Morning Newswatch with Jay Caldwell

The Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday is coming up on Monday and St. Cloud State and St. Cloud community are partnering to celebrate with numerous events including a speech from author/journalist and musician Lee Hawkins on Monday at Rivers Edge Convention Center.

The recent snowfall has caused Minnesotans to have to remember how to drive in ice and snow. MN-Dot's Williams Van Koevering has some suggestions:

Minnesota will participate in an oral swab drugged driving pilot program in 2024. Stearns County Sheriff Steve Soyka says Stearns County would participate in the program but he hasn't been notified if the state will send any swabs their direction.

The St. Cloud Police Department are reporting a stolen vehicle on the 3200 block of 8th Street North. Alicia Mages from Tri-County Crimestoppers says a brown 2011 Buick Enclave was stolen with Minnesota license EWP 920. Mages says the rear passenger door has a small hole in it.

South Haven is a small town located in northwestern Wright County along Highway 55 between Kimball and Annandale. The town has a population of 187 and was platted in 1888. South Haven is in southside township and is 2 miles south of Fairhaven which likely contributed to the name of the town.

St. Cloud native Alex Koopmeiners is in his 8th season playing professional hockey. The 31-year old 2010 Cathedral graduate is currently playing in the ECHL with the New Foundland Growlers which is located in St. John's, New Foundland in Labrador, Canada.

In this edition of WJON's My Life series we examine the life of former St. Cloud Times sportswriter turned author, Kevin Allenspach. Kevin grew up west of Garrison, Minnesota near Lake Mille Lacs and went to high school in Brainerd.

Stearns County Commissioners are looking at 3 options for the future of the Stearns County Jail. The two downtown options include building a 2-story building which would be an extension of where the current jail, is expanding to the west.

The warmer than normal weather in Central Minnesota has caused a late start to the ice fishing season. Glen Schmitt from Outdoor News joined me on WJON. Schmitt explains the temperatures are getting close to normalizing this week but the ice locally is generally not safe and he's waiting at least a week before giving ice fishing a shot here.

The St. Cloud Police Department are reporting a burglary on the 1400 block of 6th Avenue North where Alicia Mages from Tri-County Crimestoppers says an unknown person cut a lock construction Conex container and stole multiple spools of wire.