http://wcco.com/localen-USMon, 23 Nov 2009 12:44:09 GMT5http://wcco.com/local/pre.made.thanksgiving.2.1327983.html
What would the holidays be without the grocery shopping? It would probably be a lot more fun. U-Bake is a store where all the hard prep work has been done. All that is required is turning on the oven.

Donna Buchanan lives in Eden Prairie and shops at the store regularly.

"Cause I can bake it myself at home, heat up the oven, have the aroma, have the heat come in the house. It feels like it's homemade," said Buchanan.

U-Bake, located in a shopping center along County Road 42 in Savage, is new to Minnesota. It started Wisconsin fifteen years ago, but just opened in the Twin Cities in April.

Terry Gutowski owns U-Bake.

"It started out with cinnamon rolls as the main concept and then it branched out from there with cookie dough and bread doughs and then we got into spices and everything that comes with successful baking," said Gutowski.

The store keeps the costs down by buying everything in bulk.

All kinds of frozen foods pastries are here ready to be baked and at great prices.

The cookie dough comes in creative flavors like key lime white chocolate chip.

The dinner rolls come in many different shapes and sizes, and then there are the cakes and pies.

"We hear that same thing all the time," said Gutowski. "They love to bake but don't want to start from scratch and spend the whole day in the kitchen. Coming to U-Bake still gives you those warm fresh smells in your kitchen and all the things that people love about it, but it's a 15 to 20 minute process rather than a 3, 4 or 6-hour ordeal."

The spices are a steal. They are in large containers at prices far lower than what can be found in many grocery stores.

Gutowski said he orders the spices weekly from a Mennonite family in Wisconsin that are pre-packaged, labeled and weighed in advance.

There are also a wide selection of gluten-free products: frozen breads, desserts and snacks.

Workers at the store are hopeful the holidays, and the baking that typically goes along with them, will boost sales in November and December.

The owner is considering opening more U-Bake stores in Minnesota if things go well.

U-Bake also sells pre-made soup mixes, snacks and salsas.

A percentage of store sales go to "Wishes and More," a charity that helps kids in Minnesota who are terminally ill.

For more information about U-Bake, just head here.

]]>http://wcco.com/local/pre.made.thanksgiving.2.1327983.htmlMon, 23 Nov 2009 05:16:38 GMThttp://wcco.com/local/elca.causes.split.2.1328013.html
While the ELCA's decision last summer caused celebration for those who long felt excluded by the church, the bitter controversy did not end with the historic vote in Minneapolis. The division continues as those opposed to the change are taking steps to break away from the ELCA.

"We really believe the ELCA left us," said Pastor Scott Grorud, a steering committee member of Lutheran CORE or Coalition for Renewal.

The group has gone from rejecting the ELCA's new policy to working towards creating a new alternative.

"For years there's been a new theological struggle with the ELCA, now there's a kind of clarity," explained Grorud.

Pastor Grorud said it is difficult to gauge how many churches may leave the ELCA for the new denomination. CORE's Web site lists 15 Minnesota churches in support of the movement.

The ELCA churchwide organization in Chicago has been anticipating the split.

"This news from Lutheran CORE was expected. We know it takes hard work to organize a new church body. There has always been, and there will continue to be a, a place in the ELCA for all people despite our differences," said John Brooks of the ELCA.

Grorud acknowledged that it will be tough for churches to come to consensus about what to do next. However, he said the divisions are already happening whether organized or not.

"That's part of the tragedy here. These decisions put every church in a corner that can't be avoided," added Grorud.

The new denomination will not be ready to accept members until August 2010 when CORE meets in Columbus, Ohio.

However, churches may decide to break ties with the ELCA before then and join other existing Lutheran denominations.

According to CORE, a few Minnesota churches have already taken first votes to separate from the ELCA. Two votes are required by the congregation.

]]>http://wcco.com/local/elca.causes.split.2.1328013.htmlMon, 23 Nov 2009 12:31:45 GMThttp://wcco.com/local/buffalo.teen.dies.2.1328089.html
The Wright County Sheriff's office said Jon Kramnic's car collided with a pickup driver on County Road 35 near Jamison Avenue.

Students at Buffalo Senior High School are in shock and some could not hold back tears for their fellow student, funny man, scholar and athlete who is now gone.

"At the high school they have the rock that the students usually go out and express their feelings and their emotions," said Laura Barta, district spokesperson.

Students used the rock to speak to Jon one more time.

School administrators spent most of the Sunday contacting teachers, staff and counselors to tell them what happened and to put a plan in place to help students cope with their loss.

"He was all conference soccer and just an all around good kid. He also worked on the newspaper and he was just well liked by all of his friends and teachers. So, he was just a really good student at the high school who will be greatly missed," said Barta.

The 44-year-old driver of the other vehicle involved in the crash is in critical condition at Mercy Hospital.

The Wright County Sheriff's department is investigating the accident.

]]>http://wcco.com/local/buffalo.teen.dies.2.1328089.htmlMon, 23 Nov 2009 06:14:10 GMThttp://wcco.com/local/man.shot.calf.2.1328163.html
At 8:52 p.m., Minneapolis Police responded to a report of shooting victim on the intersection of 35th Avenue North and Pennsylvania Avenue North.

According to police, the shooting victim, who sustained a lower leg injury, flagged down a Metro Transit bus driver. The driver called the police and the victim was transported to a local hospital.

Police have not identified the shooting victim.

]]>http://wcco.com/local/man.shot.calf.2.1328163.htmlMon, 23 Nov 2009 05:21:59 GMThttp://wcco.com/local/fire.downtown.parking.2.1327442.html
The engine of a car started on fire parked on the fourth floor of a ramp at First Avenue and Ninth Street -- just south of the Target Center.

Officials say no one was hurt. But there was just a lot of smoke coming out the sides of the ramp.

]]>http://wcco.com/local/fire.downtown.parking.2.1327442.htmlMon, 23 Nov 2009 01:41:05 GMThttp://wcco.com/local/mn.ski.snow.2.1328026.html
Giants Ridge managing director Linda Johnson says the northeastern Minnesota ski area tried twice to make snow, but with temperatures in the mid-40s, it was too warm.

Giants Ridge hopes to open on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. If that doesn't work, Johnson says the ski resort will aim for Saturday, Dec. 5.

The previous snow-making system at Giants Ridge was 25 years old. The new system is capable of pumping up to 2,500 gallons of water per minute out of nearby Wynne Lake to Giants Ridge's 32 snow guns.

]]>http://wcco.com/local/mn.ski.snow.2.1328026.htmlMon, 23 Nov 2009 01:07:58 GMThttp://wcco.com/local/uncertainty.charles.fire.2.1328019.html
The April 17 fire destroyed the meat-processing plant, forced the evacuation of the southeastern Minnesota town of 3,500 and resulted in the loss of about 250 jobs.

St. Charles City Administrator Nick Koverman told the Post-Bulletin of Rochester, "It's like losing a member of your family."

But some worst-case scenarios have not happened. Mayor Bill Spitzer said a lot of businesses "are still afloat." There's also not been a mass exodus of people who worked at the plant.

Roger Stahl, a Rochester attorney representing North Star Foods, said the company won't know what it will do until it can reach a settlement with its insurance company.

]]>http://wcco.com/local/uncertainty.charles.fire.2.1328019.htmlMon, 23 Nov 2009 01:03:35 GMThttp://wcco.com/local/darwin.books.intro.2.1327372.html
Last week, a Christian group went to the Twin Cities campus and passed out 1,000 free copies of the book with a special 50-page introduction by evangelist Ray Comfort.

The introduction makes the case for creationism before turning to Darwin's classic work on evolution.

First-year student Clare Simonis got a copy. She tells The Minnesota Daily it is "kind of deceiving."

Minnesota wasn't the only university where the books were passed out. A spokeswoman for Living Waters, a company founded by Comfort, says 90 campuses are being targeted this month for the giveaways.

]]>http://wcco.com/local/darwin.books.intro.2.1327372.htmlSun, 22 Nov 2009 22:59:22 GMThttp://wcco.com/local/st.cloud.man.2.1327660.html
According to reports, Joseph Lewis, 21, ran out onto Highway 10 at 4th Street Southeast when he was struck by a 17-year-old Clear Lake, Minn. driver.

The teen was heading southbound on the highway when he hit Lewis in the traffic lane. Lewis was airlifted from the St. Cloud Hospital to the Hennepin County Medical Center and is listed in critical but stable condition.

The teen driver was not injured.

The St. Cloud Police Department continues to investigate the incident.

]]>http://wcco.com/local/st.cloud.man.2.1327660.htmlSun, 22 Nov 2009 19:33:28 GMThttp://wcco.com/local/tractor.collides.vehicle.2.1327642.html
Police say a 17-year-old teen from Ellsworth was driving the tractor and failed to stop before entering the intersection, colliding with a 2002 Ford Ranger. Roberto Garcia, 31, of Adrian, Minn. was driving the Ford Ranger.

Neither driver was injured.

The accident occurred around 4 p.m. Saturday.

According to the incident report, the road conditions were dry.

]]>http://wcco.com/local/tractor.collides.vehicle.2.1327642.htmlSun, 22 Nov 2009 20:46:49 GMT