Friday Night, February 6 Sports Scores

Boys High School Basketball
Annandale 65, Little Falls 59
Braham 73, Pine City 46
Cass Lake-Bena 91, Blackduck 71
Crosby-Ironton 59, Staples-Motley 58
Esko 67, Cromwell 61
Henning 48, Pillager 46 OT
McGregor 88, Silver Bay 57
Nevis 74, Laporte 26
Pequot Lakes 78, Park Rapids 30
Pierz 65, Kimball 45
Rush City 57, Onamia 24
St. Cloud Cathedral 56, Mora 54
Upsala 82, Verndale 43

Girls High School Basketball
Bertha-Hewitt 69, Menahga 24
Cass Lake-Bena 70, Blackduck 66
Crosby-Ironton 59, Park Rapids 44
Detroit Lakes 52, Staples-Motley 34
Frazee 47, Pelican Rapids 34
Henning 48, Pillager 46 OT
Nevis 59, Laporte 47
Perham 67, Barnesville 44
Pine River-Backus 49, Clearbrook-Gonvick 47
Sebeka 66, Verndale 61

High School Wrestling
Brainerd/Pillager 41, St. Cloud Tech 30

Boys High School Hockey
Alexandria 3, Brainerd/Pierz/Pillager 0

Girls High School Hockey
Cloquet/Esko/Carlton 2, Bemidji 1 OT
Grand Rapids/Greenway 3, Hibbing/Chisholm 2

Fire Destroys Barn Near Brainerd

Dozens of dairy cows may be dead after a barn fire near Brainerd. The fire broke out early Friday at a farm run by Curt and Lori Kleinschmidt south of Brainerd. Between 60 and 70 cows may have been killed. The barn was destroyed. A damage estimate is not yet available. The state Fire Marshal's Office is helping to investigate the fire.

New Regulations for Longville Area Lakes

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Mark Holsten recently approved new special fishing regulations for Inguadona and Rice lakes, located near Longville in Cass County.
The new regulations, scheduled to take effect April 1, change possession limits on both lakes from 10 crappie and 20 sunfish to five crappie and 10 sunfish.
The new rules, which have broad support from local anglers and the lake association, will maintain or improve the average size of crappies and sunfish available for anglers by preventing over-harvest of larger fish.
Questions regarding the special regulations may be directed to Harlan Fierstine, Walker area fisheries supervisor, at 218-547-1683 or Harlan.Fierstine@dnr.state.mn.us.

Crosslake Winterfest

It's Winterfest weekend in Crosslake. It begins with Snow Mountain for families at 6 p.m. this evening at Town Square. Chamber Spokesperson Ruth Ann Hanson says fun events are planned all day Saturday around town including "soupfest." Hanson says there is a medallion hunt. Clues will be posted at the Chamber building and other businesses. Listen for live reports from Blenda on K-Lakes, Saturday.

Reverse Mortgages Could be the Next to Collapse

The reverse mortgage business could be the next sector of the real estate market to collapse, says State Representative Jim Davnie of Minneapolis. He and Attorney General Lori Swanson are worried about predatory reverse mortgages aimed at senior citizens.
The new legislation would provide a 30-day window for seniors to rescind the loan and mandate non biased counseling for seniors. The bill also holds lenders responsible to sell reverse mortgages only to people who need them.

A Delay in Digital Conversion

Minnesota residents who aren't ready for the conversion to digital television have been handed a reprieve. Congress has extended the date TV stations will be required to start broadcasting with new digital technology from February 17, to June 15. Congressman Jim Oberstar says television stations are ready to make this switch, but not all of their viewers are set up to receive the new digital signal.
Many older television sets will not work unless they are equipped with digital converter boxes with analog pass-through. However, a government coupon program to help consumers purchase converters has run out of funding, leaving nearly 40,000 Minnesotans on a waiting list. Oberstar says he has 4,700 constituents who are waiting for coupons.
An additional $650 million to fund the coupon program was included in the economic recovery bill that was passed by the House of Representatives last week.

This is Go Red Day

Ladies, are you wearing red today? This is "Go Red" day at the state capitol. The American Heart Association is urging women to take preventative action to avoid heart disease. State Representative Phillis Kahn of Minneapolis, is working on legislation to provide screening for 15-thousand low income women. Kahn is urging women to wear red today to bring attention to this highly preventable disease.

Thursday Night High School Scores

Boys Basketball:
Bertha-Hewitt 63, Pillager 25
Henning 64, Menahga 53
Little fork-Big Falls 70, Hill City 50
Royalton 60, St. John's Prep 43
Sebeka 87, New York Mills 45
St. Cloud Tech 56, Little Falls 46

Girls Basketball:
Aitkin 74, Braham 71
Bemidji 83, Pequot Lakes 56
Onamia 38, Isle 27
Perham 57, Wadena-Deer Creek 45
Red Lake County 89, Cass Lake-Bena 39
Rockford 51, Pierz 41
Royalton 50, Ogilvie 42
Upsala 77, Swanville 34

Boys Hockey:
Brainerd 3, Lakeville South 1
Little Falls 10, St. Cloud Apollo 4
Northern Lakes 4, Bagley/Foston/Clearbrook-Gonvick 3
Park Rapids/Menahga/Nevis 4, Red Lake Central/Red Lake Falls 0

Girls Hockey:
Brainerd/Little Falls 10, Detroit Lakes/Perham 0

Wrestling:
Holdingford 45, Pierz 17

Senator Olson Says Work Continues on Budget Balancing

One of the Governor's proposals to balance the budget is to freeze all government employees wages at all levels. Bemidji Senator Mary Olson, tells KLKS News, they will have to weigh the value of all proposals.
One of the ideas Senator Olson likes is merging responsibilities in natural resources.
She says a number of ideas, and their cost savings, will be put up on a government web site that people can view and vote on.

What's In the Stimulus Package for You?

There appears to be something for just about everyone in the stimulus package now before congress. Amy McAnarney, Executive Director of the Tax Institute at H and R Block, says working people should benefit from the "Making Work Pay Credit," which would reduce the income tax by 500 to one thousand dollars. She says retired and disabled people would be eligible for a $300 one time check. This year, first time home buyers can claim a $7500 dollar tax credit. Next year, that may go up to $15- thousand.

Winterfest Happening this Weekend in Crosslake

Coming up this Friday through Sunday you're welcome to Winterfest in Crosslake. Orgainizer Jessie, of Moonlight Bay, told K-Lakes about the event, which includes activities in Town Square, including a Medallion Hunt, a Snow Mountain for the Kids, and Horse Drawn Sleigh Rides. Other weekend activities include a Soup Fest on Saturday, Radar Runs, Helicopter Rides, a Bocce Ball Tournament, Winter Olympics, and more! For more information call 218-692-3575.

Eagles Prepare to Return to the Brainerd Lakes

Bald Eagles should be returning to the Brainerd Lakes by the end of this week, or the beginning of next, according to DNR Non Game Specialist Pam Perry. She tells KLKS News, they are coming back now to reclaim nesting sites.
Perry says the raptors will survive the winter conditions by fishing open waters on rivers, scavenging road kill, and looking to see what ice fishermen have left behind.

Koering Receives Kudos from Small Business Federation

State Senator Paul Koering, Fort Ripley, was recognized by the National Federation of Independent Business as a "Guardian of Small Business" for the 2007-2008 biennium.
Federation State Director Mike Hickey says Senator Koering voted against a new 9 percent top income tax rate and hike in the minimum wage.

NAP Crop Insurance Available

March 15th is the deadline to purchase Non-insured Crop Disaster Assistance for Spring Seeded Annual Crops such as Vegetables and Grain Crops not covered by crop insurance. For producers that plant a cover crop on new hay seedings, such as an Oats cover, the crop of hay or grain is eligible for NAP coverage.
NAP is intended to reduce financial losses that occur when natural disasters cause a 50% loss of the eligible crops.
Please contact the Crow Wing/Cass FSA Office at 218-829-5965 ext 2 if you have any questions.

An Informational Meeting On the Latest Scams

Crow Wing Triad will present an update on the latest scams in the area today. An informational meeting will be held at 1 p.m. at the Heartwood Senior Living Community in Crosby. Captain Neil Gaalswyk of the Crow Wing County Sheriff's department tells KLKS News, con men are using fears in the financial sector to steal money. He says once confidence has been gained, the con men will try to steal personal banking information.

Mille Lacs Fishing Prospects Improve

Anglers will have more chances to catch a wiley walleye on Lake Mille Lacs this year. The safe-harvest quota has been raised to 541,000 pounds after a slow bite last year. The new quota is 111,000 pounds more than 2008. Out of the total take last year, sport anglers hooked 76,000 pounds. The lack of action last year was attributed to an abundance of bait fish.

Tuesday Night High School Scores

Boys Basketball:
Blackduck 61, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 50
Brainerd 68, Moorhead 57
Grygla-Gatzke 81, Cass Lake-Bena 74
Hawley 73, Wadena-Deer Creek 61
McGregor 67, Carlton 42
Nashwauk-Keewatin 86, Hill City 63
Pierz 52, Eden Valley-Watkins 46
Pine River-Backus 86, Verndale 73
Red Lake 68, Nevis 63
Rocori 64, Little Falls 52
Rush City 89, Aitkin 74
Staples-Motley 51, Pequot Lakes 32

Girls Basketball:
Aitkin 70, Isle 28
Bertha-Hewitt 67, Pillager 36
Blackduck 64, Walker-Hakensack-Akeley 41
Brainerd 61, St. Cloud Apollo 52
Henning 48, Menahga 39
Holdingford 48, Royalton 30
Lakeview Christian 62, Hill City 47
Little Falls 67, Rocori 41
Nevis 60, Park Rapids 50
New York Mills 75, Sebeka 69
Northome/Kelliher 60, Indus 16
Parkers Prairie 69, Verndale 34,

Boys Hockey:
Grand Rapids 3, Brainerd/Pierz/Pillager1
Litle Falls 9, Wadena-Deer Creek 1
Northen Lakes 6, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley/Cass Lake-Bena 0
Park Rapids/Menahga/Nevis 6, Detroit Lakes/Perham 2

Girls Hockey:
Moorhead 5, Brainerd/Little Falls 4

Wrestling:
Brainerd/Pillager 37, Aitkin 28
Browerville/Eagle Valley 40, Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale 27
Nevis/Walker-Hackesack-Akeley 69, Lake Park-Audubon 3
Royalton/Upsala 39, Pierz 27
Roseau 54, Blackduck/Cass Lake-Bena 18
Theif river Falls/Goodridge 57, Blackduck/Cass Lake-Bena 6

A Fender Bender with a School Bus in Todd County

The Todd County Sheriff's Office reports that there was a 2-vehicle accident that happened around 7:30 this morning on 270th Street, east of County Rd. 29 involving an Isensee Bus and a pick-up. There were four children on the bus, and no one was injured. The two met a the crest of a hill and side-swiped each other. Both vehicles went into the ditch, and the vehicles had minor to moderate damage. Slick road conditions were a factor in the accident. The driver of the pick-up, Tamara Kingbird, was cited for driver's license and insurance issues.

The MPCA Fines Three Area Businesses

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency completed 50 enforcement cases in the fourth quarter of 2008, totaling more than 300,000 dollars. Included in the actions, were three in the Brainerd Lakes Area.
The fines included $11,700 at Silverstreak Dairy, Pierz, for feedlot violations;
$2,500 at Rainbow Painting, Brainerd, for hazardous waste violations and
$1,000 at Ideal Construction, Staples, for air quality violations.
In all of 2008, 176 cases were concluded totaling $1.6 million in penalties.

The Oscars Come to Brainerd

Brainerd will have its own Oscar party. Central Lakes College will host the event at Prairie Bay Restaurant, February 22nd. Revelers will enjoy a night of hors d'oeuvres, and prizes, while watching the Oscar's on a big screen HD TV.
Tickets are $30 per person with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the Central Lakes Foundation's Random Acts of Kindness Fund. The Random Acts of Kindness Program assists Central Lakes College students with emergency help in purchasing books or with a short term financial emergency. There will also be a silent auction.
Guests are asked to dress in Oscar night attire.
Upon arrival, they will be greeted with valet parking, get checked in by "security", and a red carpet entrance that includes posing for the paparazzi and chatting with a Brainerd Lakes version of Joan Rivers.

Ward Says They Must Consider All Budget Balancing Ideas

Governor Pawlenty expects the DFL majority to spend two months criticizing his budget balancing proposal, and then pass a tax increase. State Representative John Ward of Brainerd, is disappointed in the Governor's comments. He tells KLKS News, if they play partisan politics, this will be a very difficult session.
Ward says they are looking at many ways of correcting the huge revenue shortfall, including the consolation of small cities.
Ward says all ideas must remain on the table.

State Lawmakers Hear Local Concerns about Water Quality

The Pine River Watershed Alliance pressed the Minnesota Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee to develop countywide water quality monitoring programs, and educate the public about the sources and impacts of phosphorus on our states waters. In testimony at the state capital last week, spokesman Darell Swanson told lawmakers 40% of Minnesota waters are not in compliance with the standards of the Federal Clean Water Act.

Monday Night, February 2, Sports Scores

Boys Basketball:
Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 64, Milaca 61
Northland 74, Pillager 37
Royalton 68, Onamia 35
Sebeka 77, Browerville 55

Girls Basketball:
Carlton 63, McGregor 32
Staples-Motley 47, Crosby-Ironton 37
Cass Lake-Bena 66, Clearbrook-Gonvick 53
Cromwell 55, Wrenshall 43
Eagle Valley 50, Menahga 40
Underwood 62, Verndale 42

E. Coli lawsuit Settled

Two Minnesota families will get payments under the settlement of a lawsuit over tainted meatballs served a church smorgasbord. Carolyn Hawkinson died and Ellie Wheeler became seriously ill after eating beef meatballs contaminated with E. Coli bacteria at a church in Longville in 2006. Terms of the settlement with Nebraska Beef Limited were confidential.

Pequot Student Wins Coloring Contest

Eagle View Elementary School student Samantha Littman was the winner of the Santa's Bobbin' Into Town Coloring Contest. The event was new for the 2008 holiday season in Pequot Lakes. The 4th grade student colored a rendition of Santa Claus riding his sleigh over Pequot Lakes and the famous Paul Bunyan's Bobber on Christmas Eve. For her talent, Samantha received a gift bag filled with items from an array of local Pequot Lakes businesses.

The Illegal Drug Business Recession Proof

The illegal drug trade around the Brainerd Lakes appears to be recession proof, according to Crow Wing County Captain Neal Gaalswyck. He tells KLKS News, people in the drug culture are resourceful, and turn to other means for getting money to supply their habits, including burglary and prostitution. Captain Gaalswyk says the Lakes Area Drug Investigation Unit remains busy with a $100-thousand drug bust just last week.

Will Tony See His Shadow?

If you're more interested in whether an actual weatherman spotted his shadow, rather than some rodent in Pennsylvania, you might be interested in Tony Schumacher's take on the next few weeks. He says the next few weeks should be decidedly warmer than the January and February we experienced around the Brainerd Lakes. For the next six weeks, Tony says it is unlikely we will be able to avoid some days of both cold and snow.