News

Due to the Extreme Cold Warning through noon today, and Cold Weather Advisory from 12pm to Midnight tonight. All of these schools are going E-Learning today January 23rd, Little Falls public schools, Pierz, Royalton, Swanville, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Browerville, Holdingford, Foley and Staples-Motley schools all E Learning today with no buses running this morning or pickup this afternoon. These schools are closed on Friday, Mary of Lourdes of Little Falls, Upsala, Pillager, Mid State Education District, Central Lakes Campuses of Brainerd and Staples. Also it was reported already that Royalton, Upsala and some other schools will have no events after school or tonight so continue to check school calendars on games as other schools like Little Falls and Pierz have announced they plan to have some of their events later today. Also EEI is closed Friday, no classes at St. Francis Music Center Friday, St. Cloud Tech and Community College remote work and learning Friday. No Mass at Sacred Heart of Flensburg at 8am this morning. Continue to listen to Little Falls Radio for the latest weather related announcements. 

The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office reports that on 1-21-2026 at approximately 8:00 pm, their office received a report of a one-vehicle rollover near the intersection of Dove Road north of 330th Street, approximately seven miles southeast of Motley, MN in Scandia Valley Township. According to the Sheriff’s Office, 31-year-old Alissa Collison of Pillager, MN was traveling north on Dove Road. Collison was going around a curve and she lost control of her vehicle on the icy road surface. The vehicle went in the ditch and rolled onto its side and came to rest against a power pole. Collison was treated at the scene by North Ambulance for minor injuries and released. The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the MN State Patrol, Scandia Valley Fire and Rescue and North Ambulance.

Authorities in Sherburne County say a 28-year-old man is in custody after a seven-year-old Zimmerman girl went missing after school on Wednesday. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said Brynlee Nelson was reported missing after she didn’t get off the bus around 4:00 p.m. Commander Ben Zawacki with the sheriff’s office says there was some confusion among family members about where she could have been dropped off. After checking with family and neighbors, they called 911. Residents were asked to check their campers, outbuildings, and home security cameras for anything suspicious. A search party was dispatched, and hundreds of people were out in the sub-zero weather looking for her. Zawacki says the scene was chaotic, with numerous reports of what could have happened, including a black vehicle seen following Brynlee’s bus. Investigators determined that no one saw her get into the vehicle. A countywide alert was issued because her disappearance didn’t yet meet the criteria for an Amber Alert. As investigators continued to work the case, a suspect emerged, and authorities say they believed she was the victim of a stranger abduction. They were able to determine a general location of where Brynlee might be and that a white Dodge Ram pickup truck was involved. At that point, a law enforcement-only alert went out instead of an Amber Alert because police were worried the suspect would be notified they were looking for him. An Amber Alert was finally issued at 11:40 p.m. after information developed that she had been abducted. Police were able to pinpoint the suspect’s location and close in on him. Around 1:00 a.m., Sherburne County was notified that the truck had been found near Albert Lea, and Brynlee was inside. She was taken to a hospital for observation, and the driver, Joseph Bragg, was taken into custody. Zawacki says there is a social media connection they are exploring, but there was no known connection between Bragg and Brynlee. Bragg had no known permanent address. Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Superintendent Drew Evans said Bragg has no criminal history other than “maybe some minor court actions related to him,” but alluded to more information possibly coming out in the future. Evans also cautioned parents to monitor their children’s social media use and to talk to them about what to do if they are approached by a stranger. Charges against Bragg are pending.

At about 4:30am Thursday the Stearns-Benton SWAT Team used a search warrant in the 300 block of Iris Lane Northeast in St. Joseph. Officers were investigating suspected weapons offenses. No other information about this incident has been released yet by the Stearns County Sheriff's Office The Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force is comprised of investigators from St. Cloud, Sartell, Stearns County, Benton County, Sherburne County and Morrison County.

On Friday, the Minnesota National Guard invites families and community members to attend a ceremony honoring the Soldiers of the 34th Military Police (MP) Company ahead of their deployment to the Middle East. Approximately 150 Soldiers will be deploying to the Central Command area of responsibility in the Middle East. The deploying Soldiers hail from communities across Minnesota and neighboring states. During this regularly scheduled deployment, the 34th MP Company will support customs operations across the region as part of Operation Spartan Shield, and are expected to return home in early 2027. The event will provide an opportunity for family members, friends, and community supporters to send their well wishes and show appreciation for the service and sacrifice of these Citizen-Soldiers. In addition to loved ones, local officials and the Patriot Guard will be in attendance for the ceremony.

Last week Little Falls Police sent out a statement on immigration enforcement. Yesterday Brainerd Police and the City of Brainerd did the same "The Brainerd Police Department is not a political organization. Our operations are not driven by political viewpoints, policy debates, or ideology. Our actions are guided by the law and by our duty to protect public safety. Under Minnesota law, consistent with the United States Constitution, local law enforcement agencies are generally granted authority over criminal law matters, not civil law matters. While Minnesota law does provide limited and specific exceptions allowing local law enforcement to act in certain civil matters, immigration enforcement is not one of those exceptions. The majority of immigration-related violations are civil in nature and therefore fall outside the lawful authority of the Brainerd Police Department. At the same time, the Brainerd Police Department routinely and independently identifies and takes individuals into custody when judicially issued criminal arrest warrants exist. This includes warrants issued by courts at the state and federal level. When requested, the Brainerd Police Department has also historically assisted other law enforcement agencies in executing criminal arrest warrants. An individual’s ethnicity, national origin, or immigration status is not a determining factor in these actions; the existence of a valid criminal warrant is. The Brainerd Police Department is responsible for enforcing criminal laws and protecting public safety. While we are not involved in federal civil immigration enforcement, we will respond to any incident involving criminal behavior or threats to safety. This is a fundamental responsibility of law enforcement. The Brainerd Police Department is committed to serving our community with integrity, consistency, and impartiality. We value our relationship with the Brainerd community and will continue to serve all residents in accordance with the authority granted to us and the responsibilities entrusted to us.

Weekend events include a Gun Bingo for the Pierz Boys Basketball Team at 1pm Saturday at Frosty's in Pierz. Knights of Columbus Free Throw Contest Sunday at 11am at Pierz Healy High School for students ages 9 to 14. MCCL Dinner is Sunday, social starts at noon at Falls Ballroom, you can see if tickets are still available by calling 630-7045.

Death Notices: Wallace "Wally" Head, age 64 of Little Falls. Anthony "Tony" Kula age 63 of Little Falls. 

Weather Extreme Cold Warning until noon Friday. Sunny and cold, high -10 wind chills still around -40 through morning. Tonight clear and cold, low -22 wind chills around -37. Saturday sunny and cold, high -4 light winds, clear and cold Saturday low -19, Sunday partly cloudy, high 4 above, clear and cold Sunday night low around -21, wind chills near -40. Monday cloudy and breezy, high 10 above, wind chills near -20, temps rising Monday to around 8 above overnight after low of -2, Tuesday cloudy with flurries, high 16.  

Sports: as of this morning events still scheduled for tonight include Pierz at Little Falls wrestling starting around 6pm on Q92 WYRQ and fallsradio.com also the Hall of Fame inductions for Flyer Fall of Fame during the wrestling match and also the home boys hockey game Friday night. There is also a girls basketball game for Little Falls and Pierz on the schedule still with a few other games, some schools have already opted to postpone events tonight, listen to Little Falls Radio today for any changes. NFL Championship games Sunday at 2pm New England at Denver for AFC Title followed by the LA Rams at Seattle at 5:30pm, winners go to the Super Bowl on February 8th. Both games on AM960 KLTF. Also listen to Wild Hockey Saturday during Day of Hockey Minnesota at 8pm against Florida on Q92 WYRQ. 

An Extreme Cold Warning is now starting at 3pm today until 12pm Friday then a Cold Weather Advisory in effect from 12pm Friday to midnight tomorrow night. Temps already below...

Police are investigating a deadly shooting in Alexandria. Police Chief Scott Kent says officers and North Memorial Ambulance were called to the 1700 block of 6th Avenue East at about 1:15am Tuesday....

Extreme cold air will be moving into the state this week. This morning temps of -10 to -20 around central Minnesota but even colder by Thursday and Friday as an...

Cold Weather Advisory in effect until noon Monday. Temperatures of -10 to -20 with strong Northwest winds of 15-35mph causing wind chills of -15 to -35 below zero through the...