Sunday, January 31, 2010
Initiative Foundation invests $2.8 million in central Minnesota
LITTLE FALLS - Responding to economic challenges, the Initiative Foundation invested about $2.8 million to strengthen central Minnesota communities and businesses in 2009.
BUSINESS NOTES
The Social Networking/Online Media Advisory Committee of the Brainerd Lakes Chamber is hosting a series of monthly beginner "Training Wheels" classes and Webinars on various social media tools.
Meeting to cover nonprofit grants
For small nonprofits, faith-based or community groups that are struggling to meet the needs of displaced workers and distressed families, the Initiative Foundation is offering an opportunity for grant funding and training to help with organizational planning and development.
Year of change
A lot can happen in a year even when it's one that passed with few tears shed to see it go.
Wadena dealership has new owners
John and Lisa Kallevig purchased the former Dondelinger auto dealership property in Wadena and plan to move their business to the 5.5-acre property.
CLC students produce food prep TV shows
STAPLES - Central Lakes College Communication Art and Design students produced a series of six cooking shows with professional tips for the Staples cable TV public access channel.
Morrison Country sophomores explore careers at Camp Ripley
CAMP RIPLEY - Tenth-grade students from Morrison County high schools, about 375 of them, interested in exploring various careers are expected to gather Feb. 10 at Camp Ripley.
Frontier Cabinetry to be featured in TV show
CROSBY - Frontier Cabinetry of Crosby will be featured in an upcoming episode of "Sweat Equity," the prime time series that airs on DIY Network.
BUSINESS NOTES
Foundation honors outgoing trustees
Madden's on Gull Lake presented Minnesota's Sustainable Tourism Award
Madden's on Gull Lake was awarded the Minnesota Sustainable Tourism Award at the Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference Tuesday in East Gull Lake in recognition of the resort's environmentally friendly practices.
POLICE BLOTTER
PROPERTY DAMAGE - Received a report Thursday that a person's vehicle was hit with paint balls while parked at the Brainerd YMCA, 602 Oak St. The call was unfounded as it was not paint ball but rather bird excrement from being parked under the trees.
Cass County Board of Commissioners
Meets 9 a.m. Tuesday
Crow Wing County
The following list includes Crow Wing County meetings that may be attended by one or more members of the Crow Wing County Board:
Firefighters respond
The Brainerd Fire Department was called at 8:47 p.m. Friday to a residence at Bester Avenue in rural Brainerd to check on the carbon monoxide alarm.
Brainerd City Council
Meets 7:30 p.m. Monday
Pillager Board of Education
Budget Committee Meeting
Morrison County Board of Commissioners
Meets Tuesday
Baxter City Council
Meets 7 p.m. Wednesday
Everyday People
Rejoice Lutheran Church Pastor Carl Larson always reserves Sundays for church, but football is never far from his mind.
WHAT'S DOING
There will be a benefit for Dave Janson, Pierz, from 4-8 p.m. Feb. 6 at the Pierz Ballroom, 104 Park Ave., SW (on Main Street) in Pierz. A luncheon will be served. There will be a silent auction and meat raffle.
Area lawmakers favor cuts and taxes as a way to ease deficit
Spending cuts, taxes or a combination of both? What's the best way for Minnesota to make up a $1.2 billion deficit in this biennium and a possible $5.4 billion deficit in the following biennium.
CORRECTION
In a Page 1A story Friday about the Brainerd School Board Legislative Committee meeting with area lawmakers, Rep. John Ward, DFL-Brainerd, should have been quoted as saying he spoke to several Minnesota superintendents and asked if repealing the Jan. 15 teacher contract penalty after the fact was fair.
February walk-in flu clinics announced
Crow Wing County Community Services Health Division will be holding walk in flu clinics (H1N1 and seasonal) at the Crow Wing County Public Health office located at 204 Laurel Street, Suite 12, Brainerd, every Wednesday in February from 2-4 p.m.
There's no shortage of choices for caucuses
Five Minnesota political parties - the Constitution, Democratic-Farmer-Labor, Green, Independence and Republican parties - hold precinct caucuses on Tuesday night. The caucuses will be venues to discuss issues, begin shaping platforms and, in some cases, vote in straw polls.
Stratenberger found guilty
Granted a new trial by the Minnesota Court of Appeals, Michael Eugene Stratenberger has been found guilty of two counts of second-degree murder.
PATRIOTISM ON THE SLOPES
Alex Stone of Brainerd High School skied down a hill carrying the American flag during the National Anthem Friday at Ski Gull for the Brainerd Invite for high school competitors.
Board filing for mediation with teachers' union
Brainerd School Board Personnel Committee members met Friday in closed session to discuss teacher contract negotiations.
Legislators listen to area feedback
BAXTER - Brainerd area business people weighed in on topics ranging from expanding government to public funding for a Vikings stadium Friday at a Brainerd Lakes Chamber-sponsored listening session with two lawmakers at Northland Arboretum.
Medical group heads for Haiti, not Africa
For many years, the Outreach Africa medical team, whose members are mostly from the Brainerd area, has traveled to Africa, as well as Guatemala, to use their medical skills to help those in need.
Minneapolis man charged with drug conspiracy in Cass Lake area
WALKER - A 27-year-old Minneapolis man was arraigned Friday in Cass County District Court on first-degree drug conspiracy charges.
This was Brainerd
40 years ago (1970) - A Brainerd youth serving in Vietnam wrote a letter to the Dispatch this week complaining of harassment by the Navy because he wants to marry a Vietnamese girl. This is pretty unfair if you ask me, he said. The letter was forwarded to Rep. Zwach.
Senior dances scheduled
The Brainerd Eagles weekly senior dance will be from 2-5 p.m. Wednesday with entertainment by Gary Marten.
MAKING AN ARTISTIC POINT
Artist Charles Gilbert Kapsner spoke about the History on War exhibit during the Q Gallery reception Friday at the Franklin Arts Center in Brainerd.
LOCAL BRIEFS
Central Lakes College in Brainerd will host a two-hour session on the causes, diagnosis and evidence-based management of heart failure from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 11 in C225.
Frank J. Selisker
LaMIRADA, Calif. - Former Brainerd resident and long-time Alaskan, Frank Joseph Selisker, 88, passed away on Friday, Jan. 22, 2010, in LaMirada, Calif.
Grace K. Midlo
BAXTER - Grace K. Midlo, 91, of Baxter, died peacefully on Jan. 27, 2010, at Bethany Good Samaritan Village in Brainerd, Minn. A memorial service for Grace will be held at a later date.
Elsie Troyer
CROSBY - Elsie Troyer, age 80 of Deerwood, died on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010, at the Cuyuna Regional Care Center in Crosby. She was born on Feb. 6, 1929, in Crosby to Eli and Pearl (Lemich) Paynovich.
Bonita A. Balzer
Bonita "Bonnie" A. Balzer, Brainerd, 69, passed away on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2010, at her home in Brainerd. Bonnie was born on Sept. 11, 1940, in Mankato to Milton and Mildred (Mathews) Buss. She earned a bachelor of science degree in nursing education at Mankato State University. She married Charles J. Balzer on June 1, 1963, at Carmel Presbyterian Church in Lake Crystal, Minn.
Arthur 'Art' Jelinski
LITTLE FALLS - Arthur "Art" Jelinski, age 85, of Little Falls, Minn., passed away Friday, Jan. 29, 2010, at St. Otto's Care Center in Little Falls.
Obama's State of the Union speech
The Barack Obama who mounted the podium this week for his first State of the Union address is the same man who ascended to the presidency a year ago: even-tempered, intelligent, charismatic. Yet the political rough-and-tumble of his first 12 months in office - especially the stunning defeat of his party's candidate in the Jan. 19 Massachusetts U.S. Senate election - has cast his signature health-care initiative into limbo and diminished, at least temporarily, his once dominant stature. His challenge this week was to restore confidence and reassert leadership.
OUR OPINION: TOURISM
Merrill Dutch Cragun is truly an iconic figure in Minnesota tourism. When Minnesota state officials presented him with the Outstanding Individual in Tourism Award last week they couldn't have picked a more deserving recipient.
VOX POP
Good for you, Vox Pop Department of Internal Investigations, let students do something fun that has no harm to others. Please worry about yourselves and let kids be kids!
Elizabeth Edwards: Survivor-in-chief
The first time I met Elizabeth Edwards, she greeted me at the door of her home juggling a yogurt in one hand and a Diet Coke in the other.
A new look - the same old tradition
The tradition begins. And continues.
OUTDOORS NOTES
Minnesota Pheasants Forever recognized the Morrison County chapter as its Chapter of the Year at the recent state convention in Grand Rapids.
A cold reception?
In Ron Trosvig's words, the Upper South Long Lake Improvement Association is still trying to get its arms around the idea.
Shannon Charlton and Jeremy Kubesh
Shannon Charlton and Jeremy Kubesh announce their engagement.
Adrianne McAlpin and Scott Moen
Adrianne McAlpin and Scott Moen announce their engagement.
Christopher & Megan Martin
Christopher and Megan (Beseres) Martin were married October 24, 2009 at St. Joseph's Church in Crosby, officiated by Deacon James Kirzeder.
Tammy Joelle Chase and Charles Francis Zwilling
Tammy Joelle Chase and Charles Francis Zwilling announce their engagement.
Hutchison, Stone pave way for Brained sweep
EAST GULL LAKE - Not even moving the meet back three days could cool off Rian Hutchison and Savannah Stone.
Pierz's Poster pinning plenty
Clint Poster has been posterizing opponents lately.
AREA BOYS' BASKETBALL
CROSBY - Sam Baker tallied 18 points and nine rebounds with Mark Hoge added 17 points and seven rebounds for Class 2A's fourth-ranked Crosby-Ironton Rangers as they defeated the Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines 78-68 in a Mid-State Conference game Friday.
Brainerd takes Tech to the limit
On Jan. 13, the St. Cloud Tech Tigers were ranked No. 1 in Class 4A.
AREA GIRLS' BASKETBALL
STAPLES - Nikki Pearson and Caitlin Robinson each tallied 18 points to lead the Staples-Motley Cardinals to a 53-51 victory over the Pequot Lakes Patriots, who suffered their first Mid-State Conference loss of the season Friday.
Pequot's Beltz breaks out
With talented teammates surrounding her, Kylie Beltz is doing her best to stand out.
AREA WRESTLING
PIERZ - Brent Lisson, Jordan Bendson, Chandler Trout and Blake Petrich each earned pins as the Staples-Motley Cardinals improved to 15-1 with Friday's 36-28 victory over the Pierz Pioneers.
Guess what's coming up
Weather drawing by Nicole Grabowski in the Baxter fourth grade of Ms. Christiansen.
Local Forecast
Today...Mostly sunny in the morning...Then increasing clouds. Highs 13 to 18. Light winds becoming southwest around 5 mph in the late morning and afternoon.
State forecast for North Dakota
.Today...Partly cloudy. Highs from zero far northeast to around 15
State forecast for South Dakota
Today...Patchy fog early west and central...Otherwise partly sunny. Highs from 10 to 15 northeast...To the 30s far southwest.
State forecast for Minnesota
.Today...Mosly cloudy south. Mostly sunny north. Highs 5 to 10
State forecast for Wisconsin
today...Partly cloudy. Snow showers and flurries southeast close to lake michigan. Up to an inch possible. Highs in the mid teens to low 20s.
The nation's weather
A strong storm continued to move through the Southeast on Saturday as it was expected to gradually make its way off the Eastern Seaboard and into the Atlantic Ocean.
State forecast for Iowa
.Today...Partly to mostly cloudy. Highs 12 to 22.