Wednesday, November 26, 2025
As of 7:30am- Schools closed Upsala, Swanville, Pillager, Long Prairie Grey Eagle, Brainerd, Onamia. Also announced that Pierz, Browerville and Staples-Motley are doing e-learning days no students in class also all schools have no afternoon school activities or events tonight. Mid State Education District is closed. LF Radio was informed that Mary of Lourdes Schools are on time but with no busing today they are leaving up to the parents to pick up and drop off and absences today will be excused. Little Falls Public Schools, Royalton, Holdingford and Foley already had a scheduled day off today. EEI is closed today. New 2 U Thrift Store is closed today.
The Winter Storm Warning for central Minnesota was canceled overnight as the snow came to an end and the winds did not get as strong as expected. Still 5-7 inches of snow and around .28 rain reported around the area yesterday which still will cause compacted and slick roadways, plows are out but a slow start to Wednesday. Winds will pick up during the day 15-25mph with some gusts near 30mph causing some blowing snow and poor visibility. The Minnesota State Patrol at 2am today said that over 700 accidents have been reported around the state many cars in ditches along Highway 10 already by 3pm Tuesday, a large semi pile up along the interstate in Moorhead and many others with injuries. A reminder from the State Patrol as many may be venturing out for the Thanksgiving holiday to watch speeds and expect delays from the wintry weather on Tuesday. Extra law enforcement will also be out tonight into Thursday watching for impaired drivers as tonight is one of the worst for drinking and driving arrests.
A St. Cloud man faces attempted murder and assault charges after a shooting in south St. Cloud Sunday morning. Stearns County prosecutors have charged 31-year-old Austin Gerads with 2nd-degree attempted murder and 2nd-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. Gerads is also charged with a misdemeanor count of fleeing police. According to the criminal complaint, Gerads shot his roommate in the shoulder just after 4:00 a.m. The victim said he was asleep and woke up to being shot. The victim said Gerads was accusing him of killing his daughter and was threatening to kill him. Court records allege Gerads then pointed the gun at the victim's face and fired. The bullet grazed the victim's cheek. Gerads allegedly pistol-whipped the victim in the head, and a struggle ensued over the gun. During the struggle, the victim was able to throw the weapon out of reach. A neighbor heard the gunshots and came to check on the victim. Gerads is accused of telling the neighbor to open a hatch to the basement before hitting him on the head with a metal pipe. When officers arrived, Gerads fled out the back door but was tased and arrested. Records show Gerads told investigators that what he did was worth it and claimed his daughter was under a trap door and was trapped in the basement. Police confirmed none of Gerads' family members were hurt.
A man accused of killing a Sauk Rapids woman after driving her home from the bar and then fleeing to Louisiana was sentenced Tuesday to just over 27 years in prison. November 19th, 46-year-old Christopher Lee Neal entered a Norgaard plea for second-degree murder. A Norgaard plea is a guilty plea with a catch. It admits that if the case were to go to trial, the defendant believes prosecutors can prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. It also concedes that the defendant is unable to recall key details of the crime. In this case, Neal claimed he was drunk because he had been at the bar before the killing. According to the criminal complaint, on August 12th, 2024, Neal choked Victoria Gamble to death. Neal then took the keys to Gamble’s Chevrolet Equinox and fled. Her ex-husband and his current wife had discovered Gamble’s body after they did a welfare check at her apartment. Neal turned up in Louisiana with the stolen vehicle a week later. In accordance with state law, Neal can get out after serving two-thirds of his sentence behind bars and serve the rest on supervised release
Plymouth police officers shot and injured a man while responding to a domestic disturbance call on Tuesday morning, police said. The City of Plymouth shared a press release Tuesday, stating that city police responded to a domestic disturbance call around 4:30 a.m. at the 6100 block of Quinwood Lane North. The caller reported a man knocking on their window. A Plymouth police officer confronted a man armed with a handgun in a parking lot, according to the city. The officer fired, injuring the man. The man was hospitalized and is currently in stable condition, according to the City of Plymouth. The officer was not injured in the confrontation and was placed on critical incident leave, which is standard procedure. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the shooting. Plymouth police officers shot and injured a man while responding to a domestic disturbance call on Tuesday morning, police said. The City of Plymouth shared a press release Tuesday, stating that city police responded to a domestic disturbance call around 4:30 a.m. at the 6100 block of Quinwood Lane North. The caller reported a man knocking on their window. A Plymouth police officer confronted a man armed with a handgun in a parking lot, according to the city. The officer fired, injuring the man. The man was hospitalized and is currently in stable condition, according to the City of Plymouth. The officer was not injured in the confrontation and was placed on critical incident leave, which is standard procedure. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating the shooting.
A reminder that Thursday is Thanksgiving Day. A Federal, National and Legal Holiday meaning that all federal, state, county and city offices will be closed Thursday and some offices will also be closed Friday for using a floating holiday earlier this year on another holiday to use on the day after Thanksgiving. Again Thursday banks, financial institutions, schools, post offices and many businesses will be closed for Thanksgiving Day. A reminder that there are free Thanksgiving Meals at the Falls Ballroom from 11-1 put on the Little Falls Area Ministerial Association with help from the Falls Ballroom, if you need a ride to the ballroom that day call Tim Sumner at 320-632-2540. Also Word of Life in Upsala has a free community Thanksgiving meal at 11:30-1:30 also on Thanksgiving Day. Pierz Healy School Cross Country has their Turkey Trot at 7:30am registration on Thanksgiving Day at the MAC in Pierz a 5K before your meal to help the cross country program in Pierz. Details on events at fallsadio.com on community calendar.
Death Notices: Collette M. Ehrenberg, age 71 of Swanville. Eileen Mary (Roscoe) Avery, age 94 of Staples. Ronald "Ron" H. Nagel, age 88 of Little Falls. Marian A. Lapos, age 96 of Ponsford. Leonard L. Erickson, age 79 of Long Prairie.
Weather: mostly cloudy skies, light snow early still possible, temps steady around 26 with very gusty winds of 20-35mph with blowing and drifting snow. Clearing skies Wednesday night low around 13, winds 10-20 will make it feel below zero. Thanksgiving sunny skies, high 23, clear night cold, low 7 above. Friday increasing clouds high 22, low around 9 snow develops late Friday night, Saturday snow in the morning 2-3 inches possible by noon, high near 19, low around 10, Sunday sunny and cold, high 13, low near -5. Monday even colder, high near 9 above, low around 7-below zero.
Sports: Thanksgiving triple header of NFL action on AM960 KLTF starts with Green Bay at Detroit at 11:30am, Kansas City and Dallas at 3:30pm and Cincinnati and Baltimore at 7:20pm. Friday Chicago at Philadelphia at 2pm all games live on KLTF. Little Falls Community High School announced that Seniors Brooke and Olivia Litke have both committed to participate in tennis at Wartburg College in Waverly, IA. Brooke and Olivia are the daughters of Laurie Kimman and Steve Litke of Little Falls and then Little Falls High School Senior Grace LeClair has committed to participate in Cross Country and Track & Field at Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Grace is the daughter of Andrew and Lindsay LeClair of Little Falls. Also due to the weather yesterday all local action was postponed or canceled on Tuesday.