Friday Night High School Scores

BOYS BASKETBALL

Moose Lake/Willow River 64, McGregor 47

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Buffalo 55, Bemidji 36

Pequot Lakes 67, Detroit Lakes 63

A Plea to End School Bus Collisions

The MN State Patrol is concerned about the number of motorists who are running into Brainerd school buses. 

Since the beginning of the 2008 – 2009 school year there have been about 13 crashes involving Reichert company buses.  Nine of those crashes were other motorists crashing into the rear of the buses, many of which occurred at railroad crossings and other locations when the buses were stopping or stopped as required.

State Patrol Sgt. Jim Senenfelder says, “Inattentive / distracted driving issues are a huge problem. Drivers need to pay extra attention and not be distracted when driving around school buses because they are carrying a precious cargo.”

Reichert Bus Service CEO adds, “It is the nature of school buses to be making multiple and frequent stops and our drivers would appreciate more cooperation and caution from the motoring public when driving near our buses.”

CLC Names Top Profs.

Central Lakes College has named its 2012 Outstanding Educators.

Steven K. Anderson of Merrifield and Martha Kuehn of Brainerd received the honor from CLC President Dr. Larry Lundblad.

Anderson, who teaches instrumental music, and Kuehn, a psychology instructor, are eligible for the annual statewide Educator of the Year honor to be announced April 18 at the Excellence in Teaching award luncheon in St. Paul. The award is given by the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.

Back to Hack This Weekend

It's the Back to Hack winter celebration in Hackensack this weekend.

Chamber of Commerce Spokesperson Jean Dawson says it kicks off tonight with a parade that features snowmobiles, if there is enough snow, and ATVs if there isn't.  There will also be a community bond fire and fireworks this evening.

Dawson says there is something new this year, The Paul Bunyan ice Fishing Contest from 9 a.m. - noon Saturday on Birch Lake.

Also new, is a game show similar to Family Feud at the community center Saturday night.  Participants are encouraged to attend in costume. 

Thursday Night High School Scores

Boys Basketball:
Pequot Lakes 62, Aitkin 45
Crosby-Ironton 66, Wadena-Deer Creek 48
Staples-Motley 79, Pillager 44
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 90, Pierz 65
Hill City 73, Floodwood 57
Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 61, Upsala 56
St. Cloud Cathedral 81, Little Falls 67
St. John's Prep 61, Royalton 55

Girls Basketball:
Aitkin 67, Ogilvie 46
Wadena-Deer Creek 61, Pine River-Backus 58
Alexandria 62, Little Falls 52
Bertha-Hewitt 53, Verndale 44
Browerville 72, Swanville 50
Menahga 64, Pillager 16
Perham 75, Park Rapids Area 40
Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 79,Red Lake 49
McGregor 52, Moose Lake-Willow River 30
Upsala 80, Onamia 36

Boys Hockey:
Brainerd/Pillager/Pierz 7, Alexandria 4
Crookston 6, Park Rapids/M/N/WHA 0
St. Cloud Cathedral 13, Wadena-Deer Creek 2

Girls Hockey:
Alexandria 6, Brainerd/Little Falls 3
Park Rapids Area 3, Lake of the Woods 0

Wrestling:
Brainerd 50, Rocori 25
Mille Lacs 52, Royalton/Upsala 30
Pequot Lakes/Pine River-Backus 31, New York Mills 28
Pierz 68, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 6
Walker-Hackensack-Akeley/Nevis 62, Red Lake County Central 13
Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale 42, StaplespMotley 38
Bertha-Hewitt/Verndale 48, Pelican Rapids 33
Staples-Motley 36, Pelican Rapids 35
Park Rapids 51, Wadena-Deer Creek 21
Park Rapids 60, Crosby-Ironton 18
Wadena-Deer Creek 50, Crosby-Ironton 18
Little Falls 46, Mora 22
Little Falls 55, Rush City/Braham 24

Fishing Contest a "Go."

BRAINERD, Minn. (AP) — It's a "go" for one of Minnesota's largest ice fishing tournaments.

Officials for the Brainerd Jaycees' $150,000 Ice Fishing Extravaganza have been issued a permit for the Feb. 11 event.

Crow Wing County sheriff's officials checked ice conditions on Gull Lake Thursday and found the ice was consistently past the minimum requirement of 16 inches to issue the permit.

Tournament officials say they found 17-22 inches of clear ice throughout the contest site.

However, no vehicles will be allowed on the lake for travel to and from the tournament area.

The tournament earlier was postponed from Jan. 21 because the ice was not thick enough. All pre-purchased tickets will be honored.

Contestants stand to win over $200,000 in prizes this year.

Gazelka Says Dome Site Best for the Vikes

State Senator Paul Gazelka says if there is a vote on the Vikings stadium issue, it will likely be toward the end of the legislative session, which began Tuesday.

The Brainerd Republican says he, like many lawmakers, opposes the use of state tax dollars, and would also demand voter approval if a local tax is used.  He tells KLKS News, that makes the Metrodome site the most likely to gain support.  He says the Minneapolis site would not require a new tax and it would be $400 million less than other proposals.

Senator Gazelka expects the legislature will approve a constitutional amendment to be placed on the ballot requiring photo I.D. before anyone can vote.

A Memorial Proposed for Bemidji Pamida Site

(AP)  The closing of a Bemidji store has revived an old wound.

During the construction of an addition to the Pamida store in 1988, the skeletal remains of 22 people were uncovered.  The remains were determined to be those of Dakota Sioux.  Elders said they should be reburied where they were found.

Now that Pamida is shutting its doors, members of the Native American community say the building should come down, and a memorial erected at the site.

The DNR Readies a Wolf Season

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is proposing an inaugural gray wolf hunting and trapping season this fall that calls for a conservative harvest quota of 400 animals.

Wolf research indicates Minnesota's wolf population could sustain a higher quota, but DNR officials say they are taking a measured approach to the state's first season.

The proposal sets a quota of 6,000 licenses that will be allocated through a lottery system. Only one license will be allowed per hunter or trapper. Hunting would be allowed with firearms, archery equipment and muzzleloaders. Calls and bait would be allowed with restrictions.

The season is proposed for the end of November and would be closed once the quota is met. Hunters would be required to register animals on the same day they are harvested and data would be collected from carcasses. Other states with harvest seasons for wolves and other big game animals similarly monitor seasons and close them when quotas are met.

Staples Gas Station Robbed

Staples police are looking for an armed robber who held-up the Staples Self Serve Wednesday.

Police say the man entered the store brandishing a handgun and demanding money. 

The suspect is described as a white male in his 20's or 30's with a slender to medium build, about six feet tall.  The man was wearing a green hooded sweatshirt, dark colored jeans and large metal rimmed sunglasses.

The suspect fled on foot from the store.  A possible suspect vehicle is a blue or brown Ford Taurus or Mercury Sable bearing North Dakota plates.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Staples Police Department at 1-800-794-5733.

Mild Winter Raises Fire Threat

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has been dealing with something they usually don't see this time of the year, wildfires. 

Brainerd area Program Forester Mark Mortenson tells KLKS News, they have seen wildfires in both December and January.  The DNR worries about any fires in wetland areas getting into peat.  Those can take a long time to extinguish. 

Mortenson says area forests could be under stress due to the lack of moisture.  That, combined with the mild temperatures, could result in more pests placing more pressure on trees.  He says there is little that can be done now.  A good watering is recommended after the spring thaw.

Redby Woman Guilty of Hiding Boy Friend

(AP)  A Redby woman has been convicted of attempting to hide her boy friend following a deadly shooting on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in November of 2010.

A federal jury in Duluth convicted 22-year-old Jerilee Jane Head on one count of being an accessory after the fact.

Head was arrested after attempting to hide Donald Leigh Clark Jr following a shooting in which one man was killed, two others wounded.  Authorities say Head attempted to lure federal agents away from her car, where Clark was hiding under a blanket in the back seat.

Head could get 15 years in federal prison.

Four Dunked when Truck Breaks through Bemidji Ice

(AP)  Four people from the Bemidji area got a cold lesson on driving on Minnesota lakes earlier this week.

The Beltrami County sheriff's office says the group were in a truck that broke through the ice on Lake Bemidji about 6 p.m. Monday.  Lawmen says they were forced to swim to the edge of the ice and crawl out. 

MN Reaction to State of Union Address

The reaction to President Obama's State of the Union Address followed party lines. 

MN Senator Al Franken approved of the message.  The fellow Democrat said his top priority is to get this economy back where it should be.  He said he was pleased to hear the president reinforce that reinvigorating the manufacturing industry is one of the key ways to get people back to work and rebuild the middle class.

However, the President's State of the Union Address failed to impress MN 8th District Congressman Chip Cravaack.

The freshman Republican said, "Simply put, the President’s economic policies have failed.  With over an 8.5% unemployment rate for the past 34 straight months, a $15.2 trillion national debt, and the lack of a Senate budget for the past 1,000 days, it’s time to put American workers first – not crisis politics." 

Tuesday Night High School Scores

Boys Basketball:
Aitkin 52, Braham 68
Brainerd 68, Sartell-St. Stephen 67
Detroit Lakes 61, Pequot Lakes 53
Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 83, Pine River-Backus 62
Crosby-Ironton 72, Park Rapids Area 46
Blackduck 76, Laporte 31
Browerville 86, Swanville 65
Henning 62, Sebeka 52
Little Falls 74, Sauk Rapids-Rice 27
Menahga 69, New York Mills 47
Nevis 67, Northome/Kelliher 62
Onamia 58, East Central 56
Royalton 59, Bertha-Hewitt 53
Staples-Motley 61, Wadena-Deer Creek 49
Upsala 86, Holdingford 42

Girls Basketball:
Blackduck 51, Laporte 34
Braham 77, Aitkin 27
Floodwood 58, Hill City 27
Fond du Lac Ojibwe 59, Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig 25
Isle 51, Pine River-Backus 45
Nevis 65, Kelliher/Northome 52,
McGregor 63, Northland 43
Onamia 42, East Central 40
Pierz 50, Kimball Area 42
Upsala 80, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 60
Wadena-Deer Creek 51, Breckenridge 44
Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 69, Pillager 34

Boys Hockey:
Northern Lakes 1, Prairie Centre Area 1
Breckenridge/Wahpeton 7, Wadena-Deer Creek 3

Girls Hockey:
Park Rapids Area 9, LPGE/WDC 0

Wrestling:
Albany 39, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 36
Border West 55, Wadena-Deer Creek 16
Royalton/Upsala 42, Browerville/Eagle Valley 33

Ward Opposes Proposed Constitutional Amendments

State Representative John Ward of Brainerd says there needs to be a spirit of compromise if the legislative session, which began today, is to go smoothly.

The DFL-er told KLKS News he will not support Republican plans to place amendments on the ballot to require a super majority to approve tax increases, photo I.D. at the election polls and right to work initiatives.

Ward says there is no need for the legislature if every controversial issue becomes a referendum for voter approval.

Voter Forum at CLC in Feb.

A voting rights forum will be held at Central Lakes College in Brainerd February 2nd.

The forum will focus on who is eligible to vote, who is ineligible and how to get voter assistance.

The MN Secretary of State's Office will present an overview.   There will also be a panel consisting of individuals from varying backgrounds and perspectives.

The event will run from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.  The forum is sponsored by the Crow Wing County Attorney, and Auditor/Treasurer.

Monday Night High School Scores

Girls Basketball:
Pequot Lakes 60, Pine River-Backus 51
Crosby-Ironton 38, Frazee 36
Pelican Rapids 76, Staples-Motley 64

Boys Basketball:
Cass Lake-Bena 76, Badger/Greenbush-Middle River 61
McGregor 82, Northland 52
Sebeka 75, New York Mills 68

Rosenmeier to Discuss Reapportionment

Former Minnesota Attorney General Mike Hatch will join a panel at Central Lakes College in Brainerd Wednesday discussing Reapportionment. 

Every ten years, following the release of results of the Census, states must reapportion legislative and congressional districts to ensure each citizen has equal and fair representation. On February 21st, a special judicial panel will prescribe the legislative and congressional lines that will divide Minnesota politically for the next decade.

The panel will also include Peter S. Wattson, a veteran Minnesota Senate Legal Counsel and former General Counsel to Governor Mark Dayton; Rep. Sarah Anderson, Chair of the House Committee on Redistricting; and Gregg Peppin, former legislative analyst on the 2001 legislative redistricting legislation. Taylor Stevenson, Vice President of the Rosenemier Center Board of Directors will moderate the forum.

The Rosenmeier Center for State and Local Government at Central Lakes College in Brainerd will sponsor the event at the Chalberg Theater at CLC from 7 to 9 p.m., Wednesday, January 25.

Back to Basics on Saturday

The annual Back to Basics workshop will be held Saturday at Pine River-Backus High School.

Barb Beck of Happy Dancing Turtle, one of the sponsors of the event, tells KLKS News, it's a way to live a more sustainable life style.  There will be workshops ranging from soap making to biological farming and solar.

Beck says the workshop is for all ages and families and includes lunch.  More information can be found on happydancingturtle.org

Kinship Looking for Partners

January is national mentoring month.

Jean Kraft, Coordinator of the Pequot Lakes Office of Kinship Partners, tells KLKS News, their goal is to wipe out the waiting list of youngsters looking for a mentor.  She says it used to be that most of the boys and girls came from single family homes.  Now, she says adult partners are needed because of a parent, working out of state, military deployment and disability. 

Kraft says there currently are 50 boys and girls looking for an adult partner.  More information can be found in the website, Kinshippartners.org.