Thursday, February 15, 2001
Eight SUVs get low marks in latest rollover test results
WASHINGTON -- The government released rollover risk ratings for 30 more vehicles on Tuesday, giving low marks to eight sport utility vehicles and high grades to four cars.
Consumer groups a little late in backing Internet car sales
The consumers' movement is a year late in its bid to stop auto dealers from blocking new-vehicle sales over the Internet.
Seat belt use varies by region, vehicle type
WASHINGTON -- More Americans are wearing seat belts than ever before, but usage can vary greatly depending on vehicle type, region and state seat belt laws, the government said Wednesday.
Mercury rises with five new models
CHICAGO -- Waving aside persistent rumors of its demise, Ford Motor Co.'s Mercury division last Thursday unveiled five new models, including an all-new muscle car and spruced-up versions of two other vehicles.
Image restored
Following last year's Firestone/Bridgestone tire scandal, the image of the Ford Explorer sport utility vehicle isn't quite as invincible as it once was.
Claims fall but still point to cooler job market
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The number of Americans filing new claims for state unemployment insurance fell last week but still hovered at a level suggesting that some workers were having trouble finding jobs in the weakening economy.
Metals
NEW YORK (AP) -- Spot nonferrous metal prices Wednesday.
Appeals court strikes down Pennsylvania school anti-harassment policy
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- A federal appeals court overturned a school district's sweeping anti-harassment policy, saying the guidelines violate the free speech rights of students.
College students go to Capitol to call for more funding for higher education
ST. PAUL (AP) -- A large -- and very loud -- contingent of college students flooded the Capitol to draw attention to their needs and higher education in general.
Bush adviser signals education compromises
WASHINGTON -- President Bush's chief domestic policy adviser signaled Wednesday that the White House is moving toward concessions on its education plan to meet concerns among both Democrats and Republicans in Congress.
Hanger hang-up
Dear Heloise: Help! I'm DROWNING IN WIRE HANGERS. What do I do with them? I hate for them to go to the landfill, but the cleaners won't take them back! -- E-mail from Bakersfield, Calif.
Real sweethearts spread Valentine cheer all year
DEAR READERS: A Happy Valentine's Day to one and all! There may be snowdrifts on the ground or rain clouds in the forecast, but regardless of what the weatherman says, there's sunshine and springtime in our hearts.
Microwave gelatin
Dear Heloise: I read a letter in the (Rochester, Minn.) Post-Bulletin from a reader requesting your help in MAKING GELATIN without the "rubber."
Ties that bind father to son not always based on blood
DEAR ABBY: You made some good points in your reply to "Used in North Carolina," who married his pregnant girlfriend and nine years later learned that his son was "not his own." This father resented that he was expected to take care of a child "who isn't even mine." However, you missed an important point. Because your column is so widely read, it's important to call attention to what it is that really makes a child "one's own."
Study: Falling in love not much fun for many teen-agers
The most famous youthful romance in the English-speaking world, that star-crossed love of Romeo and Juliet, was a tragedy. Now researchers have published a huge study of real-life adolescents in love.
USDA economist warns against higher crop subsidies
WASHINGTON -- The government's top farm economist told Congress on Wednesday that raising federal price supports for crops like wheat and corn would boost commodity surpluses and cause trade problems for the United States.
Cash grain
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Wheat receipts Wednesday 399, a year ago 225.
Livestock
SOUTH ST. PAUL (AP) (USDA) -- Wednesday cattle: 400.
Much of world farmland in poor shape, scientists say
WASHINGTON -- Much of the world's farmland is in such poor condition that farmers will have to find better ways to grow crops or else their production won't keep pace with the growing population, scientists say.
Bride shares recipe her groom loves
I really have to chuckle to myself when I check my e-mail messages and there are recipes from my niece Sue who lives in Fargo.
Add variety to grilled cheese sandwiches
Cheese sandwiches, perhaps grilled, are an obvious choice when it comes to making a fast meal -- but it doesn't have to be a dull choice.
Book provides basic introduction to Chinese food
Chinese cooks have often had to use tougher cuts of beef and have developed clever techniques and quick cooking methods to make them more palatable, Martin Yan explains in "Chinese Cooking for Dummies" (Hungry Minds, $19.99 paperback).
MnDOT plans snow removal
Starting at 2 a.m. Thursday, Minnesota Department of Transportation crews will begin loading and removing snow from Oak Street in Brainerd from the junction of Highway 371 to 19th Street, weather permitting.
Accidents
ONAMIA -- Two people were injured in a two-vehicle accident reported at 7:43 a.m. Monday on Highway 169, one mile south of Onamia.
Livestock
SOUTH ST. PAUL (AP) (USDA) -- Tuesday cattle: 600.
Cash grain
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Wheat receipts Tuesday 82, a year ago 65.
Fire
The Brainerd Fire Department responded to a furnace fire at 6:55 a.m. today in Oak Lawn Township.
Region 5 meeting set Feb. 22
STAPLES -- The Region 5 Commission will meet at 7 p.m. Feb. 22 at the Region 5 office in Staples.
Horse fest draws crowd to CLC
Central Lakes College may have missed the
Crime
Crow Wing sheriff
Woman sentenced in crash
Delphia Elling, charged with criminal vehicular operation following an auto accident that left Pequot Lakes resident Jodi Runberg paralyzed, was sentenced in Crow Wing County District Court.
HART closed Wednesdays
Heartland Animal Rescue Team is now closed on Wednesdays.
Metals
NEW YORK (AP) -- Spot nonferrous metal prices Tuesday.
Brainerd grad to speak at banquet
Lt. Gen. Bruce Carlson, a 1967 graduate of Washington High School in Brainerd, will be the guest speaker this weekend at a formal military banquet for the Air Force ROTC at the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
Legislative briefs
Rep. Steve Wenzel, DFL-Little Falls, has introduced a measure to reduce the state sales tax from 6.5 to 6 percent, rolling back a supposedly temporary increase that has stayed on the books for nearly a decade.
Groups oppose tax credit restriction plan
ST. PAUL (AP) -- School-choice advocates are upset that Gov. Jesse Ventura is proposing to restrict a tax credit aimed at helping lower-income parents pay for tutoring, transportation expenses and other school-related costs.
Capitol notebook
Happenings Wednesday at the Minnesota Capitol:
Walz backs long-term care proposal
ST. PAUL -- State Rep. Dale Walz, R-Brainerd, is a co-sponsor of legislation that would reform and expand long-term care services for senior citizens.
Poll shows few Minnesotans back Ventura's tax cut plan
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Gov. Jesse Ventura's plan to use the state's projected revenue surplus for permanent tax cuts and a one-time tax rebate has the backing of only about a quarter of Minnesota voters, a poll published Wednesday showed.
Administration to fight altering tax-cut price tag
WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration will resist any tax cut that exceeds $1.6 trillion over 10 years, Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill told Congress Tuesday, informing House tax-writers that any changes that make the tax cut more expensive will require trimming or dropping other parts.
Momentum for repeal of estate tax is slowing
WASHINGTON -- Efforts in Congress to abolish the estate tax are facing new hurdles, slowing momentum for a tax cut that was practically a motherhood issue among lawmakers last year.
Grant would help fire departments
ST. PAUL -- State Sen. Don Samuelson, DFL-Brainerd, has announced the creation of a $100 million federal grant program to be available for fire departments sometime in February.
Democrats lay out their own tax cut, budget goals
WASHINGTON -- Democratic congressional leaders announced their own broad budget goals Thursday, saying they favor a tax cut less than half the size of President Bush's proposal and aimed more at lower- and middle-income people.
Wenzel seeks to hike personal exemption
ST. PAUL -- Middle-income families across Minnesota could see their income taxes cut substantially under a plan to increase the personal exemption by $2,200 per person, Rep. Steve Wenzel, DFL-Little Falls, said in a news release.
Media execs are called on Capitol carpet over election coverage
WASHINGTON -- The heads of the United States' largest television news networks, called to Capitol Hill Wednesday to account for errors in their coverage of presidential election results, were forced to watch a videotape of the night's most embarrassing moments and listen to hours of testimony detailing their mistakes.
Early figures show census undercount smaller than 1990
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The census missed a smaller percentage of people in 2000 than in 1990, especially minorities and children, a preliminary review of Census Bureau numbers show.
Networks vow to fix elections coverage gaffes
WASHINGTON -- The heads of the nation's television networks, in rare testimony before Congress, outlined the steps they will take to avoid a repeat of the Florida election call that prematurely elected George W. Bush.
Walz schedules February meetings
ST. PAUL -- State Rep. Dale Walz, R-Brainerd, has scheduled six town meetings for this month.
Nonprescription morning-after pill to undergo studies
WASHINGTON -- The maker of a morning-after pill is about to begin government-sanctioned studies to see if the emergency contraception can sell without a doctor's prescription.
Key senators say they won't seek overhaul of Medicare
WASHINGTON -- Key congressional leaders said Wednesday they will not pursue a comprehensive reform of Medicare, dealing a blow to President Bush's campaign promise to make sweeping changes in the federal health care program for the elderly and disabled.
GAO reports food safety is poorly monitored at seafood companies
More than half of the United States' seafood companies aren't following federal food safety rules designed to protect consumers from food-borne illness, according to a report released Tuesday by congressional investigators.
Study: Stroke treatment varies greatly by region, race
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- People who live in the Midwest are five times as likely as Southerners to receive brain-saving clot-dissolving drugs when they have strokes, a study found.
Sheriff's department in spotlight
HACKENSACK -- Each year one Cass County department has an opportunity to assess ways it can improve its part of county government.
Cass County officials tackle goals at annual retreat
HACKENSACK -- Cass County Administrator Robert Yochum opened Cass County's fifth annual planning retreat Feb. 9 at Deep Portage Conservation Reserve near Hackensack by explaining how the county met last year's goals.
Flyers' Thielen ready for another state trip
LITTLE FALLS -- Jason Thielen is only a sophomore at Little Falls High School but he's already been to three state tournaments.
Mother hopes to start networking group with other adoptive families
Ask Nashya Vesely where babies come from, and the bubbly 3-year-old would tell you the honest truth.
Career Exploration Day held for high school students
CAMP RIPLEY -- Students from Long Prairie-Grey Eagle, Pierz, Browerville, Swanville and Upsala learned about career opportunities and the educational requirements that can prepare them for those careers at Career Exploration Day on Feb. 6 at Camp Ripley.
Sustainable Farming Association of Central Minnesota to host annual meeting
The Sustainable Farming Association of Central Minnesota will host its annual meeting from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. March 3 at Central Lakes College in Staples.
Area briefs
STAPLES -- Staples Motley Community Education will offer a one-session class from 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 27 on how to take a class over the Internet.
Area Athletes of the Week
PEQUOT LAKES -- The arrival of Megan Arns couldn't have come at a better time for Bill Larson and his Pequot Lakes girls' basketball team.
Gymnast joins St. Cloud club in hopes of competing in college
MERRIFIELD -- In her senior year of high school Amanda Rau has sacrificed many things for a single goal -- to be the best gymnast she can be.
Providing service in cost effective, efficient manner still top goal
HACKENSACK -- To provide public service in a cost effective and efficient manner continued this year to top Cass County goals for the coming year.
Local briefs
Ray G. Smith, the national commander of the American Legion, will visit Aitkin, Garrison and Onamia on Feb. 24.
County cites solid waste savings
The Crow Wing County solid waste department is saving money.
Mom takes a spill
Patti Lingenfelter (left) crashed to the ice Tuesday at the Gregory Park skating rink while her daughter, Danielle, watched. The pair took advantage of Tuesday's warm temperatures to skate at the Brainerd rink.
Interest in parks
Nearly 30 people in Crow Wing County have expressed interest in serving on the parks committee.
This was Brainerd
FEBRUARY 15 - 40 years ago (1961) - Dollar Day Values at John M. Bye Clothing Company, Laurel Street: -- Men's suits, values to $65 $38 -- Men's dress shoes, $7.88 -- Men's jackets, $12.88
Lawmaker questions county decision to update lakeshore lease lots value
The Crow Wing County Board received letters from state Rep. Tom Rukavina regarding its decision to update values for 22 lakeshore lease lots in the county.
Snowmobiler rescued after falling through ice
BREEZY POINT -- A 27-year-old man fell through the ice Wednesday afternoon near Rice Lake on County Road 11 in Breezy Point and had to be rescued.
Zoning misunderstanding may cost business owner
A misunderstanding about a Crow Wing County zoning ordinance may have cost a business owner an extra $1,100.
Meeting planned to negotiate disputed lease for PEAKS Charter School
PILLAGER -- PEAKS Charter School Board members and school founders Bruce and Kathy Martin will meet Thursday in an attempt to renegotiate the $5,338-per-month lease for a four-bedroom farm house and outbuildings, which some have criticized as excessive.
Time to refinance?
Could refinancing a home mortgage be in a homeowner's best interest? Look for the story in Friday's Housing section.
This was Brainerd
20 years ago (1981) - Bud Henderson has been appointed general manager of Northland Truck, Inc. of Brainerd. Henderson formerly owned and operated Viking Tire Company of Brainerd for 17 years.
Life's embrace
Doctors mended his broken heart, and now the Mad Hugger fittingly chose Valentine's Day to return to Central Lakes College.
Pequot Lakes woman runs afoul of county zoning regulations
It may be back to the drawing board for Mary Jane Johnson-Olson of Pequot Lakes.
Islanders teamed up to help locate missing plane
CHARLEVOIX, Mich. -- As he directed the search for a missing plane on fog-shrouded Beaver Island, Deputy Sheriff Mike Russell wasn't optimistic about finding its crew or passengers alive.
WWII veteran becomes U.S. citizen after 78 years in America
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Henry Claus lived in the United States for 78 years, served in World War II and raised five children in America.
Bush tells Guard and reserves their roles will grow
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- For the third consecutive day, President Bush on Wednesday went to a military installation to praise the armed forces and extol his plans to improve their lot.
Congress warned of 20 percent drop in farm income
WASHINGTON -- As if low crop prices weren't tough enough, the nation's farm economy is now being battered by soaring costs for energy and fertilizer, Congress was told Tuesday.
Virginia lawmakers 'regret' forced sterilizations
LYNCHBURG, Va. -- In the 1940s, the state labeled Raymond W. Hudlow a "mental defective" and surgically sterilized him.
Sheriff, FBI join forces to probe old SLA case
LOS ANGELES -- Northern California investigators plan to re-examine a deadly 1975 bank robbery for links to the Symbionese Liberation Army.
Witness: White House didn't mention Rich's 'fugitive' status in phone call
WASHINGTON (AP) -- In a midnight phone call on President Clinton's last day in office, the U.S. pardon attorney says White House lawyers didn't tell him that indicted financier Marc Rich was a fugitive from justice.
Student held without bond in two killings at university for deaf
WASHINGTON -- A 20-year-old freshman accused of murdering two fellow deaf students at Gallaudet University admitted in a videotaped confession that robbery was the reason he stabbed one classmate to death and fatally beat the other, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Navy confirms civilians at sub controls during accident
HONOLULU (AP) -- A federal investigator confirmed that a civilian was allowed to pull the levers that sent a Navy submarine streaking toward the surface of the Pacific Ocean where it hit and sank a Japanese fishing vessel.
Racial profiling debate hinges on requirements over data collection
ST. PAUL -- Gov. Jesse Ventura indicated Tuesday that he favors leaving decisions about whether to collect racial data on traffic stops to local officials instead of mandating information gathering by the state.
University for the deaf student arrested in two killings, including Minnesota man
WASHINGTON -- A freshman at Gallaudet University, the nation's only liberal arts university for the deaf, was charged Tuesday with killing two fellow students over the past five months. One of the victims was from Burnsville.
Civilians seated at sub controls during fatal collision with fishing boat
HONOLULU -- Civilian visitors were seated at two of the three main controls of a Navy submarine when it surfaced beneath a Japanese fishing boat off Hawaii last Friday, Navy officials said Tuesday.
For one couple, Valentine's Day is an 80th wedding anniversary
NAPPANEE, Ind. -- Jack and Dorothy Hoffer want to spend Valentine's Day the way they have for 79 previous wedding anniversaries -- quietly and without much fanfare.
Lack of wind forces polar explorers to call for plane
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- With no wind for their parasails, polar explorers Ann Bancroft and Liv Arnesen decided Thursday to have a plane pick them up instead of skiing and sailing across the rest of the Ross Ice Shelf to their ship ride home.
Atlantis astronauts start 100th spacewalk in U.S. history
SPACE CENTER, Houston -- Two astronauts floated outside space shuttle Atlantis on Wednesday, performing chores on the international space station during the 100th spacewalk in the U.S. space program.
Suspect found in road rage killing of dog
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Police have a prime suspect to last year's bizarre road rage incident when a man yanked a woman's dog from her car and tossed it into oncoming traffic, the San Jose Mercury News reported Thursday.
Possible dynamite discovery prompts evacuation in Washington state
LAKEWOOD, Wash. (AP) -- Police ordered a major highway shut down and evacuated nearby residents Wednesday while they investigated a storage unit believed to contain six cases of old, unstable dynamite and explosive chemicals.
Shuttle crew finishing up work on space station before trip home this weekend
SPACE CENTER, Houston -- Space shuttle Atlantis astronauts had a few remaining chores as they wrapped up their time on the international space station Thursday and prepared for a weekend return to Earth.
Source: Federal probe of Rich pardon planned
NEW YORK -- A federal prosecutor has cranked up the heat on former President Clinton, launching a criminal investigation to determine if money played a role in the last-minute pardon of fugitive financier Marc Rich.
Monthly cable rates rise; programming costs blamed
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Consumers footed heftier monthly cable bills last year, as companies boosted their rates for programming and equipment by 5.8 percent, according to government figures.
Two couples die in plane crash
WEBB LAKE, Wis. (AP) -- A single-engine plane crashed and caught fire, killing two couples on their way home from a Valentine's Day dinner, authorities said.
Penn State earns first win in Williams Arena after eight losses
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Gyasi Cline-Heard scored 21 points and Joe Crispin added 15 as Penn State defeated Minnesota 82-62 Wednesday night, giving the Nittany Lions their first victory at Williams Arena after eight straight losses.
Baseball wants umps to be tougher
NEW YORK (AP) -- It didn't take long for baseball's first controversy of spring training to break out.
Referee jailed after attack on coach
ATLANTA (AP) -- A youth basketball referee, apparently angry that his calls had been criticized, slashed a coach with a knife after a game between 7- and 8-year-olds, sending youngsters and parents scurrying in fear, authorities say.
Lendl, Rose voted into Hall of Fame
Ivan Lendl, who has preserved his privacy since retiring in 1994, will return to the tennis spotlight this summer for induction into the Hall of Fame.
Yankees reach agreement with Morales
NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Yankees would love for their latest Cuban defector to be as good as their first.
Lemieux to Lemaire: See you on the ice
CANONSBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Mario Lemieux insists he isn't feuding with Minnesota Wild coach Jacques Lemaire, the first NHL coach or player to publicly chastise Lemieux since he began his successful comeback.
Closing looms on Gretzky deal
PHOENIX (AP)-- Wayne Gretzky's 21-year playing career is over. His first opportunity as an owner is about to begin.
National scoreboard
Radio guide -- WYRQ-FM (92.1), KFML-FM (94.1), KKIN-FM (94.3), KTCF-FM (101.5), KTIG-FM (102.7), WCCO-AM (830), KWAD-AM (920), KKIN-AM (930), KTLF-AM (960), 3WI-AM (1270), KVBR-AM (1340), KLIZ-AM (1380), KLLZ-AM (1600)
Charles L. Bedore
Charles L. Bedore, 92, Brainerd, died Monday, Feb. 12, 2001, at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd.
Luther D. Brown
NISSWA -- Luther D. Brown, 88, Nisswa, died Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2001, at Bethany Good Samaritan Village in Brainerd.
Pauline V. Root Howard
MESA, Ariz. -- Pauline Viola Root Howard, 79, Chandler, Ariz., formerly of Crosby, died Friday, Jan. 26, 2001, at Desert Samaritan Hospital in Mesa, Ariz.
Lester Lageson
Lester Lageson, 89, Brainerd, died Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2001, at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd.
Robert 'Bobby' Gens
DEERWOOD -- Robert "Bobby" Gens, 65, Deerwood, formerly of St. Paul, died Monday, Feb. 12, 2001, at his home.
ElRoy 'Tuffy' J. Birchem
FLENSBURG -- ElRoy "Tuffy" John Birchem, 70, Flensburg, died Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2001, at his home.
Charles L. Bedore
Charles L. Bedore, 92, Brainerd, died Monday, Feb. 12, 2001, at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd.
Delois Spalding
LITTLE FALLS -- Delois Spalding, 77, Little Falls, died Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2001, at Lutheran Care Center in Little Falls.
Luther D. Brown
Luther D. Brown, 88, Brainerd, died Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2001, at Bethany Good Samaritan Village in Brainerd.
Ragna C. Awes
AITKIN -- Ragna Corrine Awes, 71, Aitkin, died today, Feb. 15, 2001, at Riverwood Health Care Center in Aitkin.
Emma Hurd
AITKIN -- Emma Hurd, 95, Aitkin, died today, Feb. 15, 2001, at her daughter's home near Aitkin.
Elroy 'Tuffy' J. Birchem
FLENSBURG -- Elroy "Tuffy" J. Birchem, 70, Flensburg, died Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2001, at home.
Now they get it
During the Clinton years, most of the American media played the role of Gov. George Wallace, who famously stood in the schoolhouse door in a vain attempt to keep blacks from integrating Alabama schools. The press stood in the information doorway, refusing to adequately investigate and report on many of the Clintons' misdeeds and attacking their opponents in order to keep those hated Republicans from taking over government and put forward more conservative economic and social ideas.
Seat belts - Dispatch Editorial
Minnesota was timid in its seat-belt legislation from the very beginning. The first year the law was on the books there was no penalty for a violation. In a report card issued last week by the National Safe Kids Campaign, Minnesota earned a "D."
Open Forum
In the early 1900s the oil companies were not allowed to have monopolies on oil. It was a U.S. government law.
Charter schools - Disptach Editorial
Charter schools have proliferated like wild flowers in the few years since the Legislature authorized them in 1991. There are now 64 such schools scattered across Minnesota, some good and others beset with problems. However they are all independent and distinct.
The Clinton indulgences
The following editorial appeared in Tuesday's Washington Post:
The Napster verdict
The following editorial appeared in Wednesday's Washington Post:
Open Forums
In reading Jim Grossman's story Sunday, I am very glad to see there are others who do not approve of the music played at CLC basketball games. I have been complaining about this for the last three ye
Do you have a beef with the media?
The Minnesota News Council is an independent organization that examines citizens' complaints alleging inaccuracy, unfairness or unethical conduct by the media.
Snowmobile deaths are up in Minnesota
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Wary of the dramatic increase in snowmobile deaths across Minnesota this winter, state officials are urging riders to slow down, lay off alcohol and supervise their children.
Elementary school pulls for expedition as adventurers near the end
SCANDIA -- Just a few miles from the home where Antarctic explorer Ann Bancroft hangs her hat, a herd of bundled children stampeded from the biting wind into the paper penguin-lined halls of Scandia Elementary School.
Ventura wants to cut funding for women's services program
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Several women's groups on Wednesday rallied at the Capitol in support of a program for women re-entering the workforce that Gov. Jesse Ventura wants to eliminate.
UMD professor determined to unlock genetic secrets of hibernation
DULUTH (AP) -- Matt Andrews doesn't pull his ground squirrels out of hibernation to check for shadows on Groundhog Day.
Friends, family remember crash victim
INTERNATIONAL FALLS (AP) -- Maj. Robert L. Olson, a West Point graduate whose military career took him from the northern Minnesota community of Big Falls to Europe, Asia and service in the Persian Gulf War, was remembered Wednesday as someone who helped others.
Two Minnesotans among six killed in Army helicopter crash
HONOLULU (AP) -- Two Army Black Hawk helicopters crashed during a nighttime exercise in a remote military preserve of the Hawaiian islands, killing six soldiers -- including two Minnesotans -- and injuring 11.
Snowmobiler ran red light before fatal accident
FARIBAULT (AP) -- A snowmobiler who died in a crash Tuesday in Faribault ran a red light just before being hit by a truck, police said.
Electronics prove to be the way of the world in today's college dormitories
DULUTH (AP) -- Forget about square footage and proximity to bathrooms, two trusted but old-fashioned measures of quality dormitory space.
Drug dealer who ran pipeline to Minneapolis pardoned
MINNEAPOLIS -- The 1994 case against Carlos Vignali, who President Clinton freed last month after appeals from prominent Los Angeles politicians, was built on the testimony of informants and federal wiretaps, which convinced a jury that he had provided large sums of cash to purchase cocaine for sale in Minnesota.
Smokechasers make another plea for benefit
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Minnesota's smokechasers told lawmakers they want unemployment and other benefits for fighting massive wildfires.
Dakota County man named 2000 Conservation Officer of the Year
Ross Opsahl, conservation officer for Dakota County, was named 2000 Conservation Officer of the Year by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Raider women whomp Itasca
In a game that, at times, looked more like a "loser-leave-town" wrestling match than a basketball contest, the Central Lakes College women's basketball team locked up at least a share of second place in the Minnesota Community College Conference Northern Division.
Over the rainbow
There's a song that claims there's a place somewhere over the rainbow where the dreams you dare to dream come true.
Local sports shorts
The Brainerd Warriors are seeded seventh in the Section 8, Class 3A, team wrestling tournament and will wrestle No. 10 Moorhead at 9 a.m. Saturday at Fergus Falls.
Pierz wrestlers win in Section 6A
PIERZ -- The Pierz Pioneers knocked off the Rush City Tigers 60-8 in first round action at the Section 6A wrestling tournament on Tuesday.
Brainerd seniors leave big skates to fill on girls' hockey team
When you try to project the strengths of the Brainerd Warriors girls' hockey team that might take the ice next season, the first thing that stands out is the goaltending.
In her first year of nordic ski racing, Christina Roberts appears to be learning her new sport quickly. In the Section 8 meet at Camp Ripley last week she skied to sixth place in the classical event.
Before this winter Christina Roberts had never attempted nordic ski racing. In winters past she had been a swimmer for the YMCA Dolphins but it's not surprising she gravitated toward nordic skiing this season.
Tech skates past Warrior boys
ST. CLOUD -- The St. Cloud Tech Tigers broke open a close game with five goals in the third period and went on to defeat the Brainerd Warriors 9-4 in Central Lakes Conference boys' hockey action Tuesday.
W-DC, Aitkin advance to 7AA semifinals
WADENA -- The top-seeded Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines wrestling team won all but one match in the quarterfinal round of the Section 7AA wrestling tournament against the ninth-seeded Staples-Motley Cardinals Tuesday.
Area scoreboard
Boys Basketball
Scoreboard
Women's College Basketball
Sports shorts
The Brainerd Warrior sophomore girls' basketball team defeated the Little Falls Flyers 57-25 Tuesday.
Flyers down Warriors in girls' hoops
LITTLE FALLS -- The old cliche that imitation is the best form of flattery apparently doesn't hold true in Little Falls.
Sauk Centre edges Wadena-Deer Creek
WADENA -- The Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines ended the regular season with a 2-1 loss to the Sauk Centre Mainstreeters in non-conference boys' hockey Tuesday.
Flier's basket sparks PR-B boys
PINE RIVER -- Nick Flier has scored his share of points for the Pine River-Backus Tigers boys' basketball team, but none will be more memorable than his last.
Majka may be underrated
As a junior, Katie Majka was often seeded in the middle of the lineup by the Brainerd Warriors girls' alpine ski team. As a result, Warriors coach Jim Ruttger thinks Majka may have been underrated.
S-M girls edge Yellowjackets
STAPLES -- Laura Warn scored 24 points to lead the Staples-Motley Cardinals girls' basketball team to a 69-62 victory over the Perham Yellowjackets.
Grizzlies claw Patriots in boys' hockey
CROSBY -- The Crosby-Ironton-Aitkin Grizzlies boys' hockey team defeated the Pequot Lakes Patriots 8-2 in the first meeting between the schools Tuesday night.
Warriors fall to Spuds
When a sports season comes to an end, particularly when that end comes in a close but losing effort, the temptation is to dwell on what might have been.
Goochey skis up to expectations
Brainerd Warriors alpine skiing coach Jim Ruttger remembers speaking at a Brainerd Sports Boosters Club meeting about four years ago and informing the group to watch a prospect named Kyle Goochey.
Wolves drop second game in two days after 11-game winning streak
PHOENIX (AP) -- Shawn Marion is an exception in a league full of young showboats whose bravado is displayed after every big play.
Vikings owner delays Moss' contract negotiations
EDEN PRAIRIE (AP) -- Citing serious salary-cap issues, Vikings owner Red McCombs said Wednesday that negotiations on a contract extension for wide receiver Randy Moss will have to be delayed until summer.
Vikings send 10 players to NFL Europe
EDEN PRAIRIE (AP) -- The Minnesota Vikings will send 10 players to the NFL Europe League, which begins play on April 21.
Portland shatters Timberwolves' winning streak
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- The All-Star break accomplished what 11 straight opponents could not: It knocked the Minnesota Timberwolves off their stride.
Committee has ballpark solution, if Twins will listen
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Karla Blomberg has attended maybe five baseball games at the Metrodome. Her answer to any baseball trivia question is Babe Ruth or Mickey Mantle, but only because she figures Kirby Puckett is too young to be trivial.
Gophers still clawing, despite setbacks
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The what-might-have-beens, for Minnesota senior Terrance Simmons, extend well beyond recent injuries to John-Blair Bickerstaff and Michael Bauer.
Mason hires four assistants
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Minnesota coach Glen Mason filled out his defensive staff Tuesday by hiring four new assistants, including Missouri's Moe Ankney as defensive coordinator.
Lemieux blasts Wild
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Next time, Minnesota Wild coach Jacques Lemaire might want to keep quiet.
Civil rights message, history of African-American women to be staged in Little Falls
LITTLE FALLS -- To actor Warren C. Bowles, the message of the Civil Rights Movement is as relevant today as it was in the 1960s -- and his mission is to keep it alive.
Capsule reviews of current film releases
Opinions are by Los Angeles Times reviewers.
Upcoming tourism events around Minnesota listed
This is the Explore Minnesota events report, hosted by the Minnesota Office of Tourism, and brought to you by www.exploreminnesota.com.
Skaters compete in Fargo/Moorhead
Vacationland Figure Skaters and Coach Kerri Hanson attended the Red River Valley International Figure Skating Classic last Friday-Sunday in Moorhead.
Elementary Honors Choir to perform March 5 with high school choirs
March 5 will mark the 11th annual Elementary Honors Choir Project in Brainerd public schools.
Christian musicians to rock Brainerd
An unexpected snafu in Minneapolis is returning dividends for Brainerd area fans of Christian contemporary music, according to an area concert promoter.
Million-mile musician Staines to perform Feb. 23 in Nisswa
NISSWA -- The Grassroots Concerts spring season will open at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 23, in the Nisswa Community Center with Bill Staines, a man who has traveled more than a million miles.
Best music
Weekly charts for the nation's best-selling recorded music as they appear in next week's issue of Billboard magazine. Reprinted with permission.
'Hannibal' chews up record books with a huge debut
LOS ANGELES -- Hannibal Lecter made mincemeat of the competition -- and the record book.
Oscar appears to have his head on straight
HOLLYWOOD -- We don't have the Oscars to kick around anymore. At least not this year.
Bluegrass band with Nisswa connection to play Saturday
The Brainerd house concerts series resumes Saturday with Lonesome Tradition, a bluegrass band with area connections and a statewide reputation.
Page isn't ready to slow down at age 78
At 78, Buck Page scoffs at the notion of packing up his guitar and riding off into the sunset of traditional Western music.
'Hannibal' is simply too delectable to miss
Hannibal Lecter is back in full form so hold on to your seats -- as well as your stomachs -- if you plan to see the sequel to "The Silence of the Lambs," now playing at area theaters.
Best bets
Celebrate winter in Nisswa this weekend at the Nisswa Jaycees Winter Jubilee, featuring street dances under the Big Top.
Tempo tidbits
A Twin Cities-based environmental organization is seeking submissions for its "Voices for the Land" essay contest.
Braud recognized for her artworks
Kathy Braud received the John and Pat Hasslen Award for Best Watercolor in the national juried Harmony in the Arts '01 for her piece "In Her Glory II."
Entertainment guide
For week of Feb 15-21; bands perform from 9 p.m. to close with no cover unless otherwise noted.
International folk dance scheduled at CLC
The Spanish Club and Student Senate at Central Lakes College will sponsor a free international folk dance on the Brainerd campus Thursday, Feb. 22.
'Sopranos' creator to leave show after fourth season
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- Someone has finally found a way to leave "The Sopranos" vertically.
Computer knowledge helped Ocel become successful debater
As a debater, Rob Ocel relied on his knowledge of computers to fashion a winning argument.
Downey signs on for eight more 'Ally McBeal' episodes
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Troubled actor Robert Downey Jr. has agreed to appear in eight more episodes of the Fox series "Ally McBeal," his publicist said Wednesday.
American-Norwegian connection
When Mary Hegge booked a flight for Norway in 1993, she wasn't looking for a husband. But that is what she found.
Heartland Symphony needs various players
The Heartland Symphony Orchestra's concert featuring Youth Audition and Young Composer winners is coming up.
Grisham's latest novel is a 'house' of another color
Since 1991, John Grisham has achieved fame, fortune and a loyal following through 11 plot-driven legal thrillers.
CBS ready for applicants for third 'Survivor'
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- CBS is looking for a few good survivors.
Best videos
Weekly charts for the nation's most popular videos as they appear in next week's issue of Billboard magazine. Reprinted with permission:
Voles, moles, mice and shrews
"I caught six yesterday," proclaimed Ms. Mouse Hater. She continued her tale, then, explaining that these rodents were so small they didn't trip the standard mousetraps. "I have to get more glue traps today."
Area briefs
PEQUOT LAKES -- Partners 56472 is a Healthy Community Partnership group, working in partnership with the Initiative Foundation.
Ebert crowned Miss Nisswa at annual pageant
NISSWA -- Lisa Ebert was crowned Miss Nisswa 2001 on Friday night at the Miss Nisswa Scholarship Pageant at Lutheran Church of the Cross.
Worldwide Weather
Thursday
Snow falling
Weather drawing by Mariah Moen of Mrs. Sedlachek's second grade class at Lowell school.
Happy Valentine's Day
Weather drawing by Bobbi Kruchten of Sharon Jendro's first grade class at Lowell school.
Minnesota state forecast
Today...Mostly sunny this morning...With increasing clouds through the day. Becoming blustery with a chance of flurries northwest. Highs from near 10 above north to middle 20s south.
Regional Weather
HighLowPR
State forecast for South Dakota
Today...Becoming cloudy in the west with a chance of light snow. Mostly sunny skies in the east...Then increasing clouds. Highs of 10 to 20 degrees in the west...Then falling temperatures this afternoon. Highs of 15 to 30 in the east.
The Weather Elsewhere
Thursday
State forecast for North Dakota
Today...Mostly cloudy...Windy and cold with a chance of light snow. Highs 10 to 15 above.
Wisconsin state forecast
Today...Partly to mostly sunny. Highs in the teens north to around 30 south.
Iowa state forecast.
Today...Partly cloudy far northwest...Otherwise cloudy. Highs in the teens and 20s.
What's doing
The Sons of Norway will have a cultural video at 6 p.m. and entertainment at 7 p.m. Friday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Brainerd. No potluck.
What's doing
There will be a bake sale and sweetheart breakfast from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Sunday at the VFW Club. Choice of biscuits and gravy, omelette, pancakes, French toast, ham, sausage or eggs for $3.75.
Names and faces
\MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. -- Looking more like a chastened lamb than the music world's angry lion, Grammy-nominated rap artist Eminem on Wednesday pleaded guilty to one felony count of carrying a concealed weapon during a confrontation last summer outside a local bar.
Names and faces
WARSAW, Poland (AP) -- Fearing the effects of "bad ideas" on Polish young people, Warsaw's mayor on Tuesday urged parents to keep their children away from a concert by American shock rocker Marilyn Manson.
El Salvador suffers second deadly earthquake in month
SAN VICENTE, El Salvador -- This small Salvadoran city was lucky last month. A 7.6-magnitude earthquake that completely buried a neighborhood under a massive landslide left its clusters of humble adobe homes untouched.
Dutch police arrest suspect in Anna Kournikova computer virus
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands -- Dutch police arrested a computer hacker Wednesday who claimed he wrote the Anna Kournikova computer virus that snarled e-mail around the world this week, officials said.
Palestinian bus driver kills 8 Israelis in hit-and-run
AZUR, Israel -- A Palestinian driver crashed a bus into a bus stop crowded with Israeli soldiers and civilians during morning rush hour Wednesday, killing eight and injuring 20 in the deadliest Palestinian attack on Israelis in nearly four years.
Kidnappers in Ecuador agree to ransom offer
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) -- Kidnappers holding seven foreign oil workers -- including four Americans -- have agreed to a ransom offer just ahead of their deadline to kill another captive, the head of Ecuador's armed forces said Wednesday.
El Salvador appeals for aid in wake of second quake
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador -- With hospitals running out of beds, blood and medicine, officials appealed for international help for thousands of victims from Salvador's second deadly earthquake in a month.
Nine hikers shot dead in Colombia
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) -- The bodies of nine hikers on an excursion near a national park in southwest Colombia were found at the bottom of a ravine, authorities said Wednesday. They had all been shot execution-style.