Saturday, February 2, 2002

Wall Street got what it's been craving: Word that the recession is nearly over
NEW YORK -- Wall Street plunged into despair this past week, agonizing over economic uncertainty and a seeming lack of honesty in corporate accounting. Then, like magic, the Federal Reserve's positive economic outlook gave the market reason to believe in a better future.

Martha Stewart sticks by Kmart -- for now
NEW YORK -- The future of Kmart's crown jewel of brands, Martha Stewart, hinges on a decision by the bankruptcy judge overseeing the discount chain's reorganization.

Business notes
Missy Trees, Nisswa, recently attended Creative Memories' Regional Convention 2002 in Minneapolis in January.

Kmart expects to announce store closings by end of March
TROY, Mich. (AP) -- Kmart Corp. plans to announce next month which of its stores it wants to close as part of a turnaround effort.

Wings Airport Cafe hoping to take off
Catching a dining experience at Wings will no longer mean hunting a rerun of the old NBC television show.

Many seek help in handling holiday debt hangovers
NEW YORK -- As the bills for Christmas spending come rolling in, a lot of Americans start feeling stressed about their debts.

Business notes
Dispatch photographer Clint Wood earned a second place in news photography in the Minnesota Newspaper Association's 2000-2001 Better Newspaper Contest.

Team Industries coming to Baxter
TEAM Industries of Bagley, a solution provider for power-train components including snowmobiles, ATVs and utility vehicles, is coming to the Baxter Industrial Park.

Unions agree on cuts, saving 135-year-old newspaper
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) -- The last of three unions at the Jersey Journal agreed to give up roughly half its jobs early Saturday, clearing the way for the 135-year-old newspaper to continue publishing.

Potlatch reports a net loss for fourth quarter
Potlatch reported a net loss for the fourth quarter of 2001 indicating continued poor market conditions for most of its products and market-related shutdowns at several facilities including the Brainerd mill.

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

What has your faith cost you?
I have been reading a book titled "Jesus Freaks," stories of those who stood for Jesus, the ultimate Jesus Freaks.

Church of England struggles with decline
LONDON (AP) -- When Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey retires on Oct. 31, he will step down with a decidedly mixed record, say critics on both the left and right.

Reports: Church settled at least six suits
BOSTON (AP) -- The Archdiocese of Boston settled at least six sexual-abuse cases against a priest accused of raping teen-age boys, but allowed him to stay on in an administrative post until three years ago, according to published reports.

Busy with business of burial
BEHESHT-E-ZAHRA, Iran (AP) -- After his first day working at his traditional profession, Safar Azadinejad had nightmares and lost his appetite.

Churches
Julia Sopalski, comparative religion professor at Central Lakes College, will facilitate a presentation abo

Area faith communities to have input on improving services for children in crisis
An all-day planning meeting Tuesday will have at its heart the development of a blueprint to improve Crow Wing County's response system for children in crisis.

School uniforms help teach kids about standards
QUESTION: How do you feel about children wearing uniforms to school? How about schools having other dress codes and clothing requirements?

Pope John Paul's anti-divorce appeal to attorneys won't change legal profession, analysts contend
Pope John Paul II is talking tough on divorce, urging lawyers and judges to oppose it and calling the end of marriage a "festering wound" that is devastating society.

Fetuses may qualify for government aid
WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration declared Thursday that a developing fetus should be eligible for government-funded health insurance for low-income children, marking the first time that any federal program has attempted to define childhood as beginning before birth.

Notes on what's new in fashion
London-based hairstylist and product developer Charles Worthington has added another hat to his rack:

Couple's marriage is measured by love, not money
DEAR ABBY: I'd like to respond to your column regarding women who make more money than their husbands. While it may not be the norm for a wife to earn a higher income, it should not enter into the equation of a happy marriage.

Reliving the rivalry
There were no school bands. Few fans. No roaring "Go-C-I-Go" cheers. But the rivalry between Crosby-Ironton and Brainerd was alive and well in the Brainerd Family YMCA gym Wednesday night.

It's nice to have a friend
Are you one of those who has so much to do you aren't sure how you'll fit it all in? Now that spring is coming you're probably even busier than you were during the winter.

Livestock
SOUTH ST. PAUL (AP) (USDA) -- Thursday cattle: 500.

Cash grain
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Wheat receipts Thursday 159, a year ago 109.

Livestock
SOUTH ST. PAUL (AP) (USDA) -- Friday cattle: 850.

Minnesota apple crop bigger, but sales down
Minnesota growers sold fewer apples last season despite having larger crops, according to the Minnesota Agricultural Statistics Service.

Agendas
Wednesday -- 8:30 a.m. -- Pine River watershed protection foundation, Backus

Births
Ashley Mertens and Kyle Korhonen, Lake Shore, a girl, Emma Marie Korhonen, 6 pounds, 10 ounces, Jan. 14, 2002. Grandparents are Byron and Yvonne Korhonen, Kettle River, Darla Walls, Brainerd, and George Mertens, Milbank, S.D.

CORRECTION/ CLARIFICATION
In Friday's Dispatch it should have been reported Curtis Jenkins admitted to officers that he recalled getting a starter pistol from his bedroom.

Schwarzrock finally gets a break
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) -- Brent Schwarzrock was due a day like this.

Pebble kind to those who didn't want to be there
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) -- Pat Perez had a 103-degree temperature and no plans to stick around for the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Lee Janzen swore off the tournament two years ago, sick of the bumpy greens, bad weather and six-hour rounds.

Ventura proposes nearly $17 million in four-year anti-terrorism plan
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Gov. Jesse Ventura revealed an anti-terrorism spending package Thursday that is far leaner than plans proposed by Senate Democrats and House Republicans.

Bush budget affects school programs
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A half-dozen federal grants to Minnesota schools worth more than $3 million are in jeopardy because of a proposal by the Bush administration to divert money to pay for a deficit in the Pell Grant student loan program.

Justice orders White House to preserve Enron documents
WASHINGTON -- Underscoring the Enron Corp. scandal's proximity to the White House, Justice Department criminal investigators are ordering President Bush's staff to preserve the paper trail of any contact with the energy trading company's executives.

Bush defense budget features $9.4 billion to battle terrorism, plus increases for weapons, pay raise
WASHINGTON -- President Bush's new Pentagon budget assigns $9.4 billion to battle terrorism while boosting funds for buying weapons and providing better pay and benefits for the troops, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

President Bush, responding to growing Enron controversy, readies pension overhaul plans
WASHINGTON -- President Bush will ask Congress to revamp pension laws to give workers greater flexibility to diversify their company savings accounts, a response to the Enron Corp. bankruptcy that cost workers their life's savings and created a political problem for the White House.

Bush says he will pursue any clue to rescue Wall Street Journal reporter
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -- President Bush vowed Friday to pursue any clue that could lead to the rescue of kidnapped reporter Daniel Pearl, a day after a deadline for killing the journalist was extended.

Bush reiterates tough stance on war
ATLANTA -- Facing criticism over his warning that an "axis of evil" threatens world peace, President Bush said Thursday that nations other than the United States could be targets of mass terror. And he put terrorist nations on notice, saying, "They better get their house in order."

Chemical dependency and AA groups
Adult Children-Chem.Dep.

The longevity record for kidney transplants
How long can a transplanted kidney keep working? According to the Web site of the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), the record in the published medical literatu

Organizations
Brainerd Jaycees

Support groups
Crisis Line-Referral Ser.

Are you ready to garden? Plant seeds of commitment first
Mike Gettler knows a thing or two about tomatoes.

Design K-3 is easy to keep clean
Design K-3 is a seriously pretty house. It is also a seriously big house, even by today's standards. With a finished basement, Design K-3 will be several times the size of a typical tract home of the 1950s.

Housing briefs
Beverly Fussy, broker with Shores & More Realty Inc., gained the top producer award, which is based on closed transactions and is awarded to the agent with the highest production.

Leaking water from toilet is a concern
Q. Gary asks: Why is water seeping around the bottom of the water closet and how do we remedy it?

Here's a reason to stay in bed
Cold weather offers challenges that, with a little creativity, can be interpreted as opportunities to splurge on luxe fabrics that provide warmth.

Sting advice
Got a nest of insects with stingers near your home? Destroy it by using a spray made for hives that shoots a stream about 20 feet.

Apartments being built in Baxter will offer lakes area renters another option
Fawn Terrace Apartments is a three-story building with eight units on each floor on Greenwood Road in Baxter.

Designer has doctrine of simplicity at any cost
Just because she caters to clients in high places with bank accounts to match doesn't mean you can't pick up a few down-to-earth decorating tips from Los Angeles tastemaker Rose Tarlow.

Suspect accused of putting gun to man's head, firing
LITTLE FALLS -- A 44-year-old Little Falls man has been charged with attempted murder for allegedly shooting another man in the head during a fight Tuesday.

Going Hawaiian
St. Francis second-grader Kevin Gohman celebrated after answering a question correctly in the school's religion bee Friday. Class winners were questioned on different aspects of Catholic religion as part of Catholic Schools Week.

4 arrested in area meth lab busts
STAPLES -- Four people were arrested and three methamphetamine labs were shut down in separate raids last week in Todd and Morrison counties.

Local briefs
The Cuyuna Chapter of Kinship Partners is hosting its annual fund-raiser from 6-8 p.m. Feb. 8 at Gary's Sports Bar in Ironton.

Jumping for a cause
Alanna Hansen, a Nisswa elementary third-grader, jumped rope in honor of Annabelle Loschko Thursday at her school's Jump Rope For Heart fund-raiser for the American Heart Association. The school raised $4,200.

Major ice fishing events are still on
It appears it will take more than one of the warmest winters on record to halt two of Minnesota's most popular ice fishing contests.

This was Brainerd
20 years ago (1982)-Brainerd High School took first place for the 17th time in 18 years in their sub-regional one-act play, Double A Region. The play, entitled "The Elephant Calf," will now be moved to regional competition in Park Rapids.

Dance team competes in Wayzata invitational
The Brainerd Warrior Dance Team, "The Kixters," competed in an invitational competition Saturday at Wayzata High School.

Fitness Frenzy will help you get in shape
How are those New Year's resolutions coming along? Lost any weight yet?

Child passenger safety awareness focus of Safe and Sober campaign
Child passenger safety will be the focus of a Safe and Sober campaign during Valentine's Day week.

Drawing dragons
Riverside School fourth-graders Mike Monda (left), Samantha Kletscher, Tyler Tretter, Erin Sweet and Katie Nelson drew paper dragons Thursday in celebration of the Chinese New Year Feb. 21.

Five arrested in terroristic threats case won't be charged
Crow Wing County Attorney Don Ryan has declined to charge five males initially arrested for making terroristic threats against a teen-ager Dec. 7.

Utility rate hike hearing held
A public hearing before the Brainerd Public Utilities Commission to discuss the recent utility rate increases received little attention Tuesday.

Devin Turner memorial fund
A memorial fund has been set up to help defray the funeral costs for the mother of Devin Turner, a 5-year-old Baxter boy who died Wednesday.

DAV to host national commander
National Commander R. Louie Spinelli will be the keynote speaker of the Military Order of Purple Heart's Chapter 194 Founder's Day Dinner at Brainerd VFW Post 1647.

COMING MONDAY
A Brainerd barber offers his customers more than just a haircut.

What about Franklin?
What will happen to the Franklin Junior High building if voters in the Brainerd School District pass a $59.9 million building bond?

Mild winter leaving area businesses out in cold
Craig Siemers, Polaris dealer at The Sled Shed in Aitkin, spent part of his time repairing a pop machine last week with no sign of snow and not many customers midweek.

Judge denies motion to suppress warrant in library computer seizures
A motion to suppress a warrant allowing Crow Wing County's seizure of Brainerd Public Library's computers for a criminal investigation has been denied.

This was Brainerd
FEBRUARY 3 - 80 years ago (1922) - L.R. Tanner figured on going to Walker in his car, but first notified all fellow Rotarians so they could get out the Rotary plow in case he struck fast in a drift.

Absentee ballots can be used in school building bond referendum
Voters who are unable to vote at the polls for the Brainerd School District's $59.9 million building bond may do so with an absentee ballot.

Local briefs
STAPLES -- The Region 5 Board will meet 9 a.m. Feb. 14 at the Region 5 office in Staples.

United Airlines parent company loses $308 million from October to December
CHICAGO (AP) -- United Airlines' parent company reported Friday that it lost $308 million from October through December, capping a calamitous year in which it lost $2.1 billion -- a record for any airline.

Wintry blast of snow and ice knocks out power to thousands in Midwest
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- The biggest storm of the winter season loped toward New England early Friday after leaving behind a blanket of snow and ice from Texas to New York.

Enron chairman Kenneth Lay gave list of favored names to White House; Bush named two as energy regulators
WASHINGTON -- A few months after the White House got a list of recommended candidates from former Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay, a friend and backer of President Bush, two of them were appointed to a federal energy commission.

Wall Street gradually moving off Wall Street
NEW YORK -- It started gradually with globalization and online trading. Then came the Sept. 11 attacks and the pace quickened.

Amtrak threatens to end long-distance train service unless Congress gives more money
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Amtrak on Friday threatened to discontinue all long- distance train service in October if Congress doesn't give it $1.2 billion in the next budget year.

California becomes last state to number its freeway exits
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Freewheeling California is falling in line behind the rest of America: Highway exits known only by street names are finally getting numbers, and a number of new signs were unveiled Friday.

Two sentenced for helping Sept. 11 hijackers get fake IDs
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) -- Two men who admitted helping Sept. 11 hijackers obtain false identification cards were sentenced Friday in federal court.

U.S. unemployment rate drops
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The nation's unemployment rate unexpectedly dropped to 5.6 percent in January as businesses slowed their job cuts to the lowest level since before the terrorist attacks.

Idaho lawmakers override veto, become first state to repeal term limits law
SEATTLE -- Signaling growing disenchantment with term limits in statehouses across the West, the Idaho legislature on Friday defied the governor's veto and became the first state in the nation to repeal its seven-year-old law.

Delta Airlines flight attendants reject union
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Flight attendants at Delta Air Lines rejected union representation in election results announced Friday for one of the largest labor organizing efforts in decades.

Air safety screening raises concerns
Federal aviation authorities and technology companies will soon begin testing a vast air security screening system designed to instantly pull together every passenger's travel history, living arrangements and a wealth of other personal and demographic information.

Peace Corps volunteers called upon for their subtle diplomacy
WASHINGTON -- They don't carry American flags or negotiate treaties. They don't even have a special stamp in their passport to identify them as unique from other Americans abroad.

Former School of Americas celebrates year of changing focus
FORT BENNING, Ga. (AP) -- The controversial Fort Benning academy formerly known as the School of the Americas celebrated a year of changing focus this week.

GE appears willing to cooperate on Hudson River dredging of PCBs
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Left with few options, General Electric Co. appears willing to go along with an order from the Environmental Protection Agency demanding the dredging of tons of toxic PCBs from the Hudson River.

Manufacturing activity improves
NEW YORK (AP) -- An important gauge of manufacturing activity ticked higher in January, suggesting that the battered sector is poised to emerge from its 1 1/2 year slump, an industry group reported Friday.

Bush promotes 401(k) changes
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The changes the White House is proposing in 401(k) retirement plans would help prevent Enron-style disasters by giving workers more flexibility in deciding whether and when to sell company stock, President Bush said Saturday.

Report: Al-Qaida had eye on sensitive facilities
WASHINGTON -- A confidential intelligence report issued Thursday indicates that Osama bin Laden's operatives displayed a keen interest in exploiting vulnerabilities in security at sensitive U.S. facilities, and FBI Director Robert S. Mueller said he believes that al-Qaida-trained agents are still at large today in the United States.

School bus driver charged with kidnapping students faces more psychiatric tests
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- A school bus driver accused of kidnapping 13 children during a six-hour "field trip" was ordered Friday to undergo up to two months of psychiatric testing to determine his fitness to stand trial.

Winona Ryder charged with four felonies
LOS ANGELES -- Actress Winona Ryder was charged Friday with four felony counts for allegedly shoplifting about $4,700 in merchandise from a Beverly Hills department store and possessing a controlled substance in December, prosecutors said.

States, cities getting federal funds to prepare for bioterrorist attack
WASHINGTON -- States and cities are getting more than $1 billion in federal money to help their health officials prepare for bioterrorism, as well as less exotic epidemics or disasters.

How the Rams and Patriots match up
NEW ORLEANS -- Matchups for Sunday's Super Bowl between the St. Louis Rams and New England Patriots.

'Bama hit with two-year bowl ban
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -- Alabama paid a hefty price for rogue boosters.

Big Easy tightens up
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- The big question for Super Bowl weekend is: How much fun can tourists have on Bourbon Street with soldiers in camouflage looking over their shoulders?

NHL All-Star game is no place for goalies
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Being a goaltender selected to play in the NHL All-Star game might be among the most thankless honors in professional sports.

'Miracle on Ice' players moved on in life
LOS ANGELES -- Time marched backward Friday, to an era when it was our parents who had the gray hair and mortgages and the slacks with elastic waistbands, not us.

NCAA slaps Kentucky with sanctions
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) -- Kentucky's football team was banned from a bowl game next season and forced to slash scholarships for the next three years in a case the NCAA called one of the most serious it has seen in years.

Past Super Bowl quarterbacks endorse Pats' Brady decision
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Tom Brady admits the ankle is sore.

End of an era in NFL broadcasting
One awfully good football team will be broken up after Sunday's Super Bowl, when Pat Summerall and John Madden part company, ending 21 years of broadcasting NFL games together.

Super stuff
Wild-card Playoffs

Fedorov has hardest shot
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Detroit's 30-year-old forward Sergei Fedorov won the hardest shot event in the NHL all-star weekend skills competition Friday night by recording the only drive in triple digits -- 101.5 mph.

Super stuff
AT STAKE -- National Football League Championship for the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Milloy a big key to stopping St. Louis
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Lawyer Milloy doesn't wear the AFC championship ring he won five years ago. It's a haunting reminder that his team lost the Super Bowl.

Frances Larsen
LITTLE FALLS -- Frances Larsen, 88, Little Falls, died Thursday, Jan. 31, 2002, at St. Mary's Villa in Pierz.

Sophie Elizabeth Barber
MOTLEY -- Sophie Elizabeth Barber, 80, Motley, died Thursday, Jan. 31, 2002, at the Greater Staples Health Care Center in Staples.

Mabel 'May' L. VanGeest Brown
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Mabel "May" Lois VanGeest Brown, 65, Springfield, Mo., died Jan. 27, 2002, in Springfield, Mo.

Ruth Hegstad
STAPLES -- Ruth Hegstad, 94, Staples, formerly of Warroad, died Saturday, Feb. 2, 2002, at the Greater Staples Hospital.

Patricia D. Christensen
AITKIN -- Patricia D. Christensen, 65, Aitkin, died Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2002, at her home.

Milly McCollough
SARASOTA, Fla. -- Milly McCollough, 81, Sarasota, Fla., formerly of Brainerd, died Friday, Jan.. 25, 2002.

Donald E. Nyberg
Donald E. Nyberg, 64, Brainerd, died Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2002, at Fairview University Medical Center in Minneapolis.

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

Virgie Lou (Walz) Andersen
LITTLE FALLS -- Virgie Lou (Walz) Andersen, 70, Little Falls, died Thursday, Jan. 31, 2002, at her home.

Frances Larsen
PIERZ -- Frances Larsen, 87, Little Falls, died Thursday, Jan. 31, 2002, at St. Mary's Villa in Pierz.

Helen L. Czech
LITTLE FALLS -- Helen L. Czech, 92, Elmdale, died Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2002, at St. Gabriel's Hospital in Little Falls.

Devin James Turner
BAXTER -- Devin James Turner, 5, Baxter, died Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2002, in Brainerd.

Vox Pop
I was reading (Vox Pop) about the group homes. All I can say is how true. They should go back to the state. They were cared for better back there.

An exclusive with Phil
One of the perks of working at a daily newspaper is interviewing celebrities.

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

Send me your junk e-mail!
During the hardscrabble days of the Great Depression it's said that con men and scam artists would place a mark on the fencepost that bordered homes where the residents were particularly gullible.

Open Forum
I want to take this opportunity to express my disbelief at the story you printed regarding the incident the YMCA on Wednesday. The story was full of half-truths and with a blatant disregard for all of the parties involved.

Spot checks
You know you're in Minnesota when:

Arson is terrorism - Dispatch Editorial
The threat of terrorism extends beyond those criminals associated with the Sept. 11 attacks. Unfortunately, Minnesota appears to have its own home-grown political terrorists -- a group which gave itself the pretentious name of Earth Liberation Front.

Open Forum guidelines
The Dispatch encourages readers to sound off in the Open Forum.

Open Forum
The citizen meetings the past few weeks have shown that people against District 181 Bond referendum want this postponed until the general election next November. This will give all residents a chance to have a say in what they want for their future schools.

A step back is in order
This editorial appeared in Friday's Los Angeles Times:

Fishing report
BRAINERD/NISSWA - The main portion of North Long Lake is kicking out quite a few walleyes and jumbo perch. On Gull Lake, Hole in the Day Bay, Dutchman's Bar, the Rock Pile, Center Bar, and Sandy Beach Bar continue to provide consistent walleye action.

Wildlife service OKs reopening bays in Voyageurs to snowmobiles
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service signed off Friday on the decision by Voyageurs National Park to let snowmobilers ride on 11 bays that had been closed to protect the park's wolves.

Mille Lacs' walleye limit might be cut from six to four
GARRISON (AP) -- The Lake Mille Lacs walleye limit would be cut from six to four fish this year, and strict size limits would be imposed, under a plan that the Department of Natural Resources is considering.

Boat show again proves to be irresistible
Try as I might, I can't stay away from the Minneapolis Boat Show. When I saw the show dates on the calendar earlier this year I told myself there's no pressing reason for me to attend. I've never bought a new boat, I don't plan to buy a new boat and I might never buy a new boat.

Outdoor notes
The DNR is sponsoring a snowmobile safety class for adults 16 and older on Feb. 7 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. in the basement of DNR headquarters in Brainerd (1601 Minnesota Drive).

Retrieving lost items is a peculiar reward of ice fishing
Usually it's fish we're after. But sometimes you can feel just as good pulling something else from the water. Especially if it's something you just dropped.

North Country calendar
February

Antarctic study finds surprising lake warming
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A surprise discovery in Antarctic lakes could have important implications for global climate change: As the air got a little warmer, it set off a chain reaction that made the water warm three times faster.

Humane Society releases crippling study, results don't bode well for waterfowlers
The Humane Society of the United States has published a study on waterfowl mortality resulting from hunter-related crippling. Based on the closing statement in the report, it would appear that the goal of the study is to inflict a mortal wound to waterfowl hunting.

Deer hunters mostly satisfied with their hunting, survey shows
The vast majority of Minnesota deer hunters are very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with their hunting experience, according to the DNR.

Thesing-Ahrens
Tandra Judith Thesing and Jeffrey Vernon Ahrens were married May 27, 2001, at St. Andrew's Catholic Church in Brainerd with Father Paul Fruth officiating.

Dorothy Jensen
Dorothy Jensen, Perham, will celebrate her 90th birthday with an open house from 2-4 p.m. Saturday in the main dining room of the Perham Memorial Nursing Home in Perham.

Ellen Hohman
Ellen Hohman will celebrate her 95th birthday with an open house from 2-4 p.m. Feb. 10 at Woodland Good Samaritan, 300 Buffalo Hills Lane.

David and Kathy Tibbetts
David and Kathy Tibbetts, Garrison, will celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary. They were married Feb. 4, 1967, in Garrison.

Four generations
Four generations recently gathered were Tyler Clark, son; Trevor Clark, father; Linda Boyer, grandmother; and Dorothy Jense, great-grandmother.

Maria Thiede and Phil Laube
Maria Thiede and Phil Laube announce their engagement. Parents are Paul and Dee Thiede, Pequot Lakes, and Harold and Fern Laube, Owen, Wis. An April 13 wedding is planned at St. Alice Catholic Church in Pequot Lakes.

Daniel and Bernadette Peters
Daniel and Bernadette Peters, Brainerd, recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary. A celebration was held in their honor. They were married Feb. 10, 1962, in St. Cloud.

Rachel Germaine Broom and Kerry David Krumwiede
Rachel Germaine Broom and Kerry David Krumwiede announce their engagement. Parents are Pastor and Mrs. Jeff Brown, Backus, and Mr. and Mrs. Hank, Krumwiede, Pine River. A June 15 wedding is planned at Lakeside Baptist Church with a reception to follow.

Stende-Adams
Melody Stende and Joseph Adams were married Oct. 27, 2001, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Parkers Prairie.

Lander-Weber
Kristina Dawn Lander and Keith John Weber were married Dec. 1, 2001, in St. Anna.

Helmer-Erlandson
Kristin Helmer and Scott Erlandson were married Oct. 6, 2001, at St. Andrew's Catholic Church with the Rev. Paul Fruth officiating.

Melissa Sue Davey and Tobin James Gabrio
Melissa Sue Davey and Tobin James Gabrio announce their engagement. Parents are David and Dawn Davey, Shafer, and the late Thomas and Marie Gabrio. A March 9 wedding is planned. A reception will follow at the Moose Lodge in Aitkin.

Reese-Erickson
Jamie Reese and Dain Erickson were married Jan. 5, 2002, at Desert Christian Fellowship in Phoenix with the Rev. Greg Iehl officiating.

Duluth woman sentenced to read after pleading guilty to stabbing
DULUTH (AP) -- A judge sentenced a woman who pleaded guilty in a stabbing case to read a list of books, poetry and government documents, including the Declaration of Independence, and submit a report on each to the court.

State enjoys record warmth
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Until frigid temperatures finally arrived last week, Minnesotans were downright spoiled.

Avon man killed in industrial accident
AVON, Minn. (AP) -- An Avon man died Friday of injuries he suffered in a workplace accident.

Ventura notes 'bad smell' in school financing
DULUTH (AP) -- Gov. Jesse Ventura told a convention Friday that competition may be needed to remove what he called a "bad smell" from state public school financing.

Hatch wants to restrict auditors
ST. PAUL (AP) -- In the wake of Enron's collapse, Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch on Friday presented details of his proposal to prevent accounting firms from providing "substantial" consulting services to firms they also audit.

Report: Third of state's workers earn less than $10 an hour
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- One in three of Minnesota's 2.7 million workers makes less than $10 per hour, according to a first-of-its kind report from the Minnesota Department of Economic Security.

Minnesota tourism industry looking for a big turnaround
DULUTH (AP) -- The state's tourism industry is hurting after its worst six-month period in decades, so top tourism promoters are fighting back.

Derailed
Twenty one cars on a Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern train derailed at the eastern edge of Kasson early Friday.

Train derails near Kasson
KASSON (AP) -- Twenty-one cars of a 62-car Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad freight train derailed in southeastern Minnesota early Friday, but there were no injuries and no spill of any hazardous materials, the railroad said.

Bills would help Fingerhut workers who lose their jobs
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Lawmakers began taking steps Friday to help workers who would lose their jobs in the liquidation or sale of endangered Fingerhut Companies Inc.

Law enforcers not all complying with DNA law, crime agency says
ST. PAUL -- Some police agencies aren't complying with a state law requiring them to provide blood samples of people convicted of certain types of felonies for the state's DNA database, state crime investigators said.

brainerddispatch.com Online Inline route
The tentative 13-mile route for the first Brainerd Dispatch Online In-Line Half-Marathon 7:30 a.m. Saturday, June 15:

S-M boys roll to triumph
PERHAM -- Adam Barnett and Bobby Burton each scored in double-figures to lead the Staples Motley Cardinals boys' basketball team past the Perham Yellowjackets 58-49 Friday.

Dispatch online inline half-marathon June 15
If you have driven past a man on an area highway, in-line skating or roller skiing in a colorful body suit, chances are it was Terry Holm.

Klang leads girls to third place
Morgan Klang's sixth-place finish helped the Brainerd Warriors to third place in the girls' division of the Brainerd alpine skiing invitational Thursday at Ski Gull.

Cardinal girls prevail
STAPLES -- The Staples-Motley Cardinals girls' basketball team played two completely different halves, but pulled out a 65-31 non-conference win over Swanville Friday.

Warrior wrestlers lose two duals
FERGUS FALLS -- The Brainerd Warriors wrestling team lost to Bemidji 52-11 and Fergus Falls 37-21 Thursday at the Fergus Falls triangular.

Bowling
PAUL BUNYAN BOWL

Zard skis to first victory
Perseverance rewarded Eric Zard in Thursday's Brainerd Warriors alpine skiing invitational at Ski Gull.

Ranger player is proving her point
Whitney Smetana finally realizes she's got game and she's slowly gaining the confidence to back it up.

Brainerd swims past Sartell
SARTELL -- The Brainerd Warriors improved to 7-2 overall with a 106-80 dual meet swimming and diving victory over the Sartell Sabres Thursday.

Zelinske, Pickar take three matches
FOLEY --The Brainerd Warriors lost to Litchfield 52-17 and Foley 54-15 and then defeated Mora 31-29 at the Foley Quadrangular wrestling meet Friday.

Scoreboard
BOYS BASKETBALL

Bowling champs crowned
Champions have been determined in the Brainerd Women's Bowling Association City Tournament at Paul Bunyan Bowl in Baxter.

PR-B girls defeat Pillager 46-36
PINE RIVER -- The Pine River-Backus Tigers outscored the Pillager Huskies 25-16 in the second half and posted a 46-36 victory in Park Region Conference play girls' basketball Thursday.

CLC wins in Ely
ELY-- The Central Lakes College Raiders picked up a crucial road victory with a 93-83 triumph over the Vermilion Ironmen in North Division Community College Conference play Friday.

Warrior girls enjoy 6-0 triumph
For five Brainerd Warrior seniors, their 6-0 Central Lakes Conference girls' hockey victory over the Sartell Sabres Thursday may have been the most emotional.

Pequot Lakes boys edge Pine River-Backus
PINE RIVER -- In a gymnasium packed with energy and excitement, one of the area's greatest sports rivalries took place as the Pine River-Backus Tigers squared off against the Pequot Lakes Patriots in boys' basketball for the last time this season.

Nelson's hat trick leads floor hockey team
HASTINGS -- Chris Nelson netted a hat trick to lead the Brainerd Warriors adapted floor hockey team past Dakota United 4-2 Thursday.

Aitkin places second in conference meet
HINKLEY -- Led by individual championships from Jordan Kell at 125 pounds and Darik Lamke at 189, the Aitkin Gobblers wrestling team grappled their way to second place at the Great Rivers Conference meet Friday night, finishing behind MilleLacs with 190 points.

BHS boys' nordic skiers successful
With only a smattering of snow in the lakes area, the Brainerd Warriors boys' nordic ski team and the other Central Lakes Conference teams were forced to travel to Deer River in order to conduct the conference meet Thursday.

Only one other school shares Aitkin's Gobblers' nickname
"Franklin had it right."

Flyer boys defeat Rocori 48-43
COLD SPRING -- The Little Falls Flyers boys' basketball team picked up its 10th win of the season with a 48-43 victory over the Rocori Spartans in a Central Lakes Conference action Thursday.

Local sports shorts
ST. PAUL -- Tony Bonsante of Crosby-Ironton scored a unanimous 10-round decision over Gustavo Soto of Culiacan, Mexico, in a supermiddleweight fight Thursday at Roy Wilkins Auditorium in the RiverCentre.

Girls win conference
After a two-year hiatus, the Brainerd Warriors girls' nordic ski team recaptured the Central Lakes Conference championship Thursday at Deer River.

Flyers skate to victory
LITTLE FALLS -- Senior winger Eric Rakow scored one goal and added one assist for his 100th and 101st career points to lead the Little Falls Flyers past the Long Prairie-Grey Eagle Thunder 3-0 in non-conference hockey on Friday.

Warrior JV girls hockey wins
The Brainerd Warriors junior varsity girls' hockey team beat Sartell 3-0 Thursday.

Area events Saturday
GIRLS BASKETBALL

Willmar topples Brainerd
WILLMAR -- The Brainerd Warriors boys' basketball team lost to the Willmar Cardinals 66-54 in Central Lakes Conference action Thursday.

Raider women tumble
ELY -- Costly turnovers late in the second half cost the Central Lakes College Raiders women's basketball team as they fell to the Vermilion Ironmen 67-58 in North Division action Friday.

Local sports shorts
Katie Boran took first place in the Central Lakes Conference junior varsity girls' nordic ski meet Thursday with a time of 19.23.

Luberts' 100th career win helps Pierz clinch wrestling title
PIERZ -- Craig Luberts earned his 100th career victory and helped Pierz thrash Big Lake 57-9 in Central Minnesota Conference wrestling Thursday, clinching the CMC title.

Brainerd girls dump Apollo
ST. CLOUD -- Amy Kittelson scored 13 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the Brainerd Warriors girls' basketball team past the St. Cloud Apollo Eagles 41-33 in Central Lakes Conference action Friday.

Pierz wrestling making his mark
As a 103-pound eighth-grader, Nathan Janson may not strike fear in opposing wrestlers at first glance.

Vikings hire Linehan
ST. PAUL (AP) -- The Minnesota Vikings' new offensive coordinator will be the University of Louisville's Scott Linehan.

Wolves snap out of slump, beat Celtics in OT
BOSTON (AP) -- Wally Szczerbiak allowed 41 points in his matchup with Paul Pierce a year ago. This time, he held his own.

Gopher women win in OT
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) -- Lindsay Whalen's two free throws with 4.3 seconds remaining in overtime Thursday night led No. 22 Minnesota to a 79-76 overtime win over Illinois.

Twins fans show support
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Minnesota Twins fans don't have a say in contraction, so they'll do the only thing they can: Show up.

Gophers win before record mat crowd
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Top-ranked Minnesota won six of 10 matches, including four by a major decision, to beat No. 2 Iowa 22-15 Friday night before a record crowd for an NCAA wrestling dual.

Internet can protect your files
The Internet has changed a lot of things, but one of the most useful is the new ways in which you can back up your data.

Can AOL keep pace with the broadband revolution?
No one has profited more from the explosion of interest in cyberspace than America Online.

THE ONLINE SLEUTHS
GOLDEN, Colo. -- By day, Julie Posey is a 37-year-old homemaker, tidying the family's trailer at the foot of the Rocky Mountains and home-schooling her daughter. But at night, Posey logs on to the Internet as Kendra -- a gum-snapping 14-year-old looking for trouble.

Biotech companies fighting threat of 'superbugs'
SAN FRANCISCO -- Genetic engineers who have spent years fighting diseases face a dismaying paradox in the post-Sept. 11 world: many of their impressive breakthroughs can also be used for sinister purposes.

Caution raised about e-mail reliability as usage grows
NEW YORK (AP) -- As an online newsletter publisher, David Carney has discovered one thing about e-mail delivery: You can't always count on it.

Your search for an engine should stop with Google
Some two years ago, I would employ an entire palette of search engines to find things on the Web: HotBot, Ask Jeeves, Lycos, Yahoo, AltaVista -- plus a newer contender called Google. And I wrote a column advising readers to pick and choose among the best of these sites.

Iowa state forecast
Today...Mostly sunny. Highs mainly in the 20s.

Regional Forecast
HighLowPR

State forecast for North Dakota
Today...Partly to mostly cloudy with a few flurries. Highs from the mid 20s northeast to 35 southwest.

Minnesota state forecast
Today...Mostly cloudy. Some light snow or flurries mainly northeast. Becoming partly cloudy far west by afternoon. Highs from the lower 20s northeast to middle 30s south.

Minnesota state forecast
Today...Partly to mostly sunny. Highs in the teens north to middle 20s southeast.

Big flakes
Weather drawing by Brett Moser of Jan Wilcox's kindergarten class at Lowell school.

Phil predicts six more weeks of winter; mum on Super Bowl
PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (AP) -- Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter Saturday but hedged his bets on the winner of this year's Super Bowl.

Iowa state forecast
Dense fog advisory through mid morning east central...

The Weather Elsewhere
Friday

Wisconsin state forecast
Today...Scattered light snow or flurries ending east by noon. Otherwise partly or mostly cloudy. Highs in the 20s to lower 30s.

State forecast for north dakota
Today...Patchy morning fog central. Mostly cloudy west and central...With flurries northwest and north central. Partly cloudy east. Highs 10 above northeast to the lower 30s southwest.

Arctic jet stream, heavy snowfall are staying away this season
This winter season is on the verge of being a letdown for outdoor enthusiasts.

State forecast for South Dakota
Today...Partly to mostly cloudy. Highs in the 30s east to the mid 40s southwest.

The Weather Elsewhere
Saturday

State forecast for south dakota
Today...Partly to mostly sunny. Highs in the 20s east to 30s west.

Happy snowman
Weather drawing by Matt Rubin of Mrs. Wig's third grade class at Garfield school.

Winter storm departs Northeast, leaving behind wind; snow showers in northern Lakes, Rockies
Gusty wind was blowing in much of the Northeast early Saturday as a winter storm that pummeled the Midwest and East Coast moved farther offshore. Calm weather prevailed in most of the rest of the nation.

Wisconsin state forecast
Today...Becoming cloudy. Light snow north and scattered flurries south. Highs in the 20s to around 30.

What's doing
Chapter DV, P.E.O. will meet at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the home of Sharon Carlson with Katherine Herold and Ruth Hitz assisting for a salad luncheon. Members are asked to bring a salad of their choice. Program: Martha Prusak.

School lunch menus
BRAINERD/PILLAGER

Disabled vet who won Oscars playing disabled vet dies
Harold Russell, a disabled World War II veteran who won two Oscars for his role in "The Best Years of Our Lives" before becoming an advocate for the rights of the disabled, has died. He was 88.

Much obliged
Washington Middle School 6th Grade Basketball would like to thank Mark and Rob at Viking Coke for the great support this year.

Teen feels alone after miscarriage
DEAR ABBY: You help so many people. Please help me. I am a 14-year-old girl who has been through a lot this past year. Just a little over a month ago, I had a miscarriage. It was really sad, because I wanted my baby really bad. The father -- I'll call him Bob -- didn't want anything to do with it because he claimed it wasn't his. I was very hurt by his reaction because I was so happy about the baby.

What's doing
Dianne Schwerin will be presenting an educational and entertaining program entitled "Lasagna Gardening" for the Lakes and Woods Horticultural Club at 7 p.m. Monday. Other 2002 programs include

Names and faces
The author recently stated that he had five more books to write and then, "That's it. I'm done."

Senior activities
LAKES AREA SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER

U.S. special forces reduced but al-Qaida hunt remains priority
MAZAR-E-SHARIF, Afghanistan (AP) -- U.S. special forces have scaled back their presence in northern Afghanistan, but military investigators are still "pursuing leads" on key Taliban figures or those linked to Osama bin Laden's terrorist network, a U.S. commander said Friday.

Death toll from Nigeria weapons dump blasts rises to more than 1,000
LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) -- The death toll from a series of explosions at an army weapons depot in Lagos rose to more than 1,000 as more bodies were found, mainly children who drowned in a canal during their panicked flight from the blasts, a Lagos state official said Saturday.

Warlord's forces re-arm; refusal of U.S. to intervene dismays Afghans
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) -- A warlord re-armed his men Saturday to mount another assault on a provincial capital where residents don't want him as governor and are dismayed that U.S. forces operating in the area won't come to their rescue.

Uneasy calm in Afghan town where fighting had raged; 61 dead
GARDEZ, Afghanistan (AP) -- After a two-day battle that combatants said killed at least 61 people, an uneasy calm returned Friday to the capital of an eastern Afghan province where rival warlords are trying to exert control.

Pakistanis, newspaper say they believe kidnapped U.S. reporter Daniel Pearl is still alive
KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) -- The Wall Street Journal issued a new appeal for kidnapped reporter Daniel Pearl's life Saturday, saying it believed an e-mail claiming he had been killed was a hoax. Pakistani authorities also said they think Pearl is still alive.

World Economic Forum focuses on problems of poor
NEW YORK -- For a gathering of the rich and powerful, the World Economic Forum is spending a lot of time focusing on the poor and weak.

U.S. officials now believe some anti-Taliban forces captured or killed in Jan. 23 raid
WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. military officials reversed themselves and now believe innocent people were among the estimated 15 killed and 27 captured in a commando raid in Afghanistan last week.

Arab network cuts ties with CNN over bin Laden interview
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) -- An influential Arab satellite station that chose not to air its own interview with Osama bin Laden cut ties with CNN because the cable network broadcast excerpts, in which bin Laden said that killing innocent civilians "is permissible in Islamic law."