KLKS News

Sen. Carlson Backs Voter I.D.

2012-02-02T10:46:00.000-06:00

State Senator John Carlson of Bemidji supports a Voter I.D. constitutional amendment on the fall ballot. A hearing on the amendment will be held at the state capitol today. Among those testifying against the amendment is the League of Women Voters. Senator Carlson tells KLKS News, they are not a non partisan group. He says the League along with AARP are left-leaning. Those opposed to the

Groundhogs in Conflict

2012-02-02T10:34:00.000-06:00

The groundhog weather prediction for the next six weeks varies from one large rodent to the next. Punxutawny Phil saw his shadow in Pennsylvania, while Sun Prairie Jimmy in Wisconsin did not. So, we turned to licensed Meteorologist Tony Schumacher for the definitive answer, who says, over the next six months, there is going to some winter weather and some spring weather. Hows that for

LeMieur Proposes Two Const. Amendments

2012-02-01T11:41:00.001-06:00

Representative LeMieur of Little Falls has authored two bills this session, calling for constitutional amendments to be placed on the fall ballot. One, if approved by voters, would prohibit tax dollars from being used to fund abortions. The other bill would ban so-called "web-md abortions." The LeMieur bill would require a doctor be in the same room as the patient. Fellow Republican, State

DFL Asks for Legislative Reforms

2012-02-01T11:24:00.000-06:00

DFL state legislators are pushing a reform package they says will improve transparency at the Minnesota State Legislature. The reforms would close loopholes and require elected officials to disclose all sources of income, including pay as a consultant or independent contractor, prohibit party officials from taking public Jobs and end midnight sessions and closed door meetings that make it

Time for the Chickadee Check-Off

2012-02-01T11:09:00.000-06:00

As taxpayers get ready to file their returns, the MN Department of Natural resources says, don't forget the chickadee check-off. Non Game Specialist Pam Perry tells KLKS News, it is the primary means by which non game species receive support. She says the money has funded loon projects around the Brainerd Lakes. Perry says money from hunting license fees funds only projects for game animals.

February begins Mild

2012-02-01T10:54:00.000-06:00

February is picking up where January left off. KLKS Meteorologist Tony Schumacher says highs more than 10 degrees above average look to continue through the weekend. There are changes afoot that could bring some frigid weather in the end of next week, then another warm-up. January was among the top 10 warmest in recorded history. Schumacher says February could follow suit.

Tuesday Night High School Scores

2012-02-01T06:28:00.004-06:00

Boys Basketball: Crosby-Ironton 74, Cass Lake-Bena 55 Pine River-Backus 74, Park Rapids Area 62 Alexandria 72, Little Falls 63 Hinckley-Finlayson 56, Aitkin 38 Moorhead 71, Brainerd 54 Pillager 71, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 58 Braham 102, Onamia 39 Browerville 75, West Central Area 53 Isle 73, East Central 35 Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 54, St. John's Prep 45 McGregor 62, Carlton 56 Pierz 81, Eden

Howes Says it's a Rocky Start to the Session

2012-01-31T11:38:00.001-06:00

The session of the MN Legislature is less than a week old and it has already turned contentious. The MN Senate opened by cutting staffing dollars for DFL lawmakers, followed by the rejection of Governor Dayton's appointment of former DFL State Senator Ellen Anderson as chairman of the Public Utilities commission. State Representative Larry Howes of Walker tells KLKS News it was payback for

Bush Foundation Promotes Govmt Reform

2012-01-31T11:23:00.001-06:00

The Bush Foundation is promoting local government innovation through collaboration. Communication Director Scott Cooper says 12 southeastern Minnesota counties are sharing human service resources to hold down the cost of government. A little closer to home,Cooper tells KLKS News, Todd County is looking into reducing duplication in its internal workings to create cost savings. School

Farewell to a Mild January

2012-01-31T11:06:00.000-06:00

January in the lakes area will go down in history as one of the more mild ones. KLKS Meteorologist Tony Schumacher says the coldest month of the year was about 8 degrees above average. He says it will be one of the top 10 warmest Januaries on record. Snowfall for the month is about 6 to 7 inches below average. Schumacher says the mild weather will continue into the first week of February.

Monday Night High School Scores

2012-01-31T05:30:00.002-06:00

Boys Basketball: Pelican Rapids 80, Pequot Lakes 59 Verndale 76, Underwood 62 Girls Basketball: Aitkin 67, Hinckley-Finlayson 31 Isle 94, Hill City 26 McGregor 45, Carlton 36 Menahga 56, Browerville 43

The Extravaganza will Happen Despite Mild Temps

2012-01-30T11:17:00.001-06:00

Despite the mild weather expected this week, the Jaycees Ice Fishing Extravaganza is expected to go on as scheduled February 11th on Gull Lake. Crow Wing County Sheriff Todd Dahl tells KLKS News, there is a consistent 17-18 inches of Ice on Hole in the Day Bay. He says vehicle traffic will be limited on the ice during the event. Sheriff Dahl is also encouraging contestants to use the shuttles

Earned Income Tax Credit for Low wage Workers

2012-01-30T11:07:00.001-06:00

The IRS is reminding taxpayers of credit that is often over-looked. It is the Earned Income Tax Credit. St. Paul IRS Spokesperson Carry Resch tells KLKS News, one in five workers and families miss out on it, either because they don’t claim it, or don’t file a return at all. In Crow Wing County 53 hundred tax payers claimed about 10 million dollars through the credit. About 20 percent of

Friday Night High School Scores

2012-01-27T21:18:00.002-06:00

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

2012-01-27T11:59:00.000-06:00

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

CLC Names Top Profs.

2012-01-27T11:50:00.000-06:00

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

Back to Hack This Weekend

2012-01-27T11:43:00.000-06:00

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. -

Thursday Night High School Scores

2012-01-27T05:39:00.004-06:00

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

Fishing Contest a "Go."

2012-01-26T18:58:00.000-06:00

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.

Gazelka Says Dome Site Best for the Vikes

2012-01-26T10:37:00.002-06:00

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

A Memorial Proposed for Bemidji Pamida Site

2012-01-26T09:21:00.000-06:00

(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

The DNR Readies a Wolf Season

2012-01-26T09:14:00.000-06:00

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

Staples Gas Station Robbed

2012-01-26T06:46:00.001-06:00

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

Mild Winter Raises Fire Threat

2012-01-25T10:47:00.000-06:00

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

Redby Woman Guilty of Hiding Boy Friend

2012-01-25T09:22:00.000-06:00

(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

Four Dunked when Truck Breaks through Bemidji Ice

2012-01-25T08:38:00.000-06:00

(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

2012-01-25T07:02:00.001-06:00

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

Tuesday Night High School Scores

2012-01-25T05:50:00.005-06:00

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

Ward Opposes Proposed Constitutional Amendments

2012-01-24T11:14:00.000-06:00

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

Voter Forum at CLC in Feb.

2012-01-24T09:25:00.000-06:00

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

Monday Night High School Scores

2012-01-24T05:46:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-23T11:23:00.000-06:00

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

Back to Basics on Saturday

2012-01-23T11:03:00.001-06:00

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

Kinship Looking for Partners

2012-01-23T10:38:00.001-06:00

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

Saturday High School Basketball Scores

2012-01-21T20:00:00.000-06:00

BOYS BASKETBALL Bemidji 77, Duluth Denfeld 69 Crosby-Ironton 68, Duluth Marshall 60 Pillager 81, McGregor 42 GIRLS BASKETBALL Crosby-Ironton 47, Cloquet 24 Rogers 53, Bemidji 44

23 Year Old Male In Custody By State Patrol

2012-01-21T18:57:00.001-06:00

A 23 year old male is in custody following a high speed chase beginning in Aitkin County and concluding in Benton County. The Minnesota State Patrol says, that after an incident in Aitkin County involving a stolen vehicle and damage to a State Patrol vehicle, the pursuit began about 9:15am on Saturday, leading officers through portions of Aitkin, Crow Wing, Mille Lacs, Morrison and Benton

Donkey Basketball in P.R. Tomorrow Night

2012-01-20T12:06:00.001-06:00

Donkey basketball comes the Pine River-Backus gym Saturday night. Rae Borst tells KLKS News, it is a fund raiser for the corn fest, and it is a lot of fun to watch. The donkeys don't always want to move when they are supposed to. The donkeys are outfitted in rubber boots so they don't harm the gym floor. The tip-off, or whatever you call it, is at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the Pine

New Rules for the MN Wolf

2012-01-20T09:39:00.000-06:00

Minnesota's population of wolves will transition from federal protection to state management by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources on Jan. 27, bringing with that transition a number of law changes. Minnesota's Wolf Management Plan will protect wolves and monitor their population, but also give owners of livestock and domestic pets more protection from wolf depredation. The plans

Deer Hunt Success Down

2012-01-20T09:29:00.000-06:00

Lower deer populations and a windy first weekend of the firearms season resulted in Minnesota's deer harvest dropping 7 percent in 2011, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Minnesota hunters harvested 192,300 deer during the 2011 season, a drop of 15,000 from the 207,000 deer harvested in 2010. "Upwards of 50 percent of the annual deer harvest occurs during opening

Thursday Night High School Scores

2012-01-20T05:44:00.004-06:00

Boys Basketball: Rocori 68, Brainerd 65 Pillager 62, Henning 54 Barnum 82, Aitkin 62 Bertha-Hewitt 56, Menahga 51 Clearbrook-Gonvick 79, Laporte 52 Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 74, Melrose 70 Nevis 45, Park Rapids Area 40 Verndale 68, Sebeka 60 Girls Basketball: Pine River-Backus 61, Nevis 54 Aitkin 67,Deer River 39 Crosby-Ironton 58, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 39 Staples-Motley 100, Park Rapids

Area Young People Learn About Government

2012-01-18T11:25:00.001-06:00

Area high school juniors and seniors are getting an up-close lesson on government from the local level up to the state. The Youth in Government Civics Project exposes the young minds to how government works. Project Manager Kris Hasskamp tells KLKS News, if young people get excited about how government works, then maybe they will become future leaders. The Youth in Government and Civics

Turkeys Thrive During a Snowless Winter

2012-01-18T11:07:00.001-06:00

The growing wild turkey population in the Brainerd Lakes area has no problem with the recent cold. DNR Youth Mentoring Coordinator Mike Kurre says this kind of weather is almost like heaven for them. He says they need to scratch the forest floor for food. Heavy snow cover makes that difficult. The opposite is true for grouse. Kurre says wild turkeys have established well in the Nisswa and

Fire Destroys Long Prairie House

2012-01-18T10:40:00.000-06:00

A fire destroyed a house in Long Prairie Tuesday afternoon. The Long Prairie Volunteer Fire department got the call just before 3 p.m. By the time they got to the house at 22697 Gate Way Drive, it was fully engulfed. The house was unoccupied. Cause of the fire is under investigation.

Salvation Army Says Thanks

2012-01-18T08:41:00.001-06:00

The Salvation Army of the Brainerd Lakes Area is offering thanks to its supporters. During the Christmas season, the charitable organization served 696 households, 2088 individuals and 916 children with food cards and gifts. Special thanks goes out to area churches, schools, business, media and individuals for their contribution to the effort.

Tuesday Night High School Scores

2012-01-18T05:49:00.006-06:00

Boys Basketball: Pequot Lakes 74, Pillager 58 Pine River-Backus 76, Verndale 68 Brainerd 80, Little Falls 78 Browerville 44, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 43 East Central 50, Aitkin 49 Deer River 104, Cass Lake-Bena 80 Esko 72, Crosby-Ironton 44 Isle 58, Onamia 50 McGregor 54, Floodwood 51 Nevis 60, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 47 Perham 81, Park Rapids Area 23 Pierz 98, Rockford 80 Upsala 92,

Monday Night High School Scores

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-06:00

Boys Basketball: Grand Rapids 73, Staples-Motley 47 Pelican Rapids 87, Wadena-Deer Creek 48 Girls Basketball: Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 74, Eagle Valley 53 McGregor 56, Floodwood 37

Saturday Accident Critically Injures Two

2012-01-16T12:13:00.004-06:00