News

Due to construction, Belle Prairie Park will be open to foot traffic only, no vehicles permitted beyond the east gravel parking lot. The boat ramp will also be closed.  The estimated duration of this project is from May through September 2026.  A project map is available on the Public Works web page https://www.morrisoncountymn.gov/172/PUBLIC-WORKS. Anyone with questions may call the Morrison County Public Works Department at 320-632-0121. Also due to Belle Prairie Park being closed for the summer except for foot traffic, Jacki Devine informed Little Falls Radio that their will be a change of venue for the River Rat Race this year. The race will now be ran at Crane Meadows Wildlife Refuge on June 6th. The 5K will be held on a hard crushed rock surface, will be wheeled for accuracy and chip timed. There are minimal hills and great views of the lakes and river. If you haven't been to Crane Meadows you will be amazed at the wildlife, educational center, and the new spotting scope. Free Fun Run and all walkers are welcome. For more information go to https://riverratraces.com. Otherwise contact Jacki at 320-632-5796.

Ron Beam, Manager at Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge informed Little Falls Radio Wednesday, that the Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, their headquarters and the Platte River Trail at the refuge will be closed today, Thursday May 7th for a controlled prescribed burn. Due to safety reasons the trail and area will be closed to all hikers and visitors on Thursday for the burn to take place. Smoke will spotted southeast of Little Falls during this time but not to be alarmed from it at the wildlife refuge site. The hope is to have the trail, headquarters and other entities at the site to be reopened again on Friday, May 9th. 

A boy on a bike was hurt when he was struck by a pickup in north St. Cloud on Tuesday night. St. Cloud Police were dispatched to a hit-and-run crash at the intersection of 33rd Avenue North and 8th Street North at around 9:50 p.m. Officers arrived to find a boy hurt and the striking pickup gone from the scene. Police say the driver of the truck, 36-year-old Winner Marube of St. Cloud, later returned to the scene where he met with officers. Police Say Marube admitted to driving the pickup and striking the boy on his bike. Officers believed that alcohol was a factor in the crash and that Marube was impaired. He was arrested and booked into the Stearns County Jail pending formal charges. The boy was taken by ambulance to St. Cloud Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Benton County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about a text message scam circulating in the area that uses a phony traffic citation to try to steal personal and financial information. In posts on Facebook and X, the sheriff’s office shared an image of the fake ticket being sent to residents. The document is designed to look like an official “Final Enforcement Notice” from the State of Minnesota and threatens license suspension, vehicle registration holds, and collections if the recipient does not pay immediately or appear at a court hearing scheduled for May 7th, 2026. The citation contains several obvious red flags. It claims to be issued by the District Court of Harris County, which does not exist in Minnesota. The listed court address is 201 Caroline Street in Houston, Texas. The ticket also lists “failure to pay electronic toll” as a violation, despite Minnesota having no toll roads. Scammers included a QR code labeled “Pay Online” that investigators say would direct victims to a fraudulent website designed to harvest bank or credit card information. In some versions of these scams, victims are instructed to pay the supposed fine using gift cards or cryptocurrency. The sheriff’s office is reminding residents to never trust anyone who contacts them unexpectedly, especially if the message creates a sense of urgency or demands payment through gift cards or cryptocurrency. Legitimate government agencies do not use those payment methods and do not issue traffic citations by text message. Authorities say residents should always do their own research and verify that a person or agency is legitimate before sharing any personal or banking information. Anyone who receives one of the fraudulent texts is encouraged to delete it without clicking the QR code or any links. Residents who believe they may have already provided information to the scammers should contact their bank or credit card company immediately and report the incident to law enforcement.

At least one person died in a two-vehicle crash near Paynesville. The Minnesota State Patrol says the incident happened at about 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday on Highway 55.  A vehicle was traveling north on Kandiyohi County Road 2.  Meanwhile, a semi was travelling west on Highway 55.  They collided in the intersection. The two people in the passenger car were an 88-year-old man and an 85-year-old woman, both from Belgrade.  Their names will be released later Thursday morning. The semi driver, 43-year-old Daniel Goodall of Belgrade, was not hurt. 

St. Cloud man with a history of domestic abuse has pleaded guilty to drug and assault charges stemming from a pair of 2025 cases. Craig Allen Zuleger entered guilty pleas last week to first-degree drug possession and misdemeanor domestic assault. In exchange, the 42-year-old was given an eight-year prison sentence with credit for 438 days already served in jail. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Zuleger was first arrested in December 2024 after the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force tracked him to a St. Cloud hotel on an unrelated Wright County warrant. Investigators seized more than 10 ounces of methamphetamine from his car, hotel room, and the purse of a woman staying with him. He failed to appear for a January 31st court date, prompting another warrant. On February 16th, 2025, St. Cloud police were called to a home where a woman reported Zuleger had barged in and thrown her to the ground. According to the criminal complaint, she had been sleeping in the living room with their two younger children when he woke her up yelling about their van. The woman had removed a fuse to prevent him from taking it. When she reached for her phone in a diaper bag, Zuleger grabbed her wrist and threw her onto the couch. She told officers she was afraid because he had been physical with her before and had gone to jail for it. Court records show Zuleger was previously convicted in 2020 of misdemeanor domestic assault and fifth-degree assault.

A freeze warning has been issued until 8am this morning for the region. Due to temperatures again dropping into the mid to upper 20s overnight into the morning. Possible frosty...

If weather conditions are favorable, the Minnesota DNR is partnering with The Nature Conservancy to conduct a prescribed fire operation at Charles Lindbergh State Park on Wednesday, May 6th.  It...

Little Falls Radio has learned of the passing of former KLTF News Director Lee Ann Doucette. Lee Ann started in 1970s at KLTF and did the news daily into the...

Authorities are investigating a shooting that happened Tuesday night in southeast Crow Wing County. A press release from Sheriff Eric Klang says deputies responded to a report of shots fired in...