Prep Hockey Scores from Black Friday

Girls' Hockey:
Sartell/Sauk Rapids-Rice 1, St. Francis/North Branch 1, OT (tie)
St. Cloud Icebreakers 5, Cambridge-Isanti/Mora/Pine City 0

Buffalo Tournament;
Bemidji 4, Buffalo 2
Brainerd/Little Falls 3, North Wright County 2

Pequot Lakes Tournament;
Cooper/Heritage/Providence 9, LPGE/WDC 0
Crosby-Ironton/Pequot Lakes/Pine River-Backus 4, St. Louis Park 3

Thief River Falls High School Tournament;
Crookston Pirates 8, Park Rapids Area 2
Thief River Falls 3, Eveleth-Gilbert/Virginia/Mesabi East/M I-B 2

Willmar Tournament;
Austin/Austin Pacelli 4, Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato 2
Willmar 6, Morris/Benson Area Storm 1

Boys' Hockey:
Duluth Marshall 4, Mahtomedi 2
Little Falls 6, Hibbing Chisholm 1
Northern Lakes 8, Bagley/Fosston/Clearbrook-Gonvick 1

Spring Lake Park Tournament;
Cambridge-Isanti 5, Chaska 3
Spring Lake Park 8, Irondale/Saint Anthony Village 2

Slippery Roads in the Brainerd Area

The Brainerd Lakes Area dodged a wintry blast Wednesday.  Predictions of up to 5 inches of snow did not materialize.  Some two to three inches of snow whitened the area.   International Falls got the most snow registering 8.5 inches.

Tom Wyrk, MnDot Maintenance Supervisor for the Brainerd Area, tells KLKS News, they were expecting something much worse.  Still, he describes the roads as slippery.

Wyrk says the trucks are spreading some alternative chemicals designed to melt ice when temperatures are around zero.  He is urging drivers to slowdown and give the snow plows plenty of room.

Traveling conditions are described as difficult to the north and south of the Brainerd district.

Brainerd MNDOT Plow Schedule

The Brainerd District of the Minnesota Department of Transportation is fully staffed today.  However, MNDOT wants motorists to know, they will reduce to a smaller staff between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.

Maintenance Supervisor Tom Wyrk tells KLKS news, the strong winds expected after the main snowfall, could wreak havoc on driving over night and into Thanksgiving day.  He is urging motorists to watch out for plows, which travel a lot slower than the posted limit. As the saying goes, "Don't crowd the cloud."

A Wintery Blast On The Way

The Brainerd Lakes Area is under a Winter Weather Advisory through tonight.  Meteorologist Tony Schumacher says once the snow ends, the travel trouble will more than likely continue.  He says strong winds will cause blowing, snow reducing visibilities. 

Schumacher expects around three inches in the Brainerd area.  An inch or two more could fall in northern Cass and Aitkin counties.  There could be a snow-sleet mix south of Brainerd toward St. Cloud. 

It is a fast moving system, which should limit snowfall totals.

Stay Off Brainerd Area Ice

Crow Wing County Sheriff Todd Dahl is urging people to stay off the new ice forming on lakes and ponds. 

The county's top cop says Ice fishing may be fun, but it's not worth dying for.  He says the water is always moving under the ice causing weak spots. 

Dahl cautions dog owners, if the pet falls through, don't go after it.  He says it is not worth losing a human life for an animal.  And, he says most likely, the dog can claw its way out.

Wolf Numbers On the Increase

It appears deer hunters have been competing with timber wolves for their favorite prey. 

Cary Shoutz, DNR Conservation Officer in the Crosslake area, says hunting has become more challenging in the Emily, Outting and Aitkin areas.  Hunters in those areas have reported, when they see wolves, they don't see deer. 

Shoutz wolves like the remote country.  He anticipates competing interests will get together to form a management plan, that may result in harvesting the top predator. 

Despite the increased wolf numbers, Shoutz says the deer harvest in the Brainerd area is up 14 percent.

Downtown Brainerd Ready for Holidays

It’s a wonderful life in Downtown Brainerd.  Windows are decorated, soup and hot toddies are ready for tasting, gift giving options are available for all ages. Downtown Brainerd businesses are preparing for the first Holli-Walk in Downtown Brainerd, December 9th from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

A map card and goodie bag can be picked up at 604 Laurel Street.  Take it around to shops from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Get 11 or more punches on the card from any participating businesses and be eligible to win more than $1,000 in prizes.

Backus Legion Wins Honor

It may be a small American Legion Auxiliary, but the unit has won a big award.

The Backus American Legion Auxiliary Unit 368 has won a Best in the Nation award for its active duty troop support program.


The award was presented to a joint meeting of the auxiliary and the post Monday by Minnesota state department Chaplain Shirley Frederick of Hackensack. Accepting the honor from the national organization on behalf of unit members were Linda and Doug Barchus, coordinators of the unit’s troop support activities, Auxiliary President Mel Taylor and post Commander Bill Taylor.

Working closely with Family Services at Camp Ripley, the unit has provided troops from all over Minnesota deployed from there with two "cool ties" and "excess ties" to troops deployed from other locations. The cloth ties made by the unit and worn around the neck contain soil moist that when dampened cools the body temperatures of soldiers by up to five degrees. The unit, with the help of the United Methodist Church of Pine River, has made 42,000 of the ties. Auxiliary unit members have given freely of their time to the troop support program, including sewing and stuffing the cool ties, baking goods and working in fundraising programs.

The unit also gave $1,100 in 2009 to the Veterans Service Center at Central Lakes College in Brainerd to help feed returning men and women attending college on a limited budget.

Tough Driving Around the Lakes

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is advising motorist to use caution while driving in Central Minnesota today, due icy road conditions.

No closures of interstate highways or other roads are anticipated at this time; however, motorists may encounter brief lane closures where crashes occur.

MnDot says motorists should drive slowly on bridges, overpasses and tunnels, use a safe speed for winter driving conditions, regardless of the posted speed limit, keep a safe stopping distance from the vehicle in front of you, keep both hands on the steering wheel, your eyes on the road and your attention on your driving.

Conditions on State Highways are fair.  However, all other roads in the Brainerd Lakes Area are icy and treacherous.

Crow Wing County Sheriff Todd Dahl tells KLKS news, there hadn't been in major accidents reported this morning.  However, he warned drivers to be especially cautious at intersection curves and hills.  Some motorists have become stranded, unable to drive up icy hills.

S. A. Needs Bell Ringers

The Brainerd Lakes Area Salvation Army has a great need for volunteer bell ringers.

Major Jeff Strickler says they have quite a few open shifts for bell ringers this week. The Salvation Army needs help plugging some gaps in the fund-raising effort.   He says, if the Christmas kettles do well early in the season it will go a long way toward achieving the kettle goal of $110,000 for this year.


For more information call the Brainerd Lakes Salvation Army at (218) 829-1120.

Ice Storm Claims Lives

(AP)  A 12-year-old Long Prairie girl was killed in a one vehicle accident yesterday morning in Stearns County. 

She was a passenger in a vehicle that appears to have been caught up in the ice storm Sunday. 

The girl was not wearing a seat belt when the truck she was in lost control on an icy road about 10 a.m.  She was thrown from the vehicle and died a short time later at a Melrose area hospital. 

A four vehicle accident near Litchfield killed a 44-year-old Litchfield woman Saturday night.

So. Long Lake Church Lost to Blaze

The South Long Lake Presbyterian Church was declared a total loss from a Sunday morning fire shortly before services were to begin. 

The Brainerd Fire Department was called to the scene around 8 a.m. yesterday, on Church Road off Highway 25 south of town.  Church was to begin at 9:30 a.m.

The structure was fully involved by the time fire fighters arrived.  The steeple and sanctuary survived the blaze.  However the church is considered a total loss.  No cause has been given.  The State Fire Marshall's office will investigate.