NEWS
--With the icy and snowy roads this morning, buses are running two hours late for Pierz, Royalton, Swanville, Upsala, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle and Browerville schools. Stay tuned to Little Falls Radio for any further weather announcements and the latest details.
--Minnesota’s 1,780 townships will hold their annual meeting on Tuesday, March 8, 2022. Known as Township Day, these annual meetings are held every year on the second Tuesday in March. Residents of the townships will meet to voice their opinions about local issues with other township residents and also vote directly on their annual tax levy – direct democracy in action. Citizens attending annual meetings also often discuss and vote on other local issues. In addition, many of the state’s townships will hold their township officer elections on Tuesday’s Township Day. Townships today include over 900,000 Minnesota residents, and we represent an extraordinary form of local government. Township Day annual meetings are your chance to participate in grassroots government. Information Minnesota’s townships: There are approximately 914,174 township residents in 1,780 townships in Minnesota. Townships exist in every area of the state, including the metropolitan area. Some, with populations of more than 1,000, function in much the same way as a small city. While many townships remain rural agricultural centers, other host a variety of residential, light commercial, and industrial development to their areas. To find out more on your township check with your local officials or check with your local government agency.
--A Becker man was killed in a single-vehicle crash in Cass County on Sunday. The Minnesota State Patrol says the crash happened at about 3:45am on Highway 64 near Backus. Fifty-five-year-old Jack Dailey of Becker was heading south in a pickup when it left the road and struck a tree. The State Patrol says alcohol was not a factor in the crash. Troopers say he was not wearing his seatbelt.
--Sheriff Shawn Larsen addressed a situation that received some calls Tuesday morning. A call came in at 5:00am, at Highway 27 and 10th Avenue in Swanville. Multiple Morrison County and Todd County Deputies responded, as well as the State Patrol and the Swanville First Response and Fire Department. Caller was a passerby who believed that a vehicle may have been flipped over in the ditch. No vehicle was located and there were no tracks and/or indication that a vehicle hit the ditch in this area. There was an electric box in the area that had reflectors attached to it, which may have been mistaken for a vehicle. But the sheriff's office believes that was no accident.
--With a goal of getting more state and federal funding for the highways 210 and 371 corridor, the Baxter City Council February 15th approved jointly funding a feasibility study with Crow Wing County. At a cost to Baxter of $5,000, both county and city officials believe taking charge of the initial study presents the best chance of moving the project forward and into the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s State Transportation Improvement Program. For the last several years, the Crow Wing County Highway Department unsuccessfully led local efforts to get the intersection of highways 210 and 371 included in MnDOT 20-year State Transportation Improvement Program. Inclusion in the plan allows MnDOT to spend funds to study the intersection and immediate area, complete environmental reviews and scheduling the selected improvements. The end product would identify the challenges of the intersection, introduce a range of possible solutions and serve as a resource for elected bodies at the state and federal level for further funding.
--Little Falls Fire Chief Craig Seelen on KLTF yesterday reiterated the importance of cleaning fire hydrants after the recent snow falls. Make sure the hydrants at homes where elderly are unable to come out and do this are taken care of. Heating still is a big concern. Wood stoves and portable heaters have been responsible for fires so check chimneys, and have smoke and fire detectors in a room in each level of the home. There is an ordinance to have a smoke detector in each bedroom to hear when an emergency occurs. Smoke detectors save lives. Please do your part to keep you and your families safe from fires. Another reminder is that ice and snow tend to cover everything in Minnesota this time of year. When your natural gas meter is covered with snow and ice, it can create a potentially dangerous situation. Snow can cover your meter possibly blocking the vent on your meters regulator. A blocked vent on your meter could build up gas pressure that can expel gas back into your home or potentially cut gas flow and prevent your appliances and furnace from working properly. The next time you bundle up to go outside, take a closer look at your natural gas meter. If there is snow on the meter, GENTLY brush it clean with your hands or a broom.
--A Staples woman was injured Sunday around 6am in Todd County in a one-vehicle accident. 49-year-old Doreen Kropuenske was traveling on Highway 210 at 171st Avenue when she left the road and struck the ditch. Doreen was taken to Staples Hospital for treatment.
--The Little Falls FFA will be hosting a Community breakfast to finish out FFA week at the Little Falls VFW Sunday from 8:30am-12:30pm. Breakfast includes pancakes, sausage, muffins, milk, coffee and juice for a free will offering. Proceeds go to help send the FFA members leader conferences and conventions. There will also be a silent auction. The breakfast is also a way to give back to the community who have helped with the FFA Chapter in Little Falls.
NATIONAL NEWS
--President Joe Biden ordered heavy U.S. financial sanctions against Russian banks and oligarchs on Tuesday, stepping up the West's confrontation with Moscow, even as Russian lawmakers authorized President Vladimir Putin to use military force outside their country. Biden, in a brief address from the White House, accused Putin of flagrantly violating international law in what he called the “beginning of a Russian invasion of Ukraine," and promised that more sanctions would be coming if Putin proceeds further. The president joined the 27 European Union members who unanimously agreed on Tuesday to levy their own initial set of sanctions targeting Russian officials over their actions in Ukraine. Germany also announced it was halting the process of certifying the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia — a lucrative deal long sought by Moscow but criticized by the U.S. for increasing Europe’s reliance on Russian energy.
WEATHER
WIND CHILL ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 11AM TODAY.
TODAY= sunny and cold, high 5 above, wind chills -15 to -25.
TONIGHT= clear and cold, low -15, wind chills near -25.
THURSDAY= cloudy, flurries, high 8 above, cold night, low -18.
FRIDAY= partly cloudy, high 8 above, cloudy late, low -3.
SPORTS
HS BHK= playoff hockey tonight as #1 seed Little Falls opens up with Sauk Rapids-Rice at 7pm, pregame 6:30pm on Q92 WYRQ.
COL BB= Gophers host Wisconsin tonight 7:30pm on AM960 KLTF.