NEWS
--The Little Falls City Council met Monday night. At the meeting the council approved a preliminary tax levy increase of 10.29% for a preliminary levy of $3,911,500. The preliminary budget was set at $10,843,650. These numbers are only preliminary and the final levy and budget will be set in December. Finalized numbers are not allowed to be raised above preliminary tax levy levels but can always be lowered. That is why many towns intentionally set preliminary levys higher than they need to be because council members know they can lower them when they are finalized near the end of the year. If you have any questions, you may contact Little Falls city administrator Jon Radermacher at 616-5500.
--Last week the Pierz City Council voted unanimously to leave the preliminary budget and levy where it was in 2016 for 2017. Last year, the Pierz Council voted for a 7.13 percent increase in its 2016 levy, from $280,515 to $300,515. This year they approved a 0% increase.
--The Brainerd City Council Monday night set its 2017 preliminary levy at $5.3 million, an increase of 3 percent over the previous year's levy.
--More than 120 snowplow operators from the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the city of Minneapolis are training the next two weeks at Camp Ripley near Little Falls. MnDOT’s snowplow operator training program, known as SPOT, is a two-week session that highlights a variety of safety measures, plowing techniques and best practices. The session provides trainees with updates on new equipment, policies and procedures related to winter highway maintenance operations. As part of SPOT, MnDOT maintenance supervisors and other staff provide classroom and hands-on training and share their experience and insights with the trainees. SPOT began in 2004. When the current session ends September 30th MnDOT will have trained more than 1,500 snowplow operators.
MnDOT will conduct a second SPOT session Oct. 17-28 for an additional 105 snowplow operators from MnDOT, the city of St. Paul, and Mcleod and Anoka counties.
--Placing campaign signs and other unauthorized signs or objects in state highway rights of way is not allowed under state law, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. In addition, political signs may not be placed on private property outside of the right of way limits without landowner consent. Highway rights of way include the driving lanes, inside and outside shoulders, ditches and sight corners at intersections. MnDOT crews will remove any unlawfully placed signs and impound them at one of its local maintenance truck stations or another local site. Political campaign signs are treated in the same way as any other signs or objects wrongly placed on state highway property by businesses, churches, private citizens, charitable groups or other organizations.
--The Brainerd fire department was called to a shed fire Sunday around 1:45pm on First Avenue Northeast. The shed was a total loss before firefighters arrived on scene. Authorities did manage to keep the fire contained without any other structures damaged. There were no injuries reported.
--A reminder that there will be an informational meeting about the Camp Ripley Veterans State Trail with Cathy VanRisseghem and Bob Reinitz at the Little Falls Senior Center tomorrow at 8:30am.
--Bethel Lutheran Church serving a pasty meal on Thursday night from 5-7pm at the church on the west side of Little Falls.
--The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force has taken over the investigation of the Crossroads Center mall stabbing attacks. As is customary, the investigation has been transitioned to the FBI’s JTTF for a thorough evaluation of the facts and motivation behind the incident. St. Cloud police will continue to assist the FBI as it investigates. Dahir Adan has been identified as the man who entered the mall, stabbed at least 10 people and then was shot and killed by former Albany Police Chief Jason Falconer.
--Yesterday the National President of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary, Collette Bishop stopped in Little Falls. Bishop met with Mayor Greg Zylka, Camp Ripley Post Commander Colenol Scott St. Sauver and many other dignitaries. She visited Linden Hill, The State Veteran's Cemetery and Camp Ripley on her visit and stopped in on AM960 KLTF's Party Line with her entourage which included the Minnesota VFW Auxiliary President and others representing a number of organizations and the community. VFW Auxiliary President Bishop discussed her mission to promote volunteering at VA Hospitals and to provide scholarships to students expressing their patriotism through art speech and voluteering. She also discussed her passion in helping homeless veterans all over the United States. Bishop, though never in the military herself joined the VFW Auxiliary as her father was in the U.S. Navy and fought overseas during World War II.
--St. Cloud Police say a St. Stephen man led them on a four mile chase, before being blocked into a dead end road. The incident happened just after 1:00am on Tuesday at the intersection of 7th Street North and 32nd Avenue North. Police say they attempted to stop 34-year-old Ryan Ritter after he was seen going through a traffic light. He failed to stop for the officer and after a four mile chase, turned down a dead end road. Ritter was boxed in by the officer and arrested without incident. He is in Stearns County Jail facing charges of fleeing police in a vehicle and driving after cancellation. No one was hurt and no property was damaged during the chase.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT
--Jim and Amanda Hoffman of Pierz, girl on September 17th
DEATH NOTICES
--Louis Mrozek, age 71 of Blaine.
WEATHER
TODAY= showers and storms by afternoon, high 66.
TONIGHT= showers and storms in evening, cloudy, low 54.
THURSDAY= cloudy, midday showers and T-storms, high 65, low 53.
FRIDAY= cloudy, rain likely at times, some thunder, high 60, low 50.
SPORTS
TWINS= Tigers beat up Twins 8-1 Tuesday. Detroit continues series at Twins game 2 tonight 6:30pm on Q92 WYRQ
COL FB= Colorado State at Gophers Saturday 10am AM960 KLTF
TODAY IS HISTORY
IN 1814= Star Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key first published.
IN 1937= J.R.R. Tolkien publishes “The Hobbit”
IN 1957= Raymond Burr as “Perry Mason” debuts on CBS TV.
IN 1970= first episode of Monday Night Football airs on ABC TV.
IN 1981= Sandra Day O'Connor first woman on U.S. Supreme Court.