Friday, March 20, 2026
Thank you to all who attended Q92 WYRQ Ladies Night Out Pierz Style last night. Congratulations to the Grand Prize Winner Joan Reber winning around $700 in gift certificates and tickets from the participating sponsors and Little Falls Radio. The Best Dressed winner was Stacy Tretter who wins a certificate for a new pair of denim jeans from Rich Prairie Threads in Pierz. Thank you to the sponsors, all you came, all you helped out and the Red Rooster Bar for their help and letting us have the event there. Pictures will be posted on the fallsradio.com website and the Facebook page.
The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office reports that on 3-18-2026 at approximately 8:35am, their office received a report of a two-vehicle accident on Highway 10 near 200th Street, approximately two miles southeast of Randall, MN in Darling Township. According to the Sheriff’s Office, 65-year-old Julie Tonsager of Randall, MN was traveling west on 200th Street on the cross over between the north and southbound lanes of Highway 10. Tonsager’s, vehicle slid into the southbound lane and collided with a vehicle traveling south on Highway 10 driven by 65-year-old Mary Schwartz of Mahnomen, MN. Schwartz was transported to St. Gabriel’s Hospital by Mayo Clinic Ambulance with unknown injuries. Tonsager was transported to Lakewood Health System Hospital by private vehicle with unknown injuries. The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by Randall Fire and Rescue and Mayo Clinic Ambulance.
Authorities have identified the man who died in a trailer fire in Clear Lake Township last month. The Sherburne County Sheriff's Office says the man who died in the blaze was 44-year-old Andrew Kritzeck. Sherburne County Sheriff's deputies and firefighters were called to the 3100 block of River Road Southeast at around 6:25 a.m. on February 17th on a report of a trailer fire. Authorities arrived to find a trailer fully engulfed. After fire crews extinguished the flames, investigators discovered Kritzeck's body inside the trailer. The Midwest Medical Examiner's Office says Kritzeck died from accidental carbon monoxide poisoning.
A 31-year-old was injured last night around 6:20pm on Highway 371 in Crow Wing County when two vehicles collided in a business park when a vehicle pulled out of the parking lot the vehicles collided and both ended up going into the east ditch. Tessa Larson of Brainerd was treated at a hospital for injuries while the other driver was not hurt.
Organizers have announced that Minnesota will host a national flagship rally for a "No Kings" protest on Saturday, March 28, featuring a high-profile lineup of activists, musicians and top state officials. Joan Baez, Jane Fonda and Maggie Rogers are slated to join Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Attorney General Keith Ellison at the event that organizers said adheres to a shared commitment to nonviolent protest and community safety. The rally at the Minnesota State Capitol is expected to be the largest in the movement's history. It follows previous mass mobilizations in June and October 2025 that drew millions of participants nationwide. The day's activities will begin with the noon marches departing from the three separate St. Paul locations before converging at the State Capitol for the 2pm flagship program. The rally is scheduled to conclude at 3:30 p.m. Organizers noted that the program will be live-streamed nationwide, with large video walls and speakers installed across the Upper and Lower Capitol Mall to accommodate the expected crowds. Law enforcement will be on hand to make sure that the event remains by the law and peaceful.
The Stearns County Board of Commissioners wants to hear how the public feels about allowing rifles to be used for deer hunting. The choice follows a new statewide law that eliminated the shotgun-only zone, giving individual counties the option to either allow rifles for deer hunting or formally adopt an ordinance to maintain existing shotgun-only restrictions. Up until now, Stearns County has been a shotgun-only zone. If the county takes no action, rifles will be allowed within county limits. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has asked counties to make their decisions by early May so the information can be included in the annual deer hunting rule book. The DNR has also made clear it will not send representatives to the county-level public hearing and does not intend to be involved in the county decision-making process. The public hearing will be held on Monday, April 7th, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. at Melrose City Hall. The board encourages residents to submit written opinions, which will be compiled into the public record. When submitting comments, residents are asked to include their name, contact information, city of residence, stance on the issue, and any additional comments. Morrison County held a public hearing earlier this month and will make a ruling at an upcoming board meeting. Todd County announced they are not implementing any changes for hunting.
A man is in custody after two people died in the north metro early Wednesday morning. The Anoka County Sheriff's Office said officers from several nearby communities responded to the Lexington home on the 9300 block of Ryan Place just before 1 a.m. on reports of a shooting. When they arrived, the sheriff's office said they found a woman already deceased inside the home, as well as an injured boy. The boy was taken to the hospital, where he also later died. Police said a subsequent search of the surrounding area yielded an injured man, who police arrested in connection with the case, and transported to the hospital for apparent injuries. He has not yet been formally charged with a crime. The sheriff's office added that it doesn't believe the incident was random and there is no lingering threat to the public. The victims' identities will be released after their families are notified.
The Darling Cemetery Annual Meeting is Saturday at 1pm at Bethel Lutheran Church.
Many events this weekend, The Pierz Fire Department Fish Fry is Friday 4:30-7:30pm at Frosty's in Pierz. St. Paul's Lutheran Church Soup Supper is Saturday 4:30-7pm in Royalton. Bunny Bingo at Falls Ballroom Saturday 10am-2pm from Morrison County United Way. Sacred Heart of Flensburg is hosting a ham dinner and raffle at 4pm Saturday by the Knights of Columbus. Crow Wing County Dairy Princess Coronation and Banquet is Saturday at 7pm at the Pierz Ballroom. The St. Gregory the Great Knights of Columbus are hosting a breakfast and raffle 9am-12:30pm at St. Stanislaus Church in Bowlus. Holy Trinity School Carnival in Pierz is 11am-3pm on Sunday. Royalton Legion Easter Egg Hunt is 11am at Royalton American Legion on Sunday with breakfast and the Easter Bunny on location. Also two events scheduled last week were rescheduled for this Sunday the breakfast at the St. Stephen Catholic Church for Poor Claires Monastery and the Empty Bowls Fundraiser for Oasis Central Minnesota starting at 11:45am Sunday at First Lutheran Church in Little Falls. Details on events can be found at fallsradio.com and community calendar.
Spring News: Spring officially begins today at 9:46am Central Standard Time with the Vernal Equinox.
Death Notices: Alice C. Matlock, age 98 of Pierz formerly of Harding. Katherine "Kathy" Faust, age 78 of Lastrup.
Weather: morning fog today then mostly sunny and mild, high 58, mostly cloudy tonight low around 37. Partly sunny and breezy Saturday high near 70, rain after midnight Saturday low 35. Rain could change to wet snow early Sunday then cloudy and windy, high 42, low around 20. Monday sunny and warmer, high 45, low around 36. Tuesday sunny and high of 52, low around 38. Wednesday rain likely high around 55.
Sports: Gopher women basketball has Wisconsin-Green Bay at 5pm Friday in NCAA women's tournament winner plays on Sunday. College hockey championships have Mankato vs. St. Thomas, also Duluth vs. Denver this weekend. 12 seed High Point stunned 5 seed Wisconsin Thursday in the NCAA Men's Tournament, they were one of four considered upsets in the first round, more 1st round games today. Listen to members of Upsala Boys Basketball team and Eric Pohlkamp from Denver University Hockey on the Sport Wrap also previews on High School Track Saturday at 9:05am on AM960 KLTF and fallsradio.com.
Also a reminder that Laverne Bzdok will join Gene Retka this Sunday on Polka World Today to announced the winners of the Share Sunday raffle top prize $700. There is no event this year but the raffle drawing will take place on Polka World Today just after 9am Sunday on AM960 KLTF.