Monday, March 30, 2026
On Friday morning, Southland defeated Upsala 74-67 in double overtime to eliminate the Upsala Cardinals from the Class A State Boys Basketball Tournament. Upsala ended the season at 24-8. Head Coach Tom Ritters told Alex from LF Radio that the team was given praise on their sportsmanship and the way they handled themselves at the tournament. Ritters said that though 0-2 at State as a Basketball Team he was proud of the young men they are becoming from this experience at the tournament in the Twin Cities.
The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a series of reported burglaries that were reported to their office on March 27, 2026. The burglaries occurred in the eastern part of Morrison County. According to the Sheriff’s Office, three locations were targeted. St. Michael’s Catholic Church and Sunrise Ag in Buckman, as well as Thomas Welding and Machine in Lastrup. The break-ins are believed to have occurred between 10 pm on March 26 and 8 am on March 27. At this time, it is unclear if anything was taken during the break-ins. The Sheriff’s Office is asking residents in the area to review any available surveillance footage for suspicious activity during the timeframe of the incidents. Anyone who observed unusual behavior or has information related to these incidents, is encouraged to contact the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office at 320-632-9233. The investigation remains ongoing and additional details will be released as they become available.
Multiple people were taken to the hospital after getting trapped inside a home on fire. The St. Cloud Fire Department says the incident began just before 2:30 a.m. Friday in the 1100 block of 11th Avenue Southeast. Fire crews responded to a report of a single family home on fire with multiple residents trapped inside. They found heavy fire conditions in the back of the home on the main floor. A witness said one person was able to escape, but there were still two people inside. With very high heat and no visibility in the home, firefighters were able to find and remove the two people. The fire department says multiple individuals were taken to the hospital by Mayo Ambulance. Little Falls Radio was informed Saturday that the fire has turned fatal with at least two people perishing from their injuries. The release reported there were no injuries to any of the firefighters. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency fined Long Prairie-based Central Bi-Products three million dollars for permit violations that caused odor complaints in Long Prairie. The MPCA says the rendering company violated its air and wastewater permits. The Todd County Community Health & Human Services Department will receive $1.2 million of the $3 million fine. Under 2023 legislation, the MPCA directs 40 percent of fines exceeding $250,000 to the community affected by that pollution. With the community’s input, those funds will then go towards projects that benefit area residents under the oversight of the local health board. Agency investigators say Central Bi-Products improperly treated wastewater from the fall of 2023 through 2024. That created hydrogen sulfide pollution. The company exceeded its hydrogen sulfide limits more than 900 times during that time. Central Bi-Products has taken several steps to come back into compliance with its permit. That includes air monitoring, improving wastewater treatment processes, hosting community meetings, and developing a public website that will post hydrogen sulfide levels at the facility. The company has also agreed to spend more than four million dollars to ensure that it can control air pollution going forward.
Three regional organizations are receiving part of $1.6 million in grants from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development to help raise up the next generation currently living in poverty. The Youth Support Services grants went to 21 organizations statewide, aimed at helping underserved young adults find a foothold in the workforce. Among them are Central Minnesota Jobs and Training Services in Monticello, Goodwill Easter Seals Minnesota serving Willmar, St. Cloud and Buffalo, and Career Solutions based at St. Cloud Technical and Community College, which serves Benton and Stearns Counties. Each group received $80,000. The investments are expected to benefit more than 1,900 young people, with a focus on those from low-income communities, communities of color, and families with a history of intergenerational poverty. DEED’s Youth Support Services competitive grant program funds organizations that provide a range of services, including job training, employment preparation, internships, financial literacy, academic and behavioral interventions for low-performing students, and youth intervention activities. Job assistance for parents is also among the supported offerings. “Investments in support services are critical to a young person’s opportunity to participate in strong employment and training programs,” said DEED Deputy Commissioner for Workforce Development Marc Majors. “When young people can access the resources they need to complete training, they can thrive and enter career pathways that lead to family-sustaining wages.” The bulk of this year’s funding, about 61%, was directed to organizations in the Twin Cities metro area, while 34% went to Greater Minnesota. The remaining 5% supported organizations serving both regions.
Purva Watten of the Little Falls Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism is reminding those that there will be a legislative dialog on Thursday from 10am-12pm at the Morrison County Government Center. Purva said they have invited State Representatives Ron Kresha, Isaac Schultz and Mike Wiener and Senator Nathan Wesenberg to attend and discuss what is happening at the state legislature. If you have questions contact Purva at the Chamber at 320-632-5155.
Death Notices: Marcella R. Warzecha, age 95 of Holdingford. William "Bill" Leidenfrost, age 67 of Pierz.
Weather: Monday partly sunny and mild, high near 60. Increasing clouds Monday night low around 35. Rain early Tuesday then sunny and windy by afternoon, cooler high 46, low around 30. Wednesday sunny and chilly, high near 40, low around 30. Thursday partly sunny and warmer, high near 50 with rain in afternoon changing to wet snow Thursday night low 27. Friday snow showers likely, high near 40, low around 26.
Sports: UCLA beat Minnesota Gophers 80-56 on Friday in NCAA Women's Sweet 16 eliminating Gophers from the tournament, Gophers finish 24-9. The State Boys Basketball wrapped up Saturday with Hills-Beaver Creek, Minnehaha Academy, Totino-Grace and Chaska winning championships. Pequot Lakes beat Albany for 3rd place in Class AA, Henning won 3rd place in Class A, Sartell finished 6th in Class AAA. Teams like Upsala, Alexandria and Perham competed but lost their games.Pierz schools announced the softball game between Pierz and Sauk Centre scheduled for Tuesday has been moved to Monday at 4:30pm due to better weather to get the game in on Monday to start the high school softball season. Another softball game scheduled for Monday is Albany vs. Holdingford. Twins win 4-1 Saturday for 1st regular season win over Baltimore. Detroit beat the Wolves Saturday and Boston downed the Wild in Hockey.