Local briefs

An American Cross blood drive has been scheduled for 12:30 p.m. until 5:30 p.m. March 29 at Pine River Elementary School in Pine River.

For more information, contact the Red Cross at 651-291-4607 or 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.

Top danceline performers named

The Central Lakes Conference recently announced its all-conference danceline team.

The team includes Kate Holden, Lindsay Kephart, Kristen Terrio, McKenzie Pitt, Alison Grow and Lisa Ebert, all of Brainerd; Joy Schepers, Kelly Tomczik, Abby Berend, Britta Olinger and Sasha Miller, all of St. Cloud Tech;

Melanie Hlad, Kerry Hlad, Jessica Wilfehrt and Leah Harrington, all of St. Cloud Apollo; Becky Kveene, Laura Damhof and Samantha Goodall, all of Willmar; and Carrie Brickweg and Tana Schmidt, both of Alexandria.

In team standings within Central Lakes Conference, Brainerd finished first followed by St. Cloud Tech, St. Cloud Apollo, Willmar and Alexandria.

Panel to discuss homelessness

People United for Peace, a student group at Central Lakes College in Brainerd and Staples, has organized a panel discussion on homeless children in Minnesota.

The public forum will be at noon Wednesday, April 11, in Chalberg Theatre on the Brainerd campus.

Sociology instructor Gary Payne of CLC said homelessness in Minnesota has grown in recent years despite the economic boom.

"The trend in the nation as a whole is also out of control," Payne said. "There are now one million homeless children in the USA."

Payne said the student group at CLC has arranged for a panel of experts for the public forum April 11.

The speakers are:

-- Michael Dahl, president, Minnesota Coalition for the Homeless.

-- Cathy Ten Broeke, Twin Cities shelter provider and activist.

-- Julia Dinsmore, singer-songwriter, formerly homeless, from Duluth.

The first hour will be a series of presentations or performance by each of the three speakers. After a short break for students needing to leave for class, the panel will reconvene for questions and answers, engaging the audience in a discussion until 2 p.m.