Tuesday, December 12, 2000
Livestock
SOUTH ST. PAUL (AP) (USDA) -- Monday cattle estimated receipts: 500.
Metals
NEW YORK (AP) -- Spot nonferrous metal prices Monday.
GM to kill off Olds division
DETROIT -- General Motors Corp. will phase out its Oldsmobile division over the next several years and reduce salaried employment by 10 percent in North America and Europe next year, the company announced Tuesday.
District adds a little music to Internet
When opening the Brainerd School District's classroom music department's Web site, the soothing sounds of Bach can be heard.
Extra credit
Jason Edens, Backus, and Samantha Pearson, Pine River, are officers for the graduate student association at Bemidji State University for the 2000-01 school year.
University of Minnesota, Carleton College students awarded Rhodes Scholarships
A University of Minnesota student and a Carleton College student were among 32 people nationwide who earned prestigious Rhodes Scholarships to study at Oxford University in England.
School vouchers lose legal challenge in Cleveland; case may go Supreme Court
WASHINGTON -- School vouchers have taken hits at the ballot box, in legislatures and before the courts.
Worker with degree learns education gets no respect from boss
DEAR ABBY: I recently received my bachelor of science degree. It took determination and sacrifice to fulfill the requirements to graduate. Now that I have found a job where I can use my academic knowledge, I am finding stumbling blocks to career advancement. I work with managers who refuse to recognize the importance of an academic education.
Family of 10 needs help
Brainerd area volunteers are asking for help in completing a home for a family of 10 that is in need.
Accident
Two people were injured in a single-vehicle accident reported at 9:20 a.m. Sunday on Highway 371, a quarter-mile north of Colonel's Brainerd International Raceway.
Area crime
BURGLARIES -- Cabins on Eaglewood Drive owned by Hovald Helseth, Minnetonka, and Harold Froehlich, Minneapolis, were reported broken into.
Clinton, congressional leaders meet again on budget
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Still deadlocked over the budget, President Clinton and leaders of the lame-duck Congress planned to meet again Monday to discuss finally ending their stalemate over school and health spending, immigration and other issues.
It's Bush vs. Gore II at Supreme Court level
WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. Supreme Court justices appeared divided during a historic argument Monday that could decide whether George W. Bush or Al Gore becomes president.
Clinton, Hill leaders agree on budget accord outlines
WASHINGTON -- Budget writers are putting the final touches on a package that President Clinton and congressional leaders hope will end their standoff over school spending and other issues -- and let the lame-duck 106th Congress finally adjourn.
Clinton to announce effort to improve immunizations
WASHINGTON -- President Clinton is ordering federal officials to study the immunization status of the 5 million children under age 5 who receive government assistance, hoping to increase the rate of American youngsters who are fully vaccinated.
Program aims to help keep elderly safe from falls, fires
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- Elva Godwin was playing pingpong in the senior center one day when she fell and broke her shoulder. Some time later, at a friend's house, she tripped on a step in a dimly lit room and broke the other one.
Programs help bridge health insurance gap
DENVER (AP) -- Whether a voluntary or forced retirement, many early retirees have a common worry: how to bridge the medical insurance gap until they qualify for Medicare benefits at age 65.
Mice linked to inner-city asthma
BALTIMORE -- Common house mice may be a major contributor to asthma among inner-city children, according to scientists at The Johns Hopkins University.
Older exercisers have youthful potential
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Older exercisers have youthful potential to gain strength, if they work hard at it, researchers find.
SmithKline Beecham terminates clinical trial of heart drug
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- SmithKline Beecham terminated clinical trials into an experimental drug to fight strokes and heart attacks after concerns were raised about its safety, the pharmaceutical giant said Tuesday.
State briefs
ROBBINSDALE, Minn. (AP) -- The Robbinsdale School district reached a tentative agreement with its striking bus drivers and custodians about 4 a.m. Tuesday.
She doesn't let anything keep her from being active
The Northern Lights Apartments opened its doors in May 1993.
Some seniors disillusioned with retirement opt to work
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- After a lifetime of working in the restaurant business, banking, toy sales and hotel operations, Garry Freid retired six years ago.
Web site sponsors contest to filnd new word for life after certain age
WEEHAWKEN, N.J. (AP) -- Howard and Marika Stone don't like to call themselves retired. Graduated, maybe. Or refined.
2 more certified to interview for police chief
Two more candidates have been certified to interview for the vacant Brainerd Police Department chief position, bringing the total number of candidates to be interviewed to six.
Baxter decides where to place welcome sign on Highway 371
BAXTER -- Baxter's entrance sign is being installed at Isle Road and Highway 371.
Local briefs
CROSBY -- The city of Crosby has announced its holiday schedule for city offices, including the clerk's office, public works, Jessie Hallett Memorial Library and the deputy registrar's office. All of the above offices will be closed Dec. 22, 25 and 29 and Jan. 1. Baxter 20/20 Vision report to be shared
Resorts recruiting older workers
Ski resorts, river barges and white-water rafting companies, traditionally the exclusive domain of young workers, are actively recruiting seniors, mostly to fill customer service positions, using the ''Older and Bolder'' page of the Web site www.coolworks.com . Bill Medove, recruiting manager at the Mammoth Mountain ski and golf resort in California's Sierra Nevada, said 200 of its 2,000 employees are older than 55 now, up from a handful in the early 1990s.
Suspect in St. Paul convenience store shooting released before killing
ST. PAUL (AP) -- The man suspected of fatally shooting a convenience store clerk last week was released from the Hennepin County jail 27 hours before the killing, records show.
Corrections
A Little Falls City Council story on Page 1A Tuesday misquoted Julie Fillah. Fillah, of the Black and White Hamburger Shop in Little Falls, said 90 percent of the customers who smoke do not mind going outside when they want a cigarette.
Looking at death and taxes
We have all heard the saying, "There are two things in life that you can't avoid -- death and taxes."
Baxter leaders agree to take step back, slow down
BAXTER -- In 2001, Baxter will attempt to slow its pace.
Caribou Coffee sells out
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The owners of Caribou Coffee plan to sell about 70 percent of the company for about $75 million by the end of the year after existing investors balked at putting up more of their money to fund its expansion plans.
Rich baseball salary could affect stadium
ST. PAUL (AP) -- When the Texas Rangers signed Alex Rodriguez to the largest contract in sports history, the baseball team might have made it even harder to build new stadiums 1,000 miles away in Minnesota.
Web sites for seniors
The following is a selection of Web sites containing information of interest to retirees and senior citizens. One of the largest lists of senior-related sites can be found at the AARP Web site (www.aarp.org), called ''Guide to Internet Resources Related to Aging.'' The guide contains links to Web sites of various organizations including some devoted to specific diseases, such as Alzheimer's, diabetes and breast and prostate cancer.
Man arrested in stabbing death in Whipholt
WHIPHOLT -- Cass County authorities have arrested a 30-year-old Bloomington man in connection with the stabbing death of a man at a residence Monday in Whipholt, a small Cass County community east of Walker off Leech Lake.
Sinclair Lewis' 'correspondence' with Fitizgerald was too good to be true
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Three years ago, the Minnesota Historical Society trumpeted its purchase for $8,500 of an inscribed book and a letter that seemed to reveal a warm friendship between two of Minnesota's top authors.
This was Brainerd
20 years ago (1980) - More than 600 volunteer community carolers will tour Brainerd neighborhoods this week, Dec. 15-19 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. This years' community caroling is co-sponsored by Brainerd Area Community Action and American National Bank.
Tests suggest Kensington Runestone is authentic
ALEXANDRIA (AP) -- Recent scientific testing could soon end the 100-year-old debate on the authenticity of the Kensington Runestone.
Old crimes being looked at using new DNA tests
ST. PAUL (AP) -- The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension hopes that even a drop of bodily fluid can help catch those responsible for 96 old, unsolved killings, rapes and other crimes.
Tree lover
A Hackensack man has planted 35,000 coniferous trees in the last 40 years as an investment in forests for future generations. Look for his story Wednesday in Neighbors.
Juveniles arrested in robbery
Three juvenile males were arrested Monday after a robbery at the Westgate Mall.
One dead after fire in Moorhead
MOORHEAD (AP) -- One person died after an early morning apartment fire Tuesday in this western Minnesota city.
Bush returns to Texas to recover from hip surgery
ROCHESTER (AP) -- Former President George Bush was released from the Mayo Clinic on Saturday following hip replacement surgery earlier in the week.
Kixters get a taste of the Big Chill
The Brainerd Kixters Precision Kick Team, Junior Varsity Precision Kick Team and Varsity Jazz Team competed in the JFK Big Chill Dance Team Competition this past weekend at Brainerd High School.
Hmong leaders trying to curb violence
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Hmong leaders are looking for ways to curb domestic violence after the rash of shootings that have killed several Hmong adults and orphaned more than two dozen children.
Commissioner finds for Ventura in XFL dispute
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Gov. Jesse Ventura's Employee Relations commissioner rejected arguments Monday that his boss's new broadcast job with the Xtreme Football League constitutes a conflict of interest under Minnesota law.
Correction
The date of this week's Crow Wing County Board meeting was listed incorrectly on Page 8E Sunday. The board meets Tuesday.
This was Brainerd
DECEMBER 12 - 100 years ago (1900) - H.P. Dullum has built a large brick furnace in the center of his house which heats three rooms also the chamber. What he can't invent no one else need try.
The Bremer behind Bremer Banks
I began my banking career in September 1940 as a teller with the Walsh County State Bank of Grafton, N.D.
State will provide free translators under court settlement
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The state will provide people who don't speak English with free translators when they apply for state health and welfare programs, according to a settlement of a federal lawsuit.
Through the 'chunnel' in style
What is a "chunnel?" A word not found in any standard dictionary, but rather a word especially coined to describe the extraordinary railroad tunnel which stretches from England to France beneath the English Channel. It sounds incredible, but our friend Bernie Carter returned Nov. 5 from his trip through that "chunnel" and wanted to share his eventful experience with our readers.
Minge concedes 2nd District race to Kennedy
ST. PAUL (AP) -- U.S. Rep. David Minge conceded defeat Tuesday to Republican businessman Mark Kennedy, a political novice who beat the four-term Minnesota Democrat by a razor-thin margin.
Post office is a busy, busy place
Apparently we Americans are quite predictable when it comes to our Christmas mailing habits.
Second city man appears tonight on 'Millionaire'
A second Brainerd resident will appear on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" tonight.
A special trip to Scotland
The following account of the Cowies' trip to Scotland is a copy of a letter written to friends after their return. Guess what it was that most excited and interested our correspondent as he toured Scotland.
Local briefs
Applications are being accepted for the second Crow Wing County Sheriff's Citizen Council. Applications are available at the Law Enforcement Center in Brainerd. The application deadline is Dec. 29.
Federated seeks recovery from Fingerhut losses
CINCINNATI -- The $1.7 billion purchase of direct marketer Fingerhut hasn't turned out exactly as Federated Department Stores Inc. had planned.
Blizzard warning in Chicago; flights disrupted at O'Hare
CHICAGO -- A developing storm blew snow across parts of the Midwest on Monday, leading United Airlines to cancel about half its flights at O'Hare International Airport.
MIT professor studies physical pain to understand pain of market
BOSTON (AP) -- With a black, ribbed body suit that looks more like an instrument of torture than a research device, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor is trying to learn something about the pain of watching a volatile stock market.
Clinton seeks to boost peace in Northern Ireland
DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) -- With the Irish prime minister at his side, President Clinton declared Tuesday that the stakes are too great in Northern Ireland to let the peace process sputter to a halt. "The people have embraced the peace and I don't think they want to go back," he said.
West Coast energy crisis heightened
LOS ANGELES -- An energy crunch continued to grip the West Coast as cold weather in the Pacific Northwest put an increasing strain on power supplies.
Shuttle returns home
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- Space shuttle Endeavour's five astronauts returned from the international space station Monday and, within minutes, were receiving accolades for pulling off NASA's most complicated and critical construction mission yet.
Rodriguez deal with Texas 'virtually complete'
DALLAS -- Alex Rodriguez and the Texas Rangers virtually completed a deal Monday that could make the All-Star shortstop the highest-paid athlete in sports history, The Associated Press learned.
Marines ground Osprey fleet following crash that kills four
WASHINGTON -- The commandant of the Marine Corps grounded all MV-22 Osprey aircraft Tuesday following a crash in North Carolina that killed four Marines and raised new doubts about the future of the tilt-rotor plane.
Ford, Firestone conclusions would exonerate workers
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Ford and Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. are expected to report Monday to government investigators they have reached similar conclusions regarding tire failures blamed for 148 deaths nationwide.
Anxious candidates await high court ruling
WASHINGTON (AP) -- One day after closely questioning lawyers for all sides, the Supreme Co
Weather looks good for shuttle to land
SPACE CENTER, Houston -- Another chapter in the construction of the international space station was to conclude with the landing of the space shuttle Endeavour.
Justices appear sharply divided in Bush vs. Gore vote-counting case
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Supreme Court justices, hearing the case of George W. Bush vs. Albert Gore Jr., questioned attorneys for both sides Monday and gave every indication that they remain sharply divided, with the conservative majority inclined to preserve Bush's lead in Florida.
Spilled pudding is sticky situation
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Talk about a sticky situation.
AOL-Time Warner decision may be near
WASHINGTON -- Government officials reviewing the proposed deal between America Online and Time Warner could reach a decision as early as this week, resolving the companies' yearlong pursuit of the largest merger in U.S. corporate history.
Experience wins out for Weinke
NEW YORK -- Doug Flutie proved size doesn't make a difference when it comes to the Heisman Trophy. Saturday night another barrier was broken: age.
Officials say IOC dance card is full
LAUSANNE, Switzerland -- You know it as ballroom dancing. The International Dance-Sport Federation says it ought to be an Olympic event and put on a fancy show Monday night -- replete with men in tuxedos and women in heels and gauzy dresses -- to lobby key International Olympic Committee officials.
Scoreboard
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Colts answer critics
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Indianapolis Colts defenders heard the complaints all season-- that they couldn't cover the pass, couldn't stop the run, couldn't produce turnovers and couldn't pressure the quarterback.
Baseball has just signed its death warrant
Baseball shuffles through cracked peanut shells into a sterile room Monday, where it is asked to lick the nacho cheese off its fingers and sit down.
Colts can't compare to last season's version
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The Indianapolis Colts simply cannot avoid the comparisons.
Garnett takes Clippers to school
MINNEAPOLIS -- Kevin Garnett of the Minnesota Timberwolves gave the Los Angeles Clippers' Darius Miles a look that was priceless.
Wolves beat 76ers in OT
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Minnesota evened the score against Philadelphia.
Predators end scoreless streak against Wild
ST. PAUL (AP) -- After two games without scoring, the Nashville Predators made the most of two goals.
Tigers fall to Panzer attack as North Dakota manages a split
The top lines for Colorado College and North Dakota battled for every inch of ice, and it was a riveting draw for almost 62 minutes.
$252 million A-Rod,
The Texas Rangers sent shock waves through baseball Monday by signing Seattle shortstop Alex Rodriguez to the largest contract in the history of sports, $252 million over 10 years. The deal threw another cloud over a sport already bracing for the possibility of a players' strike at the end of the 2001 season.
NFL summaries
At Cleveland
Walsh out with broken cheekbone
EDEN PRAIRIE (AP) -- Minnesota Vikings receiver Chris Walsh was scheduled to undergo surgery Tuesday to repair a broken cheekbone.
Four teams surge into NFL playoffs
The Titans and Raiders are in the playoffs. No surprise there.
Super Bowl is a no-win proposition
No one can win the Super Bowl this season.
Scoreboard
AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Ram tough
ST. LOUIS -- The old St. Louis Rams were back Sunday, and you can put it on Kurt Warner's tab.
Englebert Schutta
CROSBY -- Englebert Schutta, 85, Crosby, died Saturday, Dec. 9, 2000, at Cuyuna Regional Care Center of Crosby.
Welden Henrichs
MINNEAPOLIS -- Welden Henrichs, 78, Minneapolis, formerly of Brainerd, died Sunday, Dec. 10, 2000, at City of Lakes Nursing Home of Minneapolis.
Fritz C. White
AITKIN -- Fritz C. White, 86, Aitkin, formerly of Plymouth, died Saturday, Dec. 9, 2000, at Riverwood Health Care Center of Aitkin.
M. Elaine Tusler
HACKENSACK -- M. Elaine Tusler, 76, Hackensack, died Sunday, Dec. 10, 2000, at St. Joseph's Hospital of Park Rapids.
Myrtle C. Kiefer
Myrtle C. Kiefer, 86, Brainerd, formerly of Little Falls, died Thursday, Dec. 7, 2000, at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd.
Engelbert Schutta
CROSBY -- Engelbert Schutta, 85, Crosby, died Saturday, Dec. 9, 2000, at Cuyuna Regional Care Center of Crosby.
Vera Lawrenz
AITKIN -- Vera Lawrenz, 86, Aitkin, died Monday, Dec. 11, 2000, at Aicota Health Care Center of Aitkin.
Agnes Wiitala
Agnes Wiitala, 91, Brainerd, died Friday, Dec. 8, 2000, at Woodland Good Samaritan Village of Brainerd.
Paul L. Wettschreck
STAPLES -- Paul L. Wettschreck, 55, Staples, died Friday, Dec. 8, 2000.
What happens next?
At the end of our ``long national nightmare''election, what next? If George W. Bush is declared by a court to be the legitimate winner -- the elected authorities in Florida are not legitimate in the eyes of Democrats and most of the media - what might we expect?
How The Brainerd Dispatch makes its editorial decisions
Editorial views in The Brainerd Dispatch represent a consensus of opinion by members of the newspaper's editorial board.
The partisan deadlock
WASHINGTON--The nagging mystery about the presidential election of 2000 is how it came to be that two such bland characters as Al Gore and George W. Bush could have caused such havoc and division in the country's governing institutions.
Who'll be the next U.S. treasurer?
BYLINE3: Moonshiners and dope smugglers will take more than casual interest in the appointment of the next secretary of the Treasury. This is because he allocates resources for the U.S
Open Forums
Typed on a small piece of cardboard in a Vietnam War artifacts exhi
Open Forum
I was dismayed reading about the job cuts at Potlatch in last Tuesday's paper, but as a longtime Potlatch union worker I was especially upset when it appeared that union workers were getting the blame for layoffs by voting down an early retirement proposal.
OTHER OPINIONS
For all the attention lavished on Florida, the drama of uncounted ballots also exists elsewhere. Across the country, some 2.5 million ballots went uncounted in the presidential election, either because they were spoiled deliberately or because of some unintended error. Until this year, no presidential election had been disrupted by this fallout, and maybe no election will be this close again. But it would be wrong to rely on that; even without another dead-heat contest, the now-widespread knowledge that about 2 percent of ballots get ignored hardly will encourage voter turnout.
It may be true!
Skeptics among us have always looked upon the Kensington Runestone with a raised eyebrow and maybe, a wink or two.
Judicial activists defy the voters
TAMPA, Fla. -- They could have been counted a month ago.
Names and faces
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Robert Downey Jr. has been charged with two felony drug counts and a misdemeanor stemming from his Thanksgiving weekend arrest at a Palm Springs resort.
Teammates 1-2 in Pro Open final
The snocross racing team of AMSOIL/Scheuring Speedsports couldn't have asked for a better Pro Open final in the 13th annual International Race of Champions Snocross at the Crow Wing County Fairgrounds on Sunday.
Hollywood stunt man on edge at snowmobile races
Snocross racing, such as the 13th annual International Race of Champions Snocross at the Crow Wing County Fairgrounds this past weekend, is an extreme sport.
Local shorts
WADENA -- The Wadena Golden Gloves boxing team will host its first home card of the season 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Wadena Armory.
Warrior boys swim to Apollo Relays title
ST. CLOUD -- The Brainerd Warriors boys' swimming and diving team opened its season Saturday by winning the St. Cloud Apollo Relays on Saturday.
Scoreboard
Boys Basketball
Pierz is hoping for another strong year
The talk lately has been surrounding the Pequot Lakes Patriots girls' basketball team and its ability to overcome the graduation of key personnel.
Shortest Warriors affect game
The Brainerd Warriors boys' basketball team came into its Central Lakes Conference game Saturday night with a huge height disadvantage but it was the Warriors' little guys who controlled the game.
Scoreboard
Girls Basketball
Ridgewater defeats Raider women 77-56
WILLMAR -- The Central Lakes College Raiders women's basketball team dropped to 2-3 after losing Saturday to Ridgewater 77-56.
Goalie leads C-I/A past Chisholm/Cook
DEERWOOD -- Crosby-Ironton/Aitkin goaltender David Williams made 42 saves as the Grizzlies squeaked past Chisholm/Cook 3-2 in non-conference boys' hockey Saturday night.
Warrior gymnasts finish quadrangular by sweeping floor exercise
It's always polite to leave behind a clean gym after a gymnastics meet.
Prep basketball
GIRLS
Brainerd JV boys lose to Willmar
The Brainerd Warriors boys' junior varsity basketball team lost a close 44-42 game to the Willmar Cardinals Saturday night. Nate McMahon finished with 12 points and Jake Phillips 10 for Brainerd.
Suspensions follow bench-clearing brawl at prep hockey game
BROOKLYN CENTER (AP) -- Ten players were suspended after a bench-clearing brawl erupted as time ran out on a high school hockey game between Park Center and Duluth East, school officials said Saturday.
B-H/V wrestles to title at Long Prairie
LONG PRAIRIE -- Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale wrestled its way to victory in the Long Prairie-Grey Eagle Invitational Saturday 260.5 points.
Sports briefs
BEMIDJI -- Brainerd High School graduate Chad Nelson was the only Bemidji State player in doubles figures with 20 points in a 57-42 men's basketball loss to Moorhead State Saturday.
Raider men lose to Ridgewater
WILLMAR -- The Central Lakes Colleg Raiders men's basketball team dropped another an 80-56 decision to Ridgewater in a non-conference game Saturday.
Brainerd gymnasts second
The closest thing the athletic world has to a three-ring circus has to be a quadrangular gymnastics meet.
Gophers raise record to 8-1
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The Minnesota Gophers might not score inside again as easily as they did while beating Bethune-Cookman 93-70 on Saturday.
Heitkamp, Means lift Warrior boys
When a basketball team has one player lighting up the scoreboard it has a good chance to win but when two players find their scoring touch it's a sure win.
Little Falls gymnasts soar in loss
SARTELL -- The Little Falls Flyers gymnastics team attained its highest point total of the season but it wasn't enough as the Flyers were outscored 131.0 to 121.95 in a Central Lakes Conference gymnastics meet by the Sartell Sabres Monday.
Bjorklund scores 17 in Cal Poly loss
SAN FRANCISCO -- Ali Thomas' three-pointer with 12 seconds left helped San Francisco to a 71-68 come-from-behind win over Cal Poly in men's college basketball Saturday night.
Laporte girls defeat Verndale
LAPORTE -- Raya Kern registered her third double-double in points and rebounds this season but the Verndale Pirates girls' basketball team lost 74-34 to Laporte in non-conference action Monday.
Worldwide Weather
Temperatures and weather conditions during the 24-hour period ending at 7 a.m. EST today.
The Weather Elsewhere
Temperatures indicate Monday's high and overnight low to 8 a.m. Eastern Time.
Flying down the hill
Weather drawing by Alex Wink of Mrs. Ahlers' third grade class at Lincoln school.
Minnesota State Forecast
Today...Partly to mostly sunny but cold. Increasing high clouds south. Cold with highs from 8 below north to 5 above south.
Winter storm wallops Midwest
DETROIT -- The Midwest bundled up and struggled to dig out Tuesday after a storm that delivered record snowfall, clogging highways and snarling air travel around the nation.
'A real Minnesota winter'
Subzero temperatures and eye-watering wind chills are shocking Minnesotans who have been softened by a string of three mild winters.
Season's greetings
Weather drawing by Jared Nusbaum in the Lowell School first-grade class of Sharon Jendro.
Billowing smoke
Smoke from a small brush pile fire in the sand pits east of Acrometal in northeast Brainerd filled the sky in the 20 below zero temperatures this morning. (Dispatch Photo by Clint Wood)
Names and faces
MOUNT VERNON, Ill. (AP) -- A violin and other items taken from Italian dictator Benito Mussolini's mountain villa by an American soldier were auctioned here to a private collector for $22,500.
Check passport
Dear Heloise: I wish that someone had reminded me of this.
Wife makes chilling discovery of husband's online child porn
DEAR ABBY: While my husband was in a chat room on the Internet, I caught him asking for pictures of little girls being sexually molested. He had already downloaded several on our computer. In one of those pictures was a little girl 18 to 24 months old -- and the most awful thing was being done to her. The rest of them were no better. I cried all evening after seeing those pictures, Abby.
Netanyahu accepts Barak's challenge
JERUSALEM -- Benjamin Netanyahu has taken up the challenge of Ehud Barak, who replaced him as Israel's prime minister just 18 months ago, declaring he's running for the top job in snap elections whether Barak likes it or not.
Iliescu returns to power in Romania
BUCHAREST, Romania -- Leftist Ion Iliescu won a landslide victory for a third term as Romania's president as voters rejected a radical nationalist whose denunciation of Jews, Gypsies and minorities would have threatened hopes for European integration.
EU leaders agree to reforms for more unified Europe
NICE, France -- An alliance created to strengthen Western European nations by bringing them together has taken a major step toward embracing the former communist countries of the East.