NEWS
--The Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce employee of the month for October is Gail Johnson, food service director for the Little Falls Community Schools. Johnson oversees five kitchens in the school district with a team of over 30 cooks. She has worked for the district for 10 years and was fundamental in creating the two acre garden and the 30 by 48 foot high tunnel at the community schools.
--Morrison County Public Works this week will be patching potholes in the southwest part of the county as weather permits. Crews will be inspecting manholes and catch basins around the county. Public Works will be removing beaver dams on County Road 205 north of Randall and County State Aid Highway 1 south of Randall.
--This week is Minnesota Manufacturer's Week and Little Falls Mayor Greg Zylka proclaimed Little Falls will celebrate Manufacturer's Week with at tour on Thursday this week at 10am of Wabash National on Paul Larson Memorial Drive. Zylka's proclamation with Executive Director of Community Development Carol Anderson and Little Falls Chamber President Deb Boelz is to recognize the diverse manufacturing industry and to increase legislative and public awareness of the importance in providing high wage, high skill jobs to our local community.
--Motorists are asked to watch for farm equipment on roadways as the harvest season goes into high gear in October. Motorists should expect large farm equipment transporting crops to markets, grain elevators, processing plant equipment and other items on the roadways. MN Dot has a list of safety measures for both farmer and other motorists to make this a safe harvest season at the Minnesota Department of Public Safety website.
--The man accused of a 2018 crime spree ending in a police standoff and shootout in Sauk Centre has pleaded guilty. 32-year-old Ramey Olson of Alexandria pleaded guilty last week to three felony charges after a mental competency examination determined he was fit to face the charges. Court records show Olson stole a pickup in Alexandria last September, drove to Sauk Centre, crashed the truck into a building and parked trailer, then into a nearby home garage. Olson then entered the home, found a compound bow in an upstairs closet and shot at officers from the second-floor stairwell. One of the officers, Sheriff's Deputy Paul Orvis, was hit in the forearm with an arrow. Olson fired additional arrows but no other officers were hurt. Police returned fire, hitting Olson in the left shoulder, buttocks and a grazing wound to his hand. He was arrested at the scene. Court records show Olson admitted to the crime spree, including firing the bow but denied shooting at police officers. Olson also allegedly admitted to smoking methamphetamine and wanted to commit suicide by police. Olson will be sentenced in December on two counts of 1st-degree assault, use of deadly force against a peace officer and one count of 1st-degree burglary.
--The Minnesota Department of Transportation is holding an open house later this week on a project that is still two years away. In the spring of 2022, the Highway 23 North Gap project is slated to get underway and will take two years to complete. It will expand the highway from two lanes to four between Paynesville and Richmond. The open house will be Thursday from 5:30-7pm at the Sts. Peter and Paul School gymnasium in Richmond. Project staff from MnDOT and members of the consultant team will give a brief presentation on the project layout and proposed detour.
--Congratulations to Simon Gruber and Katie Leblanc crowned Homecoming King and Queen for Pierz Healy High School on Monday afternoon. Pierz takes on Howard Lake Waverly for homecoming 2019 on Friday night at 7pm on FM94 KFML and fallsradio.com.
--As we start October, no surprise that September was the wettest month on records for many areas around Minnesota. Monday's rain totals of 2.6 inches at Little Falls Radio, 3.34 inches in Harding, 1.89 inches in Sobieski and over 3.5 at Scandia Valley and a report of nearly 5 inches by Lake Alexander surpassed records in central, southern and the Twin Cities Metro Area of the state with reports of 8-15 inches of rain for the month of September. Where some areas were over 20 inches of rain for September alone. On an average in September, most of Minnesota usually received between 3-5 inches of rainfall. Meteorologists blame the heavy rains on the Jet Stream that brought in cool wet weather from the northwest with the heavy rains from the south on a number of occasions. The month also saw cool conditions as most of the state finished with temperatures at least 6-8 degrees below normal for the month. October will start a bit below average with temperatures in the 40s and 50s this week and a few frosty mornings into the weekend.
--Midwest Dairy, the organization representing 7,000 dairy families across the Midwest, announced that the Corporate Board of Directors has chosen Molly Pelzer as the organization’s next chief executive officer. Pelzer, who currently serves as Midwest Dairy’s chief experience officer, succeeds outgoing CEO Lucas Lentsch and will assume the role October 1. Pelzer joined Midwest Dairy in 1984 and has held various executive leadership roles. In her most recent position as chief experience officer, Pelzer led the development of the organization’s strategic priorities. Prior to Midwest Dairy, she worked with the Midland Dairy Association, as well as Dairy Council, Inc., both former checkoff organizations that are now part of the Midwest Dairy region. A registered dietitian, Pelzer graduated from the University of Missouri – Columbia.
--Congratulations to Grace Zimmerman and John Berry as the Homecoming King and Queen for Brainerd High School on Monday afternoon. Brainerd hosts Sartell Friday for their homecoming game.
DEATH NOTICES
--Sister Loretta Beyer, age 82 of St. Francis Convent in Little Falls.
WEATHER
TODAY= cloudy skies, few sprinkles, breezy, high 52.
TONIGHT= cloudy skies, cool temps, low 43.
WEDNESDAY= rain showers likely, high 51, low near 40.
THURSDAY= cloudy and breezy, few sprinkles, high 50, low 33.
SPORTS
TWINS= Major League Baseball announced the times for the first two Twins playoff games. Twins at Yankees Friday with a 6:07pm first pitch, 5pm pregame on Q92 WYRQ. Saturday Game 2 will have a first pitch of 4:07pm with pregame at 3pm on Q92 WYRQ.
MLB= playoffs begin tonight with the National League Wild Card game between Milwaukee at Washington. Winner will face the top seed L.A. Dodgers on Thursday. The American League Wild Card is Wednesday night between Tampa Bay Rays at the Oakland Athletics with the winner getting #1 seed Houston on Friday night.
HS VB= Little Falls at Pierz Thursday 7:15pm on FM94 KFML.