NEWS
--There will be a change in coronation this year in Little Falls. The coronation of the Little Falls homecoming King and Queen will be held next Friday, October 6th at 10:30am during a pep fest in the high school gym. The queen and king will reign over the homecoming parade that begins at 2:00pm behind the Little Falls Community Middle School. It will proceed east on 11th Street SE traveling around the Little Falls Community High School and west on 5th Avenue SE on the south end of the high school. It will then turn north on Ninth Street SE to Lindbergh Elementary School and proceed to Fifth Street SE, where it will turn south just behind Mary of Lourdes Elementary School. The parade then turns east on Third Avenue SE and ends at the west parking lot of the high school. The Flyers host the Foley for the homecoming football game under the theme of “Fear the Flyers.”
--New data from the FBI shows a significant drop in the number of homicides in Minnesota. While violent crime remained relatively unchanged, homicides dropped about 25 percent from 2015 to 2016, per 100,000 residents. Minnesota’s rate of decline was third nationwide, behind North Dakota and Connecticut. Last year, there were 101 homicides statewide, down from 131 in 2015. Minnesota is among seven states where violent crime rates remained flat last year, meaning they changed by less than 1 percent. Eleven states saw crime decline.
--The city of Little Falls on their website posted a story stating Public Improvement Project PI 376 is now substantially complete and the public hearing to adopt the final assessment roll has been held. Property owners are now able to pay all or a portion of their assessments prior to the City certifying to Morrison County the 2018 payment of the assessment on your property taxes. Payments may be paid at City Hall prior to October 31st. After October 31st, the City calculates the interest on the unpaid balance for collection. This project is impacting about 50 properties in Little Falls. Each of the property owners has received this information.
--Another Little Falls church will be celebrating a large anniversary in October. Living Hope Assembly of God will celebrate 75 years in next month. The church founded in 1942 was first on 300 East Broadway in Little Falls, they moved to the next lot on Broadway in 1960. In 1988 the sold the land for what is now the Morrison County Government Center and held services at Little Falls High School then in 1989 Living Hope purchased the land north of town on Haven Road where the current building stands. Last year the church was expanded from a project. A special event will be held on October 8th with service, lunch, presentation and open house for 75 years.
--A man who was accused of assaulting six people at St. Cloud Hospital was sentenced to two years in custody on Monday. The sentence for 34-year old Matthew Lee Sanders gives him credit for the 524 days he already has spent in custody. In March 2012, Sanders was arrested at the hospital after officers subdued him with a Taser. Police said at the time that injuries included loose or cracked teeth, and some victims required stitches. The victims included a hospital security officer, four hospital patient care staff and one patient. Those most significantly injured were a hospital security staffer and a patient care staffer. Sanders pleaded guilty in May to two felony counts of assault. Four misdemeanor counts were dismissed. Sanders was identified as a St. Cloud resident at the time of the attacks but is listed in court as from Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
--County unemployment rates for August have been released by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. The not seasonally adjusted numbers show Morrison County registered at 4.1% unemployment in August, up from 3.9% in July, but down from 4.5% last August. Here is what our other area counties registered at with August unemployment rates: Aitken 4.6%, Benton 3.6%, Cass 4.4%, Crow Wing 3.5%, Mille Lacs 4.5%, Sherburne 3.5%, Stearns 3.3%, Todd 3.4%, and Wadena County at 4.5%. The city of Brainerd registered at 4.1% while St. Cloud came in at 3.9%. The state average unemployment in August was 3.6% while the national average was 4.5%.
--The St. Cloud City Council moved Monday night to temporarily postpone a public hearing on raising the tobacco purchasing age to 21. City Council members were expected to schedule a public hearing on the matter for October 9th. Instead, council members will hold a study session on the issue in October in order to be better prepared for a public hearing in November.
--A wrongful death lawsuit was settled Monday between Pinnacle Recovery Services and its doctor in a case involving a 26-year old Crow Wing County man who died from an accidental overdose of methadone prescribed by the doctor. The family of Austin Paolo sued the clinic and doctor after the son died from an overdose and the clinic had been found of working with people and prescribed medications to those who have abused heroin and other opiates in ways of help them wean off the heavier drugs only to have them addicted to the narcotic pain medications which the family believed led to Paolo's death. According to the settlement Pinnalce will pay $105,000 to Paolo's next of kin and pay for the family's legal fees.
--The Pillager Fire Department conducted a live burn training exercise Saturday on property along Cass County Road 18 near the Corner Store. The fire was allowed to destroy the house while firefighters monitored the burn. Firefighters received a number of calls on Monday about what was happening and wanted the public to understand it was a planned training for their firefighters.
BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT
--Matt and Carolyne Poepping of Pierz, boy on September 24th
DEATH NOTICES
--Frances “Fran” Nennig, age 77 of Little Falls
--Florence Adams, age 100 of Little Falls
--Mary A. (Zajac) Beumer, age 95 of Foley formerly Hillman.
WEATHER
TODAY= sunny skies, high 62, clear night low around 42.
THURSDAY= sunny skies, high 67, clear night low 41.
FRIDAY= partly cloudy, breezy, high near 60, low near 40.
SPORTS
TWINS= Rosario and Dozier homer as Twins beat Cleveland last night 8-6. The Twins magic number is 1 as Angels won last night and Twins could wrap up the last wild card spot tonight at Cleveland where their series continues at 5:30pm on Q92 WYRQ.
LYNX= Lindsey Whalen fired up the Lynx as they defeat Los Angeles last night 70-68 to tie series at 1. Game 3 in LA on Friday night.
WRAP= Saturday Morning Sports Wrap- Saturday 9:05am on KLTF.