NEWS
--A primary for the Morrison County Commissioner District 5 seat was held Tuesday. Greg Blaine and Kenneth Primus received the top two vote totals and will face each other in a general election for the seat on Tuesday, April 10th. Voting totals were 319 votes for Greg Blaine (38.39%), 281 votes for Kenneth Primus (33.81%) and 231 votes for KH “Charlie” Gunderson (27.8%). The purpose of the primary was to narrow the race to the top two candidates which we learned after yesterdays vote are Greg Blaine and Kenneth Primus. The seat has been vacant since the death of county commissioner Duane Johnson.
--St. Cloud police arrested a priest who serves in the Diocese of St. Cloud Tuesday morning. 51-year old Anthony Oelrich of St. Cloud was arrested on suspicion of third degree criminal sexual conduct. More information will be released later today. In a statement released Tuesday night, Bishop Donald Kettler said he was notified by St. Cloud police of Oelrich's arrest following "an investigation of alleged sexual misconduct involving an adult woman." Kettler placed Oelrich on administrative leave from his current assignment. Oelrich is listed as a pastor at Christ Church Newman Center Catholic Student Community on its website. Kettler also suspended Oelrich from his priestly faculties, which means Oelrich cannot function or present himself as a priest pending the outcome of the judicial process. "The diocese is cooperating with civil authorities and encourages all victims of abuse to come forward," the statement from the Diocese of St. Cloud said. Oelrich has also served in the past at Sacred Heart Parish in Sauk Rapids and the Cathedral of St. Mary in St. Cloud.
--Voters in the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District will be asked to vote on a $93-million question on May 8th. The school board officially voted to seek approval of another facilities referendum during their Monday night meeting. The referendum will ask voters to consider approval for the following: Construct a new Pleasantview Elementary at its current spot and a new yet to be named elementary school on district property. Improve security at all schools, add early childhood classrooms at Hillside and Rice Elementary, and make upgrades to athletic and activity spaces at the high school. The previous bond referendum last May in Sauk Rapids-Rice failed by 679 votes. The board approved putting the referendum on the ballot unanimously.
--A judge has dismissed a lawsuit challenging whether Republican Michelle Fischbach can serve as both Minnesota's lieutenant governor and as a state senator. Ramsey County Chief Judge John Guthmann dismissed the suit Monday. The lawsuit was brought by Destiny Dusosky, a constituent in Fischbach's heavily Republican Senate district who chaired the local Democratic Party chapter last year. The judge ruled the court lacked jurisdiction. An appeal is expected. The dispute arose from Governor Mark Dayton's decision to appoint Lt. Gov. Tina Smith to the U.S. Senate. Under the Minnesota Constitution, Fischbach, as president of the state Senate, became lieutenant governor. She refused to resign her Senate seat. The narrow GOP majority in the Senate could hang in the balance. The Legislature convenes the 2018 session February 20th.
--The driver of a semi was taken to the hospital after crashing into a lake Monday morning. The Minnesota State Patrol says the incident happened at about 9:45am on Highway 71 north of Sauk Centre. The driver was hauling animal parts, when he struck the guardrail, went off the bridge and into the lake. The driver was able to smash out the window and got out of the cab as the semi sank. He was taken to Sauk Centre Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
--The Sauk Rapids-Rice school board has named their five finalists for the open superintendent position. The five finalists are Aaron Sinclair who has been the assistant superintendent at Brainerd this year after several years in the Little Falls School District, William Adams the superintendent at Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton since 2012; Mark Messman the superintendent at Eden Valley-Watkins since 2012; Paul Neubauer the Foley superintendent since 2015; and Tim Onsager the district administrator at Soughton, Wisconsin since 2010. A panel of board members, administrators, staff members, and community members will interview the five candidates on Wednesday next week.
--A golden eagle was released back into the wild by the Camp Ripley Environmental Team on February 9th. This is the second golden eagle captured and released at Camp Ripley in the past three years, as part of the Minnesota National Guard conservation program. The project collects data about the migration and habitat use of golden eagles as well as frequency of travel for each bird. Until recently, researchers at Camp Ripley didn’t believe golden eagles were regular winter residents in the central part of Minnesota, but noticed the eagles on trail cameras meant to monitor wolves in the area. Following the capture, an Argos/GPS solar powered, backpack transmitter was fit to ‘Victor” the eagle by a project volunteer. The GPS transmitter is about the size of a pack of gum and was fitted using a small fabric backpack. The desired intent is to not interfere with the bird in any way and does not limit their ability or daily routine.
--Early Tuesday morning the final five cities still in the hunt for a $500,000 boost for small businesses were revealed and Brainerd was not among them. Amanda Brinkman and new co-cost Ty Pennington, part of the upcoming season three of the "Small Business Revolution-Main Street" online series, announced the five cities chosen. After thousands of nominations, Brainerd was among the top 20 and then the top 10 along with Aberdeen, S.D., Alton, Ill.,Americus, Ga., Amesbury, Mass., Bastrup, Texas, Exeter, N.H., Florence, Ore., Martinez, Calif., and Siloam Springs, Ark.
--Today is Valentine's Day, a day that has become a highly commercialized holiday for buying gifts to the ones you love. It is also Ash Wednesday in the Catholic/Christian faiths marking the beginning of the Lenten Season. Ash Wednesday is considered a day of fasting to prepare for the 46 days leading up to the Easter holiday.
DEATH NOTICES
--Kevette Thompson, age 64 of Ottertail formerly of Motley.
WEATHER
TODAY= mostly sunny and very mild, high near 40.
TONIGHT= increasing clouds, low 22.
THURSDAY= snow showers at times, turning windy, falling temps.
FRIDAY= mostly sunny and colder, high 18, low -4.
SPORTS
GHK= Brainerd/Little Falls wins 6-0 last night over Moorhead and advance to the section finals against Roseau Friday night where the winner will head to the state tournament next week.
TWINS= Twins Hot Stove tonight at 6pm on Q92 WYRQ.
SKI= good luck to the Little Falls Nordic Skiers at the state tournament on Thursday in Biwabik. The entire boys team and two skiers from the girls team are competing at state for Little Falls. Get results during the local sports updates on Little Falls Radio.