Don Merritt Sr Dies

An entertainment and business figure in the Brainerd Lakes Area passed away Thursday night.  Don Merritt Sr. died at his Florida home at the age of 79.

Merritt was a 17 year musician in St. Louis.  He later added his trombone to The Garden Avenue Seven in Clearwater Florida.  In the lakes area he had the Don Merritt Orchestra. 

Merritt and his wife Joanne opened Merritt Jewelers in Pequot Lakes in 1984.  He passed the family business on to his son Don Jr and his wife Barb.

Merritt Sr. was born in St. Louis and will be interred there.

Shooting of L.F. Man Justified

(AP)  The Crow Wing County Attorney has found that Morrison County lawmen were justified in the use of deadly force against a 37-year-old Little Falls man the end of last year.

Don Ryan says Patrick Jeske was depressed, suicidal and fired at least shot at officers who confronted him December 30th.  Jeske died at the home of an acquaintance after he was struck by six shots.

The review determined that Jeske had told others he intended to kill himself that night, and that officers had no choice but to defend themselves.

Morrison Co Will Collect Old Prescription Drugs

The Morrison County Sheriff’s Office will be collecting prescription drugs Saturday, April 30th.  The effort is funded by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration .

Sheriff Michel Wetzel says any resident of Morrison County may bring their old or unused prescription drugs to the lobby of the Sheriff’s Office at 213 First Avenue SE, Little Falls, between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. There is no attempt to identify people bringing the prescription drugs in, nor will they be inventoried. Citizens merely need to enter the lobby at the Sheriff’s Office and drop the prescription drugs into the collection box.

Morrison County's top cop says proper disposal of prescription drugs is extremely expensive and is pleased that the DEA has provided this service even it is only for one day.

Howes Supports Photo ID

State Representative Larry Howes says he will support a plan to require a photo I.D. to vote, if it isn't too expensive.

The Walker Republican says most Minnesotans support the proposed requirement. 

Opponents of the proposal call it little more than a poll tax.

Good Sam Bowl May 1st

The Good Samaritan Bowl VIII is looking to raise $60 thousand dollars during the fund raiser May 1st. 

Spokesperson Liz Csanda says they more bowlers registered than ever before.  New this year is an invitation to veterans to participate in the event with their families at no cost.

The event will be held at Jack's House in Brainerd 4-5:30 p.m. and the Community Bowl in Pine River from 2-3:30 p.m.

Proceeds from the event will be used to modernize tub rooms at the Good Samaritan facilities.

For more information and to donate call: 218 825-2505.

Solar Heat For Low Income Families

Solar powered furnaces will be installed in 280 low-income houses over the next year.

Last week The Rural Renewable Energy Alliance  completed trainings with Community Action Agencies for the project.

Jason Edens RREAL Director says these installations will provide a combined annual output of more than 600 MWh of clean, healthy solar energy to families currently struggling with high fuel costs.
This project is made possible through a $2.2 million grant from the Sustainable Energy Resources for Consumers (SERC) program at the U.S. Department of Energy which will benefit numerous Minnesota agencies and organizations throughout the state.

Sheriff To Help Clean-up Medicine Cabinets

The Crow Wing County Sheriff's office will participate in National TAKE-BACK DAY April 30.

The Drug Enforcement Agency iscoordinating with state and local law enforcement agencies focused on removing potentially dangerous controlled substances from the nation’s medicine cabinets.

The effort will provide an opportunity to surrender expired, unwanted, or unused pharmaceutical controlled substances and other medications to law enforcement officers for destruction.

This one-day effort will bring national focus to the issue of pharmaceutical controlled substance abuse. The program provides an opportunity for law enforcement, prevention, treatment, and the business community to collaborate and establish a safe collection site for all Americans, regardless of where they reside.

On April 30, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. the public may dispose of their pharmaceutical medications at the Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office . The drop off container will be located in the main lobby of the Sheriff’s Office located at 304 Laurel Street in Brainerd.
Those bringing in medications may dispose of them in their original containers, but are encouraged to remove any identifying information from the prescription label.

Intra-venous solutions, injectables, and syringes will not be accepted due to potential hazards posed by blood-borne pathogens.

Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine are not a part of this initiative, and should not be placed in collection containers.

Cravaack Justifies Vote

Congressman Chip Cravaack released the following statement on his vote for H.Con.Res. 34, which establishes the budget for the federal government for Fiscal Year 2012.

“If recent history has shown us anything it is that Washington spends too much, not that Americans are taxed too little. This budget begins the task of reining in the massive deficits we have seen over the last few years and it puts us on a path to pay down our debt in the long term. It cuts $6.2 trillion in government spending over the next decade alone, and it does so without raising taxes.

Tom McMahon, Executive Director, Americans United for Change says all eyes are on 8th District Congressman. McMahon says Cravaack is irresponsibly giving trillions of dollars in additional tax breaks for millionaires and big corporations at the same time it ending Medicare and Medicaid as we know them and asks Minnesota seniors, children and people with disabilities to shoulder more burden in the form of dramatically higher premiums and less care.

McMahon says, “There is nothing courageous or responsible about the Republicans in Congress who are asking millions of seniors, the less fortunate and the disabled to make more sacrifices and the richest among us make less. If they have their way, there would be no more guaranteed Medicare benefits for Minnesota seniors, only a guarantee of paying more and more out of pocket for less care after being left to the mercy to the private insurance industry.