Newsletter: Wednesday, May 4th 2016
NEWS
–Today is the 6th Annual Day of Caring in Little Falls. Registration begins just after 7am at the high school with a breakfast and start up presentation before 8am. Between 8:15-12pm over 1000 volunteers, students, community members and faculty will be out across Little Falls and Randall to area homes doing a number of activities for spring cleanup. Motorists are asked to use caution between 8-12 around the area today with the number of people walking to their assigned destinations. All volunteers/students etc. are invited to return to the school at 12pm for a provided lunch. A special thank you to all you are taking time today to be part of the Day of Caring.
–A teenager was seriously injured Monday morning in a collision near Princeton when his Corvette collided with a semi-truck around 7:45am on Highway 95. 17-year-old Derek Englund of Princeton was taken to North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale with injuries the State Patrol considered serious. The driver of the semi, 48-year-old Scott Leroy of Foley, did not report injuries. Authorities said Englund was driving west on Minnesota Highway 95 when he lost control for unknown reasons and slid into the other lane colliding with the semi.
–Erin Wagner of Aitkin announced she is running as a DFL candidate for Minnesota House District 10B. The 30-year-old Wagner has been a long-time substitute teacher in the Pine River-Backus school system. If endorsed she would likely take on incumbent Republican Representative Dale Lueck who announced that he is seeking reelection this November.
–Minnesota’s experts in insect borne diseases say the odds of catching the Zika virus from a mosquito in Minnesota are extremely low, despite the fact that a species known to carry the virus can be found here. Aedes albopictus, also known as the “Asian Tiger” mosquito, is one of two species known the carry the Zika virus. But in order to infect a person, it would have to first bite another person who already has the virus. So far 14 Minnesotans have tested positive for the Zika virus, and all of them had recently traveled to areas where Zika virus is more prominent, places where both species that carry the virus are established. Fortunately none of the Minnesotans so far have been pregnant women at risk of giving birth to babies with microcephaly, a condition that can cause severe cranial deformity and brain damage in developing infants.
–Tomorrow is the National Day of Prayer. Shepherd of the Pines Lutheran Church is hosting a National Day of Prayer event with a meal and time for socializing starting at 5:30pm with a program beginning around 6pm with music from the band Gold Rush- a gospel bluegrass band from central Minnesota with two of the members, the Gilbert’s from Little Falls. The event is free to attend and take part in the National Day of Prayer tomorrow.
–The Youth of the Tri-Parish in Little Falls, Upsala, North Prairie, St. Cloud, Clear Lake and others will be heading to Poland this July for World Youth Day created back in the 1980s by Pope John Paul II. The youth and others will be putting on a fun-raiser Friday 6-11pm at the Falls Ballroom. There will be tasting of Polish beer, wine, cheese and aluski. Silent auction, live auction, lots of entertainment and more. The event is a free-will offering for the evening with proceeds going to the cost of sending the youth, ages 16-35 to Poland to be with millions of others for World Youth Day at the end of July.
–Get pictures and stories at the Little Falls Radio Facebook page.
–A number of calls recently in Crow Wing County of bear sightings have residents on high alert. Crosslake police said they have received calls of at least one bear in garbage bins near the community center and on Wildwood Drive. Another call was given to the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office northeast of Brainerd and another south of Brainerd from Barrows all between Friday to Sunday over the past weekend. Morrison County reports of bear sightings throughout the late winter and spring. A reminder to remove garbage and debris after being outdoors, make sure no leftover food remains from cook-outs, make sure the bonfires and campfires for cooking are completely put out as bears are roaming mainly for food and warm shelter from the cool nights.
–Motorists who use the Highway 15/County Road 33/Benton Drive interchange in Sauk Rapids should plan alternate routes and additional time for travel after all ramps at the interchange close at 6am Monday, May 9th. The ramps will open by May 13th. No signed detour will be posted. Motorists should consider using the Highway 15/County Road 29 intersection, about one mile north of the Highway 15/County Road 33/Benton Drive interchange, or seek their own alternate route. Overnight lane closures on segments of Highway 15 between Highway 23 in St. Cloud and the Highway 15/Benton Drive interchange in Sauk Rapids will continue through mid-August.
–Governor Mark Dayton has announced the appointment of Gail T. Kulick as District Court Judge in Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial District. Kulick is replacing the Honorable Conrad I. Freeberg, and will be chambered at Milaca in Mille Lacs County. Kulick earned her B.A. Summa Cum Laude from Saint Cloud State University and her J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School. Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial District consists of Becker, Benton, Clay, Douglas, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Otter Tail, Stearns, Todd, and Wadena Counties.
–The St. Francis Community Chorale from the Convent has been invited to participate in the 2016 Memorial Day observance program at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery on Sunday, May 29th beginning at 1:30pm. The chorale will be performing four patriotic songs at the event. Area singers are invited to join. There will be no auditions but rehearsals will be held on May 12, 19 and 26th at 7pm in room 242 at the St. Francis Music Center.
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny and less windy, high 63.
TONIGHT= clear skies, low around 40.
THURSDAY= partly cloudy, warmer high 75, low around 50.
FRIDAY= sunny skies, very warm, high 84, storms develop at night.
SPORTS
TWINS= The Twins finish up their series tonight in Houston with pregame at 6:30pm then have Thursday off before traveling to Chicago for a weekend series with the White Sox. Catch the Twins all season long on your FM home of Twins baseball Q92 WYRQ.
TODAY IN HISTORY
IN 1878= the phonograph is first used publicly at Grand Opera House
IN 1919= Major League Baseball announced that baseball games could legally be played on Sundays. Some cities such as New York and Philadelphia waited even longer before allowing Sunday games.
IN 1932= Al Capone is convicted of tax evasion- jailed in Atlanta.