Local briefs

The Pavek Museum of Broadcasting, in collaboration with the Minnesota Broadcasters Association, have announced that 12 radio and television professionals are joining 26 men and women previously honored as pioneer broadcasters in the new Museum of Broadcasting Hall of Fame in October.

An inaugural banquet will be held Oct. 13 at the Radisson South Hotel in Bloomington. Master of Ceremonies for the evening will be CNN Anchor Lou Waters.

2001 Hall of Fame Inductees include Roger Awsumb, also known as Casey Jones, WTCN-TV or KARE-TV, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and KLKS-FM, Breezy Point; and June Persons, KVBR-AM, Brainerd.

Other 2001 Hall of Fame inductees include Frank Befera, WDIO-TV, KSUZ-FM, Duluth, WHLB/WUSZ, Virginia, and WMFG-AM/FM, Hibbing; Charlie Boone, WCCO-AM, Minneapolis/St. Paul; Mark Durenberger, Hubbard Broadcasting, Midwest Communications, Teleport Minnesota; Roger Erickson, WCCO-AM, Minneapolis/St. Paul; Earl Henton, KDAL-TV and KDLH-TV, Duluth; Bud Kraehling, WCCO-TV, Minneapolis/St. Paul; Don Linder, KTOE Radio, Mankato; Willard Linder, KWLM Radio, Willmar; Stuart A. Lindman, WTCN-TV or KARE-TV, Minneapolis/St. Paul; and Bob Ryan, KSTP-TV, Minneapolis/St. Paul, KROC Radio, KTTC-TV and KNXR FM, Rochester.

Hall of Fame Pioneer Broadcaster Inductees from the Brainerd lakes area previously honored include the late Charles B. Persons, KVBR-AM, Brainerd; and Allen Gray, WCCO-AM, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and KLKS-FM, Breezy Point.

McLeodUSA phasing out seven positions

McLeodUSA's Brainerd office has phased out seven sales positions, part of a transition from the 1999 purchase by McLeodUSA from Fronteer Directory.

Regional Manager Brad Helland said Brainerd was the only office out of 25 states in which McLeod operates that had a small inside sales staff. McLeod, since the purchase of Fronteer, has been working to consolidate the sales positions into one of its two main sales offices in Iowa and Illinois, Helland said.

All seven employees can reapply for positions within McLeod or take a 10-week severance package, Helland said.

Five arrested in Little Falls drug bust

LITTLE FALLS -- Five people were arrested Wednesday after two search warrants were executed at residences in Little Falls.

Little Falls police officers and Morrison County deputies searched two houses in the Suburban Mobile Home Park in Little Falls Wednesday night.

The suspects arrested were a 19-year-old Little Falls man, two 24-year-old Little Falls men, a 20-year-old Little Falls woman and a 22-year-old Staples man. All five suspects are being held in Morrison County jail pending formal charges.

Law enforcement officials seized a large amount of methamphetamine, an undetermined amount of cash and a car.