Grant Wilcox leaves imprint on Brainerd Lakes music - Brainerd Dispatch MN
Brainerd High School (BHS) Chamber Orchestra Director Grant Wilcox has left his imprint on BHS and on the lakes community. After more than 30 years of teaching thousands of students how to play in the orchestra, Wilcox has decided to retire at the end of the 2012-13 school year. His last Chamber Orchestra concert will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Tornstrom Auditorium at the Washington Educational Services Building. Read more: http://brainerddispatch.com/news/2013-05-20/grant-wilcoxs-imprint-will-not-be-forgotten From: BrainerdDispatch Views: 2 1 ratings Time: 05:06 More in People & Blogs

A firsthand look at safety - Brainerd Dispatch MN
Watching a crash test dummy being thrown around like a rag doll in a roll-over simulator gave 500 fifth-graders at Forestview Middle School in Baxter a good idea of what could happen if they didn't wear their seat belts. Forestview conducted an event entitled Safety Days Tuesday and Wednesday where students got a 30-minute lesson from professionals in the community who volunteered their time to talk about their professions that revolve around safety. Read more: http://brainerddispatch.com/news/2013-05-22/forestivew-fifth-graders-get-first-hand-look-how-be-safe From: BrainerdDispatch Views: 32 0 ratings Time: 03:09 More in News & Politics

Baxter Council Tour of Whipple Beach Park, trail
Baxter is considering how best to manage Whipple Beach Park for the future and looking at plans for a universally accessible playground at the park and a disc golf course. As they are making decisions on a number of uses for the park land, city council members, staff and parks and trails commission members conducted a walk through of the site and newly cut timber sections. They also walked a wood chip trail by the FitQuest building off Audubon Way. From: BrainerdDispatch Views: 37 0 ratings Time: 03:14 More in News & Politics

Sideline View (May 22, 2013) - Brainerd Dispatch
As spring sports comes to an end, Mike and Jeremy discuss how each sport has done so far this season. They talk about baseball, softball, boys and girls golf, track and field and boys tennis. From: BrainerdDispatch Views: 14 0 ratings Time: 06:57 More in Sports

Waytashek, Hennen overcome odds to win Brainerd Tri - Brainerd Dispatch MN
Travis Waytashek, 18, of Brainerd, took the phrase "try, try again" to heart and posted a winning 2:21.22 in Saturday's triathlon at Brainerd High School after collapsing and finishing fourth during last year's event. "I feel pretty good," said Waytashek. "I'm pumped. Last year, I passed out so I had to do it again this year. Hannah Hennen, 18, had more obstacles to overcome than just the other competitors in the triathlon. Hennen, Brainerd, was the top finisher for the girls with a time of 2:52.32 despite being told her junior year that a back injury would keep her from participating in strenuous activity. "It doesn't really feel real," said Hennen. "I wasn't expecting it and I just went out and did my thing. We worked every day to be ready for this point. I was told that I shouldn't do strenuous activity and I wanted to overcome that and prove everyone wrong." Read more: http://brainerddispatch.com/sports/2013-05-19/triathlon-waytashek-hennen-overcome-odds-win-brainerd-tri From: BrainerdDispatch Views: 24 0 ratings Time: 01:04 More in Sports

Buster (Dog) Park set to open June 1 - Brainerd Dispatch MN
Buster would have loved this park. Spanning 47,000 square feet of grass and speckled trees, there's a view of the river and even a few out-of-commission fire hydrants. It's the ultimate dog play ground, and it opens June 1. Buster Park, Brainerd's dog park, is finally a reality after nearly three years in the works. Bob Rudsenske donated the needed $15,000 in memory of his Boston Terrier, Buster, which died more than a year ago. "Animals are very important to us, especially for those who don't have family," he said. Today, Rudsenske has a new dog, which he named Buster No. 2. Almost identical to his predecessor, only the personalities separate the two. The dog park is a good memory of the first Buster, Rudsenske said. It's set up for the joy of the dogs. Human entertainment is secondary. "We want to literally make it a playground for dogs," said Brainerd Parks and Recreation director Tony Sailer. Read more: http://brainerddispatch.com From: BrainerdDispatch Views: 283 2 ratings Time: 02:01 More in Pets & Animals

Baxter's electronic signs - Brainerd Dispatch MN
Baxter considers regulations for electronic signs with staff suggesting static signs and the planning commission recommending allowing animated signs. The Baxter City Council is expected to look at the issue on May 21, 2013. From: BrainerdDispatch Views: 136 0 ratings Time: 00:57 More in News & Politics

Utrinkets opens in downtown Brainerd - Brainerd Dispatch MN
Utrinkets yarn, gifts and boutique opens in downtown Brainerd, Minn. The store made the move to Brainerd from Nisswa into the former Bead Box on Laurel Street. Shop regulars say the store is about more than yarn with community and a sense of purpose and giving back. From: BrainerdDispatch Views: 189 1 ratings Time: 04:01 More in News & Politics

Unmanned Aircraft Systems Operations Facility - Brainerd Dispatch, MN
Camp Ripley opened its newest facility to the public Friday to show off its $3.9 million, 53,000-acre training facility. From: BrainerdDispatch Views: 118 1 ratings Time: 01:58 More in News & Politics

High School Rodeo - Brainerd Dispatch, MN
The Minnesota High School Rodeo at the Crow Wing County Fairgrounds. From: BrainerdDispatch Views: 62 0 ratings Time: 01:49 More in News & Politics

Nisswa brush fire May 16, 2013 - Brainerd Dispatch MN
A helicopter water drop and work on the ground by firefighters from Nisswa, Mission, and the DNR helped keep a wildfire from burning a pole barn on Garden View Road in Nisswa. The fire burned two to three acres, causing minor damage to the pole barn. The fire was challenging because of the thick woods. From: BrainerdDispatch Views: 235 0 ratings Time: 02:12 More in News & Politics

CLC Graduation - Brainerd Dispatch, MN
Central Lakes College graduation ceremony for the Brainerd campus at the Brainerd High School gymnasium. From: BrainerdDispatch Views: 165 0 ratings Time: 01:41 More in News & Politics

Sideline View (May 15, 2013) Interview with Ray Austin - Brainerd Dispatch, MN
An interview with Ray Austin from the Fort Ripley Rebels amateur baseball team. Austin talks about this coming baseball season, new and returning players, what a smelt fry is and new and current teams in their section. From: BrainerdDispatch Views: 214 0 ratings Time: 09:14 More in Sports

High school students help with riverbank conservation project - Brainerd Dispatch MN
It began when a Motley neighbor identified massive erosion along Highway 10 in Motley. The end result was a collaboration of numerous individuals and agencies to create a buffer of vegetation to stabilize the banks of the Long Prairie River as it flows through the Morrison County city. On Monday, nearly 1,000 trees and shrubs were planted by 70 students from Pillager and Staples-Motley schools, which will receive Minnesota Forest Resource Council funds for planting and transportation. A donation of $5,000 from the Minnesota Fishing Museum went for the plant materials to do the riparian planting with the help of the students who planted the buffer. Read more: http://brainerddispatch.com/news/2013-05-13/establishing-roots From: BrainerdDispatch Views: 73 0 ratings Time: 00:32 More in Science & Technology

Brainerd Lakes awarded 2014 Governor's Fishing Opener - Brainerd Dispatch MN
From: BrainerdDispatch Views: 46 0 ratings Time: 00:17 More in News & Politics

Brainerd firefighters "Fill-the-Boot" campaign for MDA - Brainerd Dispatch MN
Seven-year-old Emma Elizabeth McKenney — also known as "Princess" — had surpassed all of her doctor's expectations and lived longer than they had expected. Emma, who fought with a mitochondrial disease and an undiagnosed neuromuscular disease all her life, and her mother Margo Fortune of Brainerd prayed all year that they both would be able to stand beside Brainerd firefighters for their 2013 Fill the Boot campaign that raises money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). The Fill the Boot campaign will be held from 3-6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday on Washington Street and Northwest Fourth Street in Brainerd, at the stoplight intersection at Walgreens. Sadly, Fortune will be the only one who will be able to stand next to the firefighters for the campaign. Emma lost her battle with her rare muscular disease, March 24, 2013. Read more: From: BrainerdDispatch Views: 185 2 ratings Time: 03:26 More in News & Politics

2013 MN Fishing Opener at the Gull Narrows - Brainerd Dispatch MN
With several of central Minnesota's larger lakes still ice covered, anglers packed the Gull Lake Narrows in Lake Shore Saturday to fish for walleyes and Northern pike on the first day of the Minnesota fishing opener. Temps only advanced to the low 40's and the morning was filled with occasional snow flurries and wind. Even with weather that didn't necessarily make getting out on the water appealing for the 2013 opening weekend, John Edman, Explore Minnesota tourism director, said the opener isn't the kind of event derailed by ice conditions. This time next year, the governor's fishing opener will be back in the Brainerd lakes area's backyard. On May 8-11, 2014, the Minnesota Governor's Fishing Opener event will be on Gull Lake with Grand View Lodge serving as host. From: BrainerdDispatch Views: 301 0 ratings Time: 00:37 More in Sports

Firefighters, DNR scramble to contain fires - Brainerd Dispatch MN
Several grass fires ignited Friday in the Brainerd lakes area, sending firefighters and foresters with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) scrambling to contain them. About a dozen Brainerd firefighters and the DNR responded to a grass fire at 2:58 p.m. Friday on 12774 Crow Wing County 23, south of Brainerd. The grass fire made its way to a small abandoned garage and it caught fire. The garage was a total loss. Read more: From: BrainerdDispatch Views: 605 0 ratings Time: 00:58 More in News & Politics

A day in the life of a busy mom - Brainerd Dispatch MN
CROSSLAKE - It's tranquil outside the deer-speckled lawn of the Johnson's Crosslake home. Inside, it's the calm before the storm. It's 6 a.m. and mother Darla Johnson has already done a zumba workout, showered, gotten dressed, and pulled her blonde hair back in a tight ponytail. Soon, the boys will need to be tended to. Mommy duty is just about to kick in. If Darla wanted to claim the title of the Brainerd lakes area's busiest mom, she'd have few challengers. Here's one day in the life of a busy mother: Read more: From: BrainerdDispatch Views: 301 1 ratings Time: 03:12 More in News & Politics

Minnesota ice out - waiting for spring 2013
As the 2013 fishing opener approaches all eyes are on the economic engines of central Minnesota's lake region. A year ago, records were rewritten for early ice out dates after the amazing spring of 2012. This year is a reversal of fortunes as records will be shattered across the state for late ice out dates. This fishing opener, anglers are taking to small lakes and rivers as the vigil for ice out continues. From: BrainerdDispatch Views: 3286 1 ratings Time: 02:46 More in News & Politics