NEWS
--At Monday nights Pierz City Council meeting Taylor Lyon was awarded a life saving award. The incident occurred at 3:25pm on November 8th 2017 as Hunter Popp went unconscious while driving south near the Pierz School. When Hunter went unconscious, the vehicle accelerated to a high rate of speed striking a parked vehicle along Kamnic Street. Hunter's head was laying back with his foot pushing the accelerator to the floor. At that time, passenger Taylor Lyon gained control of steering Mr. Popp's vehicle. The vehicle continued to accelerate but thanks to Lyon's driving it avoided several large trees and utility poles. A school bus at that point had just dropped off students who were still crossing the street and standing in their driveways. Lyon was heading right for them but steered off the street barely missing utility poles and several mailboxes to avoid hitting the children. The vehicle went into a residential yard until it started traveling sideways, and rolled coming to a stop. Mr. Lyon's quick actions, awareness and composure during this incident brought the incident to a stop without any children being killed or having life altering injuries. A thank you from authorities and the surrounding community to Taylor Lyon, who was presented with the Life Saving Award on Monday night in Pierz.
--The Morrison County Sheriffs Office is requesting the public's help in finding a stolen vehicle. On Friday, the Sheriff's Office received a report of a stolen vehicle from Brandl Motors in Little Falls. The vehicle is a blue 2004 Chevrolet Silverado 4-door pickup with MN license 979-GYU. If you see this vehicle please call 911.
--A 31-year old Ironton man was injured in a snowmobile crash at 3:36pm Wednesday on Crow Wing County highways 45 and 2 in Brainerd. The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office reported the injured party, Joshewa Leonard Horak, called himself to state he was in a snowmobile crash. He was taken by ambulance to the Brainerd hospital to be treated for his injuries.
--28-year old Antonio St. Marie has been found guilty in Wadena County of first degree murder and kidnapping for killing his wife of two years, leaving their two children without parents. A 12 person jury deliberated nine hours on Friday before returning the verdict. Antonio St. Marie was found guilty of murdering his wife in their apartment on November 7th, 2016, just hours after getting out of jail for a domestic assault arrest. St. Marie fled the scene after shooting his wife and crashed head on into another vehicle. He later testified that it was an attempt at suicide. A sentencing date for St. Marie was set for 1:00pm on March 22nd at the Wadena County Courthouse.
--Mills Fleet Farm Monday presented the Brainerd Lakes Salvation Army with a gift of $20,000. The gift represents $20,000 worth of matching donations that Mills Fleet Farm provided Dec. 21 during its sixth annual Day of Caring giving opportunity. The community responded with $31,000 of donations made to the red kettle at Mills Fleet Farm in Baxter. The total donation of $51,000 to the Salvation Army will help people and families in need throughout the Brainerd lakes area.
--Congratulations and good luck to Swanville-area farmer Craig Roerick who will be competing next Thursday, Feb. 1st in the Land'o'Lakes Farmbowl at 3M Arena at Mariucci. The Farmbowl combines farming and football. Farm Director Scott Colombe will provide updates from the event and on Facebook.
--Pierz Pioneers senior Ben Herold has been selected as a finalist for the Positive Athlete award created by former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward. The program allows coaches, teachers, parents and fans to nominate high school student-athletes in all sports who have either overcome difficult circumstances (injury, illness, home life), given back to their schools and communities in a unique way, or just have that infectious positive attitude that inspires others. The program in Georgia now has more than 400 high schools involved that are providing close to 5,000 nominations each year. Herold will meet Ward during Super Bowl week. He was nominated by Pierz head football coach Leo Pohlkamp, who wrote: "Ben has overcome multiple setbacks in his athletic career. He had two concussions in the ninth grade and one was quite severe. He had hip surgery his junior year and an athletic asthma condition, which required a trip to EMR before a game. Ben persevered and was a captain and two-way starter on the Pierz football team which won the Class 3A state championship this fall. Ben was an Academic All-State football player with a 3.97 grade-point average. He is an Honor Society member and does many good service projects in the community. He is not only a good player, but he is a better person." Herold is the only Minnesotan being honored. He will be eligible for a $2,500 scholarship.
--The Stand Up 4U Coalition will be holding a community forum regarding drug abuse prevention at 6:30pm on Sunday, January 28th at First Lutheran Church in Little Falls. For information call Kathy at (320) 631-5624.
ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
--Recording legend and songwriter Neil Diamond turns 78 today and announced yesterday that he is retiring from touring due to advanced symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. He plans on continue songwriting.
DEATH NOTICE
--Vernon Froelich, age 75 of Pierz
--Fern Post, age 82 of Little Falls.
WEATHER
TODAY= cloudy skies, high 31.
TONIGHT= cloudy, low 17.
THURSDAY= partly sunny, high 34, partly cloudy night, low 20.
FRIDAY= sunny, windy and mild, high 44, low around 26.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins Hot Stove tonight at 6pm on Q92 WYRQ.
HOF= The Flyer Athletic Boosters announced 10 will be inducted into the 2018 Flyer Hall of Fame. The induction will take place Saturday in between the girls and boys basketball games with Sauk Rapids-Rice. They will also be introduced at the wrestling match Friday and at the hockey game Saturday. The 10 inductees include: Ryan Laager, athlete; Kathleen Huebner, community supporter; Eric Sczublewski, athlete; Tim Raymond, athlete; Melissa Plante Walthall, athlete; Larry Filippi, athlete; Larry Novakoske, athlete; Nate Miller, athlete; Bob Gastecki, athlete and Mike Brady, athlete. Everyone is invited to come out and honor these inductees. The hockey game Saturday will also be broadcast live on Q92 WYRQ and both the boys and girls double-header basketball games will be heard live on FM94 KFML.
NFL= 8 Vikings in Pro Bowl Game Sunday 2pm on AM960 KLTF.