NEWS --Join Pierz Schools Superintendent George Weber today on KLTF Up Front. Weber will discuss the $18.45 million bond authority up for a vote in the Pierz School District on Monday, May 22nd. Callers with questions are encouraged to call the program after 9:05am today at (320) 632-2306.
--A St. Cloud man is in Stearns County Jail in lieu of $1.5 million bail after being arrested twice within a month for possessing methamphetamine. 36-year old Donald Joseph Schlichting has been charged with four counts of first-degree controlled substance crime. The man who picked up the vehicle and drove it to a property where Schlichting was arrested also is charged in the case. 47-year old Lealand Neal Siegel is accused of three counts of aiding and abetting first-degree controlled substance crimes. Court records indicate that Schlichting has previous drug convictions in 2013 in Scott County and in 2009 in Morrison County.
--The Sherburne County Sheriff's Office identified the man who shot himself after keeping firefighters from house fire as 58-year old Kurt Beucler of Big Lake. Big Lake Fire Department responded to a house fire in the 19400 block of 180th Avenue in Big Lake Township at about 9:45am Monday. While attempting to extinguish the fire, crews noticed Beucler in the backyard holding a handgun and warning firefighters they should leave the area. Officers attempted to communicate with Beucler for two hours. About 11:40am, Beucler shot himself. Paramedics immediately rendered aid and the man was transported to Monticello Hospital with life-threatening injuries. Beucler died following the incident. The house was destroyed in the fire, but neighboring homes were spared.
--Little Falls Community High School and Rural Minnesota CEP will be hosting the 2nd Annual Career & Job Fair today at the high school gym. Job seekers of all ages are invited to meet with area employers from 1:00-4:00pm. LFCHS juniors and seniors will be participating during the afternoon to explore the various career opportunities within the Little Falls and surrounding communities. Freshman and sophomores are encouraged to attend after school.
--The Minnesota Department of Transportation is observing National Work Zone Awareness Week through Friday to encourage safe driving through highway work zones. The week is an annual spring campaign to coincide with the start of road construction season. MnDOT will officially kick off the construction season April 13, although many construction projects are already under way. Theme for the week is “Work Zone Safety is in Your Hands,” reinforcing the message that motorists constantly should be alert and prepared for unexpected changes in and around work zones. More than 200 active work zones are scheduled throughout the state this construction season. A work zone is defined as any area where highway construction, maintenance or utility work is being done. Work zones are identified by warning signs, signals, barriers, pavement markings and flaggers. Each year in Minnesota, an average of seven people die in work zone crashes and 753 fatal or serious injury crashes occur.
--Minnesotans will have a chance to keep their vehicle after someone else is convicted of drunk driving in it. Governor Mark Dayton signed a bill into law Monday protecting an innocent vehicle owner when someone else uses it without permission or knowledge. Existing law allowed the vehicle to be forfeited even if the owner was not the driver. Minnesotans forfeited 6,722 vehicles in 2015.
--Princesses and ambassadors were picked Saturday at the Crow Wing County Dairy Banquet at the Pierz Ballroom. Crowned Junior Dairy Princesses were Arica and Jenna Caughey and selected dairy ambassadors were Alexis Schroer and Allison Struffert. The congeniality award was a tie and went to Arica and Jenna Caughey.
--The Little Falls Community Jazz Night is Monday April 10th, at 7PM. Little Falls Community High School- tickets are at the door.
--Tuesday the leadership of the Association of Minnesota Counties (AMC) is urging legislators on both sides of the aisle to compromise to find a solution to comprehensive transportation funding. Reversing a long standing position of opposing general fund dollars to fund transportation priorities, AMC now supports redirecting revenue from the general fund collected from sales taxes on automobile related transaction to fund transportation priorities, as part of a compromise solution. A compromise package should also include increased revenue from vehicle registration fees, which are constitutionally dedicated. Counties rely on these dollars to fund road and bridge projects. AMC has long supported a comprehensive solution for a transportation funding package that includes new revenue. The solution should be comprehensive (multi-modal), balanced (regionally and between modes), sustainable (on-going funding), and dedicated (constitutionally for roads and statutorily for transit).
--Firefighters were called to a car engulfed in flames Saturday just after 2:00pm on Interstate 94 south of St. Cloud. The vehicle was engulfed. The cause was unknown. There were no injuries.
--Brainerd firefighters were called out 9 times between Friday and Monday. These incidents were mostly for grass fires that started as controlled or residential type burning that got out of hand. A reminder that restricted burning is ongoing in many central Minnesota counties including Morrison. Use caution to make sure even controlled or prescribed fires are watched at all times.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT --Jordan Hasselstrom and Pacer Nash-Demo, a boy born April 2nd.
DEATH NOTICES --Judy C. Gunn, age 54 of Browerville. --Dorothy M. Nichols, age 99 of Little Falls. --Ronald M. Swenson, age 58 of St. Cloud.
WEATHER TODAY= scattered showers, partly sunny in PM hours, high 48. TONIGHT= clear and colder, low around 25. THURSDAY= sunny skies, high near 50, clear night low 27. FRIDAY= sunny and warmer, high 63, low around 40.
SPORTS TWINS= after a day off, the Twins and the Royals play game 2 of their 3 game series today at 11:30am on Q92 WYRQ NFL= The Minnesota Vikings have signed quarterback Case Keenum Monday to back up Sam Bradford. Keenum started nine games in 2016 for the Los Angeles Rams. The signing of Keenum means it is unlikely that Teddy Bridgewater would play at all this coming season. NFL= The winner of the Tony Romo sweepstakes will be the broadcast booth. Romo announced he is retiring after 13 years with Dallas and moves to CBS and broadcast with Jim Nantz this fall.