NEWS
--A Stearns County judge has sentenced a St. Cloud woman guilty of murder to 10 1/2 years in prison. Forty-one-year-old Lindsay Shelltrack-Miller was convicted of 2nd-degree murder back in December. She was charged with the stabbing death of 36-year-old Justin Berge last April. She gets credit for already having served nearly a year in jail. St. Cloud Police responded to a home in the 1500 block of 9th Avenue North and found Berge with a stab wound and making gasping sounds. He was taken to the hospital where he later died. According to the charges, Shelltrack-Miller called 911 to report she stabbed Berge after an argument. It started when she said she threw water on Berge two or three times. Berge allegedly then threw a can of pop at her. The woman said Berge was coming toward her and she pepper-sprayed him. She said Berge then threw her to the ground and was kneeling over her. That's when the woman said she reached into her fanny pack, grabbed a knife, and reached across his body to try to nick him to get him to back off. Court records show police watched surveillance video that showed Berge running down the alley to escape the woman when she latches onto his back as if she was trying to grab something. As Berge is seen picking up items on the ground, Shelltrack-Miller allegedly begins kicking him and spraying him with mace. Police say the video shows the man trying to restrain Shelltrack-Miller when she reaches into her pack and pulls something out. The charges state that's when she extends her arm in one stabbing motion toward Berge's chest.
--The Minnesota House approved the Ag Budget Monday on a 70-62 vote. The nearly 60 million dollar budget was part of the omnibus agriculture, broadband, and housing package. The bill invests a total of $60 million in the current biennium for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, with an additional $15 million for the next biennium. Other investments include: funding to address noxious weeds and invasive plant species; a program to support farmers markets and direct marketing producers; lab testing for the Minnesota meat and poultry inspection program, the soil health financial assistance, pollinator research, and a food safety program analysis; a prohibition on plastic-coated fertilizers and pesticides and regulates disposal of seed treated with a neonicotinoid pesticide; increases funding for Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation programs, including Good Food Access, Urban and Youth Ag, and Farm to School grants. The Minnesota Senate could take up their own bill as early as Thursday.
--The attorney representing former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has filed an appeal for a new trial in the murder of George Floyd. In an 82-page brief, attorney William Mohrman argued that pre-trial publicity, the threat of further rioting and several other reasons made for an unfair trial. Another point made by Mohrman was that "numerous" jurors had expressed concerns for their own personal safety, according to court documents. Chauvin's attorney also argues that jurors were not sequestered as unrest followed the death of Daunte Wright during the last week of the trial. Chauvin was convicted of murder and manslaughter in Floyd's death last April. He was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison and is currently being held in Minnesota's only maximum security prison. Chauvin pleaded guilty to federal charges in December in depriving Floyd of his civil rights.
--Rural MN CEP in Little Falls is hosting an Outdoor Job Fair in the Little Falls CareerForce parking lot (old Crestliner building) on May 5th from 12:30pm-430pm. For more info call Samantha at 320-232-2000.
--The Swanville School Board has voted to interview three candidates for their Superintendent position. These three candidates are Kathryn Johnson, the Elementary Principal at Staples-Motley, Mike Schmidt, the Middle School/High School Principal at Staples/Motley, and Travis Hensch, the Athletic Director/Community Education Director at Walker-Hackensack-Akeley. The Swanville School Board will be interviewing these three candidates this Friday starting at 3:30pm.
--Little Falls Community Schools wants to congratulate the Flyer Robotics team who was awarded a Team Spirit Award by competition judges recently in Duluth. This award "celebrates extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit through exceptional partnership and teamwork." Additional guidelines for selection include demonstrating spirit as a unified team and having obvious enthusiasm when interacting with other teams and judges.
--Royalton Schools want to congratulate the RHS speech teams season which ended with four competitor advancing to the State Speech Tournament: Mouna Toure, Stella Hagen, Nate Moga, and Brooke Wenner. After three preliminary rounds, three advanced to the final round of speaking. Stella and Nate earned 8th for Dramatic Duo and Brooke Wenner pulled in 6th place in the state for poetry.
--The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is looking to help build new shooting ranges statewide. Due to shooting sports becoming more popular, the DNR admits it’s becoming more difficult to find time on shooting ranges. As a result, the Minnesota Legislature has allocated $125,000 for a grant program to help fund shooting ranges statewide. According to a news release from the DNR, the grants require a 1:1 match and are available to work on five-stand, pistol, rifle, skeet, or trap ranges. The range owners must allow members of the public to shoot at reasonable times and for reasonable fees. Grants from $2,500 to $25,000 are available. The initial round of grant is on new construction in outstate Minnesota.
--The Pierz Music Department is hosting their 5th Annual Jazz Night on Saturday night at Pierz Park (Golf Course). Presale tickets are available by the students or will be sold at the park, there will be food, raffles, games and more to support the Pierz Jazz Band. The shows starts at 6:30pm Saturday and please bring your own chair.
--A reminder that the Pierz School Board meeting that was tonight was moved to 6pm tomorrow night in Pierz at the HS Media Center.
NATIONAL NEWS
--Vice President Kamala Harris has tested positive for COVID-19, her press secretary said in a statement. “Vice President Harris tested positive for COVID-19 on rapid and PCR tests. She has exhibited no symptoms, will isolate and continue to work from her residence.
WEATHER
TODAY= partly to mostly sunny skies, high 46.
TONIGHT= increasing clouds, turning breezy, low 33.
THURSDAY= rain showers likely, cloudy and breezy, high 44, low 40.
FRIDAY= cloudy and warmer, high 56, rain likely at night, low 43.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins take advantage of Tigers miscues in the 9th to come back and win 5-4 in walk off fashion last night. The Twins and The Tigers play game 2 of the series tonight at 6pm on Q92 WYRQ.
NBA= Memphis gets another big 4th quarter to hold on and beat the Timberwolves 111-109 last night. Grizzlies lead 3-2 in series with Game 6 on Friday night in Minneapolis where must win for Wolves.