Bank Robbery Suspect Arrested in Moorhead

A 32-year old Moorhead man, John William Edwards has been arrested in Moorhead in connection to the robbery on June 26th of the main branch of the Deerwood Bank in Deerwood.  According to Crow Wing County Sheriff Todd Dahl, Edwards was taken into custody by Crow Wing County deputies, Moorhead Police Officers and special agents of the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.  The suspect was located at a residence in Moorhead and after a short foot pursuit he was arrested and detained at the Clay County Jail.  Edwards will be transported to the Crow Wing County Jail where formal charges are anticipated by the Crow Wing County Attorney's Office. 

Brainerd Area 4th of July Events

Nisswa
July 3rd
Celebrate the tradition of Nisswa's Freedom Day Parade. There will be lots of fun during Saturday in Nisswa with Water Wars and other concessions. The Loon calling contest is at 2:00 p.m. and the Grand Parade down Main Street is at 7:00 p.m.

Crosslake
July 3rd
Fireworks: 9:30 PM - 10:30 PM. fireworks show planned over Sand Island on the south end of Cross Lake. Best viewing spots from land: From the bridge by The Wharf Restaurant on County Road 16, The beach at the Army Corps of Engineers Park in downtown Crosslake, From the dam in Crosslake next to the Army Corps of Engineers Park, Or launch your boat and watch them from the water.

Pequot Lakes
July 3rd:
8 a.m.-2 p.m. Pequot Lakes Community Library Book Sale
6p.m.-10 p.m. Food Vendors and Moon Jumps Trailside Park
6:30 p.m. Fireman’s Rodeo Trailside Park
6:30-10p.m. Carnival Games and Pony Rides Trailside Park
7:30 p.m. S.T.A.R.T. Band Trailside Park
After Dusk Fireworks by Zambelli Football Field
July 4th:
7-11 a.m. Pequot Lakes Fire Department Pancake Breakfast Firehall
9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Flea Market Trailside Park
9:30 a.m. Brightest Stars Karaoke Contest Registration Band shelter
10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Paul and Babe’s Brightest Stars Karaoke Contest
10 a.m. Money in the Haystack Trailside Park
10 a.m. - 4 p.m. MoonJumps Trailside Park
10 a.m. Kiddie Parade Registration Chamber Building Parking Lot
10:30 a.m. Kiddie Parade Chamber Building Parking Lot
11 a.m. Sloppy Joes, Pie, and Beverage Cole Memorial Building
1 p.m. Stars & Stripes Parade
FREE Shuttle Bus Service 10:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. - Park at Eagle View Elementary School (Cnty Rd 11) and ride the shuttle bus in to town (before and after the parade.
Roads Closed - County Rd 11 and County Rd 112 will be closed to thru traffic at 12:30 p.m. PARKING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED ON COUNTY RD 11.
Parking - Available at TDS and the Pequot Lakes High School.
NO PARKING ALONG THE PARADE ROUTE. VEHICLES WILL BE TICKETED AND TOWED.
2:30 - 4 p.m. Brightest Stars Karaoke Contest Band Shelter
3: p.m. Bed Races Chamber Building Parking Lot
9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Flea Market and Food Vendors Trailside Park

Brainerd
July 4
Amerian Celebration
Don Adamson Field
JC’s FREE corn on the cob fee - Noon
Parade - 4 p.m.
Entertainment - 6:30 p.m. Main Stage Entertainment
10 p.m. - Presentation of the flag and singing the National Anthem.
10:15 p.m. - World Class Fireworks

Crosby-Ironton:
July 4, 7 a.m. - 11 AM, Pancake Breakfast @ Ironton Legion
Noon: Parade. Also, live music, food court, beer garden, & fireworks in the park at dark.
4 p.m. - 5 p.m. Serpent Lake Boat Parade. The route is counter-clockwise around the lake.

Hackensack
4th of July
Fireworks at dusk.

Longville
4th of July
10 a.m: Beer garden in the Docksider Bar parking lot.
11:30 a.m: Staging for the parade in the Salem Lutheran Church parking lot.
12:30 p.m: The parade will proceed from the Salem Lutheran Parking Lot down Cass County 5 to main street concluding in front of the One Stop on State Highway 84.
1:30 p.m: Kids races will begin.
Dusk: Fireworks will begin over Girl Lake.

4th of July Walker
The 4th of July celebration begins with a traditional small town parade and ends with fireworks. The parade begins in downtown Walker and there are family activities in Walker City Park following the parade. The fireworks are at dusk.

Pequot Stars and Stripes Parade 1 pm Sunday

Upwards of 10 thousand folks enjoy the fourth of July parade in Pequot Lakes every year.  This Sunday looks to be no different.  Chamber spokesperson Sue Galligan says they have something new this year to deal with the influx.  She says there is free parking an shuttle bus service at Eagleview Elementary School in Breezy Point.  The shuttle will operate between 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. There is also free parking at the high school parking lot, TDS and Lakes State Bank in Pequot.

The parade kicks off at 1 p.m. this year to avoid a conflict Sunday morning church-goers.

Marines Raise $10 K on Gull

Marines always achieve their goals, whether in or out of the water.  Thursday, they conquered the waters of Gull Lake.  Three jar heads and a marine mother swam a 12 mile relay from Cragun's Resort to Bar Harbour to raise money for the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund.

The swimmers included Lt Col. Bill McCollough, Major Matt Danner and Captain Travis Onischuk.  Deb Robers, a long distance swimmer from Nisswa, and mother of a marine, was also a part of the relay team.

The swimmers were raising $10 thousand.

Lt. Col McCollough is Grand Marshal of the Brainerd 4th of July parade.

Nisswa Freedom Day Saturday

Nisswa celebrates Freedom Day Saturday.  Chamber Executive Director Molly Gerber says revelers will find some old favorites, but also something new.  Those looking for some exercise can participate in the firecracker 5 and 10 K runs.  There is a slip and slide finish.
 
Afternoon events include water wars and a loon calling contest at 2 p.m.
 
Gerber says they have about 50 units entered in the Grand Parade down Main Street at 7 p.m.

Asian Carp Tough to Stop

Asian carp may be coming to a lake near you.   Brainerd Shoreline Habitat Specialist Heather Baird, tells KLKS News, she is not optimistic this invasive species can be stopped.

She says once they are in the system they will proliferate. 

A state law takes effect today requiring boaters to drain their boats and live wells after they come out of the water.  The DNR is using this weekend to warm Minnesotans about the dangers of invasive species.

Keeping Invasives Out of Brainerd Lakes

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is asking lake shore owners not to plant exotic plants in the lakes.  Brainerd Shoreline Habitat Specialist Heather Baird says that can have devastating consequences. 

Baird tells KLKS News, species such as Water Hyacinth, Yellow Lettuce, Yellow Iris and Yellow Floating Heart cannot be planted in area lakes.  She says someone did that in Rice Lake, and now the shoreline is over-run with Yellow Iris.

Baird says they have a tour of shoreline restoration projects in the Grand Rapids area July 30th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Anyone who is interested in going along should call (218) 833-8648.

A Lot of Precip for June

As the month of June leaves us, K-Lakes meteorologist Tony Schumacher says we can say good-bye to 30 days that were wetter than normal with average temperatures. 

Schumacher says the month began and ended on the cool side, with warm humid air in between.  He says precipitation was way above normal.  In some cases two inches above normal.

Schumacher says July shapes up to be warm and dry.  However, showers and thunderstorms are a possibility this Saturday night and Sunday.

Wadena Clean-Up A Success

Wadena has made good progress since the tornado struck two weeks ago. 

Spokesperson Judy Jacobs says they plan to close the city's volunteer center located at the old Pamida location.  Beginning at 5 p.m. today, the city will no longer accept walk-in volunteers.  She says they have completed most of the general cleanup work. 

Jacobs says they averaged about 400 volunteers a day to deal with the mass of twisted trees and damaged structures.

Kurilla Convicted of Alcohol Offense

(AP)  A 44-year-old Brainerd man will spend 240 days in jail for flying while intoxicated.  Jonathan Douglas Kurilla crashed his ultra-light plane into Gull Lake last year. 

Kurilla was arrested at a local restaurant following the incident.  He claims he didn't start drinking until he got on the rescue boat and on shore.  However, a state toxicologist says he would have had to toss down 11 shots of 100 proof alcohol in the 20 minute it took for lawmen to catch up to him. 


A passenger on the plane, Estelle Paulson, was treated at a local hospital.

Gub Debate Comes to Grand View

Grand View Lodge in Nisswa will be the site of a gubernatorial debate, Tuesday, August 17.  The event is sponsored by the Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce, and is expected to be the first debate following the August 10 primary election.

The the event is designed for business interests and will be Moderated by Dave McMillan, executive vice president of Minnesota Power at Duluth and chair of the Minnesota Chamber Board. The debate format will allow each candidate time to answer prepared questions from the business community.

Republican, DFL, and Independence Party candidates have been invited.

Brainerd Lakes Chamber CEO Lisa Paxton, says,  “This is a wonderful opportunity for the business to hear from final candidates on issues that impact their bottom-line.”  She adds, “Cooperation between business and government is critical to moving the Minnesota and local economy forward.”

Cost for the program and luncheon is $25 for Brainerd Lakes Chamber members and $35 for non-member businesses.

Register online for this event by visiting www.explorebrainerdlakes.com or by calling (218) 829-2838.

Ag Officials Worry about Spread of Ash Borer

(AP)  The Minnesota Agriculture Department is worried about the spread of the emerald ash borer as home owners clean up from recent storm damage.

Ag officials are asking residents of Hennepin, Ramsey and Houston counties to avoid moving ash trees and branches from outside the county lines.  The three counties have confirmed infestations.

Homeowners are asked to contact their city public works office or waste removal service for the proper means of dealing with the debris.

Grouse Numbers Down

(AP)  There might not be as much autumn thunder for ruffed grouse hunters this fall.  The DNR says spring drumming counts are down.

Research scientist Mike Larson says it appears 2009 was probably the peak in the grouse 10 year population cycle.  Still, he says t he drumming counts this past spring were closer to the high end of the cycle, rather than the low end. 

Minnesota often is the nation's top producer of ruffed grouse.

2010 Acreage Reporting Deadline

The FSA reporting deadline is July 15th. Please contact your local FSA office to schedule an appointment. Scheduling an appointment will help you and our office in preparing for your acreage report. Maps will be printed ahead of time and your farm records will be pulled to help assist you during this time.

Please contact the Crow Wing/Cass FSA office at (218) 829-5965 or the Aitkin/Itasca FSA office at (218) 927-2912 to schedule an appointment.

Float Plane Sinks in Lake Alexander

Two men escaped after their Cessna float plane sank in Lake Alexander near Cushing in Morrison County, Sunday.

The Sheriff says two men were attempting to take off from the wind swept lake Sunday when the craft caught a wave and flipped about 1 p.m. yesterday.  It sank in 17 feet of water.

Both the pilot, 52-year-old Douglas Koch, and passenger, 42-year-old Michael Hubbard escaped.

Hubbard, of Scottsdale Arizona, was hospitalized with minor injuries.  Koch is from Wentwork, South Dakota.

Wadena Still Needs Volunteers

The help-wanted sign is out again in Wadena.  The storm damaged city took the day off Sunday from the clean-up efforts to rest.  Today, volunteers are asked again to lend a hand.

The Center in the old Pimida parking lot on Highway 71 opened its doors at 8 a.m. this morning.  Coordinators of the effort says they could really use some heavy equipment, such as dump trailers.

The June 17th tornado destroyed 268 structures with winds up to 170 miles per hour.  Twenty five families lost their homes.  Since then, 2 thousand volunteers have been helping with the clean-up.