NEWS
--The Minnesota State Fair and the Minnesota Farm Bureau are recognizing 78 Minnesota farms as 2022 Century Farms. Qualifying farms have been in continuous family ownership for at least 100 years and are 50 acres or more. Century Farm families receive a commemorative sign, as well as a certificate signed by Minnesota State Fair and Minnesota Farm Bureau presidents and Governor Tim Walz. Since the program began in 1976, nearly 11,000 Minnesota farms have been recognized as Century Farms. In Morrison County there are 3 farms being recognized including Beack Dairy in Hillman (1916), The Welinski Family Farm in Little Falls (1903) and Bill Pohlkamp Farm of Pierz (1920). Others being recognized include 4 in Stearns County: Heitzman Farm in Avon (1916), Schulzetenberg Farm of Freeport (1916), Loewen Farm in Kimball (1919) and Rademacher in Melrose (1916); one farm in Mille Lacs County: Anderson in Foreston (1913); one in Cass County: Copeland Family Tree Farm in Walker (1919); and one in Aitkin County: O'Brien Farm in Swatara (1916). Information on each of the farms will be at the Minnesota Farm Bureau Booth at the Minnesota State Fair.
--The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has set the walleye regulations for Lake Mille Lacs during the upcoming open water fishing season. Anglers will again be able to keep one walleye between 21-23 inches or one over 28 inches from the opener through the end of May. Walleye fishing on Mille Lacs will be catch-and-release from June 1st through June 30th. Starting on July 1st, there will be the annual two-week closure to help prevent hooking mortality. Catch-and-release walleye fishing will resume from July 16th to August 31st. A one-fish bag limit is expected to be reinstated for September 1st through November 30th. The DNR and the eight Ojibwe bands have set a state angler harvest at 80,300 pounds, down from last year's 87,800 pounds. The tribal bag limit for the year is 54,700 pounds which is down from 62,200 last year. The decrease in the total bag limit is a result of two recent year classes of walleye showing below average populations, meaning fewer fish than normal will mature into spawning adults over the next few years.
--Authorities have arrested a second man involved in a shooting in Avon earlier this month. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office says 21-year-old Emmanuel Johnson of St. Cloud was arrested on a warrant in Harvey, Illinois. Johnson is being held in the Cook County Jail in Illinois, awaiting extradition to Minnesota. He faces charges of 1st degree aggravated robbery with a gun, 2nd degree assault with a gun and being a felon in possession of a gun stemming from the March 8th incident. According to the criminal complaint, the shooting happened in a gun deal gone bad. Police responded to the 300 block of Char Avenue Northeast in Avon after an 18-year-old man said he was shot in the chest. Records show 20-year-old Grant Monaghan of St. Cloud turned himself in and provided details on the shooting. Monaghan told police during a deal to sell a gun, Johnson robbed the victim of the money and shot him once in the chest. Monaghan is charged with aiding and abetting 1st degree aggravated robbery and aiding and abetting 2nd degree assault with a dangerous weapon.
--The Charles A. Weyerhaeuser Memorial Museum will be closed Saturday, April 16 to allow staff time to travel for the holiday. Regular museum hours will resume on Wednesday, April 20. Appointments may still be made for Tuesday, April 19 as part of our summer hours. For more updates, check out our website morrisoncountyhistory.org.
--Listen to all three Little Falls Radio stations online at fallsradio.com.
--A St. Cloud woman is one of 18 civilians receiving the Carnegie Medal, North America's highest honor for civilian heroism. On July 19th, 2020 21-year-old Marena Kouba was on the shore of Lake Superior near Marquette, Michigan when she noticed a man and two children struggling in deep water. Kouba, who is on the St. Cloud State University swim team, swam several hundred feet to reach 37-year-old Eric Benac and told him to hold on to her. She then swam to the children who were 10 and 11 years old and told them to hold on to her as well. With all three people holding one arm, Kouba swam toward shore until other people could swim out about 100 feet to help them. The Carnegie Medal is given throughout the U.S. and Canada to those who enter extreme danger while saving or attempting to save the lives of others.
--Governor Tim Walz recently started a goal to recruit and train 1,000 new certified nursing assistants (CNAs) through the Next Generation Nursing Assistant initiative. Today, Governor Walz joined CNAs and other health care professionals at St. Paul College to announce that the initiative has surpassed his goal. “This initiative is one that benefits everyone in our state in the short- and long-term, and I am so grateful for the vision and work of Commissioner Dennis Olson to bring it to fruition,” said Lieutenant Governor Flanagan. The Walz-Flanagan Budget to Move Minnesota Forward includes $6.7 million to continue the state’s successful program to train eligible students to become CNAs. An additional $13.3 million proposed for fiscal year 2024-2025. In addition, by reaching this goal, the state is able to continue relieving the 400 members of the National Guard who were deployed as emergency temporary nursing assistants in long-term care facilities and veterans home throughout Minnesota.
--Linden Hill will be the host location for the Easter Egg Hunt organized by Jordan Hansel State Farm. The hunt is set to take place on April 7th at 6pm. To help Linden Hill prepare the grounds for hundreds of children to come and hunt for eggs, we are asking for volunteers to pick up sticks around the estate. If you can help volunteer the stick pickup will be Monday, April 4th from 10am to noon. If you can't join us on Monday, you are welcome to come any time before then and pile sticks in the grass next to the driveways of the estate (not on the driveways). These piles will be collected during the clean-up. Trash found on the estate can be placed in the blue trash bins located on the North side of the Musser mansion.
DEATH NOTICES
--Elaine M. Robinson, age 88 of Minneapolis formerly of Buckman.
--Belinda (Norwood) Prather, age 61 of Browerville/Clarrisa area.
WEATHER
TODAY= snow showers, mixed with rain and sleet, breezy, high 38.
TONIGHT= rain or snow showers early, cloudy, windy, low 26.
THURSDAY= becoming sunny, still breezy, high near 40, low near 22.
FRIDAY= sunny skies, not as windy, high 45, rain/snow late night 27.
SPORTS
TWINS= Twins back on the radio today at noon on Q92 WYRQ. Twins wrap up spring training on April 5th and then open the regular season at home at 3:10pm on Thursday April 7th against the Seattle Mariners. Catch Twins Baseball all season long on Q92 WYRQ.
NFL= more changes to postseason for the NFL next year as they approved that both teams will be guaranteed one possession even if the first team scores a touchdown. This is only for the postseason.