Sunday, March 18, 2001
Dow down 821 points, but market still seeking bottom
NEW YORK -- It felt at first like stocks had perhaps hit bottom this past week -- and not just once, but twice.
Ergonomics repeal is victory for small business
NEW YORK -- Small business had a big victory last week with the repeal of federal regulations governing ergonomics in the workplace. Advocacy groups say with that item crossed off their agenda, they'll be able to focus on some other issues that affect the nation's smaller companies.
Consumers fall further behind on debt payments
Consumers fell further behind on their mortgage and credit card payments in the final months of 2000, lenders reported Thursday -- a troubling sign for the United States' already slowing economy.
Former clock-puncher starts own business
Beneath a warm March sun, Kent Goble stood outside his home last week and helped a friend work on a snowmobile as they contemplated an end of winter excursion.
Business notes
Anderson Brothers, Brainerd, announced two staff changes with Eric Anderson and Al Knowlen.
Mutual funds expected to bring stock markets even lower
NEW YORK -- The beaten-up stock market has more losses ahead, some analysts say, and many of those hits will come from mutual funds.
Retailers, struggling with anemic sales, cut back expansion
NEW YORK -- With consumers on a spending diet for the past six months, the nation's top merchants are tightening their belts in what some analysts predict could be the leanest times since the early 1990s.
Students get to play choose-a-career
Ninth graders considered the subject of a life's work last week.
Worried investors look to Fed to help halt market skid
NEW YORK -- With no encouraging signs that the stock market skid will end anytime soon, jittery investors are pinning their hopes on Washington -- and Alan Greenspan.
Cash piles up as investors worry about stocks, the economy
Just a few miles from the gloom of Wall Street, Milan Sukhia was smiling as he walked out of a Fidelity Investments office in New York.
Unofficial guardians need official blessing
Women ahead of me in life have often said that grandparenting is the best kind of parenting.
Parenthood's dirty little secrets
At closing time, the lights come up and the carnage is revealed. Cups everywhere, some overturned in sticky pools of their former contents;
Families learn they also serve who only stand and worry
Lisa's smart, sensitive, tough, a gorgeous redhead. When they'd slapped her butt with the flat of a sword when she left the West Point chapel as a new bride, telling her, "Welcome to the Army, Mrs. Rotte," she'd enjoyed it.
Child in need
Are you concerned about your community and children?
Parents' public scoldings send kids wrong message
DEAR ABBY: Do you think it's right for parents to yell at their kids in front of company? It's always over trivial things. I suspect that our friends feel they must show us they're "on the job" as parents.
Much obliged
The Parent Mentor Program sends a big thank you to the Kiwanis Club of Brainerd and the Brainerd Jaycees for their generous financial contributions. We so appreciate your support. I am also pleased to announce that with a grant from the Initiative Foun
Not all bullies are created equal Some children need some clarity
With a growing number of children citing bullying as a problem -- including more than two-thirds of the children responsible for school shootings since 1974 -- psychologists say parents need to improve communication with their children.
Check your pet's collar, especially when pet is still growing
Dear Heloise: Check your pet's collar from time to time.
Cash grain
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Wheat receipts Friday 358, a year ago 177.
Livestock
SOUTH ST. PAUL (AP) (USDA) -- Friday cattle: 900.
Births
Cynthia McCarthy and Timothy Richardson, Fifty Lakes, Liam Walter Richardson, 8 pounds, 8.5 ounces, Feb. 11, 2001. Grandparents are Walter and Loretta McCarthy, Richland, Wis., Don and Alice Richardson, Boscobel, Wis., Marguerite McCarthy, and Mabel Gillingham, Richland Center, Wis.
Agenda
Brainerd City Council
Agendas
County meetings
Crime
The Crow Wing Soil and Water Conservation District Board of Supervisors has changed the schedule of its regular monthly board meetings.
Agendas
County meetings
Goydos leads, with Tiger & Co. right behind
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The only PGA Tour victory Paul Goydos owns came five years ago in the Bay Hill Invitational, a wild tournament in which two dozen players had a chance to win on the weekend.
Sorenstam shoots record 59
PHOENIX (AP) -- Annika Sorenstam couldn't shake the feeling that something special was going on during her second round at the Standard Register Ping.
Snead in lead, Nicklaus two back in Silicon Valley
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Jack Nicklaus has played sparingly on the Senior PGA Tour because he feels the courses usually aren't tough enough.
Bush-McCain chasm grows
WASHINGTON -- Forget the tension between President Bush and Democrats over taxes, spending cuts or hardball tactics in Congress.
Bush administration moves to suspend forest rules
WASHINGTON -- Environmentalists are accusing the Bush administration of using the federal courts to undermine former President Clinton's forest protection plan.
Word for chance of significant spring flooding in lakes area is, thankfully ...MINIMAL
While the risk of flooding is climbing in the southern part of the state, the chance of any significant flooding in the Brainerd area is forecasted as minimal.
Wenzel introduces bill to restore medical deduction
With the cost of medical care and insurance continuing to spiral upward, Rep. Steve Wenzel has introduced legislation to restore the state income tax deduction for medical expenses -- $380 million tax cut for millions of Minnesotans of all ages and income levels.
Truck weight restrictions begin
BAXTER -- Springtime truck axle weight limitations on selected highways throughout the state go into effect this week, the Minnesota Department of Transportation reported.
This was Brainerd
20 years ago (1981) - Ag Day is March 19. Agriculture is big business in Crow Wing County. It is estimated that at the present time, agriculture results in an income of more than $13 million in Crow Wing County. There are some 600 farms in the county where residents make either a portion or all of their living from the land.
Meth lab raided in Emily
EMILY -- Crow Wing County authorities, acting on a tip, raided a methamphetamine lab in Emily Thursday, arresting one man and seizing chemicals, equipment and drugs.
BHS winter band concert Tuesday at Tornstrom
The Brainerd Senior High School Concert Band, Dixieland Band, Jazz Ensemble and Symphonic Band and will present their Winter Concert on Tuesday, March 20, at 8 p.m. in Tornstrom auditorium.
Shooting inspires a call to take closer look at 'whiteness'
A provocative essay about the school shooting in Santee, Calif., posted on an alternative Web site zipped across the country with the speed of a computer virus -- a commentary that really shakes things up. The essay is so edgy it has spun off its own rumor mill: One man, the story goes, has been fired for posting the article on his office bulletin board.
Neither entertainment nor social theory, survival is every day
You woke up this morning, got the kids out of bed, fed the family and made sure everyone got out the door. Then you drove to work, logged onto the computer, checked messages and went over strategies before the first meeting of the day.
Filing: The good, the bad and the new
Some years, taxpayers almost need to take a college course to keep up with changes in tax law. This is not one of those years.
Getting going
If you haven't done your taxes yet, here's a basic guide to get you going:
Advocates hope new Veterans Affairs chief can speed up claims
WASHINGTON -- There is near unanimity among those who know the agency best in identifying the biggest challenge facing the Department of Veterans Affairs in the first year of President Bush's administration: fixing the much-clogged claims processing system.
Admiral orders key crewman to testify at sub inquiry
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii -- A crewman who had data indicating another ship was near the USS Greeneville prior to a fatal collision has been granted partial immunity and ordered to testify at a Navy court of inquiry.
Shuttle, station crews continue packing module for return to Earth
SPACE CENTER, Houston -- The crews of the international space station and space shuttle Discovery continued packing a cargo carrier temporarily parked on the orbiting outpost early Saturday.
Organdonor.gov gives details on lifesaving step
Each day, as many as 60 people in the United States receive lifesaving organ transplants, yet another 17 people on the wait list die, the result of too few organs becoming available in time to save their lives.
Jury acquits hip-hop mogul Combs
NEW YORK -- After a trial that lasted two months, hip-hop mogul Sean "Puffy" Combs was acquitted Friday evening of any criminal involvement in a 1999 nightclub shooting that left three people wounded.
Ann Sothern, film and TV star, dies
Ann Sothern, the veteran actress best known for her deft portrayals of sassy and resourceful blondes in popular television sitcoms of the 1950s and 1960s, died of heart failure Thursday at her home in Ketchum, Idaho. She was 92.
Bad news for pump prices
VIENNA, Austria -- OPEC members agreed Saturday to cut 4 percent from their targeted oil output, or 1 million barrels a day, in the hope of shoring up crude prices at a time of weakening demand.
Jury awards $5 million over 'False Memory Syndrome' case
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (AP) -- A jury awarded a Motley couple $5 million in damages Friday in finding that therapists planted false memories in the mind of a former school teacher who accused her parents and brother of abusing her.
Second autoworker dies of Legionnaires' disease
CLEVELAND (AP) -- A second employee of a Ford Motor Co. casting plant has died of Legionnaires' disease.
Sesame Place amusement park withdraws plans to sell beer, wine
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- You won't be buying beer on Sesame Street.
American's plan to buy TWA gets federal nod
WASHINGTON -- American Airlines is planning to move swiftly to acquire TWA after getting the government's approval, retiring one of the most storied names in U.S. aviation history.
Ole Miss confronts past with Iona and Stanley Hill
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- It was before the assassination of Medgar Evers, before people rioted over a black man attending the University of Mississippi. The civil rights movement was still young.
Faceoff of the hockey games
The hiss of the skates, and the thwack of the sticks. The glare off the ice and the din of the crowd.
North Dakota edges Colorado College 2-1
ST. PAUL (AP) -- North Dakota goalie Karl Goehring not only stood on his head, as the old hockey saying goes.
The road to Minneapolis
Larry Bird was on the court the last time Indiana State won an NCAA tournament game. Butler hadn't tasted success at this level in nearly 40 years.
Sampras getting game together
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) -- Pete Sampras has tuned up his game on the hard courts at Indian Wells.
Spring training notes
At Kissimmee, Fla., John Smoltz, making his third start after missing all of last season following ligament replacement surgery in his right elbow, allowed three runs and six hits in three innings, struck out three and walked one.
Knight, Texas Tech get down to business
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- Formal discussions began Friday to make Bob Knight the new coach at Texas Tech.
Smokeless tobacco still big in baseball
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -- The top shelf of Lou Merloni's locker had the usual baseball stuff -- a cap, a glove, a couple of wristbands.
Knight sighting part of opening night for women
Opening night in the NCAA women's basketball tournament produced a few jitters, several routs, a little drama and a game-winning shot at the buzzer.
Exhibition baseball scoreboard
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Sosa agrees to $72 million, 4-year extension of his pact
CHICAGO (AP) -- After putting up some pretty incredible numbers the past three years, Sammy Sosa has the contract extension to match.
NCAA scoreboard
EAST REGIONAL
NCAA preliminary TV ratings up slightly from Day 1 last year
NEW YORK (AP) -- The first day of the NCAA tournament, loaded with upsets and close games, drew slightly higher preliminary TV ratings than last year.
Phils capture win over Twins
CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) -- Pat Burrell was having a good spring while Travis Lee was not, but each had three hits in the Philadelphia Phillies' 9-6 win over Minnesota Friday, the kind of production manager Larry Bowa is hoping for.
Iverson returns but will miss part of trip
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Allen Iverson will not join the Philadelphia 76ers for the beginning of their four-game road trip because of a hip pointer.
Davis future still iln limbo
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) -- Mike Davis will know soon whether he will become Indiana University's permanent successor to Bob Knight.
Merle Alvord Gunnarson
KARLSTAD -- Merle Alvord Gunnarson, 72, Karlstad, died Wednesday, March 14, 2001.
Viola F. Corey
Viola F. Corey, 76, Brainerd, died Thursday, March 15, 2001, at the Woodland Good Samaritan Village in Brainerd.
Myrtle Carlson
AITKIN -- Myrtle Carlson, 78, Aitkin, died Friday, March 16, 2001, at the Riverwood Health Care Center in Aitkin.
Ruth Shell
Ruth Shell, 79, Brainerd, died Thursday, March 15, 2001, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis.
Eleanor Unger
Eleanor Unger, 97, Brainerd, died Thursday, March 15, 2001, at Bethany Good Samaritan Village in Brainerd.
Josephine E. Lafferty
AITKIN -- Josephine E. Lafferty, 85, Aitkin, died Friday, March 16, 2001, at the Riverwood Health Care Center in Aitkin.
Alvina 'Etta' Rardon
LITTLE FALLS -- Alvina "Etta" Rardon, 92, a resident of St. Otto's Care Center in Little Falls, died Friday, March 16, 2001, at St. Otto's Care Center.
Handgun bill- Dispatch Editorial
The handgun permit bill that a Minnesota House Committee passed earlier this month is a mixed bag. Elements of the bill make sense while other parts are disturbing.
Open Forum
Really can't think of a reason why a person wouldn't want to be annexed into the city of Brainerd, Mr. Scheeler? We've been on Dal Mar Drive 10 years; never wanted to be annexed, never needed to be. Wish we were happy about the annexation. You see little difference in our tax rate until services are provided? That makes us happy. Taxes higher after services provided? That makes us sad. Services? Lots of nasty rumors going around, Mr. Scheeler, some people think we will be forced to have city sewer and water. That would make us sad because we like our water and our sewer is just four years old. And what's even worse, we're actually going to have to pay for this! Could be in the thousands. Can't understand why we have to pay for something we don't want, didn't ask for, don't need; doesn't seem fair somehow.
An about-face on global warming
The following editorial appeared in Thursday's Washington Post:
Handling our diversity
It happened several times last month. A white area resident wondering out loud why Martin Luther King Day should be celebrated in the Brainerd area when so few blacks live here.
Open Forums encouraged
The Dispatch encourages readers to sound off in the Open Forum.
Outdoor notes
The Paul Bunyan Chapter of Ducks Unlimited will host its 28th annual banquet at Brainerd Moose Lodge on Friday, April 27. Social hour begins at 6 p.m. and dinner is at 7:30 p.m.
Fishing report
BRAINERD/NISSWA
Wild turkeys struggling in Mille Lacs County
MILACA -- Heavy snows this winter have taken their toll on wild turkeys in central Minnesota.
Trout fishing on lakes means more than lake trout
Think about trout fishing and streams come immediately to mind.
A throwback to the past: Logger uses horses
ROCHESTER (AP) -- Tim Carroll let the leather reins in his hands slacken a bit, and he clucked his tongue softly.
Remote control device lifts Crosslake firm into 21st century
Crosslake -- When Mike Ledford had a heart transplant five years ago he knew the time had come to find an easier way to get his boat on the lift. The strain of cranking up a conventional lift was simply too much.
Joys are many as winter gives in to spring
When the temperature rose over 40 degrees the other day, I heard it almost makes the long, cold winter worth it. Well, that is something you have to decide yourself, but I tend to agree. Warm, melting days in March are simply some of the best times to be outdoors.
Roadside mystery bird turns out to be sage grouse
The setting sun sprayed golden streamers and cast long shadows across the Colorado landscape, signaling the end of another incredible day of wildlife watching. A bit road weary and slightly blurry-eyed, we were winding down as I glanced at the map to note the remaining miles before we hung up our hats for the night.
North Country calendar
March
Andres-Haglin
Shannon Andres and Grant Haglin were married Sept. 30, 2000, at St. Francis Church in Brainerd with Father Seamus Walsh officiating.
Engagement announced
Kate Siegel and Arick Scepurek announce their engagement. Parents are Elvin and Carol Siegel, Little Falls, and Renata and Wade Scepurek, Little Falls. A fall 2001 wedding is planned.
Wedding planned
Jennifer K. Mertens and Nicholas J. Brandl announce their engagement. Parents are Tom Mertens and Wanda Mertens, Brainerd, and Mark and Deb Brandl, Brainerd. An April 7 wedding is planned at St. Francis Church in Brainerd.
Wedding planned
LeAnn R. Segler and Brant J. Mouw announce their engagement. Parents are Butch and RoseMary Segler, Brainerd, and Rod and Harriet Mouw, Longville. A May 12 wedding is planned at Salem Lutheran Church in Longville.
Four generations
Four generations recently gathered were Hailey Schuety, daughter; Melissa Olson, mother; Colleen Olson, grandmother; and Edna Mertens, great-grandmother, all of Brainerd.
Engagement announced
Crystal LaValle and Lucas Jordan announce their engagement. Parents are Dave and Diane LaValle, Brainerd, and Jack and Julie Jordan, Brainerd. A July 14 wedding is planned at Trinity Lutheran Church.
Engagement announced
Sarah Janelle Warzecha and Ernest Joseph Goodrow III announce their engagement. Parents are Kevin and Marilyn Warzecha, Royalton, and Dave and Betty Carlson, Richmond, and Ernest Goodrow, Springfield. A Dec. 31 wedding is planned at St. Francis Catholic Church in Brainerd.
Roush teams look to rebound at Darlington
DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) -- Jack Roush, one of NASCAR's most successful car owners, is having a miserable early season.
Woman charged in shooting death of her daughter
A Madison Lake woman accused of killing her 16-year-old daughter told police she accidentally shot her during a fight, then sawed off her legs and hid the body in the trunk of her car.
TWO YEARS LATER
ST. PAUL -- Gov. Jesse Ventura's speech welcoming northern Minnesotans to the Capitol was to be a highlight of the Duluth Days celebration, an annual trip to St. Paul to put a friendly face on the state's third-largest city.
Northwest Airlines' strategy shift sends fear through travel industry
Northwest Airlines' recent decision to stop paying commissions to Web sites that sell its tickets has reverberated throughout the travel industry, both online and off.
Man charged with killing, beheading wife
MINNEAPOLIS -- A 29-year-old engineer was charged Friday with killing and dismembering his wife, whose head was found in his car trunk three weeks later.
Amid Northwest-mechanics dispute, a union's ambition to expand
MINNEAPOLIS -- As Northwest Airlines and its mechanics' union bargain over a new contract, there's more at stake for union leaders than the welfare of its rank-and-file.
Ventura says he won't quit job as XFL announcer
ST. PAUL -- Gov. Jesse Ventura said Friday that despite criticism from all sides, he is in his job as an XFL commentator for the long haul.
Senate panel settles on voluntary data collection for police stops
ST. PAUL -- Faced with committee deadlock, a key senator dropped a demand Friday that all Minnesota police collect traffic-stop data, making it unlikely the Legislature will order a statewide racial-profiling study this year.
Watkins man charged in infant son's death
ST. CLOUD (AP) -- A Watkins man who previously was charged with assaulting his infant son has been charged in the boy's death.
Warriors clear first hurdle
After a disappointing loss in its final regular-season game the Brainerd Warriors adapted floor hockey team wanted to get rolling again.
No checking, thank you, for Hilary
Hockey is not the sort of game that Becky and Lyle MacIver of Brainerd wanted their kids to play. It was too rough, had too much contact and risk of injury.
Cards able to bounce back
MOORHEAD -- Following a fourth-place finish in last year's Class AA boys' basketball state tournament the Staples-Motley Cardinals graduated eight seniors.
Local shorts
Michael Silker of Brainerd finished third in two divisions of the Midwestern Judo Championships March 10 in Chicago, Ill.
Staples-Motley heads for state
MOORHEAD -- Pound-for-pound Jeff Brever may be the state's best high school basketball player.
Bantam A hockey team
The Brainerd Bantam A hockey team, sponsored by VFW Post No. 1647 and the Ramada Inn, will compete in the VFW state tournament March 23-25 at Fairmont. First row: Jake Carlson (left), Zack Lundbohm, Josh Hanske, Alex Impola, David Meyer, Geoffry Roberts, Ryan Bodell. Second row: Coach Regan Rudbeck, Chris Peluso, Morgan Shepherd, Mike Solinger, Gregg Day, Korey Horn, Kiel Browne, Matt Zellmer, Scott Williams, Mark Matich, Mike O'Day, Coach Dick Williams.
Area events Saturday
Boys Basketball
Women to hit ice for first NCAA tourney
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Just five years ago, Angie Francisco had no place to play hockey.
Girls state scoreboard
CLASS 4A
Minnesota puts six in semis
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- Top-ranked Minnesota moved a step closer to its first NCAA wrestling championship after a solid quarterfinal round Friday, while Iowa's chances for a seventh straight national title dimmed.
The road to Minneapolis
BOISE, Idaho -- There should be more of this, not less.
Fosston runs streak to 51
MINNEAPOLIS -- Fosston finds a lot of ways to win, but most times Kelly Roysland is ultimately responsible.
Huskies blank Gophers
ST. PAUL, Minn. ) -- Scott Meyer built a wall in front of St. Cloud State's goal. Tyler Arnason burned a hole in the back of Minnesota's net.
Tickets on sale for women's hockey meet
Blaine -- Tickets are on sale for the Women's World Hockey Championship, which will be played in the Twin Cities, Rochester, and St. Cloud, April 2-8.
Brain drain East European nation fights to hold onto high-tech workers
SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) -- On a chilly January morning the country's president entered his office and, keeping to his daily routine, went to the computer to check e-mail. This time, however, something was very wrong.
Laptops starting to join in the fun
For serious gaming away from home, business travelers who spend a lot of time in hotels and students who live much of the year in dorms use laptops.
Speak and you will find
WASHINGTON -- Rich Fowler turned to the Internet when his 60-year-old father had a heart attack and underwent quadruple bypass surgery in Ohio last month. Only it wasn't the regular Web, but a frontier that folks using it call the "voice Web."
Finding census results on the web
If you want to "look for America," as Simon and Garfunkel once put it, you can find it at the Census Bureau's Web site. Starting this week, the nation's head-counters will begin posting the information that you and millions of other householders provided when you filled in your decennial census forms last April.
Iowa state forecast
Today...Clouds east early...Then becoming mostly sunny statewide. Highs in the 30s northwest to middle 40s southwest.
State forecast for South Dakota
Today...Areas of morning fog east...Some dense...Especially in low lying areas. Otherwise sunny skies...Becoming partly cloudy west. Highs 30 to 40 east...40 to 50 central and west.
Ice is thin
Weather drawing by Katie Harris of Mr. Trucano's fourth grade class at Baxter school.
Minnesota state forecast
today...Patchy dense fog in the morning...Then mostly sunny. Highs in the middle 30s to lower 40s.
Wisconsin state forecast
Today...Partly to mostly sunny. Highs in the 30s to middle 40s.
Regional Forecast
HighLowPR
State forecast for North Dakota
This afternoon...Increasing cloudiness west. Mostly sunny central and east. Highs around 35 east to the upper 40s west.
Support groups
Crisis Line-Referral Ser.
Organizations
Brainerd Jaycees
Chemical dependency groups and AA groups
Adult Children-Chem.Dep.
What's doing
The Brainerd High School Class of 1981 has announced it has created a community group website on lakesarea.net.
Health care and medical services
Blood Pressure Clinics
Army commandos rescue hostages in Bangladesh
RANGAMATI, Bangladesh (AP) -- Army commandos rescued three European engineers from their kidnappers' forest hide-out early Saturday, a month after they were snatched by gunmen in southeastern Bangladesh, a military commander said.
Passengers of hijacked Russian plane recall suffocation, thirst, fear
MOSCOW -- In the sweltering, suffocating heat of the Russian airliner hijacked to Saudi Arabia, passengers fainted and children cried.
Fighting rocks outskirts of Macedonia's second-largest city
TETOVO, Macedonia -- Macedonian forces pounded the hillsides outside the country's second-largest city Saturday and fortified their positions against ethnic Albanian rebels fighting for greater rights and recognition.
Death toll 108 in China blasts; police hunt suspect
SHIJIAZHUANG, China (AP) -- The death toll in a string of blasts that wrecked four apartment blocks has risen to 108 and police believe they were intentional, state television said Saturday. A wanted notice was issued for a resident of one of the buildings.