Calendar
FRIDAY
Walk-ercise group, 10-11 a.m., Backus Community Center gymnasium.
Falls Hunger Coalition Food Shelf open, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., 1000 Fifth St.
Serenity Sisters, Women’s A.A., noon, Backus, Rational Alternatives, Room 101.
Members and guests Elks Lodge 1599 Friday Light Meal, 5:30 p.m., shrimp and fries.
Narcotics Anonymous, 6 p.m., Alano Club.
For Those in Need, Addiction Recovery, 7 p.m., The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 1340 Keenan Drive.
Alcoholics Anonymous, 7:30 p.m., Alano Club, 410 Fifth Ave.
SATURDAY
Bingo, 1 p.m., Moose Lodge.
Alcoholics Anonymous, 7 p.m., Alano Club.
Borderland Briefs
LABOR ASSEMBLY
OFFICERS ELECTED
The Koochiching Area Labor Assembly elected officers for 2015 at its Dec. 18 meeting. Joe Schwartz was elected to a two-year term as president. Former president, Mike Holden, who served two terms, will serve as co-vice president along with Mark Thorpe. Renae Whitbeck was elected secretary.
NEW YEAR’S
EVE SUPPER
The Moose Lodge will serve a lobster and/or prime rib New Year’s Eve supper at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 31. Prepaid reservations are due by Monday. Call 283-3615.
COUNCILORS
OPEN HOUSE
An open house in honor of councilors Gail Rognerud and Paul Eklund is planned for 1 to 2:30 p.m. Dec. 31 at City Hall council chambers. A brief ceremony will begin at 1:20.
Lottery
Sunday’s Daily 3
4, 9, 4
Sunday’s Northstar Cash
5, 9, 23, 27, 31
Friday’s Gopher 5
24, 32, 35, 38, 46
Saturday’s Hot Lotto
3, 24, 26, 29, 44
Hot Ball
2
Friday’s Mega Millions
14, 18, 58, 59, 68
Mega Ball
4
Saturday’s Powerball
14, 15, 19, 31, 56
Powerball
5
International Falls Police Department
Theft: Joseph F. Beitel, First Avenue West, reported Monday the theft of a snow blower valued at $1,000 from his yard.
Property damage: Four houses in the area of Ninth Avenue West and Eleventh Street were damaged when they were shot with what appears to be a BB gun, according to a report Monday.
International Falls Fire Department
False alarm: Firefighters turned out to the AmericInn, Highway 71, Saturday for what was a false alarm.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations want importers and the traveling public to know that mandarin or “Christmas” oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, and pomelo are banned from non-commercial import into the United States.
“This time of the year, around the holiday season we see an influx of ‘Christmas Oranges’ when Canadian citizens travel to southern states for the winter,” said Pembina Area Port Director Mary Delaquis. “We want to inform travelers that these products are prohibited from being imported into the United States because of the unseen diseases and pests they may carry.”
Fresh fruits and vegetables grown outside of the U.S. or Canada are typically prohibited. However, even some Canadian and U.S. grown fruits and vegetables may not be brought into the U.S. by travelers. These include: Canadian origin tomatoes, peppers, green onions, leeks, chives, garlic with green tops, and home-grown potatoes; and U.S. grown oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, and pomelo. Also, rice soybeans, chickpeas, and safflower seed grown in most North African and Middle Eastern countries are prohibited due to Khapra beetle, a small, but very destructive pest that attacks stored grains.
Remember to declare all fruits, vegetables, plants, meats, processed animal products (such as dried soup mixes and pet food), pets, or wood products, including firewood, to CBP officers at ports of entry.
Failure to declare prohibited agriculture products or food items may result in the issuance of fines up to $1,000.
Before bringing fruits, meats and dairy/poultry products into the U.S. from Canada, you can check whether they are permitted by reviewing the “Know Before You Go” tip sheet, located in the Travel section of cbp.gov at www.dhs.gov.
Q: My fiancé went into the ditch last week when the roads were icy and hit the new guard rails along I-35. For insurance purposes he called the police to get a report on record. He was told by the officer that usually he would be written up for reckless driving. Is this true? He was trying to be responsible by calling in the incident. If you get in an accident and don’t hit another vehicle are you supposed to call it in?
A: 169.13 RECKLESS OR CARELESS DRIVING
Subdivision 1.Reckless driving. (a) Any person who drives any vehicle in such a manner as to indicate either a willful or a wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.
Subdivision 2. Careless driving. Any person who operates or halts any vehicle upon any street or highway carelessly or heedlessly in disregard of the rights of others, or in a manner that endangers or is likely to endanger any property or any person, including the driver or passengers of the vehicle.
169.14 SPEED LIMITS
Subdivision 1. Duty to drive with due care. No person shall drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions. Every driver is responsible for becoming and remaining aware of the actual and potential hazards then existing on the highway and must use due care in operating a vehicle. In every event speed shall be so restricted as may be necessary to avoid colliding with any person, vehicle or other conveyance on or entering the highway in compliance with legal requirements and the duty of all persons to use due care.
From your information, I feel that failure to drive with due care would fit this event you described. Drivers are required to travel at speeds that are reasonable and prudent under the conditions. Most crashes can be prevented by reducing your speed on ice or snow covered roads.
If involved in a crash, you must stop your vehicle immediately. If possible, park it off the road. If someone has been injured, call for emergency help right away.
If only property damage is involved, you don’t have to call the police. If property damage occurs to something other than a vehicle, you’re required to pass along your information to the owner of the property. In this case the Minnesota Department of Transportation is the owner of the guardrail and would be required to be notified.
The driver of a vehicle involved in a crash resulting in bodily injury to or death of any individual or total property damage to an apparent extent of $1,000 or more, shall forward a written report to the commissioner of public safety within ten days. Law enforcement would provide the form to you or it can be found at https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/dvs
Give your name, address, date of birth and vehicle registration number to the other driver(s) and to the police. If anyone involved in the crash asks to see your driver’s license and insurance information, you must comply, or call police and provide it to law enforcement.
I recommend that you call police if involved in a crash. Law enforcement will provide the proper documents that will be needed, arrange to have the vehicles removed, assist with traffic control, provide medical assistance, help notify the owner of damaged property and investigate how and why the crash occurred.
If you have any questions concerning traffic related laws or issues in Minnesota, send questions to Sgt. Neil Dickenson, Minnesota State Patrol, 1131 Mesaba Ave., Duluth, MN 55811 (Follow on Twitter @MSPPIO_NE or at neil.dickenson@state.mn.us).
