NEWS
--Camp Ripley will host their 2017 Court of Honor Induction Ceremony this Sunday. The following 10 service members will be inducted into the Camp Ripley Court of Honor. This year the court will induct Major General (Ret) David J. Elicerio, COL (Ret) Louis O. Bode, COL (Ret) John R. Kreye, COL (Ret) John M. Pearson, COL (Ret) Michael B. Rath, CW5 (Ret) Richard C. Koehnen, CSM (Ret) Sean L. McGuire, CMS (Ret) Ole M. Olson, SGM (Ret) Daniel M. Saumer, SFC (Ret) Anthony N. (Tony) Wenzel. The ceremony begins at 1pm at the Camp Ripley Recreation Center followed by the unveiling ceremony at the Military Museum at 3:45pm. The public is invited but you do need a picture ID to enter Camp Ripley.
--On Sunday, the 35th Annual Ecumenical Service in North Mankato. 279 names of Minnesota law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty were named off. We were there to honor Morrison County Sheriff John Stack and Chief Deputy Andrew Herlitz who were killed in the line of duty in October of 1965. Sheriff Shawn Larsen and Deputy Mattison attended the event Sunday in Mankato.
--A St. Cloud man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for a string of crimes last year involving drugs and fraud. 44-year-old Anthony Meister pleaded guilty to two felony counts of 2nd degree drug possession and two felony counts of check forgery. Another check forgery charge and a counterfeiting charge were dropped as part of the plea agreement. He was sentenced Thursday in Stearns County District Court. Court records show Meister sold just under 15 grams of methamphetamine in June 2016 at a home in the 700 block of 13th Avenue South. Police say he sold another baggie of meth from the same home six days later. Officers say they found active surveillance systems, items associated with selling drugs, two guns and ammunition after a search warrant was executed. Meister also tried to pass a forged check at area Coborn’s stores last September. Investigators determined the check was linked to an account belonging to the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe which had frequent fraudulent checks produced with its information. The other check forgery conviction stems from a stolen checkbook last November where Meister cashed checks at area retailers totaling more than $1,000. Court records show Meister passed many bad checks at stores throughout St. Cloud and other area towns.
--A central Minnesota woman was among concert-goers who fled in panic when a gunman opened fire at a Las Vegas outdoor country music festival in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Taylor Dombrovski from Cold Spring, says she heard what sounded like fireworks, but soon realized it was gunfire. She says that in the midst of the chaos people were helping others as the crowd scattered. Dumbrovski was at the Jason Aldean concert with her fiance, brother and sister-in-law. She says they didn’t want to be sitting ducks, so they took off running and tried to stay together. Dumbrovski says they ran for several miles, finally making it back to their hotel. Authorities say at least 50 people died and more than 200 were wounded at the concert attended by tens of thousands.
--A former President at the College of St. Benedict has died. Sister Colman O’Connell died Saturday at the age of 90. She was the 11th president of the college, serving from 1986 through 1996. During Colman’s term as president, there was a lot of progress on campus, including: the Clemens library opening and a campus center.
--The Little Falls city council met last night. At the meeting the council approved the Fall leaf and brush pickup which will take place on Saturday, October 28th rain or shine. The council also approved an ordinance allowing for the sale of on sale liquor until 2am, previously the ordinance was until 1am. In other council business, the council received a donation form G.O.L.F (Golfers Organized for Little Falls) in the amount of $7,500. They also approved to grant submissions for Fire Personal Protection Equipment and Source Water Protection. The next council meeting will be held on Monday, October 16th at 7:30pm
--Minnesota health insurers are finalizing premiums for 2018, and it could be welcome news for residents who buy coverage on their own. State regulators announced final rates for next year. Final rates released yesterday ranged from a decrease of 38 percent to an increase of 2.8 percent across insurers. It follows consecutive years of double-digit increases and concerns about the stability of Minnesota’s individual market. Open enrollment begins November 1st. The Republican legislature’s signature health insurance reform locked in premium savings averaging 20% for 2018, according to final health insurance rates. Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-Nisswa) commented, “After years of double-digit premium increases that brought the individual insurance market to the brink of collapse, Minnesotans trusted Republicans to take on health care. In one year, we stabilized the market using an innovative program called reinsurance – one of only two states currently doing so. It should not have taken this long to explore alternatives to the failing system that’s been in place for years.”
--Average retail gasoline prices in Minnesota have fallen 3.9 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging at $2.38 a gallon Monday. This compares with the national average that has fallen 2.2 cents per gallon in the last week to $2.53 a gallon.
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
--Rock-n-Roll Hall of Famer Tom Petty died Monday at age 66.
DEATH NOTICES
--James Cunz, age 88 of Onamia.
--Randy Vasecka, age 66 of Motley.
--Linda Marie Wade, age 72 of Onamia.
WEATHER
TODAY= rain continues, heavy at times, sun in afternoon, high 60.
TONIGHT= clear skies, low around 40.
WEDNESDAY= sunny skies, high 57, clear night low around 40.
THURSDAY= sunny skies, high 61, clouds increase late, low 51.
SPORTS
TWINS= The American League playoffs begin tonight with the one game wild card. Minnesota Twins at New York Yankees, Ervin Santana goes for the Twins, pregame 6pm first pitch 7pm on Q92 WYRQ. The National League wild card game is Wednesday night between Colorado at Arizona. The ALDS is Thursday night with the winner of the Yankees/Twins matchup going to Cleveland in a best of 5 series.
NFL= the initial diagnosis of running back Dalvin Cook for the Vikings is that he suffered a complete tear of the ACL ligament in his knee Sunday and will be lost the rest of the season.
WNBA= Lynx and LA Sparks deciding Game 5 Wednesday night.