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Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Grand Forks Herald

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O'Toole and Straus

Officials to look into whether police violated civil rights of man officers forced to stand in cold

“We’re alleging that it’s discrimination. It’s racial: He was singled out because he was black,” said attorney Tom Omdahl, referring to his client, Jason Hickman.

RELATED CONTENT

In-Forum Web IconTrial of Grand Forks man charged with attempted murder postponed until March
Al Franken

Franken on top

Two-month recount ended Monday, but lawsuit looms.
A state election board on Monday certified results of the two-month recount that gave Democrat Franken a 225-vote advantage over Coleman. "It ain't over," official says.

RELATED CONTENT

In-Forum Web IconU.S. SENATE RECOUNT: Court deals Coleman another setback on absentees
In-Forum Web IconU.S. SENATE RECOUNT: Minnesota canvassing board expected to announce Al Franken winner today
In-Forum Poll IconA Minnesota board Monday afternoon certified results in the two-month-long Senate race recount, giving Democrat Al Franken a 225-vote edge over Republican Norm Coleman. Should Coleman throw in the towel or fight on in court?
In-Forum Web Icon Minnesota senate

N.D. Legislative session comes to life today

The 61st Legislative Assembly gavels into reality at noon today as it embarks on its biennial four-month sprint of budget-writing and law-passing.

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In-Forum Web IconTax increases key for Minnesota legislative session
Daily updates
TECHNOLOGY Q&A: Digital TV likes clear signal path - 12:00 am
YOUR MONEY: Still haven't received stimulus check? Free taxpayer service may help - 12:00 am
AT THE OFFICE: Need a good job? Become a police officer - 12:00 am
AUTO REVIEW: 2009 Porsche 911 Cabriolet -- Yum - 12:00 am
Phone exec says Pa. senator listed $50M in demands - 9:26 pm
Gaza civilian toll rises; diplomats seek truce - 9:25 pm
Polanski lawyer claims LA Superior Court biased - 9:19 pm
Search starts for Kansas boy now missing 10 years; parents 'people of interest' - 8:21 pm
Police in Wash. state find baby’s remains in trash - 8:20 pm
Police: Angry Ohio boy, 4, shoots babysitter - 8:14 pm
Art and sole: Patrons pitch shoes at Bush image - 8:07 pm
Man died of health problems, not crash - 7:55 pm
Men's basketball: Texas A&M defeats UND - 7:47 pm
Lawyer: Alleged Pa. attic intruder ’sorry, upset’ - 7:31 pm
Police: Mexican woman in wheelchair flees on foot - 7:19 pm
Washington state police find baby's remains in trash - 4:55 pm
Alaska trooper says politics slowed drug arrest because of Palin ties - 4:47 pm
Police: Mexican woman in wheelchair flees on foot - 4:41 pm
POLICE BLOTTER: Fargo man not injured in Sunday rollover...Broadside collision on Minnesota Highway 1 - 4:38 pm
Tuesday calendar: AARP driver safety ... Healthtrip ... 'Alice' auditions ... open mic nights ... etc. - 4:34 pm
N.D. PSC to hold cell service hearing in Hatton - 4:24 pm
Death certificate: Travolta son killed by seizure - 4:20 pm
Treasury provides $15B from bailout pot to 7 banks - 3:59 pm
UPDATES: Fire-safe cigarettes...HUD grants...Rock climbing...Indianpreneur class...Myra grants - 3:31 pm
Body found in snowdrift on reservation - 3:17 pm
Weekly conservation officer report - 2:38 pm
Fire deaths confirmed at Texas homeless shelter - 1:20 pm
Ford’s U.S. sales drop 32 percent in December - 1:12 pm
Scribner to publish first lady Laura Bush’s memoir - 12:56 pm
Travolta family doctor present at son’s autopsy - 12:52 pm
Man who killed deputy in Minnesota DWI accident admits parole violation - 12:47 pm
Nursing industry desperate to find new hires - 12:31 pm
Company that analyzed I-35W bridge before collapse asks for suit dismissal - 12:02 pm
Oregon kids alone for days while parents dead in locked room - 11:52 am
1 in critical condition after plow, pickup collide in Minnesota - 11:41 am
Hundreds gather to remember Ontario hockey player who died after hitting head in fight - 11:13 am
Bush to establish 3 marine monuments in Pacific - 11:11 am
First SD flu death reported - 11:10 am
Bill Clinton eulogizes Claiborne Pell - 10:47 am
World leaders converge on Israel in push for truce - 10:30 am
Helicopter headed for offshore rig crashes, kills 8, injures 1 along Louisiana's coast - 10:22 am
Bush family’s 18-year-old cat India dies - 10:12 am
Griffin Bell, Carter's attorney general, dies at age 90 - 10:10 am
SD man accidentally shoots self in leg, then drives for help - 10:07 am
Funeral held for ‘Star Trek’ actress Roddenberry - 10:04 am
ND's Cass County to check mentally ill inmates - 9:58 am
Sheriff: Man arrested in Ohio mother’s slaying - 9:57 am
U.S. construction spending falls less than expected - 9:56 am
ND seeks $3 million for mine cleanup - 9:44 am
U.S. SENATE RECOUNT: Minnesota canvassing board expected to announce Al Franken winner today - 9:37 am
NY contractor indicted on homicide charges in NYC crane collapse that killed 7 - 8:17 am
Obama's daughters report for class at private Quaker school - 8:02 am
Classic china, crystal maker Waterford Wedgwood files for bankruptcy - 7:43 am
3 men questioned in killing of Ohio woman whose son, 4, was found at rest stop - 7:29 am
Report: Actor Tom Cruise says Scientology church helped him overcome dyslexia - 7:09 am
GF aquarium business expands into Fargo area - 6:41 am
Officials ID three victims in Wisconsin snowmobile collision - 6:20 am
Part of ND might be hit by 'significant' winter storm Thursday - 6:14 am
Bill Clinton, Biden, Kennedy to give Pell eulogies - 6:11 am
Smuggling monkey meat? Religious reasons not good enough, judge says - 6:06 am
FILM: 'Marley & Me' again top dog at box office - 5:39 am
World ice-dancing champ Staviski gets 2 1/2-year prison sentence for fatal accident - 5:31 am
HONEYBEE DECLINES: Attempts to revive bees, other pollinators draw renewed interest - 5:29 am
From hats to fleece jackets to humidors, Madoff memorabilia is selling on eBay - 5:21 am
Fargo-Moorhead could get spill-over of Twin Cities crime, police say - 4:09 am
Carl Pohlad

Minnesota Twins owner Pohlad dies

Carl Pohlad, a billionaire banker whose Minnesota Twins won two World Series titles during nearly his nearly quarter-century as owner, died today. He was 93.

Outage leaves about 100 in the cold

Rick Bye, operations manager, said the outage was an underground cable failure that has been isolated, and he hopes to have it fixed permanently sometime Tuesday. But it caused some tough work for his employees in the some of the coldest weather that happens around here. “People are really understanding,” Bye said. “We were out there at 25, 30 below and trying to fix it. But by the same token, their houses were getting cold.”

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In-Forum Web IconSafe Kids: Watch for children in the snow
In-Forum Web IconFACE TO FACE with Mark Frazier, meteorologist with National Weather Service in GF
In-Forum Web IconPlows roar; quieter week ahead

Winnipeg woman files appeal of murder conviction in death of daughter

A jury convicted Samantha Kematch, 27, and her common-law husband Karl Wesley McKay last month. Jurors heard that Kematch and McKay subjected Phoenix to months of horrifying abuse and cruelty, including regular beatings, choking her to the point of unconsciousness and shooting at her with a BB gun.

Minnesota Department of Public Safety reports fewest traffic deaths in 64 years

Nathan Bowie, spokesman for the department, said the death count last year was 424, down 16 percent from 2007 and the lowest since 1944 when 356 were killed.

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In-Forum Web IconN.D. patrol: 104 die in 2008 traffic accidents
In-Forum Web IconCollision with train kills Warroad man
In-Forum Web IconPOLICE BLOTTER: Fargo man not injured in Sunday rollover...Broadside collision on Minnesota Highway 1

Wildlife rehab gets new life in N.D.

Game and Fish Department agrees to meet with Mountain, N.D., rehabilitator denied a permit
Nothing’s official, but the North Dakota Game and Fish Department is reconsidering its position to phase out wildlife rehabilitators in the state.
Gas prices

In reverse: Gas prices creep up

HOUSTON - The five-month slide in gasoline prices has come to an abrupt halt, with gasoline rising by several cents in recent days amid indicators that the national average could jump to $2 a gallon or higher this spring.
Ryan Bakken

The Vikings: 0 for 48

That’s 48 seasons, zero pro football championships
The latest Vikings failure came Sunday, by a 26-14 score to the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the playoffs. On a fan heartbreak scale of 1 to 10, this was a 2.3. Oh well, Sundays are now free to blow snow.

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In-Forum Web IconOne & done: McNabb, Eagles take out Minnesota in playoffs
In-Forum Web IconRYAN BAKKEN COLUMN: December not a month for good news

OUR OPINION: Cities should set fines for traffic violations

The Associated Press warns about a “potential donnybrook” in the North Dakota Legislature. The cause is a move to allow cities to set their own rates for traffic fines.

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In-Forum Web IconKrugman column: It’s not so easy to fight off depression
In-Forum Web IconTHAT REMINDS ME: January began with ‘heat wave’ 25 years ago
Carl Eller

Former Viking Carl Eller sues Minneapolis police

Carl Eller is alleging officers violated his civil rights, used excessive force and concealed videotape evidence when they subdued him during an arrest last April.
Panetta CIA

Panetta gets nod for CIA, Blair for intelligence director

Two Democratic officials say President-elect Barack Obama has chosen former Clinton White House chief of staff Leon Panetta to run the CIA.

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In-Forum Web IconObama's new DNI choice may head shrunken agency
In-Forum Web IconObama supports $300 billion tax cut plan
In-Forum Web IconObama says economy 'getting worse'
In-Forum Web IconRichardson withdraws bid to be commerce secretary
In-Forum Web IconObama girls start school with photographers in tow

Wayne Hotel demolition on Polk Co. agenda

'It looks like we’re going to proceed with demolition in mind'
Tearing down the historic building in downtown Crookston will be discussed Tuesday at the Polk County Commission meeting.

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Grand Forks Herald Talk About It IconAdd a comment
Cigarette

Dems plan early push against tobacco

The new Congress plans to move aggressively against the tobacco industry in coming months by regulating cigarettes, raising per-pack sales taxes and ratifying an international anti-tobacco treaty, according to aides for key lawmakers and experts who expect the Obama administration to break a logjam on smoking issues.
Candy Reed

GF woman pleads not guilty to making, possessing meth

A Grand Forks woman charged with making and possessing meth the night of a November 15 fire that destroyed a duplex near downtown pleaded not guilty to the charges this morning in district court.

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In-Forum Web IconAccused burglar charged with more break-ins
Legislative Council Library

Some useful, obscure places at N.D. Capitol

The North Dakota Capitol in Bismarck is full of obscure public places and services that many visitors might not know about. A nursing mothers’ station. Special libraries and hidden lounges. Out-of-the way elevators.

RELATED CONTENT

In-Forum Web IconN.D. legislative session will have plenty of bread-and-butter issues
In-Forum Web IconOUR OPINION: N.D. must build, invest and save during 2009 session
In-Forum Web IconPOLITICS NORTH DAKOTA: Year-end financial reports due Feb. 2
In-Forum Web IconPush for pre-K funding in North Dakota is on

Area high school games to watch this week: A meeting of 1,000-point scorers

Casey Larson is a big-time scorer, averaging 27 points a game. But it’s the defensive challenge Tuesday that he’s eagerly anticipating. That’s when Warren-Alvarado-Oslo plays a boys basketball game at Badger-Greenbush-Middle River. And the game within the game will be the matchup of Larson and B-G-MR’s Zach Creviston — two of the most prolific scorers in Minnesota Section 8A boys high school basketball this season.
Gina Anderson

Gina Anderson search to go underwater

The search for Gina Anderson looks to go underwater later this month, her sister, Jackie Pagel, said Sunday. The Thief River Falls woman has been missing since she was seen by neighboring workers as she drove away from her house Oct. 23 in her bright yellow Pontiac Sunfire.

Rural Thompson fire does $75,000 damage

A fire Saturday night did an estimated $75,000 of damage to a rural Thompson, N.D., residence Saturday night, destroying the garage and its contents and causing heat damage to the house, a fence and gazebo, Sgt. Jon Simundson of the Grand Forks County Sheriff’s Department said today. No one was injured.

MeritCare, Innovis ready if fights break out

A fight breaks out, and both parties suffer injuries. Family members bring them to a nearby hospital, and those on opposite sides of the conflict find themselves sitting together in the same waiting area.

Grandparents at odds over custody of 4-year-old orphan

Her parents both dead, Leah Johnson now is in the middle of another family rift - this one involving her grandparents. On the day of her father’s funeral, Leah Johnson’s maternal grandmother, Dale Campbell of Fall River, Mass., arrived at the funeral home with a lawyer and court papers. The papers granted Campbell temporary guardianship of Leah. “It’s heartbreaking still,” said Alice Mayer, Eric Johnson’s mother.

'Figures!': Wife wins on $10 million lottery ticket bought by husband the day he died

On the day that Donald Peters died, he unknowingly provided financial security for his wife of 59 years and their family. Peters bought two Connecticut Lottery tickets at a local 7-Eleven store on Nov. 1 as part of a 20-year tradition he shared with his wife Charlotte. Later that day, the 79-year-old retired hat factory worker suffered a fatal heart attack while working in his yard in Danbury.
Sandy Blunt

Former ND workers comp exec Blunt asks for acquittal

An attorney for former North Dakota workers compensation director Sandy Blunt wants a judge to throw out a felony conviction against him. Jurors convicted Blunt last month of misspending Workforce Safety and Insurance funds. The charge carries a possible 10-year prison term.
Grand Forks housing

HOLDING STEADY: Grand Forks-area Realtors have third best year of home sales

Grand Forks-area Realtors had their third best year of home sales in 2008, a sign that the local economy remained an island of stability in a chaotic national economy.

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In-Forum Web Icon GF housing numbers

BUSINESS: Save a penny, waste a dollar

By using fuzzy logic, Americans are failing home economics

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In-Forum Web IconRALPH KINGSBURY: Bad ideas
In-Forum Web IconSMALL TALK:The new year is a good time to create sick leave policy
In-Forum Web IconNEWS IN BUSINESS: Wall Street rallies...GMAC gives up some financing...Fed sends Chrysler loan
In-Forum Web IconBUSINESS CALENDAR: Uniting for early childhood day...Marketplace for Entrepreneurs...Freedom from smoking workshop
In-Forum Web IconPEOPLE IN BUSINESS: Lynk named head of State Radio ...Walsh promoted...Burkel joins Insure Forward...Human Resource Association elects officers
In-Forum Web IconAREA BUSINESS BRIEFS: Knight acquires Cook Sign Co...Gate City donates
In-Forum Web IconCirrus to recall Duluth, Grand Forks furloughed workers starting Monday
In-Forum Web IconBUSINESS AND TECHNOLOGY: Fresno nerd sees a better way
In-Forum Web IconFord’s U.S. sales drop 32 percent in December
In-Forum Web Icon Economy could affect N.D. energy projects
In-Forum Web IconND wind tower maker cutting about 20 percent of jobs
In my hometown

IN MY HOMETOWN: TRF man buried at sea; Minnewaukan calls; Cooperstown prayer shawls; Park River Bible Camp; Lake Bronson Dam

A Thief River Falls, Minn., man who spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy has been buried at sea in a military funeral.
Popularity

TEEN PAGE: Be yourself, not part of the crowd

It’s not always a good thing to be a part of the crowd. You have to live up to a lot of expectations, and you most likely will have to try hard just be accepted into the “popular group.”

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In-Forum Web IconTEEN PAGE: Hair donations; a way for teens to help
In-Forum Web IconTEEN PAGE: Video-game review: ‘WordJong’
In-Forum Web IconTEEN PAGE: Digital getdown ... Choices, choices ... Can drinking coffee or tea stop you from growing?
In-Forum Web IconTEEN PAGE: Online extra: Inside the classroom with East High School’s favorite teacher

17-year-old Bismarck area girl calls police to report she’s driving drunk

Bismarck police say a New Year’s Eve 911 call about a drunken driver was not surprising. The surprise was that it came from the teen driver, herself.

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Grand Forks Herald Talk About It IconArticle comments (24)
In-Forum Web IconAP survey: N.D. lawmakers back teen driving restrictions
In-Forum Web IconUnderage drinking project looks at perceptions
In-Forum Web IconPRAIRIE VOICES: What is too young?
In-Forum Web IconSome Fargo parents may randomly test their own kids for drugs

BOOK REVIEW: Izzy and Lenore

Author Jon Katz writes of dogs, hospice work, death and healing

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In-Forum Web IconBOOKS: Best sellers
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In-Forum Web IconNEW LIBRARY BOOKS: GF Public....EGF Campbell
In-Forum Web IconAMERICAN LIFE IN POETRY: Warm, gooey and fun
Jason Lindell

Illuminating work

Jason Lindell has fused his fascinations with spirituality and light into the art of stained glass making.

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In-Forum Web Icon Colorful bracelets
In-Forum Web Icon At the kiln
In-Forum Web Icon Creating a pattern
In-Forum Web IconMore news about community people, clubs, schools

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Today's poll

A Minnesota board Monday afternoon certified results in the two-month-long Senate race recount, giving Democrat Al Franken a 225-vote edge over Republican Norm Coleman. Should Coleman throw in the towel or fight on in court?

File a lawsuit. The recount process wasn't fair.
It's time to call it quits.
This probably matters, but I don't care.

 Talk about it

January events

Recent columns

Grand Forks Herald Columnists
January began with ‘heat wave’ 25 years ago
Marilyn Hagerty
Grand Forks had a “heat wave” 25 years ago Monday. The 42-degree reading on Jan. 5, 1984, broke the record of 39 degrees set in 1908. The Herald said more nice weather was in store for the Red River Valley.
Grand Forks Herald Columnists
Cities should set fines for traffic violations
Mike Jacobs
The Associated Press warns about a “potential donnybrook” in the North Dakota Legislature. The cause is a move to allow cities to set their own rates for traffic fines.
Grand Forks Herald Columnists
0 for 48
Ryan Bakken
That’s 48 seasons, zero pro football championships
The latest Vikings failure came Sunday, by a 26-14 score to the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of the playoffs. On a fan heartbreak scale of 1 to 10, this was a 2.3. Oh well, Sundays are now free to blow snow.
areavoices.com
University of North Dakota Hockey
Leftovers on Bemidji
posted on 01.06.09
The Daily Dale
Despite droughts, most weather gets wetter
posted on 01.06.09
Fee throws
Packers let Gullickson go
posted on 01.05.09
The City Beat
More lobbyists for GF AFB
posted on 01.05.09
Whoops a Daisy!
We the people. . .
posted on 01.05.09

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UND Sports Zone
Continuing coverage of UND sports. Read Brad Schlossman's Web log for more information, insight and commment.
Trophy Room
The Herald's "Trophy Room," is an online photo gallery, where anglers can show off their big fish pictures.
WW II The Lasting Memories
WW II The Lasting Memories
This series will share the recollections and reflections of some local and area veterans of World II, in print and online.
In my hometown
In my hometown
A collection of news from area towns.
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