--Steve Smith fo CHI St. Gabriel's Health Tuesday stated on KLTF that they are in the process this week to vaccinate another 100 CHI patients by the end of the week but it all depends on how much of the vaccine is delivered to the hospital and also has to go through the Central Minnesota Coalition to freeze the vaccine and when taken from the 80-below zero freezer, the hospital has 5 days to use it. They are currently going through the population of 65 and over and what the hospital feels are high risk or moderate risk and they are calling those. Last week they vaccinated 203 patients and again please do not call the hospital they will call the patients. If you are not a patient to CHI and want to be vaccinated and considered high risk contact Morrison County Public Health and they can work it into their files for where they can be vaccinated. Smith stated he thanks the patience of the public to go through the proper testing, and restrictions at this time and also announced they have allowed 1 visitor per patient again at the hospital though all other restrictions are still in place and COVID-19 testing does continue is need be. Steve Smith also wanted to thank the Little Falls School District for donating weather and granola bars to health care staff recently.
--Chuck Zwilling announced Tuesday on KLTF that the Sunny Zwilling Memorial Ice Extravaganza on Green Prairie Fish Lake is on for February 13th and 14th. They will be following state and county protocols for safety measures and members from public health and the sheriff's office will be on hand that weekend. The ice is at 12-14 inches of thickness and that is enough to have some events planned for the weekend including Striders bikes in the snow, curling events, figure skating, speed skaters, building an igloo, log rolling competition, snowshoeing, fishing, paragliding if weather cooperates, dogsledding and much more. Zwilling said the attempt for the world record ice carousel which they currently hold they will try and break again and cones are already being put up on the lake to mark the spots. Zwilling said recently they have been added to the Guiness Book of World Records as an actual item (in prior years that is was not a recognized event) and now they have made it a category. The event will have parking restrictions and hand sanitizing and other safety items that week to keep all safe but they are still planning for a fun filled two day event this year. Proceeds and donations can be made to help the Flyer Pride Backpack Program and the Kare Kloset at the community high school to help those with items, in the past two years they have raised around $36,000 for the projects. For more information and if you can volunteer has they are need of those please contact Chuck through the facebook of mnicefest.com.
--A Rice man has been charged with third-degree assault after he was accused of injuring another man during a bar fight. 50-year-old, Chris Steve Schulte faces one charge of third-degree assault in Benton County. Sheriff's deputies responded to reports of a bar fight after midnight on September 25th, according to the statement of probable cause. Video from the bar showed that Schulte first punched the victim in the eye using his palm and punched him again in the back of his head with a fist, according to the same document. The two then went to the ground fighting. The victim had fracture around the eye and a ruptured bicep tendon.
--Royalton Schools announced that with the lower numbers of the virus and new standards for education from the State of Minnesota they were able recently to return to all in person learning at all of the Royalton schools back on January 19th and thanks to all the support.
--The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a missing juvenile. 14-year-old Alexus Rayne Norberg left her home in the City of St. Cloud on January 19th without parental permission. Her parents have not heard from her since she left. Alexus, is 5’3”, 130 pounds, blue eyes and brown hair. She was last seen wearing a black tank top, white jeans, black shoes and was carrying a pink backpack. Alexus's whereabouts are currently unknown. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office at 320-251-4240 or their local law enforcement agency via 911.
--As weather permits, maintenance employees will be working on the following activities this week, maintenance crews will be cutting trees on CSAH 21 east of Upsala and County Road 242 north of Morrill. Crews will be cleaning up along guardrails and bridges from the recent snowfall. Crews will be patching potholes in the southwest and northwest part of the county. Please use caution around work crews.
--8th District Congressman Pete Stauber, R-Hermantown, introduced Monday the Saving America’s Mines Act, legislation intended to prohibit any administration from unilaterally halting the mining of critical minerals on federal lands where mining is currently permissible. According to a news release, Stauber introduced this legislation with President Joe Biden and his administration specifically in mind, noting what Stauber described as a politically motivated mineral withdrawal in the Superior National Forest occurred in the final days of his vice presidency. Every Republican member of the Minnesota delegation signed on as a co-sponsor of this legislation. The Saving America’s Mines Act would specifically require an act of Congress to withdraw any public land from mining, ensuring an administration cannot make this decision alone. Stauber stated “In the final hours of his Administration, former President Obama, along with then-Vice President Joe Biden, enacted a politically motivated mineral withdrawal that blocked the responsible development of critical minerals in northeast Minnesota. Fortunately, the Trump Administration’s reversal of this harmful withdrawal moved Minnesota’s miners one step closer to working high-wage jobs, unleashing economic prosperity in the region, and reducing dependence on unreliable nations with horrific labor standards.”
--Numbers keep dropping in COVID-19 cases Tuesday, 727 new cases and 8 new deaths. Morrison County 2 new cases. Morrison County website reported 59 active cases, Little Falls 25 no others over 10.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT
--Alan J. Brodeson and Ashley Seelen of Little Falls, a boy Jan 25th.
WEATHER
TODAY= partly sunny, high around 10 above, cloudy night, low -4
THURSDAY= sunny skies, high near 18, clear night, low 7 above.
FRIDAY= sunny and warmer, high 26, clouds increase late, low 20.
SPORTS
TWINS= another Twins Hot Stove tonight 6pm on Q92 WYRQ.
MLB= for the first time since 1960, no names on the Hall of Fame ballot for baseball got enough votes to get induction to Cooperstown later this summer. A legends committee will still vote on inductees.
NFL= there is no Pro Bowl this weekend that was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions. A celebration of sorts is planned for TV Sunday with announcement of 2021 NFL Hall of Famers.