LOCAL BRIEFS

Two 25-year-old Brainerd residents were injured after their vehicles crashed at 6:47 a.m. Friday at the intersection of Sleepy Hollow Road and St. Mathias Road, the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department reported.

One of the drivers, Amanda Tautges, was taken to St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd to be treated for injuries. She was in good condition Friday afternoon.

Michael Mertens, the other driver, was treated at the scene.

Driver improvement course offered

The 55+ Driver Improvement Program will offer the four-hour driver refresher course from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Sept. 23 at Breezy Point City Hall and 8 a.m. - noon Sept. 19 at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Nisswa. The eight-hour full course will be offered from 5:30 - 9:30 p.m. Sept. 23 and 25 at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Baxter.

Pre-registration is requested. A State Patrol Safety and Research center-certified instructor teaches the class.

People 55 and older who complete the course qualify for a 10 percent discount on their auto insurance premiums for three years.

The fee is $18 for the four hour refresher course and $20 for the eight hour refresher course. For more information or to register call toll free 1-888-234-1294.

Student pharmacists to give information

The Medicine Shoppe Pharmacy in downtown Brainerd and the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy are hosting a "brown bag event" on Wednesday.

A brown bag event is a way for people to talk to a pharmacist or pharmacy students about any questions they have about medications. The Medicine Shoppe suggests that you bring in your prescription medications, non-prescription medications, vitamins and herbal products to be evaluated. They will help you avoid any potential side-effects from the medications, and even see if there are any alternative medications that might save you money. There is no change for this service.

Property tax benefit available for disabled veterans

State Rep. John Ward, DFL-Brainerd, is encouraging disabled veterans to apply for a property tax benefit that was enacted by the 2008 Legislature.

Ward said the program reduces the value of qualifying disabled veteran's homes for property tax purposes by up to $300,000. The homestead must be owned by the veteran, or by the veteran and his/her spouse.

"A veteran who has been permanently disabled while serving his country should not have to worry about losing his home because of high property taxes," said Ward. "This program will help the most seriously injured veterans keep their home and reduce their overall property tax bill."

Veterans who are permanently and totally disabled are eligible for a valuation exclusion of $300,000; veterans who are not permanently and totally disabled, but who have a disability rating of 70 percent or higher, are eligible for an exclusion of $150,000. The exclusion amount is subtracted from the value of the homestead as determined by the assessor before property taxes are calculated. If the value of the homestead in any year is less than the exclusion amount, the homestead is totally exempt from property taxes for that year.

To qualify, the veteran must have been honorably discharged from the U.S. armed forces and must be certified by the U.S. Veterans Administration as having a service-connected disability with a disability rating of 70 percent or higher. The veteran must file application form CR-DVHE70 or CR-DVHE100 with the county assessor and provide proof of honorable discharge and of disability rating.

More information may be obtained by Rep. Ward at (651) 296-7152 or by email at rep.john.ward@house.mn. Information on the program at: www.house.leg.state. mn.us/hrd/issinfo/ssdvhve.htm.

Brainerd airport gets $1 million for aviation safety, infrastructure

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., today announced that funding for aviation safety and infrastructure has been awarded to the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport from the Federal Aviation Administration.

"This funding ensures that Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport continues to be among the safest in the nation," Klobuchar said. "Our businesses and families rely on regional airports to attract new businesses and connect them to the world and this grant will help the Brainerd lakes region do just that."

A $1,087,000 grant given to Crow Wing County and Brainerd for the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport will provide funding for essential safety infrastructure. The grant helps Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport improve aviation safety by rehabilitating the airport's runway.

Since April, Crow Wing has been awarded more than $3.6 million in grants for safety and infrastructure projects at the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport.