NEWS
--At 3:19am Tuesday the Morrison County Sheriff's Office received a report of a one vehicle rollover with the driver trapped in the vehicle on Highway 10, approximately one mile south of Motley. 17-year old Emily Bellware from Detroit Lakes was traveling north on Highway 10 as she lost control of the vehicle, went off the roadway and hit a large snowbank. Bellware’s vehicle rolled and came to rest upside down with her trapped inside. Bellware was freed from the vehicle and taken to Staples Hospital with unknown injuries. The passenger, 19-year old Hunter Hagen from Detroit Lakes was able to get out of the vehicle on his own. He was also taken to Staples Hospital with unknown injuries. The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Todd County Sheriff’s Office, Staples Police Department, Motley Fire Department, Motley First Response Team, North Air Care and Staples Ambulance.
--Rice has filled an open seat on the city council. During Monday's meeting the council voted to appoint Kyle Walter to the position. He was sworn in following the appointment. Walter is the Program Manager for the new Tech High School construction. Other candidates who applied for the position included Eric Loberg, Kenneth Nodo, Laura Douvier, Anne Pressnall, and Michelle Keller. The seat became available after former council member Brian Skroch was appointed mayor following former mayor Erik Bonde's resignation. His term will expire in 2020.
--A driver and his passenger suffered injuries in a crash last week Thursday on Crow Wing County highways 11 and 4 in Breezy Point. According to the Breezy Point Police Department incident report, the driver, Devin M. Miller, 19, Elk River, and his passenger, Beau J. Ekelund, 27, Aitkin, had minor injuries in the accident that morning.
--A 20-year-old Brainerd man accused of attacking a Brainerd High School staff member was in court Monday on felony charges. Jared McCormack is charged with waiting in the girls locker room on February 11th and attacking a staff member. She was able to scream and get McCormack to leave the locker room and the school. He was seen on survaillance video from the school. The judge ordered a contested omnibus hearing to be held on March 27th so that the defense can bring forward any issues they may have with the case and the admissibility of evidence. McCormack was found guilty in 2017 of having sex with a 13 year old and was a registered sex offender. McCormack has also been charged in Cass County on an unrelated incident that occurred late last year.
--An Onamia man and his family are giving many thanks to two men who performed CPR on him on Lake Mille Lacs last week to save his life. Joe Halaska and Adam Benson are off duty firefighters from the Twin Cities who were ice fishing on Lake Mille Lacs when they noticed 68-year-old Dale Meyer of Onamia, who had spent part of the day snowplowing the lake, face down on the ice and he didn't have a pulse. They performed CPR for ten minutes. Meyer then opened his eyes. Both of the young firefighters have saved lives before. But this is the first time they've used their CPR skills off the job. Meyer is home recovering. His sister-in-law said that it was likely Atrial fibrillation that led to the cardiac arrest.
--This Sunday is the 21st Annual Share Sunday at Mary of Lourdes Middle School in Little Falls to support the Morrison County Food Shelves and The Boys and Girls Club in Little Falls. Starts at 1:30pm.
--Brainerd/Little Falls Warriors girls hockey coach Jim Ernster tendered his resignation Monday after 11 seasons with the team. The Warriors just finished state runner-up to Edina in a double-overtime thriller back on February 23rd. Ernster spent 21 years coaching in different forms of hockey and just wants to be a fan for a while. A search for a new coach will start immediately with hopes to have a new one in place by May.
--MNDOT is encouraging those who travel Minnesota Highway 15 to attend an open house about a major reconstruction project from St. Augusta to Kimball. The open house is from 4:00-7:00pm on March 19th at Maine Prairie Township Hall. The project will start in late April. During that time, Highway 15 will be closed to through traffic for about three months, but all businesses will remain accessible throughout the project. The open house will include the project's schedule, detours and traffic plans and additional information. When complete, the project will improve the ride along 12 miles of Highway 15 and improve drainage, safety and accessibility.
--A 27-year old Melrose man is accused of choking a woman while sitting in a vehicle in the Albany Police Department parking lot. Tyler Werner Larson was charged with one count of felony domestic assault by strangulation and two gross misdemeanor counts of domestic assault for subsequent violations.
--Minnesota’s 1,781 townships will each hold their annual town meeting on Tuesday, March 12. Known as Township Day, these annual meetings are held every year on the second Tuesday in March. Residents of the townships will meet to voice their opinions about local issues with other township residents and also vote directly on their annual tax levy; direct democracy in action. The meetings also often tackle other local issues. In addition, some of the state’s townships will also hold their elections on Tuesday for township officers while many of the townships have moved their elections to the general elections in November.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT
--Denny and Jody Meyer of Little Falls, a boy born March 5th.
DEATH NOTICES
--Bernadette “Berne' Bieniek, age 89 of Little Falls.
--James “Jim” Zehowski, age 80 of Little Falls.
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny skies, high 19.
TONIGHT= clear skies, cold, low -12, wind chills near -22.
THURSDAY= sunny skies, high 23, low around 7 above.
FRIDAY= cloudy skies, high near 30, low around 15.
SPORTS
BBB= Pierz advanced in the playoffs with a win at Moose Lake/Willow River and will play Esko on Saturday in Duluth. Little Falls lost last night, Swanville lost Monday, Upsala and Royalton will open playoffs on Thursday, Royalton on FM94, Upsala on Q92.
GBB= Royalton and Swanville girls both lost in playoffs last night.
TWINS= Twins Hot Stove tonight 6pm on Q92 WYRQ.
COL WRE= Kolton Eischens, a 2016 Pierz graduate, now a junior on the St. Cloud State wrestling team, recently advanced to the Division II National Wrestling Championships for the second straight season.