FRIDAY STORY BUDGET

ROCHESTER 1A
18 economies impact on local charities (Doty, 23 inches, to be split, w graphic?) - The economy, gas prices, and the upcoming presidential election are being blamed for the funding problems facing some local charities.
The Red Cross, Camp Jornada, Channel One and Paws & Claws Humane Society, are all struggling with a substantial decrease in donations from last year to this year. At the same time, they are needed now more than they have been in previous years.

18 USO record (Weber, 13 inches, w pic) - Arthur Schmidt is about to hear a voice from the past — his own.
A letter home in the form of a recording Schmidt made at a USO club on June 19, 1943, surfaced last week at John Kruesel’s General Merchandise shop in Rochester. Schmidt hasn’t heard the record since he recorded it 65 years ago.
“My gosh, isn’t that something,” Schmidt, 86, said as he held the record in his hands.
“Letter on a record” from serviceman uncovered - w pic John Kruesel pulled out a stack of records from his vaults last week and found a "Letter on a Record" recorded by a Rochester serviceman during World War II. He did a little digging and found that the guy is still alive. I've got the record and will call the guy today for an interview and pic. The recorded the disc at a USO club in Idaho when he was in training in the air force in 1943.

Jury fee cut to $10 - local reaction from court administrator

ROCHESTER 1B
DIGEST ITEM ON DIALOGUES PROGRAM

MOVED/18 hubbell house carriage driver retiring (Gossman, 17 inches) -  MANTORVILLE -- The clip-clop and bells of Lois Nash’s horses and the Hubbell House Carriage’s wooden wheels have been heard in Mantorville’s streets every summer for more than 20  years, but Mantorville’s Marigold Days will mark Nash’s last weekend giving tours of the historic town.
Unless its rainy or terribly hot, she drives her horse trailer into town, parks at her mother’s house and spends the night in the trailer with her twin Percheron-and-paint-cross twin horses, Danny and Dolly.

MOVED/18 city lines expands service to Wabasha (Russell, 13 inches, including short pullout) - Rochester City Lines has added an extra bus for commuters traveling from Wabasha to Rochester, in the process also adding service to Kellogg, Plainview, Elgin and Viola.
The bus, which makes a total of three busses running daily between Wabasha and Rochester, started running July 1 in response to demand for service earlier in the morning, said Mike Rizzo of Rochester City Lines.

MOVED/ Answer man, 19 inches

FOR BUSINESS:
IBM results: wire, local add possible - SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — IBM Corp.’s second-quarter profit leaped 22 percent, blowing past Wall Street estimates as the technology company’s bread-and-butter services division continued to thrive despite economic malaise in the U.S.

18cruising w/leaders (11 inche, Kiger, breakout) A cruise you can use?
The Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce has been sponsoring the Cruising with Local Leaders event at Treasure Island Casino for four years. And many past participants say it is much more than just a dinner cruise with some speakers.

18BBB tips, 20 inches

18bizcal, 10 inches

MOVED/18bandps, 4 inches, w/ mug of Teskey

Minnesota unemployment rate - wire

ROCHESTER INSIDE

STORIES:

18 dodge county fair, (Kubat, 14 inches, w pic) - KASSON — About 15 minutes before the first-ever 4-H parade at the Dodge County Fair was to step off, a half dozen 4-H’ers and their friends clustered around Marette Jorgenson in the 4-H building.
Jorgenson, the county’s 4-H ambassador leader, led the group to the pavilion where their banners and floated waited in a corner.
Who wants to carry the front banner, Jorgenson asked.

18 environmental commiossion /ethanol update (Gossman, 14 inches) - EYOTA  — The Olmsted County Environmental Commission voted 5-4 Wednesday to recommend that the Olmsted County Board of Commissioners ask for an Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed MinnErgy ethanol plant in Eyota Township.
“Members of the commission felt very strongly on both sides of the issue,” commission chair Michael Wojcik said.
If the county board recommends an EIS and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency see that there’s merit for an it, then a hearing will be held by the citizen’s board at the state level.

18 SOS Ritchie Visit (Doty, 13 inches, w head shot) - An estimated 300 people showed up at the Ramada Hotel & Conference Center Thursday from townships around Southeastern Minn., to receive training for the upcoming elections. Township officers, city staff and Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie were in attendance.
“This year we are really paying attention to those who are excluded or have trouble getting to the polls,” said Ritchie afterwards when he stopped by the Post Bulletin to talk with the Editorial Board about this years election. The main focus; the military and the disabled.

MOVED/ 18Lane closings, 3 inches

MOVED/ 18Tractor show (Ruzek, 12 inches, box info) A three-day festival focused on antique engines and tractors begins today.

18 claremont accident, 5 inches

18 benassi sex case, 3 inches

18 chhin sex case, 4 inches

UPDATING THE NEWS:

18 school board accepts elementary school bids again (Mann, 12 inches) - This time around, no one said anything.
The Rochester school board Thursday night accepted Knutson Construction as the construction company for the planned elementary school in northwest Rochester, set to be named George W. Gibbs Jr. Elementary School. Bids were previously accepted June 17, but a board discussion about the location of the bidders concerned school district counsel Nancy Vollertsen enough for her to recommend reopening the process. This process should absolve the district of any potential legal troubles, Vollertsen said in June.

18 goodhue county storm follow (Schuett, 14 inches, w pic) - VASA — The storm that hit Goodhue County last week left bride-to-be Nikki Pearson and her fiancé, Ben O’Connor, with one more task for their prenuptial to-do list.
The couple will wed Saturday at Vasa Lutheran Church, where trees blown down by strong winds July 10 caused a mess on the church grounds and throughout Vasa, Welch and several other Goodhue County townships.
The storm, which spawned a tornado that touched down three miles east of Vasa and remained on the ground for a mile, also damaged more than a dozen homes, caused power outages and destroyed crops and some farm buildings.

AUSTIN    
1A
Weather art -

18 ben franklin store AUST (Ruzek, 12 inches) - Austin could be the home of a Ben Franklin Crafts store possibly by early 2009.
Franklin Franchising Holdings, based in Sturtevant, Wis., announced this month that Austin has been designated as one of its target markets to open a new Ben Franklin Craft, Quilting & Frame Shop, according to a company news release.

MOVED/ 18Area fests AUST, (Ruzek, 16 inches) - Two towns positioned on opposite ends of Minnesota Highway 56 in Mower County are planning on having some fun this weekend. Brownsdale and LeRoy each hosting their annual summer festivals starting today. fri

18 paramount precede AUST, (Colbenson, 11 inches, w pic) - A little bit of gospel, a little bit of country and a little bit comedy make up one big show featuring Country Gospel Music Association’s award-winning duo of the year Ron and Opal Erickson.

INSIDE
18 outdoor chuch services AUST, 10 inches - A musical ministry held each Sunday evening throughout the summer in Mona, Iowa has been bringing together Christians of all denominations since 1972.

18 truck fire drugs AUST (13 inches) - A truck fire early Wednesday at an Austin hotel led to the vehicle’s owner being charged with possessing methamphetamine.
John Herbert Merten, 31, is charged in Mower District Court with a single felony count of third-degree drug crime for allegedly having about 3.2 grams of meth on him while speaking with officers about the fire.

18 long-time warrant AUST, (Ruzek, 10 inches) - After more than seven years, a 46-year-old woman is making her first court appearances on an alleged vehicle theft from Austin.

MOVED/ 18Drugs on teens AUST, 6 inches

MOVED/ 18Annual tractor show AUST (Ruzek, 13 inches) Rural Racine in eastern Mower County is hosting a three-day festival focused on antique engines and tractors, starting today.

MOVED/ 18Injured bicyclist AUST, 6 inches

18 riverland president AUST, 7 inches

MOVED/ 18Car theft, 9 inches A LeRoy man allegedly stole a car early Sunday to drive home from a rural party and walked away with several items from inside it.

MOVED/ 18Austin social, 22 inches

MOVED/ 18Public safety report, 4 inches
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