[fullwidth background_color=”” background_image=”” background_parallax=”none” enable_mobile=”no” parallax_speed=”0.3″ background_repeat=”no-repeat” background_position=”left top” video_url=”” video_aspect_ratio=”16:9″ video_webm=”” video_mp4=”” video_ogv=”” video_preview_image=”” overlay_color=”” overlay_opacity=”0.5″ video_mute=”yes” video_loop=”yes” fade=”no” border_size=”0px” border_color=”” border_style=”” padding_top=”20″ padding_bottom=”20″ padding_left=”” padding_right=”” hundred_percent=”no” equal_height_columns=”no” hide_on_mobile=”no” menu_anchor=”” class=”” id=””][title size=”1″ content_align=”left” style_type=”underline solid” sep_color=”#000000″ margin_top=”” margin_bottom=”” class=”” id=””]Newsletter: Wednesday, March 16th 2016[/title][fusion_text]
NEWS
–The Little Falls Dam Festival and Live Better Live Longer (LBLL)’s Falls Festival on Foot are combining efforts to provide a day full of festival and fun for families on Saturday, June 18th in Little Falls. Following the annual Dam Festival Parade at 11:00am 1st Street South East in front of Maple Island Park will remain open for people to come out and play in the streets until 4:00pm. The Falls Festival on Foot-style “open streets” event will feature opportunities to play Gaga Ball and other street games, ride a bicycle surrey up and down the middle of 1st Street, add to a chalk mural on the street or mosey down to Maple Island Park where health and food vendors and kids activities will be available until late in the afternoon. The concept is simple. Come celebrate the parade, then stay and play in the streets since you’re already there. The two organizations are in communication with Great River Arts Association regarding the possibility of adding a music venue in the park to round out the day. The hope is also to add the fireworks display back into the festival following a concert. To get involved with the event as a vendor or a volunteer contact Becky McClain by calling (320) 360-1250 or call Kate Bjorge in the LBLL office at 320-631-5675.
–The Sartell City Council Monday passed a resolution to fund the community center and other city amenities through bonds that would be paid off through sales tax revenue. The resolution allows the city to issue up to $13.5 million in general obligation tax abatement bonds. Normally, property taxes from certain parcels would go to pay off the debt of the bonds under that arrangement. But a document prepared by Sartell city staff says that in this case, the goal is to pay back the debt entirely with sales tax revenue, leaving no impact on the property tax levy. Sartell voters approved extension of a half-cent sales tax to fund regional projects.
–A Litchfield teen was killed Sunday morning around 9:30am when the vehicle he was driving left the road and rolled. The Meeker County Sheriff’s Office reported that 16-year-old Marcus Huhn was driving north on Meeker County Road 9 in Darwin Township when his vehicle drifted off the road into the ditch, struck an approach and rolled. Huhn, who was not wearing a seat belt, was taken to Meeker Memorial Hospital where he died as a result of his injuries.
–A Howard Lake woman was injured Monday morning when her vehicle went off a Wright County road and rolled in foggy conditions. 54-year-old Peggy Borders was driving west on County Road 6 just before 7:00am when her vehicle entered Minnesota Highway 24, crossed over the embankment and rolled, landing in a swampy area. Borders was sent to the hospital with non life threatening injuries.
–The Boys and Girls Club of Morrison County will host a St. Patty’s Day Fundraiser at Great River Arts at 6pm Thursday. Music, food vendors, silent auction and much more at the event. Tickets $30. Contact Boys and Girls Club of Morrison County located on west side of Little Falls at 414-0322.
–The St. Francis of Assisi Church south of Upsala on Highway 238 will perform Journey with Jesus to Calvary a performance showing the journey to Calvary for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The performances are tonight 7:00pm, Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm and Sunday afternoon at 1:00pm at the church. There is no cost for the program, though a free will offering will be held to go to their religious education programs.
–Pope Francis has announced Mother Theresa will be made a saint on Sunday, September 4th.
–In a hearing today at 1:15pm in Stearns County District Court, the Diocese of St. Cloud will ask the court to dismiss a public nuisance claim brought by an unnamed survivor in October 2015. In his lawsuit, he claims the Diocese of St. Cloud created a public nuisance by concealing the identities and information pertaining to priests in the diocese who were accused of sexually abusing children. This allowed the known child molesters to live freely in the community without informing the public. He was sexually abused by Fr. Anthony “Tony” Marfori when Marfori worked at Cathedral High School. Immediately following the hearing at the Stearns County Courthouse, attorneys will announce the filing of a second lawsuit on behalf of a second unnamed person who was also sexually abused by Marfori and they will discuss how the Diocese of St. Cloud has responded to the lawsuits and subsequently handled Marfori. The Diocese of St. Cloud, Cathedral High School and Marfori are named as defendants. In 2014 the Diocese of St. Cloud released a list of 33 priests who worked in the Diocese that it knew had sexually abused children. Father Marfori’s name was not on that list. Until these unnamed individuals filed lawsuits, Marfori was an active priest of the Diocese of St. Cloud, working on “special assignment” at St. Andrew’s Parish in Elk River. Both of the two previously mentioned lawsuits were made possible by the MN Child Victims Act which allows survivors of child sexual abuse to come forward confidentially and bring a claim against their abusers and the institutions that protected their abusers. The deadline expires May 25th, 2016.
–Congratulations to Little Falls senior Riley Loukinen for being named to the AAA/AAAA Academic All State Team in boys basketball for the 2015-2016 season. Also Ellie Ritters was named to the AAA/AAAA Academic All State Team in girls hockey. Ritters was a player on the Brainerd/Little Falls Warrior girls hockey team this past season.
ENTERTAINMENT
–Indiana Jones is coming back in 2019. Disney Studios and Steven Spielberg announced Tuesday that there will be a 5th installment to the Indiana Jones series and that Harrison Ford will still be their lead character. Ford is 73 years old. No word yet on a name for the film.
DEATH NOTICES
–LaVerne “June” Magle, age 79 of Pierz.
–Elizabeth A. “Betty” Peterson, age 76 of Andover.
–Eleanore “Suska” Hall, age 90 of Utah, formerly of Sobieski
–Lourdette Yourzak, age 91 of Little Falls
–Angelo M. Smieja, age 88 of Hackensack formally of Randall.
WEATHER
TODAY= rain/snow mix at times, very windy, high 40.
TONIGHT= rain changing to snow, 1 inch possible, low 31.
THURSDAY= rain and snow showers, high 38, another inch possible
THURSDAY NIGHT= scattered snow showers, low 25.
FRIDAY= partly sunny high near 40, low around 25.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins vs. Boston tonight 6pm on Q92 WYRQ as spring training play continues, the regular season opener for the Twins will be on April 4th against Baltimore at 2:05 also live on Q92 WYRQ.
HK= Gophers are the top seed in Big 10 Hockey Tournament will face the winner of Ohio State and Michigan State on Friday night with pregame at 7pm on AM960 KLTF. The Championship is on Saturday.
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