Winterfest Winners Go Home With The Gold

The Annual Crosslake Winterfest medallion hunt was won by Jimmy Martin of Crosslake with a purse of $675.00. In the Soup Contest, in the professional category, Riverside Inn won the trophy. This is the 3rd year in a row that Riverside has won the honor. In the Amateur division, Lakes Area Gallery was the winner.

Another Minnesota Shut Down By FDIC

Regulators have shut down a small bank in Minnesota, bringing to 16 the number of bank failures so far in 2010 following 140 brought down last year by rising loan defaults and the recession.

The FDIC Friday took over the 1st American State Bank of Minnesota, located in Hancock with about $18.2 million dollars in assets and $16.3 million dollars in deposits. Community Development Bank of Ogema, Minnesota has agreed to assume the assets and deposits of the failed bank.

Crosslake Winterfest

The winter wonderland in Crosslake turns into a festival this weekend. Winterfest runs today and Saturday. Chamber of commerce spokesperson Annie Woog says Friday gets going in a big way at the Crosslake Community Center with a bonfire, horse-drawn hay rides, smores and more.

Saturday features a soup fest at area businesses and ice car races.

For more information go to KLKS.com and click on events.

Thursday High School Scores

Wrestling:
Staples-Motley 44, Aitkin 21
Royalton/Upsala 47, Albany 12
Royalton/Upsala 63, Sartell-St. Stephen 9

Boys Hockey:
Northern Lakes 7, B-F-C-G 0
Willmar 5, Wadena-Deer Creek 0

Girls Hockey:
Thief River Falls 3, Park Rapids 1

Boys Basketball:
Blackduck 57, WHA 52
Brainerd 55, Alexandria 47
Isle 68, Pine City 35
Little Falls 71, Fergus Falls 56
Menahga 72, Henning 67
Mora 64, Aitkin 51
Northome/Klliher 80, Greenway 46

Girls Basketball:
Bemidji 71, Pequot Lakes 53
Braham 75, Aitkin 30
Crosby-Ironton 55, Northland 45
Eden Valley-Watkins 39, Pierz 32
Isle 59, Onamia 26
Nevis 61, Park Rapids 38
Parkers Prairie 84, Verndale 33
Perham 58, Wadena-Deer Creek 41
Royalton 51, Eagle Valley 49
Upsala 94, Swanville 29
Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 66, Blackduck 37

Sen. Olson Predicts Tough Session

State Senator Mary Olson of Bemidji says the legislature faces a budget fix even worse than last year. Lawmakers convened in St. Paul today.

The District 4 DFL-er tells KLKS News, she expects her party to suggest more cuts than the Governor again this year. She hopes to save some costs by streamlining the operations of the DNR.

Senator Olson says the legislature and Governor have to decide if it is better to push the pain of cost controls on to local units of government and the school districts, or spread it equally to taxpayers across the state.

Ice Fishing Violations Are Up

(AP) Maybe it's frostbite of the brain. Minnesota's conservation officers are seeing more violations among ice fishermen this winter.

The DNR says they are writing citations for too many lines in the water, no fishing licenses and over-limits.

Sportsmen are encouraged to read the rules that effect the lakes they are fishing.

Shooting Suspect Captured in Aitkin County

According to the Aitkin County Sheriff's Office, 26-year old Joshua Paul Barron was arrested after a 20-minute chase in Aitkin early this morning. Barron is accused of shooting another man Monday in Northfield. Barron was arrested after his snowmobile crashed into trees and brush. Also arrested from the residence where Barron had been before the chase were 27-year old Shanessa Ceplecha and 34-year old Randall Wang--both of rural Aitkin. They were arrested on un-related charges of 5th Degree Controlled Substance charges.

Riverwood Hits MRI Goal

Riverwood Foundation exceeded its goal of $350,000 for Unlocking Secrets fundraising campaign for the MRI project and Imaging Center expansion at Riverwood Healthcare Center in Aitkin. Several hundred individuals and organizations in 2008-2009 contributed to the final campaign total of $363,372.

The campaign's goal was to raise $100,000 toward the estimated $3.2 million cost of purchasing and implementing a fixed station MRI machine.

DNR Looking for Lake Management Comments

Area folks interested in learning about, or commenting on, the DNR's strategies for managing Brainerd Area lakes have until early March to ask questions or submit comments.

Tim Brastrup, Brainerd Area Fisheries Supervisor says plans describe the past, present and desired future conditions of the waters. He goes on to say, the plans identify specific management activities planned for that lake in the next five to 20 years.

Area lakes include: Bay Lake, Borden Lake, East and West Fox Lakes, Upper Hay Lake,
Serpent Lake, Sagamore Mine Pit Lake, Nokay Lake, Mitchell Lake, East and West Twin Lakes and Lake Edward.

Public comments on management of these lakes will be taken through March 3, 2010.

Cass County Gets Land Donation

The Nature Conservancy is donating 69 acres of property along Egg Lake to Cass County. Combined with land already owned by the county, more than three quarters of the lake's shoreline is now preserved.

The Cass County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously late last year to accept the land, which is located near Outing.

The property includes a mature black spruce bog, a regenerating aspen forest and stands of half-century old red pine trees, all of which provide wildlife habitat.

As a result of the Conservancy's gift, an additional 1,400 feet of shoreline along Egg Lake has been protected, which will help preserve the lake's high water quality.

Cass County is now able to provide more public access to Egg Lake for outdoor recreation including fishing, berry picking and hunting for deer, grouse and ducks.

Brainerd Power Back On

About 50% of Brainerd, including the central business district, was with out power for a time this morning. Brainerd Public Utilities Superintendent Tom Phelps tells KLKS News, there was a problem with the main substation.

Apparently, a main breaker failed. It has been bypassed until they can figure out why it failed.

Phelps says the outage lasted about a half hour from 9:05 to 9:35 a.m.

An Exchange for Minnesota Hostage in Iran?

(AP) It's been suggested by the President of Iran that three jailed U.S. hikers, including one with Minnesota ties, would be released in exchange for Iranians currently being held in American prisons. Shane Bauer, whose mother lives near Pine City, was hiking with two others in Iraq's northern Kurdistan region in July of last year, and inadvertently crossed the border.

MN Caucuses Tonight

Political activists will attending party caucuses tonight in Minnesota. One of the top items will be a straw poll which should go a long way in narrowing the number of those running for governor. 30 have thrown their hats into the ring among DFL-ers, Republicans and Independents.

State Representative John Ward figures the night will go well for Mark Dayton, Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Tom Bakk and Paul Thiessen among the DFL-ers and Marty Seifert among the republicans.

The state legislature begins the session on Thursday. In addition to the bonding bill, lawmakers will work with Governor Pawlenty to fix a huge deficit in the budget.

Ground Hog Wars

In politics, the country is divided. Apparently, the same is true among ground hogs. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow out east, which would suggest another six weeks of hard winter weather. However, Jimmy from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin did not.

K-Lakes Meteorologist Tony Schumacher says no matter what what these furry critters may suggest, we will have both cold temperatures and snow for the next month and a half. However, he says it should not be a severe period. He says there are no big snow storms on the horizon, and temperatures should average at or above normal.

Schumacher does not expect any extreme cold like we had in January. And, he says if we get no major snow storms, it will warm even more quickly.

Monday High School Scores

Boys Basketball:
Crosby-Ironton 87, Cass Lake-Bena 85
Nashwauk-Keewatin 68, Hill City 60
Pierz 55, Holdingford 35
Sebeka 80, Pine River-Backus 47
Staples-Motley 76, Pillager 36
Underwood 69, Verndale 49

Girls Basketball:
Becker 59, Crosby-Ironton 44
Clearbrook-Gonvick 84, Cass Lake-Bena 78
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton 73, Park Rapids 47
East Central 80, Northland 58
Isle 58, Aitkin 54
New York Mills 76, Verndale 21
Pierz 53, Osakis 42
Pillager 68, Menahga 49
Sebeka 59, Pine River-Backus 55
Willmar 54, Brainerd 44

Boys Hockey:
Brainerd/Pierz/Pillager 4, Grand Rapids 2

Girls Hockey:
Park Rapids 10, Pequot Lakes 1

Lake Mille Lacs Walleye Quota Up Slightly

(AP) The Walleye harvest quotas for Mille Lacs Lake have been raised slightly for 2010. The committee of state and tribal officials is recommending a safe harvest level for Walleye at 544,000 pounds, up 3,000 pounds from 2009. The committee recommended no changes from last year in the Perch and Northern Pike quotas.

January Above Normal

January finished up a little above normal, temperature-wise. K-Lakes Meteorologist Tony Schumacher says the month started and ended cold, but the middle two weeks were mild. The result was a month 2 to 3 degrees above normal.

We also saw 7 to 15 inches of snow in the area, about normal for the coldest month of the year.

Schumacher says the outlook for February is promising. He expects temperatures to be a little above normal, and a little less snow than usual.

Schumacher says this is all consistent with the El Nino effect, with storms blowing through the southern U.S. and cold temperatures locked in central and northern Canada.

CLC Haiti Fundraiser

On Friday, Feb. 5 and Saturday, Feb. 6 the Central Lakes College Student Senate will host a Project Haiti fundraiser during the Raider basketball games in the Brainerd campus gymnasium.

The students are volunteering to collect ticket sales and serve concessions, with all funds from the activity donated to Project Haiti, a local, non-profit organization that has been helping the people of Haiti for several years.

Contributions will provide supplies to the hospital in Pignon, Haiti, for treating earthquake victims.

Games are Friday vs. Mesabi Range Community and Technical College, with the women playing at 6 p.m. and men at 8 p.m., and Saturday vs. Vermilion Community College, when the women start at 1 p.m. and the men play at 3 p.m.

Koering to Seek 3rd Term

State Senator Paul Koering will seek a third term in the legislature and with it, the Republican endorsement from area Republicans.

The Fort Ripley Republican says it has an honor and privilege to serve the citizens of Crow Wing and Morrison Counties for the last seven years.

Senator Koering says he will continue to focus on reducing the tax and regulatory burden on businesses to both attract new businesses to the state and keep existing jobs.

Koering is likely to face a fight for his party's endorsement. Former State Representative Paul Gazelka is considering a run against the two term incumbent.

A Hike in the Cost of Pulling Lake Weeds

(AP) A public hearing will be held in Little Falls later this month for lake shore owners to tell what they think of a state plan to increase the permit fee to remove aquatic vegetation from their shorelines.

The state has directed the DNR to increase the fee from $35 to $90 to cover their costs in the permitting process. A business permit will be $100.

Another revision would prohibit control of lotus flowers in public waters.

The public hearing in Little Falls will be held February 25th.