Minnesota briefs: Boaters get schooled on invasive species

The July 4th holiday marks the busiest boating period in Minnesota, and with that comes the risk of invasive species infestations in its lakes.

Volunteers and paid inspectors will join with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and other agencies at boat launches and other aquatic access sites through July 7 to provide information about invasive species and how to keep them from spreading.

All of the Great Lakes states and provinces are involved in a coordinated effort.

Minnesota law requires boaters and anglers to:

• Clean watercraft and trailers of aquatic plants and prohibited invasive species.

• Drain all water by removing drain plugs and keeping them out during transport.

• Dispose of unwanted bait in the trash.

Dan Browning

Nearly 75 years after World War II ended, a Minnesota man is being awarded France's highest distinction for helping liberate that country from the Nazis.

Boyd W. Sorenson, 96, of Waite Park, will be presented with the Legion of Honor medal during a ceremony on Monday. Guillaume Lacroix, consul general of France to the Midwest region, will present the award to the former fighter pilot.

Sorenson enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1941 and transferred in 1943 to the U.S. Army Air Corps, where he was assigned to the 78th Fighter Group, 83rd Fighter Squadron, 8th Air Force. He flew 89 missions during World War II, including Normandy, and flew 72 missions during the Korean War.

Mary Lynn Smith

Owner Dee Brazell, Altrichter's granddaughter, said they have never counted how many of the sweet treats they make in a given season or even on a given day. The store was once called the Grand Marais Donut Shop, but the family changed the name in the early 1980s.

When people ask, "Well, how do you know they're the world's best doughnuts,' we always say, well, our customers told us," Brazell said.