Friday, December 29, 2000

Babe Ruth's convertible is up for auction
Utilizing the Internet as a hunting ground for antique and collectible autos is part of today's world, and the technology has also spawned a continuing growth trend for buying vintage cars at live online auctions.

Back up your car claims: IRS may ask for proof of donated vehicle's value
The idea has great curb appeal: Give your old car to a charity, take a tax deduction, and raise money for a good cause -- perhaps even help train poor people in a marketable trade.

Kia Optima: Luxury at an economy price
Looking for a well-equipped family sedan with luxury features and a smooth V6? For less than $23,000?

Poor Oldsmobile
Oldsmobile's smallest and least expensive car is OK -- an all-around decent performer reasonably priced and easy to live with. But poor Oldsmobile, whose obituary I had to write on the day I turned this tester back, needed cars that were better than just OK if it were to survive. But they never came and now Oldsmobile is going away forever.

Shanghaied in Shanghai
SHANGHAI, China -- Want to drive in Shanghai? Better not be too short, weak in the arms, colorblind or suffering from high blood pressure, nervousness or an inability to jump into the air with bent legs and then land without wobbling. Most of all, you cannot have a missing or broken thumb.

Cash grain
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Wheat receipts Wednesday 157, a year ago 140.

Snow could boost snowmobile industry
ST. CLOUD (AP) -- Kevin Gans has found himself working from 7 a.m. to midnight lately.

Livestock
SOUTH ST. PAUL (AP) (USDA) -- Wednesday cattle: 600.

Consumer confidence drops to lowest level in two years
NEW YORK -- Consumer confidence in December dropped to its lowest level in two years, an indication that consumer spending will continue to slow and hinting at future troubles for the economy, an industry group said Thursday.

Researchers say test may spot 'desk rage' potential
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Averting office massacres like the one killing seven workers in Massachusetts this week may be a matter of screening job candidates for their aggression potential, say two researchers who have developed such a test.

Cheaper mortgage rates lift existing home sales
WASHINGTON -- Cheaper mortgage rates encouraged Americans to snap up existing homes in November, pushing sales to the highest level in three months.

New jobless claims fell sharply
WASHINGTON (AP) -- New claims for state unemployment insurance fell sharply last week but still hovered at a level suggesting that employers' appetite for workers is waning a bit.

U of M's Carlson School scores high in business school ranking
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management ranked seventh out of more than 700 accredited business programs in a new ranking released by a leading management journal.

Perham pet care products business closing
PERHAM (AP) -- Employees at a pet care products company here learned Thursday that almost 150 people will lose their jobs when the plant closes in April.

Online shopping growth expected to continue
Next year there may be more parking spaces at area shops during the holiday rush.

Montgomery Wards closes
CHICAGO -- Besieged by competition from specialty retailers, Montgomery Ward, a progenitor of mail-order shopping that operated general merchandise stores in 30 states, is closing down after 128 years.

'Chalkguy' will engage teens in ministry
CROSSLAKE -- Crosslake Evangelical Free Church is ensuring that area teens have a chance to celebrate the New Year's holiday in an engaging and safe way.

Starting over
It's a new year ... a new decade ... a new century ... really, even a new millennium.

Churches
An Epiphany service and spaghetti dinner at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Brainerd is scheduled for Jan. 6. The service will begin at 5 p.m., followed by the youth group spaghetti supper.

Steeple chase: Cell phone companies woo churches as antenna sites
NEWBURY, Vt. -- If God calls, the members of the First Congregational Church will be ready -- especially if the deity uses a cell phone.

College students return home to different religious holidays
SAN FRANCISCO -- For Frank Primus, going home for the holidays can be stressful, with family religious traditions often conflicting with his beliefs.

Schools expanding ways to educate online
WASHINGTON -- A generation growing up on the Internet may now get their formal educations there -- from new schools offering kindergarten through 12th grade online.

School lunch menus
BRAINERD - TUESDAY -- No school. Teacher Inservice.

Sexually active friends hard for teen to ignore
DEAR ABBY: I have a problem. All my friends have started having sex, and I haven't even been kissed yet.

Donor labors to climb mountain of charity mail
DEAR ABBY: Please help me and others who are constantly asked to give donations. I am a university professor at retirement age; I have a modest salary. Fortunately, I am frugal and thus able to lead a comfortable life.

Needy wife, workaholic husband are disastrous combination
QUESTION: What do you consider to be the greatest threat to the stability of families today?

Holiday health tips for those with diabetes
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) -- The more than 16 million Americans who have diabetes need to think more prudently than most people about how to manage eating and exercise at the holidays and after.

Host a friendly fondue party on New Year's Eve
Do you want to spend New Year's Eve in a nice, quiet atmosphere? Bring fondue fun home to your friends and family with your own fondue party.

Sauce provides flavor in low-fat Pork 'Barbecue'
There's a secret to the easy recipe for low-fat Pork "Barbecue." The meat is quickly browned in a skillet and finished in the oven. The "barbecue" flavor comes from a sauce that is highlighted with vinegar and red pepper flakes.

Fire
A chimney fire at a residential home on Gull Lake Dam Road was extinguished before the Brainerd Fire Department arrived at the scene at 6:35 p.m. Thursday.

Crime
BAXTER -- A 36-year-old Pine River woman was arrested for writing about $10,000 in forged checks, said Dale Walz, Baxter police captain.

Correction/clarification
A Crow Wing County Board story on Page 6A Wednesday should have said that Peter Herlofsky Jr., county administrator, received $3,500 for his moving expenses.

Accidents
LITTLE FALLS -- A Little Falls woman suffered minor injuries in a two-vehicle accident at 12:39 p.m. Thursday on Highway 27, three miles east of Little Falls, the State Patrol reported.

Births
Neal and Sarah (Chaltron) Buchite, Crosby, a boy, Christian Frederick, 5 pounds, 15 ounces, Dec. 18, 2000.

Another party switch?
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Bob Lessard, the independent state senator from International Falls who quit the DFL last summer, said he might join the Republican caucus.

Wisconsin governor picked for Cabinet
WASHINGTON -- President-elect Bush filled four Cabinet posts Friday. He named the Houston school superintendent to be secretary of education, a former Colorado attorney general as head of the Interior Department, a Vietnam veteran to become secretary of veterans affairs and Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson to be secretary of health and human services.

Public safety commissioner won't seek job
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Charlie Weaver would prefer to stick with his job as public safety commissioner instead of pursuing the post of Minnesota's U.S. attorney.

Bush to announce top administration posts
WASHINGTON -- President-elect Bush returned to Washington on Thursday to resume building his new administration, planning the first personnel nominations in nearly a week.

Texas Senate must vote openly for lieutenant governor
AUSTIN, Texas -- The Texas Senate cannot choose an acting lieutenant governor in secret, a judge ruled in agreeing with the open-government principles argued by several publications.

Bush names Rumsfeld to head Pentagon
WASHINGTON -- President-elect George W. Bush on Thursday unexpectedly nominated former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, who has championed a national missile-defense system and is a veteran of two Republican administrations, to head the Pentagon again.

Nifty gadgets plentiful at The Container Store
You'll need a big container to carry all the nifty gadget gifts you can find at The Container Store.

Designer works wonders inside J-45
The front entrance of Design J-45, pictured a bit optimistically here as flat and well lit, is actually dark, narrow and elegant as an alley.

With winter barely begun, nation already hurt by high home heating costs
LOUDON, N.H. -- Ric Winters took his children out to cut down a tree. But instead of decorating it for Christmas, they used it for firewood.

Disney paint line features 168 hues, from deep brights to subtle lights
Disney Enterprises Inc. is billing its new paint colors as "the next best thing to a magic wand," and if you have some household elves who know how to paint walls and ceilings you might agree.

Choosing roof requires decisions about style, color
When putting on a new roof, you have a few decisions to make. First, you must choose a style and color that best suit your home's architectural style.

It's important to have fire escape plan
Fire has been a No. 1 household danger ever since our prehistoric ancestors got the idea of bringing fire indoors for cave heating and woolly mammoth cooking.

North Brainerd home features simple yet historical style
The Rezacs' craftsman home that borders Gregory Park traces its history to an expressive but simple architectural design.

Housing briefs
Lynn Roettele joined MidAmerica Mortgage Corp. as a loan officer. She is a Hamline University graduate with a degree in business management and pre-law. She has more than six years of customer service experience.

Wadena home tour costs donated to area stocking fund
WADENA -- The Wadena holiday home tour Dec. 8 included six homes -- Jon and Patricia Johnson, Bonnie Kingsley, Robert and Deb Yarwood, Patrick and Jill Boline, David Line and Mildred Uselman.

Watch houseplants
Monitor houseplants for various pests, namely mealybug, spider mites, aphids, whitefly and thrips, says the University of Maryland Home and Garden Information Center.

Notable events of 2000 in Minnesota
Some of the notable events in Minnesota in 2000:

Handmade quilt is good therapy for man
Several times a day while sitting in his wheelchair, George Schuster gazes at the computerized photographs that fill most of the tiny squares on the quilt that hangs in his room at Bethany Good Samaritan Village in Brainerd.

This was Brainerd
DECEMBER 28 - 30 years ago (1970) - Brainerd appears to be entering 1971 in a fairly strong economic condition compared to the nation at large. Although unemployment compensation rolls have been growing here, employment in the city has been holding slightly above a year ago.

Local briefs
The search for the 2001 Brainerd Teacher of the Year has begun. Anyone who is currently teaching in the Brainerd School District can be nominated.

State briefs
ST. PAUL (AP) -- Minnesota's Capitol city likely won't wind up in a federal office's trash bin after all.

Steelmaker LTV files for bankruptcy protection
CLEVELAND (AP) -- Troubled steel producer LTV Corp. filed for bankruptcy protection Friday but reached a stopgap financing deal that averted an outright shutdown.

Steelworkers settle on plant closing
AURORA (AP) -- Steelworkers who will lose their jobs when LTV Steel Corp. closes its plant in Hoyt Lakes overwhelmingly approved a closure agreement with the company.

Minnesotais 17th fastest-growing state
ST. PAUL -- Minnesota is one of the few Upper Midwest states that won't lose a congressional seat when the next Congress is elected, according to Census Bureau figures released Thursday.

Famed style
Arts and craft architecture shines in a 1922 Gregory Park home with an emphasis on a simplified lifestyle. Look for the story in Friday's Housing section.

Junior Kix, Kixters to perform at Outback Bowl
TAMPA, Fla. -- Twenty-two members of the Brainerd Junior Kix and Brainerd High School Kixters are in Tampa, Fla., and will perform during the pregame and half-time shows during the Outback Bowl on New Year's Day.

Sober cab
Brainerd Area Taxi cabs are expected to be in full force Sunday, New Year's Eve. Look for the story on the business Sunday.

Attorney general sues Fleet Mortgage over data sharing
ST. PAUL -- Boston-based Fleet Mortgage Corp. shared customers' account numbers and other personal information with telemarketers and profited by the companies' deceptive marketing schemes, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday by Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch.

Community foundation established in LF
LITTLE FALLS -- A community foundation was established in Little Falls to gather and distribute charitable gifts to benefit the area.

Armed robbery investigated
ROYALTON -- The Royalton Police Department and the Morrison County Sheriff's Department are investigating an armed robbery that occurred just after 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Royal 66 convenience store in Royalton.

Big portion of storm goes south, but driving is slow in lakes area
Snow, snow and more snow caused residents in the Brainerd lakes area to drive a little slower to work or other destinations this morning.

Minge bill seeks compensation for World War II prisoners
ST. PETER (AP) -- Rep. David Minge has introduced legislation that would compensate U.S. prisoners of war held by the Japanese at Bataan and Corregidor during World War II.

Police chase leads to suit against Duluth
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A former Minnesota-Duluth student has filed a $1 million lawsuit against the city, claiming a police officer sicked a dog on him, causing him to fall over a 35-foot cliff.

Area blood drives set next month
Winter storms in the past have caused bloodmobile collections to be canceled.

Local briefs
Douglas Pulak, Brainerd, recently has served communities in California and throughout eight other western states as a member of the Western Region campus of AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps.

Bag limits, stricter penalties top outdoors agenda
ST. PAUL -- Bag limits and stricter penalties for hunters and anglers who take much more game than they should are likely to top the list of environmental issues up for debate this legislative session.

This was Brainerd
DECEMBER 29 - 40 years ago (1960) - At least 24 people from Brainerd will be sitting in the Rose Bowl watching the Minnesota Gophers play the Washington Huskies.

Minnesota Landscape Arboretum receives $10 million gift
CHANHASSEN (AP) -- An anonymous donor has given $10 million to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum to help build a new visitor center.

Ten-year surplus estimate grows to $1.9 trillion
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The projected budget surpluses just keep growing and growing. President Clinton on Thursday estimated a $1.9 trillion bounty over the next decade -- a figure that he said could eliminate the publicly held federal debt by 2010 if there are only moderate tax cuts and modest increases in spending.

Plague of noisy frogs drives Hawaii residents batty
HONOLULU (AP) -- Larry Stevens lives in a secluded rain forest on the east side of the Big Island, a quiet spot where he once enjoyed the peaceful, gentle sounds of nature.

Clinton says big steps taken toward peace
WASHINGTON -- President Clinton, still seeking a Mideast peace agreement to cap his eight years in office, said Israeli and Palestinian leaders were "closer than they have ever been before" to reaching a settlement.

Investigators seek answers as suspect held without bail
BOSTON -- A software engineer accused of methodically gunning down seven co-workers is being held without bail as investigators try to figure out what may have made him snap.

Koala-kidnapping teens face felony charges, but animals are OK
Acting on an anonymous tip, San Francisco police early Thursday recovered two female koalas snatched from the city's zoo and returned them to their ecstatic keepers.

281,421,906
WASHINGTON -- Arizona, Texas, Florida and Georgia gained two seats in the House, while New York and Pennsylvania lost two as the Census Bureau unveiled the first results from this year's national head count that will be used to reassign the 435 House seats among the states.

Seven killed in Philadelphia shooting
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Four people wearing masks burst into a dilapidated rowhouse where drugs were being sold and opened fire, killing six men and a woman and wounding three, police said.

California utilities seek help from regulators
SAN FRANCISCO -- Two giant utilities battered toward bankruptcy by a haywire wholesale market are pleading for permission to forgo deregulation constraints and sharply raise rates.

Couple gets $100 as spirit of Christmas gift
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) -- A man and woman celebrated the spirit of Christmas by giving to a couple they didn't know $100.

Alleged shooter remembered in contradictory ways
BOSTON -- To high school classmates, Michael McDermott was Mike Martinez, a gregarious class clown with a love for acting and a sense of the dramatic.

Judge approves McVeigh's request to end appeals, get execution date
DENVER (AP) -- Timothy McVeigh could be put to death as early as May now that a federal judge has granted the convicted Oklahoma City bomber's request to drop all appeals and get a prompt execution date. McVeigh's father said his son concluded "it might as well be sooner than later."

More states list prisoners on Web
WASHINGTON -- A growing trend to place criminal and prison records on the Internet has civil liberties groups worried that governments might violate privacy safeguards by putting lawbreakers on public display.

Rivers set to cap stellar freshman season
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -- Minnesota has looked at No. 17 on film all week and can't believe he's a freshman. The Golden Gophers aren't alone. North Carolina State has been wondering all season about Philip Rivers.

East Carolina rolls past Texas Tech
HOUSTON (AP) -- East Carolina's wake-up call came much earlier than Texas Tech's.

Grant hill out for year with ankle injury
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- After spending most of the past two months wondering when he would play again, Grant Hill finally has an answer. He's gone for the season.

Wild times: Excel center is packing in the hockey fans
ST. PAUL -- A bus trip to the Xcel Energy Center Dec. 22 confirmed that Minnesota fans are Wild about their NHL expansion franchise.

Vikings notebook
EDEN PRAIRIE (AP) -- The NFL handed another piece of the playoff puzzle to the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday.

Bowled over
Thursday, Dec. 28

Timberwolves rally
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Anthony Peeler scored 22 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves rallied to beat Atlanta 88-81 Thursday night, ending the Hawks' season-high four-game winning streak.

This year, NFL seedings mean nothing
The St. Louis Rams would be frustrated spectators if not for an unlikely win by Chicago in Detroit last weekend.

Faulk wins MVP honors for brilliant season
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Marshall Faulk spotted the rest of the league two games and still won the NFL's Most Valuable Player award easily.

Boys will be boys
NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- It took 13 years to get Florida and Miami back together on the football field and one raucous night to fire them up about their rediscovered rivalry.

Lemieux shows who's boss
PITTSBURGH -- Mario Lemieux knew.

Gophers win in OT
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Minnesota doesn't have a traditional "go-to" guy when the game is on the line. But J.B. Bickerstaff made himself that guy with eight seconds to play Thursday night.

Wild continue to show they're no pushover
DETROIT (AP) -- Some expansion teams build character by playing hard in close games. The Minnesota Wild are doing it by beating good teams.

A Rivers runs through Gophers
MIAMI (AP) -- Philip Rivers got all the inspiration he needed after a slow start in the Micronpc.com Bowl by looking to the upper deck at Pro Player Stadium.

Hearing date set for Haskins request to throw out 'U' suit
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- An attorney for Clem Haskins said he will ask a judge to throw out the University of Minnesota's lawsuit against the former Gopher men's basketball coach.

Nehlen wraps up career with bowl win
Don Nehlen and Dirk Koetter took care of some unfinished business.

NFL injury report
NEW YORK (AP) -- The National Football League injury report for this week's games, as provided by the league:

Buddy 'Paul' Selleck
STAPLES -- Buddy "Paul" Selleck, 69, Staples, died Sunday, Dec. 24, 2000, at Greater Staples Care Center.

Arthur Harting
Arthur Harting, 74, Brainerd, died Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2000, at St. Joseph's Medical Center.

Herbert K. Erickson
Herbert Kenneth Erickson, 90, Brainerd, died Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2000, at St. Joseph's Medical Center.

Philip Pikula
MERRIFIELD -- Philip Pikula, 60, Merrifield, died Thursday, Dec. 28, 2000, at North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale.

Albin F. Knutson
Albin F. Knutson, 96, Brainerd, died Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2000, at the VA Medical Center in St. Cloud.

Harry 'Pat' J. Simons
PILLAGER -- Harry "Pat" J. Simons, 83, Pillager, died Thursday, Dec. 28, 2000, at Greater Staples Care Center.

Darwin L. Goff
STAPLES -- Darwin Lee Goff, 75, Staples, died Tuesday, Dec. 26, 2000, at Greater Staples Hospital.

Matilda Barsness
GLENWOOD -- Matilda Barsness, 94, Glenwood, died Monday, Dec. 25, 2000.

James H. Converse
MOTLEY -- James H. Converse, 100, Motley, died Saturday, Dec. 16, 2000, at the Greater Staples Care Center.

Donald Davies
AITKIN -- Donald Davies, 72, Aitkin, died Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2000, at Aicota Health Care Center in Aitkin.

Susie Ann (Boyd) Patrick
McGREGOR -- Susie Ann (Boyd) Patrick, 69, McGregor, died Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2000, at St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth.

Phillip Pikula
MERRIFIELD -- Phillip Pikula, 60, Merrifield, died today, Dec. 28, 2000, at North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale.

Senators should block Ashcroft
The selection of conservative Missouri Sen. John Ashcroft to be attorney general is evidence that President-elect George W. Bush's talk of bipartisanship and conciliation is just empty rhetoric.

Time is right for Bush tax cut plan
The chorus sung by pundits and political insiders since George W. Bush became the president-elect is: Forget the tax cut. They argue that Bush has no mandate for his tax-cut proposals, which they say only help the rich. Commentators and members of both political parties, especially Democrats, have advised the president-elect to put divisive issues aside and move forward those items on his agenda that enjoy universal support, like education reform.

A gift for loyal employees
The question for this Christmas season is why a clever fellow like Bob Cratchit stayed with an old-economy company like Scrooge & Marley when he could have left and joined that exciting startup, tinytim.com.

Expense bowl - Dispatch Editorial
Once upon a time there were a handful of college football bowl games to help usher in the new year.

Public support is there for Bush, but it's conditional
WASHINGTON -- Americans tend to rally behind a new president once the race is decided, and national surveys indicate that has happened with President-elect Bush, accepted as the legitimate winner by just over two-thirds of Americans.

The Ashcroft I know
Left-wing groups are mighty upset that President-elect Bush has nominated outgoing Sen. John Ashcroft (MO-R) to become Attorney General of the United States. The reason? Ashcroft is the polar opposite of Janet Reno and her politicized Justice Department. If confirmed (and you can count on the same people who ``borked'' Robert Bork, keeping him off the Supreme Court, to try the same with Ashcroft), he will be to the Justice Department what an exorcist is to demons.

On to 2001 - Dispatch Editorial
With only one cloud on the horizon, these are exciting days for Brainerd and Baxter heading into the new year.

Open forum
As I ponder the approaching millennium, I note several fundamental flaws in Western consciousness. We believe we can continue to consume and pollute at unbridled rates with no threat of ecological or economic disaster, that there is peace in New

Greenway boys' skate past BHS
GREENWAY -- Goalie Tyler John experienced another workout during the Brainerd Warriors boys' hockey team's 6-2 loss to the third-ranked Greenway Raiders Thursday.

Aitkin wrestlers 2nd
GRAND RAPIDS -- The Aitkin Gobbler Wrestling team finished second in the Grand Rapids Skip Nalan Invitational Thursday just behind host Grand Rapids.

Hudson, Wis., defeats BHS
OAKDALE -- Hudson, Wis., shot 54 percent from the field and 83 percent at the free-throw line and went on to post a 68-47 victory over the Brainerd Warriors in the first round of the Tartan boys' basketball tournament Wednesday.

Scoreboard
Boys Basketball

Winter swim lesson registration open
The Brainerd Family YMCA has its next swim lesson schedule ready. YMCA members and community members may now register for classes.

Shooting leads to downfall of Warrior girls
ELK RIVER -- The Brainerd Warriors girls' basketball team shot just 23 percent from the floor in a 42-34 loss to St. Francis in the opening round of the Elk River holiday tournament Wednesday.

With new coach in place, Patriots look to future
AITKIN -- After the resignation of Jon Dale as head coach of the Pequot Lakes Patriots boys' basketball team uncertainty was felt by most players and community members.

Molly keeps trying to improve
Faith is instrumental in the life and athletic endeavors of Brainerd Warriors gymnast Molly Smith.

Pierz girls run mark to 7-1
Pierz girls run overall record to 7-1

Cross country ski lessons to be offered
The Northland Arboretum will offer youth cross-country skiing lessons beginning Saturday, Jan. 6.

Brainerd girls defeat Monticello
ELK RIVER -- The Brainerd Warriors girls' basketball team defeated the Monticello Magic 41-28 in the consolation semifinals of the Elk River Invitational basketball tournament Thursday.

Warrior boys score key section win against Hibbing
HIBBING -- Third-period goals by J.P. Platisha and Brian Reese lifted the Brainerd Warriors boys' hockey team to a 3-2 win over the Hibbing Bluejackets in the George Perpich Memorial Hockey Tournament Wednesday.

C-I girls fall in tourney
HIBBING --The Mountain-Iron Buhl Rangers scored only two points in the fourth quarter but were able to hang on for a 39-30 victory over Crosby-Ironton in the consolation semifinals of the Hibbing Tournament on Thursday.

Brainerd boys thump Princeton
OAKDALE -- The Brainerd Warriors boys' basketball team advanced to the consolation finals of the Tartan Tournament after defeating Princeton 77-55 Thursday.

Scoreboard
Boys Basketball

Brainerd, Monticello swimmers put on diving show
The Lumberjacks couldn't hack a trail from Bemidji down to Brainerd. The Fergus Falls and Melrose swimming and diving teams took one look at the outstate road conditions and, figuring they'd rather roll snowballs than the dice, also decided to stay home.

Unbeaten Little Falls flies high at Owatonna tourney
OWATONNA --The Little Falls Flyers drained nine three point baskets and improved to their overall record to 6-0 with a 76-58 triumph over the Owatonna Huskies in the championship game of the Owatonna Basketball Tournament on Thursday.

BHS girls 2nd
BLAINE -- The Brainerd Warriors fell 2-1 in the championship game to the St. Paul Stars in the championship game of the Blue Division of the Blaine Super Rink Invitational Thursday.

Aitkin catches Pequot off guard for tourney win
AITKIN -- With a new coach on the sidelines and a new philosophy in place the Pequot Lakes Patriots boys' basketball team took to the court Thursday in the first round of the Aitkin Quarterbacks Tournament.

Wadena-Deer Creek boys skate past Morris
WADENA -- The Wadena-Deer Creek Wolverines scored four goals in the first period on their way to a 6-2 victory over the Morris Area Tigers in the opening round of the Wadena-Deer Creek boys' hockey tournament Wednesday night.

Oakes' overtime goal lifts Warriors girls to victory
BLAINE -- Amy Oakes' power-play goal 5:05 into overtime lifted the Brainerd Warriors girls' hockey team to a 1-0 win over Fridley/Brooklyn Center in the semifinals of the Blue Division of the Holiday Cup at Schwan's SuperRink Wednesday.

Basket at buzzer lifts Pierz
CROSBY -- Adam Tschida's basket at the buzzer helped the Pierz Pioneers boys' basketball team edge Deer River 56-55 in the first round of the Crosby-Ironton tournament Wednesday.

Muehlhausen will virtually skip first year of college because of language arts skills
As a high school senior, Amanda Muehlhausen already is harvesting college benefits from her thinking and writing skills.

Celebrity moments in 2000
NEW YORK -- With the arrival of reality TV, the word "celebrity" doesn't mean much anymore. It doesn't mean you're attractive or talented or rich. You can walk around naked on a desert island or marry a man you don't know on live television and everyone will know your name.

The year in theater: 'Wild Parties,' 'Tallulah' and goodbye 'Cats'
NEW YORK -- It was the year of two "Wild Parties," three Tallulahs and, by the fall, no "Cats."

Deadline approaches for Heartland Symphony Orchestra's youth auditions
Jan. 5 is the deadline for the Heartland Symphony Orchestra's 19th annual Youth Auditions.

Tempo tidbits
The Travel and Study Grant Program of Minnesota is seeking applications for its professional development grants. Deadline for proposals from artists and arts administrators working in the nonprofit sector is March 16.

Auditions set for 'The Beauty Queen of Leenane' in Pequot
PEQUOT LAKES -- Greater Lakes Area Performing Arts is calling for actors and actresses for its late winter drama, "The Beauty Queen of Leenane."

Prints and drawings feature Biblical themes
AITKIN -- An exhibit of original prints from the Lutheran Brotherhood Collection of Religious Art -- some dating from the 15th century -- will open Jan. 9 at the Jaques Art Center in downtown Aitkin.

Hanks lands atop box office with 'Cast Away'
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- "Cast Away," starring Tom Hanks as a man stranded on an island for four years, was the top film over the four-day holiday weekend, according to studio figures released Tuesday.

Entertainment guide
Live music

Looking back at the arts in 2000, and what lies ahead
From bubble-gum pop to Dr. Seuss adaptations to a certain boy wizard, many of this year's sensations in the arts and entertainment were aimed at kids -- or at adults' nostalgia for the pop culture of their childhood. (The top boy band at year's end? The Beatles, of course.)

Heartland Symphony won't reschedule concert
The Heartland Symphony Orchestra will not reschedule its canceled winter concert.

Year 2000 definitely had its weird moments
NEW YORK -- Who let the chads out?

Tom Prin Trio to perform easy listening jazz program
PEQUOT LAKES -- The Tom Prin Trio, featuring Tom Prin on piano, Bruce Calin on bass and Bruce Wintervold on percussion, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 20, in the Pequot Lakes School Auditorium.

Ten top episodes make 'The Best of Friends'
Because you can never have too many friends, Warner Home Video is bringing six of America's best-known friends to your home video shelf.

Area night clubs to be rocking New Year's Eve
The live music scene will be in full swing this weekend as the lakes area ushers in the new year.

'Cast Away' offers good acting, interesting story line
"Cast Away" opened last weekend to popular and critical acclaim, demonstrating once again that good acting and interesting story line are a winning combination.

Heavy snow disrupts travel in state
Another winter storm pummeled Minnesota on Thursday, dropping up to nine inches of snow in some spots and complicating travel in planes, buses and cars.

Storm could drop another 6 inches on state
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- A storm crept across Minnesota Wednesday night, promising to dump another six inches of snow in the central and southern regions of the state.

The Weather Elsewhere With Tomorrow's Temperature Forecast
Temperatures indicate Thursday's high and overnight low to 8 a.m. Eastern Time.

Northeast minnesota and northwest wisconsin zone forecasts
St. Louis-koochiching-n. Itasca-n. St. Louis-s. Itasca-including the cities of...Big fork...Ely...Grand rapids...Hibbing... International falls 415 am cst thu dec 28 2000

Thousands cope after a week without power; disaster declared
TEXARKANA, Ark. (AP) -- The view from an Arkansas highway was stunning -- hundreds of ice-laden pine trees glimmering in the afternoon sun.

Snow much fun
Weather drawing by Charles Riley in the Lincoln School third-grade class of Mrs. Ahlers.

Minnesota state forecast
Today...Mostly cloudy with scattered flurries or light snow...Mainly south. Highs from zero north to 15 south.

The Weather Elsewhere
Thursday

Regional forecasts
HighLowPR

Snow forts
Weather drawing by Jessica Rinio of Mr. Trucano's fourth grade class at Baxter school.

South bears brunt of winter weather
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. -- The thermal springs that give this city its name had become the only source of water. Hundreds of mangled trees littered roadways. Tens of thousands of homes remained in the dark.

Northeast Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin zone forecasts
koochiching-n. Itasca-n. St. Louis-including the cities of...Big fork...Ely...International falls 415 am cst fri dec 29 2000

Minnesota state forecast
Numerous winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories for most of western and southern minnesota today and tonight...

Senior activities
LAKES AREA SENIOR ACTIVITY CENTER

What's doing
Ray's Promenaders will be having a square dance from 9 a.m. to noon at Baxter Elementary School. Larry Johansen will be the caller. Bring finger food to eat during the dance.

Names and faces
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) -- Shannen Doherty was arrested by California Highway Patrol officers for investigation of drunken driving.

Victims' relatives protest as 12 detained in China Christmas fire
LUOYANG, China -- Relatives of the 309 people killed in a shopping mall fire marched in an angry protest Thursday against callous treatment by officials. Meanwhile, police arrested four welders suspected of accidentally causing the blaze, then fleeing.

Hours after Israeli-Palestinian summit called off, bus blast injures 12 people
JERUSALEM (AP) -- One Israeli was killed and three injured Thursday in an explosion along Israel's border with the Gaza Strip, military sources said.

A wired but fallible world
From afar, non-Americans looked with bemusement at the deadlocked presidential election. But few nations were immune from quirky goings-on.

Clinton to pass up North Korean trip
WASHINGTON -- Ending more than two months of suspense, President Clinton said Thursday he will not make a presidential visit to North Korea and is looking to his successor for progress in curbing the communist country's missile program.