LITTLE FALLS

New museum aims to tell the stories of Minnesota veterans

Kirsti Marohn / MPR News — Wed, 18 Dec 2024 20:15:32 GMT

LITTLE FALLS, Minn. — Construction is underway on a new museum next to Camp Ripley near Little Falls to honor Minnesota’s military veterans.

When Randal Dietrich looks out over a frozen field next to Highway 371, he envisions a place where people will come to hear the stories of the roles Minnesotans have played in conflicts from the Civil War to the present day.

They’ll hear the stories of men and women who sacrificed and still carry scars, of those who gave their lives and lie beneath white grave markers in the nearby State Veterans Cemetery, connected to the museum via a walkway.

“Those stories of those Minnesota veterans buried there are the kinds of stories that we want our museum to reflect,” said Dietrich, executive director of the Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum. “So those artifacts of those individuals can be found right next to where they're remembered, and adjacent to Camp Ripley and the Mississippi River.”

The museum has outgrown its existing 90-year-old building next to a busy airfield. It’s located behind Camp Ripley's imposing gates and guard station, which sometimes deter potential visitors, Dietrich said.

“Folks don’t always know that they are welcome to come and see our current space,” he said. “To move beyond that hurdle and be right out here on the highway is such a game changer when it comes to audiences and accessibility and exposure, and the chance to do some big things.”

Every inch of the current museum is crammed with glass displays of guns, uniforms and medals. Some of its many artifacts are kept in storage. And there’s little room to tell the stories of the 43,000 Minnesota veterans who’ve served since 9/11, Dietrich said.

“Hence the need for us to go out and find a new space to create a brand-new vision,” he said. “This state’s never built a military and veterans museum from the ground up, dedicated to veterans.”

The new space is a former sunflower field east of the Mississippi River, donated by the property owner. The Legislature provided $32 million to build a 40,000-square-foot museum. Its backers are raising private donations to fill it with galleries, classrooms and theaters.

The new museum will be more immersive and interactive, connecting the artifacts with the people and stories behind them, Dietrich said.

“It can be transformative to help understand the experiences of folks and hear the actual veteran stories,” he said. “You don’t hear that right now in the museum. You don’t hear the voices of veterans. So in our new space, you’ll walk through and you'll hear their accounts.”

One of those voices will be Neil Rondorf’s. The Thief River Falls native commanded the USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul, a Cold War-era nuclear-powered submarine. It carried Tomahawk missiles during the Gulf War.

The decommissioned submarine’s sail and rudder were transported from a shipyard in Washington state. They will be restored and on display on the museum grounds.

In a video interview that will be featured in the new museum, Rondorf described visiting the site and seeing his old vessel.

“It was just a fascinating moment to know that I had been in that submarine halfway around the world in our nation’s defense and in critical moments. And I was just a kid from northern Minnesota,” he said. “So I hope that that inspires the next generation.”

The museum also will tell the stories of military families and the sacrifices they made, Dietrich said, especially post-9/11 veterans who served multiple deployments.

“If we send off a Minnesota man or woman overseas and on deployment, the family bears a lot of the brunt of that,” he said. “It’s not just one person out there. It’s a family that really is serving.”

Along with the submarine parts, the new museum grounds will provide space to display helicopters, tanks and other relics. And organizers have been tracking down other artifacts, including a 50-caliber gun from the USS Ward destroyer.

A St. Paul-based reservist crew helped man the gun, and they’re credited with firing the first shots in defense of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. The gun sits on the Minnesota Capitol Mall, but there’s a petition to relocate it to the new museum.

The new facility will spotlight some prominent Minnesotan veterans. One hall will showcase items donated by Gen. John W. Vessey Jr., who served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Ronald Reagan.

But it also will highlight lesser-known service members, including World War II veteran Don Halverson. The museum organizers hope Halverson will serve as its first volunteer guide when it opens in 2026. The 101-year-old grew up in Minneapolis and served in Italy with the 34th Red Bulls Infantry Division.

“I just figured I’m damn lucky to make it,” Halverson said in a video interview. “A lot of guys, so many guys, never made it. I’m glad I lived to see all the memorials and all this stuff.”

Dietrich and others have been traveling the state and collecting veterans’ accounts. He called it a humbling experience.

“It is so remarkably Minnesotan,” he said. “There’s something to the idea that it’s something in the water in Minnesota that leads to good, humble people doing really hard work and doing it as a team.”

This story was originally published on MPRNews.org
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Construction begins on new Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum

Dispatch staff report — Sun, 04 Aug 2024 12:56:00 GMT

LITTLE FALLS — The Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum at Camp Ripley officially began construction in Little Falls on Thursday, Aug. 1.

This marks the start of active construction, following a ceremonial groundbreaking last September. The facility and surrounding grounds are set for completion and grand opening in the summer of 2026.

The state of Minnesota provided $32 million to design and construct the 40,000-square-foot facility. The museum's board of directors is more than halfway toward its private fundraising goal of $10 million, which will be used to outfit the facility with gallery spaces, classrooms and collection spaces.

Army Gen. Joseph Votel, a Minnesota native and the former four-star commander of U.S. Special Operations Command and U.S. Central Command, explained the importance of this project, for both the state and nation.

“It is in these stories that we learn, and that we honor,” Votel said in a news release. “That is why this one-of-a-kind, world-class museum is so important. I know of no other state that has committed both private and public funds to build an institution of the kind envisioned here. And when I say ‘world-class,’ I don’t just mean a gleaming building with well-appointed display cases. I mean world-class stories of service, sacrifice, and love of country, all told well.”

Situated on over 30 acres just off Highway 371 and adjacent to the Little Falls State Veterans Cemetery, the new museum promises easy access by the public.

“This is a facility dedicated to veterans and we are excited to continue mobilizing Minnesotans to build a world-class museum with a statewide reach and beyond,” said Randal Dietrich, executive director of the Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum. “When complete, this project will honor all branches of service, both past and present. It will also truly represent a community effort, encompassing fiscal support from federal, state, community, and private funding sources.”

During the planning phase, the board and planners visited top museums across the country, consulted with veterans from Minnesota and beyond, and enlisted the renowned HGA Architects to lead the design.

"The Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum is a legacy project that I am honored to participate in,” said Sara Du, project coordinator with HGA. “My favorite aspect of the project is the visitor experience in Vessey Hall, named after Minnesotan Gen. John W. Vessey, Jr., Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under President Reagan. The building will be both a destination to educate visitors and a tribute to honor Minnesotans who have served our state and nation.”

Other design elements will include dark terrazzo flooring to ground the visitor experience, complemented by vertical wood slats on the walls to define the center hall. Banners and vertical baffles will hang from the ceiling, and custom display cases will elegantly exhibit artifacts and tell the stories of Minnesota veterans. Vessey Hall will serve as the main artery of the building, leading to various galleries and museum experiences.

Construction is being led by Breitbach Construction Co., based in Elrosa. The company has expressed its enthusiasm and commitment to the project, stating, "We are proud to be part of constructing the new Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum. This project is more than just building a facility — it’s a chance to honor the legacy of our veterans and showcase the history of contributions made by Minnesotans. We are helping create a space that honors and educates. Our team is dedicated to ensuring that the construction process reflects the significance of this museum. We look forward to the opening of this facility.”

Thursday's milestone also coincides with the launch of the Museum’s new Instagram page instagram.com/mnveteransmuseum. This page will document the visual journey of forging this world-class museum from the ground up.

Serving as a place of reverence, education and celebration, the museum uniquely emphasizes "living history" through initiatives such as the Post 9/11 Project and the recent 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War here in Minnesota. This new facility represents a significant step forward in preserving and honoring Minnesota’s military history.

National challenges resolved by military institutions have shaped much of the museum’s collective state and national experience. The documents, artifacts, images and stories of how Minnesotans, in uniform and at home, willingly served their state and nation in war and peace help honor their memory. The Minnesota Military & Veterans Museum inspires future generations through the exceptional stories of Minnesota’s citizen soldiers. Visit mnvetmuseum.org for more information.

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This time, the solar eclipse was a friends and family affair for Jan and Rachael Cota

Dennis Doeden — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 16:46:25 GMT

Jan Cota of Bemidji and her daughter Rachael traveled to Missouri to watch the 2017 solar eclipse and immediately started making plans for 2024. This time, however, they were able to share the experience with a large group of family and friends.

Jan and her friend Linda Blessing made the 800-mile drive to Indianapolis for Monday’s event. Rachael Cota, a graduate of Bemidji High �� and Bemidji State University, got there by plane. They were joined by relatives from Indiana and the Twin Cities, and all made their way to a park near the Indiana State Capitol.

It turned out to be a perfect spot to watch the spectacle. Food trucks and musicians created a festive atmosphere, and clear skies greeted the thousands who showed up. They enjoyed about four minutes of totality.

“It could not have been better,” Jan said. “What really hit me was the reaction of the crowd itself. The cheers and the experience of the 360-degree sunset … you just get this whole sense that we’re just a speck.”

Blessing experienced a total eclipse for the first time.

“I was so surprised at my reaction,” she said. “There were so many people in the park and a huge group of their family and relatives. So there was a lot of noise around us. But as soon as the eclipse began and you had to put your glasses on my eyes just started to water. I was crying. It was a really emotional experience for me. I didn’t expect that.”

Rachael, a science teacher in Little Falls, Minn., said the group had contingency plans to travel about 100 miles east or west of Indianapolis if necessary. But when she awoke at 3 a.m. to check the forecast, it was clear they could stay in Indy.

“I made the decision to stay put, and it was a good decision,” she said.

Meanwhile, back in Little Falls, her students were planning to go outdoors to watch the eclipse.

“For the last couple of months I have been putting out instructional videos for the whole school every Wednesday preparing for this,” Rachael said. “We got 600 pairs of eclipse glasses. The whole school was going to go out on the football field, and today it was raining, so that was canceled. But I did take a lot of pictures and some videos of mainly just the reactions of people. We’ll talk about the experience when I get back.”

Rachael was happy to be able to share her second eclipse with more friends and family.

“It’s just kind of a surreal experience,” she said. “When totality happened I took in the reaction of my family because it’s something I couldn’t relay how amazing it is. So it was fun for me to just look around and see everybody’s reaction, and to see Linda be brought to happy tears. It’s a moment where there are thousands and thousands of people just speechless over this beautiful natural event.”

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Little Falls man dies in workplace accident in Morrison County

Staff reports — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 22:18:01 GMT

LITTLE FALLS, Minn. — A 39-year-old Little Falls man died Wednesday, Dec. 6, after a workplace accident at a firewood processing facility in northern Morrison County.

The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office responded to the accident, reported at 10:28 a.m. Wednesday on 233rd Street in Fort Ripley Township, about 7 miles north of Little Falls.

According to the sheriff’s office, Hector Gonzalez Zelaya was found trapped in a firewood processing machine by co-workers. Deputies and first responders arrived and attempted life-saving measures, but they were unsuccessful. Zelaya was declared dead at the scene.

Morrison County Sheriff Shawn Larsen in a news release expressed his “heartfelt gratitude to everyone who played a role at the scene.”

“Despite the tragic ending, everyone’s commitment and dedication was truly appreciated,” he said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the victim.”

Assisting at the scene were Mayo Clinic Ambulance and North Memorial Health Air Care.

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Historic theater's reopening brings hope for downtown Little Falls

Kirsti Marohn / MPR News — Sun, 08 Oct 2023 13:00:00 GMT

LITTLE FALLS — Phil and Susy Prosapio have a photo that shows the dire condition of The Falls Theatre when they bought it more than a year ago.

The Little Falls movie theater closed in July 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and hadn't been well maintained for years before that.

"It was in pretty tough shape,” Susy Prosapio said. "Literally, the ceilings had collapsed into the seats …. It needed a bit of love."

Over the past year, the Prosapios have brought the 90-year-old art deco theater back to its former glory. A crew of mostly local workers restored the high vaulted ceilings and elaborate cornice work, adding a fresh coat of paint.

"Really, the major emphasis was restoring it to its original look, because it's a beautiful old building,” Susy Prosapio said.

The Falls Theatre reopened Friday night, Oct. 6, with a screening of "The Nuisance," a 1933 black-and-white romantic comedy — the first movie ever shown at the theater.

https://www.facebook.com/TheFallsTheatre/posts/pfbid02ztTdam7giQWEXZ6DUxaPH3XTaiWpVwazk7tMCDL1yTyrcFZYkvCkXAWaJ9NSYTeql

"There are certain things that are the essence of small towns, and the theater was one of them,” she said. “Certainly they have access to theaters up in Brainerd or in St. Cloud, but having their own hometown theater just felt like it meant so much.”

The theater renovation is just the latest ambitious project the Prosapios have taken on to boost the downtown of this city about 30 miles north of St. Cloud.

They're also turning the building next door into a restaurant and bar serving Italian and American food, called Ciao Thyme. When it opens in about a month, patrons will be able to bring their food and drink into the theater.

Across the street, the Prosapios bought a former appliance store several years ago. They turned it into a space for artisans and micro-vendors who sell everything from birch bark birdhouses to handcrafted chess sets.

It kept growing and now has more than 90 vendors. The Prosapios bought the adjacent building, a former bridal shop, and expanded the space called the Shoppes of Little Falls.

The couple has revived other downtown buildings sitting idle. And they've loaned money to help people buy businesses, including the local bakery. Susy Prosapio said it brings them joy to help bring life back to downtown.

“It's not a large town, but we've got a wonderful stock of old buildings,” she said. “And to see them being put to good use really makes you feel good."

Little Falls Mayor Greg Zylka said it's hard to underestimate the impact the couple has had on the city.

"It may be a ghost town without the Prosapios, because they've had a lot of input and impact on different buildings along here,” he said.

During COVID, the city did what it could to keep downtown businesses going, Zylka said, including giving out grants through its economic development authority.

Tough times on main street

But long before COVID, downtown Little Falls was struggling. A highway overpass was built east of the city, detouring much of the traffic that used to come through town.

“It just took away a lot of people,” Zylka said.

The city lost some major employers, including boat manufacturers Larson and Crestliner. Walmart and other big-box retailers hurt local businesses.

"We had a lot of empty buildings,” Susy Prosapio said. “But if we were to wait for somebody to come in from the outside and care enough to open a business in here, it wouldn't happen. It takes people who live here and care to invest in the communities."

The Prosapios say they never planned to be business owners. They say they've been fortunate to partner with local people who are knowledgeable in their field to run those businesses.

That includes woodworker Tony Armagost. The couple helped him renovate an old building that once housed a dry cleaner. It now houses his custom framing business.

"It was boarded up and buckled up,” Armagost said. “We had to do a complete rehab on it. But we got it for a good price. And that really made it worth the effort."

The couple said their efforts are a way to give back to the community where they've made their home for 33 years. Phil Prosapio recently retired after a long career as an orthopedic surgeon.

"This town, this community, this county had treated our family very well,” he said. “They helped us raise our kids, support my practice."

Susy Prosapio is originally from Fargo, but became active in the community after moving to Little Falls and serving as director of the nonprofit Great River Arts.

"This is the place we have spent most of our lives,” she said. “And we feel that the one thing we can do is make our little corner of the world a better place.”

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Little Falls man arrested in connection to death of 14-month-old

Dispatch staff report — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 21:11:23 GMT

LITTLE FALLS, Minn. — A 40-year-old Little Falls man was arrested at his home in Little Falls on Wednesday, Sept. 6, following an investigation into the July death of a 14-month-old girl.

Erik Adrian Blanco is being held in the Morrison County Jail on a charge of felony second-degree intentional murder in connection with the death of Riverlynn VanNorman. Formal criminal charges from the Morrison County Attorney’s Office are expected later this week, the Little Falls Police Department reported.

“After an exhaustive and thorough investigation into this case investigators have arrested Erik Blanco in connection with this heart-breaking tragedy,” Little Falls Police Chief Greg Schirmers said in a news release. “This case has deeply affected our community and our thoughts and condolences go out to Riverlynn’s family during this unimaginably difficult time. The pain and sorrow they are feeling is shared by the entire community. We also would like to express our gratitude to the community for their patience, understanding and support throughout the course of this long and difficult investigation.”

According to a July 10 news release, the Little Falls Police Department responded to a 911 call of an unresponsive child at 9:23 p.m. July 6 at a residence on the 400 block of Third Street Northeast in Little Falls. When officers arrived, they found the child was not breathing and had no pulse.

Officers performed CPR until paramedics arrived and transported the child to CHI-St. Gabriel’s Hospital in Little Falls, where she was pronounced dead.

The girl was then transported to the Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office where, based on its preliminary autopsy, it was determined that she died of multiple head and neck injuries consistent with homicidal violence.

Riverlynn and her mother had been temporarily staying with Blanco, police said, and Blanco was caring for Riverlynn while her mother was away from the home.

The Little Falls Police Department's investigation of the incident is ongoing.

According to state court records, Blanco has been convicted for numerous crimes since 2001 in Morrison and McLeod counties, including felony first-degree assault, felony second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon, felony theft, felony domestic assault and gross misdemeanor DWI.

Assisting at the scene were the Morrison County Sheriff’s Office, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service.

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Spring bird walk at Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge

Dispatch staff report — Tue, 25 Apr 2023 17:00:00 GMT

LITTLE FALLS — Are you interested in learning about birds and want to know what species can be found around Little Falls during the spring migration? Join other birders on May 13 at Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge for a morning walk along the Platte River Trail.

The event is sponsored by the Friends of Crane Meadows NWR and is free and open to the public.

The walk begins at 8 a.m. at the Sedge Meadow Classroom near the Refuge Maintenance Shop and will be about two hours long. Participants should wear walking shoes and bring binoculars. All birding levels are welcome, no experience is necessary and binoculars are available to borrow.

The Sedge Meadow Classroom is located at 19502 Iris Road, Little Falls.

For more information call the Refuge Office at 320-632-1575 or visit the website at www.fws.gov/refuge/crane-meadows/.

Direct all requests for sign language interpreting services, closed captioning, or other accommodation needs to 763-389-3323, cranemeadows@fws.gov, or TTY 800-877-8339 with requests by May 5.

Crane Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is located near the cities of Little Falls, Royalton and Pierz in central Minnesota and is part of Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

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Charles A. Lindbergh: When Little Falls, Minnesota, flew into history

Frank Lee — Mon, 11 Apr 2022 18:44:49 GMT

LITTLE FALLS — With the sky-high costs of flying today, it may be tempting to go it alone and take to the friendly skies by piloting a plane.

That would have been A-OK with famed aviator Charles A. Lindbergh. who as a boy on a farm in Little Falls during the First World War who dreamed one day of taking to the skies himself.

Lindbergh made history by flying nonstop and solo across the Atlantic Ocean from New York City to Paris in 1927. Next month will be the 95th anniversary of that incredible journey.

“Lucky Lindy,” as he came to be known, gained worldwide recognition for that then-remarkable achievement, succeeding where others before him had failed and paid the cost with their lives.

"Lindbergh, a young airmail pilot, was a dark horse when he entered a competition with a $25,000 payoff to fly nonstop from New York to Paris,” according to History.com.

Little Falls upbringing

Lindbergh, the son of a prominent U.S. Congressman, ordered a small monoplane, configured it to his own design and christened it the “Spirit of St. Louis” in tribute to his sponsor, the St. Louis Chamber of Commerce, according to the history-based website.

“In addition to being a skilled aviator, Lindbergh was also an amateur scientist, inventor and leader in the early conservation movement,” according to the Charles Lindbergh House and Museum across from the Charles A. Lindbergh State Park, about a mile south of Little Falls.

“Science, freedom, beauty, adventure: what more could you ask of life? Aviation combined all the elements I loved,” Charles Lindbergh wrote in his book “The Spirit of St. Louis.”

Lindbergh was born in his mother’s hometown of Detroit but relocated to a new home in Little Falls on the banks of the Mississippi River on a 110-acre farm outside of town. The farm was also home to Charles's two half-sisters from his father’s first marriage, Lillian and Eva.

“He would often spend his days swimming in the river, climbing trees, interacting with the lumberjacks who brought logs down the river and hunting with his father,” according to the Charles Lindbergh House and Museum.

Little Falls’ favorite son saw his first airplane while growing up in the Morrison County city.

“One day I was playing upstairs in our house on the riverbank. The sound of a distant engine drifted in through an open window. … No automobile engine made that noise. ... I ran to the window and climbed out onto the tarry roof. It was an airplane!” he recounted in his book.

Airmail pilot

Robertson Aircraft Corp. was one of five companies in 1925 to obtain a U.S. airmail contract, according to the Smithsonian, and among its stable of pilots was a 23-year-old Lindbergh, who received flying instructions at a Nebraska flying school from veteran airmail pilot Ira O. Biffle.

On Friday, April 15, it will be the 96th anniversary of when Lindbergh first flew the airmail on that Chicago-to-St. Louis route after the Robertson Aircraft Corp. successfully bid to secure the government contract for the service.

“Lindbergh earned his nickname, ‘Lucky Lindy,’ years before his trans-Atlantic flight. While flying the mail for the Robertson brothers, Lindbergh was forced to bail out of his mail plane not once, but twice!” according to the Smithsonian.

Lindbergh turned his attention to the Orteig Prize for the first aviator to fly nonstop across the Atlantic from Paris to New York or New York to Paris. Raymond Orteig, a French-born American businessman, announced the competition for the $25,000 prize in 1919.

“On Sep. 15, 1926, French flying ace René Fonck and his crew attempted to take off from Roosevelt Field in New York, only to crash at the end of the runway, killing two of the four crew members,” according to the Charles Lindbergh House and Museum.

Upon reading about Fonck’s failure, Lindbergh began to plan his own flight to Paris, figuring that "a nonstop flight between New York and Paris would be less hazardous than flying mail for a single winter."

The weight of the airplane was a primary concern for the fledgling daredevil, who wanted to make the trip across the Atlantic by himself and reportedly told Ryan Aeronautical Co. chief engineer Donald Hall that "I’d rather have extra gasoline than an extra man."

“Everything that was too heavy was left behind, including a parachute and radio,” according to the Charles Lindbergh House and Museum.

Making history

The 25-year-old Lindbergh landed his airplane at Le Bourget Aerodrome in Paris on May 21, 1927, after taking off from Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York, about 33 hours and 30 minutes earlier and 3,610 miles away.

“His greatest challenge was staying awake; he had to hold his eyelids open with his fingers and hallucinated ghosts passing through the cockpit,” according to History.com.

Charles Lindbergh facts His father was a U.S. Congressman. When Lindbergh was 4 years old, Minnesota’s Sixth Congressional District elected his father, Charles August Lindbergh, to the U.S. House of Representatives. He worked as a daredevil and stunt pilot. After learning to fly at the Nebraska Aircraft Corporation in Lincoln, Lindbergh spent two years as an itinerant stuntman and aerial daredevil. He wasn’t the first person to make a transatlantic crossing in an airplane. Lindbergh’s major achievement was not that he was the first person to cross the Atlantic by airplane, but rather that he did it alone and between two major international cities. He experienced hallucinations and saw mirages during his famous flight. Between his pre-flight preparations and the 33.5-hour journey itself, he went some 55 hours without sleep. He helped invent an early artificial heart. By 1935, Lindbergh had developed a perfusion pump made of Pyrex glass that was capable of moving air and life-giving fluids through excised organs to keep them working and infection-free. Source:

History.com

FRANK LEE may be reached at 218-855-5863 or at frank.lee@brainerddispatch.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/DispatchFL.

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Firefighters find body in central Minnesota house fire

Forum News Service — Wed, 16 Feb 2022 18:21:46 GMT

LITTLE FALLS — A person was found dead Tuesday, Feb. 15, in Little Falls after a house fire.

The Little Falls Police Department and the Little Falls Fire Department responded to the fire, reported at 6:08 p.m. According to the report, upon arrival, the fire department observed smoke on both the first and second levels of the residence. At that time they learned that someone may still be inside.

The fire department later located a deceased person in the residence.

The identification is not being released pending family notification and due to the ongoing investigation by the Minnesota State Fire Marshal's Office. Little Falls is about 32 miles southwest of Brainerd.

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SUV strikes, kills bicyclist who was lying on road near Little Falls

Brainerd Dispatch — Sun, 29 Aug 2021 21:56:50 GMT

LITTLE FALLS, Minn. — A bicyclist from Elk River, Minnesota, died Saturday, Aug. 28, after being hit by a vehicle just west of Little Falls.

The Minnesota State Patrol reported that Caleb Dennis Elfering, 28, of Little Falls, Minnesota, was eastbound in his 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee on Highway 27 near Highway 238 at 3:54 a.m. when he struck 35-year-old bicyclist Michael Alan Ostrom, who, for unspecified reasons, was lying in the lane.

Road conditions were wet at the time.

Elfering, who was wearing a seat belt, was uninjured. Ostrom, who was not wearing a bicycle helmet, died.

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