Another Minnesota Bank Bites The Dust

Federal regulators have shut down the Pinehurst Bank, based in St. Paul. It's the 73rd bank closure so far this season. A bank in Lacrosse, Wisconsin has agreed to take over the assets of the failed institution.

State Cuts Puts Pequot in a Bind

The City of Pequot Lakes will lose $70 thousand in state funding, as a result of the latest round of budget cuts from the capitol.

Mayor Nancy Adams tells KLKS News; that really puts the city in a bind. She says the council approved a budget last December that contains no fat.

Adams says they are hoping to weather the storm by curtailing over-time. She says the city still hopes to fix Lake Street, which she says turns into a lake when it rains.

Koering Says New Business Will Solve Deficit

State Senator Paul Koering supported the budget compromise hammered out between the DFL controlled legislature and Governor Pawlenty. He tells KLKS, it was the fasted way to get the legislature out of town.

The Fort Ripley Republican says something needs to change, to offset an even larger revenue deficit the next Governor and legislature will face. He feels the answer is business incentives. He goes on to say, more incentives would bring in more small business and the result would be more revenue for the state treasury.

Koering feels the next legislature will be attempting to solve a revenue shortfall twice the size of the last one.

Oberstar Focuses on BP Spill

Minnesota Congressman Jim Oberstar is calling for a special presidential commission to examine the causes of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and then recommend actions to ensure that an environmental catastrophe of that magnitude does not happen again.

Oberstar, who chairs the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held hearings into the cause of the disaster. In his opening statement, Oberstar pointed to BP Oil’s poor safety record, citing a 2006 pipeline spill on Alaska’s north-slope that went on for five days before it was detected.

The 8th District Minnesota DFL-er questioned whether or not the company has the will to operate in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.

Hecker Wants Cabin Time

(AP) Former auto mogul Denny Hecker has asked again if he can spend time in his $9 million Crosslake cabin. The 57-year-old Hecker had been ordered twice before to stay at his Medina home.

Hecker faces 25 criminal counts of fraud in a $767 million dollar bankruptcy case. He has denied wrongdoing.

Hecker one owned a number of auto dealerships across the state, incuding two in Brainerd. They are under new ownerhip.

Otremba Retires from the State House

A local legislator follows others into the ranks of the retired at the end of this session. Mary Ellen Otremba of Long Prairie says she will not run for reelection.

The DFL-er becomes the 22nd state lawmaker to step down at the end of the current term.

Otremba succeeded her late husband in 1997. Her conservative district includes Staples. She has been a consistant anti-abortion vote.

Bus Driver Charged In Fatal Accident

A schoolbus driver, 74-year old Westal John Maine of Pequot Lakes, has been charged with Careless Driving and a Moving Bus After Children Unloaded charge. The accident resulted in the death of a 6-year old Evan Lindquist of Pine River on March 22. The complaint alleges that Maine stopped the bus to let the child off and then was distracted by other children on the bus. He failed to see the child standing in front of the bus when he resumed his route. The Cass County Attorney, Christopher Strandlie said that, under the law, the driving conduct at issue does not support felony or gross misdemeanor charges. Drugs or alcohol were not a factor in the accident. A June 7th court date has been set.

Howes Says the Vikes Will Have to Wait

State Representative Larry Howes of Walker says the Minnesota Vikings are going to have to wait a little bit longer before the legislature will agree to a new stadium for them.

The Walker Republican indicates the budget deficit next year will be even greater than this year's. As a result, all attention will be on that, and not on new ballparks.

The Vikings have issued a news release saying the legislature will have to solve the stadium issue in 2011. The Vikings Metrodome lease expires at the end of the 2011 season, freeing the organization to make other plans

Ash Tree Killer Not Here...Yet

There have been no cases of emerald ash borer in northern Minnesota yet. However, the pest has been found in Hennepin, Ramsey and Houston counties.

Michael Schommer of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture tells KLKS News, it is on the move, and northern Minnesota stands to lose a lot.

Schommer says the bug is from a cold part of Asia, so is likely to survive cold Minnesota winters. He says there are pesticides available for individual trees. But, those remedies are not practical for ash forests.

Schommer says it is important not to transport firewood, and to only buy wood where it is to be burned

New Regs For Dock Installers

Legislation requiring boat and dock installers to take a short course on preventing the spread of invasive species awaits Governor Pawlenty's signature.

Bemidji State Senator Mary Olson says installers will be required to take an hour of identification and equipment cleaning training once every three years, to prevent the spread of invasives from lake to lake.

Olson says she carried the legislation at the request of the Brainerd Lakes Area Invasive Species Task Force.

Jenkins Gets Field Make-Over

The City of Jenkins is getting a new baseball field. The opening ceremony will be June 5th, starting at 2:30 PM. The City received a $5,000 Twins Community Fund grant from the Minnesota Twins to help renovate Jenkins field of dreams. There will be a representative(s) from the MN Twins at the ceremony to add to the celebration and present a plaque.

Click It or Ticket

The Safe & Sober "Click It or Ticket" seat belt enforcement mobilization runs May 24 through June 6. 400 law enforcement agencies will play a part.

The last seat belt mobilization effort netted 10,204 seat belt and 188 child seat tickets state-wide.

Agencies with grants for these projects are required to work 30 percent of their hours between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. Law enforcement agencies in the Cass County area working this project will be Minnesota State Patrol troopers, Crow Wing County Deputies, and officers from the police departments of Brainerd, Baxter, Nisswa, Pequot Lakes, Deerwood, Emily, Crosby, Cuyuna, Crosslake and Breezy Point.

Oberstar Investigates Oil Spill

Minnesota Congressman Jim Oberstar will be in the middle of the investigation of huge oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico today.

The 8th District DFL-er is Chairman of the Transportation Committee that has oversight over water pollution regulation and the U.S Coastguard.

Obertar says he wants to know what caused the environmental disaster, the effectiveness of the response so far, and what can be done to avoid a future occurance.

Arthritis Walk Raises $18K

More than 200 people participated and raised money to fight arthritis at the North Central Chapter of the Arthritis one-day walk Saturday. Nearly $18,500 was raised to fund programs and services for the estimated 1.2 million people living with arthritis in the North Central Chapter area, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

The Arthritis Walk Northern Lakes was held at Paul Bunyan Trailhead, Baxter. Participants chose between a one-mile or three-mile walk route.

Individuals are still able to donate to the Arthritis Walk online, by mail or by phone. To learn more about donating to the Arthritis Walk visit northernlakes2010.kintera.org or call 800-333-1380.

The Arthritis Walk is the signature event of the Arthritis Foundation and takes place in numerous communities across the country.

Olson Opposed Budget Compromise

State Senator Mary Olson of Bemidji says the compromise budget package approved by the DFL controlled Legislature and Republican Governor Pawlenty holds both good news and bad news. She tells KLKS News, the good news is that the compromise avoided a prolonged special session. The bad news is that the result of the compromise is an even bigger deficit next year, and painful delays in funding education.

Olson voted against the compromise.

The Bemidji DFL-er says education in rural districts, such as hers, were harmed when property taxes from seasonal-recreational property were lifted from local school districts and placed into the general fund.

Isle Girl Injured in Freak Auto Accident

A 4-year-old Isle girl is hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries after she fell from her mother's SUV.

The Minnesota State Patrol says little Jade Halverson was in the back seat of the vehicle when she opened the door and fell out. Her sister, 11-year-old Dentinee grabbed he, but a tire caught her hair, pulling her to the pavement.


The accident happened over the weekend.

Pine River Man Sentenced To Prison

A 36-year old Pine River man has been sentencded to 5 years in prison for possession and sale of methamphetamine. The Cass County Attorney, Christopher Strandlie says that John Lee Anderson of Pine River was sentenced to two separate counts of Controlled Substance Crimes in the 2nd Degree on May 17 in Cass County Court.
Anderson was sentenced to serve 48 months in prison on the first offense and 60 months on the second. Both setences will run concurrently.