NEWS --Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day. It is the 4th Thursday in November and this is the earliest that the day can fall. Most offices, businesses, federal, state, county and city offices are closed. Some department and other stores are open and have special hours or are closed today so it is best to call ahead. The Annual Thanksgiving Meal is being served from 11:00am to 1:00pm at the Little Falls Community High School. The meal is free and open to all. Drop off your desserts from 8-10am Thursday. If you need a ride to it call Tim Sumner at 632-2540. The annual Turkey Trot for charities in Pierz is Thursday with registration at 6:30am and the run starts at 7:45am behind the school in Pierz. Many other organizations such as VA Centers, American Legion and VFW's and others are also holding open and free dinners for many, especially Veterans on Thanksgiving Day.
--Around 9:05am Tuesday the Little Falls Fire Department responded to a shed fire in Pike Creek Township. The fire at the LeeRoy Host address of 15945 120th Avenue was reported by a neighbor as Host was not home at the time of the fire. The shed and all its contents including a forklift, wood and other miscellaneous items were a total loss. 18-firefighters were on scene for two hours and were able to contain the fire to the one shed as a nearby shed avoided heavy damage. The cause is under investigation but an outdoor wood burner next to the shed may have led to the fire. There was another shed fire the Little Falls Fire Department responded to back on Friday around 7:40pm at the address of 17104 233rd Street in Ripley Township. This fire was contained to the outdoor wood burner as the shed sustained only minor damage. 22 firefighters were on scene Friday for less than an hour. There were no injuries in either incident.
--Morrison, Crow Wing and Todd County Sheriffs would like to remind everyone that the lake surfaces in our area are not yet safe for foot or vehicle traffic. The temperatures have not been cold enough for an adequate amount of ice to form. Do not rely on a cell phones to call for help if you end up in the water as cell phones will often not work once they are submerged in water. If you venture out on thin ice, you are endangering yourself and the lives of the rescuers who are called to assist you. The Minnesota DNR does have recommended ice thickness guidelines that should be followed. General ice thickness guidelines For New, Clear Ice Only is with 2" or less - STAY OFF; 4" - Ice fishing or other activities on foot; 5" - Snowmobile or ATV; 8" - 12" - Car or small pickup; 12" - 15" - Medium truck. Remember that these thicknesses are merely guidelines for new, clear, solid ice. Many factors other than thickness can cause ice to be unsafe.
--A 56-year old man died Saturday following a gunshot wound while deer hunting in Aitkin County. The Aitkin County Sheriff's Office reported the man was hunting with family on family owned land in Pliny Township about 6 miles northeast of McGrath. It was reported the family group was hunting together making a deer "drive" for a wounded deer while others were standing. A shot or shots were reported to have been fired at a moving deer and believed to have struck the victim. The incident is under investigation by the sheriff's office and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Identification is pending with the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office.
--The Fishhouse parade is at 1pm on Friday in downtown Aitkin and the Santa Parade is Friday at 6pm in Little Falls.
--On Tuesday the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office conducted a test of their Everbridge mass notification system. If you received a call on your phone from Sheriff Shawn Larsen asking you to stand by for an alert message, please disregard. This was only a test.
--Sgt. Neil Dickenson of the Minnesota State Patrol stated Tuesday on Little Falls Radio that there is a large safe and sober enforcement campaign beginning today. Thanksgiving eve over the past years has been a large night of DWI arrests and with extra enforcement out tonight and through the holiday weekend they are reminding motorists to buckle and please don't drink and drive.
--Ironton firefighters responded to a fire in a garage Monday afternoon on the 800 block of Mattson Avenue in Ironton. The fire was quickly extinguished though many items inside the garage were lost the garage itself and larger items suffered minor damage.
--St. Cloud Police are wrapping up their investigation into bloody deer carcasses that were dumped last week on the hoods of two cars owned by Somali-American men. Investigative files will be sent to prosecutors Tuesday for possible charges. The complete files will be sent to both the city and county attorney's offices. Police say a white man and his 14-year old son dumped the skinned carcasses on the Somali men's cars outside a YMCA on Wednesday night. Investigators used surveillance video to track down the pair.
--Motorists who travel Interstate 94 between Highway 241 in St. Michael and Highway 101 in Rogers may encounter delays as the outside lanes on both directions of the road close intermittently Monday and Tuesday All ramps will remain open. Eastbound I-94 will be reduced from three lanes to two lanes for two days. Westbound I-94 will be reduced from three lanes to two lanes for several hours during one day. The schedule is weather dependent. The closures are needed while crews perform maintenance along the shoulder. Motorists approaching the work zones should slow down and be prepared to stop if necessary. For real-time travel information anywhere in Minnesota, visit www.511mn.org.
--The Morrison County ADA, Coborn's Marketplace and AM960 KLTF is bringing back the Holiday Dairy Recipe Contest which will have a kickoff next Thursday at 10am for Party Line on KLTF. Drop off, mail, fax or email your dairy recipes in before next Thursday to be in the drawing for 12 contestants who will vie for three buckets filled with dairy products. Mail your recipes to KLTF 16405 Haven Road, Little Falls MN 56345, fax 320-632-2571, drop them off during regular office hours or email melanie@fallsradio.com before next Thursday.
WEATHER TODAY= cloudy skies, turning breezy, highs around 20. TONIGHT= cloudy skies, low around 17. THANKSGIVING= partly sunny, a bit warmer, high 34. THURS NIGHT= rain showers after midnight, temps rising to 40. FRIDAY= cloudy, rain likely high 43, rain to snow after 8pm low 29. SATURDAY= snow early, ½ inch, then cloudy, high 34, low 23. SUNDAY= cloudy and colder, high 26 then dropping to 4 above late.
The offices of Little Falls Radio will be closed Thursday for Thanksgiving Day and there will be no newsletter delivered tomorrow. There will be a newsletter delivered on Friday. Happy Thanksgiving from the staff of Little Falls Radio and thanks for listening to LF Radio and online at fallsradio.com.