Home for the holiday, a tale of two statements, slower deer hunt

Posted at 8:04 AM on November 23, 2011 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

St. Cloud-based Guard unit returning from Iraq
The unit was supporting the drawdown in Iraq with its six helicopters. The unit flew 800 missions, transported 49,500 personnel and more than 7 million pounds of cargo from Iraq to Kuwait, according to a news release (Saint Cloud Times).

Police clear Civic Center camp; Occupy Duluth members debate next steps
After having their camp cleared by police early Tuesday, Occupy Duluth members were debating Tuesday evening on what their next steps might be (Duluth News Tribune).

Northland ministers sue Duluth over free speech rights
According to a federal complaint filed Friday, minister Steve Jankowski, of Duluth, and Peter Scott, of Hibbing, said a police officer ordered Scott to stop sharing his beliefs at the Bentleyville Tour of Lights last November (WDIO).

Super committee

For Bachmann and the super committee, a tale of two statements
Monday evening, the presidential campaign released one of its own -- and the differences between the two reflect the ways in which Bachmann's tone changes depending on her role as either congresswoman or presidential candidate (MinnPost).

Editorial: Enough with all the 'super' talk
There's probably not a daily newspaper in this country that didn't run a supercommittee story on Page 1 Tuesday, but we ask: Was it even news? Newsworthy, yes. But news? We believe it was more of a foregone conclusion than anything (Marshall Independent).

Campaign 2012
GOP debate In 100 seconds: It's a scary world out there

Once again, the GOP candidates gathered for a debate, this time in the heart of dysfunction and argument, Washington DC (TPM).

By the numbers
Minnesota deer harvest tops 180,000, down 7 percent
Deer hunters in Minnesota have bagged about 180,000 deer so far this season, down about 7 percent from this time last year. Firearms hunters have killed 161,000 deer, down 10,000 -- or 6 percent -- from 2010. The decline still is blamed on poor harvest opening weekend of the firearms season because of high winds (Star Tribune).

Tough times and turkey, paint it black locally, the coldest Thanksgiving

Posted at 11:45 AM on November 23, 2011 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Tough times challenge efforts to feed the hungry on Thanksgiving

For some Minnesotans, putting that food on the table is a challenge. Communities and hunger relief organizations have been working for weeks to make sure everyone gets a meal, but higher food prices are making it harder (MPR News). On this the fourth Thanksgiving since the economy sank, prices for everything from airline flights to groceries are going up, and some Americans are scaling back. Yet in many households, the occasion is too important to skimp on. Said one mother: "I don't have much to give, but I'll be cooking, and the door will be open" (KSTP).

Freestyle Thanksgiving
The only bird on our table this year will be the pheasant painted on an odd vintage salad plate, part of the mix-and-match dinnerware that has become part of our new Thanksgiving tradition (Star Tribune).

Beth Dooley spotlights local, seasonal Thanksgiving fare
Local food writer Beth Dooley's new cookbook focuses on helping people eat those seasonal foods all year long. Her book, "The Northern Heartland Kitchen," guides readers through our region's long, cold winters to our warm summers (MPR News).

Don't be tempted to let pets overindulge on Turkey Day
Gary Pearson will never forget the German shepherd that quit eating after Thanksgiving. The dog had a turkey neck bone lodged in its esophagus (Forum of Fargo Moorhead).

Heightened enforcement over Thanksgiving weekend
Last year during the Thanksgiving travel period, 16 motorists were killed and 1,834 arrested for driving while impaired. Of the 16 deaths, six were alcohol-related and seven were unbelted occupants, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (Worthington Daily Globe).

After the Friday frenzy, west central Minn. shoppers urged to turn their attention to Main Street businesses
Shopping on Black Friday has become a Thanksgiving tradition nearly as hallowed as turkey and stuffing and giving thanks. But what happens the next day -- the Saturday after Thanksgiving -- is becoming an incr-easingly popular day for shopping at small, locally-owned stores (West Central Tribune).

Op-ed: Black Friday shouldn't creep into Thursday
To this point Thanksgiving has managed to remain one of the few holidays that hasn't been trampled over by unrestrained over commercialism to this point. Now, even our day of thanks is falling victim (Rochester Post Bulletin).

By the numbers
Thanksgiving weather trivia
The coldest Thanksgiving days were in 1893, 1905 and 1985 when the temperatures bottomed out at -8 degrees.Measurable snow fell on 25 of the past Thanksgivings, about every five years or so. The most snow fell on Thanksgiving was 5" in 1970 (KARE11).

Minnesota Scenes
Hills by Josh Ebbers