News

Purva Watten was the Co-Host Wednesday on KLTF Party Line and besides talking about her home country of India she announced the Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce & Tourism (The Chamber) is in a new partnership with the Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) that will expand local tourism and visitor engagement efforts at the Charles A. Lindbergh House historic site beginning May 2027. As Little Falls prepares to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Charles Lindbergh’s historic trans-Atlantic flight from New York to France, this partnership represents an exciting  opportunity to further celebrate and promote one of the community’s most recognized historic assets. The Little Falls Area Chamber & Tourism’s mission is to serve its members and promote the community as a dynamic place to visit, work, and live. With Little Falls being Lindbergh’s boyhood home, where the dream of flight first began; Chamber leadership believes this collaboration strongly aligns with the organization’s tourism and community promotion efforts. The partnership is designed to strengthen the community’s tourism economy while preserving and enhancing public access to the Lindbergh Historic Site. All Chamber and Tourism programming, member services, community events, and initiatives will continue operating under the direction of the Chamber Board of Directors. This partnership serves as an operational expansion and enhancement of tourism efforts and not a replacement of existing Chamber services or programming. The Chamber office will continue operating out of the Depot Monday through Friday, during regular chamber office hours, for all normal Chamber and tourism functions. Fore more information the Lindbergh site and the Anniversary of the famous flight contact Purva at 320-632-5155. 

On Thursday morning, the 133rd Airlift Wing of the Minnesota National Guard will welcome home more than 100 of its Airmen following a regularly scheduled deployment to Africa. In February, friends and family watched their Airmen depart for Africa in support of Operation New Normal and other counterterrorism operations. In addition to standard missions, they played a major role in two separate high‐visibility operations explicitly designated as the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) Commander’s top priority. While the deployment proved busier than initially anticipated, the Wing's tactical airlift expertise and steadfast execution of complex mission sets earned high praise from senior military leaders across the region. “All of Minnesota can be proud of what the Airmen of have accomplished,” Paulsen said. “Their performance has left a lasting mark on our state, and on the legacy of the C‐130H (aircraft).” Additionally, a notable boost in morale came for the Airmen in early May when local community group Serving Our Troops flew 12-oz steaks to AFRICOM – feeding the Minnesota Airmen and other service members on the base to the tune of over 4,000 meals served. Concurrently, the same friends and family who had watched their Airmen depart months earlier were welcomed to a St. Paul restaurant to enjoy a steak dinner. The deployment also marked the bittersweet conclusion of a 30-year era of trusted service with the C-130H model aircraft, which is being replaced across the 133rd Airlift Wing by the newer C-130J model as part of the Minnesota National Guard’s ongoing modernization efforts.

A Sartell man has pleaded guilty to a felony threats charge stemming from a February incident in Sartell. Forty-five-year-old Aaron Wright pleaded guilty to one count of threats of violence in Stearns County District Court on the day his jury trial was to begin. He is accused of holding a woman against her will after she flew from Arizona to see him. Several law enforcement agencies joined the Sartell Police in responding to the 400 block of 7th Street North after midnight on February 13th. A man had called from Arizona saying that he received a text message from the woman that she had been visiting a friend in Sartell, and he wouldn't let her leave. She said the man also physically assaulted her and threatened to shoot her if she tried to leave. Officers quickly responded to the scene and encountered Wright and the woman in the entryway of his building. The victim was able to free herself and run for safety. Police say Wright refused commands to surrender and ran back inside the apartment. Wright then jumped from a third-story window in an effort to escape, but was quickly arrested. He was booked into jail on suspicion of domestic assault by strangulation, felony threats of violence, false imprisonment, and providing a false name to a police officer. Authorities say Wright also had an outstanding warrant out of Stearns County for fleeing police in a motor vehicle. As part of the guilty plea, the remaining charges were dismissed.

Agram Township residents are invited to the ninth annual township picnic to be held on Thursday, June 18th at the Town Hall located on Lake Road.  This is a great opportunity for families and neighbors to take time out of their busy schedule to come together for an evening of food and friendly conversation.  Plan to arrive anytime after 4:30 p.m. for some socializing with food being served at 6pm. Residents are asked to bring a “potluck” dish to share. Paper products, Thielen hotdogs, buns, lemonade/water, and condiments will be provided.  A bouncy House will be set up for the kids. Rain or shine event on June 18th. Questions contact board members.

Little Falls Community Services presents the 3rd Annual Touch a Truck event this Saturday at the Little Falls Community High School parking lot. The free family event from 10am-12pm gives kids and adults alike a change to touch, climb in and explore the big trucks from firefighters, police departments, military personnel, construction and other works. Kids of all ages can come and enjoy the event on Saturday the high school, hosted by Community Services and The Elementary PTA. 

Death Notices: Mary Alice Chune, age 98 of Little Falls.

Weather: Thursday AM showers & storms, then partly sunny, high 82, showers and storms likely Thursday night, some could be strong before midnight, low 59. Friday sunny skies, high near 80, isolated showers and storms in the afternoon, showers Friday night then cooler, low near 50. Saturday sunny and pleasant high near 85, low around 60. Sunday sunny and warmer, high 89, low around 62 with showers and storms after dark Sunday night. Storms likely Monday, some strong, high 84, storms continue Monday night low 55. 

Sports: Twins open a four game series at home vs. Kansas City Thursday at 6:40pm. The Minnesota Lynx are also home Thursday night at 8pm against Golden State. State Track and Field starts Thursday at St. Michael-Albertville High School for Class A schools including Pierz, Upsala-Swanville, Holdingford and Royalton, Royalton will have a send off for their 2 qualifiers today at 11:30am in Royalton on Nature Road where you can root them on to state. Little Falls will begin at state on Friday. Good luck to Imagine Hines and Peyton Carr of Little Falls and Nathan Cekalla of Pierz who advanced to state golf tournament next week. Baseball sections are Thursday for times like Sartell, Rocori, Cathedral and Foley to go to state. 

The National Weather Service reports a slight risk of severe weather tonight into tomorrow morning for the central and southern portions of the state. The main risk is high winds...

Authorities have released the name of the man who drowned this past Saturday in Crow Wing County. The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office says 29-year-old Cody Kent of Burnsville drowned...

The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office received word of a drowning incident Saturday and that a 29-year-old male lost his life today in a drowning incident at the Little Emily...

A two vehicle accident Thursday morning around 6:40am in Pierz injured three people and also damaged the liquor store on the north end of town. A Chevy Suburban driven by...