NEWS
--Thanksgiving is Thursday and with the federal holiday many offices, government agencies, post offices and others are closed and some are also closed on Friday. Many department stores are open today or have early hours Friday for Black Friday. Also Small Business Saturday is this weekend with a day set aside to help local businesses. The offices of Little Falls are closed on Thanksgiving.
--The man who started the fire at the St. Cloud Public Library has been sentenced to nearly 11 years in prison. A Stearns County judge sentenced Jorge Ozornia Monday to a 129 month prison sentence, and he was ordered to pay nearly $957,000 in restitution. Ozonia had plead guilty in September to first-degree arson for the August 17th fire. According to the criminal complaint, a library employee noticed Ozornia tearing pages from a book and feeding a fire that was burning a seat cushion. The witness told the responding officer the suspect told her to call police. Another witness also saw Ozornia using a book to fan the flames and was also told to call police. When an officer arrived on scene Ozornia held his hands out as if to be handcuffed. The officer asked Ozornia if he started the fire and he said he had. The library just reopened earlier this month.
--The Minnesota Department of Transportation urges those who want to mow and/or bale hay on state right of way, land along Minnesota’s state roadways, to put in their permit applications early next year. MnDOT recently adopted a statewide standard for mowing and baling in the right of way and has developed a new permit form. State law requires that MnDOT manage right of way mowing, which includes cutting in advance of baling. And, by state law, it is a misdemeanor to mow on state highway right of way without a permit. The new permit provides information on when and where mowing and baling can occur, safety measures required and how long baled hay can be left in the right of way. Large round hay bales are heavy and can be a significant hazard to vehicles that might run into the ditch. Landowners who want to mow on right of way adjacent to their property need to apply for a permit before the end of January. The new permit can be found at mndot website.
–One person was hurt when the pickup they were driving left the road and struck a tree. The Minnesota State Patrol says it happened at about 3:15am Tuesday morning on Highway 23, at County Road 114, near Roscoe. 53-year-old Michael Shepersky of Murdock was driving the pickup, pulling a car trailer, heading east, when the vehicle left the road and hit a tree. Shepersky was taken to St. Cloud Hospital with injuries. His passenger was not hurt.
--The Annual Community Thanksgiving Meal is Thursday 11-1 at Little Falls Community High School. If you wish to donate decorations or desserts to the event they can be dropped off after 8am Thursday. If you need a ride to the event call Tim at 632-2540.
--The Santa Parade is 6pm Friday starts on west side of Little Falls then down 27 to Bank Square and to the Fire Hall. If you still want to get a float in the parade call David Paul at 630-5216.
--The Morrison County Chaplaincy program is hosting a pizza party and coat drive Sunday from 11am-1pm at the Little Falls VFW. For a donation to the food shelf or a coat for the coat drive you can eat all the pizza you want. Come and help the MCC raise its support to help those in need with the cold winter ahead. For more information call Greg Valentine through the Sheriff's Office at 632-9233.
--The Minnesota State Patrol along with more than 300 agencies across the state will be conducting extra DWI enforcement patrols tonight and running weekends through December 30th. Sgt. Neil Dickenson spoke on Little Falls Radio yesterday and stated that in the past years Thanksgiving Eve has been one of the busiest nights of travel and has been as in 2015 a busy night for those drinking and driving and endangering lives. So the enforcement effort was added from November 23rd to December 30th.
--Four people were arrested on several drug charges, including operating a meth lab Tuesday morning. The incident happen inside a home in St. Cloud. The Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force used a search warrant after receiving information of possible drug dealing occurring in the home. During the search a meth lab was found along with numerous chemicals used for making methamphetamine. All parties inside the home were arrested and taken to the Sherburne County Jail awaiting formal charges. 28-year-old Jason Rau, of St. Cloud, was arrested for an active warrant for 4th degree controlled substance charges and possession of a sawed off shotgun, 47-year-old David Turner, of St. Cloud, was arrested for a felony level Department of Corrections warrant, and 21-year-old Dragon Wood-Hillman, of St. Cloud, was arrested for a DANCO violation warrant. The homeowner, 43-year-old Dhanrajia Brooks, was also arrested and may face charges of 1st degree manufacturing of a controlled substance, pending official state lab analysis.
--The Alan Jackson concert that was cancelled Saturday night in Minneapolis has been rescheduled for October 28th of next year. Tickets purchased for the November 19th show will be honored for the show in October of next year at the Target Center.
DEATH NOTICES
--Adam Czech, age 34 of Eagan formerly of Little Falls.
WEATHER
TODAY= snow early, cloudy afternoon, high 34.
TONIGHT= cloudy skies, low 25.
THANKSGIVING= freezing mix to snow by afternoon, high 35.
THURS NIGHT= snow likely 1-2 inches, low 25.
FRIDAY= cloudy early, clearing late, high 35, low 23.
SATURDAY= sunny skies, high near 40, low near 28.
SUNDAY= rain before noon changing to snow, high 38, low 30.
MONDAY= rain and snow likely, windy, high near 35, low near 30.
SPORTS
NFL= Vikings at Detroit for Thanksgiving Day, hear the action as part of a triple-header Thursday starting at 11am on AM960 KLTF. Other games Thursday are Dallas hosting Washington followed by Pittsburgh at Indianapolis on Thursday night football.
COL FB= Gophers at Wisconsin for Paul Bunyan's Axe Saturday afternon in regular seson finale- pregame 1:30 on AM960 KLTF.
COL BB= Gophers beat Arkansas 81-75 last night to go to 5-0 on the season. Gophers vs. Southern Illinois Friday 6:30pm on KLTF.
DUE TO THE OFFICES OF LITTLE FALLS RADIO CLOSED ON THURSDAY AND LIMITED HOURS ON FRIDAY THERE WILL BE NO NEWSLETTER THURSDAY OR FRIDAY THIS WEEK.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM LITTLE FALLS RADIO.