NEWS
--At 11:18am Monday the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a burglary in progress at a residence off of 118th Street,
approximately two miles south of Little Falls, in Little Falls Township. According to the Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to the area and met with the owner who was returning home. The homeowner stated the suspect vehicle was a white cargo van (late 2000 model). The back of the suspect vehicle was described as having a box style with two doors in the rear that opened outward. Two male occupants were observed in the vehicle. The vehicle then left the scene at a high rate of speed. During the course of the investigation, deputies learned that forced entry was used on the interior door of the residence. The suspects made entry into a safe located in the residence and stole jewelry and old silver coins. If anyone has information regarding this incident, please call the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office at 632-9233.
--The Little Falls City Council met on Monday night and approved their overall budget and levy. The overall budget for the city of Little Falls next year is $14,134,030. The finalized levy was approved at $4,088,060 which is a 5.84% increase from this past year. Officially, rates and fees are set to be approved at the next council meeting, but because they are figured into the budget we already know expected rate increases. For single residential homes rates, water will have a $0.70 base charge increase of a flat cost up to $14.76. The consumption charge increase up 5%. The first 1,000 gallons used went from 2.17 to 2.28 while the next 4,000 gallons used goes from 2.50 to 2.62. The city estimates the average single household uses 5,000 gallons of water and in this case the monthly charge would go from $26.23 to $27.54. Sewer charges next year will remain the same. Garbage for 64 gallon carts are going from $16.47 to $17.12. Recycling will go up a $0.75 recycling charge and a $0.50 increase admin fee. An average household that utilized these services in 2020 with 5,000 gallons of water consumption per month would have paid $100.38 per month this past year and if the same services were utilized in 2021 it would be charged $103.67 per month. There were also some changes in golf fees for next year. The biggest change will be free golf offered at the Little Falls Country Club for those under 18, but there will be some price changes on membership and cart rentals among other services offered at the Country Club.
--The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will continue to test deer for Chronic Wasting Disease in the Brainerd Lakes area a wild deer tested positive for the disease. The DNR says of the 1,234 deer harvested this fall in that area only one tested positive for the disease. The Brainerd Lakes area, which stretches north from Brainerd to Pine River and eastward to Aitkin, was in its final year of planned CWD surveillance. With the newly confirmed case the DNR will continue their testing efforts through 2024. In addition, Minnesota's deer feeding band will expand on December 30th to include 44 of Minnesota's 87 counties. With nearly 15,000 wild deer in the Brainerd Lakes area tested since 2017 and only two positives found, the DNR is confident Chronic Wasting Disease is not widespread to the area's wild deer population.
--The DNR said it is official that Nolan Sprengeler did indeed break the state record on Lake Mille Lacs on November 22nd when he caught a muskellunge weighing 55 pounds, 14 ounces, from Mille Lacs Lake that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has certified as a weight-based state record. The previous record was a 54-pound muskie caught from Lake Winnibigosh in 1957.
--The latest winner of Ho Ho Dough this week is Patty Theis of Pierz who registered at Hartmann's Hardware in Pierz. Patty wins $100 in ho ho dough bucks to be spent at the participating businesses. This weeks qualifers for the Grand Prize on December 21st are and also where they registered: BreAnne Tollefson - Rudolph Auto Solutions, Ron Hansen - Broadway Tire, Kathy Wippler - Hilmerson Sports Center, Dean Werner - Brandl Motors, Kim Radunz - Design Electronics, Julie Maciej - Wiczeks Floors and More, Mark Morris - GoldSmith Jewelers, Edwin Mrozek - Thrive with Vision, Betsy Fuhrman - Pierz Foods, Lynnae Hager - Fleet Supply and Timothy Schmidt - Falls Energy. Remember to register this week for the next drawing of $100 Ho Ho Dough bucks and the be a qualifer for the grand prize of $500 cash and $500 in ho ho dough bucks at each of the sponsors and for full details go to fallsrsadio.com on the homepage or newpage for previous winners and qualifiers.
--33-year-old, Keith Ray Petterson Muenchow of Brainerd was charged in Morrison County District Court with one felony count of domestic assault by strangulation, one misdemeanor charge of fourth degree damage to property and one count of misdemeanor domestic assault. According to the criminal complaint, on November 25th, the Little Falls Police Department received a report of a domestic assault in progress at a residence on 11th Street Southeast in Little Falls. Multiple officers responded to the scene, where they found a male suspect seated outside of the residence. The victim stated that she was grabbed by Muenchow by the hair and she told him to leave the residence, but he refused. She said he then grabbed her cellphone and smashed it to the ground, breaking it, according to the complaint. The victim told the officer that she attempted to push Muenchow toward the door to get him to leave, but he allegedly grabbed her neck and choked her. That is when she yelled for her teenage daughter to call the police. Muenchow was placed under arrest for domestic assault. A portable breath test showed he had a blood alcohol concentration of .28, according to the complaint. If convicted of the felony domestic assault charge, Muenchow faces a maximum penalty of three years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $3,000. He also faces jail and fines from the misdemeanor charges.
--Morrison County Veterans Service Officer Kathy Marshik stated again on KLTF yesterday that if you know of a veteran or veterans' family who are in need this holiday season please contact their office as they have Family Asssistance and and food boxes they are donating to our Veterans in the area who may need a pick me up or a little help this holiday season. For more details call 320-632-0290.
DEATH NOTICES
--Marcelline “Marcy” Paycer, age 91 of Little Falls.
WEATHER
TODAY= partly sunny, high 21.
TONIGHT= clouds increase, temps rising overnight.
THURSDAY= snow showers early, breezy, high 35, low 25.
FRIDAY= mostly cloudy, high near 30, colder night, low 11.
SPORTS
COL BB= Gophers take on Michigan State tonight to open conference play, pregame 7:30, kickoff at 8pm on AM960 KLTF.
Last week's Dairy Recipe qualifiers are online, go to fallsradio.com then KLTF then recipes for the recent ones.