NEWS
--Little Falls Community High School Principal Tim Bjorge stated yesterday on KLTF that normalcy is the key word right as many athletics have started or will start winter playoffs in the days ahead and with hopes of state tournaments for students. Bjorge stated that the 10th Day of Caring is set for May 5th from 9am-12pm in the Little Falls area and surrounding communities. They stated that the large breakfast and send off will be scaled back from prior years and they will be in the comings weeks contacting those who have signed up in the past and also to look for the forms for Day of Caring later this month at area organizations and the local newspaper on March 22nd and March 29th. If there area a group, organization and community members to help out with the students who would like to help out, there will be forms in the community or contact Julie Mushel at the school at 632-2002. Bjorge stated that other events like their Honors Society Reception will be April 7th, Athletic Banquet May 10th at the Falls Ballroom, Scholarship Program May 12th, Prom will be moved back to May 15th (later than usual), Baccalaureate May 26th and then Graduation will be May 30th at 2pm and right now is to have it on the football field with spectators spread out, depending on the recent guidelines for schools from the state and board of education. Bjorge said other plans like parking lot like last year or more private event insdie the school could happen but right now outside at end of May. If you have questions for the high school the number is 616-2200.
--As weather permits, Morrison County maintenance employees will continue crack sealing this week on county road 218 west of Randall and on CSAH 26 east of Little Rock. Flaggers will be controlling traffic as one lane will be closed. Crews will be out sweeping streets as weather permits. Crews will be patching potholes in various parts of the county. Please use caution around work crews and flashing lights.
--The Morrison County Board of Commissioners has authorized the Department of Public Works to move forward on the 2021 Transportation Improvement plan which includes work to be done CSAH 21 (30th Street and Great River Road) from State Highway 238 in Upsala to the Stearns County Line. The work will consist of milling off a lift of the existing pavement followed by resurfacing the segment including paving the shoulders and making safety improvements that provide for driver awareness, better reflectivity of signs and improvement pavement markings. This work will strengthen the roadway, eliminate future potholes from forming and improve ride quality. The road work is expected to take place from about the end of May through June. These projects will result in inconvenience and unfavorable conditions at times for all motorists along that stretch of roadway.
--The State Website showed a large increase of numbers on Tuesday with 1,641 new cases of COVID-19 and a large 140 deaths linked to the virus due to backlog of death records which included 4 new deaths in Morrison County from the virus ranging in ages from their 70s to their late 90s. Morrison County had 8 new confirmed cases but there were 22 probable cases in the report Tuesday. The State Health Department did state that this is not to be alarmed about as the numbers were backloged from the previous month and actually over 800 cases and 138 deaths were reported earlier and not new cases or new deaths they were just added to the Tuesday report so it should be around 750 new cases and 2 new deaths.
*Township Election Results will be on Thursday newsletter.
--Governor Tim Walz announced Tuesday that Minnesota is expanding vaccine eligibility as the state reaches its goal of vaccinating 70% of Minnesotans 65 years of age and older this week. As a result, the state will expand eligibility to the next two phases of Minnesotans at once, starting Wednesday. Providers have been directed to prioritize people in the first of these phases, which includes Minnesotans with specific underlying health conditions; food processing plant workers; and Minnesotans with rare conditions or disabilities that put them at higher risk of severe illness. Providers will then have the flexibility to provide available appointments to other eligible Minnesotans. In line with that guidance, Minnesota will expand vaccine eligibility this week, more than three weeks ahead of previous goals. This expedited timeline is a result of the expansive, robust network of options Minnesota stood up to get shots to everyone across the state. Minnesota providers are quickly vaccinating patients as the federal government ships even more doses to states. To provide more flexibility to providers and get critical protection against COVID-19 to even more Minnesotans, two additional phases will be eligible for the vaccine beginning Wednesday. More than 1.8 million Minnesotans will become eligible to receive a vaccine beginning this week. The next phase is Minnesotans age 45 years and older with one or more underlying medical conditions identified by the CDC, Minnesotans age 16 years and older with two or more underlying medical conditions, Minnesotans age 50 years and older in multi-generational housing, Essential frontline workers: Agricultural, airport staff, additional child care workers not previously eligible, correctional settings, first responders, food production, food retail, food service, judicial system workers, manufacturing, public health workers, public transit, and U.S. Postal Service workers All Minnesotans who have not received a vaccine should sign up for the COVID-19 Vaccine Connector to get regular updates on vaccine availability and eligibility.
--A St. Martin man was taken to the hospital after crashing a homemade go-kart. The Stearns County Dispatch Center received a 911 call about a go-kart crash with injuries on Sunday just before 3:30pm and responded to the intersection of Maine Street and Birch Street in St. Martin. When first responders arrived, they found 56-year-old Loren Tritabaugh lying on Maine Street with a significant head injury, complaining of pain in his chest and left leg. Authorities say Tritabaugh had been driving a homemade, barstool-style go-kart with a 288-cc gas-powered engine when he lost control and was thrown from the machine. He was taken to the St. Cloud Hospital.
DEATH NOTICES
--Gary Becker, age 63 of Little Falls.
--Gloria Snyder, age 79 of Little Falls.
--Lawrence Woitalla, age 90 of Harding.
WEATHER
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY STARTS AT 3PM TODAY.
TODAY= cloudy and breezy, high 42, rain/snow later in the day.
TONIGHT= rain changing to snow, 2-4 inches possible, low 27.
THURSDAY= becoming sunny and breezy, high 42, low near 18.
FRIDAY= sunny skies, colder, high 34, low around 15.
SPORTS
COL BB= Gophers vs. Northwestern in Big 10 Tournament night one today pregame after the 5pm news on AM960 KLTF.