News

The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office was honored to be part of the escort bringing a U.S. Army soldier home to his final resting place at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery near Camp Ripley. U.S. Army Private Duane Payne served our country during World War II. Private Payne went missing in action in Europe during the war, and after more then 80 years, his remains were recently identified and returned home to Minnesota. Private Payne served with Company L, 3rd Battalion, 117th Infantry Regiment, 30th Infantry Division. During combat operations in Germany, he was wounded and subsequently reported missing in action. Friday, the sheriff's office and many others had the honor of helping bring Private Payne home and escorting him to his final resting place. We were proud to join the Minnesota Patriot Guard and others who came together to ensure Private Payne received the homecoming and final farewell he so rightfully deserved. May God bless Private Duane Payne, his family, and all those who have served and sacrificed for our great nation. You will never be forgotten.

You can view pictures of the event on September 11th from the Government Center here on the sheriff's office Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/p/Morrison-County-Sheriff-Office-100064791454043/. Yesterday was the 25 Anniversary of the September 11 attacks. 

The National Weather Saturday stated it did not appear a tornado touched down in Minnesota from the warnings issues on Friday night but their investigation is not finalized as of late Saturday. Tornado warnings were issued in Wadena and Stevens County and thunderstorm warnings were issued around the state with the heaviest rain in northern Minnesota with severe lines of storms across the state Friday night. Little Falls had .36 inches of rain and there was a lot of lightning seen around the area. 

Two people from Long Prairie were injured Thursday around 535pm on Highway 71 in Hewitt. Richard Steinert and Emily Steinert ages 75 and 68 were taken to the hospital for non life threatening injuries after 3 vehicles collided at the intersection of Highway 210 and 71. No one else was injured. A Crystal man was injured around 4pm Thursday on Highway 371 near Walker in Cass County. Scott Kind was taken to the hospital with injuries. The other driver was not hurt. Then around 8pm one person was killed on Highway 23 in Benton County. A 30-year-old from Rice was traveling in a Jeep when it left the roadway and struck a tree and then a power box. The driver was dead at the scene. As of this morning the State Patrol has not released the name only that it was a 30 year old adult male from Rice. 

A two-vehicle crash in Sherburne County early Thursday morning injured three people. The incident happened on Highway 10 in Big Lake Township just after 6:40am. The Minnesota State Patrol says 23-year-old Jacob Vorobyev of Becker was driving a transit van eastbound on Highway 10. Meanwhile, 43-year-old Audrey Weaver of Becker was also eastbound on Highway 10 in her SUV. The vehicles collided near County Road 43. Weaver and her 15-year-old female passenger were both taken to Mercy Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Information on a 12-year-old female passenger in the SUV will be released at a later time. There is no information on her condition. The van driver, Vorobyev, was not hurt.

Violent crime in Minnesota dropped across several categories in 2025. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has released the 2025 Uniform Crime Report. Violent crime in the seven-county Twin Cities Metro Area decreased by 14 percent; in greater Minnesota, it decreased by 9 percent. There were 130 murders in 2025 in Minnesota compared with 172 in 2024.  Aggravated assaults were 11 percent lower, rapes decreased by 1.9 percent, motor vehicle theft decreased 22.4 percent, carjacking incidents decreased 31 percent, and the incidents of larceny were the lowest number in 57 years.  Law enforcement officers were assaulted in 981 incidents in 2025, a 1.3 percent decrease from 2024. The report says Minnesota's violent crime rate dropped to 226 per 100,000 population in 2025.  This is the lowest violent crime rate since 2019.

Recent rainfall has pushed Minnesota’s drought numbers down, and severe drought now covers less than half the state. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor, released Thursday, puts 46.19% of Minnesota in severe drought or worse, down from 52.46% a week earlier. The report reflects conditions as of Tuesday, September 8th. Central Minnesota, including Stearns, Benton and Sherburne counties, sits inside the band of severe and moderate drought running across the middle of the state. Extreme drought, the second-most severe of the monitor’s five categories, shrank slightly to 4.25% of the state, down from 4.57%. This week, 70.7% of Minnesota is in at least moderate drought, compared with 79.72% last week. Some 94% is abnormally dry or worse, down from 95.53%. Just 6% of the state carries no dryness designation at all, up from 4.47% a week ago. The driest ground is in Norman, Clay and Wilkin counties along the North Dakota border, Pine and Carlton counties in northeastern Minnesota, and an area just south of the Twin Cities.

Sheriff Shawn Larsen of Morrison County announced the commencement of the Law Enforcement Scholarship Program for 2026. Sheriff Larsen proudly announced that the MSA Board of Directors has established a scholarship fund for the awarding of up to 18 - $2,000 scholarships for this year. These scholarships are due to the coordinated efforts of the 87 elected Sheriffs of the State of Minnesota. The MSA gives special recognition to the financial needs of students attending the peace officer skills course or one of the two- or four-year law enforcement degree programs around the state. “The Board of Directors feel peace officers in our democratic society have complex duties to perform,” said Sheriff Larsen. MSA recognizes the importance of pre-entry training for people considering law enforcement as their career choice. The MSA also acknowledges that some students may need outside help in meeting the costs of such training, even though they excel academically.

A special thank you to all the volunteers, city of Little Falls, Chamber employees and others that worked on getting roadways reopened by last night for school and work related items this morning in Little Falls from the Arts and Crafts Fair this past weekend and thank you to all who attended from the Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce coming to Little Falls for all the events that took place this past weekend. 

The Pierz City Council meets tonight at 7pm at Pierz City Hall. 

Death Notices: Loretta Moran, age 88 of Little Falls. Margo A. (Sundstrom) Tiemann, age 87 of Little Falls. Karen Garnet Legore-Bailey age 79 of Sun City, Arizona. 

Weather: increasing clouds, showers and thunderstorms likely after 1pm and then again before 9pm tonight some locally heavy rains possible, high near 60 and breezy winds over 30mph. Showers ending tonight then clearing skies low around 44. Tuesday partly sunny and windy, high near 64, clear and cool Tuesday night low around 38. Wednesday increasing clouds, few afternoon showers, high 66, showers ending Wednesday night low near 50. Thursday partly cloudy and warmer, high 73, clear Thursday night low near 49. Friday showers and thunderstorms likely, high near 70, showers and storms Friday night low near 50. Partly cloudy skies and breezy Saturday and Sunday, highs near 70, lows around 45. 

Sports: Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray was injured early Sunday in the game against Green Bay and taken out with a concussion. The Vikings then rallied in the 4th quarter scoring 29 points in the second half to beat Green Bay 39-22 Sunday for win number 1. Bears and Lions also won on Sunday in the NFC North. Vikings at Bears Sunday at noon. Tonight Denver at Kansas City at 7:15pm on AM960 KLTF for Monday Night Football. Twins lose 5-2 Friday, then Emmanuel Rodriguez homered in his first Major League at Bat, becoming the 7th Twins player to do that as Twins win 4-3 over Cleveland on Saturday, Cleveland routs the Twins 9-2 on Sunday to take the series. Twins (70-79) host New York Yankees tonight at 6:40pm. Team USA defeated Spain 76-66 in the FIBA women's basketball world cup semi-finals Saturday then battled back to beat France 97-79 on Sunday to win the World Cup FIBA gold medal. Breanna Stewart who had 22 was named the MVP of the Gold Medal team and series. Mississippi State routs Gophers football 38-13 on Saturday. Friday night football scores Pierz 42-6 over Foley, Upsala-Swanville 50-7 over Benson, Holdingford beat Royalton 9-8, Browerville 20-8 over Long Prairie-Grey Eagle. Pillager, Staples-Motley, Wadena Deer Creek, Osakis, Brainerd were all winners on Friday. Saturday Little Falls got a 4th quarter touchdown and beat Milaca 8-3 at Flyer Field after the game was moved from Friday night due to possible weather. Flyers are 1-1 on the season. Volleyball Saturday had Swanville 3-1, Upsala 2-2 and Pillager 2-2 at a tournament at Crosby-Ironton High School. Royalton finished 8th (1-3), while Holdingford when 0-4 at a tournament in Sauk Rapids on Saturday against a lot of bigger schools.  

Superintendent Todd Lee of Swanville stated Wednesday that some corrections had to be made at the Swanville School District has not started classes yet. This was a change that was...

Purva Watten of Little Falls Chamber of Commerce and Tourism spoke on AM960 KLTF Tuesday about the upcoming 53rd Little Falls Arts and Crafts Fair this weekend. Over 500 craft vendors, over...

One person and four pets died in a mobile home fire in North Germany Township early Monday morning. The Wadena County Sheriff's Office stated deputies received the 911 call around...

Today is Labor Day. A Federal Holiday so all government agencies are closed, post offices closed no regular mail delivery, some parcel delivery services are running today. Banks are closed....