Minnesota Bank Assumes Accounts of Florida Bank

(AP) The Central Bank--based in Stillwater, Minnesota--has agreed to assume the assets and deposits of Commerce Bank of Southwest Florida. The Florida bank was shut down by regulators yesterday. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation states that Commerce Bank has $79.7 million in assets, and $76.7 million in deposits. The failed bank's sole branch will re-open on Monday as a branch of Central Bank.

Pequot Levy Holds Steady

The State of Minnesota claims local property taxes will go up by 3.5% next year, following state aid cuts from Governor Tim Pawlenty.

However, Pequot Lakes Mayor Nancy Adams tells KLKS News, their their levy request will actually go down slightly. She says services will be reduced. There have been cuts to the police and sewer budgets, and only one street project is planned next year. And, there is little money for emergencies.

Pequot Lakes lost $116,000 in local government aid from the state. City revenues from property taxes have also taken a hit as residential property values in Pequot Lakes have been reduced by 15 percent. Mayor Adams is requesting business property values also be reevaluated downward.

Denny Hecker Found In Contempt of Court

(AP) Former auto tycoon, Denny Hecker, has been found in contempt of court by a judge. Hecker failed to produce bank records and other documents related to his bankruptcy case. According to his lawyer, the volume of records requested made it hard to comply with the court order.

Heavy Traffic Expected for Thanksgiving

Fewer people are expected to travel by air during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. As a result, Sergent Curt Mowers of the Minnesota State Patrol says traffic on the roads is expected to be heavy. He says since 2003, at total of 49 have died on Minnesota roads during the holiday period, over 22-hundred injured.

Mowers says they want people to get to where the turkey and cranberries are, and get back home safely.

Snow in the Thanksgiving Week Forecast

K-Lakes Meteorologist Tony Schumacher says snow is in the forecast for next week, just in time for Thanksgiving. He says this could be the change from brown ground to white ground, if we get 5-6 inches of snow.

Schumacher says a lot of things would have to come together to get that much snow. Listen to KLKS for updates.

Osakis Man Injured in Rollover

A rural Osakis man has been airlifted to Hennepin County Medical Center following a one car accident in Todd County. The Sheriff says Shawn William Spiering rolled his 1998 Pontiac Grand Am GT in Gordon Township just after midnight this morning.

The accident happened on Highway 27 just east of 151st Avenue. Alcohol is believed to be a contributing factor in the accident.

Searchers Find Downed Plane

(AP) The search for 36-year-old Andrew Lindberg of Farmington came to an end yesterday when searchers found his downed light plane in Clearwater County near Mahnomen. He had left the Lakeville airport in a Piper Cherokee to join his father on a deer hunting trip at Hallock last Friday.

The last contact from the pilot came near Staples, when he sent a message to his wife of six months.

The search was conducted out of the Brainerd Airport by the Civil Air Patrol.

Crow Wing County Sheriff Todd Dahl says Lindberg did not file a flight plan.

Failure of Big Stone II Hurt Wind Power, Too--

(AP) According to a spokesperson for South Dakota's Governor, the failure of the proposed Big Stone II coal-fired power plant in South Dakota is a setback for wind energy, as well. Spokesperson Joe Kafka says that the plant had extra transmission capacity that could have carried wind power to large markets outside of South Dakota.

Sex Offenders Checked in Morrison County

Morrison County Sheriff's office recently completed predatory offender registration verifications for all registered sex offenders within the County. Sheriff Michel Wetzel says a total of 99 verification and compliance checks were conducted.

Of those 99, 19 were Level I offenders; 11 were Level II; and one was Level III. Sixty-eight offenders had not been assigned a risk level. Risk levels are assigned by the Minnesota Department of Corrections with Level I being least likely to reoffend and Level III being most likely to reoffend.

The annual verifications are designed to keep tabs on offenders and ensure that they stay current in providing updated information if they move or change vehicles.

The compliance checks are done in cooperation with the Little Falls, Randall, Motley, Pierz, and Royalton Police Departments.

Lunkers Hire a Pitch Coach

The Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers hired pitching coach Dan Lipari from Youngstown State University.

Prior to becoming an assistant pitching coach at Youngstown State University, Lipari was a three-year letter winner at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa from 2006-08.

The Lunkers are members of the Northwoods League, a summer collegiate league that develops players for the major leagues.

Legacy Presents Scholarship

The Legacy Chorale of Greater Minnesota, through The Linda Dryden Endowment, presented the first "Linda Dryden Music Scholarship" Thursday, November 12th, at their concert in Crosby.

The scholarship is set up by Bob Dryden, in memory of his first wife Linda, who was a splendid vocalist. Her love of music and the connection both Linda and Bob shared with Central Lakes College, made this scholarship available to a CLC student singing in one of the choirs at the college.

The Legacy Chorale is pleased to present this $500 scholarship to Emily Peterson of Aitkin. Emily is currently enrolled at Central Lakes College.

A Season of Snowmobiling Just Ahead

Despite the unseasonably warm weather, preparations are underway for the snowmobile and cross country ski season. Brainerd Area Waterways and Trails Supervisor, Lowell Jagger, tells KLKS News, volunteers have been out getting the trails ready for a winter of recreation.

Jagger says despite deep cuts in the state budget, there should be enough money to maintain the trails. He says user fees come from the gasoline tax and cross country ski pass to pay for the work.

Missing Plane Found Near Mahnomen

(AP) Authorities think they may have found a missing plane. The wrechage of a small plane has been found in Clearwater County 20 miles south of Mahnomen.

The pilot of a private plane out of Walker spotted the plane about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. He picked up a Mahnomen County Sheriff's Deputy and flew back to to the site to confirm the crash site.

Search teams from Mahnomen and Clearwater counties, assisted by the State Patrol and White Earth police left for the site at first light this morning.

Pilot Andrew Linberg was flying from Lakeville to Hallock Friday to go deer hunting with his father when his Piper Cherokee disappeared.

Court Steps out of Teen's Cancer Case

(AP) Brown County Judge John Rodenberg has closed the case on 13-year-old Daniel Hauser. The court had forced the teen to undergo chemo-therapy, against his family's wishes. Rodenberg says there's no longer any need for court involvement, as Daniel, of Sleepy Eye, is now cancer-free.

Give to the Max Day

This is "Give to the Max Day," a day in which money that is donated to a favorite charity, will be matched by one of a number of Minnesota foundations.

Major Jeff Strickler of the Brainerd Lakes Salvation Army tells KLKS news they need all the help they can get, because demand for their services has increased by 9 percent over last year.

Major Strickler says they have been able to meet demand so far. However, without an infusion of contributions, they will quickly run short.

He says they have a great need for bell-ringers. There are 24 hundred hours that need to be filled, which represents about $72-thousand.

Holli-Day Parade is Back

The lighted Holli-Day Parade is back in Historic Downtown Brainerd after eight years. The route for the December 12th parade is from South 9th Street on Front Street and goes west to South 7th Street where it turns south for one block before following Laurel Street back to South 9th Street.

This is described as a nice, short parade perfect for families. Up to 50 parade units can be in the parade. Anyone can enter in the parade, entry forms are available from Brainerd Community Action, organizer of the parade, though the float must be illuminated.

Some of the events prior to the Saturday, December 12th parade include:
Santa on a fire truck at 10:45 a.m., free horse-drawn trolley rides between historic downtown and the Franklin Arts Center 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Buy a blinkie button for $2 at participating businesses and receive discounts and specials.

No Sign Of Missing Plane

(AP) Search crews turned up empty after another day of the ground and air search in Northwestern Minnesota for a pilot missing since Friday.

Lieutenant George Supan of the Minnesota Air Patrol in Brainerd says 11 planes and 6 ground crews spent Monday searching an area concentrated around Staples but stretching from Wadena to Hallock. He says the sunny weather made for ideal search conditions but brought no luck.

Family members say that pilot Andrew Lindberg of Farmington wsas the only person aboard the PA-28 Piper Cherokee that left the Airlake Airport near Lakeville on Friday. He was planning to go to Hallock, in Northwestern Minnesota, to go deer hunting with his father. He never arrived.

Lunkers Finalize Coaching Staff

The Brainerd Lakes Area Lunkers baseball team has acquired pitching coach Dan ipari from Youngstown State University and hitting coach Eric Hoffman from the University of North Dakota. According to a team release, the addition of the two will help the franchise build a successful 2010 season in which they earned the best record of any Northwoods League Team in the lakes area since 2002.