NEWS
--The Pierz City Council met Monday night. The city of Pierz will seek applications for the openings of Pierz City Treasurer and Mayor until February 16th. Then the council will meet on Tuesday, February 21st to interview candidates for both positions. There will be a regular city council meeting on February 27th with the potential of naming both positions at that meeting. The council did decide to move forward with the purchase of a used front end loader between $80,000-100,000. The 2024 Street Lighting project was approved to move forward with the design. The City of Pierz hired Toni Meyer as the new Clubhouse Manager beginning March 8th.
--A couple from Cushing is accused of committing several tax crimes in recent years. The Minnesota Department of Revenue says Scott and Kristine Ziegler are charged with six felony counts each of failing to file individual income tax returns and two felony counts each of failing to file withholding tax returns. According to the complaints, the Zieglers failed to file their state income tax returns from 2016 to 2021 and failed to file withholding returns for their business, Prism Powder Coating for 2020 and 2021. The charges allege that the couple earned enough money from the business to be required to file individual returns and pay income taxes. Kristine Ziegler was the bookkeeper for the business and allegedly told investigators that she knew they were supposed to file withholding tax returns but failed to do so. The Minnesota Department of Revenue alleges Scott Ziegler owes more than $258,000 in income taxes, penalties, and interest. Prism Powder Coating allegedly owes more than $20,700.
--On Tuesday Governor Tim Walz signed the Protect Reproductive Options Act (PRO Act) into law. The PRO Act is a bill that codifies into state law Minnesotans’ right to make their own reproductive health care decisions, including the right to contraception, the right to carry a pregnancy to term, the right to fertility treatment, and the right to an abortion. The bill had passed both MN House and Senate.
--Six people were arrested Monday in connection to a drug investigation in Kandiyohi County. Members of the CEE-VI Drug and Gang Task Force, Central Minnesota Task Force, MN BCA and other law enforcement agencies, used three search warrants in three different cities in Kandiyohi and Stearns Counties. Authorities says they found over a half pound of methamphetamine, three handguns, and several thousands of dollars in cash believed to be from meth sales. All six people face a variety of drug related charges.
--Former U.S. Senator David Durenberger has died. The Republican won a U.S. Senate seat in 1978 and served three terms in office. He decided not to run for re-election in 1994 where then Senator Rod Grams won election. Durenberger died Tuesday at the age of 88 at his St. Paul home. Durenberger was born in St. Cloud in 1934. He graduated from St. John's Prep in 1951 and St. John's University in 1955. Durenberger served on the Saint John’s University Board of Regents from 1987 to 1996. In 1985, Durenberger received an Alumni Achievement Award from Saint John’s, and in 2018 the Senator David Durenberger Atrium was named in his honor.
--Rural Minnesota CEP is hosting an open house tomorrow at the Little Falls Career Force Center in the old Crestliner Building. The open house will be from 9am-4pm. Learn more about college funding, on the job training, resume writing, occupations in demand and career assessment assistance and much more at the event. This is for unemployed works, displaced workers, youth ages 16 and up, no appointment is necessary just walk in to the event on Thursday.
--The Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce has announced their February Employee of the Month as Sylvia Norquist, who is the manager at Animal Haven Pet Hotel and Grooming in Little Falls.
Congratulations to Sylvia as the Employee of the Month.
--The ROCORI School Board will interview four finalists to be superintendent. They are Randal Berquist, Superintendent of the Osakis School District. Kirsten Doebel, Director of Secondary Education, Fort Dodge CSD (Iowa). Kevin Enerson, Superintendent of Pipestone School District and Sean Koster, Executive Director, Beacon Academy in Crystal. The board met Monday evening to discuss the applicants, reducing the five-person candidate pool to four finalists. Interviews will begin on February 13th with a second round happening the following day. The board hopes to approve a contract by February 27th. Longtime Roseville Schools administrator John Thein is serving as an interim superintendent at ROCORI, his second stint in the role in the past five years. ROCORI named Thein to the position last spring after passing on two finalists at that time who had applied for the job in the school district.
--The Minnesota House has passed the Driver’s Licenses for All bill, allowing anyone, regardless of immigration status, to earn a driver’s license. Representative Aisha Gomez, says allowing all Minnesotans to earn a driver’s license is the right thing to do. “For public safety, for our shared prosperity, and to honor the inherent humanity and dignity of all community members. It should have been done years ago but it’s always the right time to do the right thing.” House Speaker Melissa Hortman agreed, saying, “Ensuring everyone has access to driver’s licenses will improve public safety for everyone, grow the state economy, and treat immigrant communities with the dignity and respect they deserve.” Stearns County Sheriff Steve Soyka agrees from a public safety standpoint because migrant families come to work on farms in the area for the summer, and the person behind the wheel should understand and know the rules of the road. Opponents of the measure say it could lead to voter fraud and ineligible recipients receiving government assistance. It now heads to the Senate where again it is expected to pass by a narrow margin.
DEATH NOTICES
--Adeline Gunther, age 92 of Pierz.
--Catherine Fellbaum, age 71 of Swanville.
--Kevin John Gallus, age 42 of Paynesville formerly Little Falls.
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny skies, high 16
TONIGHT= clouds increase, flurries overnight, low -6.
THURSDAY= temps rise to 12, fall to -4 with strong winds late day.
FRIDAY= sunny and cold, high near 0, lows around -20.
SPORTS
TWINS= Catch Twins Hot Stove program tonight 6pm on Q92.
TODAY IN HISTORY
IN 1893= Thomas Edison opens first Movie Studio in the USA.
IN 1898= Auto Insurance Policies are first issued to drivers.
IN 1920= St. Paul, Minnesota introduced the Armored Car.
IN 1935= first March of Time Newsreel sent out to theaters.
IN 1949= RCA Records introduced the 45 record to public.
IN 1964= Ed Sullivan announced next week on his show will be the first U.S. appearance of The Beatles, his most watched show.