Tuesday, January 30, 2001
Officials think safeguards will avert future test gaffe
ST. PAUL (AP) -- New safeguards will prevent a repeat of scoring errors that mistakenly told about 8,000 Minnesota students they failed last year's statewide standardized math test, school officials said.
Revising Robin Hood
DONNA, Texas -- Like hundreds of teachers and administrators in the state's poorest corners, Runn Elementary Principal Ofelia Gaona is nervous about the possibility of losing millions of dollars in funding.
CLC search committee begins work
The Presidential Search Committee at Central Lakes College, Brainerd and Staples, on Monday began what is expected to be a six-month effort to find a successor for President Sally J. Ihne, who retires Aug. 14.
Younger students can take basic-skills test
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Students from fifth grade and up can now take the basic skills tests scheduled to be taken by eighth- and 10th-graders under a little-known law passed during last year's legislative session.
Extra credit
The following students have been accepted into Minnesota State University Moorhead: Shannon Ward, the daughter of John and Sally Ward of Brainerd, plans to major in early childhood education; Larry McCulley, the son of Larry and Becky McCulley of Bra
New homes for old cameras
Dear Readers: We recently printed a letter from a reader asking what to do with OLD CAMERAS.
Reclining seats in cars dangerous
DEAR ABBY: On Sept. 12, 2000, our beautiful, blue-eyed 11-year-old daughter died from injuries she sustained in a car accident. With her seat belt fastened, she had the front passenger seat reclined to nap on the way home from school. Upon impact, she was thrown up to the seat belt and back down to the reclined seat. She suffered severe brain trauma.
Cash grain
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Wheat receipts Monday 237, a year ago 292.
Area crime
BURGLARY -- Alvin Orr, Deerwood, reported his residence broken into.
How to reach your state lawmakers
Area legislators and how to contact them.
Accidents
BAXTER -- One person was injured in a single-vehicle rollover reported at 8:55 a.m. Saturday on Highway 210 at Elder Drive South, the Baxter Police Department reported.
Metals
NEW YORK (AP) -- Spot nonferrous metal prices Monday.
Crimes
Two men accused of vandalizing mailboxes in Nisswa and in Lake Edward Township Jan. 23 have been charged in Crow Wing County District Court.
Calcavecchia breaks PGA record
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Mark Calcavecchia's day started early with a five-shot lead and an 8-iron he couldn't wait to hit. It ended 28 holes later with a spot in the PGA Tour record book and the Phoenix Open trophy secure in his grasp.
Republicans see movement on taxes, education fronts
WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott says "there's a chance" campaign finance reform will pass Congress this year, but first he will push lawmakers to focus on two cornerstones of President Bush's legislative agenda: education and tax cuts.
Analysts see second Fed rate slash
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Worried that the economy may be stalling, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Alan Greenspan is likely to push for another bold half-point interest rate cut to try to rev up growth.
Bush looks to expand role of religious groups in social programs
WASHINGTON -- Seeking to expand the role of religious groups in social programs, President Bush has seized on a politically popular initiative that leaves opponents worried about breaching the wall between church and state.
Krinkie budget lowballs Ventura's spending plan
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Despite all of the people who say Gov. Jesse Ventura is too stingy in his budget, one lawmaker is criticizing him for spending too much.
Back to work The Cheneys are one of many two-income families It's astonishing that in 2001, when the two-income family is as common as the January flu, Lynne Cheney has become the first vice president's wife to work at a paid, private job.
Most of the others who have played any public role have been advoca
Bush unveils religious-based charity plan
WASHINGTON -- President Bush is moving to tap religious institutions for more charitable work, confronting critics who say using public money for such programs could violate the wall between church and state. Bush also is taking on a greater role in confronting California's energy crisis.
Capitol notebook
STATE CASINO
Bush offers proposal to cover drug prescriptions for needy senior citizens
WASHINGTON -- President Bush offered a quick fix for helping the elderly get prescriptions and said a broader Medicare overhaul will come later. To immediate criticism that his plan doesn't go far enough, however, Bush said he's open to compromise.
Layer of ice covers nearly all of southern Minnesota
Motorists skated across a layer of ice that covered nearly all of southern Minnesota on Tuesday as snow fell well into the morning, compounding the effects of freezing rain that caused school cancellations, delayed flights, and contributed to several fatal accidents.
Woman dies in crash near airport
One person died from injuries suffered in an accident Monday on Highway 210, bringing the 2001 area fatality total to six, including three fatalities on Highway 210.
Frosty skiing
Wayne Johnson of Brainerd skied among the frost covered trees in the Northland Arboretum Monday afternoon. As a winter storm approached Minnesota, fog and frost covered the landscape.
This was Brainerd
20 years ago (1981) - Sheila Smith of Brainerd was crowned Queen yesterday as part of the Brainerd Community College's 1981 Winter Wonderland Celebrations. Mike Erholtz of Brainerd is the new king..
Recipe for a wintry mess
Monday's freezing rain, followed by today's snow, made a mess of area roads, caused power outages and was a factor in one area fatal accident.
Correction
The date of the York Rite meeting was incorrect in a a news brief on Page 5A Sunday.
High work
Kevin Olson with Dietz Brothers Construction of Spicer signaled for more cord as he scaled the new WJJY radio tower in Baxter Monday.
Paulson's message: Life goes for stroke survivors
BAXTER -- For many years, Larry Paulson delivered his own brand of coffee shop ministry, stopping into local cafes and talking about Jesus Christ over a cup of coffee with anyone who was willing to stop and chat.
Changing times adds digits to lakes area phone calls
There was a time when area residents knew a local number as well as the calendar year.
Charges are filed against two men in bar case
One man arrested for allegedly gambling, possessing drugs and selling alcohol after hours at the New Winnipeg Bar was arraigned Friday in Crow Wing County District Court.
Baxter getting its own postal branch
BAXTER -- Brainerd Post Office mail carriers will soon have more room to sort mail.
Crash kills Duluth woman
CROSBY -- A 21-year-old Duluth woman is dead following a car and SUV collision Friday on County Road 12, the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department reported.
Local briefs
The American Dairy Association of Crow Wing County is seeking candidates to participate
Local briefs
ST. PAUL -- Rep. Larry Howes, R-Walker, said last week he was optimistic about Gov. Jesse Ventura's budget proposal.
Shrouded in fog
The channel between Gull and Round lakes in Nisswa was covered with a frozen mist and fog Monday morning. A heavy winter storm was approaching central Minnesota with freezing rain in the front and snow bringing up the rear. (Dispatch Photo by Steve Kohls)
Kixters win conference
The Brainerd Kixters finished first in three divisions and clinched the conference title Sunday in Alexandria.
FAA suspends pilot for failing Breathalyzer tests
EAGAN (AP) -- The Federal Aviation Administration has revoked the flying rights of a former Northwest Airlines pilot who was fired after failing two Breathalyzer tests given shortly after a Jan. 18 flight.
Blizzard-like conditions slap northern Plains
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -- The Plains states dug out on Tuesday from as much as 18 inches of snow dumped by a huge storm that closed highways and schools, and grounded airline flights.
Substance abuse costs states as much as higher education
WASHINGTON -- Dealing with the effects of drug, alcohol and cigarette abuse cost states about as much as they pay for higher education, a private study estimates.
KFC says note couple found isn't Colonel's secret recipe
SHELBYVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- A handwritten note found in the basement of a home once owned by Kentucky Fried Chicken founder Colonel Harland Sanders does not contain his secret recipe, KFC said Monday.
Liddy's Watergate
BALTIMORE -- Watergate conspirator G. Gordon Liddy testified here Monday that the greatest political scandal in American history was set in motion by a jealous prostitute who was annoyed that a fellow call girl wore sables and bragged about being the girlfriend of Nixon administration lawyer John Dean.
Teen burned while imitating stunt on MTV show 'Jackass'
TORRINGTON, Conn. (AP) -- A 13-year-old boy was hospitalized with second- and third-degree burns after mimicking an MTV personality who set himself on fire during a stunt show.
Couple believes they've found the Colonel's fried chicken recipe
SHELBYVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- The handwritten note that Tommy and Cherry Settle discovered in their basement a year ago could be the answer to one of the country's best kept culinary secrets -- Colonel Harland Sanders' recipe for fried chicken.
Professor couple's suspicious deaths jolt Ivy League town
HANOVER, N.H. -- The humanity that Susanne and Half Zantop brought to Dartmouth College has made it difficult for colleagues to accept how the couple's lives could have ended in a double homicide.
Names and faces
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Without most of the trappings of medieval chivalry, Steven Spielberg became the newest honorary knight of the British Empire on Monday -- one of the highest honors bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II to those born outside the United Kingdom.
DaimlerChrysler cutting 26,000 jobs
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- DaimlerChrysler announced Monday it will cut 26,000 jobs over three years at its U.S.-based Chrysler division, part of a restructuring designed to pull the automaker out of the red.
Minister sentenced to 60 years for molesting children
GREENWOOD, S.C. (AP) -- It will be difficult for this small town to forget how a minister hired to serve the area's growing Hispanic population instead preyed on its children.
Man swims like a dolphin
TBILISI, Georgia (AP) -- A Georgian security official tied his arms and legs to swim "dolphin style" for 1.2 miles in hopes of persuading the Guinness Book of Records to add a new competition category.
Affordable housing increasingly scarce in state
Minnesota's affordable-housing crunch ranks among the worst in the nation, according to a report by the Legislative Auditor's office.
Bones discovery may close O'Hair disappearance case
CAMP WOOD, Texas -- For years, federal investigators believed Madalyn Murray O'Hair was killed. They just couldn't prove it.
Plane crash kills ten, including basketball players
BYERS, Colo. -- The crew of a twin-engine plane that crashed during a snowstorm was told ice could form on the wings, but conditions were not harsh enough for authorities to ground the plane, investigators said Sunday.
No fumbles
SACRAMENTO -- California remained under an alert for possible power shortages Sunday, but grid managers made it through the Super Bowl without fumbling.
Super Bowl records
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Records set or tied in the 2001 Super Bowl:
Scoreboard
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Scoreboard
Wild-card Playoffs
Super Bowl one of eight lowest rated in 35 years
NEW YORK (AP) -- In an ever-changing TV sports landscape, where a high rating is never a sure thing, one rule holds true.
CBS broadcast tribute to video generation thanks to new replay
NEW YORK (AP) -- This was not your father's Super Bowl telecast.
Fassel guarantees Giants will return to Super Bowl, and soon
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- You didn't think New York Giants coach Jim Fassel was through making guarantees, did you?
Lewis leads Ravens to Super Bowl title
TAMPA, Fla. -- Ray Lewis said there was no mystery to the rout.
Milwaukee was touched by a warrior
MILWAUKEE -- They said their final goodbye to Al McGuire here Monday night, in a stirring Catholic requiem Mass that filled two floors of a huge cathedral and went on in celebration from 7 p.m. to nearly 9. McGuire would have called it a two-hour goose bump.
Yary credits friends' help in selection to Hall of Fame
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- In his 14th year of eligibility to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Ron Yary finally made it -- and the old tackle said it wouldn't have been possible without a little help from his friends.
Mile High gets new name for mountain of money
DENVER (AP) -- Denver's new football stadium sold its name for a pile of cash that's a mile high.
Rave review
TAMPA, Fla. -- The way the Baltimore Ravens talked all week, it would be foolish to think they'd stop after winning Super Bowl XXXV.
Ray Lewis is on other end of shutout now
TAMPA, Fla. -- Ray Lewis was chosen Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl XXXV, but quarterback Trent Dilfer was on parade at Walt Disney World on Monday.
Advertisers competed to keep Super Bowl viewers' attention
NEW YORK (AP) -- Advertisers who had spent record sums for commercials got little help from the football field in keeping Super Bowl viewers watching.
Butch Davis takes over Browns
BEREA, Ohio (AP) -- Nobody's hiding secrets, withholding information or denying rumors anymore. Butch Davis is the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns.
Scoreboard
W L T Pts GF GA
Ravens were strong in regular season, magical since
TAMPA, Fla. -- Brian Billick spent Super Bowl week telling jokes about the size of his ego, but he was a portrait of humility after the Baltimore Ravens' victory was complete Sunday night.
Agassi wins fourth title in last eight Slams
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Crushed by Andre Agassi's pinpoint heavy hitting, Arnaud Clement wanted to know whether it was a normal effort or something special by his opponent in the Australian Open final.
So now what happens next season?
TAMPA, Fla. -- Ravens go home.
Investigators check on transponder
STRASBURG, Colo. (AP) -- Aviation investigators are checking whether a faulty transponder played a role in the fatal crash of a plane carrying members of the Oklahoma State University men's basketball team.
Donald R. Miller
EMILY -- Donald R. Miller, 81, Emily, died Monday, Jan. 29, 2001, at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd.
Michael J. Plautz Jr.
MOTLEY -- Michael J. Plautz Jr., 29, Brainerd, died Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2001, as the result of an automobile accident east of Motley on Highway 210.
Eda M. Seelen
ST. PAUL -- Eda M. Seelen, 79, St. Paul, died Thursday, Jan. 25, 2001, in an traffic accident in St. Croix County, Wis., in which her husband also died.
Carole J. Cunningham
PINE RIVER -- Carole Jean Cunningham, 58, Pine River, died Saturday, Jan. 27, 2001, at Whispering Pines Good Samaritan Village in Pine River.
Morris Longballa
GRAND RAPIDS -- Morris Longballa, 88, Malmo, died Saturday, Jan. 27, 2001, at Leisure Hills Nursing Home in Grand Rapids.
Merlin 'Bud' Steffenson
Merlin "Bud" Steffenson, 69, Brainerd, died Sunday, Jan. 28, 2001, at home.
Morris 'Morrie' Longballa
GRAND RAPIDS -- Morris "Morrie" Longballa, 88, Malmo, died Saturday, Jan. 27, 2001, at Leisure Hills Nursing Home in Grand Rapids.
Bette M. Raines
Bette M. Raines, 68, Brainerd, died Sunday, Jan. 28, 2001, at home.
Robert E. Vosen
LITTLE FALLS -- Robert E. Vosen, 60, Little Falls, died Friday, Jan. 26, 2001, at St. Cloud Hospital.
Byron F. Anderson
TACOMA, Wash. -- Byron F. Anderson, 79, Brainerd, died Sunday, Jan. 7, 2001, in Tacoma, Wash.
Francis J. Seelen
St. Paul -- Francis J. Seelen, 83, St. Paul, died Thursday, Jan. 25, 2001, in an traffic accident in St. Croix County, Wis., in which his wife also died.
Robert J. Gitter
ST. PAUL -- Robert J. Gitter, 88, St. Paul, died Saturday, Jan. 27, 2001, in St. Paul.
Allen S. Brumm
COHASSET -- Allen S. Brumm, 89, Cohasset, died Saturday, Jan. 27, 2001, at Itasca Medical Center in Grand Rapids.
Merlyn 'Bud' A. Steffenson
Merlyn "Bud" A. Steffenson, 69, Brainerd, died Sunday, Jan. 28, 2001, at home.
Oldina F. Bonczek
ST. CLOUD -- Oldina F. Bonczek, 77, Little Falls, formerly of Omaha, Neb., died Thursday, Jan. 25, 2001, at St. Cloud Hospital.
Getting back to our lives
I breathe a sign of relief and ask, "Now is it all over?" The national media spent nearly a year focusing on politics, campaigning and elections to such a degree that it certainly seems out of proportion with reality.
Open Forum
The author of this letter is a Brainerd High School student.
Open Forum
I'd like to thank everyone involved with my local town meeting for m
OTHER OPINIONS An uphill battle
Money always has twined itself through politics, but in Washington there used to be some sense of restraint about it.
The GOP and education
WASHINGTON--In the upside-down world of journalistic values, where conflict almost always trumps consensus and argument usually drowns out agreement, the news about President Bush's education proposal focused on the possible fight over school vouchers.
Pride is Jesse Jackson's greatest sin
The Supremes were back-up singers for Rush Limbaugh last Friday.
Mediators call meeting between NWA, mechanics
EAGAN (AP) -- Federal mediators have summoned negotiators for Northwest Airlines and its mechanics to a meeting on Monday, and union officials speculated that the session might bring them a step closer to a strike.
Forest council rejects ban, calls for inventory of white pine
DULUTH (AP) -- The Minnesota Forest Resources Council will not endorse a voluntary statewide ban on white pine harvesting in Minnesota until it determines how much white pine exists in the state.
State tries to reform telecommunications system
GLENWOOD (AP) -- Life is good at American Business Forms, a fast-growing national company based in this pretty small town. Traffic is light, people greet one another on the street and the Pizza Ranch doubles as the company cafeteria.
Host of privacy bills coming
ST. PAUL (AP) -- People would have to give permission to banks, doctors or telephone companies to allow them to share personal information with their subsidiaries, telemarketers or even the state Department of Health.
Report: No sign of pesticide misuse in butterfly deaths
MANKATO (AP) -- The Minnesota Department of Agriculture said it found no evidence of misuse of a pesticide spray that killed hundreds of monarch butterflies in Gaylord last summer.
State briefs
ST. PAUL (AP) -- St. Paul Police Chief William Finney is among the finalists to become the U.S. marshal for Minnesota.
State briefs
MANKATO (AP) -- A defeated state representative filed a complaint with the Nicollet County attorney seeking an investigation into alleged voting irregularities by Gustavus Adolphus College students.
Oakdale woman finds medallion in Como Park
ST. PAUL (AP) -- The hunt for the Winter Carnival medallion is over.
Clinics decide against offering so-called abortion pill
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Hundreds of Twin Cities doctors will not have to decide whether to prescribe the abortion pill Mifeprex because their employers have already decided against offering the drug.
Denfeld hunts down Warrior boys
DULUTH -- The Brainerd Warriors boys' basketball team dropped to 5-9 overall following a 73-56 non-conference loss to the Duluth Denfeld Hunters Saturday.
Nelson scores six goals in adapted floor hockey win
The Brainerd Warriors adapted floor hockey team improved to 3-1 by smoking Dakota United 9-2 Saturday at Riverside Elementary School.
W-DC boys beat Kittson Central
WADENA -- The Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines beat Kittson Central 5-2 in a non-conference boys' hockey game Saturday.
Rapids outscores Warrior girls
GRAND RAPIDS -- The Brainerd Warriors girls' hockey team was defeated 5-1 by the Grand Rapids Thunderhawks Saturday.
Scoreboard
Saturday's scores
Local sports
Brainerd Warriors baseball coach Lowell Scearcy has been selected by the National Federation of State High School Associations to receive the 2000 Midwest Region Baseball Coach of the Year award.
Warroad blanks W-DC girls
WADENA -- The Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines were shut out 7-0 by Warroad in a non-conference girls' hockey game Saturday.
Wadena-Deer Creek girls defeat Perham
PERHAM -- Kerby Johnson scored 24 points to help the Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines to a 51-43 girls' basketball win over Perham in a Section 8AA matchup Monday.
Brainerd swim team fifth at University of Minnesota meet
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Brainerd Warriors swimming and diving team placed fifth out of eight teams in the Maroon Invitational at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center Saturday.
Little Falls could be entertaining this week
If the commercials during the Super Bowl left you unfulfilled and the game wasn't what you had hoped for, then you might consider taking in one of the Little Falls Flyers boys' basketball games this week.
Thunderhawks edge Little Falls girls
GRAND RAPIDS -- The Little Falls Flyers girls' basketball team lost a 51-46 non-conference game to Grand Rapids Saturday night.
Clough's layup at buzzer lifts Raider men
The spectators knew exactly what was coming. They knew in precisely the same way that you know a big, muscled steam engine is rolling down the track. You don't have to feel the steam in your eyes or the rumble beneath your feet to know what's on its way.
W-DC wrestling team improves to 15-1
WADENA -- The Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines wrestling team handled New York Mills 47-6 Saturday night in non-conference action.
Raider women raise division record to 7-1
It was apparent from the game's opening jump ball exactly what the coaching staff of the Mesabi Norse women's basketball team intended to do to the Central Lakes College Raiders.
Scoreboard
Boys Basketball
Crosby-Ironton boys defeat Greenway
CROSBY -- The Crosby-Ironton Rangers edged the Greenway Raiders 57-53 in non-conference boys' basketball action Monday.
Spuds skate past Brainerd boys
MOORHEAD -- Playing its second game in as many nights the Brainerd Warrior boys' hockey team lost to the Moorhead Spuds 6-2 Saturday night in non-conference action.
Scoreboard
Boys Basketball
Miller scores 35 points as Flyer boys improve to 12-0
FERGUS FALLS -- Down by four at the half the Little Falls Flyers boys' basketball team roared back in the second quarter to remain unbeaten by beating Fergus Falls 74-64 Saturday.
Local briefs
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. -- California-Irvine remained undefeated in Big West Conference men's basketball with a 75-63 win over Cal Poly Saturday night.
North Dakota sweeps St. Cloud State to remain on top of WCHA
Tim Skarperud was a top gun at a critical time for North Dakota.
Wild score another franchise first
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The expansion Minnesota Wild recorded another first on Saturday: They've finally won consecutive road games.
Wolves' streak hits 7
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Kevin Garnett is a lock for the All-Star team. Minnesota coach Flip Saunders thinks point guard Terrell Brandon should be too.
Cunningham leads Boilermakers past Gophers
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- As Carson Cunningham's knees get better, so does his game.
Wolves withstand run by Trail Blazers
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota Timberwolves are playing so well, even giving up 18 straight points can't slow them down.
Bauer out for season
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Gophers forward Michael Bauer will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery for a broken forearm.
Brainerd area may miss brunt of storm
The Brainerd area could see freezing rain and as much as two inches of snow late today and Tuesday.
Let it snow
Weather drawing by Jordan Calvin Hayes of Mrs. Sedlachek's second grade class at Lowell school.
Secure shopping
Dear Heloise: Before you put your credit-card number into an INTERNET SHOPPING site, make sure the site is secure. How to tell: The address will start with https:// instead of http:// -- M.M., Via E-mail
Having grandma care for kids is bargain at twice the price
DEAR ABBY: The letter from "A Grandma or a Doormat?", whose daughter expects Grandma to baby-sit for free and not be reimbursed for the cost of snacks, prompts my own.
Names and faces
NEW YORK (AP) -- Sean "Puffy" Combs is about to get what he says he has wanted for more than a year -- his day in court.
Faith keeps quake survivor alive for three days in India
BHUJ, India -- Kusumben Myacha lay for three days pinned under a massive chunk of cement, without food or water, drifting in and out of sleep. She prayed to her Hindu gods to be saved.