1. Cleanup ships idled as storms rattle Gulf regionInvesting
in the
future
■ Economic challenges,
and possible local
solutions took the stage
at Tuesday’s DEED
conference in Marshall
By Deb Gau
dgau@marshallindependent.com
MARSHALL —
Prosperity in Minnesota may
be their mission, but prosperi-
ty is also not a one size fits all
concept, Dan McElroy said.
“People
always say
thank you
for recog-
nizing that
e v e r y
region is
different.
One place
is not like
another,”
s a i d
McElroy,
commis-
sioner of
the Minnesota Department of
Employment and Economic
Development.
That’s why DEED’s “sum-
mer road show” made a stop
at the campus of Southwest
Minnesota State University on
Tuesday afternoon. A group of
about 50 people, including
city officials and economic
developers from around
southwest Minnesota, were
gathered to share ideas, ask
questions and get news about
the state of the local economy.
The tour already made stops
in Rochester and Fairmont last
week.
Southwest Minnesota is
lucky in that it hasn’t been
hurt as much by recent hard
www.marshall
independent.com
cu.marshall
independent.com
Richard Anderson of Balaton.
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2 SECTIONS, 16 PAGES
RECORDS 2A
LOCAL/STATE 3A
OPINION 4A
CALENDAR/TV 5A
EDUCATION 6A
FOOD 7A
MARKETS 8A
ENTERTAINMENT 9A
SPORTS 1B-3B
CLASSIFIEDS 4B-6B
INDEX
Future PAGE 10A
Petraeus leaves
room for
changes in
Afghan pullout
WASHINGTON (AP) —
Gen. David Petraeus left open
the possibility of recommend-
ing that President Barack
Obama delay his plans to start
withdrawing troops from
Afghanistan next summer if
the new commander can’t turn
around the stalemated war.
‘‘There
will be an
a s s e s s -
ment at the
end of this
year after
w h i c h
undoubt-
edly we’ll
make cer-
t a i n
t w e a k s ,
r e f i n e -
m e n t s ,
p e r h a p s
some significant changes,’’
Petraeus told a Senate panel
Tuesday of the battle plan and
the timeline Obama has laid
out.
The Senate Armed
Services Committee quickly
approved Petraeus for the job
of running the Afghan war,
and the full Senate could act
Photos by
Katy Palmer
Right: Ron
Mead, owner of
the Freedom
Shrine in
Clarkfield,
dedicated the 30
historical
documents to the
Clarkfield Area
Charter School
Friday morning.
In his speech, he
said, “The Shrine
is a constant
reminder of the
fundamental
principles on
which this
country was
founded.”
Bottom right:
Josh Schlenner,
a seventh-grade
student at the
Clarkfield Area
Charter School,
read a piece of
the American
Flag’s history as a
part of a “Tribute
to the Flag”
presentation by
students.
Prosecution experts report on Minnesota Toyota crash
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Two
experts hired by prosecutors have
challenged defense assertions
about what led to a crash involv-
ing a Toyota that killed three peo-
ple in St. Paul and sent the driver
to prison.
The experts prepared separate
reports for the Ramsey County
attorney’s office, which has until
late Wednesday afternoon to file
its response to a motion for a new
trial by Koua Fong Lee, 32, of St.
Paul, who is serving an eight-year
sentence for criminal vehicular
homicide.
Lee’s crash is among a grow-
ing number of cases, some long
resolved, getting new attention
after Toyota began large-scale
recalls of newer model cars due
to problems with sudden unin-
tended acceleration. His attorney,
Brent Schafer, has filed affidavits
from more than three dozen peo-
ple who described experiencing
sudden acceleration in their older
Toyotas.
But both the prosecutors’
experts concluded there was no
evidence Lee’s 1996 Camry
experienced sudden unintended
acceleration, and they said if Lee
had firmly hit the brakes, as he
has always claimed, he would
have slowed down.
Attorneys for Lee and the vic-
tims’ families said Tuesday the
reports show prosecutors are
struggling to justify Lee’s convic-
tion.
Phil Carruthers, a prosecutor
who helped convict Lee, said
Ramsey County Attorney Susan
Gaertner hasn’t decided on their
response to Lee’s motion for a
new trial.
‘‘The experts, they did a very
thorough job,’’ Carruthers said.
■ The Clarkfield Area Charter School recently
received a Freedom Shrine, which contains
reproductions of important pieces of U.S. history
By Katy Palmer
kpalmer@marshallindependent.com
CLARKFIELD
Clarkfield Area Charter
School (CACS) welcomed a
piece of history on Friday
when Ron and Kim Mead visited
from California to dedicate the
Freedom Shrine to the school and
its students.
Members of the American
Legion and the local Lions Club
presented the Colors and represent-
ed local veterans or families inter-
ested in the Shrine. State Sen. Gary
Kubly, DFL-Minn., also made a
statement encouraging historical
awareness and remembering that
“freedom is not always free.”
The Freedom Shrine, sponsored
by the National Exchange Club, is
comprised of 30 photographic
reproductions of original documents
from American history, including
the Gettysburg Address, the Magna
Carta, the Declaration of
Independence, and John F.
Kennedy’s inaugural address. More
than 11,000 Freedom Shrines have
been dedicated in schools, military
installations and government build-
ings since the program began in
1949.
Ron Mead, husband of former
Clarkfield resident Kim McCoy, is
HISTORY COMES TO TOWN
GRAND ISLE, La. (AP) —
The crashing waves and gusting
winds churned up by Tropical
Storm Alex put the Gulf oil spill
largely in Mother Nature’s hands
Tuesday. Regardless of whether
the storm makes things worse or
better, it has turned many people
fighting the spill into spectators.
Oil-scooping ships in the Gulf
of Mexico steamed to safe refuge
because of the rough seas, which
likely will last for days. Officials
scrambled to reposition boom to
protect the coast, and had to
remove barges that had been
blocking oil from reaching sensi-
tive wetlands.
Alex is projected to stay far
from the spill zone and is not
expected to affect recovery
efforts at the site of the blown
offshore well that continues to
spew crude, but the storm’s outer
edges were causing problems.
Waves were as high as 12 feet in
parts of the Gulf, according to the
National Weather Service.
In at least one area of coastal
History PAGE 10A
AMATEUR BASEBALL
Marshall A’s battle against Milroy Yankees/ PAGE 1B
INDEPENDENT
McElroy
AP Photo
A large tar
ball, one of
many, sits on
the beach
near DeBuys
Road in
Biloxi on
Tuesday.
Crash PAGE 10A
Oil PAGE 2A
Petraeus
Pullout PAGE 3A

2. But time and the elements
had had their way with the
“A.” Her muffler had cor-
roded away, allowing rain-
water to seep deep into her
innards. Her engine had
become a solid block of rust.
We removed her head
and soaked her cylinders
with diesel fuel, WD-40,
panther urine, anything that
was purported to cut
through rust. The engine
remained steadfastly stuck.
So we called in George
Pander, who could be
described as a self-taught
hillbilly mechanic —
except for he lived out on
the prairie.
George stuck a colossal
spud bar into the flywheel.
He pulled with all his
might and emitted a deep
groan. The “A” groaned in
return as the rust finally
released its grip.
The boys and I removed
her engine, gave her some
new rings and a valve job.
The “A” was returned to
service, but mostly just
light duty.
That fall I told the old-
est boy that he should take
the “A” out plowing. I’d
heard that working an
engine was the best way to
seat the rings.
So he went out to plow
— but soon returned to
report that the “A” was
coughing oil out of her
muffler!
He was not mistaken.
Sitting on her operator’s
platform with the engine
running was akin to show-
ering in crude.
I discussed this oily
problem with several folks
and got several opinions.
One guy said a piston had
cracked when George
cracked the engine loose;
another diagnosed a broken
ring; a third theorized that
the “A” had a bad valve
guide.
I removed her head for
inspection, but nothing
seemed amiss. Life and the
imperatives of making a
living then grabbed my
attention and she gradually
slipped out of my mind.
The “A” spent the next
15 years in this headless
condition, her assorted
parts laying scattered on
the ground. A jungle of
weeds grew up around her,
partially concealing her.
She became part of our
yard’s landscaping.
One recent day my wife
bought me a retro repro-
duction sign to hang in my
workshop. It advertises the
new, styled “A” and con-
tains the image of a tractor
just like the one that mold-
ers outside said workshop.
Inspired, I inspected the
“A.” She looked hopeless.
Her tires are flat and she’s
sunk into the ground as if
the planet is trying to
reclaim this former hunk of
iron ore. She has been thor-
oughly colonized by
lichens and moss.
I experimentally moved
her gear shift and it slid
easily into place. I found
that her PTO lever was
only somewhat gummy and
that the clutch seemed
quite operable.
I wouldn’t go so far as to
say that I saw life. But there
was definitely a glimmer of
the possibility of life.
My wife’s apprehension
was, as always, on target.
There are numerous known
unknowns, such as how
badly the engine is seized.
But there are also many
unknown unknowns,
including “what’s this
gonna cost?” and “why
would anybody even think
about tackling such an
onerous task?!”
I can’t answer the cost
question, but have a clear
picture of the “why.” In my
mind’s eye I am driving the
“A” across the field, the
heady perfume of freshly
turned soil wafting on a
cool spring breeze. I am 12
and the whole world
stretches out before the
“A” and me.
And if that isn’t worth
some time and materials, I
don’t know what is.
NelsonFROMPAGE5A
10A•INDEPENDENT-MARSHALL,MINN.•WEDNESDAY,JUNE 30,2010
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a Vietnam veteran and former member of
the National Exchange Club. He originally
installed the Freedom Shrine in the
Clarkfield school in 2000. The Meads
decided to move it over to CACS in 2009
because they believe in the historical and
educational value of these documents.
“The security of our country rests on
the education of its people,” he said during
his dedication speech.
Kim Mead grew up with the Legion
Auxiliary, learning respect for the flag and
respect for America.
“My biggest thing is to teach kids of
our freedom here,” she said.
Kathy Koetter, CACS director, present-
ed a “Tribute to the Flag” along with four
students — Josh Schlenner, Jackie
Overton, and Alexis Jensen in the seventh
grade, and Julie Overton in third grade —
each read a piece of the flag’s history. The
tribute brought the flag’s history to life.
“I think our country has a beautiful
story to tell and we need to share that with
our students,” said Koetter.
She thanked the students for helping
with the dedication saying, “You are the
life of our nation.”
Educating kids on the importance of
America’s history was the main focus of
the ceremony.
“I appreciate the opportunity for my
wife and I to put these documents in the
school system to educate future genera-
tions,” Mead said.
He said that every school that installs it
receives corresponding educational books
for the students.
“It’s a great instrument for the kids,” he
said.
The best place for the Freedom Shrine
is “anywhere they can be exposed to
young children. If you’re not exposed to it,
then you don’t know it,” Mead said.
A love for teaching runs in the family.
Kim’s mother, Dorothy McCoy, also attend-
ed the event, proud to see these documents
at the kids’ fingertips. Her favorite saying
was engraved on the ceremonial plaque:
“To teach is to touch a life forever.”
Attendees said having these documents
is a great opportunity for the students.
“You can come here and read for
hours,” Ron Mead said.
His speculation came true when atten-
dees spent some time after the ceremony
admiring the documents, pointing out sur-
prising or fascinating features.
“The best thing from history,” he said,
“is the enthusiasm it rouses within us.”
HistoryFROMPAGE1A
times as other parts of the
state, McElroy said. “The
recession was not as deep
here, and maybe there’s not
as much anxiety,” he said.
Analyst Cameron Macht
said unemployment rates in
the 14-county area were at
about 4.9 percent — lower
than other portions of
Minnesota, and recovering
sooner.
“That’s partly because of
tighter labor markets” in
southwest Minnesota,
Macht said.
Macht said there are cur-
rently more than 5,000
employers in the region,
providing more than 72,000
jobs. That doesn’t include
about 12,000 self-employed
people and 12,000 farmers,
he said.
The biggest industries in
southwest Minnesota are
health care, manufacturing
and retail, Macht said.
Yearly wages average about
$30,000.
An aging population
could be one possible chal-
lenge for the region, Macht
said. People age 65 or older
could make up a third of the
population by 2035, he said.
“But there’s also an
opportunity there,”
McElroy said. Some older
residents will still want to
work, and an aging popula-
tion could create more
demand for services like
health care or construction
of more accessible housing.
Part of the program
Tuesday included updates
on new state incentives and
tools for economic develop-
ment. Examples included
new tax credits for research
and development compa-
nies, and a program that
gives low-interest loans for
property owners to make
their buildings more ener-
gy-efficient.
Area development
groups also shared some of
their news and recent
a c c o m p l i s h m e n t s .
Creativity, like expanding
the view of economic
development to include
areas like adult education
and job training, was one
theme that emerged from
the presentations.
Collaboration also plays
a big part in encouraging
development in southwest
Minnesota, said Jay Trusty
of the Southwest Regional
Development Center. The
SWRDC was able to
expand into new develop-
ment projects over the past
year with the help of other
organizations like DEED
and the Southwest Initiative
Fund, Trusty said.
“I think that’s the key,
that we all work together,”
he said.
FutureFROMPAGE1A
CNN’s King says he’s
ending show after
25 years
NEW YORK (AP) —
Larry King, who has inter-
viewed statesmen and stars
from a prime-time perch at
CNN for 25 years but has
seen his ratings sag recently,
said Tuesday that he will
step down this fall from his
nightly show.
‘‘It’s time to hang up my
nightly suspenders,’’ King
said in a message sent to
fans via Twitter.
King said he will do
occasional specials for
CNN.
He recently reached his
25-year anniversary and
takes pride in a Guinness
Book of World Records cita-
tion for hosting the longest-
running show on the same
network in the same time
slot.
‘‘Their reports were very
detailed. We asked them to
be as objective and inde-
pendent and careful as pos-
sible. They did a very care-
ful job of inspecting the
vehicle from top to bottom
and of course did not find
anything with the vehicle
that would explain the
crash.’’
But Carruthers said he
found it significant that the
engineers concluded that
that even if the throttle was
stuck open, as might have
happened with sudden
acceleration, the brakes
should have stopped or at
least slowed the car.
Lee insists he did every-
thing he could to stop as his
Camry raced up a freeway
exit ramp at about 80 to 90
mph and slammed into an
Oldsmobile in 2006. He has
said he always presumed
there was a problem with
the brakes until news
emerged of Toyota’s safety
problems. The prosecution
argued during Lee’s trial
that he must have hit the gas
rather than the brakes.
Inspections after the crash
and in April found no evi-
dence of brake failure.
Schafer said he expects
Judge Joanne Smith will
soon schedule a hearing to
take testimony and decide
whether the new evidence
warrants a retrial.
The prosecution’s engi-
neering consultants, Frank
C. Sonye, of Rochester
Hills, Mich., and Wade
Bartlett, of Rochester, N.H.,
participated in an April 20-
21 inspection of the Toyota
wreckage at the St. Paul
police impound lot. Experts
for the defense, the victims’
families and Toyota also
participated.
Toyota’s outside inspec-
tor drew similar conclu-
sions as the prosecution’s
experts.
The prosecution experts
discounted the significance
of a finding — highlighted
by defense experts earlier
— that the left brake lights
were lit at the time of the
crash because the hot fila-
ments exploded instead of
merely shattering, as they
would have if they had been
cold.
Sonye wrote that the evi-
dence doesn’t show how
long the brakes had been
applied.
‘‘The brakes may have
been applied very late in the
scenario (just prior to
impact),’’ he wrote.
CrashFROMPAGE1A