Tuesday, January 29, 2002

Cash grain
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Wheat receipts Monday 35, a year ago 237.

Livestock
SOUTH ST. PAUL (AP) (USDA) -- Monday cattle: 350.

Accidents
WALKER -- A 75-year-old Walker woman was injured in a single-vehicle accident Sunday on Highway 371, at the junction of Highway 200 north of Walker.

Metals
NEW YORK (AP) -- Spot nonferrous metal prices Monday.

Marriage licenses
Troy E. Rushmeyer, 34, and Kathleen A. O'Reilly, 23, both of Brainerd.

Crime
PEQUOT LAKES -- The suspect in a Jan. 19 armed robbery of a Jenkins liquor store is still being sought, and investigators are asking the public for help.

Courts
WALKER -- The following recently appeared in Cass County Court:

Dissolutions
Caspers, Holly M. and Peter J.

DiMarco finds new way to win
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Chris DiMarco keeps finding ways to win. The latest method is one he would rather not repeat.

Ventura to meet with Federated execs
ST. CLOUD (AP) -- Gov. Jesse Ventura is scheduled to meet Wednesday with Federated Department Store Inc. executives to discuss the future of its Fingerhut subsidiary.

Bush to advocate corporate responsibility in his State of the Union speech tonight
WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush, seeking to distance himself from the Enron Corp. bankruptcy, will urge corporate America to be more accountable in his State of the Union address while calling on Congress to protect worker pensions, White House officials said Tuesday.

House conservatives urge balanced budget
WASHINGTON -- House conservatives want congressional Republicans to write a balanced budget this year, fearing that a round of big spending boosts will alienate voters the party needs this November.

Ventura discloses he never saw combat
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Gov. Jesse Ventura, who has used his military record to deflect criticism and bash foes but has kept mostly mum on what he did during the Vietnam War, has disclosed for the first time that he did not see combat.

Karzai would welcome U.S. security role in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Afghan leader Hamid Karzai said Monday he would welcome U.S. participation in the multinational peacekeeping force in his nation and that most Afghans would like to see the security forces expand outside Kabul, the capital.

States face $9 billion cut in federal highway funds
WASHINGTON -- President Bush's budget will slice $9 billion out of federal aid to state highway programs next year, largely because of a drop in gasoline tax collections, federal and state officials said Monday.

Rumsfeld declares prison camp ship-shape, rules out POW status for terror suspects
GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba -- On his first visit to the hot, dusty camp where 158 suspected terrorists are held in small, open-air cells, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said none would be granted prisoner-of-war status and all are receiving humane treatment.

Capitol notes
Some Minnesota breweries are asking lawmakers for the right to distribute their own beer because in recent years, distributors have consolidated. That has left some cities with as few as two.

Cheney: Arafat not putting 100 percent effort toward peace
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Vice President Dick Cheney is criticizing Yasser Arafat for apparently turning to Iran and the Hezbollah terrorist group for support and is pressing the Palestinian leader to "make a 100 percent" effort against terrorism.

Legislature returns to deficit for the first time in a decade
ST. PAUL -- When they return to the Capitol Tuesday, lawmakers will need to trade their serving spoons for some good, sharp knives. The 2002 session will be all about cuts.

Cheney energy policy meetings may end up a court issue
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Vice President Dick Cheney says the Bush administration's refusal to identify business executives who met with him and his aides concerning energy policy probably will end up in court.

Moe hopes gun bill isn't brought up
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Senate Majority Leader Roger Moe cringes at the possibility that a bill to make it easier to carry a gun in public may be brought up at the start of the 2002 legislative session.

Fire destroys home on Highway 18
Fire destroyed a home on Highway 18 Saturday, about seven miles east of Brainerd.

Extra credit
Christopher Endreson, the son of Michael E. and Sonja K. Endreson of Baxter, was admitted to North Dakota S

This was Brainerd
20 years ago (1982)-A Gull Lake site believed to be valued in the neighborhood of three-quarters of a million dollars has been donated to the State Department of Natural Resources. The land was donated as an addition to the Pillsbury State Forest by Mr. and Mrs. R.F. Brownlee Cote of Lake Hubert.

Local briefs
State Rep. Greg Blaine, R-Little Falls, will conduct a series of town meetings in February to allow residents to voice their opinions.

Swans in flight
A family of trumpeter swans takes flight over Steamboat Bay on Gull Lake Monday.

Budget, airport issues aired
Budget deficits and a regional airport authority were debated at the Brainerd City Council retreat Monday.

Homelessness is more than a big city problem
BRAINERD -- Mike Trimble pulled his Chicago Bulls baseball cap tight and lit a cigarette outside the county government center, trying to beat the cold as the social workers inside decided his fate.

Radio reports on fishing fest move premature
News on the radio today that the 12th annual Brainerd Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza has been moved back to Gull Lake may be premature.

Transition from prison life to comforts of Brainerd has been hard for Benson
So a friend just returned from a six-month stint in a federal women's prison for her participation in an annual political protest at a military base. What do you bake to bring to her welcome home party?

Pierz man's death investigated
LITTLE FALLS -- The death of a 21-year-old Pierz man is being investigated by the Morrison County Sheriff's Department.

Ferguson says most homeless people in Brainerd are transients
Brainerd's streets aren't paved with gold, but Brainerd Salvation Army Capt. Paul Ferguson believes that's what the homeless in Minnesota may think of our fair city.

This was Brainerd
20 years ago (1982)-The Brainerd Foundry, a South Brainerd landmark since the 1920s, will close its doors within a month, leaving 20 employees without jobs.

Man shot in head in L. Falls survives; suspect arrested
LITTLE FALLS -- A 44-year-old man, suspected of shooting another man, was arrested this morning after returning to a residence in the Little Falls area, Little Falls police said.

Maurer moving on to a new challenge Little Falls School Board to discuss vacancy tonight
LITTLE FALLS -- The Little Falls School Board will act on Superintendent George Maurer's resignation tonight at its meeting.

New-home sales up 5.7 percent in December
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Spurred by low mortgage rates, Americans pushed sales of new homes up by 5.7 percent in December. That helped to make 2001 the best year on record for home sales, even as the country suffered through a recession.

Major issues in 2002
Status of major issues in the 2002 Legislature as of Friday:

Price to become a U.S. citizen to rise to more than $300
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The price for becoming a United States citizen is about to increase.

Enron employees sue company officials, auditing firm
HOUSTON -- More than 400 current and former Enron Corp. employees on Monday sued several company officials and auditing firm Arthur Andersen in an effort to recover vast retirement funds lost when the energy giant filed for bankruptcy.

Is a know-it-all grocery cart in shoppers' future?
WASHINGTON (AP) -- You swipe your savings card against a screen mounted on a supermarket shopping cart. As you move about the store, the screen flashes ads for products you usually buy, notes that you haven't bought toothpaste in six months and provides recipes and health information.

Anguish endures over fate of kidnapped Wall Street Journal reporter
NEW YORK (AP) -- Mariane Pearl, a French free-lance journalist who is six months pregnant, last heard from her husband when he called her at their Pakistan home to say he would be late for dinner.

Navy sub, transport ship in minor collision off Oman; no injuries reported
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A U.S. Navy submarine and an amphibious transport ship collided off the coast of Oman as they were getting ready to transfer two sailors, but no one was injured. The sub was the same one that collided with a Japanese fishing boat off the Hawaiian coast last year.

Ex-POWs reject criticism of treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo base
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- Don't tell retired U.S. Navy Lt. Stephen Harris about the difficulties of being an Afghan war detainee in Cuba. He was tortured, beaten and starved in North Korea -- a far cry, he says, from what's happening in Camp X-Ray.

Supreme Court justice, first lady take terrorism lessons, law to school
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks were morally and legally wrong, and any explanation for them must not "shade into excuse," Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy said in describing a program to help high school students understand the gravity of the events.

Enron Corp. names Stephen Cooper as CEO
HOUSTON (AP) -- Less than a week after Kenneth Lay resigned as embattled Enron Corp.'s chief executive, the company's board on Tuesday announced the appointment of a reorganization expert to guide it through the largest bankruptcy in history.

Group claims to have Wall Street Journal reporter
NEW YORK (AP) -- A Wall Street Journal reporter has apparently been taken hostage in Pakistan by a group seeking repatriation of detained Pakistani fighters in Cuba and the release of Afghanistan's former ambassador to Pakistan.

More bad news for investors: Global Crossing files for bankruptcy
NEW YORK (AP) -- Investors still stunned by the swift financial plunges by Enron Corp. and Kmart Corp. got more bad news as Global Crossing Ltd. filed for bankruptcy in one of the largest corporate failures ever.

Amid bioterrorism threat, states revisit old-style quarantines
ATLANTA (AP) -- Sobered by the recent alarm over anthrax and bioterrorism, state officials have begun using the Q-word: quarantine.

Toys R Us to close 64 stores, cut 1,900 jobs after earnings slump
TRENTON, N.J. -- Toys R Us Inc. said Monday it plans to close 64 U.S. stores and cut 1,900 jobs, or about 3 percent of its work force, in a drive to cut costs and boost operating profits.

America's best-selling modern Bible to be issued in gender-neutral version
The International Bible Society said Monday that America's best-selling modern Bible is about to get an update using gender-neutral wording, despite past criticism of that idea from conservatives.

Selig still won't rule out contraction
NEW YORK (AP) -- Baseball management, its plans for contraction all but over, told the players' association that Montreal and Minnesota were the only teams under consideration for elimination before opening day.

Vince Carter leads NBA vote-getters
NEW YORK (AP) -- Vince Carter won the overall balloting, Michael Jordan made it for a 13th time and Steve Francis and Antoine Walker also cracked the starting lineups for the NBA All-Star game.

Don't underestimate the Patriots
Believe in them or not, the New England Patriots have forced their way into the NFL's grand finale. Next stop: New Orleans. Next miracle target: the so-called Greatest Show on Earth.

NHL today
SCOREBOARD

Rams win NFC title with late interception
ST. LOUIS -- The still-soaring St. Louis Rams are going back to the Super Bowl for their second appearance in three years. This time, they will continue to show off one of the most potent offenses in the history of the game. But now, they also have a defense the offense can be proud to call its own.

Patriots win AFC title in hostile environment
PITTSBURGH -- A jubilant Bill Belichick hoisted his son. Drew Bledsoe, who had tears in his eyes as the clock ran down, hoisted the AFC ch

Johansson at top of tennis world Down Under
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Maybe this was fitting. In a tournament that set records for early exits by top stars, Thomas Johansson wound up as one unlikely Grand Slam champion.

Robert E. Goranson
Robert E. Goranson, 80, Brainerd, died Saturday, Jan. 26, 2002, at St. Joseph's Medical Center.

Donald Newstrom
SHAKOPEE -- Donald Newstrom, 84, Shakopee, died today, Jan. 28, 2002, at St. Francis Medical Center.

Bill W. Nelson
LITTLE FALLS -- Bill W. Nelson, 69, Little Falls, died Monday, Jan. 28, 2002, at home.

Howard Severson
CUSHING -- Howard Severson, 70, Cushing, died Monday, Jan. 28, 2002, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis.

Arlan Miller
PEQUOT LAKES -- Arlan Miller, 65, Pequot Lakes, died Saturday, Jan. 26, 2002, at Good Shepard Lutheran Home in Sauk Rapids.

Reinhold L. Lind
MINNEAPOLIS -- Reinhold Lewis Lind, 75, Minneapolis, died Monday, Jan. 28, 2002, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis.

Robert J. Knoblauch
Robert J. Knoblauch, 59, Brainerd, died Monday, Jan. 28, 2002, at St. Joseph's Medical Center.

Donald E. Newstrom
SHAKOPEE -- Donald Edward Newstrom, 84, formerly of Aitkin, died Monday, Jan. 28, 2002, at St. Francis Regional Medical Center.

Laurence Vechek
LITTLE FALLS -- Laurence Vechek, 73, Little Falls, died Saturday, Jan. 26, 2002, at Mille Lacs hospital.

Galen Matlock
PIERZ -- Galen Gary Matlock, 21, Pierz, died Friday, Jan. 25, 2002, on hunting land on the family farm.

Eugene 'Gene' W. Marra
IDEAL TOWNSHIP -- Eugene "Gene" W. Marra, 64, Ideal Township, died Saturday, Jan. 26, 2002, at home.

Eugene W. Marra
IDEAL TOWNSHIP -- Eugene W. Marra, 64, Ideal Township, died Saturday, Jan. 26, 2002, at home.

Jerry G. Clark
NISSWA -- Jerry G. Clark, 68, Nisswa, died Monday, Jan. 28, 2002, at home.

Lucas Ross Meschke
LITTLE FALLS -- Lucas Ross Meschke, infant son of Ross and Sharon Meschke, died Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2002, at St. Gabriel's Hospital in Little Falls.

Hugh S. McShane
Hugh S. McShane, 74, Brainerd, died today, Jan. 29, 2002, at St. Joseph's Medical Center.

James D. Magee
RANDALL -- James D. Magee, 70, Randall, died Friday, Jan. 25, 2002, at the St. Cloud Hospital.

Norman Rynard
GARRISON -- Norman Rynard, 71, Garrison, died Monday, Jan. 28, 2002, at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby.

Rose 'Tiny' Solberg
Rose "Tiny" Solberg, Brainerd, died Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2002, in Brainerd.

Jerry G. Clark
NISSWA -- Jerry G. Clark, 68, Nisswa, died Monday, Jan. 28, 2002, at home.

Agnes C. Mertens
STAPLES -- Agnes Caroline Mertens, 75, Staples, died Friday, Jan. 25, 2002, at her home.

Raymond Eagle
CROSSLAKE -- Raymond Eagle, 64, Crosslake, died Saturday, Jan. 26, 2002, at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.

William 'Bill' Nelson
LITTLE FALLS -- William "Bill" Nelson, 69, Little Falls, died today, Jan. 28, 2002, at home.

Lawrence Vechek
ONAMIA -- Lawrence Vechek, 72, Pine Creek Township, died Saturday, Jan. 26, 2002, at Mille Lacs Hospital in Onamia.

Neil R. Tibbetts
SCANDIA -- Neil R. Tibbetts, 25, Scandia, died Thursday, Jan. 24, 2002, in Fargo, N.D.

Roe v. Wade v. Cloning
The National Academy of Sciences has concluded that creating human clones is unsafe and should be outlawed. However, the NAS would permit cloning from human embryos for the purpose of conducting research on possible cures for diseases.

Pay hikes
At a time when all state agencies are being asked to clamp down on their budgets, and even rural cities and counties are expected to give up a portion of their reserves to cure the state's budget ills, the notion that one state agency would lavish raises on its employees is ridiculous.

Open Forum
The Brainerd Dispatch headline on Jan. 16 read "Oberstar in city Tuesday to talk about his specialty -- transportation issues." However, I would contend that his real specialty is taxing and spending.

The Dispatch's editorial views
Editorial views in The Brainerd Dispatch represent a consensus of opinion by members of the newspaper's editorial board.

The 2002 session
If you're a politician who enjoys daunting challenges then the 2002 Minnesota legislative session is one you'll love. This year's Minnesota Legislature has plenty of combustible elements which have the potential of posing big problems for political leaders.

Vox Pop
Vox Pop, voice of the people, publishes Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. To call

We have to bite the bullet
Anyone who knows even a little about the condition of our school buildings and the growth in our district knows that we need to acquire new space and begin the process of replacing aging buildings. There comes a time when trying to maintain an aging building that is also not energy efficient, becomes more costly than building new. The school board and citizen committees have studied these issues for more than 10 years that I am aware of; the decisions they have made were not arrived at overnight, without a lot of homework and soul searching. They have done a great job over the last 10-12 years maintaining and fixing up what we do have.

Open Forum
Televised meetings

What civil disobedience means
I am thankful and relieved that Mary Benson is home from prison. I am upset that she had to go through such a severe punishment for her acts of civil disobedience. Our congressmen (Oberstar, Wellstone and Dayton) said it

A good time to build a school
There is only one good time to build a school and that is when you need one. That's the standard Brainerd people have always used.

Man dies after snowmobile accident
FARGO, N.D. (AP) -- A Grand Forks man has died of injuries he suffered in a snowmobile accident in Minnesota.

State briefs
LAKEVILLE (AP) -- Authorities were looking Tuesday for a driver whose van crossed the centerline of a two-lane street near Lakeville in Scott County and hit a car head on, killing a Prior Lake man.

Minnesota National Guard members depart for war zone
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- More than 100 members of the Minnesota Air National Guard took off Monday for southwestern Asia, the first major foreign deployment of a Minnesota military unit for the war on terrorism.

St. Cloud mayor faces unprecedented test during his first weeks on the job
ST. CLOUD (AP) -- The mayor's job here isn't supposed to be a full-time position, but when the city is trying to stave off the closing of one of its most prominent businesses, things change.

Internet greeting card misleads Minnesota recipients
ST. CLOUD (AP) -- An Internet greeting card intended as a joke wasn't taken that way by courts in Minnesota and across the country.

Analysis: St. Paul is average, middle-class city
ST. PAUL (AP) -- The city of St. Paul is the best at being average, according to a new city analysis of census data.

2001 unemployment hit all ages, industries
ST. PAUL (AP) -- The wave of job cuts that swept across Minnesota last year differed from the previous recession because it didn't discriminate by industry or age group, according to state figures.

Media attorney elected president of state newspaper association
BLOOMINGTON (AP) -- Media attorney Randy Lebedoff was elected president of the Minnesota Newspaper Association on Saturday.

Task force approves report recommending two stadiums
ST. PAUL (AP) -- A tripartisan state task force overwhelmingly lined up Monday behind recommendations that the 2002 Legislature vote on two new stadiums that would be built with public help.

Children's home gets denied by Chaska City Council
CHASKA (AP) -- The City Council here unanimously rejected a plan Monday to build a residential facility for disadvantaged children.

Dehen suggests council look at smokng ban
Though less discussed than some other items, several new ideas were brought up at the Brainerd City Council retreat Monday.

Sled-dog race postponed until March
DULUTH (AP) -- The start of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon has been postponed until March 3 because of a lack of snow along the North Shore of Lake Superior.

Anti-smoking groups seek tax hike
ST. PAUL (AP) -- An anti-smoking coalition called Monday for adding $1 to the state's tax on every pack of cigarettes, saying it would raise money and reduce smoking by children.

Lake City man dies in ice fishing accident
WABASHA (AP) -- A Lake City man has died after falling through the ice while fishing in Finger Lake.

W-DC girls edge Perham in overtime
WADENA -- Kerby Johnson pumped in 19 points to help the Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines to a 52-51 overtime victory over the Perham Yellowjackets in non-conference girls' basketball Monday.

Scoreboard
GIRLS BASKETBALL

Forest Lake nips Warrior boys 2-1
It was a case of too little, too late for the Brainerd Warriors boys' hockey team as it was defeated by the Forest Lake Rangers 2-1 in a Section 7, Class 2A showdown Saturday afternoon.

Baratto, Scull spark Ranger boys
CROSBY -- Ben Baratto scored 23 points and Tyler Scull 21 to help the Crosby-Ironton Rangers past Eveleth-Gilbert 66-59 in boys' basketball Saturday.

Scoreboard
BOYS BASKETBALL

Floor hockey team wins 7-1
The Brainerd Warriors adapted floor hockey team stepped up its play Saturday to defeat Anoka-Hennepin 7-1 at Riverside Elementary School.

Flyer gymnasts defeat W-DC
LITTLE FALLS -- Shae Tabatt and Beth Prokott led the Little Falls Flyers past the Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines 133.05 to 129.625 in gymnastics Saturday.

Davich leads Flyer girls
LITTLE FALLS -- Rachel Davich had a double-double as the Little Falls Flyers defeated Grand Rapids 63-51 in girls' basketball Saturday.

W-DC boys skate past Kittson Central
WADENA -- The Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines opened up a 3-0 lead and held on to beat Kittson Central 4-3 in non-conference boys' hockey Saturday.

Local sports shorts
Bassmasters CastingKids Fishing Competition offers a free competition Saturday for ages 7-10 and 11-14 with an eye toward sending individuals to a national competition.

Rapids edges Warrior girls
The Grand Rapids Thunderhawks gave the Brainerd Warriors a heavy dose of speed and a 2-1 non-conference girls' hockey loss Saturday at Brainerd Area Civic Center.

Brainerd skiers compete at Welch
WELCH -- The Brainerd Warriors girls' alpine ski team finished eighth out of 50 teams Friday at the Welch Invitational.

Pequot boys face rough schedule
The Pequot Lakes boys' basketball team suffered its third loss of the season Jan. 24 against Pillager.

Sports briefs
The Brainerd Warriors girls' junior varsity hockey team stomped Grand Rapids Saturday 5-1.

Brainerd's Woodard skis to fourth place
BEMIDJI -- Brainerd freshman Chris Woodard skied away with a fourth-place finish and a combined time of 29:32 in the boys' meet at the Bemidji Invitational nordic skiing race Saturday.

Brandon returns to starting lineup, sparks Wolves' win
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota Timberwolves regained their starting point guard, their defense and their winning ways.

Promoters looking for an opponent for Bonsante
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Pro boxing's return to St. Paul sustained a blow when a fighter in its main event was banned by a judge from traveling to Minnesota for Thursday's featured bout.

Gophers get Monson's message
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Minnesota coach Dan Monson sent a message to two of his three co-captains who hadn't been playing well.

Haskins' lawyer says university knew the coach lied
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Former Minnesota basketball coach Clem Haskins lied about academic cheating in his program and the university knew it when it paid $1.5 million to buy out his contract, his attorney said in a filing Monday.

Mayo Clinic study finds danger in playing hockey without face protection
WASHINGTON -- Playing hockey with a bare face can be dangerous to a player's looks.

Merging sports departments at U opposed
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Fearful their teams will be sacrificed to solve a budget crisis, backers of University of Minnesota women's sports urged the board of regents Monday not to merge the men's and women's athletic departments.

Minnesota women win in front of record home crowd
"Our players fed off the intensity and the emotion that was out there from our crowd. It was awesome."

Calgary edges Wild in overtime
ST. PAUL (AP) -- The Minnesota Wild dangled another game in front of a hungry opponent, and the struggling Calgary Flames seized a victory in overtime.

Gophers hockey team, Denver split
The Minnesota Golden Gophers may not have much hope of catching Denver in the WCHA rankings, but they did their part this weekend to shake things up a little.

Gophers told they must do a better job of concentrating
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Minnesota coach Dan Monson has had to remind Kevin Burleson about taking smarter shots and maintaining his concentration more than once this season.

Wild, Devils snap losing streaks
ST. PAUL -- While neither the Minnesota Wild nor the New Jersey Devils got a win, they at least broke losing streaks.

Minnesota state forecast
Today...Cloudy and colder. Areas of light snow north. A chance of light snow central with areas of drizzle southeast. Highs mainly in the single digits north to the upper 20s far southeast.

The Weather Elsewhere
Tuesday

Iowa state forecast
Winter weather advisory for today in northwest and north central iowa...

Finding some air
Weather drawing by Dilan Mullins in the Backus School fourth-grade class of Ms. TeHennepe.

Minnesota state forecast
Freezing drizzle advisory through noon southwest...

State forecast for north dakota
Today...A slight chance of light snow northwest. Snow developing east. 1 to 3 inches possible far southcentral and southeast. Highs from 5 below to 5 above.

Wisconsin state forecast
Lake snow warnings and advisories in the lake superior snowbelt today...

The Weather Elsewhere
Monday

State forecast for south dakota
Today...Occasional light snow in the north. Variable clouds in the south with a few afternoon flurries in the southeast.. Highs of 5 to 15 in the north and west...And teens to lower 20s southeast.

Iowa state forecast
Today...Colder and mostly cloudy. Scattered flurries northwest and patchy drizzle or freezing drizzle far northeast. Temperatures in the teens to lower 20s northwest with highs in the lower 30s to around 40 southeast.

Wisconsin state forecast
Winter storm warning for ashland...Bayfield and iron counties tonight...

State forecast for north dakota
Today...Partly sunny north. Less than an inch of snow this morning southwest and south central...Then becoming partly sunny. An inch or two of snow southeast today. Highs from 5 below on the canadian border to 10 above southwest.

Everyone is skiing
Weather drawing by Brandon Moe of Sharon Jendro's first grade class at Lowell school.

State forecast for south dakota
Today...Mostly cloudy. Areas of light snow or flurries mainly this morning. Highs in the single digits north to the teens south.

Sister of homeless man appeals for compassion
DEAR ABBY: I have a brother, "Stan," who has been homeless for a decade. Stan is borderline schizophrenic. He goes through periods when he hears voices, believes things to be true that aren't, and does not keep himself clean. He has always had trouble dealing with people.

Justice Department hangs drapes in front of towering, partially naked statues
WASHINGTON (AP) -- No longer will the attorney general be photographed in front of two partially nude statues in the Great Hall of the Department of Justice.

Tardy start shouldn't deter teaching hopeful
DEAR ABBY: I feel compelled to respond to Veronica M. DeCrescio's letter about how she always wanted to be a teacher, but never went back to school to certify.

Bracelet manipulation
Dear Heloise: After struggling to put on a bracelet this morning, I was thinking I would have to buy one of those gadgets I had seen in catalogs to help fasten one.

A new chapter
ARLINGTON, Va. -- The cartoon in Elena Rodriguez's office shows a librarian at her desk behind a nameplate that reads "Search Engine." Rodriguez, the librarian at Gunston Middle School, gets a kick out of the reference to Internet sites that retrieve information online.

Names and faces
HOUSTON (AP) -- Country singer Clint Black brought along some musical celebrities and raised $1.5 million for people still recovering from flooding caused by Tropical Storm Allison.

Names and faces
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Don Rickles will be hurling insults in Atlantic City, N.J., for at least two years.

Silence of the phone
Dear Heloise: I just read your suggestions about stopping mail and newspapers when traveling. Those are very important. It is also a good idea to turn the volume down on the telephone. If you are in the habit of letting it ring, say, four times to pick up when you are home, changing it to two when you're gone would be a HUGE red flag and an invitation to a burglar. -- Marilyn Jones, Tyler, Texas

U.S., Afghan forces kill al-Qaida holdouts in hospital
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) -- With grenades and volleys of automatic fire, Afghan troops and U.S. special forces soldiers wearing "I Love New York" buttons stormed a hospital in Kandahar on Monday and killed a band of al-Qaida fighters who had been holed up there for two months.

Saudi leader criticizes U.S. position in Israeli-Palestinian conflict
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Crown Prince Abdullah said Monday that the alliance between the United States and Saudi Arabia has emerged undamaged from the attacks of Sept. 11. But he warned that the war on terrorism is being undermined by what he called the indefensible position of the United States in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Ecuador plane carrying 92 people disappears along Colombian border
TULCAN, Ecuador (AP) -- Low cloud cover held up the search Tuesday for an Ecuadorean jet carrying 92 people that disappeared near 15,000-foot Andean peaks while approaching an airport in foggy weather.

Japan's jobless rate reaches record 5.6 percent in December
TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's unemployment rate edged up to 5.6 percent in December, the fourth straight month of record high joblessness in this recession-ridden nation -- and many fear it could get worse.

Pippi Longstocking creator Astrid Lindgren dies
STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) -- Popular children's writer Astrid Lindgren, creator of the braided, freethinking Pippi Longstocking, died Monday. She was 94.

Syria feels pressure to halt illegal oil trade with Iraq
UNITED NATIONS -- The United States and Britain are pressuring Syria to halt what they say are massive illegal imports of Iraqi crude, an oil flow many people believe is Saddam Hussein's biggest source of undisclosed and uncontrolled hard-currency income.

Sixteen U.S. soldiers injured in helicopter mishap
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) -- A helicopter on a combat mission crashed while landing at night in eastern Afghanistan after the pilot failed to see holes on the ground, Army officials said Tuesday. Sixteen U.S. soldiers on board were injured.

Tragedy in Nigeria
LAGOS, Nigeria -- Nigeria's president declared a national tragedy on Tuesday, saying a series of explosions at an army weapons depot in Lagos left 600 dead, many of them women and children who drowned in a canal while trying to run away.