Friday, January 23, 2026
Due to the Extreme Cold Warning Friday these schools are going E-Learning Friday January 23rd, Little Falls public schools, Pierz, Royalton, Swanville, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Browerville, Holdingford, Foley and Staples-Motley schools all E Learning on Friday. 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. Almost all schools in the state have decided to close or go to an E Learning or remote learning on Friday due to the extreme cold. 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 Friday. Some schools will have no after school or evening activities on Friday 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.
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 -11 wind chills around -40. Friday night clear and cold, low -23 wind chills around -35. Saturday sunny and cold, high -4 light winds, clear and cold Saturday low -16, Sunday increasing clouds, 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 still.
Sports: scheduled Friday is Pierz at Little Falls wrestling at 6pm on Q92 WYRQ and fallsradio.com also the Hall of Fame inductions during the wrestling match and also the home boys hockey game Friday night. 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.