NEWS
--The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office reports that charges are pending against 27-year-old Zachary O’Brien of Brainerd for his involvement in the burglary and damage of Red’s Auto and Bait in Pierz. According to the Sheriff’s Office, Tuesday at 2:57am they received a report of a vehicle that drove into the front of Red’s Auto causing extensive damage. The vehicle then went south on Highway 25 where it crashed in Benton County. Authorities later learned that the vehicle driven by O’Brien was stolen out of Crow Wing County. Zachary O’Brien is being held pending charges for 3rd Degree Burglary and Damage to Property. This case is still under investigation. The Pierz Police Department was assisted in this case by the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office, Benton County Sheriff’s Office and the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office.
--Last night at 9:18pm, the Little Falls Fire Department was dispatched to 16802 Riverwood Drive in Little Falls on a report of a home that was struck by lightning. The caller said there was smoke in the basement. When we arrived on scene, we found that some of the circuit breakers were blown out of the electric service panel and several windows were shattered from the lightning strike. There was no longer any smoke in the house. Firefighters checked the house with the thermal imaging camera and did not find any problems. While on scene at that address, we were also requested to check two other nearby residences that had also been struck by lightning. They each had damage to their electrical panels, but no fire was found in any of the residences and the left the scene there by 10:15pm.
--The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will be restricting open burning in some counties due to increased wildfire risk from warm weather and dry conditions. The restrictions apply in the following counties; Anoka, Benton, Chisago, Hennepin, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Ramsey, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd, Washington and Wright. The DNR has said that they will not be issuing permits for any open burning of brush or yard waste in the listed counties until restrictions have been lifted.
--Stearns County authorities responded to a call about a possible plane crash over the weekend. Deputies were called to the area of County Road 17 and 147th Avenue in Holding Township on Saturday. A nearby homeowner told police two planes (one blue the other black) were flying low to the ground, and that the blue plane "buzzed" their neighbors house, which is not uncommon. The homeowner told deputies they did not believe the two planes crashed. Authorities called local pilots in the area to see if they were safe and who may have been flying the planes. Holdingford Fire and Rescue, the State Patrol, DNR, Civil Air Support, Mayo Ambulance and community volunteers checked the nearby landing strips and the area where the planes were last seen, but were unable to find anything that would indicate a plane crash. Authorities say the pilots of the two reported planes have not been identified.
--You will likely see more state troopers on Interstate 94 in central Minnesota this week. The interstate stretching from Monticello to Sauk Centre will be the focus of the Highway Enforcement for Aggressive Traffic or HEAT patrol. Other areas being focused in the campaign include Highway 10 between Moorhead and Staples along with other HEAT patrols in northwestern Minnesota.
--The Morrison County Association of Township Officers spring meeting will be held Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at 7pm in the lower level board room of the Government Center.
--Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce President Deb Boelz stated that the date has been set for their annual Chamber Annual Members and guest dinner, this year it will be May 5th and held at the LeBlanc's Rice Creek Hunting and Recreation on Game Farm Road. The event is usually in February but was moved to May to have an evening of lawn games, extended social hour and a Cinco De Mayo atmosphere. There will also be music by Levi Pelzer. During the event there will be the ceremony to congratulate the 2021 Chamber Large Business of the Year Horizon Health Inc., Small Business of the Year Tourright Bicycle Shoppe and the Chamber Volunteer of the Year Melissa Sanoski. There are individual tickets available by contacting the Chamber office at 320-632-5155.
--The BCA announced Tuesday morning that the suspect in the shooting in Pelican Rapids Sunday has been taken into custody. Phoutthasa Prathane was located in Redwood County in the early morning of Tuesday and arrested on the shooting charges.
--Roseanne Fischer of the St. Francis Convent stated on KLTF Tuesday that the St. Francis Convent of the Franciscan Sisters are excited to announce that starting next Monday their Masses will be open to the public once again. During this Holy Week the Masses will still be closed to the public but Thursday night, Friday afternoon, Saturday night and Sunday morning will have live streaming on the Franciscan Sisters U-tube page. They are planning spring concerts at the end of the month and in May and the Gift Shoppe is open for visitors to the convent. Questions call the switchboard 632-2981. The hope is that more events will be returning later this spring through the summer ahead for the Sisters to enjoy once again with the community. Also the Sisters will have their Silent Walk for Peace Friday at 9:30am starting at the convent weather permitting.
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
--Comedian Gilbert Gotfried, who was Iago in Disney's Aladdin and the original voice of the “Aflac duck” died yesterday at the age of 67. Family members stated that Gotfried had battled a “long illness”.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT
--Brian and Natalie Kaiser of Swanville, a baby boy born April 8th
DEATH NOTICES
--Nancy J. Peterson, age 84 of Little Falls.
WEATHER
TODAY= light rain early, partly cloudy and breezy, high 44.
TONIGHT= light snow after 2am, breezy, low around 27.
THURSDAY= snow likely up to 1 inch, gusty winds high 34, low 18
GOOD FRIDAY= cloudy and breezy, high near 30, low near 20.
SPORTS
TWINS= Dodgers beat Twins late last night due to weather delays at times 7-2. The Twins and Dodgers wrap up their short series today, pregame begins at 11:30am on Q92 WYRQ.
NBA= Timberwolves win 109-104 over Clippers last night to advance in the NBA playoffs, open playoff series with Memphis on Saturday.
LYNX= The WNBA Draft was Monday and the Minnesota Lynx traded away their eighth and thirteenth picks to the Las Vegas Aces. The Lynx drafted 6'1" forward Kayla Jones from North Carolina State and 6'2" center Hannah Sjerven from South Dakota who is a Rogers, Minnesota native. Lynx open the season May 6th vs. Seattle.