NEWS
--Today is April 15th and in most years the deadline for federal and state income taxes to be filed and mailed out. However, with the recent developments of COVID-19 the IRS has extended the deadline for filing income taxes this year to July 15th. So you have more time if you have not been able to file your taxes for 2019 yet.
--The Little Falls Fire Department was called out over the weekend. On Saturday at 11:10pm they were dispatched 15147 Edgewood Road in Little Falls on reported grass fire. The fire was discovered by a Little Falls Police Officer. The Police Department spoke with the resident about illegal burning. On Sunday around 2:34am the Little Falls Fire Department was dispatched to 507 6th St NE on a report of a detached garage fire. The fire department arrived and extinguished a small fire and then ventilated the building. The fire was contained to a battery charger and caused minor damage to some nearby materials. There were no injuries in either incident.
--The Pierz City Council met remotely on Monday night. The city of Pierz has about $16,000 in the Minnesota Improvement Funds that has been freed up for use by the state government. The city of Pierz is looking at ways to create emergency loans for businesses to apply for that money. The city is also investigating the Small Cities Development Program but those monies are not available for use at this time. During the meeting a conditional use permit on 232 Main Street South for Jason Meyer for a used car lot was approved. There were three building permits approved including Reds Auto for a new sign and new canopy siding; Scott Benoit for an addition to his residential garage; and Bill Vandenavond for a small accessory temporary structure. The 2020 street improvements resolution was approved for work on Kamnic Street, First Avenue SE and Memorial Drive. The council approved to move forward with the Hill Creek Restoration Project following a grant awarded to fix an area eroding at the Pierz Golf Course. The council approved the purchase of 9 tables and 30 chairs at the Pierz Golf Course. The May 25th Pierz City Council meeting was rescheduled to Wednesday, May 27th. The Pierz City Council approved a donation of a Radial Arm Saw to Faith In Action, a program from Horizon Health that builds ramps for elderly or the handicapped who may need them. The Pierz City Council has their next Zoom meeting on Monday, April 27th.
--Maintenance crews will continue crack sealing this week on CSAH 104 in Randall, and County Road 276 by Harding. Crews will work in one lane, and control traffic with flaggers. Crews will also be out sweeping streets and intersections on various roads around the county. Maintenance workers will continue patching potholes and will be installing an entrance culvert on CSAH 18 west of Cushing as weather permits. Please use caution around work crews. Morrison County would like to remind farmers that planting crops within road right of way is illegal. State law prohibits plowing, tilling and/or planting in the right of way. They want to prevent any situation where crops block motorists’ vision, create erosion concerns or other safety issues. As they continue to preserve and maintain Morrison County infrastructure, Public Works employees are practicing social distancing in their travels and on the various job sites.
--According to the latest data released by the Minnesota Department of Health as of Tuesday there were 1,695 total positive tests of COVID-19. 909 Patients are no longer in need of isolation. There have been 79 deaths linked to the virus. Still no positive test in Morrison, Mille Lacs, Aitkin and Wadena counties as of Monday.
--Father Ben of the Tri-Parish in Little Falls stated that by appointment and via drive-thru only this week in anticipation of Divine Mercy Sunday there will be drive-up confessions. Call the parish offices to schedule. Time-slots are set up for Our Lady of Lourdes today, St. Mary’s on Thursday and Holy Family on Friday. Signs and cones in parking lot will guide you and priests will come to your car maintaining the 6-feet social distancing. If more than one person in the car, we will have individuals get out, one at a time. We will offer a special Easter Blessing with Holy Water. But please make appointments to respect the appointments of others and to help us avoid “congregating”. The churches want to honor our bishop’s and governor’s directive. For St. Mary's call 632-5640, for Our Lady of Lourdes 632-8243 and for Holy Family call 632-5720.
--On the Monday conference call, state leaders discussed steps to reopen the economy so long as Minnesota can test, trace and isolate people in contact with the coronavirus. They also announced Walz, his chief of staff and Cabinet agency commissioners will take a 10% pay cut for the rest of the year and there's a hiring freeze in the executive branch, with exceptions for jobs important to the pandemic response, said Myron Frans, commissioner of Minnesota Management and Budget. Governor Walz stated we need to focus on the test, trace and isolated still for the state to continue to get back to work before long when the state feels it will be a safe return and not before. The state will release an unscheduled budget projection in May to plan for changes caused by the pandemic.
--The Minnesota Department of Public Safety reported they have arrested or charged twenty-three people with violating Minnesota's stay-at-home order aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus. In many cases, law enforcement officers added the misdemeanor charge as a secondary offense to another crime. Violating an emergency order is punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a maximum fine of $1,000. All were stopped for other crimes.
--More cancellations this week, the Camp Ripley Retiree Seminar Thursday cancelled, German Dinner for Pierz Church Friday cancelled (raffle continues into June), Divine Mercy events at the Catholic Churches this weekend has been cancelled. The fundraisers at St. Francis Convent with the prom events and pasta bar fundraisers this month have been cancelled. Also their Earth Day event next week is cancelled at the Convent. Pierz area garage sales at the end of the month and their clean up day postponed, Randall has postponed their area garage sales in early May and their cleanup day on May 9th has also been postponed. The gathering for the first weekend in May in Lastrup after Mass has been cancelled but the raffle will be drawn in May. There is talk already underway to cancel summer events that were scheduled in May and June, some cities in the Twin Cities, St. Cloud, Sauk Rapids and Waite Park have cancelled parades and festivals this year. Get details on cancellations at fallsradio.com.
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny AM, snow showers afternoon and evening, high 36.
TONIGHT= rain or snow shower early, then clearing, low 21.
THURSDAY= partly sunny, afternoon sprinkles, high 46, low near 30.
FRIDAY= sunny and warmer, turning breezy, high 51, low near 33.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins and Cardinals in game 1 of the 1987 World Series from the Metrodome with Frank Viola on the mound, tonight at 6pm on Q92 WYRQ and fallsradio.com.