Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Heavy wet snow started after midnight this morning, dropping 1-3+ inches of snow. Snow causing poor visibility in spots if heading out this morning before 8am expect delays. More snow forecast later tonight another possible 1-3 inches of snow before Wednesday morning.
Last month, Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum Executive Director Randal Dietrich testified before both Minnesota House and Senate committees, providing an update on the progress of the new Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum. Randal shared that the 40,000-square-foot facility at Camp Ripley is on track for a September opening and represents a nearly $40 million public-private partnership dedicated to honoring veterans from all 87 counties and every branch of service. He emphasized that the Museum is designed not just to display artifacts, like the restored sail of the USS Minneapolis–Saint Paul, but to elevate the voices and lived experiences of Minnesota veterans through immersive storytelling. The countdown to the opening of the new facility continues down to under 200 days. Take a look at the beautiful new face of the Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum as the large signage is being put up and the buildings inside the facility are starting to take shape. You can check out the latest on this link.
A homeless man from St. Cloud faces more than a dozen charges related to having child sexual abuse material. Stearns County prosecutors have charged 45-year-old Matthew Monson with 13 counts of disseminating child sexual abuse material while registered as a predatory offender. Monson is also charged through a different criminal complaint for failing to fulfill registration requirements as a predatory offender. According to the charges, Google flagged several images and videos of child sexual abuse material coming from two IP addresses at a Holdingford rehabilitation center. Court records show Monson lived at the facility and is linked to a customer "cloud storage" account where the images were stored. An investigator with the Stearns County Sheriff's Office met with Monson in January and confiscated his phone. The officer conducted an extraction on Monson's phone and allegedly found more than 1000 images and videos involving the sexual exploitation of children. Court records show Monson's criminal history includes two convictions for criminal sexual conduct in both Stearns County and Roberts County, South Dakota. Monson's next court date is scheduled for April 3rd.
Central Minnesota farmers have a new opportunity to get paid for reducing synthetic fertilizer use this growing season. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has launched the Biofertilizer Innovation and Efficiency Pilot Program, offering $15 per acre to farmers who reduce their use of commercial nitrogen fertilizer and use a qualifying biofertilizer product. Applications are available for the 2026 and 2027 growing seasons. Farmers can enroll 40 to 3,000 acres, but the MDA reserves the right to limit enrollment per applicant. To qualify, farmers must reduce their nitrogen fertilizer application rate by the lesser of 15% or 30 pounds per acre while using a biofertilizer product registered with the MDA. The program is open to all crops with a University of Minnesota-recommended nitrogen fertilizer rate. Qualifying products must deliver nitrogen through living microorganisms such as bacteria or fungi. Benton, Sherburne, and Stearns Counties are among those statewide eligible. Applications are open now and close at 4:00 p.m. on May 1st, or earlier if the program reaches capacity, and are being accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications for 2027 will open next year, with $500,000 total split between the two years. To apply, farmers must first register in the state’s SWIFT system to obtain a vendor number, then submit an electronic application through the MDA. Grant agreements must be signed by May 29th. Farmers will be paid after submitting documentation verifying their nitrogen reduction and biofertilizer use by November 30th, 2026.
As corporations implement the use of artificial intelligence across the U.S. economy, state lawmakers in Minnesota are proposing restrictions on a specific AI tool known as "surveillance pricing" that sets prices based on consumer information. DFL Rep. Emma Greenman sponsors a bill in the Minnesota House that would ban the practice of surveillance pricing. A Democratic colleague, Rep. Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn, is carrying a bill that would specifically ban surveillance pricing in retail and grocery settings. Both were heard in a House Commerce committee last week and could be included in broader policy bills later in the 2026 session. The fate of these specific bills in Minnesota's divided legislature remains murky. While Republicans were not outright against the idea of banning surveillance pricing, a number of committee members had questions about the proposals. The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and Minnesota Retailers Association also raised concerns during testimony last week. "We appreciate the goal of protecting consumers," Minnesota Retailers Association Vice President Will Hagen said. "However, the impact of these bills should not unintentionally eliminate discounts, increase operational costs or restrict tools that help retailers deliver savings to customers."
Bunny Bingo is hopping back into town! Join Morrison County United Way (MCUW) on Saturday, March 21st at the Falls Ballroom for a day of kids’ fun! The doors will open at 10:00am. The event will include bingo with children’s prizes from 10:00am-2:00pm, a silent auction with about 40 gift baskets for kids and adults available for bidding, food available for purchase, coloring contest drawing at 11:00am, and a chance to visit with the Easter Bunny from 11:00am-1:00pm! Bingo will start at 10:00am with games running throughout the event and can be joined in at any time during the start of a new game. Game tickets to be purchased at the door. Games will be on-going throughout the event and will cost 50 cents per card (typically 3 games per card) with lots of kids’ prizes. The silent auction items will be available for bidding until 1:45pm. Food available for purchase is kid-friendly. The Easter Bunny will be on-site to visit with kids from 11:00am-1:00pm. All children must be accompanied by an adult. Funds raised will support MCUW’s programs in the Morrison County area. Only cash or checks will be accepted, there is an ATM on-site. Meghann Boser will be the guest Tuesday at 8:30am on KLTF to talk about this exciting kids type event. For more details, check out the event details on the MCUW Facebook page: @UnitedWayOfMorrisonCounty or call Morrison County United Way at 320-632-5102.
Birth Announcement: Austin and Grace Radunz of Pierz, a baby boy born March 7th.
Death Notices: Roberta "Birdy" Ann Gross, age 68 of Lastrup.
Weather: AM heavy snow 1-3 inches by 7am, then cloudy skies, high near 40. Rain develops after 5pm changing to wet snow again tonight 1-3 inches by Wednesday morning low 26. Wednesday snow early then becoming partly sunny, high near 40, low around 25. Thursday rain and snow develops during day, high 44, low 25. Friday cloudy and windy, colder, high near 32, low around 20. Cloudy Saturday with snow developing late in the day, high 38, low around 22. Snow heavy at times Sunday high near 29.
Sports: Sports Director Alex Carmenaty has posted interviews with Flyer State Champion Wrestler Ivan Petrich and Holdingford State Champion Wrestlers Masyn Patrick and Jaxon Bartkowicz on the Q92 WYRQ Facebook page where you can hear other interviews he has done from the recent winter sports season. The NCAA D3 Hockey Tournament is underway and includes 2 former hockey players from Little Falls. George Moore III (2022 graduate) is a Sophomore Defenseman at St John's and Nick Stevens (2021 graduate) is a Sophomore Forward at UW Stout. Also congratulations to the men's AND women's teams from St John's & St. Ben's won the MIAC Championship on Saturday. Both teams beat Gustavus. It is the first time in Bennie history. Boys Basketball Playoffs Wednesday night Pierz vs. Esko from UMD in Duluth, hear the action around 7:30pm that night on 94ROCKS KFML and fallsradio.com.