Tuesday, January 18, 2000
Crime
BURGLARY -- Report Monday of a burglary of Pequot Lakes High School. There was no report of damage to property. Vending machines were entered and money stolen. The burglary remains under investigation.
Births
Karl and Charlene (Dohanick) Purinton, Pierz, a girl, Kaitlin Rose, Dec. 10, 1999. Grandparents are Donna Purinton, Pierz, the late Thomas Purinton Sr., and the late John and Maxine Dohanick, formerly of Onamia.
This was Brainerd
80 years ago (1920) - The Woodhead Motor Co. has been appointed exclusive representative for the Bergougnow Automobile and Motorcycle tires and tubes and has a large order on the road for stock.
This was Brainerd
30 years ago (1970) - Car motors groaned mournfully this morning and many gave up the effort. The air hung heavy with a cold grey mist of condensed vapor from car motors and chimneys. The reason is simple, it was 38 degrees below zero at 8 a.m.
Seven in 10 want unicameral vote
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Seven in 10 Minnesotans want to vote on whether the state should adopt a Legislature with one body instead of two, according to a new poll.
Poll: Minnesotans want Wellstone to honor pledge not to seek re-election
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Minnesotans approve of two-term Sen. Paul Wellstone, but most want him to honor his pledge not to seek re-election, according to the Star Tribune's latest Minnesota Poll.
Washington windstorm leaves thousands without power, two dead
SEATTLE -- A fierce windstorm battered the Pacific Northwest, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people, closing highways and killing two men.
Jackson marks King Day in Rochester
ROCHESTER -- If Martin Luther King Jr. were still alive, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said he would be figuring out how to provide health care for every American and would be working for peace and equal law enforcement.
Kixters beat St. Cloud Tech
ST. CLOUD -- The Brainerd High School Varsity Kixters defeated the St. Cloud Tech Tigerettes in a dance off duo at halftime of Friday's basketball game between the two schools at St. Cloud.
Vikings fans' fish house
Brian Rubner of Pine River tows his fish house across Trout Lake in Crosslake with Darian Rubner (left), Jordan Hansmeyer and Triston Rubner during the Minnesota Vikings-St Louis Rams game Sunday. The Rubners decided to paint the fish house Minnesota Vikings colors while the team was in the playoff hunt last year. While the search was on for a better fishing spot, the Vikings lost to the Rams 49-37. (Dispatch Photo by Steve Kohls)
Extra credit
Jamie Nelson, the daughter of Brian and Janet Spreiter of B
Minnesota unemployment rate unchanged in December
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Minnesota's adjusted unemployment rate of 2.4 percent in December matched the rate recorded in November, the Department of Economic Security reported today.
Arctic air settles over Northeast
A surge of cold air was moving over New England, the Northeast and Great Lakes today, while windswept rain battered the Pacific Northwest and the Southeast grew balmy.
Local briefs
St. Joseph's Medical Center has lifted all visiting restrictions. Regular visiting hours are now in place.
Couple who thwarted adoption scam will try to adopt baby now
STILLWATER (AP) -- A couple who helped police catch a lawyer who tried to sell them a Hungarian-born baby for $60,000 last March will try this week to adopt the little girl.
Flu outbreak reduces blood supply
NEW YORK -- Blood supplies have dropped to dangerously low levels around the country, with experts blaming a flu outbreak that hit harder and earlier than usual for keeping potential donors away.
Minneapolis may start counting barks
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- If a dog barks up to 20 times within seven minutes with no more than one minute between barks, its owner would face the long arm of the law.
Bitter cold grips Northeast
Noses dripped. Cars wouldn't start. Dogs balked at a trip outside. Some people even had trouble making ice because it was so cold.
Local briefs
Feb. 1 is the early bird deadline for booth space at the Brainerd Lakes Area Chambers of Commerce's 22nd annual Commerce and Industry Show -- Your Lakes Area Marketplace.
Making an impression
Todd M. Schuety (right photo), 33, was able to back his pickup out of the Gilles Water Systems building in the 2300 block of Oak Street on Monday despite building debris that fell on his vehicle.
Merger would create world's largest drugmaker
LONDON -- The British pharmaceutical company Glaxo Wellcome PLC plans to buy rival SmithKline Beecham PLC for about $76 billion in stock in a deal that would create the world's largest drugmaker.
Northwest pummeled from many directions
MINNEAPOLIS -- For Northwest Airlines, life always seems to be a series of peaks and valleys with choppy air in between. Recently, the nation's fourth-largest airline seems to be hitting some turbulence.
Great Lakes fleets looking for workers
Great Lakes fleets have struggled to fill entry level and engineering positions as their aging mariners retire or take vacations, maritime officials said.
Poll: Races close in New Hampshire
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republican John McCain and Democrat Bill Bradley score high marks with New Hampshire voters, who also think George W. Bush and Al Gore give their respective parties the best chance for a November presidential victory, a new poll says.
Poll: Grams' approval rating is 43 percent
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- With less than 10 months before he faces re-election, Sen. Rod Grams' approval rating shows that he is vulnerable, meaning the first-term Republican could face an uphill fight as he tries to get re-elected.
Look who wants to be a millionaire
LITCHFIELD (AP) -- Aaron Pennertz says persistent phone calls got him a spot on ABC-TV's game show, ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.''
State briefs
MARSHALL -- Two former Redwood County Human Services workers were sentenced in the theft of nearly $21,000 in child support payments.
Senator will block bills limiting felons' hunting licenses
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bob Lessard said he will try to block any bill that uses hunting permits to check for convicted felons with guns.
Fly invasion leads to lawsuit
OLIVIA (AP) -- A dairy farmer and his family complain that house flies from a neighboring egg-laying facility are so numerous they can't talk outside without flies getting in their mouths.
Clinton seeking more federal agents for new anti-gun program
WASHINGTON -- President Clinton is asking Congress for $280 million in additional funds to hire 500 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents and inspectors and create a program to track guns through ballistics testing.
Farmers pleased with EPA restrictions on biotech corn plantings
WASHINGTON -- Environmentalists and farmers alike are praising the planting restrictions that the government is placing on genetically altered corn to prevent insects from becoming resistant to its toxin.
Pope names bishop of Duluth archbishop in Alaska
VATICAN CITY (AP) -- Pope John Paul II has named Monsignor Roger Lawrence Schwietz the new archbishop for Anchorage, Alaska, the Vatican said today.
Moth brawls Gipsy moth troubles growing in Upper Midwest
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- With an appetite for destruction, gypsy moths -- the longtime scourge of forests along much of the East Coast -- are slowly creeping towards the Upper Midwest.
Two weeks old and all set for college
Other than a backpack, a few pencils and maybe some clean socks, 2-week-old Mitchell Britton is ready for college.
Districts scramble to settle
With a state deadline to settle new teacher contracts just a day away, Minnesota school districts are signing agreements that outspend the per-pupil funding increases they're due to receive for the biennium, according to reports.
Albright optimistic despite Israel-Syria talks suspension
WASHINGTON -- Secretary of State Madeleine Albright today dismissed the indefinite suspension of negotiations between Israel and Syria as one of the ''many ups and downs'' of Middle East peacemaking.
PR-B teachers have yet to settle contract
PINE RIVER -- The Pine River-Backus School Board and its teachers association have yet to reach a contract settlement, a situation that could cost the district $36,000 in state aid.
State auditor to leave GOP for DFL
ST. PAUL -- State Auditor Judi Dutcher said today her switch from the GOP to the DFL was a culmination of events, including the Republican Party's decision last year to endorse conservative Gary Bauer for president.
A royal surprise
Jessica O'Neill, a junior at Pequot Lakes High School, reacts with excitement as she was crowned the 2000 Miss Pequot Lakes-Crosslake Saturday by outgoing queen Patti Westlund. Candidate Lexie Schaub (left) looks on. Jami Landgren was crowned princess. Miss Congeniality was Kati-Lyn Hjulberg while candidate Kara Foss was the talent scholarship winner. O'Neill also won the personal interview portion of the scholarship pageant. (Dispatch Photo by Jodie Tweed)
John P. Leeb Sr.
PIERZ --John P. Leeb Sr., 84, Pierz, died Saturday, Jan. 15, 2000, at St. Cloud Hospital.
Marie A. Braynard
CROSBY --Marie Alice Braynard, 73, Crosby, died Sunday, Jan. 16, 2000, at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center of Crosby.
LeRoy Miller
AH-GWAH-CHING -- LeRoy Miller, 73, Ah-Gwah-Ching, formerly of Aitkin, died Saturday, Jan. 15, 2000, at the Ah-Gwah-Ching Resource Center in rural Walker.
Catherine Carlson
PEQUOT LAKES -- Catherine Carlson, 77, Pequot Lakes, died Sunday, Jan. 16, 2000, at Cuyuna Regional Care Center of Crosby.
Arline E. Skoog
RANDALL -- Arline Elizabeth Skoog, 83, Randall, died Sunday, Jan. 16, 2000, at St. Benedict's Center in St. Cloud.
Freda Sauer
CROSBY -- Freda Sauer, 83, Aberdeen, S.D., died Friday, Jan. 14, 2000, at Cuyuna Regional Care Center of Crosby.
Robert Delane
LITTLE FALLS --Robert Delane, 76, Little Falls, died Sunday, Jan. 16, 2000, at St. Cloud Hospital.
Gen Ludovissie
MESA, Ariz. --Gen Ludovissie, 74, Mesa, Ariz., formerly of Staples, died Sunday, Jan. 16, 2000, at home.
Arlene Skoog
RANDALL -- Arlene Skoog, 83, Randall, died Sunday, Jan. 16, 2000, at St. Benedicts Center in St. Cloud.
Delbert D. Woode
PINE RIVER --Delbert D. Woode, 82, Pine River, died Friday, Jan. 14, 2000, at St. Joseph's Medical Center of Brainerd.
Diana (Spaulding) Smith
LITTLE FALLS -- Diana Lee Romaine (Spaulding) Smith, 84, Little Falls, died Friday, Jan. 14, 2000, at St. Gabriel's Hospital in Little Falls.
LeRoy Miller
AH-GWAH-CHING -- LeRoy Miller, 73, Aitkin, died Saturday, Jan. 15, 2000, in Ah-Gwah-Ching.
Dr. F. C. Closuit
AITKIN -- Dr. F. C. Closuit, 87, Aitkin, died Sunday, Jan. 16, 2000, at Cuyuna Regional Health Care Center of Crosby.
Robert 'Bob' P. De Lane
ST. CLOUD -- Robert "Bob" P. De Lane, 76, Little Falls, died Sunday, Jan. 16, 2000, at St. Cloud Hospital.
Delwin Theisen
Delwin Theisen, 86, Brainerd, died Sunday, Jan. 16, 2000, at St. Joseph's Medical Center.
Catherine Carlson
PEQUOT LAKES -- Catherine Carlson, 76, Pequot Lakes, died Sunday, Jan. 16, 2000, at the Cuyuna Regional Care Center of Crosby.
Gelinde 'Linda' T. Andrews
ONAMIA -- Gelinde "Linda" T. Andrews, 71, Onamia, died Monday, Jan. 3, 2000, at home.
John P. Leeb Sr.
PIERZ --John P. Leeb Sr., 84, Pierz, formerly of Lastrup, died Saturday, Jan. 15, 2000, at St. Cloud Hospital.
Margaret A. Fensand
PINE RIVER -- Margaret Ann Fensand, 74, Pine River, died Saturday, Jan. 15, 2000, at St. Joseph's Medical Center of Brainerd.
Dagny Morrison
PINE RIVER -- Dagny Morrison, 81, Pine River, died Saturday, Jan. 15, 2000, at St. Joseph's Medical Center of Brainerd.
Marian Anderson
HASTINGS -- Marian Anderson, 90, Hastings, formerly of Aitkin, died Monday, Jan. 10, 2000, at Augustana Home in Hastings.
Philip C. Hitzeman
AITKIN -- Philip C. Hitzeman, 76, Aitkin, died Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2000, at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center of Crosby.
Dr. F. C. Closuit
AITKIN -- Dr. F.C. Closuit, 87, Aitkin, died Sunday, Jan. 16, 2000, at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center of Crosby.
Genevieve 'Gen' Ludovissie
MESA, Ariz. -- Genevieve "Gen" Ludovissie, 74, Mesa, Ariz., formerly of Staples, died Sunday, Jan. 16, 2000, at her home.
Sister Vivian - Dispatch Editorial
Sister Vivian Arts squeezed an awful lot of accomplishments into her 28 years at St. Joseph's Medical Center.
Presidential debates - Dispatch Editorial
No matter how closely scholars might search the U.S. Constitution, they will find nothing to ordain the two-party system which dominated our political scene in the 20th century.
Silencing bigots
Feel better now?
King's message of love still lingers
The following editorial appeared in today's Los Angeles Times:
King's inspiration
Bill Clinton carried with him only three pages of talking points when he stepped into the pulpit at the cavernous Mason Temple in Memphis, Tenn., on Nov. 13, 1993. But he had other things on his mind. He had just read a Washington Post story about an 11-year-old girl whose neighborhood was so riddled by violence that she was already planning her own funeral. Kurt Schmoke, the mayor of Baltimore, had recently told him about an 18-year-old boy who was shot and killed -- by a 13-year-old on a dare -- while trying to lead younger children safely through trick-or-treating on Halloween. And the president knew one last thing: The pulpit in which he stood was the one from which Martin Luther King Jr. had preached his last sermon, on the stormy night before he was murdered in April 1968.
A not-so-terrible campaign
The following editorial appeared in Sunday's Washington Post:
A banner year for racists
A little more than three years ago, David M. Beasley, then governor of South Carolina, announced that it was time to stop flying the Confederate battle flag over the state capitol. What yours truly said in turn was, Hurrah!: ''. . . The legislature probably will approve'' Beasley's proposal, I wrote, ''so the flag will come down, to be relegated to Confederate memorials on the Capitol grounds,'' and perhaps ''the Civil War will at last come to an end.''
Stop that puck! Warriors putting emphasis on play of goalies
Toby Kvalevog's goal is to make the Brainerd Warriors boys' hockey team the most formidable it can be between the pipes.
BHS aide was Lumberjack standout
Good fortune seems to follow Toby Kvalevog nearly everywhere.
Bucs shock 'Skins
TAMPA, Fla. -- Dan Turk was in shock.
Gophers victimized by Hoosiers' rebound
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) -- No. 9 Indiana put disappointment behind it, giving coach Bob Knight some answers to its fortitude.
Will Vikings, George stay together?
EDEN PRAIRIE -- The Minnesota Vikings' best offseason move was signing Jeff George as an economical insurance policy, which they collected on big-time after their season began to teeter.
The NFL's new world order
ST. LOUIS -- Throw out the book on what it takes to win in the NFL playoffs.
Aussie defends her Office Depot title
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Karrie Webb gave her family a perfect going-away present.
Lakers struggle past Wolves
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Los Angeles Lakers' accelerator got stuck at times, and they got bumped and nudged again, but they managed to get back into victory lane here Saturday.
S-M girls win
BEMIDJI -- The Staples-Motley Cardinals girls' basketball team defeated the Warroad Warriors 57-30 Saturday afternoon in a non-conference game at Bemidji.
Vermilion outscores Raider men
The national runner-up Vermilion Ironmen outscored the Central Lakes College Raiders 87-77 in men's basketball Saturday.
Garnett fills the bill
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Kevin Garnett knew he needed to step up with Terrell Brandon injured. Did he ever.
National briefs
PASADENA, Calif. (AP) -- It seemed mostly an Iranian-American festival, with a soccer match as the featured attraction.
PR-B boys win 4th in row
CASS LAKE -- Justin Kelley scored 20 points to lead the Pine River-Backus boys' basketball team to a 78-55 non-conference win over Cass Lake-Bena on Monday.
Rams continue march to Super Bowl Warner's 5 TD passes end Vikings' season
ST. LOUIS -- Barring some sort of phantom disaster, the Rams, by way of Cleveland, Los Angeles, Anaheim and St. Louis, are moving toward the Super Bowl, packing the worst NFC record over the last decade, but needing only to score more points than the team with the third-worst mark, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
St. John's upsets Connecticut
Bigger didn't mean better for the Connecticut Huskies.
Raider women win 8th straight
The Central Lakes College Raiders women's basketball team picked up a huge 73-60 Northern Division win against the Vermilion Ironwomen on Saturday to grab seize first place in the division.
Warriors blank Duluth Central
Goaltending continues to be the backbone of the Brainerd Warriors boys' hockey team.
Agassi breezes through first round
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- A year ago, Andre Agassi's marriage was ending and his tennis had slipped enough to ''look horrific.''
Jags rout Dolphins
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- There likely will be no more football tomorrows for Dan Marino. There will be a next week, though, for the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Moorhead edges Warrior girls
MOORHEAD -- The Moorhead Spuds shaded the Brainerd Warriors 2-1 in a non-conference girls' hockey game Saturday.
Brainerd nordic skiers win meet
Marni Lundbohm and Courtney Drake placed first and second Monday to lead the Brainerd Warriors girls' nordic ski team to a first-place finish in the Deer River Invitational at the Northland Arboretum.
Johnson quits in Miami Wannstedt named new boss
DAVIE, Fla. (AP) -- Jimmy Johnson was on his way out the door on a balmy Sunday, headed for retirement and the Florida Keys, when he stopped and looked at his watch.
Local sports shorts
Brainerd High School graduate Angie Swanson stood out for the University of Minnesota-Crookston Golden Eagles women's basketball team in two weekend losses.
Even without miracles, Titans win
INDIANAPOLIS -- Last week, the Tennessee Titans used a miracle play to win their first-round playoff game against the Buffalo Bills. Sunday, the Titans returned to conventional earthly means, featuring a 68-yard touchdown run by Eddie George early in the second half and old-fashioned defense, to hold off the Indianapolis Colts, 19-16, and advance to the AFC championship game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Scoreboard
Boys Basketball
Warriors finish first at U of M Invitational
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Brainerd Warriors boys' swimming and diving team placed first with a score of 648.5 points in the maroon division of the University of Minnesota Invitational Saturday afternoon.
Seahawks' Sherman is Wolf's surprising selection
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- Mike Sherman is Ron Wolf's surprising choice to take the Green Bay Packers back to the top of the NFL.
Warrior wrestlers sixth
ST. CLOUD -- The Brainerd Warriors wrestling team finished sixth out of eight teams at the St. Cloud Tech dual meet tournament Saturday.
Vandy moves into rankings
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Vanderbilt supporters, pointing to the Commodores' three victories over ranked teams the last two weeks and their absence from the Top 25, were asking: What is wrong with this picture?
Local shorts
DENTON, Texas -- Brainerd High School graduate Chris Bjorklund had 12 points and eight rebounds but Cal Poly fell to North Texas 85-82 in Big West Conference men's basketball action Saturday night.
National sports brief
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) -- The Tampa Bay Devil Rays made another move to bolster their pitching staff, agreeing to a minor league contract with John Burkett that will pay him $850,000 if he's added to the roster.
Tansactions
BASEBALL
Serena Williams survives opener
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- U.S. Open champion Serena Williams fumbled through mistiming, wild shooting and foot faults before surviving her Australian Open first-round match 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 against 261st-ranked Amanda Grahame today.
Warrior gymnasts place 12th
LAKEVILLE -- The Brainerd Warriors gymnastics team placed 12th out of 20 teams in the Lakeville Invitational Saturday.
Azinger wins first title since '93
HONOLULU (AP) -- Paul Azinger's breakthrough victory in the Sony Open meant far more than a hefty payday and a flashy trophy.
Pioneers place first
HINCKLEY -- The Pierz Pioneers remained undefeated after placing first in the Jaguar Invitational wrestling tournament by scoring 207 points Saturday.
C-I-A stops Benson
BENSON --The Crosby-Ironton-Aitkin boys' hockey team defeated the Benson Braves 4-1 in a non-conference game on Saturday.
Central Lakes Conference standings
CLC All
Area events Monday
Boys Basketball