NEWS

--Two men are dead after separate crashes involving ultra light aircrafts. The first was reported shortly after 7:30pm Monday near Pequot Lakes. Authorities say the aircraft made several circles around an open area and then crashed in a field along county road 16 in rural Ideal Township. The 55-year old Daniel Chisholm was pronounced dead at the scene. A separate ultra light aircraft crash was reported shortly after 8:00pm Monday in Sauk Centre Township in Stearns County. The pilot has been identified as 70-year old Richard Eiden of Osakis. The aircraft had taken off from the Sauk Centre airport and witnesses reported seeing it flying low as it neared the National Golf Course and then crashed. The cause of both crashes is unknown at this time as local authorities continue to work with the FAA to determine what happened.

--A phone scam has cost a Todd County resident over two hundred dollars recently. The complaint says someone from New Delhi, India called a Todd county resident offering them a government grant for several thousand dollars if they would send a few hundred dollars to India first. Authorities are again warning against giving out personal information over the phone or sending out money. Remember if you have to pay money to receive money or if it sounds too good to be true, authorities say don’t do it.

--The two suspects arrested following last week’s beating of a 35-year old Brainerd man have both been charged with several assault charges including assault with a dangerous weapon. 30-year old Ronald Robinson and 26-year old Andrea Fitch, both from Brainerd were charged in connection with the beating of Cameron Quickbear. Quickbear was taken to the North Memorial Medical Center where he is still listed in serious condition. The search is continuing for two other individuals believed to be involved in the beating.

--A St. Cloud man showed up for a court hearing related to charges dealing with providing false information and driving after revocation and when officers searched him they found eight packages of LSD and 12 hundred dollars in cash. The man was 26-year old Michael Buersken, and he is currently being held in the Stearns County Jail.

--A daylight robbery near Zimmerman over the weekend ended with two St. Paul men arrested. A witness says the two men, 29-year-old Christopher Lewis and 27-year-old Geoff McCloskey backed up a truck to a model home, loaded a washer and dryer and drove off. They gave a description of the men and truck to police and the pair was arrested a short time later in Elk River. They remain in custody at the Sherburne County jail.
--A Bemidji man is dead following a one-car accident in Fern Township of Hubbard County. Authorities found the body of 35-year-old Brent Holm under his vehicle in a roadside ditch Saturday. The sheriff has not released any details. Investigators hope an autopsy will shed more light on Holm’s death.

--The Food and Drug Administration now says that tomatoes are fine to eat but to stay away from jalapeno peppers. More than 1,200 cases of salmonella have been reported since May caused by raw jalapenos. The strain has been found in a Texas food plant that sends jalapenos to 20 states including Minnesota and the recent strain has sent 230 people to the hospital. State Health officials say no reports of illness from peppers has been reported in Minnesota but you are best to avoid the peppers until the Center for Disease Control concludes their investigation.

MORE NEWS

--The Morrison County Fair begins this evening at 6 at the fairgrounds east of Little Falls. Parking is $2 for night or $5 for the whole weekend. Tonight’s events include all Midway rides are $1. Tomorrow through Saturday there are events scheduled throughout the entire day. For information on all the events go to fallsradio.com and click on the Morrison County Fair link.

--Some good news about gas prices in Minnesota for the first time in a while as the state average for a gallon of regular unleaded has dropped 15 cents in the past week. Triple A’s Dawn Duffy says record prices kept many drivers off the roads and reduced demand for gasoline means since last week and analysts expect that to continue as the American dollar gains strength. Minnesotans are now paying an average $3.84 a gallon at the pumps. Some stations in the St. Cloud area are charging $3.65 and gas is currently around $3.69 in the west Metro.

--Wildlife officials are trying to get to the bottom of a major bird die-off on two Minnesota lakes. The Department of Natural Resources Michelle Carsensen says as of Friday, they had found nearly 700 cormorants, three-dozen pelicans, plus other assorted birds dead at Minnesota lakes in Fairbault County and at Pigeon Lake in Meeker County. Carstensen says initial tests for Avian Influenza came back negative. Additional test results are expected in a couple of days.

--A teacher in Stillwater is Minnesota’s new teacher of the year. Derek Olson, a 6^th grade social studies teacher at Afton-Lakeland Elementary replaces Carleen Gulstad who was named teacher of the year in May but resigned for personal reasons. Olson says he’s honored with the award but adds his greatest achievement as an educator will always be each and every time he’s had the opportunity to impact and child’s life in a positive way. Olson will serve as spokesman for the state’s teachers and will be Minnesota’s nominee for national teacher of the year for 2009.

DEATH NOTICES

--George Melby, age 92 of Little Falls.

WEATHER

TODAY= mostly sunny, highs around 80.

TONIGHT= partly cloudy, overnight showers & storms, low 63.

THURSDAY= mostly cloudy, showers and thunderstorms in the morning then again developing late in the day, high near 85.

FRIDAY= partly cloudy, a possible thunderstorm, high 85.

SPORTS

TWINS= another tough loss for the Twins losing to New York 8-2 last night. Twins and Yankees wrap up the series with the Bronx Bombers today at 11:35 on Q92 WYRQ.

TODAY IN HISTORY

IN 1829= William Burt patented the first typewriter.

IN 1903= Ford Motor Company sold its first automobile.

IN 1904= Charles Minches of St. Louis invented the ice cream cone

IN 1982= Coca Cola introduced Diet Coke

IN 1986= Britain’s Price Andrew and Sarah Ferguson were married.

IN 2000= Tiger Woods won British Open to win the Grand Slam at 24

IN 2007= Drew Carey announced he was new host of Price is Right.

“Hot Hits” has the music Wednesday through Saturday at WS Bar

July 22^nd, 2008

NEWS

--Organizers for the Morrison County Relay for Life last weekend in Little Falls raised around $171,000 for cancer research. They say the books won’t be closed until the end of August and you can still make monetary donations to the cause. Contact Linda Paycer at Bank of the west to make the donation. Also congratulations to the top teams at last weekends relay in Little Falls. They were Pat’s Patriots and Bookin’ It as many others joined in on the evening’s events.

--A 12-year-old girl is on an ambitious quest to raise a lot of money to help our men and women in uniform. Eliese Madgett Manrique left Buffalo on June 7^th on horseback and will ride around the state until arriving at the State Capitol in St. Paul on August 31^st. Along the way she hopes to raise money to build a place called “The Ranch” where soldiers when they come home can stay free of charge to heal and recuperate and enjoy the outdoors. She’s at the halfway point on her journey and stopped at Camp Ripley yesterday. She says she will not stop until she makes her goal. A number of major corporations are adding to the effort, if you’d like to help you can go to her webpage at onegirloneride.com and make a donation.

--A St. Cloud man is listed in critical condition after being run over by a semi-truck. The state patrol says 24-year-old Kelly Fischbach apparently attempted to jump on the truck as it was pulling out of a gas station early Monday in Clearwater when he slipped off and was run over. He was taken to the St. Cloud Hospital and then transferred to the Twin Cities. The driver of the semi was not hurt.

--A Long Prairie man was jailed after he attempted to out run police after being stopped in St. Cloud over the weekend. 48-year-old James Moot, was pulled over about 6AM and after a brief conversation drove away hitting a stop sign and then ran into a house where he was later arrested. He was taken to the Sherburne County jail in Elk River awaiting charges of fleeing police, burglary and DUI.

--Some apparent cattle rustling has been reported in Long Prairie as a farmer reported there was 10 Holstein steers taken from his residence. He says he thinks they were taken from his farm between July 3^rd and the 15^th. The steers which weighed about 850-900 pounds are valued at about 600-dollars each. If you have information you’re asked to call the Todd County Sheriff’s Office.

--A Fergus Falls man is hospitalized after colliding with a state patrol squad car Monday. 26-year-old Justin Anderson was reportedly driving west on Interstate 94 when he rear-ended and empty squad car. The trooper was out helping another trooper at a nearby crash when the accident happened. Anderson was taken to a Fargo Hospital with only minor injuries. No one else was hurt.

--EXCEL Energy has joined Center-Point Energy in telling their customers to brace for some huge increases in their heating costs this winter. Both utilities say those bills could go up as much as 50% or more by this fall with price increases already in hand for those on budget plans. One Minneapolis customer says his bill was up 75%. There is less natural gas in storage than last year and tighter supplies will help to push prices even higher.

--Todd County authorities reported that someone broke into and damaged property at Long Prairie Machinery sometime over last weekend. They did not report if anything was stolen or what the extent of the damage was. Anyone with information is asked to the Todd County Sheriff’s Office.

MORE NEWS

--The Morrison County Fair begins tomorrow evening at 6 at the fairgrounds east of Little Falls. For information on all the events go to fallsradio.com and click on the Morrison County Fair link.

--Former State Representative Mark Olson of Big Lake has filed for State Senate in District 16 for the special election in November to replace the vacancy left by Representative Betsy Wergin of Princeton. Olson joined Baldwin Township Supervisor Jeff Holm and Big Lake resident Alison Krueger on the Republican side and a primary will be set for September 9^th to narrow the field to two. Olson was convicted last summer on domestic assault charges and did not file for re-election in his House district. The DFL will be represented in November for the senate seat by Zimmerman resident and Princeton School Board chairwoman Lisa Fobbe and Milaca resident and Assistant Mille Lacs County Attorney Mark J. Herzing.

--A 19-year-old Albany man was injured in an accident last week in Farming Township. Nickolas Gertken was operating a dirt bike on County Road 41, 4 miles south of Albany, when he left the road and crashed. Gertken was treated at an area hospital with minor injuries.

--Two teenagers have been charged and police have now released the name of a man stabbed to death early Sunday morning in Willmar. The victim is 23-year-old Adam Milton of Willmar. His body was found on the lawn of an apartment building. A 17-year-old male is charged with 2^nd-degree murder and another 17-year-old male is accused of obstructing the legal process. Witnesses say the two were in a fight with Milton earlier that night.

--Four people were hurt in a two-vehicle accident Saturday night in Stearns County. 18-year-old Kaleb Koopmeiners of Clearwater was on County Road 44 in Lynden Township when he turned onto County Road 44 and into the side of a vehicle driven by 41-year-old James Farrand of Clearwater. Farrand and two passengers along with one of Koopmeiner’s passengers were all taken to St. Cloud Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Koopmeiners was not hurt. The accident is still under investigation in Stearns County.

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT

--Josh and Shari Villeneuve of Little Falls, a boy born July 18^th

WEATHER

TODAY=Sunshine, High of 80

TONIGHT=Clear skies with a low of 58

WEDNESDAY=Sunshine becomes partly cloudy high of 83, chance of evening storms low of 62

THURSDAY=Possible early day storms, high of 84

SPORTS

TWINS= MONDAY GAME: The Twins fell to the Yankees last night 12-4. Twins and Yankees play game 2 tonight at 5:35 on Q92 WYRQ.

REGION 8C= The Tournament field is set for this weekend at Pierz Legion Park. Saturday at 11 it’s Lastrup vs. Upsala, then Sobieski vs. Buckman. The night games have Fort Ripley vs. Avon at 5pm followed by St. Stephen vs. Brainerd with 2 elimination games and 2 winner’s brackets then on Sunday. Catch all 8 games over the weekend on AM960 KLTF and online at fallsradio.com.

“Hot Hits” has the music Wednesday through Saturday at WS Bar

July 21^st, 2008

NEWS

--The upper Midwest’s largest family-owned boat dealer is closing half of its stores and laying-off two-thirds of its employees. Crystal-Pierz Marine is closing the doors on six stores and eliminating 100 positions because of what company president Luke Kujawa calls some the toughest challenges ever and the worst for marine sales in 40 years. Crystal-Pierz Marine started as Pierz Marine in Pierz by Luke’s father Myron Kujawa in 1983. The affected locations are Rogers, Forest Lake, St. Cloud, Duluth, The Lake Mille Lacs Area in Onamia and Clear Lake, Iowa. The stores are expected to close in a few weeks following liquidation of more than 700 units. This comes after the two boating manufacturers in Little Falls announced major cuts. Larson/Glastron owned by Genmar Holdings announced layoffs last month but did not say how many workers were cut. Also in June, Brunswick Corporation which manufactures Crestliner Boats in Little Falls announced it was restructuring to cut $300-million dollars from its budget. It said that 1,000 workers will be laid off and four plants will close, but did not say which ones. Just last year, both businesses added jobs to their Little Falls plants. Stearns Inc. which made life vests and other water sport/outdoor products had to close its doors in Grey Eagle and send 61 people out of work as well as cutting 105 jobs from their Sauk Rapids plant due to lack of products being sold.

--A 21-year-old St. Anthony man is charged with murder in Thursday’s shooting death of a New Brighton woman and the attempted shooting of her daughter. Ramsey County prosecutors say Corey Gaustad shot the 48-year-old woman after he apparently became upset that her 17-year-old daughter was no longer interested in a relationship with him. Gaustad allegedly fired at the daughter but missed. Gaustad was arrested without incident Friday in Rochester. The name of the victim has not been released.

--Benton County authorities are looking for information into two stolen ATV’ s from Little Rock Lake. The ATV’s were a red Polaris Phoenix 200cc with license 598UD and a yellow Polaris Sportsman 400cc with license 599UD. They were taken within the past 2 weeks separately and without the keys being taken. Anyone with information should contact Benton County authorities.

--Two Willmar men have been arrested following an armed robbery at a Willmar convenience store Thursday. Willmar police state that a man wearing a ski mask came into the store and pointed a gun at employees demanding money. A short time later, police arrested 20-year-old Dustin Streich and 25-year-old Brian Dewane. The two are also being connected with another gas station robbery last month.

--Two men appeared in Hubbard County court recently on burglary charges and causing a shooting spree in Park Rapids. 18-year-old Joshua Finn of Alexandria and 20-year-old Jesse Evans of Park Rapids were arrested for shooting a gun in a parking lot on July 13^th. A search of their vehicle led to the finding of stolen property from 25 to 30 other reported crimes over the past two weeks in Wadena and Hubbard Counties that included burglaries and multiple shootings at cars, school buses and houses. Finn and Evans remained jailed in Hubbard County on a slew of felony charges.

--The Center of Disease Control show more than a quarter of Minnesota’s population is obese. The CDC says between 25 and 29% of the state’s body mass index is over 30, the level where obesity starts. Only Colorado had a number lower then the 20 that the CDC was of good health and weight, they were at an average of 18.7.

MORE NEWS

--Morrison County Commissioner Jeff Schiling will have no opponent in November on the ballot in District 2. Not so for Tom Wenzel in District 1 who has 4 other candidates vying for his seat. A primary will be held on September 9^th for the top 2 to vie for the seat in November. Up against Wenzel is Sharon Ballou, Brian-Paul Crowder, Kevin Maurer and Ian Newkirk. In District 3, where Gene Young has announced he will not seek reelection, there are 3 running and again a primary will be held on September 9^th for the top 2 from Richard Collins, Perry Nouis and Charles “Chuck” Parins.

--Two hundred and seventy-eight Soldiers, from the St. Paul-based 2nd Battalion, 147th Assault Helicopter Battalion are expected to arrive at Volk Field, Wisconsin this morning. Upon their return to Wisconsin these Soldiers will undergo between five and seven days of medical and administrative out processing before being reunited with their families in Minnesota. The 2nd Battalion, 147th Assault Helicopter Battalion flew UH-60 "Blackhawk" combat helicopters.  The unit handled a variety of missions while in Iraq.

--Four people were hurt when the vehicle that 42-year-old Maria John of Dayton was driving rolled on Highway 25 near the Morrison/Benton County line Thursday night. John and 3 of the 4 in the vehicle sustained minor injuries and were treated at an area hospital. A 2-year-old who was also in the vehicle was not hurt.

--The Morrison County Commissioners will meet Tuesday at 9am at the government center. They will hear many reports from county authorities including Social Services, Public Health, Planning and Zoning, Treasurer Deb Gruber and Sheriff Michel Wetzel.

--Since the inception of the ZAP (Zero Alcohol Provider) Program, three individuals have been charged with providing alcohol to underage consumers and 14 underage consumers have also been charged. The program was put together by a grant applied for by Todd County Public Health. The program was used successfully on May 9^th in Stowe Prairie Township and June 26^th in the Lake Charlotte area near Long Prairie. There is a toll-free number to call for tips on underage consumption at 800-731-1847, and you can be anonymous.

DEATH NOTICES

--Donald Pipehagen, age 87 of Hibbing.

--Robert Seurer, age 77 of Upsala.

--Evangeline Block, age 75 of Lastrup.

--Orpha Faust, age 66 of St. Paul.

--Elaine Hager, age 85 of Cushing.

--John Hopkins, age 76 of Onamia

WEATHER

TODAY= partly cloudy, high in the low 80’s

TONIGHT= mostly clear skies, low near 60.

TUESDAY= partly cloudy, high near 80.

WEDNESDAY= late day thunderstorms develop, high 85.

SPORTS

TWINS= Twins win 6-0 Friday, 14-2 Saturday over Texas before falling 1-0 on Sunday. The Twins open up a series with the New York Yankees tonight at 5:35 on Q92 WYRQ.

REGION 8C= The Region 8C tournament begin Saturday in Pierz.

Catch all 8 games this weekend live on AM960 KLTF and also online at www.fallsradio.com.

“Hot Hits” has the music beginning Wednesday at West Side Bar

July 18^th, 2008

NEWS

--Five people have filed for the 3 seats up for election in November for Little Falls School Board. Those vying for the seats are Robert Stoltman and Greg Zylka, whose seats are up for re-election. The other three are Leslie Russell-Martin, Marge Brutcher and former school board member Jay Spillum. Because only 5 filed, no primary election is needed and the 5 will vie for the 3 positions at the November general election. Other schools like Pierz, Crosby-Ironton and Wadena will have elections later this year. Their filing dates are later this month into early August.

--The Pierz City Council has formally hired the city’s new police chief. Kyle Hoehne, who is currently the police chief in Wabasso, is expected to be on the job next month. In June, the council said Hoehne was their choice but the formal hiring was delayed until a number of examinations had been completed. Hoehne is a 14-year veteran of law enforcement.

--Another suspect has been arrested in connection with the beating of a Brainerd man Tuesday night. 30-year-old Ronald Robinson of Brainerd was taken into custody late Wednesday and a third suspect identified as 31-year-old Cord Thomas Robinson is still being sought. Early Wednesday, police arrested 26-year-old Andrea Fitch and later in the afternoon another suspect turned himself in to authorities and is cooperating to locate the other man involved. The victim remains at North Memorial Medical Center and is improving from this brutal assault. Brainerd police say sticks and bats were used in the attack and recovered from the scene.

--Area judges in central Minnesota will be on the ballot without challengers in November. Sitting judges in district courts up for election include Frank Kundrat, Frederick Grunke and Thomas Knapp in Stearns County, Michael Jesse in Benton County and Conrad Freeberg in Morrison County all vying for another term in the 7^th Judicial District seats.

--Child pornography charges are pending against a St. Cloud man. 42-year-old Dennis Lemke was indicted by a grand jury this week accusing him of taking movies and photographs of young children. A federal complaint had been filed last month after St. Cloud police, armed with a search warrant, found a camera at his home that contained several hundred images of child pornography and he was identified in several of the pictures. A complaint last fall accused Lemke of touching a girl at day care center run by his wife. That led to the search warrant followed by this week’s grand jury indictment.

--Benton County Commissioners and department heads met yesterday to discuss security in light of a June 24^th shooting in Little Falls. Like many counties Benton’s court building has numerous security measures but like Morrison County the least secure area is the boardroom area where meetings are held. Employee training on how to handle confrontations could help de-escalate a situation and emergency management recommended that county employees receive training such as many area schools. Other suggestions included the panic buttons and more cameras to be monitored. A committee will look at all of the options and report back to the Benton County Board in about six months.

--The Morrison County Relay for Life is tonight at the Middle School Track. Survivors Dinner at 5pm, Opening Ceremony at 7 and the Luminary ceremony begins at 10pm. The Relay for Life continues to help to try to find a cure for cancer.

MORE NEWS

--The “boyfriend defense” stands in the case of the Guatemalan woman accused of driving the van that collided with a school bus in Cottonwood that killed four and injured many others. A judge says Olga Franco’s attorney can argue that her boyfriend, Francisco Mendoza was driving at the time of the crash and fled the scene afterward. Mendoza is still missing. Franco’s trial starts July 28^th.

--The latest economic news for Minnesota is good as unemployment dropped a tenth-of-a-point in June to 5.3% and employees added 3,400 new jobs. An economic update released last week takes some of the shine off yesterday numbers. That report says the current “economic weakness” will likely extend into early 2009. Analysts point to energy prices well beyond what was previously projected, plus they note housing markets remain severely depressed. The state’s economic forecasting service predicts oil prices will peak at $160 a barrel late this year before dropping slightly in 2009.

--A U.S. House report shows Minnesota spent only 51% of its available federal highway bridge program funds on bridges while some other states spending was significantly higher. Congressman Tim Walz says much of the problem may be alleviated by matching funds in a new transportation bill. MN DOT’s Abigail McKenzie says the state transportation department uses more than just one source of funding. She says in addition to bridge program funds, they use interstate maintenance funds, national highway system funds and surface transportation money, plus those from state highway funds.

DEATH NOTICES
--Eugene S. Long, age 69 of Rice.

--Clarence F. Hines, age 91 of Randall.

--Lenin Leaf, age 71 of Onamia.

WEATHER

TODAY= partly cloudy, highs around 80.

TONIGHT= partly cloudy, low of 57.

SATURDAY= partly cloudy, 40% chance of PM storms, high 80.

SUNDAY= partly cloudy, 30% chance of thunderstorms, high 85.

MONDAY= partly cloudy, highs in the 80’s.

SPORTS
GOLF= Pierz’s Robert Bell won in a playoff yesterday to win his third state championship since June and his second in two weeks.

TWINS= Twins are back in action tonight after the All Star Break as they host Texas for a 3-game set. Games are tonight at 7:10, tomorrow at 6:10 and Sunday at 1:10. Catch them on Q92 WYRQ

VL= catch the Victory League game of the week Saturday at 1:30 for a region qualifying match then the final Victory League Roundup Sunday night at 6:30 on AM960 KLTF.

TODAY IN HISTORY

IN 1914= 6 U.S. Army planes formed Signal Corps Aviation Division.

IN 1927= Tiger’s Ty Cobb hit #4000, first player to reach the mark.

IN 1936= first Oscar Mayer “Wienermobile” was completed.

IN 1976= Olympic gymnast Nadia Comaneci earned a perfect score of 10 on the uneven parallel bars. It was 1st 10 ever given in event.

IN 1983= Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel began a 19-city tour. It was their first tour together since their breakup in 1970.

“Hot Hits” tonight and tomorrow at West Side Bar

July 17^th, 2008

NEWS

--Wednesday brought morning rains to some areas of central Minnesota and the National Weather Service says unsettled air continues today for central and southern Minnesota with still a good chance of heavy rains and some severe thunderstorms through tonight. Drier and less humid air is predicted for Friday.

--Brainerd police say two men are wanted for their involvement in the beating of a 35-year-old Brainerd man late Tuesday. Police were called to a fight between the victim, Cameron Quickbear and four to six individuals. Quickbear was taken to North Memorial Medical Center in critical condition but was upgraded to fair condition late yesterday. 26-year-old Andrea Fitch of Brainerd, who is believed to know the suspects and has been charged with several crimes in Crow Wing County in the past, was arrested and is being held in the Crow Wing County Jail. Brainerd Police Chief John Bolduc also said one of the suspects turned himself into police and after talking to him stated they have previous contact with the other suspects in the assault.

--A young girl from Eagle Valley Township in Todd County was injured when she was run over by an ATV. The girl was riding on the front of an ATV driven by another young girl when she fell off and the tires ran over her chest. The ATV then rolled, throwing the driver into the ditch. The driver was not hurt. The girl was treated at the Wadena Hospital. The accident is still under investigation.

--A 16-year-old Monticello boy was critically injured Wednesday afternoon when his bicycle he was riding was struck by a car in Wright County. The driver of the car, 51-year-old, Jonathan Laudert of Monticello, was southbound on Highway 25 in Monticello when the bicycle came across School Boulevard into the line of traffic. Laudert was not hurt. The boy, whose name was not released, was taken to an area hospital and last listed in critical condition.

--A head-on collision in Meeker County between a car and a tractor has left one man dead. According to the State Patrol, the accident occurred on Highway 15 near Kingston yesterday morning when 21-year-old Brett Thompson of Annandale apparently crossed the center-line and collided with a tractor driven by 51-year-old Sally Jaeger of Richmond. Jaeger was not injured. Thompson was taken to a hospital but later died from his injuries.

--The Minnesota National Guard has found the helicopter door that came off during a flight Tuesday just north of St. Paul. The door was found late yesterday morning by guard searchers near Lower Afton Road in Maplewood. The Guard says they found in a grassy field and luckily no one was hurt on the copter or on the ground where the door fell. They’re working with the Army to try and figure out what went wrong with the door falling off after the copter was in the air.

--Another milestone for the new 35-W Bridge. Crews last night poured a seven-foot piece of concrete that joins the northbound lanes of the new bridge. MN DOT Project Manager John Chiglo says two cantilevers that stretch 250 feet over the Mississippi are connected to complete the structural span. Chiglo says the southbound section of the bridge will be joined next week. MN DOT officials anticipate the new bridge will be open to traffic between mid-September and mid-October. That’s just over a year after the original span collapsed into the Mississippi on August 1, 2007.

--The man pulled from Lake Minnetonka has been identified. 41-year old Vincent Erickson of Edina jumped into the water Sunday morning and did not surface. Authorities found the body early yesterday.

MORE NEWS

--More information is coming to light on the Pequot Lakes Marine who is one of two charged with the murder of a North Carolina woman. The burned and dismembered body of Fort Bragg Soldier Second Lieutenant Holley Wimunc was discovered in a shallow grave not far from Camp LeJeune. Wimunc’s husband is charged in the murder along with 22-year-old Lance Corporal Kyle Alden from Pequot Lakes. An arrest warrant accused Alden of assisting in the destruction of evidence, burying Holley Wimunc’s body and attempting to establish a false alibi. Wimunc was reported missing last Thursday after she didn’t show up for her nursing shift.

--A Bloomington man has been sentenced to nine years in prison for swindling investors out of more than $6-million dollars. Federal prosecutors say 58-year-old Gregory Hewitt used investors’ money for his own personal use rather than investing the money in stocks on their behalf. Besides serving prison time, Hewitt must compensate the 150 investors he defrauded.

--Investigators now say drugs were involved in the mysterious deaths of two brothers in the western-Wisconsin town of Burkhardt. The bodies of 44-year-old Gregory Knoll and his 41-year-old brother Jeffrey were found in their apartment in late May. The sheriff calls the case “complicated” and says they are waiting for the results of toxicology tests to determine the exact cause of death. He says it’s not certain if a crime is connected to the case. He says the brothers had a history of alcohol and drug problems.

DEATH NOTICES
--Mary Maurer, age 59 of Foley.

--Agnes M. Houn, age 92 of Pierz.

WEATHER

TODAY= 50% chance of thunderstorms, some strong, high 80.

TONIGHT= early storms, then partly cloudy, low around 60.

FRIDAY= partly cloudy, less humid, high near 80.

SATURDAY= partly cloudy, chance of late day storm, high 80.

SUNDAY= partly cloudy, early and late day storms, high 80.

SPORTS
VL= Catch Victory League Playoff action Saturday at 1:30 on AM960. You can even pick the game Rick does by going to www.fallsradio.com then clicking on the Victory League icon and then go to the Sobieski Ski website and write in what game either the east, south or west region seeding game for Saturday’s game on KLTF. The final victory league roundup of the season is Sunday at 6:30pm. The Region Tournament begins July 26^th.

TODAY IN HISTORY

IN 1862= National cemeteries were authorized by U.S. Government

IN 1867= Harvard School of Dental Medicine began, 1^st dental school

IN 1917= British Royal family took the surname Windsor.

IN 1920= author Sinclair Lewis finished his novel “Main Street”.

IN 1941= Yankee slugger Joe DiMaggio went hitless in a game against Cleveland and ended his 56 game hitting streak.

IN 1955= Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California.

IN 1959= jazz legend Billie Holliday died at age 44.

IN 1961= baseball legend Ty Cobb died at age 74.

“Hot Hits” has the music now through Saturday at West Side Bar

July 16^th, 2008

NEWS
--The civil defense siren on the north end of Little Falls is up and running again. The siren malfunctioned last month and the city had to wait for the repair parts to fix it. Little Falls Fire Chief Mike Niemann said crews were out Tuesday and repaired it. The siren was sounded a few times yesterday morning to test out the new parts.

--A former Pequot Lakes man is one of two Marines arrested for murder. 23-year-old Corporal John Wimunc has been arrested in connection with the death of his wife Second Lieutenant Holley Wimunc. Her body was found in a burned pile of brush near Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 22-year-old Lance Corporal Kyle Alden, who lived in Pequot Lakes before joining the Marines, was also arrested. Both face charges in connection with the murder.

--A 13-year-old California boy was injured in an ATV accident Monday night in Stearns County. Edward Espinoza was riding an ATV near the town of Richmond when the vehicle rolled on top of him. Espinoza was taken to St. Cloud Hospital and last listed in good condition.

--One day after former Governor Jesse Ventura announced he would not run for U.S. Senate, his former advisor and confidante is. Dean Barkley filed papers Tuesday afternoon at the Secretary’s of State’s Office to run as the candidate for the Independence Party. Six Independence Party candidates will compete in September at the primary, which now includes Dean Barkley and also endorsed candidate Stephen Williams.

--A Big Lake woman has become the first candidate to file for Senate District 16’s special election this fall. Allison Krueger filed Tuesday for the seat being vacated by Senator Betsy Wergin of Princeton. Candidates have until next Monday at 5pm to file for the seat at secretary of state’s office in St. Paul for the special election November 4^th. If a primary is needed, that would be September 9^th.

--The Benton County Board ruled Tuesday that for the first time there will be minimum construction standards for homes built in rural areas. The board voted to adopt the state’s building code that is already enforced in Benton County cities, to cover framing, foundations, electrical systems, plumbing and other areas and require an inspector to approve the building at several points during the construction process. Benton joins other central Minnesota counties in this type of standards, which includes Sherburne, Wright and Mille Lacs. County officials hope the code will help ensure higher-quality construction in rural areas and offer potential buyers some assurance that safety standards are met. The new rules take effect January 2^nd.

--Wright County authorities are continuing to search for a Montrose man missing since June 29^th. 59-year-old Richard Haugen failed to show for his mother’s birthday party in Minot, North Dakota and has not been heard from since. Haugen’s employer reported he has not shown up for work but has been a very dependable worker for the last 20 years. Haugen’s apartment has recently been checked but there was no sign of the man, who does have health problems and is ruled as a loner. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact Wright County authorities at 763-682-7620.

--Again a reminder that the Morrison County Landfill will have extended hours for brush and limbs to be dropped off from 4:30 to 8:30pm today to help out with cleanup from last Friday’s storm.

--Little Falls residents and businesses north of Highway 10, Riverwood,