NEWS
--Little Falls City Administrator Jon Radermacher spoke on KLTF and said right now no active city programs for business support and they would have to wait and see if state and federal funding is sent out again. Radermacher said that there is a number of issues with water service lines due to the cold weather and are working on those, luckilly there main lines have had no major issues yet. Radermacher said they are talking about the future of Little Falls, sending resolution to the legislature on a referendum for a local option sales tax which if approved still would not have vote on in until the next general election which is November 2022. The core of that would be used for a recreational facility/community center/childcare facility options. The City Council continues to look into an apartment complex who wants to bulding in Little Falls to bring a larger housing complex. Radermacher also addressed the future plans, any very early discussion and would take many years before started on still moving the railroad tracks away from Highway 27 to stop large traffic jams and also a safety issue where ambulances and firetrucks would find quick access to get to calls instead of working around the bridge or north or south end of town a train is blocking traffic. A memorial bridge concept north of downtown had been discussed last year before pandemic but again discussion has started again but still in Jon's words many years before any construction ideas could be done. City Hall is closed to walk in traffic on Fridays right now but Radermacher did state that city hall is likely to reopen on Fridays soon as they have more staff available now, no timeline was given. If you need assistance from City Hall call their office at 616-5500.
--The body of a rural Emily man was pulled out of a trailer home Monday after a fire destroyed the home. The Emily Fire Department was called to the fire at 4:21am on the 24000 block of Crow Wing County Highway 1 in Little Pine Township. Crow Wing County Sheriff Scott Goddard said the man and his dog were inside at the time of the fire and didn’t make it out. The body was taken to the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office to be identified and to determine the cause of death. The name of the victim is being withheld pending the outcome of the investigation and notification of the next of kin.
--The Minnesota State Patrol stated this week that they are continuing their speed enforcement campaign through February. In 2020 the numbers for speeding citations doubled from 2019 and of those tickets in 2020 over 1,000 were traveling at 100mph or faster including two occasions where teenagers under the age of 20 were clocked at speeds of 116mph and one incident where the driver reportedly from the state patrol reached speed at 153mph. Over half of the drivers ticketed over 100mph in 2020 were between the ages of 18 and 35. Another reminder from the State Patrol to please slow down on the roadways and speed enforcement continues.
--The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office responded to a fire at the address of 33431 220th Street in Lake Henry Township on Sunday afternoon at 3:30pm. The fire was in a shed owned by Karl Schlangen, age 61, of Lake Henry. A relative who lives just to the west of this address noticed a large amount of smoke at Schlangen’s address. When the relative investigated the source of the smoke, he found Schlangen’s detached garage fully engulfed. The Lake Henry Fire Department quickly extinguished the fire. The detached double garage was a total loss. The fire started from a wood stove inside the garage and spread to other items. There were no reported injuries.
--Little Falls Community High School announced they are having “Snowcoming” Week this week at the high school since they were not able to have a homecoming week during the football season. Monday night they had their coronation and their senior King is Amiir Nur and senior Queen is Courtney Loeffler. Congratulations to them.
--As weather permits, Morrison County maintenance employees will be trimming trees on CSAH 3, and County Road 203 north of Randall. Crews will be clearing brush and trees around bridges and guardrails on CSAH 52 and CSAH 21 in the southwest part of the county. Crews will be patching potholes in the northwest part of the county. Please use caution around work crews and flashing lights. Public Works employees continue to practice social distancing guidelines in their travels and on the various job sites as we continue to preserve and maintain Morrison County infrastructure.
--The Morrison County website Tuesday shows only 21 active cases on Tuesday and none of the zip codes have more than 10 active cases. Little Falls Zip code has 9 active cases. The state report on Tuesday had 456 new cases and 2 new deaths. Morrison County after 3 straight days of no new cases, had only 1 new case yesterday.
--Two women were hurt in a two-vehicle crash on Highway 23 at 14th Avenue Southeast in east St. Cloud Monday morning just before 10am. The Minnesota State Patrol says 18-year-old Kylee Partch of Sauk Rapids was on the side road and attempting to enter the highway. Thirty-two-year-old Brittney Biermaier of St. Cloud was going east on the highway. Both Partch and Biermaier were taken to St. Cloud Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
--Little Falls FFA will be hosting a breakfast Sunday at the Little Falls VFW from 8:30-12:30, all welcome, free will donation.
DEATH NOTICES
--Connie Gangl, age 65 of Royalton.
--Larry Woitalla, age 57 of Pierz.
WEATHER
TODAY= snow showers likely, less than 1 inch, high 10.
TONIGHT= snow ending, cloudy skies, low -5.
THURSDAY= partly sunny, high 12 above, clear night, low -7.
FRIDAY= sunny skies, high 15, low around -4.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins Hot Stove tonight at 6pm on Q92 WYRQ.
COL BB= Gopher men at Indiana tonight 7:30pm on AM960 KLTF.
LYNX= The Minnesota Lynx and G.M. Cheryl Reeve continued their busy off-season sending guard Odyssey Sims and a first-round pick to the Indiana Fever for draft picks and enough cap space to sign another free agent. That new roster addition was introduced yesterday as Aerial Powers who played for Washington last season.
Today is Ash Wednesday the beginning of the Lenten season in the Catholic and Christian Faith. A usual routine is the place of ashes on the forehead at Mass and services today however with recent COVID restrictions some churches have changed the way on how this will be done this year. This day is also considered a day of fasting to begin the Lenten season as many using past traditions in church and Catholic schools work on giving up items to sacrifice for Lent which starts today and leads in to Easter holiday on April 4th this year.