NEWS
--A Watkins man crashed his vehicle at least twice as he went on what is believed to be an alcohol-fueled joyride through Stearns County. The sheriff’s office says in a release that the first happened Friday morning at about 8:35. Dispatch was alerted by the man’s cell phone. It was confirmed by several witnesses who said the vehicle was near 4th Street West and River Street in Holdingford and was badly damaged. As first responders were on their way to the scene, witnesses say the man began to drive away so they followed him and watched as he drove into the roadside ditch where County Road 9 crosses County Road 151. The sheriff’s office says they believe the man initially ran through a stop sign and into a field where he hit another sign. He was then able to get his vehicle back onto the road before finding the ditch, where deputies and first responders caught up to him. Alcohol is thought to be a factor. The man was taken to St. Cloud Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
--Three names have been picked to replace a retiring Benton County Judge. Judicial referee Amy Chantry, Benton County Attorney Karl Schmidt, and Stearns County Assistant Attorney Victoria Willis-Gutnik are the candidates vying to fill the seat of the Honorable Michael Jesse. Governor Walz will pick the next person to take the gavel in Foley after he’s had time to review the candidates. Chantry works on cases involving housing, harassment, domestic violence, minor crimes, and minor civil matters. She previously served as a legal and policy adviser at the Minnesota Department of Health. Chantry’s community involvement includes volunteering as a mock trial judge and other student activities at Sauk Rapids-Rice High School. Schmidt’s experience includes being the Benton County senior assistant county attorney, where he mainly handled felony prosecutions and fugitive and extradition cases. He’s also worked in the public defender’s office and as a law clerk. Schmidt’s community involvement includes volunteering with Habitat for Humanity and being a member of the Minnesota County Attorneys Association. Willis-Gutnik focuses on domestic violence and human trafficking-related crimes. She was a judicial law clerk for Stearns County Judge Sarah Hennesy, who is a Minnesota Supreme Court nominee.
--A children's reading program is one of the organizations benefiting from this year's Dancing With Our Stars event. United Way of Central Minnesota CEO and former Little Falls School Superintendent Steve Jones is one of this year's six community dancers and has chosen the United Way's Dolly Parton's Imagination Library for Girls as his nonprofit. Director of Marketing and Communications Sam Switzer says it's a book gifting program that gives every registered child a free book from birth to age five. The United Way of Central Minnesota has been doing the Imagination Library program since 2005. During that time they have sent out 1.7 million books to central Minnesota families. There will be a Progressive Dinner fundraiser for the program on Saturday, April 20th, and Saturday, April 27th. Tickets are still available on their website. They typically raise about $60,000 for the program through these annual dinners. Jones has been on the job for a little over a year now, before that he spent 18 years in education administration including 10 years as the Superintendent at Little Falls Public Schools. Jones has been paired with professional dancer Janell Missler. He says they are doing an East Coast Swing dance to a Dolly Parton song.
--Several years of drought and little snowpack are affecting lake levels as we enter the spring fishing season. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is warning boaters to be careful in the runup to the fishing opener because not every location will be affected equally. It is recommended for those heading out next month to get advice from local bait shops on which ramps handle the low water conditions best, along with old-fashioned due diligence. Three years of drought means soil is soaking up any moisture we get rather than having it runoff into lakes and rivers. A lack of snowpack has us dependent on spring storms. Some lake levels were restored a bit from the 1-2 inches of rain that fell recently bot more is needed.
--Wright County authorities are investigating a string of vehicle break-ins on Sunday. The sheriff's office says the first call came in at around 12:20pm to a reported car break-in at the Quarry Church in Monticello Township. Deputies learned through victim statements and video from the church that a suspect got out of a newer model silver Nissan Murano, smash the driver's side window and lean into the car. A second victim also reported their car had been broken into at the church. Sheriff's deputies say several other vehicle thefts were reported at the Connection Point Church and Buffalo Evangelical Church in Buffalo Township. In all, 13 victims have been identified in the incidents. The investigation continues.
--An “Art of Marriage” special event will be held on April 26th at Faith Lutheran Church in Little Falls. Friday the 26th is from 6:30-9pm then continues on Saturday, April 27th from 9am-3pm. The event uses materials from Family Life ministries based in Little Rock, Arkansas. It a video study of what the Bible says about marriage and how those principles can be used to help couples strengthen and improve their marriages. The registration deadline is April 19 and the cost is $20/couple, which includes all refreshments/snacks both days, lunch on Saturday and course materials/workbooks. You do not have to be from Faith Lutheran Church to participate. For more information, people can contact Pat Rioux at 320-630-5836 or call the church office at 320-414-0533. Financial assistance and child care can be arranged as needed.
--Zion Lutheran Church will have a Chicks for Bricks dinner on Thursday from 5-7pm at the church in northeast Little Falls. A dinner done buffet styles will be served for suggested donation of $15.
DEATH NOTICES
--Bernice Helen Carlson, age 96 of Bowlus.
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny skies, late PM sprinkles, high 67.
TONIGHT= early shower, then mostly clear, low 41.
THURSDAY= sunny in morning, showers in the afternoon, turning very windy with wind gusts near 35mph, high 54 then dropping.
THURS NIGHT= rain showers, early, then clearing, colder low 30.
FRIDAY= sunny and breezy, high 58, low near 35.
SPORTS
TWINS= Dodgers beat the Twins last night 6-3. The Twins wrap up the series with Dodgers today starting at 11:30am on Q92 WYRQ.
HS BAB= Little Falls holds off Pierz last night 4-3 in baseball. Check out the next broadcast on Little Falls Radio at fallsradio.com.