Wednesday, April 18, 2001

Teachers say test preparation robs students of in-depth learning
WASHINGTON -- The way Val-Del Ortiz sees it, her daughter's education these days is a little bit of this, a little bit of that. One day she's learning about the Vikings, the next day it's the Underground Railroad.

Hawaii school year threatens to end in academic disaster
HONOLULU -- As children in other states enjoy year-end field trips or prepare for proms and graduation, Hawaii's 220,000 public school and college students are watching their school year fall apart in bitter statewide teacher strikes.

Hawaii professors reach agreement, public school teachers stay on strike
HONOLULU (AP) -- University of Hawaii professors have reached an agreement with the state, ending a 13-day-old strike that kept more than 40,000 college students out of classes, the governor said.

Breaking up brown sugar
Dear Heloise: We live in the South, where the brown sugar solidifies. How do you break it up and keep it from getting into this granitelike substance? -- The Dalzells, Pittsboro, N.C.

Family rescues dad from trickster
DEAR ABBY: After reading the letter from "Worried About Dad in New Mexico," I had to tell you about our year from hell.

Cash grain
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Wheat receipts Tuesday 250, a year ago 155.

Odds of foot-and-mouth reaching U.S. rise
NEW YORK -- The director of the federal laboratory that tests for foot-and-mouth disease said Tuesday that travel patterns have increased the possibility of the disease moving from England to the United States.

Livestock
SOUTH ST. PAUL (AP) (USDA) -- Tuesday cattle: 700.

Good pasture can come from good care
MORA (AP) -- Dick LeCocq's farm is pretty typical for east-central Minnesota.

Cash grain
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Wheat receipts Monday 245, a year ago 128.

Courts
WALKER -- The following recently appeared in Cass County Court:

Births
Ronald and Krista (Rolfzen) Soukup, Brainerd, a boy, Matthew Sean, 6 pounds, 11 ounces, March 26, 2001. Grandparents are Pete and DiAnne Rolfzen, Fargo, and Frank and Barb Soukup Jr., Park Rapids.

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

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

Teed up
If you're suffering from golf withdrawal, thanks to the newly snow-coated landscape, you're not alone.

Pawlenty says he won't run for Senate
ST. PAUL (AP) -- House Majority Leader Tim Pawlenty said Wednesday he won't run for the U.S. Senate

Fed cuts rate
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Federal Reserve, demonstrating it still has the capacity to surprise, cut a key interest rate by one-half percentage point Wednesday. Stocks immediately soared.

Governor moms
BOSTON -- Jane Swift, the nation's first female governor with a young child, may soon have company in the record books.

Bush allows wetlands rules to take effect
WASHINGTON -- President Bush's support of a Clinton-era environmental rule to expand protection of the nation's swamps and marshes must be followed by constant vigilance in the courtroom, watchdog groups say.

President takes hemispheric trade vision to OAS
WASHINGTON -- President Bush is promising to fight vigorously for a free-trade zone spanning North and South America and bracing for a battle with skeptics at home and abroad.

Autism: Reaching out to remote world
Getting the diagnosis of autism for a child is just one step down a long, rough road -- a step that too often comes late.

HHS kicks off plan to increase organ donation
WASHINGTON -- The Department of Health and Human Services is launching a major new effort to boost organ donation a day after reporting that donations from people who died rose by less than 3 percent last year.

Study: St. John's wort no depression cure
St. John's wort, the popular herbal remedy, is useless for alleviating severe depression, according to the first large study to evaluate it in the United States.

Tests show progress against Huntington's
Scientists at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions have figured out why key neurons die in Huntington's disease and have for the first time halted this process in a test tube.

High fever, meet high-tech thermometer
Remember Mom placing her cool hand on your hot forehead to check for a fever?

Doctors see heart benefits in raising amount of 'good' cholesterol
Most cardiologists fighting heart disease aim to take down the so-called bad cholesterol.

Grammy-winning rapper suffers eye injury
CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) -- Grammy Award-winning rapper Layzie Bone of the group Bone Thugs-N-Harmony suffered an eye injury while shooting a video for his debut solo album north of Los Angeles.

Teen births, births of triplets or more declining, says study
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Those instant families of five, six or more children born at once get lots of publicity, but a government study shows that multiple births of three or more have actually begun to decline.

Blandin Foundation to host leadership training session in Staples
STAPLES -- Less than a year ago, as it was being formed, the Staples Community Foundation discussed the question, "Who will take the responsibility of leadership in our community?"

Information shared to make property attractive to wildlife
HACKENSACK -- Whether you have one or many acres of land, it can be managed to attract butterflies, birds and animals, said Eli Sagor, extension educator at Cloquet Forest Center.

Cass gets more accurate figures for out-of-home placements
WALKER -- Lower out-of-home placement bills Cass County Human Services received in February were reflected in bills for two months received in March.

PR-B baseball, track and field teams get new coaches
PINE RIVER -- Spring is a season of change, and in Pine River-Backus two changes were made to the spring coaching staff.

Crosslake woman may have both kidney, pancreas transplants
CROSSLAKE -- Wendy Felber has been living with diabetes since she was 6.

Free technology clinics for women set at CLC
Central Lakes College will host free "Technology Experience Clinics for Women" at its Brainerd and Staples campuses.

Cass spends less with energy saving measures
WALKER -- Honeywell representatives Sue Wolf and Dick Zander reported Cass County saved $80,393 last year, while spending $71,991 on energy saving measures.

Homeless Forum held at CLC
More than 300 people filled Chalberg Theatre on the Brainerd campus of Central Lakes College on April 11 for a forum on homelessness in Minnesota.

Bill would shift property tax burden from seasonal residents
WALKER -- The Minnesota Legislature's "Blue Water Bill" would shift 75 to 80 percent of $3 million in property taxes from seasonal recreational taxpayers to farmers, business owners, resorters and local homeowners.

Crosslake-Ideal Lions to host golf tournament
PEQUOT LAKES -- The Crosslake-Ideal Lions Club will conduct the fourth Chet Nelson Open golf tournament Friday, May 18, at the Whitefish Golf Club.

Physicians support Riverwood HealthCare Center with a $325,000 donation
AITKIN -- In February 1999, Riverwood's Community Hospital Foundation launched a capital campaign to raise $2 million for a new health-care facility.

CLC's Great Earth Club plans Earth Day events
The Great Earth Club at Central Lakes College is planning an educational booth at two area sites in celebration of Earth Day.

Bare shows consistency in hurdles for Aitkin
AITKIN -- Similar to a Robert Frost poem, Mike Bare followed the road less traveled and this year he's gaining the rewards.

McCoy hurdles to wins for Little Falls
LITTLE FALLS -- Life is full of ups and downs. Nichole McCoy likes it that way.

Cass adopts countywide feedlot ordinance
WALKER -- The Cass County Board on Tuesday adopted a countywide feedlot ordinance to set more stringent controls than currently provided by state law.

Deadline approaches for reduced entry fee for Longville race
LONGVILLE -- Friday is the deadline for the reduced entry fee of $15 for Longville's Run Around Woman 30k, 5-mile run, and 5-mile walk.

Cass County jail inspection reveals inadequate staffing
WALKER -- Cass County Sheriff Randy Fisher told Cass County commissioners Tuesday they will have to look at a new or expanded local jail before he expects a regional sentenced prisoner facility to become a reality.

Woman, abducted as a child, hopes to prevent kidnappings
ST. PAUL (AP) -- All Julie Ann Thomas remembered about her mother was the woman's long, light blond hair and how she liked to wrap her face with it.

Social services supervisors present annual report to Cass board
WALKER -- Dorothy Opheim, Cass County Health and Human Services director, and human services supervisors presented their 2000 annual report to the county board Tuesday.

Area briefs
CROSBY -- The Cuyuna Range Women's Club elected officers April 2.

It's a good time to visit, learn about area wolves
If you haven't already been there, now is the time to go. The trees and bushes are still bare, so it's relatively easy to see what's in the woods. I went two Sundays ago -- to the International Wolf Center in Ely.

Bataan events planned for weekend
Two events to commemorate the Bataan Death March and its participants are scheduled for this weekend -- one in Brainerd and the other in Nisswa.

Death of county jail inmate investigated
The Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department Tuesday reported the death of a 21-year-old man found unresponsive Sunday in the Crow Wing County Jail remains under investigation.

Second driver identified in traffic fatality
IDEAL CORNERS -- The driver of the second vehicle in a traffic fatality Thursday was identified today by the Crow Wing Sheriff's Department.

Correction/ clarification
In the Extra Credit column on Page 6A Monday a name was misspelled. The name should have been Bobbi Sue Kruchten.

Council approves pledge to receive grant funds for library
The Brainerd City Council Monday pledged funding to the Brainerd Public Library as part of a grant opportunity from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Cold work for April
Mike Stanford, a Bercher Construction Inc. of Baxter employee, struggled to place a screw in his drill with heavy gloves as he placed plywood reinforcements on the Light Depot's sign in winter-like temperatures Monday. Temperatures were expected to reach the mid-40s today.

Cass board OKs request for Mondance festival
WALKER -- The Cass County Board on Tuesday approved Bill and Kathy Bieloh's application for a lawfully assembly permit for Moondance Jam, to be held July 11-14 east of Walker this year at Moondance Ranch.

Searching for answers
BREEZY POINT -- Investigators today continued to search for answers into the murder of Rachel Anthony, whose body was found Friday in Breezy Point.

Cass rebuffs effort to boost development
WALKER -- Cass County Economic Development Director Patrick Rafferty failed Tuesday to obtain county financial support for a 14-county workforce development study.

Peterson, founder of HART, dies
Homeless and neglected animals in the Brainerd lakes area have lost their most ardent supporter.

Inmate dies
Crow Wing County authorities are investigating the death of a male inmate in the Crow Wing County Jail early Sunday.

Council defeats motion to hold off on water sales to Baxter
A motion to hold off on selling water to Baxter was defeated Monday by the Brainerd City Council.

Kinship Klash planned again
"The Rivalry Lives On!" is the theme of Kinship Partners' annual Kinship Klash, an alumni basketball benefit.

This was Brainerd
20 years ago (1981-Hit by high winds and scant rainfall the Department of Natural Resources Friday discontinued the issuance of burning permits in the five-county area.

PEAKS seeks meetings with state
PILLAGER -- The PEAKS Charter School Board on Tuesday asked the state for two hearings, one public and one informal, in its bid to keep the embattled school open.

County parks board meets
The Crow Wing County Land and Parks Committee met for the first time Monday to begin discussions on the county's recreational needs.

Earth Week celebrated at nature center
The Paul Bunyan Nature Learning Center is celebrating Earth Week this week.

Body found
DULUTH (AP) -- The search for a missing University of Minnesota-Duluth student ended when rescue workers pulled his body from Chester Creek. A resident spotted the body of Ken Christiansen, 19, Monday.

This was Brainerd
20 years ago (1981) - Thirteen candidates will compete Saturday in the Miss Brainerd Lakes Scholarship Pageant. Among the queen candidates are Anne Marie Siegel and Darbie Ann Snell.

Street sweeping begins Wednesday
The Brainerd Street Department will begin street sweeping operations in downtown Brainerd from 4-9 a.m. Wednesday.

Hotel planned for Twin Birch site
BAXTER -- A hotel is being planned on the site of the Twin Birch Motel on Highway 210 across from Home Depot.

Flood warning issued for Aitkin
AITKIN -- The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for the Mississippi River in the Aitkin area, Sheriff Dennis Landborg reported.

Local brief
The Crisis Line and Referral Service needs more volunteers to cover the line during the daytime hours.

Armed robbery in Baxter
BAXTER -- A lone man, armed with possibly a shotgun, robbed a Baxter liquor store minutes before closing Tuesday night.

Two companies outline plans for Baxter industrial park
BAXTER -- Two companies took another step Tuesday toward joining WJJY Radio in Baxter's third phase of the industrial park.

Prayer breakfast
Tickets are still available for the third annual Lakes Area Prayer Breakfast, which begins 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the Central Lakes College cafeteria.

Leading indicators fall again, but research group says no recession yet
NEW YORK (AP) -- A key gauge of future economic activity fell 0.3 percent in March, a signal of continued weakness for the U.S. economy, though it has not slipped into a recession, an industry research group said.

Man sentenced in embalmed wife murder
PANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) -- A former medical examiner who killed his wife by injecting her with a chemical nearly a decade ago and allegedly had her embalmed to cover up the murder was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison.

Talks with China at a standoff, U.S. may call a halt
WASHINGTON -- China and the United States sharply disagreed in their first day of reconnaissance plane talks in Beijing Wednesday in what a senior Bush administration official called a tough, 2 1/2-hour session.

Felons have right to DNA testing, judge declares
WASHINGTON -- A federal judge in Alexandria, Va., ruled Monday that felons have a constitutional right to DNA testing, and he ordered lab work for a Fairfax, Va., inmate serving a 25-year sentence for a rape he claims he did not commit.

5.8 million GM truck owners to get compensation
Ending years of legal stalemate, General Motors Corp. said it will begin mailing notices Wednesday to current and former owners of 5.8 million older pickups who qualify for discounts of $250 to $1,000 on new GM vehicles as part of a massive class-action settlement.

Consumer prices edge up; industrial output rises
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Consumer prices edged up 0.1 percent in March, the smallest rise in seven months, as energy prices retreated, the government reported Tuesday. Industrial production rose for the first time since September.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe settles federal lawsuit over secret genetic testing
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad has settled a federal lawsuit that challenged its secret genetic testing of employees.

Double winners score at Pulitzer Prize competition
NEW YORK -- Four newspapers claimed double victories in the Pulitzer Prize competition, and an author won his second award for the same biography.

Former Michigan doctor faces felony abortion charges
DETROIT (AP) -- In a case drawing attention from both sides of the abortion debate, a doctor faces possible jail time for performing a third-trimester abortion on a healthy woman.

Beijing promises 'straightforward' talks with U.S.
WASHINGTON -- China is promising a "straightforward" approach in negotiations Wednesday with the United States on U.S. reconnaissance flights.

Film director Michael Ritchie dies
NEW YORK (AP) -- Michael Ritchie, who directed the Robert Redford movies "Downhill Racer" and "The Candidate" early in his career and went on to make several quirky comedies, died from complications of prostate cancer. He was 62.

Bush upholds new EPA lead-reporting requirements
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Bush administration is upholding regulations issued in the last weeks of Bill Clinton's presidency requiring thousands more businesses to report their releases of toxic lead into the environment, administration officials said Tuesday.

Court: Race not main factor in N.C. district
WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court upheld a much-litigated North Carolina congressional district Wednesday, saying those who challenged it did not show that race was the main factor in its creation.

Man convicted of kidnap, sexual torture
ESTANCIA, N.M. (AP) -- After more than five hours of deliberation, jurors convicted a 61-year-old man of kidnapping and sexually torturing a Colorado woman in 1996.

One of oldest twins in the world dies at 105
GREENVILLE, Ohio (AP) -- A retired schoolteacher who was listed with his brother in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest twins in the world has died at age 105.

Report: Federal Web sites not kept private
WASHINGTON -- Dozens of federal Web sites use unauthorized software that tracks Internet users despite policy rules that ban such information-gathering, according to a report to Congress.

Confederate banner will remain on Mississippi flag
JACKSON, Miss. -- The banner that led Confederate troops in the Civil War will remain on Mississippi's flag, as voters rejected warnings the symbol is racist and an obstacle to economic development.

First Union to acquire Wachovia in bank merger
First Union Corp., the nation's sixth-largest bank, will buy Wachovia Corp. in a $13.4 billion stock swap that will create the fourth-largest bank in the country, the companies announced Monday.

Navy prosecutors accused in failed spy case
SPRINGFIELD, Va. (AP) -- Military lawyers who represented a Navy sailor charged with espionage accused prosecutors on Tuesday of violating national security laws in their failed bid for a conviction.

Prosecutors file fourth murder charge against man, cite cannibalism
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) -- Prosecutors filed a fourth murder charge Monday against a man police allege cannibalized one of his victims.

Lives of those beating the bankruptcy bill hint at the future
WASHINGTON -- When a judge in colonial Pennsylvania banged his gavel and declared a man bankrupt, the debtor was dragged out of court, hustled into the town square and nailed by the ear to a pillar.

Nine western Wisconsin counties under state of emergency as flood crest nears
LA CROSSE, Wis. -- Nine counties in western Wisconsin are under a state of emergency as the Mississippi River nears what is expected to be its second-highest flood crest on record.

Black youths demand change as curfew lifted in Cincinnati
CINCINNATI (AP) -- Dozens of black teen-agers, emboldened by last week's rioting, say the established community leaders don't speak for them and they're tired of being ignored.

Ndereba carries Kenyan flag, alone this time
BOSTON (AP) -- The Kenyans aren't finished winning the Boston Marathon. They're just taking the women's race now.

NBC tops networks with 10 Sports Emmys, all for Sydney Olympics
NEW YORK (AP) -- NBC's taped coverage of the Sydney Olympics earned 10 Sports Emmys, more than any other network collected at Monday night's award ceremony.

Winter wonderland in April: Phillies, Cubs snowed out
CHICAGO (AP) -- The wind chill was 15 as snow began whirling across Wrigley Field, turning the blue tarpaulin white in a matter of seconds and covering the warning tracks of the outfield.

Seattle fans boo Rodriguez
SEATTLE (AP) -- Mike Cameron wouldn't wish this kind of treatment on anyone.

Bonds hits 500th homer as Giants beat Dodgers
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Barry Bonds couldn't wait for it to be over, and he didn't have to wait long.

Olajuwon leaves Houston with big night
HOUSTON (AP) -- If it was Hakeem Olajuwon's last game in a Houston uniform, a sellout crowd made certain the franchise's greatest player went out with a hero's goodbye.

Hildegarde Scott
Hildegarde Scott, 85, Brainerd, died Wednesday, April 18, 2001, at St. Joseph's Medical Center.

Peter Mikulski
STAPLES -- Peter Mikulski, 92, Staples, died Sunday, April 15, 2001, at Greater Staples Care Center.

Lawrence V. Born
BAY LAKE TOWNSHIP -- Lawrence V. Born, 84, Bay Lake Township, died Tuesday, April 17, 2001, at home.

Balbina 'Bobby' R. Bieganek
LITTLE FALLS -- Balbina "Bobby" Rose Bieganek, 90, Little Falls, died Saturday, April 14, 2001, at Lutheran Care Center in Little Falls.

Rose Mary Grotjohn
ROSEAU -- Rose Mary Grotjohn, 97, Roseau, formerly of Brainerd, died Tuesday, April 17, 2001, at Sheltering Oaks Manor in Roseau.

Floyd A. Parsons
PINE RIVER -- Floyd Alonzo Parsons, 66, Pine River, died Saturday, April 14, 2001, at home.

Lelias Chapman
SCEARCYVILLE -- Lelias Chapman, 98, Scearcyville, died Monday, April 16, 2001, at Greater Staples Care Center.

Helen Hoehn
SAFFORD, Ariz. -- Helen Hoehn, 94, Safford, Ariz., formerly of Princeton, died Saturday, April 14, 2001, at Grahm Care Center near Safford, Ariz.

Kathleen 'Kay' A. Melde
MISSION TOWNSHIP -- Kathleen "Kay" A. Melde, 77, Mission Township, died Friday, April 13, 2001, at Woodland Good Samaritan Village in Brainerd.

Rachel Anthony
PEQUOT LAKES -- Rachel Anthony, 50, Pequot Lakes, was found near Breezy Point on Friday, April 13, 2001.

LeRoy 'Roy' Gorman
LeRoy "Roy" Gorman, 78, Brainerd, died Sunday, April 15, 2001, at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd.

Melvin B. 'Mike' Sandbeck
AITKIN -- Melvin B. "Mike" Sandbeck, 77, Aitkin, died Tuesday, April 17, 2001, at Veterans Administration Medical Center in St. Cloud.

Lelias E. Chapman
STAPLES -- Lelias Ethel Chapman, 98, Staples, died Monday, April 16, 2001, at Greater Staples Care Center.

David F. Broderick
David Francis Broderick, 21, Crosby, formerly of Mankato, died Sunday, April 15, 2001, in Brainerd.

Ralph Lee
PEQUOT LAKES -- Ralph Lee, 79, Pequot Lakes, died Tuesday, April 17, 2001, at Whispering Pines Good Samaritan Center in Pine River.

Sophie Bruggman
McGREGOR -- Sophie Bruggman, 94, McGregor, died Wednesday, April 18, 2001, at Riverwood Extended Care Center in Aitkin.

Ruth W. Miller
PEQUOT LAKES -- Ruth W. Miller, 89, Pequot Lakes, died Saturday, April 14, 2001, at home.

Michael D. Johnson
LONGVILLE -- Michael Donald Johnson, 50, Longville, died Monday, April 16, 2001, at home.

Open Forum
I was impressed with the article in the paper about Brainerd resident Mary Benson facing charges for trespassing at the School of the Americas in Georgia. I was intrigued that a citizen could face six months in federal prison for trespassing on publicly owned property. Six months is more time than most repeat offense drunk drivers, domestic abusers, and many other violent criminals receive for crimes committed in this area. Why is the federal government so worried about a non-violent protester on land owned by the taxpayers?

Rachel Anthony - Dispatch Editorial
One part of the mystery relating to the disturbing disappearance of Rachel Anthony of Pequot Lakes on Feb. 27, came to an unhappy conclusion Friday afternoon when four teen-agers discovered her body near Breezy Point.

School myths
Strange as it sounds, George W. Bush could learn a thing or two about education and government spending from M

Open Forum
I am almost 50 years old and I think about what I want my legacy to be to my children and grandchildren.

Become involved and volunteer
April 22-28, 2001 is Minnesota Volunteer Recognition Week. It is a time to recognize our shared traditions of volunteering and commit to volunteering as a unifying force to build strong communities. According to the Minnes

Orthopedics ain't what it used to be
Residents in the Brainerd lakes area have received orthopedic care for more than 25 years.

Flood focus turns to Minnesota-Wisconsin border
WINONA (AP) -- Two people survived after their car plunged into the icy, flood-swollen Mississippi river.

FEMA director visits flooded Red River Valley
GRAND FORKS, N.D. -- As the Red River continued its slow fall Monday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency director praised this city and neighboring East Grand Forks, Minn., for their work in holding the river back.

State emergency officials cautiously declare victory as floodwaters retreat 'THE WORST IS OVER'
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Remaining cautious in their optimism even as most major rivers crested or began to recede, state emergency officials declared victory in their battle against near-record spring flooding.

Jobless rate inches upward
Minnesota Department of Economic Security Commissioner Earl Wilson announced today that Minnesota's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for March was 3.4 percent.

Poll: 56 percent of Minnesotans approve of Bush's first months
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- President Bush won the approval of just over half of Minnesotans during his first months in office, according to a Star Tribune Minnesota Poll published Tuesday.

Former Lund Boats CFO accused of embezzling as much as $12 million
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Lund Boats filed a civil lawsuit against its former chief financial officer accusing him of embezzling more than $12 million.

Schemmel withdraws as athletics director candidate at North Dakota State
FARGO, N.D. (AP) -- Minnesota associate athletics director Jeff Schemmel has withdrawn as a candidate for the North Dakota State athletics director job.

Budget shortfalls may mean teacher cuts in many school districts
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Many school districts are preparing for the worst, including possible teacher layoffs, as the Legislature grapples with how much money to spend on K-12 education.

Brainerd's girl golfers place 6th
COLD SPRING -- The Brainerd Warriors girls' golf team opened the season with a sixth place finish at the year's first Central Lakes Conference meet Tuesday at Rich Springs Golf Course in Cold Springs.

Local shorts
DECORAH, Iowa -- Johanna Olson of Wadena, senior cocaptain for the Luther College women's track and field team, has qualified for the NCAA Division III National Outdoor Championships in two events.

Nelson pitches perfect game for Pequot
PEQUOT LAKES -- Senior Chase Nelson pitched a five-inning perfect game to lead the Pequot Lakes Patriots past the Frazee Hornets 11-0 in the opening game of the baseball season Tuesday.

Local sports shorts
The Brainerd Mighty Gulls have announced the signing of three players from Illinois State for the 2001 Northwoods League season.

Warriors blank Flyers in tennis
The snow finally melted off the courts and the sun broke through to reveal a Brainerd Warriors boys' tennis team that appeared far more prepared to begin its season than might have been expected.

Barnett wins three events for S-M boys
PEQUOT LAKES -- Adam Barnett won three events for the second-place Staples-Motley Cardinals boys' track and field team at the Pequot Lakes Invitational Tuesday.

Brainerd feasts on Willmar's errors
In its season opener at St. Cloud Tech last week the Brainerd Warriors baseball team struggled in one of its first times outside, collecting four hits, striking out eight times, stranding 13 baserunners and committing four errors.

Warriors run past LF, Rocori
LITTLE FALLS -- Adam Miller, Tom Barrett, Jason Larson, Brain Burke, Jamie Strowbridge and Jason Roberts picked up first places to help the Brainerd Warriors boys' track and field team to victory in a Central Lakes Conference triangular against Little Falls and Rocori Tuesday.

Raider women trounce North Hennepin in softball 16-1 after long layoff in non-conference action
BROOKLYN CENTER -- The Central Lakes College Raiders trounced North Hennepin 16-1 in non-conference softball action Tuesday in their first contest in 17 days.

Local sports shorts
The skills clinic for Brainerd Parks and Recreation Department's Mustang, Bronco and Pony baseball leagues will be 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Memorial Park.

Spring rankings
PRESEASON STATE RANKINGS

Scoreboard
Crosby-Ironton, Pine River-Backus at Walker-Akeley-Hackensack Invitational 8 a.m.

Hoglund hurls Pequot past PR-B
PEQUOT LAKES -- Emma Hoglund struck out 11 Pine-River Backus batters to help the Pequot Lakes Patriots softball team to a 6-1 win over the Tigers in Park Region Conference softball Tuesday.

Ringstrom shuts out Willmar in softball
Melynda Ringstrom pitched a seven-hit shutout to lead the Brainerd Warriors softball team to a 2-0 Central Lakes Conference win over the Willmar Cardinals Tuesday at Adamson Field.

Scoreboard
HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL

NBA fines Garnett for obscene gesture toward official
NEW YORK (AP) -- Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Garnett was fined $7,500 by the NBA on Monday for making an obscene gesture toward an official Sunday against the Utah Jazz.

Winning streak ends for Twins
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota Twins didn't surrender easily before their six-game winning streak came to an end.

Twins rally to overcome Royals in 9th
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Three straight saves didn't seem possible for Kansas City's bullpen.

Gardeners receive tips on how to create pleasing floral arrangements
HACKENSACK -- Cass County extension educator Eleanor Burkett would like to see more people enter floral arrangements from their gardens in the Cass County Fair this year.

Area briefs
WALKER -- Cass County Extension Services will be closed Friday, April 27, and Monday, April 30, to move from the courthouse in Walker to the Pine River Shopping Block.

FUNERAL: An expensive family purchase many don't consider
LONGVILLE -- Funerals often are the most expensive consumer product a family purchases after a house and car in their lifetime.

Iowa state forecast
Today...Mostly sunny. Highs from the mid 50s northeast to around 70 southwest.

Iowa state forecast
Today...Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid 40s northeast to mid 50s southwest.

The Weather Elsewhere With Tomorrow's Temperature Forecast
Tuesday

Regional Weather
MINNESOTA HighLowPR

Minnesota state forecast
Today.....Mostly sunny. Highs mainly in the 40s. Tonight...Clear. Lows mainly in the 20s.

State forecast for south dakota.
This afternoon...Partly cloudy in the west...With a slight chance of late afternoon thunderstorms far west. Sunny skies in the east. Highs 55 to 65 far east...And 70s in the west.

Minnesota state forecast
Today...Partly cloudy and warmer. Highs from the upper 40s northeast to lower 60s southwest. Tonight...Becoming mostly cloudy. Lows from the middle 30s to middle 40s.

Wisconsin state forecast
Today...Partly to mostly sunny. Breezy south and east. Highs in the low to mid 40s.

Wisconsin state forecast
Today...Partly to mostly sunny. Highs from the mid 40s to the mid 50s.

State forecast for north dakota
Today...Partly sunny. Highs from the upper 50s east to the upper 60s west.

State forecast for South Dakota
Today...Mostly sunny and not as cold. Highs in the lower 40s northeast to the lower 60s southwest. Tonight...Clear to partly cloudy. Lows mostly 25 to 35.

Regional weather
HighLowPR

No leaves
Weather drawing by Tyler Senn of Mrs. Benson's third grade class at Lowell school.

Raining cats and dogs
Weather drawing by Emma Crust of Mrs. Larson's fifth grade class at Harrison school.

State forecast for North Dakota
Today...Sunny. Highs from the lower 40s east to the lower 50s west.

Names and faces
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Aaron Sorkin, creator of the Emmy-winning drama "The West Wing," was arrested for investigation of drug possession, officials said Monday.

What's doing
The Gustavus Adolphus College alumni and friends who live in the Brainerd lakes area will meet at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at First Lutheran Church, 8th Street and Norwood, Brainerd.

Medication printout
Dear Heloise: Each time I go to the doctor for my checkup, I call my pharmacy and ask for a printout of all my MEDICATIONS for the past three months.

Names and faces
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Sarah Michelle Gellar could now be called Buffy, the bachelor slayer.

Widowed, divorced men easy targets for con, but not crazy
DEAR ABBY: I just finished reading the letter from "Worried About Dad in New Mexico." She's the daughter of the man who was widowed five years ago. She told you that shortly after her mother's death, her father began dating women about 45 years his junior -- and that he had spent more than $20,000 on those "girls." She said his house had been robbed three times, and the last woman who robbed him had grabbed his wallet and run out of the house topless, where she was met by an accomplice and driven away.

Ship docks, but no immediate sign of child slaves
COTONOU, Benin (AP) -- After days of searching, officials boarded a ship suspected of transporting scores of child slaves from this West African country early Tuesday but found no clear sign of unaccompanied children.

Burundi's president removed from power
BUJUMBURA, Burundi (AP) -- A group calling itself the young patriots overthrew President Pierre Buyoya of Burundi and suspended Parliament on Wednesday, state radio reported.

A day after U.S. rebuke, Israel briefly re-enters Gaza Strip, demolishes police station
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) -- Israeli tanks and bulldozers briefly re-entered the Gaza strip and leveled a Palestinian police station Wednesday, a day after the United States rebuked the Israelis for seizing another area of the Palestinian-controlled coastal strip.

Israel seizes Palestinian-controlled areas after mortars hit town
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip -- Israeli troops seized Palestinian-controlled areas in the Gaza Strip early Tuesday -- a first in seven months of fighting -- and rocketed Palestinian security bases in retaliation for mortar fire on an Israeli town.

Miss Israel will wear bulletproof dress
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Beauty meets the bulletproof vest in a gown designed for Miss Israel to wear at the Miss Universe pageant next month.The dress sends a message that everyday life should go on despite renewed violence.

Communist Party replaces Vietnam's top leader, installs moderate in post
HANOI, Vietnam (AP) -- The Communist Party's central body removed Vietnam's top leader, Le Kha Phieu, on Tuesday amid dissatisfaction with his policies and named a party stalwart seen as more reform-minded in his place, party officials said.