MINNESOTA UNEMPLOYMENT RATE HITS 6 PERCENT
11/21/2008

Minnesota's unemployment rate grew to 6 percent in October. The Department of Employment and Economic Development says that's a loss of 7,500 jobs. That compares with a state unemployment rate of 5.9 percent in September. Commissioner Dan McElroy says that despite the challenging job market, financial activities as well as education and health services continue to post surprisingly strong employment numbers. Officials say the state's national economic consultants are expecting ``fairly high'' unemployment rates through 2009 into 2010, with the beginning of job gains in early 2010. The newest figures came out on the same day the White House said President George W. Bush would quickly sign legislation pending in Congress to provide extended unemployment benefits. (AP)

HOLIDAZE PARADE IS TOMORROW IN WILLMAR
11/21/2008

The 2008 Holidaze Parade takes place in Downtown Willmar Saturday starting at 6:30 p.m. Other events will be taking place throughout downtown starting at 3 p.m. There will be vendors selling food and drink both indoors and outside, and people can see reindeer, alpacas and the grinch. There will be lighted luminaries in Selvig Park and near Chief Kandiyohi by the courthouse. Four different musical groups will perform at Bethel Lutheran Group, and there will be a chili supper served from 4 to 6 p.m. A lot will be happening at the Barn Theatre starting at 3 where they'll be selling "all things chocolate" and having free cookie decorating for the kids. Santa will be there from 4 to 5:30. There will be theater tours every half hour, and after the parade there will be a variety show featuring musical numbers from musicals at the barn over the past year. Tickets for the show, which will start around 7:30, are 10 dollars each, and people will also be able to buy Winter Season Tickets for $39 each, a 15 percent discount. Also after the parade there will be live music and awards presentation at Northern Grounds Coffee House.

SUMMER-LONG PROJECT FINISHED IN MONTEVIDEO
11/21/2008

Highway 7 opened to traffic in Montevideo yesterday. Work was begun by Duininck Brothers in May, and the project included building a new frontage road on the north side of Highway 7 between 11th Street and County Road 41, and rebuilding several frontage road connections. New lights and signals were installed and the highway was graded and resurfaced from the bridge on the west side of 1st Street to Chippewa County Road 15. Work on turf and landscaping will take place in the spring.

BACHMANN OPPOSES 'BIG 3" BAILOUT
11/21/2008

Republican Representative Michele Bachmann says as long as the "Big 3" automakers have high labor costs, the chances of them making a quick financial recovery are slim. Because of that, Bachmann opposes congress giving them 25 billion dollars in bailout money. Bachmann sits on the House Financial Services Committee, and listened to the heads of Ford, GM and Chyrsler make their plea for tax money to prevent bankrupcy. Bachmann says the presentation did not go over very well. Bachmann said Japanese automakers like Honda, Toyota and Nissan are making money making and selling cars in the U.S. because they have lower labor costs. Bachmann says the big 3 need to adjust to the realities of the marketplace. Otherwise they will quickly burn through the bailout money and be back asking for more. She says filing chapter 11 or 7 bankrupcy will give them the opportunity they need to make the changes needed to keep them afloat.

ASSESSMENT HEARING TONIGHT ON GREEN LAKE SYSTEM
11/21/2008

An assessment hearing takes place Friday regarding the cost of Nest, George and Henderson Lake property owners to join the Green Lake Sanitary Sewer District. The hearing takes place starting at 7 p.m. in the lower level Community Room of the Kandiyohi County Health and Human Services Building in Willmar. Kandiyohi County Commissioner Harlan Madsen says the pipeline linking the lakes to the system is done, and now it's time for people to hook up at a cost of about $6800. He says the hearing will be an opportunity to get money questions answered. The Green Lake system was finished about 9 years ago, mainly for Green Lake, Spicer and New London residents. Since that time, Lake Florida has been added and now Nest, Henderson and George. Diamond Lake residents are studying the issues, and Madsen says so is the City of Kandiyohi. The system was built with a lot of extra capacity in anticipation of future add-ons.

COUNTY MOVING FORWARD ON NEW RESC. SQUAD BUILD.
11/21/2008

The Kandiyohi County Board has given the architect the go-ahead to draw up plans and advertise for bids for a new county rescue squad building. It will be built where the current building sits, north of the intersection of Highway 12 and Lakeland Drive. County Commissioner Harlan Madsen says the decision to move forward on the 1.5 million dollar building came after 2 years of planning and dozens of meetings of a special task force. Madsen says they found it would be too expensive to put-in living quarters for a full-time rescue squad, and that it would be impractical and expensive to construct a joint rescue-squad and Humane Society building. The task force decided to recommend a seperate Humane Society building be constructed in the Willmar Industrial Park, near Viking Coca Cola. Plans will be drawn and bids will be sought for a new $600,000 facility. The Humane Society has been using space provided for them near the current rescue squad building. Madsen says the county has been putting aside money for the building projects and should not result in a tax increase. The Humane Society wlll be required to pay about 50 percent of the cost of their building. Madsen hopes they will be completed by next Summer or Fall.

SHOEBOX GIFTS STILL BEING COLLECTED AT YFC
11/21/2008

People can make the holidays brighter for the poorest of the poor by donating gifts to the Operation Christmas Child Program. This week they will be collecting the gifts at Youth For Christ in Willmar on the south side of the 1st Street Bridge. Drop-off site Coordinator Karissa Poe says last year they collected 3000 shoebox-sized gift packages and this year they'd like to increase that number to 4000. Poe says Operation Christmas Child is run by Franklin Graham's Samaritan's Purse organization, and sends the shoebox gifts to poor children in dozens of countries around the world. Poe says people can put their donations in a shoebox or shoe-box sized plastic container and drop it off. She says it doesn't take much to bring a lot of joy to children who have been through a lot. Poe says if people are able to, they can also include 7 dollars for postage. The shoebox gifts can be dropped-off at Youth For Christ in Willmar today from 9 to 8 p.m., Saturday 1 to 5 and Sunday 11 to 2. For more information, call Youth For Christ at 1-800-498-8639.

ABATE TOY RUN IS TOMORROW IN LITCHFIELD
11/21/2008

The 12th annual ABATE Toys for Kids toy drive is coming up this Saturday night at the Bonfire Bar and Grille – south of Litchfield. There will be a silent auction and music by October Sun. South Central ABATE Chapter President Jim Orn says people should bring a toy to donate, and a 5-dollar fee will also be collected which will help buy more toys for children this holiday season. He says October Sun will begin playing at 8:30 p.m. and the Silent Auction will start at 7 o’clock. Orn says lots of great items have been donated by local businesses for the silent auction. The Toys for Kids toy drive is this Saturday evening at the Bonfire Bar and Grille – south of Litchfield on Highway 22. (KLFD)

COLEMAN'S LEAD NOW DOWN TO 136
11/21/2008

The U.S. Senate recount continues today between Republican Incumbent Norm Coleman and DFL challenger Al Franken. As of Thursday night, about 46-percent of the two-point-nine-million ballots had been counted Secretary of State Mark Ritchie says says he's surprised how many areas have finished their recounts already, but adds the biggest cities and counties will probably still need pretty much the full length of time through the December 5th deadline. Going in to today, Coleman was leading Franken by only 136 votes, a drop from his unofficial lead of 215 that was confirmed Tuesday by the state Canvassing Board. (MNN)

MNSCU REDUCES BUDGET REQUEST
11/20/2008

The board overseeing the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system has cut its budget request to the Legislature, citing the severe economic downturn. The MnSCU (MINN'-skew) Board of Trustees on Wednesday approved seeking a $71.7 million increase for the next two-year budget period. That's a reduction of $55 million from the $126.7 million increase in the system's state appropriation that the board began considering in September. Chancellor James McCormick says even if lawmakers approve the full $71.7 million increase, the presidents of MnSCU colleges and universities will still face tough decisions. McCormick calls it ``a bare-bones budget.'' MnSCU says it's the lowest biennial request in the system's 13-year history. The request approved by the board assumes tuition increases of 3 percent a year at state universities and 2 percent a year at state colleges if it's fully funded. (AP)

MINNESOTA ASTRONAUT LOSES $100,000 TOOL BAG
11/20/2008

It turns out to have been a costly space goof. That tool sack that accidentally got away from Minnesota astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper (HY'-dee-mah-REE' steh-fuh-NIH'-shun PY'-pur) during a spacewalk Tuesday cost $100,000. In an interview with The Associated Press, Stefanyshyn-Piper says the incident is ``very disheartening.'' She was trying to clean up grease that had oozed out of a grease-gun in the bag when the tote and everything in it floated off. She says the hard part was having to face everybody later back inside the space station. The St. Paul, Minn., native is the first woman to be assigned the job of lead spacewalker on a shuttle flight There are three more spacewalks to come on this mission. Today, Stefanyshyn-Piper will be joined by astronaut Shane Kimbrough. They'll be doing more work on a jammed-up solar-panel joint. And this time, they'll be sharing a grease gun. (AP)

FRANKEN TO GET ACCESS TO ABSENTEE INFO
11/20/2008

A Minnesota judge has granted a request by Democratic Senate candidate Al Franken for the release of information on voters whose absentee ballots were rejected. Ramsey County Judge Dale Lindman directed the county to produce the data by the close of business Wednesday. It complied. Franken wanted the rosters of disqualified absentee voters in all 87 counties to determine if they were properly rejected in the counting of ballots for his close race with incumbent Sen. Norm Coleman. Lindman's ruling applies only to Ramsey County, the state's second-largest county, but it represents a partial victory for Franken. A key board hasn't decided whether to allow wrongly rejected absentee ballots into the statewide recount. (AP)

LOCAL TURKEY COMPANY ON DISCOVERY CHANNEL TONIGHT
11/20/2008

The Minnesota Turkey Industry will be prominently featured on a Discovery Channel Documentary to be aired tonight at 7 and 11 p.m. Torry Norling of Willmar Poultry Company says the program is called "How Stuff Works: Turkey" Norling says this past spring Willmar Poultry was asked by the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association if they'd like to be part of the documentary, and they said "sure!" Minnesota is the nation's number 1 turkey-producing state, and Willmar Poultry is the top producer of turkey poults. Once again, the hour-long program "How Stuff Works: Turkey" will air on the Discovery Channel tonight at 7 and again at 11 p.m.

FAT PIG DIES
11/20/2008

A Winona potbellied pig that became famous after a dispute between its owner and a pig sitter has died. Owner Michelle Schmitz says Alaina Templeton was found unresponsive Tuesday when Schmitz's boyfriend tried to feed the pig a pear. Animal cruelty cases are still pending against the pig's former caretaker, who was accused of allowing the pig to get too fat. Schmitz has said that after picking up the pig from the caretaker's farm just over a year ago, Alaina Templeton had gained 100 pounds and her collar had become embedded in her neck. A veterinarian had to surgically remove the collar. Schmitz says she wrapped the 6-year-old pig in a blanket and buried it at her uncle's farm. (AP)

FRANKEN HAS NET GAIN OF 1 VOTE IN CITY OF WILLMAR
11/20/2008

The statewide recount of the U.S. Senate Race between Senator Norm Coleman and DFL Challenger Al Franken began yesterday. The more than 7300 ballots in the City of Willmar were recounted by 3 p.m. yesterday. Willmar City Clerk-Treasurer Kevin Halliday says in the end, Coleman lost 2 votes and Franken lost 1. Halliday says three ballots were challenged after they were rejected for things like multiple circles being filled-in, check marks above and below circles and writing on the backs of ballots. Halliday says he's surprised there weren't more problems with ballots. Halliday says both Coleman and Franken had a good number of representatives observing the recount at Willmar City Hall. The rest of the Kandiyohi County Ballots other than those from Willmar, about 22,000, were recounted at the county auditor's office and were finished by 3:45 p.m. There were 9 ballots challenged, six for Coleman and three for Franken.

STATEWIDE RECOUNT 16 PERCENT DONE
11/20/2008

Election officials across Minnesota have started the painstaking process of recounting the votes in the state's hard-fought U.S. Senate race. Nearly 2.9 million ballots will be recounted in the race between Republican incumbent Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken. The secretary of state's first look at recount figures showed that nearly 16 percent of ballots were recounted on the first day, with 221 challenges statewide. Coleman helpers challenged nine more votes than Franken's. Overall, the secretary of state's figures showed Franken slicing into Coleman's pre-recount lead by 43 votes. But many counties that were supposed to start counting Wednesday reported no results to the secretary of state. Several counties that didn't finish their recounts offered incomplete results. (AP)

COLEMAN AGAINST DETROIT BAILOUT
11/19/2008

Sen. Norm Coleman says he will vote against a $25 billion rescue package for Detroit's Big Three automakers. The Minnesota Republican says he's concerned ``if we give 25 or 50 billion today, that in six months we may need to give another 25, 50 billion.'' Coleman made his comments after meeting with Joe Hinrichs (HIN'-riks), Ford Motor Co.'s vice president of manufacturing. The Big Three automakers are warning of economic catastrophe for the nation -- along with their companies -- if they are denied the loans. Coleman says he would try to make improvements to the bill. Minnesota's other senator, Democrat Amy Klobuchar, says she is ``inclined'' to vote for the auto rescue package, but says she wants to make sure the bill isn't a blank check. (MNN)

SCAM TSUNAMI HITS WILLMAR
11/19/2008

Phone scammers and con artists continue to hit the Willmar area hard. Willmar Police Officer Marilee Dorn says in the past week she's had calls on no less than 7 different scams. She says one of the most common is where people get a check in the mail to cover taxes and fees from some unsolicited windfall. People are instructed to cash the check and send in a portion of it to the scammer. It later turns out the check is a fake, and the victim who cashed it is liable to pay back the bank. Dorn says another scam involves a younger person calling an elderly person, pretending to be a grandchild in trouble, seeking money. Dorn also says people have recieved phone calls claiming the victim needs to give financial information in order to continue getting medical benefits. Dorn says people have also recieved phone calls from scammers claiming to be a credit card security officer investigating suspicious transactions, seeking credit card info and codes. Other scams involved fake magazine prizes and sham collection agencies. Dorn says people should be suspicious if they get calls from people asking for money or any financial information, and who use a lot of pressure to get the information quickly. Legitimate companies will already have the financial information they need and don't usually ask for it over the phone, unless the customer initiates the call. People should not hesitate to call police if they feel they are being victimized by scammers. Dorn says as the holidays approach people will get more fake charity scam calls.

WILLMAR EXPECTS RECOUNT TO BE DONE BY NOON
11/19/2008

The City of Willmar will be recounting it's own ballots today while Kandiyohi County officials will count the ballots from the rest of the county. Willmar City Administrator Michael Schmit says a small group of election judges led by City Clerk Kevin Halliday will go through the ballots in the conference rooms at city hall. Schmit says most ballots should be easy to read, while some may pose a challenge figuring out who the voter was intending to elect. About 7600 votes were cast in the City of Willmar, for a voter turnout of around 74ā In Kandiyohi County, voters chose John McCain over Barack Obama for President, 52 percent ot 46 percent, and opted for Senator Norm Coleman over Al Franken 47 to 37 percent. However, statewide, Obama was the overwhelming pick, and the Senate race was nearly a dead-heat, with Coleman edging Franken by a mere 215 votes, triggering the recount. Schmit predicts all the Willmar ballots will be re-counted by noon Wednesday.

PAUL SCHMIDT SEXUAL CONDUCT TRIAL STARTS TODAY
11/19/2008

An Atwater Police Officer goes on trial today in Willmar on sexual misconduct charges. 35-year-old Paul Schmidt will be tried on a felony charge of 4th Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct and a gross misdemeanor charge of 5th Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct. Schmit is accused of groping, kissing and propositioning a woman October 16th 2007 after she had participated in a ride-along with Schmidt while he was on duty in Atwater. The alleged incident occured in the Atwater Police Department office. Last week Judge David Mennis denied a motion to dismiss the felony charge against Schmidt.

COLEMAN-FRANKEN RECOUNT BEGINS TODAY
11/19/2008

A recount is set in Minnesota's deadlocked U.S. Senate race. Election workers today will begin a statewide recount of more than 2.9 million ballots. The state Canvassing Board signed off on the manual recount in the race between incumbent Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken. But the five-member board postponed a decision on how to handle rejected absentee ballots. Board members wanted more time to consider arguments over the absentee ballots. Secretary of State Mark Ritchie says they'll convene again next week, before the Thanksgiving holiday. Coleman's campaign contends that rejected ballots should be kept from the recount and considered only if the election result winds up in court. (MNN)

MARCH OF DIMES JAIL AND BAIL TODAY IN WILLMAR
11/19/2008

The best that Willmar has to offer will be “behind bars” on November 19th, for a good cause?supporting the research and education programs funded by the March of Dimes that help mothers and babies?those born healthy as well as those who need help to survive and thrive. The March of Dimes is the leading organization for pregnancy and baby health with a mission to improve the health of all babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. Premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death and the March of Dimes is committed to reducing its toll, funding research to find the answers to premature birth and providing comfort and information to families. In Minnesota 8,684 babies are born prematurely each year. “During March of Dimes Jail & Bail, Willmar’s leaders are “confined” at The Oaks at Eagle Creek until they raise “bail” to help our babies,” explained Paula, the event’s coordinator. “That’s a cause that’s dear to families here and across the country.”

LEMCKE INDICTED IN DEATH OF HIS WIFE IN APPLETON
11/19/2008

A Swift County grand jury has indicted a corrections officer on charges of first- and second-degree murder in the shooting death of his wife in their Appleton home in 2004. Court records show the indictments against 34-year-old Andrew Gordon Lemcke were issued Monday. The Web site for the Pinal County sheriff's office in Florence, Ariz., says he was arrested there Sunday. Other court records say Lemcke had been living in recent years in Florence, where he had worked at a Corrections Corporation of America facility. Nichole Riley-Lemcke was shot Sept. 12, 2004. The 26-year-old was a mother of three. Andrew Lemcke has described the shooting as accidental. Riley-Lemcke's parents had been pressing authorities to file criminal charges ever since the shooting. They filed a wrongful death suit against him last year. (AP)

STARBUCK UNVEILS 25-YEAR, 75 MILLION DOLLAR PLAN
11/19/2008

Officials have unveiled some big plans for the future of Starbuck. Last month Starbuck Area Chamber of Commerce Director Lori Vaadeland (VOD-lind) unveiled a 15-to-25 year plan that calls for relocating the airport and hobo park, expanding the marina and building senior housing, condomimiums, a hotel and convention center. Vaadeland says it's time to take advantage of the resource that is Lake Minnewaska and begin to grow Starbuck. Vaadeland says the 3-phase plan was devised by herself, County Commissioner Larry Kittelson and Gary Minor, with the help of the Steve Klick Foundation which paid for the architectural designs. The 75-to-100-million dollar project would be funded mostly be private investors and would reap millions in tax benefits for the city. Vaadeland says phase one, which is underway, is working with the DNR to roughly double the size of the 100-slip marina and move and expand the always-crowded hobo park. The would open the door to more development. Vaadeland says there is already someone interested in building the hotel at lakeside. Phase 2 would be completion of the hotel and convention center, then building a golf course. Phase 3 would involve building more housing, especially condominiums, another golf course stables and more. Vaadeland is aware there have been similar plans for developing Glenwood that appear to be on hold, but says the Glenwood developer, Larry Zavadil, is supportive of Starbuck's plans. Vaadeland says anyone interested in getting involved with the Starbuck project can call her at her business, Touch of Class, or contact County Commissioner Larry Kittelson or Gary Minor.

THOMPSON, CAMPBELL CONSIDERED FOR SPICER POST
11/18/2008

The Lakes Area Review reports the City of Spicer is considering hiring former Kandiyohi County Administrator Wayne Thompson to fill-in for current city adminstrator Andrea Aukrust, who is currently on unpaid medical leave. The newspaper says the Spicer City Council Personell Committee will interview Thompson and Spicer Billing Clerk Lori Campbell about becoming temporary emergency city administrator until a permanent solution is found. Thompson retired from his county post in June 2007 after nearly 30 years. Aukrust has been absent from her post since September, and has told the city she was advised not to return "due to medical reasons." The city council has asked Aukrust to provide more details on her medical situation, but have gotten no response. City Attorney Barry Darval says Aukrust has hired an attorney in preparation for a possible lawsuit against the city but at this point, no suit has been filed. Aukrust and Mayor Perry Wohnoutka have clashed over management styles since Aukrust was hired this spring. Aukrust is now on leave, and Wohnoutka was recently voted out of office and will be replaced in January by Denny Baker.

HARVEST DELAYED BY WET FIELDS
11/18/2008

Wet fields have hampered Minnesota farmers' efforts to finish the harvest. In its weekly crop weather report for the state, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says producers harvested only 5 percent of the corn crop and 10 percent of the sunflower crop this past week. Rain in the past few weeks has left water standing in fields, especially in the northwest. There were an average of just 2.3 days suitable for fieldwork last week. As of Sunday, 80 percent of the corn crop was harvested, compared with 98 percent last year and a 96 percent five-year average. The sunflower harvest reached 80 percent complete, compared with 99 percent last year and a 93 percent average. As of Friday, nearly the entire state had adequate or surplus topsoil moisture. Supplies were 70 percent adequate, 26 percent surplus and 4 percent short. The average temperature was 29.8 degrees, 1 degree below normal. (AP)

LOAN FROM CITY OF WILLMAR TO WESTWINDS DELAYED
11/18/2008

A $350,000 loan to the developers of the Westwinds Estates 3 housing project is on hold. The City of Willmar received the money in a state grant and was going to loan it to the Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership for the Westwinds project, but the city council last night delayed approval of the loan because of questions about the mortgage and promisary note. City Attorney Rich Ronning recommended against approval until he got together with Housing Partnership officials and got more information. City Administrator Michael Schmit says the paperwork is needed to assure repayment of the loan. During discussion and approval of Westwinds this past year, 4 members of the Willmar City Council who were opposed to the project walked out of a council meeting. And Westwinds proponent Steve Gardner was defeated from his city council seat earlier this month by Westwinds opponent Tim Johnson. Schmit says sitework has begun on Westwinds in southwest Willmar, but wet weather has delayed completion of streets. The $350,000 loan is just one part of the financing of the 6 million dollar Westwinds project which involves construction of 28 rental twin homes in an area that is exclusively single family homes

"MALL ROAD" OPENS TO TRAFFIC
11/18/2008

The so-called "Mall Road" from Willmar Avenue to 19th Avenue, on the east side of the Kandi Mall is now open. Willmar City Administrator Michael Schmit says while the striping will probably be re-configured next spring, they were able to get 5th Street Southeast open to traffic before the winter. Schmit says they lifted the barricades and let traffic flow Thursday afternoon. Schmit says two new roads have opened in Willmar, both with a "5" in their names. The new County Road 5 goes north-and-south across the old airport property.

WILLMAR M.U.C. TO BURN CORN COBS FOR ENERGY
11/18/2008

When it comes to meeting a state mandate for renewable energy corn cobs might be the answer. The Willmar Municipal Utilities will test burning cobs along with coal at its power plant this winter. If all goes well, officials hope the new setup will both meet the renewable energy requirements and boost local farm income. All Minnesota utilities must have at least 25 percent of energy needs met by renewable sources by 2025. In addition to generating power through biomass like corn cobs, the utility also has a $10 million wind turbine project going. Officials say the test burn in February will show whether coal and corn cobs can burn together and whether the process is effective and efficient. (AP)

VOTES CANVASSED TODAY, RECOUNT STARTS TOMORROW
11/18/2008

The state canvassing board will meet Tuesday to officially order the recount in Minnesota's Senate race between Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken. The five-member board, led by Secretary of State Mark Ritchie, will also certify results in other races from Election Day. Coleman will enter a statewide Senate recount with a slightly bigger cushion than he has now over Democrat Al Franken. State election director Gary Poser says post-election audits done under a state law should boost the senator's pre-recount lead to 215 votes. It had been 206 votes. About 200 precincts are randomly audited for closer inspection of ballots. The audits are meant to test the accuracy of the optical-scan voting machines. Each county must audit at least two precincts. Poser says the audits showed that Coleman had a net gain of nine votes over Franken. (AP)

COLEMAN TO TALK WITH FORD OFFICIALS TODAY
11/18/2008

Sen. Norm Coleman plans to meet with a Ford Motor Co. official this week to discuss the state of the auto industry. The meeting comes as Congress returns to take up a bailout plan for the industry. The Minnesota Republican urged Ford officials earlier this year to keep open the company's St. Paul plant, which makes the Ranger small pickup. The company announced in July that the plant would remain open through 2011. The plant was scheduled to close next year. Coleman's meeting Tuesday is with Joe Hinrichs (HIN-riks), Ford's vice president of manufacturing. The senator plans also to discuss the St. Paul plant and Ford's business model. (AP)

FUNERAL TODAY FOR KANDIYOHI TEEN KILLED IN CRASH
11/17/2008

Funeral services will be held today for a Kandiyohi teen killed in a traffic crash near Cottonwood last week. On Wednesday night, 17-year-old Morgan Cline died after her car was hit on Highway 23 by a vehicle driven by a Cottonwood woman. The state patrol says alcohol was detected in the other driver's system. Cline was a Willmar High School senior but was attending classes at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today at First Covenant Church in Willmar.

SHOTGUN SLUG SHATTERS WINDOW NEAR SOUTH HAVEN
11/17/2008

A Deer hunter accidently shot out the window of a home in Stearns County Saturday. The sheriff's department says at 11:47 a.m. Saturday, 39-year-old Brent Lang of Redwood Falls shot at a doe in Lynden Township near South Haven. The shotgun slug traveled 3/4ths of a mile, and as it was descending it hit a window at the David and Theresa Weis home. It shattered the outer pane of a window at a 45 degree downward angle. At the time, Theresa Weis was in the house and David Weis was on the roof, putting up Christmas lights. No one was injured, the shooting was ruled accidental, and Lang agree to pay to replace the window.

PETERSON STILL IRKED AT BAILOUT BILL
11/17/2008

The original 700-billion-dollar bailout plan is going through some changes in Washington. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson says they are not buying mortgages now, but instead trying to shore up consumer credit and purchasing bank stock to encourage lending. 7th District Congressman Collin Peterson didn't like the bailout plan to begin with and his opinion hasn't changed. He says banks are using bailout money to buy out other banks. Minnesota's congressional delegation is split on the package. Democrats Peterson and Tim Walz remain against it, along with Republican Michele Bachmann. (MNN)

WORK BEGINS AT WIND TURBINE SITES NEAR WILLMAR H.S
11/17/2008

Work has begun at the site where two wind turbines will be erected north of Willmar High School. Willmar Municipal Utilities General Manager Bruce Gomm (gum) says Monson Excavating was awarded the 1.7 million dollar contract earlier this month. The site will be accessed from Transportation Drive, on the south, and from 37th Avenue Northeast on the north. Gomm says the turbines themselves have been ordered from DeWind Corp of Ontario Canada and they should arrive in May. He says construction goes fast. The total cost of the wind turbine project is about 10 million dollars. Each turbine will generate up to 2 megawatts for the City of Willmar. Willmar uses about 45 megawatts of electricity on a typical day. Gomm anticipates the turbines will be up and operating by July.

GLENWOOD OPTS OUT OF SPACE AT NEW LAW ENF. CENTER
11/17/2008

Glenwood and Pope County officials continue to discuss what Glenwood will do for a police department after the new Pope County Law Enforcement Center is built. Pope County is moving forward with building a new jail and sheriff's department in Glenwood, but the Glenwood City Council earlier this month decided it would be too costly for them to locate their police department in the new facility. The council is looking at other options, and Pope County Coordinator Riaz Aziz says officials from the city and county met again this past week to discuss the situation. Aziz says right now, Glenwood does not have it's own police department...they share space with the Pope County Sheriff's Department. It's estimated it would cost Glenwood from 350-to-500-thousand dollars to create space in the new law enforcement center. Aziz says earlier this year Pope County decided to move forward with a new center because of crowded and unsafe conditions at the courthouse, where prisoners mingle with the general public and are often handcuffed to furniture in offices awaiting court appearances. Aziz says the new law enforcement center has been years in the planning stages, and gained momentum after the vast majority of a 25-member citizens panel recommended moving forward with a new facility 2 years ago.

ROLLOVER HURTS FOUR NEAR SVEA
11/17/2008

Four young adults were hurt in a rollover crash near Blomkest Saturday morning. The Kandiyohi County Sheriff's Department says it happened at 6 a.m. south of lake Wakonda, or three miles northeast of Svea. A car driven by 18-year-old Travis Berends of Atwater was northbound on County Road 3 when it left the road and rolled several times. Berends was taken to Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar, treated and released. Passenger 20-year-old John Springer of Kandiyohi was also treated and released at Rice, while passenger Cody Ledeboer, 19 of Willmar remains hospitalized in fair condition. 18-year-old passenger Sasha Delegarza of Uvalde Texas was flown to Hennepin County Medical Center where she is in serious condition.

RECOUNT BEGINS WEDNESDAY
11/17/2008

Election officials in Minnesota are preparing for an extremely busy week ahead. The State Canvassing Board receives a final report from the county canvassing boards Tuesday which will become the official results of the 2008 election. Secretary of State Mark Ritchie says races that are within a half-percentage point will trigger an automatic hand recount. Ritchie says the recount plans will be presented to the State Canvassing Board and the hand counting will likely begin the next day(WED). He says it's uncertain whether the panel might consider the issue of rejected absentee ballots. (MNN)

FIRE DAMAGES SCIENCE CLASSROOM AT LITCHFIELD H.S.
11/17/2008

The Litchfield Fire Department responded to a fire call at Litchfield High School on Friday afternoon around 4:30. A science experiment ended up causing smoke damage to the science classrooms. Litchfield Fire Chief Greg Gilbertson says some students had been using a portable oven to culture bacteria and it started to smoke. He says when a science teacher opened the door on the heater, flames shot out, and a janitor was able to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher. Gilbertson says the fire department used positive pressure to air out the classroom, but there is residual smoke damage which is confined to the science classrooms. He says it looked worse than it was and the fire department didn’t even have to use water. (KLFD)

FRANKEN WON'T ATTEND SENATE ORIENTATION
11/17/2008

Democrat Al Franken says he'll be in Washington, D.C., this week to meet with Democratic Senate leaders. There's an orientation for new senators being held this week, but Franken told WCCO-TV on Sunday that it would be too presumptuous to attend the orientation with the race between him and Republican Sen. Norm Coleman still unsettled. Coleman leads Franken by only 206 votes, and a statewide recount will be conducted starting this week to determine the winner. Franken will meet with Senate leaders on Wednesday. Franken spokeswoman Colleen Murray says Franken has also hired a transition director so that if he comes out ahead after the recount, he will be ready to serve Minnesotans. (AP)

HUNTER'S SLUG
11/16/2008

SOUTH HAVEN, Minn. (AP) __ A Minnesota deer hunter learned an important lesson: remember how far your shotgun slug can carry. The Stearns County Sheriff's Office said 39-year-old Brent Lang of Redwood Falls and a friend were hunting Saturday when Lang fired upward out of a hollow at a running doe. Officials say the slug missed and traveled three-fourths of a mile before grazing a window at the home of David and Theresa Weis. She was in the family room and he was on the roof installing Christmas lights, and neither was injured when the outer pane of the window broke. Both hunters were released after being told to check their surroundings completely when hunting. Lang will pay for the window damages.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

MANKATO COMPARING CITIES
11/16/2008

MANKATO, Minn. (AP) __ City and business leaders searching for a town comparable to Mankato have come upon Burlington, Vt. It will be the destination for a trip in April that will allow 100 area business, nonprofit, government and religious leaders to gather ideas to make the southern Minnesota city a better place. Barb Embacher is vice president of Greater Mankato Growth. She says Burlington is like Mankato because it has a university and a similar climate. Both cities also are surrounded by agriculture. In addition, Burlington has a smaller counterpart to the north called North Burlington, just as Mankato has North Mankato. In previous years, the group has compared Mankato to Bellingham, Wash., and Fort Collins, Colo. ______ Information from: The Free Press, http://www.mankatofreepress.com

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

DEER BAITING
11/16/2008

BEMIDJI, Minn. (AP) __ Conservation officers with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources say they have been overwhelmed with reports of illegal deer baiting this fall. Acting DNR regional enforcement supervisor Tom Provost says it has hit a new high again this year. According to the DNR's weekly conservation officer report, conservation officer Don Bozovsky of Hibbing cited 11 hunters for baiting in recent days, nine of them on opening day. And rifles were confiscated from several hunters. Minnesota's firearms deer season opened Nov. 8 and continues through Nov. 23. Last fall, the agency's officers wrote 82 citations to hunters shooting over bait. Provost expects to be well above that this year. ______ Information from: Duluth News Tribune, http://www.duluthsuperior.com

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

PROTECTING THE LAKE
11/16/2008

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) __ When President George W. Bush in October signed a water compact negotiated by the Great Lakes states, supporters rejoiced that seven years of haggling over how to keep thirsty outsiders from grabbing their precious resource were over. But die-hard activists unsatisfied with the deal are battling on. They fear the pact and state laws enacted to comply with it have flaws that could give multinational corporations a legal basis for tapping into the lakes as the worldwide freshwater shortage worsens. Some of the critics are convening Sunday in Traverse City, Michigan to discuss their options. Prospects for reworking the compact are remote at best, requiring approval of all eight states' legislatures, Congress and the president.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

ADOPTION DAY
11/16/2008

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) __ For one day, a Minnesota court was filled with happy endings. Hennepin County District Court judges finalized 35 adoptions on Saturday as part of National Adoption Awareness Month. Thirty-five children are being officially joined to 24 families. Courts officials say a new adoption was completed every 15 minutes during the special hearings. A press release says children in the program have been abused or neglected and may have special emotional, behavioral or physical needs.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

FINANCIAL MELTDOWN - COLEMAN
11/16/2008

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) __ Minnesota Sen. Norm Coleman is calling on Congress to act quickly to confirm a top overseer for the $700 billion financial rescue package. The Republican senator issued a statement this weekend calling for the Senate to hold confirmation hearings immediately to fill the post, saying that ``to allow another day to pass without the proper oversight in place is simply irresponsible.'' The Bush administration has nominated Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Barofsky to become the Treasury Department's special inspector general in charge of auditing and investigating the use of the funds. Coleman noted that $290 billion has been committed to stabilizing the financial system. He said people need to know how it's being spent.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

DRUM CORPS COMES TO FIRST BAPT. CHURCH TONIGHT
11/15/2008

The Sheltered Reality Drumline from the Twin Cities will be in Willmar Saturday for an evening of fun and music. Organizer Dawn Marcus says she heard them perform at the Willmarfest Downtown Block Party and was so impressed she wanted to bring them back. The show starts at 5:00 p.m. at the First Baptist Church Refuge Center, 1000 6th Street Southeast, behind the Willmar Junior High open field. Marcus says there will be two 45-minute shows. Marcus says Sheltered Reality is made-up of at risk kids, and they encourage people who go to their shows to go out and make a difference in their communities. She says there will be booths at the show where people can sign-up to do just that. The show is free of charge but food is extra, and there will also be games and prizes like Walts Bucks, Pizza Ranch and Carmike Certificates, Ridgewater College clothing and more. Again, it starts at 5:00 p.m. Saturday at the First Baptist Church Refuge Center, just north of Willmar Junior High.

"CRIMSON LAKE" WRAPS UP TONIGHT AT RIDGEWATER COL.
11/15/2008

Tonight is your last chance to see a new play by award-winning playwright and Ridgewater College Theater Instructor Jayme McGhan. The last performance of Crimson Lake is at 7:30 tonight at the Ridgewater College Theater in Willmar. McGhan says he wrote Crimson Lake 5 years ago and spent the past summer re-writing it. McGhan says it's about Ally, a woman who studies lakes made from old iron ore pits who returns to her home on a lake on Minnesota's Iron Range. Her younger sister disappeared there ten years ago, and McGhan says the play deals with both the disappearance and it's impact on Ally. McGhan says the play is for mature audiences only. He says a lot of work went into the production and the elaborate set. Tickets are 5 dollars, 3 dollars for senior citizens. Directed by Keith Green, Crimson Lake features Whitney Fugelberg as Ally, Kelsey Moe as Jolene, Laura Morales as Lacey, Anthony Reynolds as Micah and Elizabeth Houdek Swanson as Taylor.

HIGHWAY 71 IN NORTHERN KANDIYOHI CO. GETS AWARD
11/15/2008

The next time you're driving on Highway 71 from Highway 9 to Belgrade, drive with pride. The Asphalt Pavement Alliance this past week gave the Minnesota Department of Transportation the 2007 Perpetual Pavement Award for that 6 mile stretch of road in northern Kandiyohi County. MNDot District 8 Engineer Dave Trooien in Willmar says ever since it was built by Duininck Brothers nearly 40 years ago, they've had to do very little to it. Trooien says two factors have helped the pavement last...drainage and quality construction. Trooien says water is the enemy to pavement, and it tends to drain-off faster if there's sandy soil beneath. MNDot received the Perpetual Pavement Award for Highway 71, from Highway 9 to the Stearns County Line, at the International Conference on Warm-Mix Asphalt in Nashville Wednesday. The engraved crystal obelisk and plaque are on display at the MNDot District Office in Willmar.

SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENTS SWITCH FOR HWY 23 EFFORT
11/15/2008

The Kandiyohi and Chippewa County Sheriffs' Offices along with the State Patrol, will conduct a week-long law enforcement effort along Highway 23 from Willmar to Granite Falls beginning Nov. 16. During this cooperative effort, Kandiyohi county deputies will patrol Highway 23 in Chippewa county and Chippewa county deputies will patrol in Kandiyohi county to enforce traffic laws, speed limit violators and to raise seat belt awareness. This enforcement project will give officers experience working within another jurisdiction and the opportunity to correct poor driving behavior before a violator enters an adjoining county. "Highway 23 is a heavily traveled roadway in Kandiyohi and Chippewa counties. Traffic violations occurring in one county ultimately can have an impact in causing a traffic crash in the other county," said Lt. Brian West, Marshall state patrol. Changeable message signs will be placed along Highway 23 from Willmar to Granite Falls approximately five miles from the Kandiyohi and Chippewa county lines to alert motorists they are entering an enforcement zone. This new effort is in partnership between the Department of Public Safety and Mn/DOT, District 8, as a result of the Southwest MN Toward Zero Deaths initiative. The statewide effort of the Toward Zero Deaths initiative is to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on roadways through multidisciplinary application of education, enforcement, engineering and emergency medical services driven by data, best practices and research.

TABLE SETTING, CHRISTMAS TREE DISPLAY TODAY
11/15/2008

The Rice Health Foundation will present the Lucheon and Table Setting Review at the Willmar Conference Center today. Jean Raatz of the Rice Health Foundation says there will also be a Christmas tree display and live music throughout the event. The Theme for the weekend is Saving Time and Saving Lives and Raatz says the money raised will go to the Kandiyohi County ambulance services. Raatz says it will be another tool for saving lives of heart attack victims. Saturday's event begins at 10 AM at the Willmar Conference Center. Call the Foundation office at 231-4141 or their website. www.ricehealthfoundation.org for more information.

CRASH HURTS WILLMAR TEEN
11/15/2008

A Willmar teen was hurt in a one vehicle rollover near Richmond yesterday afternoon. The sheriff's department says the 17-year-old female was driving southbound on Stearns County Road 9, two miles north of Richmond, at 3:30 yesterday when her Olds Alero left the road and rolled. She was taken to the St. Cloud Hospital and her current condition is unknown. Her name has not been released but the car she was driving was registered to 52-year-old Richard Kacher of Willmar.

AMANDA JAX' FRIENDS DROPPED FROM DEATH LAWSUIT
11/15/2008

The family of a college student who died of alcohol poisoning after a night of drinking in Mankato has dismissed four of her friends from a lawsuit. The move by the family of Amanda Jax means the only defendant left in the wrongful death lawsuit is the now-defunct Sidelines Bar and Grill, where Jax and her friends were drinking. A fifth friend, Hannah Becker, of Monticello, has also had claims dismissed against her in a separate arrangement. Chad Schulze, the Jax family's attorney, says the friends were named as defendants so the family could learn more about what happened to Amanda that night. He says the family has now learned enough to decide that it's not in either party's best interest to keep suing them. Jax celebrated her 21st birthday in October 2007 by drinking with friends until her blood-alcohol level reached 0.46 percent. The official cause of death was alcohol poisoning. (AP)

PROGRAM URGED TO PREVENT BRIDGE COLLAPSES
11/15/2008

A federal safety board recommended Friday that the federal government establish a program to detect errors in bridge designs to prevent a repeat of last year's deadly collapse of a Minneapolis bridge. Neither state nor federal officials caught the 1960s-era design flaw in the Interstate 35W bridge and came in for partial blame. The National Transportation Safety Board said the design error caused the collapse, which killed 13 people and injured 145. The board voted unanimously to make the recommendation at the end of a two-day hearing on the collapse. (AP)

BNSF TO INCREASE THE SPEED OF TRAINS
11/15/2008

The Meeker County Board has received a letter from BNSF Railway that they want to increase the speed of some trains going through towns in the county. According to the Litchfield Review, the maximum speed of trains going through Kandiyohi, Atwater and Grove City is 25 to 40 miles-an-hour. In the letter, the railroad said they want to increase the speed up to 60 miles an hour, and said the tracks in that area are rated for the higher speeds under federal guidelines. Grove City Mayor Gerald Ruekert told the newspaper higher speeds might pose some concerns, especially from trains coming from the east where there is a fairly sharp curve. At this point there's no word on when the speeds of the trains would increase. BNSF Spokesman Steve Forsberg says an official media release on the speed increase will be coming soon.

LITCHFIELD MARCHING BAND PUTS ON INDOOR SHOW AT 7
11/15/2008

The Litchfield High School Marching Band Indoor Concert is tonight in the Litchfield High School Gymnasium at 7 o’clock. Litchfield High School Senior Aaron Carlson plays trumpet in the Marching Band. He says people can expect a great show – as they play songs from artists like Michael Jackson, Michael McDonald and Styx. Carlson says they’ll perform songs like “Thriller,” “This Is It,” “What a Fool Believes” and “Come Sail Away.” He says the drum line will do their annual black light show. The Litchfield High School Marching Band Indoor Concert is at 7 o’clock tonight. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students

SHOEBOX GIFTS FOR THE POOR TO BE COLLECTED AT YFC
11/14/2008

People can make the holidays brighter for the poorest of the poor by donating gifts to the Operation Christmas Child Program. Next week they will be collecting the gifts at Youth For Christ in Willmar on the south side of the 1st Street Bridge. Drop-off site Coordinator Karissa Poe says last year they collected 3000 shoebox-sized gift packages and this year they'd like to increase that number to 4000. Poe says Operation Christmas Child is run by Franklin Graham's Samaritan's Purse organization, and sends the shoebox gifts to poor children in dozens of countries around the world. Poe says people can put their donations in a shoebox or shoe-box sized plastic container and drop it off. She says it doesn't take much to bring a lot of joy to children who have been through a lot. Poe says if people are able to, they can also include 7 dollars for postage. The shoebox gifts can be dropped-off at Youth For Christ in Willmar Monday, Tuesday and Thursday next week from 9 to 5. Wednesday and Friday drop-off times are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 1 to 5 and Sunday 11 to 2. For more information, call Youth For Christ at 1-800-498-8639.

RIDGEWATER NURSING PROGRAM ON KSTP TODAY
11/14/2008

The Ridgewater College Nursing Simulation Program will be featured on the KSTP program Twin Cities Live at 3 p.m. today. Simulation Program Director Jeannie Cleary says they taped the segment earlier this week at the Willmar campus, and says they were especially interested in a somewhat gruesome recipe book she and instructor Kaaren Harris put together. The nursing simulation program uses manniquins that nursing students work-on like they were real patients, and Cleary says in the book "Moulage for Manniquins", she and Harris describe how to create substances that look like body fluids. Cleary says cherry pie filling and food coloring make good fake blood. She says they whipped a lot of their recipes for the TV cameras. Cleary says making fake blood and vomit is more than just fun for halloween...it helps prepare nursing students for what they will see when they start working with real patients. Once again, the segment on Ridgewater will be on Twin Cities Live at 3 p.m. today on KSTP TV.

FRESH ENERGY ENCOURAGED BY OBAMA PROPOSALS
11/14/2008

Fresh Energy is a Minnesota based advocacy group who works on energy policy with the legislature, energy agencies and local governments througout the upper midwest. Linda Taylor is the Clean Energy Director with Fresh Energy and is encouraged with president-elect Obama's energy policy. Taylor thinks that there is a big benefit for the midwest economy with the development of more renewable energy sources. Taylor says that energy future includes jobs that stay here. Taylor thinks the Coalition of Midwest Governors has done an excellent job of keeping the midwest moving forward in many of the new renewable energy areas. This all adds up to good news for the midwest with our strong winds and high farm productivity.

PROJECT TURNABOUT CUTS RIBBON ON WILLMAR OFFICE
11/14/2008

Project Turnabout has opened it's doors on a new Willmar Office. Clinical Director Bob Schmillen says the Granite Falls-based-organization first came to Willmar after a tornado wiped out their home campus 8 years ago. Schmillen says they temporarily relocated to the campus of the Willmar Regional Treatment Center, and found they liked having a presence in Willmar. Schmillen says last year they moved into a temporary Willmar office in Downtown Willmar. But on Friday they will cut the ribbon on their new, permanent Willmar Office at 130 Southeast Willmar Avenue, east of the new Walgreens Store. Schmillen says their grand opening event begins at 1130 a.m. and runs to 130 p.m. Schmillen says they offer outpatient treatment and counseling for compulsive gambling and chemical addiction. He says oftentimes, they go hand-in-hand. Project Turnabout is a private-non-profit that begin in Granite Falls in 1970. They now have satellite offices in Willmar, Marshall and Redwood Falls.

JUDGE DISMISSES "COLEMAN CORRUPTION" AD LAWSUIT
11/14/2008

A judge has dismissed a legal complaint filed by Sen. Norm Coleman against his Democratic opponent, Al Franken, over a claim in a Franken TV commercial. Coleman took issue with a Franken ad that called Coleman ``the fourth most corrupt senator in Washington.'' It cited a Washington ethics watchdog group that Coleman says is biased toward Democrats. But administrative law Judge Barbara Neilson ruled that Coleman failed to show probable cause that the ad was false. Coleman's complaint was filed before the Nov. 4 election. The two campaigns are now embroiled in the upcoming statewide recount in their close race. Franken spokesman Andy Barr is praising Neilson's decision and calling Coleman's lawsuit ``ridiculous.'' Coleman's campaign says while it disagrees with the judge's ruling, it respects her decision and will continue reviewing its options. (AP)

THIN PLATES, CONST. MATERIAL BLAMED FOR COLLAPSE
11/14/2008

The National Transportation Safety Board wraps up two days of public meetings in Washington today on the cause of last year's deadly Minneapolis bridge collapse. Undersized steel reinforcing plates were cited yesterday as the chief cause of the I-35W bridge collapse. Federal investigators also say the plates were overstressed by almost 300 tons of construction material piled on the bridge. Investigators told the NTSB that the collapse was unavoidable once gusset plates in the center span failed. When that happened, it dragged other sections of the bridge and rush-hour commuters into the Mississippi River, killing 13 and injuring 145. The plates are commonly fused to intersecting beams to reinforce the connection. Investigators focused on the gusset plates, which were designed at only half the required thickness. But they also discussed the construction materials on the center span over the Mississippi River. (AP)

FRANKEN SUING TO GET ABSENTEE BALLOT INFO
11/14/2008

Democrat Al Franken is suing for access to data on voters who had their absentee ballots rejected in Minnesota's tight Senate race. Franken's lawsuit was filed in Ramsey County District Court. But his campaign is hoping that a ruling in their favor would be applied statewide. Franken trails Republican incumbent Norm Coleman by 206 votes in unofficial results, with a statewide recount set to start next week. Franken attorney Marc Elias says the campaign is looking for the data so that it can identify people who were legal voters to ensure their ballots are counted. Coleman campaign manager Cullen Sheehan says the court should reject the lawsuit to protect the privacy of voters and to keep invalid ballots from influencing the outcome. (AP)

TWO HURT IN CAR-TRUCK CRASH NEAR GIBBON
11/14/2008

An elderly Kentucky woman was critically injured when the car she was riding in collided with a truck near Gibbon. The state patrol says it happened on Highway 19, one mile west of Gibbon, at 3 p.m. yesterday. The car was eastbound, crossed the centerline and hit a westbound truck, driven by 55-year-old Gordon Johnson of Atwater. He was not injured. The driver of the car, 61-year-old Barbara Dunne and her passenger, 85-year-old Marjorie Godecker, both of Louisville Kentucky, were taken to the New Ulm Hospital. Godecker was airlifted to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis and is listed in critical condition. Dunne's condition is unknown.

WILLMAR HIGH SCHOOL/SOUTHWEST STATE STUDENT DIES
11/13/2008

fatal kandiyohi jpc 11-13-08 A Kandiyohi teen is dead after a two vehicle collision near Cottonwood last night. The state patrol says 17-year-old Morgan Cline was in a Saturn that was rearended by a Subaru SUV on Highway 23, north of Cottonwood, at 9:08 p.m. Cline died at the scene. A passenger in her car, 18-year-old Dustin Woodworth of Marshall was taken to the Marshall Hospital with non-life-threatening head injuries. The driver of the Subaru, 29-year-old Courtney Voorhees of Cottonwood, was taken to the Marshall Hospital and then transferred to Avera McKennan Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and a report by the State Patrol indicates that alcohol was detected in Voorhees' system. State Patrol Captain Stephen Willers says he hasn't seen the reports yet, but they won't determine if charges will be filed until after they get the results of blood tests and send them to the county attorney's office. Willmar High School Principal Rob Anderson says Cline was a senior at the school, but was attending classes full-time at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall under the Post Secondary Education Options program. Anderson says they broke the news to other members of the senior class this morning, and counselors have been available for students, as well as the youth pastor from Cline's church, First Covenant of Willmar.

TWO DIE ON SLICK ROADS IN SOUTHERN MINNESOTA
11/12/2008

Two people are dead after a pair of accidents on icy roads in southern Minnesota yesterday, including a teenager who's car collided with a snowplow. The State Patrol says 17-year-old William R. Pete of Le Center was driving north on a county road south of Le Center when his car slid head-on into a southbound snowplow. The snow plow driver wasn't hurt in the accident, which happened about 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. In the other accident Tuesday morning, a vehicle rolled along southbound Interstate 35E in Dakota County. The Patrol identifies the victim only as a 40-year-old Lakeville resident. (AP)

ANNA JOHNSON ON MTV WEDNESDAY NIGHT
11/12/2008

A New London teen will be featured on the MTV program MADE tonight. 17-year-old Anna Johnson will compete with two other teens on the "Made: Model Challenge" on MTV beginning at 8 p.m. According to the program's website..."Anna is a conservative small town girl whose perfectionist attitude and awkward stature haven't gained her points with her peers. She wants to break out of her over analytical (goodie goodie) ways by being MADE into a confident, sophisticated Super Model. With a month to prove her self and a modeling contract on the line can this social outcast go from "fashion don't" to "fashion diva." A video trailer on the program's website shows Anna and the other contestants going through training with their coach, Glammo. Johnson, a senior at New London-Spicer High School, was whisked-off to New York in July after Glammo appeared during a performance of the Little Crow Ski Team and broke the news to her. A two-person crew from MTV filmed Anna and the crowd during the Little Crow Show July 24th. Anna and her parents have refused comment until after the show airs. Once again, Anna Johnson from New London will be on the the MTV program MADE: Model Challenge tonight at 8.

CRIMSON LAKE OPENS AT RIDGEWATER
11/12/2008

The world premiere of a new play by award-winning playwright and Ridgewater College Theater Instructor Jayme McGhan is tonight. Crimson Lake will be performed Wednesday through Saturday at the Ridgewater Theater in Willmar. McGhan says he wrote Crimson Lake 5 years ago and spent the past summer re-writing it. McGhan says it's about Ally, a woman who studies lakes made from old iron ore pits who returns to her home on a lake on Minnesota's Iron Range. Her younger sister disappeared there ten years ago, and McGhan says the play deals with both the disappearance and it's impact on Ally. McGhan says the play is for mature audiences only. He says a lot of work went into the production and the elaborate set which includes a lake with real water on stage. Show times are 730 each night, and tickets are 5 dollars, 3 dollars for senior citizens. Directed by Keith Green, Crimson Lake features Whitney Fugelberg as Ally, Kelsey Moe as Jolene, Laura Morales as Lacey, Anthony Reynolds as Micah and Elizabeth Houdek Swanson as Taylor.

WET WEATHER RUINS REST OF BEET CROP IN NW MINN
11/12/2008

A Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative spokeswoman calls it the worst sugar beet harvest in decades. Spokeswoman Susan Johnson says up to 20 percent of Minn-Dak's crop will be left in muddy fields. Grower members of the Wahpeton-based co-op had hoped to harvest 108,000 acres of sugar beets this year. Johnson says the growers will take a financial hit but she says crop insurance may lessen the blow. She says the year was shaping up to be one of the best until heavy rain put an end to the harvest. (AP)

COLEMAN SEEKS RECOUNT MONITORS
11/12/2008

Republican Norm Coleman's campaign is recruiting hundreds of people to fan out across the state to monitor the upcoming recount in the Senate race. The campaign's lead lawyer, Fritz Knaak, says the campaign plans to have one or two observers and a lawyer at each location where the votes will be counted again. He says the campaign will be training its monitors between now and next week. An automatic statewide recount is due to start next Wednesday to determine if Coleman's 206-vote lead over Democratic challenger Al Franken will stand. An e-mail blast sent from Franken's campaign manager put out an urgent plea for volunteer observers who, among other things, can ``stand on their feet for hours at a time.'' The request also seeks housing for volunteers and staff involved in the recount. The Secretary of State's office expects the recounting of 2.9 million ballots to take a month. The loser of the recount has the option of challenging the results in court. (AP)

"HIRING PAUSE" IMPOSED AT UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
11/12/2008

The University of Minnesota is imposing a systemwide ``hiring pause'' as it deals with economic uncertainty. University President Robert Bruininks (BROO'-nihks) says he's taking that temporary action because the school wants to control costs ``sooner rather than later.'' Under the hiring pause, all open positions must be reviewed and deemed essential before being filled. Managers will need to explore options for reorganizing or reassigning the duties before making new hires. If the position is determined to be essential, university approval is required before the job is filled. The hiring pause is being implemented immediately. It does not affect part-time student workers. (AP)

LOAN HELPS BENSON COMPANY GET AIR FORCE CONTRACT
11/12/2008

A Benson company is going to be manufacturing cold weather gear for the U.S. Air Force, thanks to a loan from the Benson Economic Development Authority. The EDA has approved a $40,000 loan to Future Products Incorporated so they can hire and train 10 more people to work on the new clothing line for Dakota Outer Wear of Minot North Dakota. Doyle Roe of Dakota Outer Wear says the Air Force recently changed their camoflauge design and need all new cold weather gear for their airmen around the world. Roe says the clothing is high tech and heavy duty, and the people who work on things like parkas will need special training. Roe says ironically, much of the the cold weather gear will be going to southern bases. Initially the Benson EDA was hesitant to make the loan to Future products because they are currently delinquent on a different loan, and the new loan would be unsecured. But Future Products owner Don Lenz found a backer to come up with collateral, and he told the EDA board since they've moved to their new location, their expenses for things like heat and electricity are much lower. Future Products currently employs 23 people and will now hire 10 more and it will take about 3 months to train them to work on the new order from Dakota Outer Wear.

WILLMAR LOOKING TO MAKE CUTS AFTER QUESTION FAILS
11/10/2008

Willmar school district officials have begun looking where to cut 1.6 million dollars from next year's budget after the failure of one of the operating levy referendum questions last Tuesday. Superintendent Dr. Jerry Kjergaard says they'll have the final list of cuts ready next spring, after hearing if they'll get any more funding from the legislature. Question number two failed but number one passed, making the cuts less severe. Kjergaard says it's likely voters will be asked to help the school district again next fall. And Kjergaard says a 10-year operating levy that passed in 2001 expires in 2011, and voters will be asked to renew it in 3 years. Passage of the renewal will not result in an additional property tax increase.

CRASH KILLS DOCTOR
11/10/2008

A Willmar Chiropractor was killed in a traffic crash near Little Falls Friday. The state patrol says a Toyota being driven by 68-year-old Adelfred Paul Martens of Brainerd was traveling eastbound on Highway 27 when he cross the centerline and hit a westbound pickup head-on. Martens was not wearing his seatbelt and was dead at the scene. His passenger, 65-year-old Kathleen Martens was taken to the St. Cloud Hospital with a broken arm and internal injuries. The driver of the pickup, 45-year-old Loren Leno of New Hope suffered neck pain but was not hospitalized. The crash happened Friday at 3:46 p.m. Martens lived and practiced in Willmar and also had a residence in Brainerd

TWO VEHICLES CRASH ON ICY MONTEVIDEO BRIDGE
11/10/2008

Two people were not seriously hurt when their vehicles lost control on an icy bridge in Montevideo and crashed. The state patrol says it happened at 4:26 p.m. Saturday on the Highway 212 Bridge south of Montevideo. An SUV driven by 34-year-old Katie Mortonson lost control, slid and hit a mini-van driven by 33-year-old Lynn Clark of Granite Falls. Neither driver was injured.

ATV ROLLOVER WITH DEER ON BACK HURTS MAN
11/10/2008

A Clearwater man was hurt in an ATV rollver accident in Stearns County Saturday evening. The sheriff's department says it happened at 5:30 p.m. at 5022 230th Avenue, north of St. Cloud near Royalton. A vehicle driven by 56-year-old Robert Sainer was travelling up a steep hill with a deer on the back rack, when the vehicle went out of balance and rolled on top of Sainer, briefly trapping him and causing chest injuries. He was taken to the St. Cloud and his current condition is unknown.

UNIFORM COLLECTION ON DISPLAY AT CITY AUDITORIUM
11/10/2008

From today through Tuesday, Veterans's Day, a massive collection of military uniforms and equiptment will be on display at the Willmar City Auditorium. Jon Lindstrand of Kandiyohi has been collecting the items since he was a child. The collection now totals more than 5000 items, and every Veterans' Day he puts most of it on display at the City Auditorium. Lindstrand says he uses the occasion to educate the public about the sacrifices of veterans, and many veterans and their families donate their old uniforms to him. Lindstrand says he tries to include pictures of the veterans and their stories with the uniforms. He says it takes about 14 to 16 hours to set up the display, and when it's not up, it's stored in every nook and cranny of his home, garage and a large trailer. He says it's a lot of work but it's a labor of love. The display will be open today and tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each day. It's free of charge and a free will donation will be accepted. The collection goes from the Civil War to present time, and the Koenens of Clara City will also be there showing off their Civil War collection, along with a Civil War Cannon from the New Ulm Battery. On Tuesday there will be a Veterans Day Ceremony at 7:30 p.m., featuring Brigadier General John Trost will be the speaker.

ONE DEAD, TWO HURT IN HUNTING INCIDENTS
11/10/2008

A 25-year-old Crosby man has died in a hunting accident on the opening weekend of Minnesota's firearms deer season. Crow Wing County Sheriff Todd Dahl says it appears Christopher Stirewalt accidentally shot himself Sunday while hunting in Fifty Lakes Township, north of Crosslake. He was wounded in the shoulder area. Lt. Dave Larson says Stirewalt was with a larger hunting party of about three others, but was off by himself. He says a couple driving in the area found Stirewalt on the ground, in a wooded area visible from the road, about a mile north of County Highway 1. The incident was reported around 3 p.m. At least two other hunters were injured in separate incidents in Cass County. The sheriffs office says a Brainerd area man believed to be in his 50s shot himself in the foot while hunting in the Chippewa National Forest about 5 p.m. Saturday. A juvenile fell out of a tree stand about 11:30 a.m. Sunday south of Hackensack and was taken by ambulance a Brainerd hospital. (AP)

TWO KILLED IN DODGE CENTER, THREE WOUNDED
11/10/2008

Authorities have identified a mother and son who were killed in their home in Dodge Center, in an incident that left three other family members hospitalized. Dodge County Sheriff Gary Thompson identifies them as 12-year-old Ismael Nicholas Bugarin and 27-year-old Teresa Bugarin. The boy was stabbed; the mother's cause of death has not been released. Two younger siblings were taken to a Rochester hospital by ambulance for treatment of knife wounds. Their conditions have not been released. The sheriff describes the children's 33-year-old father as a person of interest in the case. He was flown to a Rochester hospital where he remains today. He has not beeen arrested and his condition has not been released. Thompson has said the stabbings at the Valley View Mobile Home Park were domestic. (AP)

TWO ROLLOVERS REPORTED IN YELLOW MED. COUNTY
11/10/2008

Icy roads caused two traffic crashes in Yellow Medicine County Saturday morning. The sheriff's department says at 6:53 a.m. Saturday an SUV driven by Erika Hall of Astoria South Dakota left County Road 36, south of Canby, 3-and-a-half miles west of Highway 75, and rolled after hitting a patch of ice. She was taken by ambulance to the Canby Hospital and her current conditions is unknown. At 10:22 a.m. Saturday a pickup driven by Rebecca Clayton of New London was traveling south on County Road 12, north of Porter, and hit some ice and rolled. Clayton was taken to the Canby Hospital and her current condition is unknown.

RECOUNT SHOULD BE DONE BY DECEMBER 19TH
11/08/2008

Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie hopes to finish the state's U.S. Senate race recount by December 19th. Ritchie laid out his plan at a Capitol news conference yesterday. Republican Norm Coleman was leading Democrat Al Franken by just over 200 votes out of almost 2.9 million cast. That's within the margin triggering an automatic recount under state law. Ritchie's timeline requires local election officials to submit recount results to his office by December 5th. The state canvassing board will meet starting December 16th to rule on disputed ballots. The board consists of Ritchie and four others he will appoint. Those appointments will be made from recommendations by Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Eric Magnuson and Ramsey County Chief Judge Kathleen Gearin. (AP)

COLEMAN WONDERS WHERE HIS VOTES ARE DISAPPEARING
11/08/2008

As a recount in the U.S. Senate race looms, the Norm Coleman campaign is questioning why their vote margin has shrunk significantly since Tuesday's election and they've filed an official request for more information. The Coleman campaign alleges "huge chunks of votes" are appearing and disappearing, mostly to opponent Al Franken's benefit. Secretary of State Mark Ritchie responds if the campaign is accusing local election officials of being dishonest and corrupt, "they better have something to back up that kind of accusation" because it's a felony. Ritchie says vote total adjustments like the ones that are occurring in the U.S. Senate race are absolutely normal. (MNN)

IMMIGRANTS NEEDED FOR WORKFORCE
11/08/2008

Minnesota's workforce is declining, and using immigrant labor appears to be one of the best solutions to meeting employers' needs. At a luncheon event put-on by the Willmar Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce at Ridgewater College yesterday, two experts painted a picture of the state's need for immigrant labor and a dysfunctional congress unable to pass meaningful immigration reform. John Keller of the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota says many undocumented immigrants who try to come, stay and work here legally can find waits of 18 months to 25 years, and many chose to try and beat the system and stay illegally. Keller says President Bush has made immigration reform a priority. Senator James Sensenbrenner wrote a bill to make life so difficult for illegals they would deport themselves. The McCain-Kennedy bill created a pathway for workers to become legal. Neither bill advanced after getting 62 votes in the U.S. Senate. Lack of new legislation led to more money going to enforce existing laws, which has led to more immigration operations like the ones that led to hundreds of arrests last year in Worthington and Willmar. Bill Blazer, Director of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, said immigrants make up about 5 ercent of the state's workforce and account for about 6f purchases made. He says there are an estimated 60,000 undocumented workers, which cost the state about 200,000 million dollars a year in education, social services and incarceration costs. But they also contribute about 2 to 4 billion dollars a year to the state's economy, while paying social security taxes they'll never collect. Blazer says fixing the immigration problem is the federal government's responsibility, and says states should not pass their own laws. Blazer says the biggest fear employers have of hiring immigrants is the uncertainty of if they are breaking the law. Blazer and Keller said they are optimistic some meaningful reform might occur under the Obama Administration.

BAKER WANTS TO RESTORE CONFIDENCE IN SPICER GOV.
11/08/2008

Longtime Spicer Businessman Denny Baker will be taking over as Mayor of Spicer in January after trouncing incumbent Perry Wohnoutka in Tuesday's election. Baker owns Baker Printing and decided to challenge Wohnoutka after seeing all the turmoil in Spicer City Government in the last year-and-a-half. Baker says he looks forward to working with the city council, including newly elected council members Jerry Reirson and Robin Decathelineau. Baker says he hopes to restore citizens' confidence in their government in Spicer. In the meantime, the city is still dealing with some of the conflicts between Wohnoutka, City Administrator Andrea Aukrust and others. On Thursday night the city council held a closed door meeting to discuss a possible lawsuit against the city by Aukrust, who hasn't been at a city council meeting since September. She recently informed the city she had been advised by a doctor not to work but provided no details. She has retained a lawyer, and the city has placed her on unpaid medical leave. There is also mediation going on between Wohnoutka and other city employees, but the status of the mediation is unknown at this point.

DEER SEASON HAS BEGUN
11/08/2008

The 9-day 2008 Minnesota Firearms Deer Hunting Season begins this morning. DNR officer Jeff Denz patrols the eastern half of Kandiyohi County and says he has been seeing more deer this year. Denz says even if you are not a deer hunter it is a good idea to be wearing blaze orange if you are in the outdoors in the next 9 days. Area DNR Area Wildlife Supervisor Leroy Dahlke says most of the injuries to deer hunters aren't from fire arms..they come from falls from deer stands.

SNOW HITS AREA...IT WILL GET COLDER
11/08/2008

The first blast of winter has hit the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota, and people should expect much cooler temperatures through the weekend. State officials are reminding drivers to remember how to get around when the snow falls. They advise motorists to reacquaint themselves with how their vehicle responds on snow and ice by testing the brakes. Officials also say drivers should slow down and keep a safe distance between vehicles. The storm that created a blizzard in the Dakotas also left several inches of snow in Minnesota, including 5 inches in Olivia and Watertown, 4.5 inches in Madison and 4 inches in Brownton. (AP)

DEER SEASON OPENS TOMORROW
11/07/2008

The 9-day 2008 Minnesota Firearms Deer Hunting Season begins Saturday morning. Those who want to hunt on Saturday must buy their licenses no later than Friday. After today there will be a two-day waiting period between the time of purchase and when the license can be used. DNR officer Jeff Denz patrols the eastern half of Kandiyohi County and says he has been seeing more deer this year. Denz reminds hunters to remember the laws, especially regarding trespassing. He says trespassing is one of the top complaints they get, and is unsafe. Denz says even if you are not a deer hunter it is a good idea to be wearing blaze orange if you are in the outdoors in the next 9 days. Area DNR Area Wildlife Supervisor Leroy Dahlke says most of the injuries to deer hunters aren't from fire arms...they are from falls from deer stands. Have a safe season hunters!!

KANDIYOHI COUNTY GOP HQ OPEN FOR SIGN DISPOSAL
11/07/2008

The Kandiyohi County Republican Party Headquarters, across from El Tapatio on South 1st Street, will be open today for sign disposal. County GOP Party Co-Chair Rollie Nissen says they'll be open from 9 to 1 today for people to bring-in their used yard signs. Nissen says they will properly recycle or dispose-of them.

KANDIYOHI COUNTY VOTER TURNOUT JUST BEHIND 2004
11/07/2008

Kandiyohi County Auditor Sam Modderman says voter turnout in this county Tuesday was 78Ājust a shade below 2004's 79.9 percent. Modderman says they have the nearly 22,000 ballots saved, ready for word from the Secretary of State's office to begin the recount for the U.S. Senate race. Modderman says at this point it looks like Willmar city officials will handle the city ballots while his office will handle all the rest.

DEPT.OF LABOR PREPPING FOR ALT. ENERGY INDUSTRY
11/07/2008

The U.S. Department of Labor wants to make sure rural Minnesota has a large-enough, well-trained workforce to work in the growing renewable energy industry. A meeting was held at Minnwest Technology Campus in Willmar Thursday to talk about the Renewable Energy Workplace-Alliance for Talent Development, or MNREM initiative. Executive Director Theresa Kittridge says Minnesota is poised to take the lead in the nation in the renewable energy industry. Kittridge says the renewable energy industry needs not only the engineers but also the people to do the blue collar work. Kittridge says MNREM is going to be asking training and education institutions to propose different ways they can train people for the renewabl energy industry, as well as value-added agriculture, agri-bioscience and supporting industries. She envisions different colleges or universities in the region offering specialized training, then sharing with each other. Kittridge will be holding another MNREM information meeting Friday at 930 at the Redwood Falls Community Center, and next Friday at the Benson Law Enforcement Center at 1 p.m.

GAP GETTING TIGHTER IN COLEMAN-FRANKEN RACE
11/07/2008

Expect the vote totals to keep changing for now. At last check, just 236 votes separate Norm Coleman and Al Franken as cities, towns and precincts revise their numbers in the U.S. Senate race. The Republican incumbent's lead fluctuated wildly throughout the day on Thursday, ranging as high as 590 at one point. A noted political analyst thinks Al Franken faces long odds in hoping a recount will hand him victory in the Senate race. Carleton College political science Professor Steven Schier [[ sheer ]] estimates another 50 to 70 votes will change hands -- but not all those votes will go to Franken. Schier says Franken might have done better in heavily-DFL St. Louis County and defeated Norm Coleman if he had drawn more support from social conservatives and working-class Democrats. (MNN)

WINDY YESTERDAY, SLOPPY THIS MORNING
11/07/2008

The winds howled across Minnesota during the day on Thursday. The National Weather Service reports gusts around 60-miles-per-hour near Cannon Falls and in St. Paul. Some good-size trees and telephone polls also fell in the metro-area, causing power outages throughout central and southern Minnesota. Damage was reportedly minor. Locally, about 1-and-a-quarter inches of rain fell in the last 24 hours. Some snow fell overnight but none accumulated on the roads.(MNN)

COIN TOSS DETERMINES MAYOR'S RACE IN GOODRIDGE
11/07/2008

A coin toss has determined the winner of the mayor's race in the tiny northwestern Minnesota town of Goodridge. Incumbent Bob Homme (HOH'-mee) and former Mayor Dave Brown each got 22 votes. Instead of finding the ballots and recounting the 44 votes, they agreed to decide the winner with a coin toss. It already was a strange race in Goodridge _ population 98 _ with no one filing to run for mayor. Brown and Homme were both write-ins. To break the tie, each tossed his own coin. If it was even, meaning two heads or two tails, Homme would win the two-year term. If it was odd, meaning a head and a tail, Brown would win. It was a head and a tail. Brown won. (AP)

CVEC, MNVAP AND UMM GET MONEY FOR BIOFUEL DEVEL.
11/07/2008

Two local companies and the University of Minnesota Morris will share in nearly 3 million dollars of state grant money to speed up the development of biofuels. A total of 8 projects have been chosen by the Next Generation Energy Board to recieve money to turn ag products into fuel or electricity. Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company of Benson is getting $700,000 to use farm or woodland biomass to power the plant's operations, replacing natural gas. Minnesota Valley Alfalfa Producers of Priam is getting $400,000 to develop a way to "pelletize" crop waste, grasses and woodland biomass to be burned by places like CVEC. And UM-Morris is getting $50,000 to help install a biomass gasifier to serve as the campus heating plant and help reduce campus energy costs. The "Attracting Green Jobs" Subcommittee of the Green Jobs Task Force holds a meeting in the Humanities Fine Arts building at UMM today from 1 to 3 p.m. They will receive input from businesses, organizations and individuals on how the state can attract new green jobs. The task force was established by the 2008 Minnesota Legislature and is preparing an action plan to present during the upcoming session.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST SHOWING AT WILLMAR H.S.
11/07/2008

Beauty and the Beast opened at Willmar High School last night. The Friday show is sold out, but there are still tickets available for the Saturday afternoon and evening and Sunday shows. They can be purchased at Willmar Ed and Rec, 6 dollars for adults and 3 for students. Director Neal Haugen says many people remember the 1991 Disney movie and he says they will try and recreate all the fun and pageantry. Haugen says Beauty and the Beast will be a happy, family show compared with the emotion and drama of last year's Les Miserable. Beauty and the Beast is a love story between Belle and a beast who is really a prince in an enchanted castle. Belle is played by Tessa Anderson, the beast is Ryan Freitas and Gaston is Nate Tusa. Susie Johnson helped with costumes, and Bryan Mara supervised the set construction. Haugen was assisted by Julene Haugen and Travis Michelson. Emily Nelson was the Student Director, Terry Brau is the orchestra conductor, and dozens of students are in the cast or working behind the scenes doing lights, sound and helping with the set.

SEIFERT PONDERING STEPPING DOWN AS MINORITY LEADER
11/06/2008

The leader of state House Republicans isn't sure he wants the job anymore after Democrats added to their majority Tuesday. Minority Leader Marty Seifert (SIGH-fert) of Marshall says he hasn't decided whether to run for the post again. He says he's missed too many of his young childrens' events because of Minority Leader duties in St. Paul and around the state. Seifert says he'll have a long talk with his family about his future. Democrats had a net gain of two seats, increasing their majority to 87 seats to the Republicans' 47 seats. (MNN)

TWO ARRESTED FOR GRAFFITI VANDALISM IN WILLMAR
11/06/2008

Two Willmar men face felony criminal damage to property charges for their alleged part in the recent plague of graffiti in the city. 19-year-old Terrance Savoy and 18-year-old Philllip Konsor were arrested Friday for spray-painting graffiti on the First Street Bridge. Police Chief Jim Kulset says even though the vandals kept a lookout for police, the crime was caught on a nearby survaillence video camera. Kulset says video technology is allowing cameras to get much smaller, to the point where they are nearly invisible. Savoy and Konsor are charged with felonies because of the amount of damage done by the graffiti. The suspects were arraigned in Kandiyohi County District Court Monday and bail was set at $5000 each. Their next appearances have been set for November 17th. Kulset says they've been making graffiti arrests all summer but nearly all have been juveniles. A juvenile was arrested with Savoy and Konsor on Friday and more arrests are possible in connection with several more graffiti incidents in the downtown area.

CITY COUNCIL PASSES "SOCIAL HOST" ORDINANCE
11/06/2008

The Willmar City Council this week passed the so-called "Social Host Ordinance", cracking down on people who allow their houses and apartments to be used for under-age drinking parties. Willmar City Administrator Michael Schmit says there's been a rash of underage drinking incidents. The homeowner could be over or under 21, but if there's underage drinking at their residence they could be charged. The city council this week also approved a 1.2 million dollar grant from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development to go toward creating a bioscience research center at the Minnwest Technology Campus. Schmit says it's looking like it was the right decision to sell the former Willmar Regional Treatment Center to two Willmar companies to create the technology campus. And Schmit says the city council this week decided to change the name of the Willmar Senior Citizens' Center to the Willmar Community Center. The name change goes into effect immeadiately.

WILLMAR RESIDENT ROBBED AT GUNPOINT
11/06/2008

A Willmar resident was robbed at gunpoint in his apartment early yesterday morning. Willmar Police say at 1:21 a.m. they recieved a call from a person about a burglary in progress at his residence at 2609 NW 15th Avenue.. When officers arrived they were told two black men in their late teens or early 20s entered the apartment uninvited, brandished a weapon and demanded money. The robbers took an item and fled on foot. The men were described as being about 6 feet tall and between 140 and 150 pounds. No arrests have been made at this time.

RENVILLE MAN HURT IN CRASH NEAR GRANITE FALLS
11/06/2008

A Renville man was hurt when his car ran off a highway and hit some trees near Granite Falls last night. It happened around 6:30 p.m. on Highway 67, east of Granite. The state patrol says 32-year-old Jesus Mireles was traveling in an unknown direction, left the road and drove down a ravine where he hit several trees. He was taken to the Granite Falls Hospital and his current condition is unknown. The patrol says he was not wearing a seatbelt and alcohol was detected in Mireles' system.

BUHL TO BLAME FOR COLEMAN-FRANKEN RESULT DELAY
11/06/2008

Elections and campaign officials waited and waited into Wednesday for a final tally of votes in Minnesota's U.S. Senate race. In northeastern Minnesota, the town of Buhl's ballots had been cast but not counted. And it turns out election officials there counted the votes but never called them in. St. Louis County Director of Elections Paul Tynjala says officials tried to call Buhl for the results, but everyone had already gone home. He calls the incident a ``goof-up'' in which someone thought someone else had already called in the votes. Buhl finally reported its results at 8 a.m. Wednesday. And the results still didn't clarify the winner between Republican Sen. Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken. (AP)

RECOUNT STARTS NEXT WEEK FOR COLEMAN-FRANKEN RACE
11/06/2008

It went on for nearly two years, and it's not over yet. Minnesota's U.S. Senate race heads into a new round as the campaigns gear up for an automatic statewide recount. Republican Sen. Norm Coleman is holding a narrow lead over DFL challenger Al Franken. Coleman has declared himself the winner of Tuesday's election, but Franken says he'll let the recount play out. State officials say the recount wouldn't start until mid-November and would likely take weeks. Secretary of State Mark Ritchie says the recount would cost almost $90,000. (AP)

DFL PARTY HQ STONED IN WINONA
11/06/2008

Someone through three rocks through windows at Winona DFL Party headquarters the morning after Tuesday's election. Two of the rocks pierced a poster of President-elect Barack Obama. DFL officials suspect the vandalism may have been in response to the outcome of the presidential election. Winona County DFL Party Chairwoman Anne Morse calls the vandalism ``a very overtly aggressive act.'' No one was in the building at the time. Police have no suspects. DFL officials replaced the glass but Morse kept the rocks as a reminder of the incident. (AP)

ALBANY MAN KILLED IN ROLLOVER NEAR SAUK CENTRE
11/06/2008

Three people were ejected and one was killed in a rollover crash near Sauk Centre last night. The Stearns County Sheriff's Department says it happened at 8:40 last night on County Road 186 in Getty Township, southeast of Sauk Centre. A station wagon driven by 18-year-old Nathan Emanuelson of West Union left the road, hit a field approach and rolled several times, ejecting all three occupants. Two were taken to the Sauk Centre Hospital and the third went to the Melrose Hospital. One of the victims was 36-year-old Brian Simpson of Albany, who was transferred from Sauk Centre to the St. Cloud Hospital where he later died. The other victim was 15-year-old Joseph Vearrier of Sauk Centre, and his and Emanuelson's current conditions are unknown at this time.

BAD WEATHER ON WAY TO MINNESOTA
11/06/2008

Forecasters are predicting a major change in the weather later today. A major winter storm moving into North Dakota could bring a wintry mix to parts of Minnesota. Meteorologist Peter Rogers says most of the snow should stay west of our border. Rogers some areas of Minnesota could see one to three inches of that heavy snow. A winter storm watch is issued for extreme northwestern Minnesota where up to four inches could fall through Friday afternoon. (MNN)

LARSON REELECTED TO KANDIYOHI COUNTY BOARD
11/05/2008

Richard Larson yesterday was reelected to the Kandiyohi County Board 2nd District seat yesterday, defeating William Graves 1735 to 1372. In Meeker County District 5, Ron Kutzke defeated Russ Peteson 1274 to 901. In Renville County District 5, Lamont Jacobson defeated former sheriff Jerry Agre 844 to 732. In Stearns County's 4th District, Leigh Lenzmeier beat Ken Hemmesch 5538 to 3371. In Swift County District 1, Gary Hendrickx beat Alan Johnson 289 to 152, in District 3 Pete Peterson beat Cindy Regan 906 to 257, and in District 5, Douglas Anderson beat James Falk 621-558. In Pope County District 2, Gordy Wagner beat Cody Rogahn 663 to 515, and in Pope County's 3rd District, Paul Gerde beat Everell Barsness 687 to 587.

REFERENDUMS FAIL IN MACCRAY, LITCHFIELD
11/05/2008

Four area school districts had operating levy referendums on Tuesday's ballots. In Willmar there were two questions...Question Number One passed, 6696 to 5068. Question Number Two failed, 6036 to 5620. In New London-Spicer, the operating levy passed 3262 to 2130. In MACCRAY, their referendum failed 1234 to 1101, and in Litchfield, the operating levy referendum failed 3389 to 2679.

GARDNER LOSES IN WILLMAR, BAKER WINS IN SPICER
11/05/2008

Spicer is getting a new mayor. Incumbent Perry Wohnoutka yesterday was defeated by Denny Baker, 432 to 222. Elected to the Spicer City Council were Jerry Rierson and Robin Decathelineau. In Willmar, Ward 2 Incumbent Council Member Steve Gardner was defeated by Tim Johnson 1951 to 634. In Ward 4, Incumbent Jim Dokken was reelected over Susanna Hunnicut 1345 to 549.

BRUCE BAKER ELECTED MAYOR OF ATWATER
11/05/2008

Checking election results in area towns from yesterday, Bruce Baker was elected mayor of Atwater over Brad Fluck and Jerry Spencer. In Raymond, Ron Ulferts defeated Werner Nurmi, and in the city council race, Tanya Call and David Wassink were the winners. In Renville, Al Rohlik and David Armstrong were elected to the city council and Janette Wertish was elected mayor over Don McClurg. In Pennock, Wanda Woltjer and Jeff Arends were elected to the city council. In New London, Bill Gossman beat Perry Nelson in the mayoral race, while Corky Berg and John Mack were elected to the city council. In Kandiyohi, Josh Larson and Brad Howard won a 4-way race for city council. In Montevideo, Sandra Hodge and Al Johnsrud were selected for the city council. Clara City residents chose Joseph Thissen as their mayor, while Lester Feia and Mike Thein were voted onto the city council. In Bird Island, Robert Seidl defeated Betty Schemmel and Jeff Engelmen for mayor, the question on the ballot passed, and in the city council race, Jim Schneider and Doug Hightshoe were elected. In Litchfield, Vernon Loch Junior was elected to the Ward 4 city council seat, while in Paynesville, Jeff Bertram and Dennis Zimmerman were elected. Grove City residents picked Gerald Rueckert for Mayor, while William Houselog and Gwen Cram were elected to the city council.

JUHNKE REELECTED TO MINNESOTA HOUSE
11/05/2008

Representative Al Juhnke was reelected to his House District 13B seat yesterday. The DFLer defeated Republican Bonnie Wilhelm 10211 to 8770. In District 13A Republican Paul Anderson defeated Bruce Shuck 11422 to 8128. DFLer Andrew Falk defeated Mike Bredick in District 20A, 9032 to 8506, and in House District 20B, incumbent DFLer Lyle Koenen defeated Don Swoboda 11732 to 5790. And in District 18B, incumbent Republican Dean Urdahl defeated DFLer Dave Detert 11813 to 8297.

AMENDMENT PASSES
11/05/2008

Minnesota voters have said yes to raising their taxes. They approved a constitutional amendment Tuesday that will raise the sales tax by three-eighths of 1 percent to provide a new pool of funding for outdoors, environmental, arts and cultural programs. The Clean Water, Wildlife, Cultural Heritage and Natural Areas Amendment required a ``yes'' from a majority of all voters to pass. Leaving that box on the ballot blank counted as a ``no'' note. With 94 percent of precincts reporting, the amendment had drawn about 1.55 million votes in favor and about 1.1 million ``no'' or blank votes.

NO WORD YET ON COLEMAN-FRANKEN RACE
11/05/2008

It's too close to call. After months of campaigning, Minnesota's bitterly contested U.S. Senate race passed Election Day still unresolved. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, both Republican incumbent Norm Coleman and Democratic challenger Al Franken hovered at 42 percent...Coleman at 42, Franken at 41.96, a difference of 1118 votes. Dean Barkley of the Independence Party was third with 15 percent, and exit poll data showed him pulling about equally from Coleman and Franken. Both Franken and Coleman spoke to supporters late Tuesday night, urging them to hang in for what they said could be a long night of counting votes. Exit polls showed that Franken held a big lead in Minneapolis and St. Paul, and a smaller lead in eastern parts of the state. Coleman was winning in Twin Cities suburbs and western Minnesota.

REYNOLDS MAKES IT BACK ONTO WILLMAR SCHOOL BOARD
11/05/2008

Former Willmar School Board Member Mike Reynolds is back on the board. He, along with incumbents Sandy Unger, Wayne Lenzmeier and Eric Roberts were elected yesterday. Don Thorp lost, as did incumbent Shawn Mueske. In New London-Spicer, the top three vote-getters in a 7-person race were Mike O-Brien, Renee Noltin and Divid Kilpatrick.

COLEMAN, FRANKEN BREAK OUT THE BIG GUNS
11/04/2008

An expensive, hard-fought campaign for U.S. Senate comes to an end today in Minnesota. With polls showing them running neck-and-neck heading into Election Day, Republican incumbent Norm Coleman and DFL challenger Al Franken brought in two former presidential candidates for some last-minute campaigning. Coleman made an evening stop at the Oaks at Eagle Creek in Willmar, then headed on to late night and early election day morning campaign stops. Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani appeared with Coleman at O'Gara's Bar and Grill in St. Paul. Giuliani declared Coleman ``the best __ Republican or Democrat __ member of the United States Senate.'' Sen. Hillary Clinton joined Franken at a rally in Duluth. She said if Minnesotans want affordable health care, an economy that's creating jobs and troops home from Iraq, they need Franken. The Independence Party's Dean Barkley scheduled several public stops and radio interviews. Barkley, who's been polling in the teens, says he feels like movie boxer Rocky -- as he put it, ``I'm still standing.''

MURDER-SUICIDE IN OLIVIA
11/04/2008

Two people are dead after a murder suicide in Olivia. A news release from the Olivia Police Department says they along with other local agencies responded to a report of a shooting at 1309 Birch Avenue west in Olivia at 10:10 last night. When they arrived they found two people inside, dead. No names have been released, and the bodies have been taken to the Twin Cities for autopsies. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Crime Scene Unit was brought to the scene, and the preliminary ruling is murder-suicide.

WILLMAR "MALL ROAD" ALMOST READY TO OPEN
11/04/2008

It's possible by the end of the week motorists could be using the new, so-called "Mall Road", Southeast 5th Street in Willmar. It's taken a couple years to get the final approval of the owners of the Kandi Mall, but work began this summer and City Administrator Michael Schmit says the mild weather allowed the contractors to work fast. Schmit says the street is already paved, and on Monday and Tuesday the bike path along the road was built, manhole covers are being reset and other finishing touches are taking place. Schmit says the new 5th Street will allow motorists to go from Willmar Avenue all the way to 24th Avenue with one stoplight at 19th, by SuperWalmart, hopefully alleviating some of the traffic on South 1st Street.

WILLMAR MIGHT GET NORTHWOODS LEAGUE TEAM
11/04/2008

Willmar may soon by getting a Northwoods League baseball team. Willmar City Administrator Michael Schmit says league officials recently met with the Community Ed and Rec Board, a meeting which included representatives of all entities that play baseball at Taunton Stadium, including VFW, little league, the schools etcetra. Schmit says the officials were interested in locating a team in the city, based on the response the Alexandria Beetles got when they played some home games in Willmar in 2007 and 2008. Schmit says if the Northwoods League located a team in Willmar they would have to coordinate the schedule with teams that already play at Taunton Stadium. The league would also have to find another team in the midwest to expand into, so there would be an even number of teams. According to the Northwoods website there are currently 14 teams in Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa. Minnesota teams include Alexandria, Mankato, Brainerd, St. Cloud, Rochester and Duluth. Schmit says he likes the idea of Taunton Stadium getting more use. Ben Zobrist recently played in the World Series for the Tampa Bay Rays. He played for the Wisconsin Woodchucks of the Northwoods League in 2003, and he was later drafted by the Houston Astros and was traded to Tampa Bay where he began his major league career in 2006. Northwoods League players are college age and have NCAA eligibility, and are not paid. They and their families generally move into and work in the communities where their team is located.

OFFICIALS READY FOR RECORD TURNOUT...SOME LINES
11/04/2008

Voters in Minnesota have started lining up early at polling places as elections brace for what could be record turnout. Even before the polls opened at 7 a.m., several polling places in the Twin Cities area had more than 100 people waiting while election judges set up tables and voting booths. In the eastern Twin Cities suburb of Woodbury, many people waiting to vote said they wanted to