Thursday, December 27, 2001
Pickup has avalanche of possibilities
If there's an automotive equivalent to a quick-change artist, the 2002 Chevrolet Avalanche is it.
GM wants daytime running lights required on all U.S. vehicles
DETROIT (AP) -- General Motors Corp. has asked the federal government to require daytime running lights on all vehicles sold in the United States.
Last Prowler to be produced in February
DETROIT -- Rick Gallaher has one Prowler, a black one, and he was saving to buy another.
Good words live on long after the writing
DEAR ABBY: Would you please reprint the letter from Sister H.P.M. of St. Paul, Minn.? In a nation of so much unrest since Sept. 11, and the tragedies of the school shootings in the recent past, now is the time for America's teachers to take action. Sometimes one small gesture of caring is enough to let people know they are appreciated and important. -- FAITHFUL READER, MONROE, MICH.
For success, limit the stress
With Christmas over, now comes the real test -- to emerge from the holiday season no heavier than going in.
How to clean those smelly shoes
Dear Heloise: How do I treat or clean shoes that have a bad odor in them due to wearing them without socks or nylons? -- Ingrid, Via E-mail
Livestock
SOUTH ST. PAUL(AP) (USDA) -- Wednesday cattle: estimated 400.
Cash grain
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Wheat receipts Wednesday 219, a year ago 157.
A toast to years old and new
New Year's Eve is an evening of celebrating with built-in excitement-a time for well wishing, toasts, and good cheers. After all, the year that is ending is over forever. The door is shut on the year gone by, and we can fling open the one just beginning.
Plan for holiday food safety as well as pleasure
NEW YORK (AP) -- Advice on how safety precautions and planning can add to holiday pleasure really counts when it's dispensed by Norman Faiola. He can recommend things he and his family do at home, but as associate professor of nutrition and hospitality management at Syracuse University, he has even wider credibility.
Crimes
BURGLARY -- It was reported Wednesday the Todd County Community Correction office broken into. Computer equipment, a TV/VCR and a radio were taken.
Accidents
A 14-year-old Brainerd teen was injured Monday after the snowmobile he was driving struck a car on Southeast 13th Street and Industrial Park Road.
Accidents
Two people were taken to St. Joseph's Medical Center Tuesday after a one-vehicle accident that occurred at 11:25 p.m. on Highway 25 north of the Chapparral Restaurant and Lounge, the State Patrol reported.
Births
Shawn and Charity Birr, Merrifield, a boy, Trevor Marcus, 8 pounds, 10 ounces, Dec. 7, 2001. Grandparents are Duane Birr, Albany, and Sharon Birr, Albany, and Nancy Jones, Brainerd.
Metals
NEW YORK (AP) -- Spot nonferrous metal prices Tuesday.
Births
St. Joseph's Medical Center
MRI test for coronary artery disease could replace invasive, costly angiograms
A new type of imaging technique using an MRI device can detect most diseased coronary arteries, and so could spare many heart patients a more invasive, expensive and uncomfortable test, researchers say.
Brainerd, Pequot Lakes, C-I all pass school referenda
This was the year for successful school referenda for most Brainerd lakes area schools.
Terror attacks, war, anthrax dominate ranking of top news stories in 2001
From the first hijacking to the collapse of the second World Trade Center tower, the terror attacks of Sept. 11 spanned less than three hours. But the effects were profound and long-lasting, at home and around the world.
County's chief deputy, jail administrator terminated
There were two major administrative changes in the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department this year.
F2 tornado destroys homes, disrupts power
A tornado hit southeast Brainerd on June 13, destroying 20 houses and knocking out power to all of Brainerd and parts of Baxter for 25 hours.
Baxter neighborhood site of showdown with murder suspect
A tense standoff between law enforcement and a murder suspect disrupted a Baxter neighborhood on a night when many people were still digging out from the season's first major snowfall.
2001: Year in review
The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the United States were without a doubt the world's top story of 2001.
Well-known businesses expand to lakes area
By the end of 2001, the Brainerd lakes area began to reach critical mass in terms of attracting large, well-known business names to the area.
Governor opens fishing season on Pelican Lake
Gov. Jesse Ventura opened the fishing season on Pelican Lake in May 2001, a visit that brought more than 180 media representatives to the area. Some came from as far away as Florida and Michigan.
Pequot woman abducted from PR business, murdered
PINE RIVER -- On Feb. 27, Rachel Anthony, a 50-year-old Pequot Lakes resident, was abducted from the Pine River liquor store where she worked.
Terror attacks turned previous news into trivia
President Bush was in Florida, promoting plans to boost reading skills. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld declared "war on bureaucracy" at the Pentagon. Health groups were busy on the eve of "National 9-1-1 Day" -- meant to raise awareness about heart attacks.
Lakes area loses several notable residents
The Brainerd lakes area lost several prominent community members in 2001, including resort pioneers James Madden and Sherm Kavanaugh; Bataan Death March survivor Russell Swearingen; Central Lakes College Theatre volunteer Ione Mc
Universal Pensions founder sells area company
Drive along Golf Course Road in Baxter and a familiar sign now bears a different name as the letters announcing Universal Pensions have been replaced by BISYS.
Desperately seeking normal, America trudges on
There is no pill to undo evil, no magic word to resurrect the good old days when jetliners didn't turn into bombs and anthrax didn't come in the mail. Since Sept. 11, America has struggled to find a new normal, one that could wrap itself around the sharp edges of terror and war.
Seven drownings occur in Crow Wing, Aitkin counties
Area drownings were down in 2001; however, seven people drowned in Crow Wing and Aitkin counties this year.
This was Brainerd
20 years ago (1981) - Brainerd's Warriorettes are the defending champions, having posted 53-33 and 57-39 wins over Crosby-Ironton and Moorhead in last year's meet, heading into the opening round of the Paul Bunyan Girls' Basketball Tournament tonight.
Local briefs
The Brainerd-Crow Wing County Regional Airport Commission will meet 10 a.m. Jan. 2 in the airport conference room.
This was Brainerd
20 years ago (1981)-Debbie Pappas of Star Route, Deerwood, submitted the winning slogan among 175 entries in the Brainerd Area Chamber of Commerce's two-week contest. The slogan, is "Any season, for any reason, meet in Brainerd..." The slogan will be used for promotional purposes.
DOUBLE HOMICIDE
Authorities are investigating the deaths of a husband and wife, who were found shot to death in their bed on Christmas Eve at their rural Brainerd home.
COMING FRIDAY
Brainerd's new city planner/community development coordinator, Mike Brethorst, started work Dec. 17. Read more about his work in Friday's Dispatch.
Infant's death investigated
RIVERTON -- The death Tuesday of a 2-week-old Riverton boy is being investigated by the Crow Wing County Sheriff's Department.
Ross: Killings weren't random
Although investigators today are still searching for the person or persons responsible for the murder of a Brainerd area husband and wife found on Christmas Eve, Crow Wing County Sheriff Dick Ross said he does not believe the killings were random.
Neighbors are left stunned by deaths of the Bieganeks
The chocolate chip cookies were baked, and Marge Erickson was all ready to take a plateful of the homemade cookies next door to her neighbors on Christmas Eve.
Goodbye, tresses
BAXTER -- Heidi and Misty Evans begged their mom, Sue Evans, for years to let them cut their hair.
Unexploded U.S. bombs add to deadly legacy of war in Afghanistan
WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S.-led coalition strikes in Afghanistan are complicating the task of clearing the remnants of two decades of conflict: unexploded bombs.
JonBenet's death still mystery
BOULDER, Colo. -- Five years have passed since 6-year-old JonBenet Ramsey was found strangled in the basement of her family's home, and police have yet to charge anyone in the death of the child beauty queen.
Olympic organizers say no lockers for guns at games
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Gun-rights activists who grudgingly agreed to a ban on firearms at the 2002 Winter Olympics were angered to learn the venues will not have gun storage lockers.
War gives new life to plan to topple Saddam
WASHINGTON -- Three years ago, the man who is now White House counterterrorism chief drew up a plan for the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. It was never implemented, but from today's perspective, the strategy devised by retired Army Gen. Wayne Downing for toppling a tyrannical regime has a familiar-sounding ring to it.
Unmanned plane found wrecked after it took off by itself
PETALUMA, Calif. (AP) -- Authorities Thursday morning found the wreckage of a small plane that broke from its moorings at a rural Sonoma County airstrip and took off without a pilot.
New airport security procedures take foothold
WASHINGTON -- Jolted by a weekend incident on a trans-Atlantic flight, airport security agents began implementing a new federal order on Monday to check for weapons in the shoes of travelers.
U.S. avoids POW tag for captives, but allows Red Cross access
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The United States is reserving the right to try al-Qaida and Taliban captives on its own terms and isn't calling them "prisoners of war," although the Red Cross says it is getting full access to them for now.
Double play Giuliani nears dseal with Yankees, Mets for new ballparks
NEW YORK (AP) -- The New York Yankees and Mets could make their biggest off-season acquisitions with the help of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani: a pair of new $800 million stadiums.
Mets trying to complete Vaughn trade
NEW YORK (AP) -- It's up to Mo Vaughn and the Mets to complete a trade that would bring him to New York and send pitcher Kevin Appier to the Anaheim Angels.
Floyd resigns as Bulls coach
DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP) -- Tim Floyd isn't sure if he wants to coach again. And after three-plus seasons with the Chicago Bulls, who can blame him.
Bonds is Male Athlete of Year
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- In a record-breaking season capped by major awards, one home run was especially significant to Barry Bonds.
Georgia Tech denies hiring Dolphins' Gailey
ATLANTA (AP) -- Georgia Tech said Tuesday it still is negotiating to hire Miami Dolphins offensive coordinator Chan Gailey as the Yellow Jackets' football coach.
Longtime AL umpire Hank Soar dies at 87
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (AP) -- Hank Soar, a longtime American League umpire who worked at five World Series and a standout football player for the New York Giants earlier in his career, died at age 87.
Howell, Gilder win rookie awards
ONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- Charles Howell III was chosen as the PGA Tour's Rookie of the Year, while Bob Gilder was picked for the same award on the Senior PGA Tour.
Tagliabue No. 1, President Bush No. 9 on most powerful list
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue was chosen Wednesday by The Sporting News as the most powerful person in sports, heading a list that also includes President Bush.
Utah dumps Southern Cal
LAS VEGAS (AP) -- Pete Carroll thought he had Southern California heading in the right direction at the end of his first season as coach.
Stanford helps usher in Seattle Bowl
SEATTLE (AP) -- The last time Stanford played in Seattle, the Cardinal lost to Washington in a game that all but knocked Stanford out of the Pac-10 race.
Harvey Martin dies
GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) -- When the Dallas Cowboys drafted Harvey Martin as a virtual unknown out of East Texas State University in 1973, he was a mild-mannered defensive end who used to help fallen foes to their feet.
Preparing for bowls can be a mystifying experience
Bobby Bowden was still an assistant coach in those days, the offensive coordinator at West Virginia. The Mountaineers were getting ready to play South Carolina in the 1969 Peach Bowl, and Bowden put in a call to Darrell Royal, the legendary coach at Texas.
Nuggets awaiting word on Issel's future
DENVER (AP) -- Dan Issel is scheduled to meet with general manager Kiki Vandeweghe on Wednesday amid reports that he will resign as coach of the Denver Nuggets.
Buffalo gets a white Christmas -- and how!
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Bernie Dolan wiped the snow off his car after Christmas Eve mass and gave a qualified endorsement.
Roy notches his 500th victory with shutout
DALLAS (AP) -- Patrick Roy earned his 500th victory in style.
Viola Groenhoff
CROSSLAKE -- Viola Groenhoff, 81, Crosslake, died Friday, Dec. 21, 2001, at her home.
Edith Guritz
NISSWA -- Edith Guritz, 79, Nisswa, died Monday, Dec. 24, 2001, at home.
Emerson Chapman
STAPLES -- Emerson Chapman, 71, Staples, died today, Dec. 26, 2001, at Greater Staples Care Center in Staples.
Louise M. Sundquist
Louise M. Sundquist, 90, Brainerd, died Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2001, at Bethany Good Samaritan Village.
Olga K. Tangen Schoeman
CHICAGO -- Olga K. Tangen Schoeman, 92, Chicago, died Monday, Dec. 24, 2001, at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park, Ill.
Darlene E. Smith
FARGO, N.D. -- Darlene Eldora Smith, 51, Ottertail, formerly of Wadena, died Monday, Dec. 24, 2001, at MeritCare Hospital in Fargo, N.D., of cancer.
Theodore 'Ted' Bieganek
Theodore "Ted" Bieganek, 68, Brainerd, died Monday, Dec. 24, 2001.
Paul R. Kedrowski
LONG PRAIRIE-- Paul R. Kedrowski, 70, Long Prairie, died Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2001, at St. Gabriel's Hospital in Little Falls.
Leo J. Salzbrun
HILLMAN -- Leo J. Salzbrun, 88, Hillman, died Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2001, at Mille Lacs Nursing Home in Onamia.
Leo J. Salzbrun
ONAMIA -- Leo J. Salzbrun, 88, Onamia, formerly of Hillman, died Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2001, at the Mille Lacs Nursing Home in Onamia.
Ethel (Warner) Caughey
EL SOBRANTE, Calif. -- Ethel (Warner) Caughey, 84, El Sobrante, Calif., formerly of Brainerd, died Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2001.
Lola Semmler
LONGVILLE -- Lola Semmler, 71, Longville, died Monday, Dec. 24, 2001, at her home.
Angeline 'Angie' K. Bieganek
Angeline "Angie" Katherine Bieganek, 64, Brainerd, died Monday, Dec. 24, 2001.
Brian C. Korte
ONAMIA -- Brian Christopher Korte, 21, St. Louis Park, formerly of Onamia, died Sunday, Dec. 23, 2001, as the result of an automobile accident.
Louise M. Sundquist
Louise M. Sundquist, 90, Brainerd, died Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2001, at Bethany Good Samaritan Village.
Margaret J. Horvath-MacDiarmid
McGREGOR -- Margaret Josephine Horvath-MacDiarmid, 83, McGregor, died Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2001, at the Riverwood Extended Care Center in Aitkin.
Virgil S. Ross
Virgil S. Ross, 85, Brainerd, died Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2001, at Woodland Good Samaritan Village in Brainerd.
Bertha M. Kocinski
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Bertha M. Kocinski, 91, Anaheim, Calif., formerly of Onamia, died Friday, Dec. 21, 2001, in Anaheim.
Gladys D. McAllister
PINE RIVER -- Gladys Delores McAllister, 96, Pine River, died Monday, Dec. 24, 2001, at Whispering Pines Good Samaritan Center in Pine River.
Theodore 'Ted' Bieganek
Theodore "Ted" Bieganek, Brainerd, died Monday, Dec. 24, 2001.
Gladys McAllister
PINE RIVER -- Gladys McAllister, 96, Pine River, died Monday, Dec. 24, 2001, at Whispering Pines Good Samaritan Center in Pine River.
Angeline 'Angie' Bieganek
Angeline "Angie" Bieganek, Brainerd, died Monday, Dec. 24, 2001.
John G. Hopping
John G. 'Jack' Hopping, 82, Brainerd, died Monday, Dec. 24, 2001, at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Brainerd.
Edith Guritz
NISSWA -- Edith Guritz, 79, Nisswa, died Monday, Dec. 24, 2001, at her home.
Oz Wik
PALM BEACH SHORES, Fla. -- Oz Wik, 86, Palm Beach Shores, Fla., formerly of Brainerd, died Dec. 19, 2001.
Virgil S. Ross
LAKE HUBERT -- Virgil S. Ross, 85, Lake Hubert, died Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2001, at Woodland Good Samaritan Village in Brainerd.
Lenora L. Lamoureux
Lenora L. Lamoureux, 91, Brainerd, died Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2001, at St. Joseph's Medical Center.
Adam L. Van Batavia
VERNDALE -- Adam L. Van Batavia, 21, Verndale, died Monday, Dec. 24, 2001, at the Meritcare Hospital in Fargo, N.D., as the result of a motor vehicle and train accident in Verndale.
Emerson E. Chapman
STAPLES -- Emerson Ellsworth Chapman, 71, Staples, died Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2001, at the Greater Staples Care Center in Staples.
Geraldine Dyer
LITTLE FALLS -- Geraldine Dyer, 72, Little Falls, died Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2001, at her home.
Lola Semmler
BACKUS -- Lola Semmler, 71, Backus, died Monday, Dec. 24, 2001, at home.
Joe Schmelzer
LITTLE FALLS -- Joe Schmelzer, 69, Little Falls, died Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2001, at his home.
Dora M. Bartz
Dora M. Bartz, 78, Brainerd, formerly of Coon Rapids, died Sunday, Dec. 23, 2001.
Gail Lindquist
PINE RIVER -- Gail Lindquist, 64, Pine River, died Thursday, Dec. 27, 2001, at Whispering Pines Good Samaritan Center in Pine River.
Ruby A. Quick
HENNING -- Ruby Alveeda Quick, 64, Henning, died Dec. 24, 2001, at the Lake Region Hospital in Fergus Falls.
Catherine M. Janson
PIERZ -- Catherine M. Janson, 85, Pierz, died Saturday, Dec. 22, 2001, at Pierz Villa in Pierz.
Lewis retiring but not shy
When Ronald Reagan delivered his ``evil empire'' speech about the Soviet Union nearly two decades ago, New York Times columnist Anthony Lewis debunked the speech, saying that the notion of evil was not a proper metaphor in our modern, sophisticated world.
Open Forum
When the price of gasoline finally goes down why do we want to raise the state tax on gasoline? It makes no sense to me. I am a taxpayer so why do we need to raise the tax on gasoli
Schools need an upgrade
School facilities in the Brainerd School District need an upgrade. As a communi
OTHER OPINIONS School funding
It came as no surprise to Minnesotans last week when state education officials forecast drastic cuts in many Minnesota schools.
Message to adults: Time to grow up
Recently, after a football referee's crucial call at the end of a game turned some Cleveland Browns fans into a bottle-flinging mob, a lot of people lamented the crowd's contemptible behavior. The sight of players and officials scurrying off the field to safety conjured up the worst images of Europe's soccer hooligans. But even more disturbing was how top management reacted initially. "It wasn't pleasant," owner Al Lerner said. "But it wasn't World War III." Team president Carmen Policy went further: "I like the fact that our fans cared. The bottles are plastic. They don't carry much of a wallop."
Failed bill stimulated partisanship
Shed no tears for the demise of the economic stimulus plan in Congress last week. Bloated and extravagantly expensive, the bill promised little benefit for the economy even as it threatened great harm to the federal treasury. It amply deserved its burial.
Don't drink and watch
To hear NBC's explanation for its decision to start accepting distilled liquor ads, you'd think the network was performing a valuable public service. Network president Randy Falco, writing on the op-ed page last week in response to criticism, averred that the real purpose of the policy change is to "set the bar high" for standards in TV liquor advertising, a quickly expanding market that -- did he mention? -- is also quite lucrative. It's nice to know that NBC-approved hard-liquor ads will contain no actors or models under 30, that they will devote one in five dollars to themes such as the tragedy of alcohol abuse and that they will not suggest that alcohol consumption is glamorous, relieves stress, enhances sexual prowess or serves as a rite of passage. Still, no advertiser would take on these obligations and prohibitions unless it felt it could still convey one simple message: Buy this excellent product!
Open Forum
I'm very interested in how the U.S. public is responding to the captured American Taliban fighter. I feel he should be treated worse than our other enemies. There are a variety of reasons I think this and they all focus on the fact that he betrayed our country.
Mass' rookie sprint car success no surprise to Rager
One racer who won't be surprised if Dave Mass, a former Wissota Street Stock National points champion and the Wissota Super Stock points champion at Princeton Speedway this season, wins the 2002 Wissota Championship Sprint Series Rookie of the Year honor will be Roger Rager of Pequot Lakes.
Four die in head-on collision near Elgin
ELGIN, Minn. (AP) -- Four people died and another person was injured in the head-on collision of a car and a pickup on a state highway Wednesday afternoon.
Southwest State professor dies in crash
FAIRMONT (AP) -- A psychology professor at Southwest State University in Marshall was killed when she lost control of her car and collided with a pickup truck in southern Minnesota, the State Patrol said. Catharine Cowan, 55, died around noon Saturday on I-90.
Cushing woman dies after two-vehicle accident
STAPLES -- A 42-year-old woman from Cushing died at 5:33 p.m. Sunday as a result of a two-vehicle accident, reported the State Patrol.
University scientists probe ancient forest in Eagan dig project
EAGAN (AP) -- Well-diggers discovered tiny chunks of wood 300 feet underground that scientists believe is evidence of an ancient spruce forest from a time when woolly mammoths roamed Minnesota.
A gift of reading Eye-training program corrects Sauk Rapids girl's reading problems
SAUK RAPIDS (AP) -- For 10-year-old Samantha Janson, Christmas came in the middle of July.
Child protection hearings and records to be open to public
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Beginning July 1, most hearings and records in child protection matters will be open to the public, the Minnesota Supreme Court ordered Wednesday.
Western Minnesotans study trouble spots for snow on roads
WILLMAR (AP) -- Kandiyohi County's snow plow operators are attacking the worst spots for snow drifts with scientific rigor and the art of persuasion.
Man spends 19 years indexing immigrant naturalization
CHISHOLM (AP) -- Conrad Peterzen took 19 years to finish a single job.
Crime-fighting computer network fights for funds
ST. PAUL (AP) -- An innovative computer network poised to take off with a newly hired executive director is in limbo as budget woes threaten grant-based government-financed projects.
Despite winter's warm start, more Minnesotans seek help on heat
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Despite winter's warm start and a sharp drop in natural gas prices, more Minnesotans are behind on their utility bills than at this time last year.
Group looking to bring student housing to St. Paul's innercity
ST. PAUL (AP) -- A St. Paul community group is looking to add a new dimension to University Avenue that fits its name -- campus-style student housing.
Lawmakers eye Blue Cross' tobacco funds
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Several state lawmakers think the money an insurer won in a settlement with tobacco companies should be used to help hospitals prepare for bioterrorism and other emergencies.
Feedback planned on insurer's plan for using tobacco money
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Minnesotans will have a chance next month to comment on Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota's plans to spend the $412 million it will receive from its 1998 settlement with tobacco companies.
In two rulings, Appeals Court narrows criteria for DWI arrests
ST. PAUL (AP) -- In two rulings Wednesday, the state Court of Appeals narrowed the conditions under which suspected drunken drivers may be pulled over.
Raiders' freshman adapting to college competition
When an athlete makes the jump from high school to college athletics the expectations usually aren't too high as they try to adapt to a higher level of play.
Local sports short
The first home Golden Gloves Boxing card of the season is scheduled 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Wadena National Guard Armory.
Scoreboard
BOYS BASKETBALL
Warrior girls skate into semifinals of Holiday Cup
BLAINE -- Macala Campbell scored two goals to help the Brainerd Warriors girls' hockey team to a 4-0 victory over Fort Francis, Ontario, in the opening round of the Minnesota Holiday Cup Yellow Division tournament Wednesday.
Aitkin is a surprise this season
If you attend only one area prep holiday tournament the one to watch may be the Aitkin Quarterbacks Club boys' basketball tournament.
Scoreboard
GIRLS HOCKEY
Bouman ready to try full practice
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Vikings quarterback Todd Bouman practiced without pads Wednesday and threw sparingly as he continued to recover from a sprained ligament in his right thumb.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO READ THIS STORY IF YOU DON'T WANT TO
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Vikings receiver Cris Carter says he was insulted when teammate Randy Moss said he only plays "when I want to play."
Red Wings, Wild battle to 3-3 tie
ST. PAUL (AP) -- When the Detroit Red Wings assembled an All-Star lineup of free-agent talent, complacency might have become their worst enemy.
Issel resigns; Wolves prevail
DENVER (AP) -- For Chauncey Billups, the sight of the Denver Nuggets in disarray is a painful one. Their fans undoubtedly feel some of the same pain.
2001 goes into the books as a wild year in Minnesota sports
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The year 2001 was by no means a normal one for Minnesota sports. But maybe that's a paradox.
Watkins will bid for Twins
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Alabama businessman Donald Watkins has made official his intentions to buy the contraction-targeted Minnesota Twins.
Best music
Weekly charts for the nation's best-selling recorded music as they appear in this week's issue of Billboard magazine. Reprinted with permission.
Ring in 2002
Live music will be on tap at most of the area's best-known watering holes on New Year's Eve, and some have expanded their live entertainment fare throughout the long weekend.
Holiday celebrations listed
Tourism events around Minnesota, as provided by the Minnesota Office of Tourism. For more information, visit http://www.exploreminnesota.com or call (800) 657-3700 or (651) 296-5029 in the Twin Cities area.
AP critics pick their 10 favorite films of 2001
AP reviewers David Germain and Christy Lemire offer their (very different) lists of favorite movies from 2001:
Fine Arts Student of the Week
Emily Bollum doesn't think of herself as a creative writer, but literature instructors beg to differ.
Filmmaker hopes to shoot movie in lakes area, with help from Babe Winkelman
If enthusiasm alone could complete a film project, "Lake Desire" would be well on its way to neighborhood theaters.
Entertainment Calendar
For week of Dec. 27-Jan. 2; bands perform from 9 p.m. to close with no cover unless otherwise noted.
Take in a movie
Another long holiday weekend, as well as Christmas break for students, may mean more people at the movie theaters.
In the music world, 2001 provided plenty of the wacky and the tacky to keep us all entertained all year long
At the end of the year, it's customary to look back and make lists: who sold the most albums, who had the biggest song, the best tour and so forth.
Final 'Harry Potter' chapter already written
LONDON (AP) -- J.K. Rowling has three books to go in her hugely popular "Harry Potter" series, but she said she's already written the final chapter.
'Fellowship' lords over weekend box-office with No. 1 opening
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Hobbits were lords of the box office as the opening chapter of J.R.R. Tolkien's epic fantasy took in $45.3 million Friday to Sunday for an easy No. 1 debut.
Wisconsin state forecast
Lake snow advisory today for the lake superior snowbelt...
Iowa state forecast
Today...Mostly cloudy with scattered flurries. A chance of light snow east. Highs from 15 to 30.
Minnesota state forecast
today...Mostly cloudy with a chance of light snow or flurries. Highs in the teens.
God Bless America
Weather drawing by Jessica Knoll of Mrs. Larson's fifth grade class at Harrison school.
Minnesota state forecast
today...Mostly cloudy. A chance of light snow or flurries north and east. Highs in the teens north to middle 20s southwest.
State forecast for north dakota
Today...Windy. Becoming mostly sunny west. A chance of light snow east. Highs in the 20s.
State forecast for south dakota
High wind warning this afternoon and tonight most of northwest...
State forecast for south dakota
Today...Cloudy north and east with scattered flurries and patchy light freezing drizzle ending later this morning...Becoming partly sunny and breezy over the state in the afternoon. Highs in the mid 20s northeast to 40 to 45 southwest.
State forecast for north dakota
Today...Becoming windy west and central with a chance of snow and light freezing drizzle. Scattered snow showers east. Highs in the teens northeast to 35 southwest.
Winter bows in
Weather drawing by Mikaela Allord of Gayle Kub's first grade class at Lowell school.
Wisconsin state forecast
Lake snow advisories and winter weather advisories today and tonight for the lake superior snowbelt...
The Weather Elsewhere
Wednesday
Iowa state forecast
Today...Partly sunny. Scattered flurries. Freezing drizzle possible west. Highs in the mid 20s to mid 30s.
The Weather Elsewhere
Thursday
Shoppers flock to malls, but retail outlook remains bleak
NEW YORK (AP) -- Bargain-hunters headed to malls the day after Christmas as merchants slashed prices even further to clear out products from the holiday season. But even if sales are brisk this week, it probably won't save retailers from their worst shopping season in a decade.
Names and faces
NORTH VANCOUVER, Canada (AP) -- Clint Eastwood's 8-year-old daughter and his former girlfriend escaped a Christmas morning house fire.
Names and faces
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Billy Bob Thornton said he and Halle Berry got through their intense, explicit love scene in the movie "Monster's Ball" because they both have stable personal lives off-camera.
Ingredient warning
Dear Heloise: You might want to alert your readers to read all ingredient labels if they are allergic to particular foods.
Father of flower girl finds no bed of roses at home
DEAR ABBY: My nephew is being married in a few months and has asked my 7-year-old daughter, "Shelley," to be the flower girl in his wedding. He is her godfather.
For Finland, euro means more than change in currency
HELSINKI, Finland -- For Finland, a country smaller than Montana on the northeastern fringe of the European Union, the euro is much more than a change of currency.
Thousands of Australian animals killed by fires
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Thousands of wild animals, including koalas, kangaroos, birds and reptiles, are thought to have been killed or injured by bush fires that have razed national parks in Australia's largest state, officials said Thursday.
Europe's blind have a greater challenge than most in getting familiar with the euro
PARIS -- In a class for blind and visually impaired children, 9-year-old Gregoire Bouchetout traces his fingertips over a few euro coins, searching for tiny notches and raised patterns that will help him tell them apart.
Leader of the London mosque Reid attended says he warned police of radical recruitment
LONDON (AP) -- Police failed to act on warnings that Islamic radicals were recruiting young Muslims at a south London mosque once attended by a man who is now suspected of trying to detonate explosives aboard an airliner, the mosque's leader said Thursday.
Pakistani analysts cite Taliban, al-Qaida blunders
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- The sudden collapse of the Taliban and its al-Qaida terrorist guests in Afghanistan stunned Pakistani military analysts, who now say the groups' leaders made enormous tactical blunders.
India bans Pakistan from airspace
NEW DELHI, India -- India banned Pakistan's national airline from entering Indian airspace and ordered half of Pakistan's embassy staff out of the country Thursday in new sanctions amid heightening tensions between the two nuclear-armed rivals.
Mass attempt by refugees to cross Channel Tunnel ends with tear gas and arrests
SANGATTE, France -- Hundreds of refugees living in an overcrowded Red Cross center on the English Channel coast gathered Christmas evening to plot their risky escape to Britain.
Bin Laden defends terrorism in latest tape
CAIRO, Egypt -- As the United States hunts Osama bin Laden, he appeared on a videotape apparently made in recent weeks in which he once again comes close to claiming responsibility for the Sept. 11 terror attacks as well as for the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa.
Combing of caves continues
PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- Afghan soldiers carrying U.S.-supplied satellite telephones and a new short list of the al-Qaida members most wanted by the United States combed the caves of Afghanistan's Tora Bora region on Tuesday, searching for the bodies of Arab terrorists.
Shoe-bomb suspect attended same mosque as Moussaoui
LONDON -- The man who allegedly tried to blow up a trans-Atlantic flight with explosives hidden in his shoes attended the same London mosque as Zacarias Moussaoui, the Frenchman charged with conspiracy in connection with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Jets fly near border, missiles in place as war talk pervades India
NEW DELHI, India -- India said its missiles were "in position," and air force jets flew near the Pakistan border every few minutes Wednesday as the two nuclear-armed nations prepared for a war both say they don't want.
Dutch aim to lead euro-way
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) -- After spending 776 years together it should be hard to say goodbye. But the down-to-earth Dutch expect the death of the guilder to be quick and unmourned.
Actor Hawthorne dies
LONDON (AP) -- Sir Nigel Hawthorne, the actor known round the world as Machiavellian civil servant Sir Humphrey in the British television series "Yes, Minister," died Wednesday. He was 72.
Despite fighting, Israeli, Palestinian commanders work for truce
JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israeli troops exchanged fire with Palestinian gunmen in a West Bank town Wednesday and arrested 17 suspected militants during a separate incursion into a Palestinian village.
Wildfires menace suburbs of Sydney; thousands evacuated
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Wildfires have forced nearly 3,000 people from their homes in southeastern Australia, menacing the suburbs of Sydney and blanketing the city with a haze Wednesday.