NEWS --Congratulations to a group of six people who found the Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union Dam Festival Medallion on Monday night. They turned the medallion in Tuesday afternoon but found it Monday evening under a garbage can by Great River Arts. The six people who found it were Erin Harris, Bryce Harris, Bucky Harris, Roberta Piekarski, John VanRissenghem and Mhel VanRissegham. The prize is $500. Congratulations to the winners.
--The Little Falls Dam Festival is this weekend. Friday there is a sidewalk sale from area businesses, food and music live at Maple Island Park beginning at 5pm. Saturday there is a bike ride, River Rat Race at Belle Prairie Park, fly in breakfast, plane rides for kids at the Airport, parade at 11am on First Street heading south and a number of events the rest of the day at Maple Island Park in Little Falls. Music and fireworks at night to end the festivities. The Little Falls Radio cash cube will be on hand Saturday 1:00-3:00pm.
--More than 50 soldiers from the Minnesota National Guard's C Company, 2nd General Support Aviation Battalion, 211th Aviation Regiment based in St. Cloud will deploy to Kuwait in support of Operation Spartan Shield and Operation Inherent Resolve. While deployed, the soldiers will provide medical evacuation support in the region as a part of Task Force Talon. The battalion aviation task force is made up of Army National Guard units from Minnesota, Missouri and Kansas. The departure ceremony is Friday at 10:00am at the Army Aviation Support Facility in St. Cloud.
--Two more people charged with sex trafficking crimes involving a 17-year old girl have pleaded guilty. 25-year old Alan Woods pleaded guilty to a felony count of engaging in sex trafficking and one felony count of promoting prostitution of someone under 18-years old. 23-year old Jaemie Drum has pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the sex trafficking of someone under 18-years-old. Prosecutors will argue for a prison term of 20 years when Woods is sentenced in October. Drum has agreed to cooperate with the state in exchange for a stayed prison term of just under 11 years. A Stearns County judge sentenced another in the case Ashley Pick-Gassama to seven-and-a-half years in prison in April.
--High winds led to lots of damage Monday from the thunderstorms that dropped nearly 2 inches of rain at Little Falls Radio. 60 mile per hour wind gusts toppled trees, snapped power-lines and caused lots of debris and some roof damage in St. Cloud, Sartell, Rice and west of St. Cloud through Holdingford and down to Litchfield. Power crews were out for hours restoring power to thousands of customers.
--The victim of a drowning on Gilbert Lake in Crow Wing County on June 7th has been identified as 66-year old Douglas Larson of Brainerd. The Crow Wing County sheriff's office was called after Larson's vehicle and boat trailer was found at the lake access. After a search, his body was found in about 8 feet of water.
--Authorities seized over 17 grams of cocaine and a loaded handgun Sunday after an incident at Brainerd International Raceway. The sheriff's office stated around 7:15am authorities arrived on the grounds of someone selling drugs and apparently had a gun. Crow Wing County Sheriff's deputies arrested a 27-year old man from Hutchinson on controlled substance charges along with other possible charges. The case has been forwarded to the county attorney's office. The suspect's name was not released.
--President Donald Trump will hold a rally at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center next week. The rally, which is scheduled for next Wednesday evening, will mark the first time Trump has visited Minnesota as president. As a candidate in November 2016, Trump held a rally in an airplane hangar at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Trump will be the first sitting president to visit Duluth since George W. Bush in 2004.
--Two people were arrested following a 911 call Sunday on Highway 3 in Merrifield of Crow Wing County. Around 3:30am authorities arrived to a domestic situation where the man involved had an outstanding warrant for his arrest. During their investigation, authorities arrested a 33-year old from Merrifield on the warrant for controlled substance possession and also being a felon in possession of a firearm. They also arrested a 29-year old woman at the scene for aiding an offender and on drug possession charges.
--A 27-year old was seriously injured Saturday when his ATV crashed at Brainerd International Raceway. The 27-year old from Princeton was airlifted to a Twins Cities hospital with a serious head injury.
--A 26-year old Ironton man was injured last Friday around 6:30am in Crow Wing County near Crosby. The motorcyclist crashed and was taken to the Crosby hospital for treatment of injuries sustained.
--A St. Cloud man was hurt in a rollover in Sherburne County. The Minnesota State Patrol says it happened at about 9:00am Monday on westbound Highway 10 in Elk River. A car driven by 25-year old Noor Ahmed of St. Cloud went into the ditch and rolled. Ahmed was not hurt but one of his two passengers was taken to the hospital. 19-year old Sadam Abdi was brought to Mercy Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. A second passenger was not hurt.
--Cleanup days are scheduled Saturday for Pike Creek Township at the Pike Creek Town Hall from noon to 3:00pm and also for Culdrum Township from 8:30-11:00am at the Culdrum Town Hall. For more information you can contact your township officials.
WEATHER TODAY= sunny skies, high 77. TONIGHT= partly cloudy skies, low 55. THURSDAY= sunny and windy, turning muggy, high 81. THURS NITE= storms develop after midnight, heavy rains, low 64. FRIDAY= morn storm, sunny and warm, late storms, high 88.
SPORTS TWINS= Adrianaza had 3 hits including a grand slam to lift the Twins to a 6-4 win over the Tigers Tuesday. The Twins and Tigers play game 2 tonight 5:30pm on Q92 WYRQ. WW= for the 2nd year the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball team will be returning to Brainerd on July 13th for a free game against the Brainerd All Stars. Game at 7pm at Brainerd Mills Field.
TODAY IN HISTORY IN 1921= Babe Ruth hit 2 homeruns pitching for the Yankees, the team decided after the game to move him to the outfield. IN 1927= ticker tape parade in New York for Charles Lindbergh. IN 1966= U.S. Supreme Court ruled to enforce the Miranda Decision meaning that rights were given to arrested individuals by officers. IN 1970= “Long and Winding Road” hits #1, the final #1 song for the Beatles as a band, and comes 4 months after break-up announced.