in Fort Ripley reported a scam in which they tried to buy a wood stove from a someone selling it on Facebook. The two met up in the Cities and the resident gave the subject cash and was to receive a receipt and address to pick up the stove, but the address did not exist. The subject said they would return the money, but never showed up at a meeting place and stopped returning calls or messages. A resident on Timber Lane in Cushing reported a burglary underway and a resident on Creamery Drive in Pierz reported items had been stolen from a property where a house is being built. Stolen were a masonry saw on a table, value about $1,800, a yellow halogen light on a stand, valued at $50 and a shop push broom, valued at $30.
--Anglers who ice fish on Mille Lacs Lake will be able to keep one walleye again this winter. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has announced the same regulations as the last two winter seasons. Anglers will be able to keep one walleye between 21-23 inches or one longer than 28 inches. Last year, anglers spent a record of more than 3-million hours ice fishing on Mille Lacs, in part due to poor ice conditions on other large Minnesota lakes. In years past, anglers put in about two-million hours fishing Mille Lacs in the wintertime. The open water regulations for 2021 are set in March.
DEATH NOTICES
--Ewin Schneider, age 92 of Clarissa.
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny and very mild, high 68.
TONIGHT= clear skies, low around 35.
WEDNESDAY= sunny and mild again, high 68, low around 41.
THURSDAY= sunny and a bit cooler, high 63, low near 45.
SPORTS
NFL= Tampa Bay holds off Giants last night 25-23 on MNF.