Friday Night High School Basketball Scores

BOYS BASKETBALL

Detroit Lakes  73, Park Rapids  34
Ogilvie  62,  Aitkin  51
Staples-Motley  71, Osakis  62
Thief River Falls  61, Crosby-Ironton  53
Willmar  73, Brainerd  62

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Cass Lake-Bena  55, Laporte  32
Detroit Lakes  71, Park Rapids  12
Pierz  68, Holdingford  43
Wadena-Deer Creek  48, Crosby-Ironton  44

Big Traffic on Hwy 371 Saturday for Extravaganza

Law enforcement is alerting local residents in the Brainerd Lakes area of traffic problems associated with the annual Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza Saturday.

Traffic is expected to be difficult on Highway 371 at Hole in the Day Bay on Gull Lake, before, during and after the event that is scheduled to run from noon to 3 p.m.

Crow Wing County Sheriff Todd Dahl is recommending motorists avoid the area if possible.  Alternative routes would be County Road 77 to the west and County Road 4 to the east. 

The Sheriff is also urging participants to use the off site parking areas and shuttle to the event.

Proposed Intersection Closure on Co. Rd 11 in Breezy Point

The Crow Wing County Highway Department is proposing the closure of Ski Chalet Drive and Wildwood Lane at County Road 11 in Breezy Point.

Officials say the intersection creates safety concerns due to the alignment of the roads and inadequate sight lines.  Closing the intersection would also remove "cut-across" traffic that uses Ski Chalet as a short-cut to ranchette Drive.

Improvements are also proposed at the entrances to Ranchette Drive and Eagle View Elementary School. 

An open house on the topic will be held at Breezy Point City Hall February 23rd from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Local Lottery Winner

A Brainerd man has a little more walking around money. 

Nathaniel French won $5 thousand by playing the MN Lottery's Coffee Break Crossword scratch game.  The winning ticket was purchased at the triangle Store in Nisswa.

Polar Plunge Coming to Breezy Point

Hundreds of chill seekers in the Brainerd Lakes Area are poised to take the Polar Bear Plunge, presented by Minnesota law enforcement for the benefit of Special Olympics Minnesota, by jumping into icy waters at Breezy Point.

This annual event supports more than 7,100 Special Olympics Minnesota athletes.

In 2011, 339 people took the Plunge in Brainerd, and raised more than $63,000, in support of Special Olympics Minnesota.

Plungers are encouraged to wear original, outrageous and amusing costumes. Post-Plunge, participants run directly from the freezing lake to heated changing tents, where they thaw out, warm up and lend moral support to others who may be lacking a few marbles.

Although each Plunger is only required to raise $75 to participate, the average Plunger raised $192 in 2011.

Thursday Night High School Scores

Boys Basketball:
Aitkin 58, Isle 49
Barnum 64, Hill City 54
Browerville 84, Swanville 63
Cass Lake-Bena 95, Clearbrook-Gonvick 45
Little Falls 84, Milaca 63
Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 78, Eagle Valley 52
Pierz 74, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 63
Upsala 71, St. John's Prep 65
Wadena-Deer Creek 66,Menahga 64

Girls Basketball:
Brainerd 67, St. Cloud Apollo 60
Crosby-Ironton 47, Bemidji 35
Pine River-Backus 77, Blackduck 19
Staples-Motley 74, Pequot Lakes 68
Bertha-Hewitt 43, Pillager 38
Isle 77, Aitkin 50
Little Falls 63, Foley 53
Clearbrook-Gonvick 60, Cass Lake-Bena 37
Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 57, West Central Area 52
Sebeka 67, New York Mills 25

Boys Hockey:
Brainerd/Pillager/Pierz 5, Fergus Falls 1
Northern Lakes 5, Wadena-Deer Creek 0
Princeton 4, Little Falls 0

Girls Hockey:
Crookston 3, Park Rapids Area 1

Gazelka Hails Surplus

State Senator Paul Gazelka is touting a billion dollar surplus in projected state revenues.

The Brainerd Republican says this is good news many states are not receiving.  He tells KLKS News, he wants to give part of it back to taxpayers.  But first, the reserve fund needs to be fully funded, and money withheld from school districts repaid. 

Senator Gazelka said he was pleased that Rick Santorum won the Republican straw poll at the Tuesday MN caucuses.

MN Plans for Wolf Management

The state is about to assume management of the timber wolf population in Minnesota.  That follows the delisting of wolves from the federal endangered species list at the end of January. 

DNR Wolf Management Specialist Dan Stark tells KLKS News, they have been planning for wolf management for some time and says a season for the top predator is in the works for the end of November, when the pelt is in top  condition. 

Stark says conflict between the wolf and human interests makes management necessary.

There are an estimated three thousand wolves from Brainerd into northern Minnesota.

Todd County Phone Scam

The Todd County Sheriff is warning residence to be alert to a phone scam. 

The Sheriff says a resident received a recent call from a company called "United Benefit Advantage."  The salesman was selling a 20 issue magazine subscription for $50.  He claimed there would be an additional $250 Walmart gift certificate. 

The customer received no magazine subscription and no gift card.  The victim has received additional unauthorized charges to the bank account. 

The Sheriff cautions to be aware of who you are dealing with before giving out personal information over the phone.

Hecker in Solitary

(AP)  Formed auto mogul Denny Hecker has been relegated to solitary confinement at the federal prison in Duluth.

Hecker's attorney, Brian Toder, does not know why.  Correction Manager Richard Safra said segregation can result from a variety of reason, some of which have nothing to do with the prisoner's behavior.

The 59-year-old Hecker pleaded guilty in 2010 to bankruptcy fraud and defrauding auto lenders.

Hecker owned two auto dealerships in Baxter.

Santorum Takes the Lakes

Crow Wing County Republicans followed the lead of the rest of Minnesota in throwing their support behind former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum.

A straw poll of those who attended the caucuses found that the conservative Santorum picked up 310 votes, or 48 percent.  Ron Paul was second with 137, Mitt Romney 104 and Newt Gingrich 88.  Santorum won the Cass County caucus with 65 percent of the vote, Aitkin County with 48 percent, and Morrison County with 64 percent.

The DFL held a preference poll on the candidate they would like to see replace incumbent 8th District  Republican Congressman Chip Cravaack.  Former Congressman and rural Crosby resident Rick Nolan won the Crow Wing County vote with 172.  Duluth Councilman Jeff Anderson finished second with 24 votes, and former State Senator Teryl Clark finished last with 5 votes.

Highway 371 Improvement Meeting To Be Held

An update meeting concerning the Highway 371 Improvement Project will be held on Tuesday, February 21 beginning at noon at Bites Grill and Bar on Highway 371, just South of Pine River. Representatives from Mn/Dot will be providing information on staging, timelines and traffic impacts during the construction, scheduled to begin in late May. 

 

Local College Man Makes Good

Sophomore All-American defensive end Frank Mays of Central Lakes College has signed a Letter of Intent to play football at Florida A & M.

Mays will receive a full athletic scholarship to play for the Tallahassee school of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The NCAA Division 1-AA school of 13,000 students has a winning tradition.

Last year the Rattlers finished at 7-4, losing to Bethune-Cookman, 26-16, in the Florida Classic at Orlando.

Mays, a Bemidji native, earned honorable mention on the Division III All-America team announced by the National Junior College Athletic Conference. He had 47 tackles and 8.5 sacks in 2011 and 42 tackles and 6.5 sacks in 2010.

Ice Fishing Travelers Advisories for Extravaganza

The Minnesota Department of Transportation encourages motorists traveling northbound and southbound on Highway 371 during daylight hours on Saturday, Feb. 11, to be alert of lane closures near Gull Lake Hole-in-the-Day Bay and the Brainerd International Raceway.

Motorists are urged to slow down and drive with caution through the area. Drivers should watch for signs and be prepared for sudden stops. Law enforcement will be patrolling the area.

Highway 371 traffic will be a single lane at Gull Lake to allow for a shuttle bus/vehicle drop off site during the Jaycees Fishing Extravaganza.

Contest participants and spectators are encouraged to use the shuttle service, which is provided from BIR, north of Baxter.

For updated statewide traffic, construction, weather and travel information, visit http://www.511mn.org/.

MN Caucus Night

Minnesota gets politically active tonight.  State-wide caucuses begin at 7 p.m.. 

Grabbing most of the attention is the Republican presidential straw poll.  All four candidates have spent time courting delegates. 

DFL-ers in the 8th district will take a straw poll for their favorite to replace freshman Republican Congressman Chip Cravaack. 

State Representative John Ward of Brainerd tells KLKS News, he is backing former Congressman Rick Nolan.  Although Ward maintains all three DFL-er in the contest are good candidates.

DFLers will caucus at the Brainerd High School, Greens will meet at the Brainerd Library, Independents will meet on-line over the next couple of weeks, and Republicans will meet at Forestview in Baxter, Nisswa Elementary School, Crosby High School and Crosslake Community School. If unsure, the Secretary of State has the information on the web site.   Just type in your zip code.

Cass Co. Stabbing Victim Named, Suspect Arraigned

Cass County Sheriff Tom Burch has identified the victim of a fatal weekend stabbing in the Longville area. 

He is 31-year-old James Raymond Elmberg of Walker.

Cass County deputies responded to the incident shortly after midnight Sunday.

Elmberg was rushed to Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby, where he later died.

The suspect, 23-year-old Frank Larose was located a short time later in the Longville area. He has been arraigned on a charge of 2nd degree intentional murder. 

Larose and the Elmberg were at a party at a residence near Longville.  Witnesses said he had become agitated during the course of the evening.  Later, the two began arguing.  Witnesses then reported that Larose approached Elmberg as if to offer a hug, but instead allegedly stabbed him.

Two adult females were attending to him when deputies arrived.

Monday Night High School Scores

Boys Basketball:
Brainerd 67, Alexandria 58
Pequot Lakes 65, Staples-Motley 60
Pillager 65, Sebeka 61
Cass Lake-Bena 63, Nevis 50
Hinckley-Finlayson 63, Onamia 57
Kimball Area 67, Milaca 57

Girls Basketball:
Crosby-Ironton 59, Cass Lake-Bena 38
Esko 65, Pequot Lakes 62
Clearbrook-Gonvick 54, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 48
Maple Lake 61, Milaca 40
McGregor 55,Hill City 34
Nevis 75, Northland 45
Onamia 54, Hinckley-Finlayson 37
Pierz 60, Eden Valley-Watkins 57
Royalton 57, Pillager 21
Wadena-Deer Creek 53, Sauk Centre 52

Boys Hockey:
Breckenridge/Wahpeton 3, Wadena-Deer Creek 2

Girls Hockey:
Brainerd/Little Falls 4,Fergus Falls 3

Extravaganza Saturday

The Brainerd Lakes Area is bracing for thousands of anglers this Saturday, for the annual Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza. 

Crow Wing County Sheriff Todd Dahl tells KLKS News, Highway 371 by Hole in the Day Bay will be bottle-necked with traffic.  He is suggesting locals, not participating in the contest, may wish to stay away until after the contest is over.

Sheriff Dahl says County Road 77 to the west, and County Road 4 to the east, may be good alternatives.  However, he expects those to be a little busier than usual too.

The event was postponed from January because of thin ice.  Dahl says the ice now is about 18 inches thick.

Fatal Stabbing In Longville

The Cass County Sheriff is investigating a fatal stabbing over the weekend.

Sheriff Tom Burch said deputies responded to a report of a stabbing in the Longville area shortly after midnight Sunday morning. They found the victim, and transported him to the Cuyuna Regional Medical Center in Crosby, where he later died.

The suspect was located a short time later in the Longville area. Frank Larose, age 23 of Longville, was taken into custody and is currently being held in the Cass County Jail pending formal charges.

Sheriff Burch said the identity of the victim is being withheld pending notification of family members.  An autopsy is planned