Thursday, November 21, 2002
Bush administration studying proposal to raise SUV fuel efficiency
NEW YORK (AP) -- The Bush administration is considering a proposal that would require sports utility vehicles to be more fuel-efficient, according to a report published Wednesday.
Restyled Toyota Tundra is far from frozen
Toyota updated the styling of its Tundra pickup truck for 2003.
Young Americans flunk geography, according to National Geographic
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Young Americans may soon have to fight a war in Iraq, but most of them can't even find that country on a map, the National Geographic Society said Wednesday.
Livestock
SOUTH ST. PAUL (AP) (USDA) -- Tuesday cattle estimate: 900. Last Tuesday: 995. Year ago Tuesday: 600. Monday actual: 603.
Cash grain
MINNEAPOLI(AP) -- Wheat receipts Wednesday 336, a year ago 295.
Cash grain
MINNEAPOLI(AP) -- Wheat receipts Tuesday 212, a year ago 211.
Livestock
SOUTH ST. PAUL (AP) (USDA) -- Wednesday cattle estimate: 650. Last Wednesday: 408. Year ago Wednesday: 78. Tuesday actual: 1014.
What's the best part of Thanksgiving? LEFTOVERS!
What's the best part of Thanksgiving?
Potatoes play savory supporting role in Thanksgiving feasting
* When purchasing potatoes, look for clean, smooth, firm-textured skin that has no cuts, bruises or discoloration.
Make these dishes part of your Thanksgiving celebration
Thanksgiving has always been special to me. When I was little, we would always go to my grandparents' house for the holiday. Inside their home the food spanned the length of the kitchen. Those traditional flavors and fragrances have made a lasting impression on me.
Area crime
ASSAULT -- A 28-year-old Brainerd man was arrested for second-degree assault and terroristic threats Wednesday after assaulting a 20-year-old at a residence in the 1000 block of South 10th Street.
Births
St. Joseph's Medical Center
Accidents
LONGVILLE -- One person was hurt in a single-vehicle accident Tuesday on Highway 84 in Longville.
Courts
The following recently appeared in Crow Wing District Court:
Metals
NEW YORK (AP) -- Spot nonferrous metal prices Wednesday.
Crimes
BURGLARY -- Mark Bradseth, Hillman, Sunday reported his cabin on Platte Lake Trail broken into.
A new soap opera -- introducing: AUGUSTA
A new soap opera -- introducing:
Stay tuned...there's more...
Did you hear? Augusta National isn't an issue anymore. Nancy Lopez just settled it.
Building a better wheelchair
GAITHERSBURG, Md. -- A wheelchair that climbs stairs, shifts into four-wheel drive to scoot up hills and even raises occupants to standing height is a step closer to the U.S. market.
Study: Hormones, antioxidants don't benefit older women heart patients
CHICAGO (AP) -- Hormone supplements and antioxidant vitamins showed no heart benefits in older women who already had heart disease, according to yet another study that casts doubt on some long-held assumptions about both treatments.
Vaccine may guard against cervical cancer
BOSTON (AP) -- A cervical cancer study with dramatic results is fanning enthusiasm that the disease can someday be routed with the same kind of weapon that turned back diseases like smallpox and polio: a vaccine.
Emily Charter School students stay busy
Melissa Hagelie's grades 3-4 class and Jessica Balsley's grades 5-6 classes from Emily Charter School recently took a field trip to Dahlke's Farm in Fifty Lakes, owned by Steve and Debra Dahlke.
SPX lays off 70 in Sartell
SARTELL (AP) -- Seventy union machinists, painters and assemblers at SPX Valves & Controls learned Monday they will be out of work after this week.
Garrison area Lions members receive Melvin Jones Awards
GARRISON -- Four members of the Mille Lacs Lake and Garrison Lions recently received Melvin Jones Awards.
Extension Service shares tips to preserve venison
Following are tips to preserve venison from the University of Minnesota Extension Service.
Supporters of Paul Bunyan Scenic Byway work together as a team
In March 2002, the National Scenic Byways Program published an article in the newsletter "Vistas" strongly encouraging scenic byway organizations to invest time and effort into team-building. The contention of the article was that teams build better byways.
Cass takes up development of outlots in plats
WALKER -- The Cass County Board voted Tuesday to accept a subcommittee recommendation for language concerning outlots in the county subdivision ordinance over objections from Commissioner John Stranne.
Hate message sprayed on St. Cloud mosque, community center
ST. CLOUD (AP) -- A racist message spray-painted on a recently opened Somali market, mosque and community center in south St. Cloud is not discouraging its owner.
Gull Area Lakes Association asks county to seek elimination of phosphorus in lawn fertilizers
WALKER -- Gull Area Lakes Association has requested by letter to the Cass County Board that the county consider passing county legislation eliminating the use of phosphorus in lawn fertilizers countywide.
Thank you extended to Crow Wing water quality volunteers
I would like to personally thank the six volunteers who participated in our county-wide water quality monitoring program this year.
ALASKAN ADVENTURE
Marjorie Jordan had been to Alaska 12 times already, but there was one thing she wanted to see and touch before macular degeneration permanently robbed her of her eyesight: the Alaskan Pipeline.
Cass to discuss economic development issues with other counties
WALKER -- The Cass County Board will hold a special meeting on economic development issues from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday at the Pine River Community Resource Center, two blocks east of Highway 371 in Pine River.
Duluth fire chief resigns, one week after police chief
DULUTH (AP) -- Duluth's fire chief has resigned, less than a week after the city's police chief said he was stepping down.
Corn harvest nearly complete in state
Minnesota's corn harvest is almost complete, according to the Minnesota Agricultural Statistics Service.
CLC founds psychology club, honor society
Central Lakes College now has a Psychology Club and inducted its first members of the Psi Beta chapter of the national honor society for psychology students and instructors.
U of M student newspaper editor suspended
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The University of Minnesota's student newspaper suspended its editor in chief until Jan. 15 because of an unspecified "isolated incident."
Mille Lacs Lions hosting annual Teddy Bear Dressing Contest
GARRISON -- The Mille Lacs Lake Lions are hosting their annual Teddy Bear Dressing Contest.
Cass County to cut three staff positions in 2003
WALKER -- The Cass County Board voted Tuesday to follow budget committee recommendations to eliminate three staff positions in 2003, but decided to retain funding for two other positions the committee had recommended cutting.
Fish houses to be on parade in Aitkin
AITKIN -- Aitkin's World-Famous Fish House Parade will kick off at 1 p.m. Nov. 29 in downtown Aitkin with a mystery celebrity as grand marshal.
Fall graduation ceremonies scheduled for Tuesday
STAPLES -- The Staples campus of Central Lakes College will be open for visitors 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday.
Eagle's club
This bald eagle and crow seemed to distance themselves as they perched above several Canada geese standing near the Mississippi River shoreline at Kiwanis Park Wednesday.
BISYS to cut up to 50 jobs
BAXTER -- BISYS announced employee layoffs today that could affect as many as 50 people.
Home sweet home
Gingerbread house builders say a traditional decoration can be constructed easily with a little help from what's in the cupboards. Look for the story in Friday's Housing section.
Samuelson-Koering recount today
Paul Koering's 143-vote margin over Senate President Don Samuelson will be subject to an automatic recount starting at 2 p.m. today at the Crow Wing County Auditor's Office.
After defeats, schools face future
Voters in the Pillager and Staples-Motley school districts, which voted down operating levy referenda earlier this month, now have to decide how to proceed.
Bruininks faces budget reality
University of Minnesota President Robert Bruininks is enough of a realist to understand that in tough economic times a state institution can't submit extravagant wish lists to the Legislature.
Local briefs
The Brainerd and Nisswa police departments have been awarded a $23,000 grant to fund the Safe and Sober traffic safety programs for those two cities in 2003.
Brainerd land use discussed
How Brainerd can make better use of existing land was the focus of the third Brainerd comprehensive plan meeting Tuesday.
Financial woes
Rent payments and lack of grants mean financial worries for The Crossing Arts Alliance in Brainerd. Look for the story Thursday in Tempo.
Police: Cases not connected
Though no new breakthroughs have been made in the disappearance of 21-year-old Erika Dalquist, Brainerd police investigators believe her case isn't connected to the disappearances of three other people in Minnesota and Wisconsin since Oct. 30.
Baxter terminates Kruse
BAXTER -- After meeting in a closed session for 75 minutes Tuesday, a subdued Baxter City Council voted to terminate City Administrator Larry Kruse's contract at the end of the year.
CORRECTION/CLARIFICATION
Information about a house fire was listed incorrectly in a Page 1A cutline Tuesday. The fire occurred in a home owned by Andy and Terry Wurtzberger on County Road 25. Tenants lived in the home.
This was Brainerd
NOVEMBER 21 - 40 years ago (1962) - Evert Holm, chairman of the Brainerd Chamber of Commerce Christmas Decorations Committee reported that $6,185 had been contributed by 201 Brainerd business and professional firms toward the purchase of 36 new lines of Christmas street decorations.
Area legislators to speak to chamber
BAXTER -- Two newly elected legislators and two who were re-elected this month are invited to a Brainerd Lakes Area Chambers of Commerce meeting 7:30 a.m. Dec. 13 at the Bonanza Family Restaurant in Baxter.
Samuelson's attorneys seek court order
Attorneys for Sen. Don Samuelson, DFL-Brainerd, sought a court order today that would require state election officials to adhere to rules relating to recounts.
Don't smoke 'em if you got 'em Thursday
If you want to quit smoking, Thursday is the day to do it.
Council rejects rezoning along Clearwater
BAXTER -- Baxter City Council heard from Kirkwood area residents and developers Tuesday before deciding against rezoning to allow more commercial areas.
This was Brainerd
NOVEMBER 20 - 30 years ago (1972) - Two apartment buildings have been completed on College Drive by Anda Construction Company and plans are in the talking stage for a third building aimed at providing housing for college students and young single persons.
Crow Wing area leader in domestic violence
Crow Wing County is leading its five county neighbors in a disturbing category few counties would hope to excel in -- intimate partner violence.
High stepper
A worker carried a piece of steel rod Tuesday along the top floor of the Johnson Centre going up in Baxter.
Apparent suicide victim identified
The victim of an apparent suicide at a residence on White Gables Road was identified as Douglas Fuhrer-Feierabend, 33, Brainerd, according to the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department.
Baxter looks into parking lot problem
BAXTER -- How many parking lots are needed for assisted living homes is the subject of a draft ordinance the Baxter City Council expects to examine.
Jury convicts N.J. rabbi in wife's killing
FREEHOLD, N.J. (AP) -- The same jury that convicted a New Jersey rabbi of hiring two men to kill his wife so he could carry on an affair must now decide if he should be executed for the 1994 murder.
Vote creates Homeland Security
WASHINGTON -- The Senate approved the largest government reorganization since World War II in hopes of preventing another Sept. 11-type attack. But the monthslong effort may have been just a warmup for a bigger battle over how to get the new Homeland Security Department up and running.
United wins crucial labor concessions
CHICAGO -- Mired in an industry-wide slump, United Airlines has extracted an unprecedented $5.8 billion in tentative labor concessions from its employees.
Head-on crash kills sisters traveling in separate cars to visit each other
SIX MILE, Ala. (AP) -- Two sisters were killed when their vehicles collided head-on on a rural highway as they traveled to visit each other, authorities said.
Wendy's shooter found guilty in execution-style massacre
NEW YORK -- Family members of five Wendy's employees shot execution-style in a walk-in freezer sobbed and expressed relief after guilty verdicts were handed down against one of the men behind the massacre.
Divided Senate approves controversial judge
WASHINGTON -- A divided Senate on Tuesday approved, 55-44, President Bush's long-delayed appellate court nomination of U.S. District Judge Dennis W. Shedd, a protege of retiring Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C.
Boeing: Another 5,000 job cuts necessary next year
SEATTLE (AP) -- Boeing Co. said it will cut 5,000 more jobs next year as the global aviation slump continues to exact a harsh financial toll on airlines.
Students evacuated
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) -- A tractor-trailer carrying explosive materials overturned near Indiana University early Wednesday, killing a motorist and causing authorities to evacuate hundreds of students from nearby sorority houses.
Deadlocked Congress offers rude holiday surprise to jobless
WASHINGTON -- In one of their first outings on a major economic issue since sweeping this month's midterm elections, the Bush White House and congressional Republicans managed a deadlock that -- unless broken -- will result in nearly 1 million jobless Americans losing their unemployment benefits just three days after Christmas.
Six children hospitalized after 81-year-old runs over group of students
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Six children remained hospitalized early Wednesday after an 81-year-old woman picking up her grandchild at school plowed into a group of elementary students and a teacher's aide, police said.
Travelers praise efficiency of new federal airport screeners, but skepticism remains
Awaiting a flight to Boston, Darlene Ruffin-Alexander had high praise for the new federal screeners at Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport.
Women's, watchdog groups protest Victoria's Secret fashion show on CBS
NEW YORK -- Two women's groups and a media watchdog organization on Tuesday asked CBS not to air the Victoria's Secret fashion show, calling it a "soft-core porn infomercial."
Third volume of Caro's Lyndon Johnson series receives National Book Award
NEW YORK (AP) -- Steve Martin, comedian and best-selling novelist, is known as a well-read guy. But as host of the National Book Awards, he sometimes feels a little stumped.
GAO says military hospitals losing millions to fraud
WASHINGTON -- Investigators checking patient records at one military hospital discovered that 41 of their patients had been listed as dead by the Social Security Administration the year before they were treated at the hospital.
Leading indicators flat
NEW YORK (AP) -- A gauge of U.S. economic activity was flat in October after four straight months of declines.
Congress passes terrorism insurance bill
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Fourteen months after the attacks on New York and Washington, Congress agreed Tuesday to shield the insurance industry from catastrophic costs of future terror onslaughts.
McDonald's sued on behalf of fat children
NEW YORK (AP) -- Are Big Macs hazardous to children's health?
Congress approves seat belt law designed to protect children
WASHINGTON -- The family car will be safer for preschoolers and older children under legislation overwhelmingly approved by Congress and expected to be signed by President Bush.
Shuttle cleared for Friday liftoff
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- With a final check complete, NASA cleared space shuttle Endeavour for a Friday liftoff and said its damaged robot arm would be safe to use for space station construction.
Satellite data shows threat of asteroids hitting Earth not as bad as previously thought
Medium-size asteroids that could flatten a city the size of New York strike Earth less frequently than previously believed, possibly only about once a millennium, according to a study aided by military satellites.
Jobless claims plunge to lowest level since late July
WASHINGTON (AP) --New claims for unemployment benefits plunged last week to the lowest level in four months, providing a dose of encouraging news for workers who have been feeling the strain of the uneven economic recovery.
Holland America cancels cruise to eradicate virus that has infected hundreds
MIAMI (AP) -- Holland America Line canceled the next voyage of its troubled cruise ship Amsterdam while the company works to rid the vessel of a contagious stomach virus that has infected hundreds of passengers and crew members.
Al-Qaida leader links Moussaoui to plot
WASHINGTON (AP) -- An al-Qaida leader in U.S. custody has linked suspected Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui directly to the alleged mastermind of the attacks, The Washington Post reports.
107th Congress nears end after two years focused on economic, anti-terror bills
WASHINGTON -- The 107th Congress has delivered a giant new agency to intensify anti-terror efforts, deep tax cuts and revamped corporate ethics and campaign spending laws.
National sports briefs
The Montreal Expos will play 22 of their 81 home games in Puerto Rico next year, and the Oakland Athletics and Seattle Mariners will start the season with the major leagues' second opening in Japan.
National sports briefs
Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson is afraid police are targeting him and he might want to leave the city, according to published reports.
After 20 years The Play lives on
BERKELEY, Calif. -- From the moment Kevin Moen ran over Gary Tyrrell in Memorial Stadium's end zone in 1982, the man with the football and the man with the trombone have been inseparable in college football lore.
Baker: Time for a change
CHICAGO (AP) -- Dusty Baker pulled the blue Chicago Cubs baseball cap onto his head, and it looked a bit strange.
115-2 game raises sportsmanship questions
DETROIT (AP) -- Walkerville 115, Lakeshore 2.
Richard C. Kruse
Richard C. Kruse, 57, Brainerd, died Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2002, at home.
Lorraine L. Erickson
Lorraine L. Erickson, 82, Brainerd, died Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2002, at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd.
Lisa R. Martin
DULUTH -- A memorial service for Lisa Renee Martin, 39, Duluth, who died Thursday, Nov. 14, 2002, at St. Luke's Hospital, will be 11 a.m. Saturday at Johnson-Crawford Funeral Service in Duluth.
Richard C. Kruse
Richard C. Kruse, 57, Brainerd, died Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2002, at home.
Duane W. Karnatz
WADENA -- Duane W. Karnatz, 72, Wadena, died Saturday, Nov. 16, 2002, on his farm.
William M. Joenks
RUTLAND, Iowa -- William Merton Joenks, 68, Rutland, Iowa, died Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2002, at Trinity Regional Medical Center in Fort Dodge, Iowa.
Lewis J. Palm
ALBERT LEA -- Lewis J. Palm, 87, Albert Lea, died Sunday, Nov. 17, 2002, at Naeve Hospital in Albert Lea.
Calvin Hunt
ST. CLOUD -- Calvin Hunt, 76, St. Cloud, died Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2002, at St. Cloud Hospital.
Donald Martin
McGREGOR -- Donald Martin, 67, McGregor, died Sunday, Nov. 17, 2002, at First Care Hospital in Fosston.
Addie Mulholland
Addie Mulholland, 65, Brainerd, died Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2002, at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd.
Open Forum
Perhaps Daschle, Gep-hardt, and other top Democrats were influenced by big money; perhaps the Anthrax spores that were mailed to only Democrats scared them off. I no longer wish to know! The death of the Wellstone Party may not have been a pure accident, and yet, I hope that it was.
Taking office
A little bit of that feeling is probably shared by many new candidates who take office and privately wonder what they've gotten themselves into.
Vox Pop
Vox Pop, voice of the people, publishes Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Submissions are limited to 100 words. To call
NATO's success story
The following editorial appeared in Thursday's Washington Post:
Overcoming that feeling of powerlessness
It's downright jarring to read about the consolidation of power in Washington. All that flexing muscle and sharpening of knives, so real and dynamic in the capital, seems weirdly discordant with the general frame of mind elsewhere in the land.
Crow Wing County Historical Society needs some help
Commerce is not the only segment of society to suffer from boom and bust cycles. Nonprofit organizations, such
The Brainerd Dispatch's views
Editorial views in The Brainerd Dispatch represent a consensus of opinion by members of the newspaper's editorial board.
Today's teens ignorant about war
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself," proclaimed Franklin D. Roosevelt decades ago. But he may as well be addressing teen-agers today.
OTHER OPINIONS
Independence Party Gov. Jesse Ventura will be out of a job next Jan. 6, when Republican Tim Pawlenty takes the reins of state government.
Mass is everyone's top rookie
Dave Mass of Brainerd has earned rookie of the year honors in every Wissota class he has raced before this season, Wissota Super Stock and Wissota Street Stock.
State briefs
A Minnesota manufacturing company plans to move to Lennox, S.D., next spring and open a plant that is expected to employ 125 people within three years.
89-year-old deer hunter charged in shooting of horse
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- An 89-year-old deer hunter was charged with a misdemeanor after allegedly shooting a white horse that was being ridden by a 12-year-old girl in western Minnesota.
Oberstar visits Puerto Rico
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) -- A Minnesota congressman took a test ride on San Juan's not-yet-completed $2.1 billion commuter rail system, calling it smoother than the subway in Washington.
Impact of plane crash called cause of Wellstone's death
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Sen. Paul Wellstone died from the impact when his plane crashed last month, not from the fire that engulfed it afterward, a medical examiner said.
Firm working on problems with PR transfer station
WALKER -- Eagle Construction is working this week to correct deficiencies found in welds at the new county garbage transfer station facility north of Pine River, Environmental Services Director Paul Fairbanks reported Tuesday to the county board.
Minnesota counties eligible for drought disaster aid
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Tuesday designated seven counties in southwest Minnesota eligible for disaster assistance because of drought conditions.
Legislative auditor's office faults Iron Range rehabilitation agency
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Minnesota's Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Agency has been cited for "questionable and excessive costs" by the legislative auditor's office.
Cass firms improve on tobacco refusals
WALKER -- Businesses selling tobacco products in Cass County have improved on refusing to sell tobacco products to minors in the last three years since the county began compliance checks.
Hunter found in trooper shooting
FARGO, N.D. (AP) -- Investigators found a hunter they believe fired the bullet that struck an off-duty Minnesota trooper Sunday afternoon.
Sams could be in line for new job
ST. PAUL (AP) -- With just a few Senate seats in the way of Republican leadership in both chambers of the Legislature and governorship, Gov.-elect Tim Pawlenty has some difficult choices to make in upcoming weeks.
Two brothers pulled from pond die
ROBBINSDALE (AP) -- Two brothers died and a third remained in critical condition Wednesday after falling through thin ice on a pond behind their rural Anoka County home, a hospital spokeswoman said.
Scoreboard
Nov. 16
Former Warriors ignite Dragons
MOORHEAD -- In today's knockdown world of college football, it's important to have a few standup guys.
Local sports shorts
Megan Arns of Brainerd High School has been named to the girls' preseason top 100 player list in the November issue of Minnesota Basketball News.
Flyer girls fall in season opener
LITTLE FALLS -- The Little Falls Flyers girls' hockey season opened Monday with a 6-0 loss to Sartell-Sauk Rapids in Central Lakes Conference action.
Scoreboard
girls hockey
Warrior girls erupt for 5-1 victory
ALEXANDRIA -- Brainerd Warrior forward Abby Rehberger broke open a close hockey game with two goals in the second period as the Warriors girls' hockey team toppled Alexandria 5-1 Tuesday night.
Local sports shorts
Julie Moran of Brainerd, and the Union College women's volleyball team, were eliminated by Vassar in the NCAA Division III volleyball tournament last week.
Scoreboard
girls hockey
Wolves keep Grizzlies winless
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Memphis Grizzlies didn't dwell on the what-ifs. They spent more time talking about what might be for their team in the future.
State sports briefs
Vikings running back Michael Bennett was named the NFC's Offensive Player of the Week on Tuesday.
Roloson saves Wild once again
ST. PAUL -- Dwayne Roloson is getting used to saving the Minnesota Wild.
Vikings' defense gets big boost from Biekert
EDEN PRAIRIE -- Willie Shaw paused to ponder where the Minnesota Vikings' defense would be this year without its middle linebacker, Greg Biekert.
Wolves down Hawks
ATLANTA (AP) -- Troy Hudson and Rod Strickland make for a pretty good point guard.
Gophers sign two to letters of intent
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota men's basketball team landed the first two members of its recruiting class.
Twin sisters' music centers on relationships and politics, from their perspectives
LITTLE FALLS -- The Schroerlucke twins seem as delicately feminine as porcelain dolls, but their music reflects some sterner stuff.
Grand Rapids Players host encore performance
GRAND RAPIDS -- The Grand Rapids Players will host an encore performance of three one-act comedies -- "Two Wives and a Dead Guy" by Cynthia and Roy C. Booth of Bovey, "The Glovers Mange Cure Caper" by Louise Bottrell of Walker and Roy C. Booth, and "Caf a la Ionesco" by Roy C. Booth.
Best bets
Celtic traditions will be on display Friday in Brainerd's Tornstrom Auditorium at Washington Middle School when Northwind Crossing and the Cara Feile Irish Dancers take the stage, starting at 7 p.m.
CLC choirs to perform free concert Tuesday
The Central Lakes College Vocal Music Department will present a free concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Tornstrom Auditorium at Washington Middle School, Brainerd.
Entertainment Guide
For week of Nov. 21-27; bands perform from 9 p.m. to close with no cover unless otherwise noted.
Ashanti leads American Music Awards nominees with five
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- R&B newcomer Ashanti, whose singles "Foolish" and "Happy" transformed the 22-year-old singer into a soul sensation this year, received a leading five American Music Award nominations Tuesday.
Best videos
Weekly charts for the nation's most popular videos as they appear in this week's issue of Billboard magazine. Reprinted with permission:
C-I students to stage comedy
CROSBY -- The Crosby-Ironton High School Drama Department will present the comedy, "You Can't Be Too Careful," at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Mayberry Auditorium, C-I School.
Rhythm of the Rails old-time radio show to include audience participation
The Rhythm of the Rails board of directors has embarked on an off-season venture.
Crossing Arts Alliance at a crossroads
The Crossing Arts Alliance is weathering an unexpected change in leadership and a worsening financial pulse, drained of vitality by overhead and the lack of a benefactor, according to the group's spokeswoman.
Heartland Symphony Orchestra hosting Young Composers Competition
The Heartland Symphony Orchestra's 2003 Young Composers Competition deadline is Feb. 1, 2003.
Heartland Symphony to stage two winter concerts
The Heartland Symphony Orchestra will perform its winter concert at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at Tornstrom Auditorium, Washington Middle School, Brainerd, and 2:30 p.m. Dec. 8 in the Charles D. Martin Auditorium at Little Falls Community High School.
Aitkin to host World Famous Fish House Parade
This is the Explore Minnesota Events Report from the Minnesota Office of Tourism.
Fine Arts Students of the Week
Brainerd High School seniors Andrew Christensen and Rusty Caughey have had their share of deadlines and stress.
Vacationland Figure Skating Club starts competitive season
Eight figure skaters representing the Vacationland Figure Skating Club attended the Granite City Competition and Test Session earlier this month in St. Cloud.
Heartland Symphony Orchestra seeks applications for annual youth auditions
The Heartland Symphony Orchestra will hold its 21st annual youth auditions for area students Feb. 8, 2003. All applications must be received by Jan. 3, 2003.
Iowa state forecast
Today...Mostly cloudy to cloudy. Scattered light snow or rain east third. Becoming windy with highs in the upper 30s far northeast to near 50 southwest.
State forecast for South Dakota
Today...Partly to mostly sunny central and west. Cloudy and windy east. Highs in the mid 30s northeast...To the lower 60s southwest.
Wisconsin state forecast
Today...Cloudy. A chance of light rain or light snow. Snow showers possible in the lake superior snowbelt. Highs in the mid 30s to lower 40s.
Iowa state forecast
Today...Partly to mostly cloudy. A chance of light rain east late. Highs in the upper 40s northeast to the upper 50s west.
Fall fun
Weather drawing by Emma Kellander of Mrs. Meyer's third grade class at Riverside school.
State forecast for North Dakota
Today...Partly to mostly cloudy. Highs from the mid 50s southwest to the mid 30s northeast.
Minnesota state forecast
today...Mostly cloudy. Windy southwest. Scattered flurries or snow showers. Highs from around 30 northeast to near 40 far south.
State forecast for North Dakota
Today...Partly to mostly cloudy. Windy west and central. Highs from the mid 50s southwest to near 40 northeast.
Wisconsin state forecast
Today...Mostly cloudy. A chance of light rain south...With a chance of light rain or light snow north. Highs in the mid 30s far north and 40s south.
State forecast for South Dakota
Today...Partly cloudy and becoming windy west. Partly sunny east... With increasing afternoon clouds. A few late day sprinkles parts of east central. Highs from the lower 50s northeast...To lower 60s much of west...Central and far south.
Minnesota state forecast
today...Mostly cloudy. A chance of light snow northeast and a chance of light rain central and southeast. Highs from the lower 30s northeast to mid 50s southwest.
Bark, bark
Weather drawing by Mary Horak of Mrs. Larson's fifth grade class at Harrison school.
Names and faces
NEW YORK (AP) -- Brooke got a broken heart but Helene got engaged in the final showdown of the hit romance-reality series "The Bachelor."
Names and faces
BERLIN (AP) -- Michael Jackson made an appearance outside his Berlin hotel and briefly held his youngest child over a fourth-floor balcony Tuesday in front of dozens of fans waiting below.
NATO leaders hail historic transformation inviting seven ex-communist countries to join alliance
PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) -- In a historic eastward shift, NATO agreed Thursday to expand its membership into the territory of the former Soviet Union, and at the behest of President Bush, demanded that Iraq "fully and immediately" disarm.
Bush wins backing of NATO allies against Iraq
PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- Prodded by President Bush, the 19 NATO leaders demanded Thursday that Iraq "fully and immediately" comply with a U.N. resolution to disarm. Even staunchly anti-war Germany joined the alliance in threatening "serious consequences" for Iraqi defiance.
Suicide bomber kills 11 Israeli bus passengers
JERUSALEM (AP) -- A Palestinian man wearing a bomb belt blew himself up Thursday on a Jerusalem city bus packed with high school students and soldiers, killing 11 passengers and wounding dozens in a morning rush hour attack.
Foreign briefs
Police arrested an alleged mastermind of the Bali bombings that killed nearly 200 people last month, Indonesia's chief of intelligence said Thursday.
Two U.S. soldiers wounded in Kuwait highway shooting
KUWAIT CITY -- A Kuwaiti traffic policeman shot and seriously wounded two U.S. Army soldiers Thursday on a highway south of here, the Kuwaiti government said. The incident was the latest in a string of attacks on American troops as the United States prepares for a possible war in Iraq.
Spain, Portugal scramble to fend off threat of major oil spill
SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, Spain (AP) -- Spain and Portugal raced to protect beaches and rich fishing grounds Wednesday from an expected onslaught of fuel oil from a tanker that broke in half and sank off their coasts.
American missionary killed in Lebanon
SIDON, Lebanon (AP) -- An American missionary was shot and killed Thursday morning at a Christian center that provides medical care and aid to Palestinian refugees in southern Lebanon.
Bush urges NATO stand against Iraq, says war can be avoided
PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AP) -- President Bush exhorted NATO allies, as they gathered in this Bohemian capital under cover of American F-16 jets, to stand together in a strong "coalition of the willing" against Iraq's Saddam Hussein so that war might be averted.
Iraqis quietly accept inspections of Saddam sites
BAGHDAD, Iraq (AP) -- The Iraqi government has accepted without protest the right of U.N. weapons inspectors to make unannounced checks on "special" sites belonging to President Saddam Hussein, an issue that helped derail the inspections in the 1990s, U.N. officials said Wednesday.