Wednesday, March 8, 2000

Crimes
BURGLARIES -- Doreen Bragg, manager of Mario's Sports Bar, reported the bar had been broken into Friday night.

St. Paul livestock
SOUTH ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) (USDA) -- Monday cattle: 450.

Births
Joseph and Julie Kroll, Baxter, a boy, Jaden Joseph, 7 pounds, 7 ounces, Feb. 17, 2000.

Crimes
VANDALISM -- Danielle Keen, 4000 block of Tracside Road, reported the driver's side window of her vehicle was broken.

Cash grain
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Wheat receipts Monday 41, a year ago 34.

PGA loses appeal in cart case
Now that the PGA Tour has lost its appeal, which means Casey Martin can continue to ride a cart when he plays professional golf, the tour must decide which path to follow next.

Golf in March a real treat
I know what you golf fanatics were thinking this past weekend.

Cass to implement adult entertainment ordinance
WALKER -- The Cass County Board voted Tuesday to proceed with plans to implement an adult entertainment ordinance, targeting an April 30 effective date.

CLC turns up recruitment to bolster enrollment
Central Lakes College put out the welcome mat to 300 high school juniors and seniors March 2 at its inaugural, two-campus College Experience Day.

Greenhouse business blossoms
PILLAGER -- Three years ago, Pillager High School forestry and biosystems teacher Karl Kaufmann approached area businesses about creating a partnership to develop a school greenhouse.

Trying to gain control
Wadena-Deer Creek 130-pounder Louie Vandermay (right) tries to maintain control of Blackduck/Cass Lake-Bena's Dominick Alvarado during the state Class AA consolation final Saturday at Target Center in Minneapolis. Alvarado won the match, but the Wolverines recorded a 26-24 come-from-behind win to take the consolation championship. (Photo for The Dispatch by Jason Henke)

Regional briefs
CROSBY -- The Crosby-Ironton Senior Citizens Club will hold its monthly meeting and potluck dinner at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Cuyuna Range Community Center in Crosby.

Three C-I football players excited to play down under
CROSBY -- Individually J.R. Ferrier, Patrick McKenzie and Cal Preisinger are unique individuals. Together they share a love for football that's going to send them to Australia to play in the 2000 Down Under Bowl.

Cass agrees to reorganize two county departments
WALKER -- The Cass County Board on Tuesday approved a reorganization for the Environmental Services Department and job classification reviews for reorganizing the Assessing Department.

College students read at Staples schools
STAPLES -- Students and staff members of Central Lakes College took time last week to read at elementary schools in Staples as part of the Read Across America project begun last year as a memorial to the late author Theodore Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss.

Cuyuna Range Women's Club raises $746 for Courage Center
CROSBY -- The Cuyuna Range Women's Club raised $746 for the Courage Center at its annual benefit card party.

Minneapolis mayor to speak at benefit
ONAMIA -- The Pearl Battered Women's Resource Center in Milaca, which serves women and children in Mille Lacs County who have experienced physical or sexual abuse, will hold its first fund-raiser March 25 at Grand Casino Mille Lacs.

Job Fair scheduled at Central Lakes College
The 10th annual Job Fair will be held at the Brainerd campus of Central Lakes College from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, March 30.

Pequot's Biebighauser helped build basketball program
PEQUOT LAKES -- To say Brianna Biebighauser is a great basketball player is an understatement.

Regional briefs
LITTLE FALLS -- Good, used adult and children's fiction and nonfiction books will be available at a used book sale sponsored by the Friends of the Little Falls Carnegie Library.

Minnesota Guard biathlon team wins overall championship
CAMP RIPLEY -- Just how strong is the Minnesota Army National Guard Biathlon team?

Kloss first state champion wrestler from Pierz
PIERZ -- Aaron Kloss of the Pierz Pioneers wrestling team could be considered a trendsetter.

Brainerd wins acclaim again
Mayor James Wallin presented the city of Brainerd an award for financial reporting excellence Monday at the Brainerd City Council meeting.

They planned a party caucus but nobody attended
Some people may think Gov. Jesse Ventura is mixing things up again.

She said she had to cooperate
LONG PRAIRIE (AP) -- Connie Sarff knew she had to cooperate with her estranged husband after he allegedly abducted her, put her in his truck and headed for Mexico.

Soil, water office closes for training
The Crow Wing Soil and Water Conservation District will be closed Thursday and Friday so staff can attend erosion control training.

Elgin couple claims one-third of jackpot
ROSEVILLE (AP) -- Keith Goergen carried his winning $50 million Powerball ticket to lottery headquarters in the pocket of his blue denim Minnesota Vikings shirt, after keeping it all weekend for safekeeping in the refrigerator.

Brainerd High rated in magazine's top 500
Out of 25,000 high schools in the nation, Brainerd High School ranks in the top 500, according to Newsweek magazine.

This was Brainerd
20 years ago (1980) - Earl Fitzsimmons, 77, Brainerd recently received Plywood Minnesota's First Outstanding Service Award from U.S. Sen. Rudy Boschwitz. Fitzsimmons opened the first Plywood franchise in Brainerd in 1967

Layoffs at Hunt
PEQUOT LAKES -- Hunt Technologies, Pequot Lakes, may be a victim of its own success.

Area braces for usual March storm
Don't put away those winter jackets and shovels just yet.

Wildfires burn 75 acres
Arson is blamed for two separate wildfires that burned about 75 acres Monday in Crow Wing and Morrison counties.

Poll: Minnesotans like two-chamber Legislature
ST. PAUL (AP) -- A growing number of Minnesota voters don't want to abolish one house of the Legislature, according to a Saint Paul Pioneer Press-Minnesota Public Radio poll published Tuesday.

Senate candidates debate at Willmar college
WILLMAR (AP) -- A questioner challenged DFL candidates for U.S. Senate: What could you do in Washington that you haven't done already?

Brainerd council seeks merger study
The Brainerd City Council on Monday started the ball rolling for a study on the possible merger of Brainerd and Baxter.

Capitol notebook
Happenings Tuesday at the Minnesota Capitol:

Correction
The Brainerd High School honor roll published on Page 4C on Sunday, Feb. 26, inadvertently omitted Kory Kingsbury, a sophomore, from the B honor roll.

Warm weather smiles
Sean Cordingly of Pillager guided his 3-year-old daughter Tabitha down a playground pole Monday in Gregory Park. The unseasonably warm weather has encouraged central Minnesota residents to enjoy the outdoors earlier than usual this year. (Dispatch Photo by Steve Kohls)

Talk of horse manure fills air at Baxter City Council meeting
BAXTER -- Horse manure was figuratively flung through the Baxter City Council chambers Monday as council members debated what a Baxter horse rancher should do with his equine waste.

Cass looking at building projects
WALKER -- The Cass County Board on Tuesday selected commissioners Joanne Pels and Glenn Witham to review 11 architectural firm proposals for designing an addition to the social services building.

Cass County may leave health plan
WALKER -- The Cass County Board voted Tuesday to authorize Commissioner Joanne Pels or her alternate Commissioner John Stranne to withdraw from the Essential Health Plan.

Light turnout for Republicans at caucus here
ST. MATHIAS TOWNSHIP -- Tuesday's Republican caucus at the St. Mathias Town Hall was open to the GOP faithful in three precincts, but the six attendees could have fit around a good-sized kitchen table.

This was Brainerd
20 years ago (1980) - Brainerd Burlington Northern employees, manned the picket line for about four hours in a short lived labor dispute which was settled almost before it began.

Bush wins state GOP votes; Independence Party backs McCain
EDINA, (AP) -- Minnesota wasn't a complete loss for Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

10 show up at Constitution caucus
BERTHA -- Ten people, primarily from the Bertha, Hewitt and Wadena areas, attended the Constitution Party's first caucus night as a major party.

Baxter parks expense OK'd
BAXTER -- The Baxter City Council on Monday approved several large and unanticipated expenditures for the Baxter Parks and Recreation Department that went beyond the city's parks budget.

Gustavus Adolphus breaks ground for international center
ST. PETER, (AP) -- Work is starting this week on a $5.4 million international student center at Gustavus Adolphus College.

Cass highway projects outlined
WALKER -- Cass County Engineer David Enblom told the Cass County Board on Tuesday his staff will undertake 22 small maintenance improvement projects on county and state aid roads this year.

Backus working toward housing for seniors
BACKUS -- The Backus City Council voted Monday night to hire an architect to design senior town houses for the city.

Despite charges, lawmaker returns to statehouse
ST. PAUL -- State Rep. Jim Rostberg is proclaiming his innocence on three felony charges of criminal sexual conduct along with his intention to return fully to legislative work.

State's Mille Lacs legal bill climbs
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Three months after a federal judge ordered the state to pay the $3.95 million legal tab for eight Chippewa bands involved in a treaty rights dispute, the bill remains unpaid and is increasing by $614 a day.

Officials not ready to panic here
If gas prices skyrocket as predicted, how will that affect area tourism this summer?

Summer bummer How high will gas go?
James McKenna isn't too worried that gas prices could go as high as $1.80 per gallon this summer.

Winds up to 100 mph battering the Plains
Vehicles were blown off highways and mobile homes were overturned as fast-moving thunderstorms dashed across the Plains states with wind gusting to 100 mph.

ELELCTION '00: Minnesota plays its role with caucuses
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Bill Bradley intends to bow out of the presidential race Thursday and endorse Vice President Al Gore who vanquished him in 16 Super Tuesday contests from coast to coast, The Associated Press learned today.

A message from Kayla's mother: Boy accused of shooting her daughter needs help
DETROIT (AP) -- The mother of the 6-year-old girl who was shot to death in her first grade classroom said today she had talked to her daughter about problems she was having with a classmate several days before the shooting.

USDA says approval for organic food doesn't mean that it's better
WASHINGTON -- New federal rules for organic food will assure consumers that the products are grown and processed to the same standards nationwide. That doesn't mean, however, that organic is better than conventional food, Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman said.

Good news on beta blocker
CHICAGO (AP) -- A drug that has been shown to save the lives of heart failure patients can also ease their symptoms and reduce hospitalizations, an international study of 4,000 people found.

Report cites child care handoffs
For many working parents in the United States, child care has become the equivalent of a relay race, with youngsters passed like batons between multiple caregivers from breakfast until bedtime.

U.S. plans debt buyback
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Treasury Department on Thursday will buy back a part of the national debt for the first time in 70 years, officials announced today.

ELECTION '00: The parties try to pull together
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) -- Sen. John McCain contemplated the future of his campaign today after suffering a Super Tuesday blowout, while George W. Bush turned his focus to Vice President Al Gore, labeling him ''an agent of Washington.''

Senate GOP fined
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The fund-raising arm of the Senate Republicans agreed to pay a $20,000 penalty for using unregulated soft money to help elect GOP congressional candidates, including Minnesota Sen. Rod Grams, according to documents released by the Federal Election Commission.

Rock Hall induction Music, nostalgia and far-flung family
NEW YORK -- It was as rock 'n' roll should be, as rock 'n' roll by definition must be: an evening of mongrel music.

Officials defend flood aid response
MAPUTO, Mozambique (AP) -- Score

Hollywood whodunit: The hunt for 4,000 missing Oscar ballots
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) -- Ten mailbags with all 4,000 Oscar ballots were missing Tuesday in a real Hollywood whodunit for Academy Awards executives, a distinguished accounting firm and the Postal Service.

Greenspan to markets: Cool down or else
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Monday that if the high-flying stock market loses some of its zip, that will help slow the supercharged U.S. economy to a more sustainable pace.

Arizona Democrats report good online voter turnout
Arizona Democrats swarmed to the nation's first legally binding online election Tuesday, casting more than 6,000 votes after just 12 hours, according to Election.com, the New York company administering the election.

Clinton cites study on guns, youths at meeting
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Looking to break a stalemate over gun control legislation, President Clinton is publicizing some troubling statistics about youths and firearms at a meeting with lawmakers today.

EXIT POLLS: Core supporters lift Bush, Gore
WASHINGTON (AP) -- John McCain couldn't reach enough Republicans, and Bill Bradley saw his core supporters flock to Al Gore. That was Super Tuesday in a nutshell.

Bush attempts comedic rebound
BURBANK, Calif. (AP) -- George W. Bush was a comedic target for Jay Leno as the Republican presidential candidate tried to rebound from a lackluster appearance with Leno's rival David Letterman.

Consumer advocates say diabetes drug may cause heart failure
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Consumer advocates say the diabetes drug Rezulin, already notorious for destroying some patients' livers, also may be linked to 56 cases of heart failure.

Thousands protest Florida's affirmative action ban
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- As Gov. Jeb Bush defended his decision to end affirmative action for university admissions and state contracts, thousands of people gathered nearby to rally against the policy.

Gun control initiative gets support from both sides
DENVER -- Among those in the crowded ballroom of a downtown Denver hotel Monday were two men whose lives in advocacy had never before brought them together on the same stage: James S. Brady, founder of Handgun Control Inc., and Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association. They came together in a fervent effort to raise awareness for Colorado Project Exile, which targets illegal guns and puts the weight of federal prosecution behind firearm violations.

Circus performer's long journey to end
DELAND, Fla. (AP) -- After a lifetime and a little bit of eternity on the road, Harry Hammond may finally be going home.

It's Super Tuesday They're voting in 16 states today
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- John McCain claimed momentum but wondered whether there was ''enough time'' as presidential front-runners George W. Bush and Al Gore sounded themes suited for the fall battle beyond today's Super Tuesday primaries. Underdog Bill Bradley said, ''We've got to win some today.''

ELECTION '00: Super Tuesday outcome
George W. Bush's Super Tuesday blowout sent Sen. John McCain to his Arizona retreat to contemplate the future of his presidential campa

New Orleans survives big Mardi Gras
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Mounted police cleared the French Quarter, maintenance crews cleaned the streets and the Big Easy's Catholic roots began to blossom again today after a wild Mardi Gras party.

White House and lawmakers remain divided on gun control
WASHINGTON -- President Clinton's hopes of breaking a congressional impasse on gun control in the wake of last week's fatal shooting of a Michigan first-grader met a stern Republican rebuke Tuesday, as a key senator refused to convene House-Senate negotiations and accused the administration of trying to eliminate gun shows.

ZZZzzzzz -- Super Tuesday a bit deflating for networks
NEW YORK (AP) -- For the networks, it was more like Flat Tuesday.

Highlights of state primary results
Results of state primary voting in three states Tuesday:

Now it's Gore vs. Bush After Super Tuesday victories, battle for independents begins
The general election campaign for the White House had its unofficial kickoff Tuesday night, as Vice President Al Gore and Texas Gov. George W. Bush set out to win over the independent-minded voters who had backed the men who lost the party nominations. With kind words for the beaten challengers, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former New Jersey senator Bill Bradley, Bush and Gore steered their campaigns away from the ideological shoals they had skirted in the primaries and aimed for the political center where most elections are decided. Bush, in a talk to supporters in Austin, Texas, restated his claim to the education issue and tried to warn the country of the risks in ''a Clinton-Gore third term.'' He also defended his position on taxes -- a subject on which both Gore and McCain have criticized him -- and on Social Security, a favorite topic of the McCain campaign. Gore, in his home city of Nashville, Tenn., pointed to the country's healthy economy and staked out positions on guns, abortion and the environment from which he can attack Bush's record. Claiming to be ''the mainstream'' candidate, he linked Bush -- without naming him -- to ''secretly funded TV ads and smear phone calls from the extreme right wing.'' ''Gore is at his best when he has an opponent,'' one close observer of the vice president said, ''so they don't want to waste any time in going after Bush.'' As observers in both parties looked down the road to the November election, they agreed that Bush emerged more scarred from the battle with McCain than Gore did from his tussle with Bradley. Bush was driven further to the right by the McCain challenge than Gore was forced to the left by Bradley -- a development that could cause problems for the Texas governor as he shifts into a general election stance and seeks to reconnect with moderate voters. Still, Linda DiVall, a Republican pollster who advised Elizabeth Dole's campaign, said Bush ''is better positioned to go for the McCain voters. They were energized by a Republican candidate and are ready for change in Washington, D.C. He has to make overtures to them, but they found something in the Republican Party they did not find among the Democrats.'' Some evidence for her view could be found in exit polls in New York and California. They indicated that Bush would win a slight majority of McCain voters in a November showdown with Gore. But those same exit polls in California demonstrated that if the November turnout resembles the voting patterns in Tuesday's ''beauty contest'' primary, open to voters of all parties, Gore would be a clear favorite to carry the important state, as President Clinton did in the last two elections. On both sides, the expectation is that this will be what veteran GOP strategist Charles Black called ''a very tough, very close'' election. According to the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll, released last week, Bush leads Gore 50 percent to 44 percent. That is only half the 13 percentage point margin Bush held a year ago, and indicates the race could go either way. As Republican pollster Ed Goeas remarked Tuesday night: ''Structurally, this is built to be a close campaign. The parties are at parity and both sides are fairly intense about wanting to keep the White House or get it back. That makes for a very competitive election.''

ELECTION '00: What primaries mean for the future
Overwhelming support from core Republicans and conservatives allowed George W. Bush to push John McCain toward the edge of elimination Tuesday night in the Republican presidential race -- but left open significant questions about the breadth of Bush's appeal as a general election candidate.

In victory, Gore tries to clear way for Bradley exit
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Pocketing primary wins from New York to California, Al Gore charged straight at Republican George W. Bush today, criticizing his likely November foe on issues from gun control to Social Security. Gore cleared the way for Bill Bradley to bow gracefully out of the Democratic race.

Lowliest of Big Ten teams hope to win
CHICAGO (AP) -- For all but one of the Big Ten's lowliest teams, the task sounds simple enough: Win four games in four days, and it's on to the NCAA tournament.

What? Yankees are 0-6 but Steinbrenner is still joking
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- It's a sure sign of spring: George Steinbrenner is still able to smile with his New York Yankees stuck at 0-6.

Ailing McGuire to retire from booth
NEW YORK (AP) -- CBS basketball analyst Al McGuire's plan to skip this year's NCAA tournament will go far beyond that.

McSorley faces criminal charge
Defenseman Marty McSorley of the Boston Bruins was charged Tuesday with assault with a weapon for striking Vancouver Canuck forward Donald Brashear on the temple with his stick Feb. 21, putting hockey on trial April 4 in a Canadian court.

Guyton, Keady receive top Big Ten honors
A.J. Guyton of Indiana and Morris Peterson of Michigan State were named Big Ten men's basketball players of the year today. Purdue's Gene Keady was selected the conference coach of the year.

Marino meets with Dolphins' owner
MIAMI (AP) -- Dan Marino, considering a contract offer from the Minnesota Vikings, joined Miami Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga for a round of golf and a consultation.

Happy birthday, Shaq O'Neal scores 61 points
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Shaquille O'Neal asked for the ball on his 28th birthday and the rest of the Lakers were happy to hand it over.

Phillis Brostrom
PINE RIVER -- Phillis Brostrom, Pine River, died Tuesday, March 7, 2000, at St. Joseph's Medical Center of Brainerd.

Andrew B. 'Paddy' Block
LASTRUP -- Andrew B. "Paddy" Block, 64, Lastrup, died Sunday, March 5, 2000, at St. Otto's Care Center of Little Falls.

Leona M. Evans
Leona M. Evans, 87, 804 Wright St., Brainerd, died today, Tuesday, March 7, 2000, at Bethany Good Samaritan Village of Brainerd.

Leslie S. Cummings
AITKIN -- Leslie S. Cummings, 35, Aitkin, died today, Wednesday, March 8, 2000, at home.

Robert B. Doherty
LAPORTE --Robert Bruce Doherty, 49, Laporte, died Tuesday, March 7, 2000, at home.

Esther Ecker
PINE RIVER -- Esther Ecker, 81, Pine River, died Monday, March 6, 2000, at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center of Crosby.

Carl Byers
PEQUOT LAKES -- Carl Byers, 102, Pequot Lakes, died Monday, March 6, 2000, at Whispering Pines Good Samaritan Village of Pine River.

Donald Medenwaldt
BACKUS -- Donald Medenwaldt, Backus, died Tuesday, March 7, 2000, at North Memorial Medical Center of Robbinsdale.

Margaret O. Thorkildson
ROSEVILLE -- Margaret O. Thorkildson, 79, Roseville, formerly of Brainerd, died Sunday, March 5, 2000.

Donald 'Bob' Burchett
AITKIN -- Donald "Bob" Burchett, 78, Aitkin, formerly of Maple Lake and Annandale, died Monday, March 6, 2000, at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale.

Sylvia M. Hillukka
Sylvia M. Hillukka, 77, Brainerd, died Tuesday, March 7, 2000, at St. Joseph's Medical Center of Brainerd.

Esther Ecker
CROSBY -- Esther Viola Brant Ecker, 81, died Monday, March 6, 2000, at Cuyuna Regional Medical Center of Crosby.

Roy E. Swanson
Roy E. Swanson, 83, Brainerd, died Tuesday, March 7, 2000, in Mathis, Texas.

Arthur 'Sam' H. Dangers
CROSBY -- Arthur "Sam" Henry Dangers, 77, Crosby, died Tuesday, March 7, 2000, at Cuyuna Regional Care Center of Crosby.

The Kennedy answer
WASHINGTON--Among the many surprises in this year's riveting presidential nomination campaign, none has been greater than the emergence of the religious issue that has been dormant since 1960, when John F. Kennedy confronted the nation's voters with the prospect of a Roman Catholic president.

Open Forum
I would like to invite

Smart guns
When a Michigan first-grader shot and killed a classmate last month, President Clinton offered the latest testament to Americans' persistent belief in the ability of technology to solve any problem.

Open Forum
Residents of Gull Lake and the surrounding area need to be aware of yet another attempt to circumvent local planning and zoning regulations by a planned unit development.

Super Tuesday does its job
It'll be the felonious friends versus the sleazy Texas buddies.

Nursing homes - Dispatch Editorial
Minnesota nursing home officials make a convincing case that their industry is in severe financial distress. They feel it's a serious enough emergency to warrant legislative spending in a non-budget year.

$614 a day - Dispatch Editorial
That's the interest for each day that payment is not made by the state for the court-ordered $3.95 million legal bill for eight Chippewa bands in the long treaty rights dispute.

Roseau, Duluth East meeting in first round
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The boys' state hockey tournament always provides a memorable game or two, and they often come in the later rounds as the pressure builds.

Scoreboard
Boys Basketball

Gophers expect more sanctions
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- University of Minnesota officials will likely impose more sanctions on the men's basketball program within two weeks, the Star Tribune reported today.

Boys' hoops
Third-seeded Pillager Huskies defeated the Lake Region Christian School Hornets 54-45 in East Subsection 6A quarterfinal boys' basketball Monday night.

Hjelmeland, Galovich win scoring titles
Senior Dustin Hjelmeland of Staples-Motley and junior Kati Galovich of Crosby-Ironton won scoring championships in Mid-State Conference basketball this season.

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), KKIN-AM (930), KLTF-AM (960), 3WI-AM (1270), KVBR-AM (1340), KLIZ-AM (1380), KLLZ-AM (1600)

Warriors act like Tech is a new foe
Two teams that have struggled to win but may be playing their best basketball of the season collide Thursday in the opening round of the Section 8, Class 4A boys' tournament.

Warrior swimmers turn in a season to remember
MINNEAPOLIS -- Until another Brainerd boys' swimming and diving team can do better, the Warriors' 2000 team will be remembered as the best.

Look who's on top Twins, 6-1, beat winless Yankees
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- The Twins, holders of the worst record in the American League last year, are leading the exhibition season with a 6-1 record after beating the New York Yankees 7-5.

Doctors: Checking should be banned in youth hockey
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Youth hockey players could significantly reduce injuries if checking was banned from games involving players 15 and younger, the American Academy of Pediatrics said in calling for such a ban.

Local shorts
Brainerd biathletes Beth Barrett and Adam Youngman qualified for the junior national championships following their performances in the Community Olympic Development Program at Elk River last weekend.

Marino talk upsets George, Miami fans
The thought of Dan Marino in purple is making Miami Dolphins fans blue and must have Jeff George seeing red.

Wizards hold off Wolves' comeback
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- If new Washington Wizards head man Michael Jordan has any pull with the NBA's top brass, maybe he'll try to get the Minnesota Timberwolves moved into the Eastern Conference.

Pequot Lakes, Chisholm girls play for title
HIBBING -- The top-seeded and unbeaten Pequot Lakes Patriots advanced to the championship game of the Section 7AA girls' basketball tournament with a 55-49 overtime win against the Eveleth-Gilbert Bears in the semifinals Monday at Hibbing Memorial Arena.

Local sports shorts
The Brainerd Warriors boys' basketball team has been seeded fourth in the Section 8, Class 4A tournament and will host No. 5 St. Cloud Tech at 7 p.m. Thursday.

Emily Charter School sets kindergarten roundup, screening
EMILY -- Screening and roundup dates for Emily Charter School's multiage kindergarten class for the 2000-2001 school year have been set.

Lakes area events
Watercolor workshop with Gerald Korte, Midwest Watercolor Society signature member, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, Pine River-Backus High School. Cost: $25 to Pine River-Backus Community Education, c/o Lyn Nickisch, 9260 Edgewater Circle, Pequot Lakes, MN 56472. Call 562-4364 for more information.

Wrestlers' reflections
PINE RIVER -- It didn't go as they would have liked, but three Pequot Lakes/Pine River-Backus wrestlers said it was worth it just to make it to the state wrestling tournament.

Family center to open in Pequot Lakes
PEQUOT LAKES -- The large rooms are gutted with wires dangling from the ceiling. Old weightlifting equipment from Pequot Swim and Fitness is piled high, along with other odd assorted furniture and construction supplies.

Big type, short words explain kids' illnesses
Following medical advice is often not easy, but for people who have trouble reading, it can be especially difficult. A new book by two nurses is designed to help parents with low literacy skills.

Emily-Outing-Fifty Lakes Laker Lions host sled races
OUTING -- Despite rain, wind, lack of snow and fog, the Emily-Outing-Fifty Lakes Laker Lions Ice LeMans Snowmobile Races were held Feb. 26 on Roosevelt Lake in Outing.

Lakes area news
Collette Wagner, chair of the Nisswa Women's Club, announced the 17th annual Nisswa Women's Club Fashion Show will be Tuesday, May 30, at Madden's Conference Center.

Sidewalk designs
Samantha Schwanke (left), 10, and Bailey Newland, 10, used sidewalk chalk to create colorful designs on the Pequot Lakes Elementary School playground Monday afternoon. (Dispatch Photo by Jodie Tweed)

A nice day to be outside
Weather drawing by Angie Waytashek of Mrs. Holbrook's fourth grade class at Lowell school.

Wishful thinking
Weather drawing by Natasha Loving in the Lincoln third grade of Mrs. Ahlers.

East remains warm
Two storm fronts west of the Mississippi River lumbered over California and the northern Plains today while an unseasonably warm day dawned over the East.

Around the nation
Albany,N.Y. 59 34 cdy

Around the nation
Albany,N.Y. 49 24 cdy

Storm heads for Plains
A strong storm spun into the southern Plains today after punishing the Southwest with heavy rain and snow. Mild weather dominated the East while clouds lingered in the Northwest.

Brainerd forecast
Tonight...Becoming cloudy with a 40 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms late. Lows in the middle 40s. South wind 10 to 20 mph.

Brainerd forecast
Tonight...Some early evening thunderstorms...Then windy with rain changing to snow. Snow heavy at times. Accumulations of 4 to 8 inches possible. Lows around 20. North wind 20 to 30 mph. Precipitation chance 80 percent.

Winter storm hits Arizona, California
SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The Southwest was jolted by a fierce winter storm that coated the mountains of Southern California and Arizona with snow and was blamed for at least five deaths.

Frequent family weekends wearing out stepmother
DEAR ABBY: I am 57. Two years ago, I married a widower with four grown children. This is my second marriage. We moved to Louisville when my husband accepted a lucrative job here.

What's doing
The Brainerd American Legion Post will serve an all-you-can-eat smelt fry with large salad bar from 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday. Cost: $6. Members and invited guests are welcome.

What's doing
The Cuyuna Range Men's Softball league is forming. An organizational meeting will be 7 p.m. Thursday at Ironton Fire Department. Those interested in playing or having a team and cannot attend the meeting, call Jeremy French at 546-8197 or 838-3391.

Wife fears husband in sales is buying secretary's pitch
DEAR ABBY: My husband is national sales manager for a company that participates in frequent out-of-town trade shows. These events are held in luxurious hotels and involve entertaining clients in posh restaurants.