Star Tribune from Minneapolis, Minnesota • Page 1

Sports Weekend: New expanded coverage MLB WNBA pT7 Your Sports: Where Cleveland 7 Los Angeles 81 have all the young Twins 5 Lynx 77 i bikers gone? C8 2QT L-L Variety Weekend: Your guide to Twin Cities entertainment Music: A promoter's dream: I low do Dy lan i and Simon match up? El Weslhcr Movies: A long, hot holiday film weekend El B8 183rd day; 182 unti'OO Friday JULY 2, 1999 Minneapolis Edition NEWSPAPER OF THE TWIN CITIES Sunrise: 5:31 Farrah Slad stopped at a Holiday for a tank of gas and five lottery tickets. What she got back was lots of change: $50.4 million in cash and a new life. an Search of Biom property finds human remains Suspect in Poirier kidnapping faces federal firearms charges By Larry Oakes Star Tribune Northern Minnesota Correspondent CARLTON, MINN. Investigators found human remains this week on the rural Moose Lake property owned by Donald Albin Biom, the defendant in the kidnapping of Kathlyn (Katie) Poirier, Carlton County Sheriff Dave Seboe said Thursday. Seboe, who also announced a new federal firearms charge against Biom, said state forensic scientists are analyzing the remains, which he described as "material" that an anthropologist said was human, to see if they came from Poirier.

The sheriff said that when he broke the news Wednesday night to the 19-year-old victim's parents, Steve and Pam Poirier, they expressed "relief, but tempered with still they don't know, they still have a daughter missing." Poirier's uncle, Len Simich, called Thursday's news "startling," and added: "You're not relieved, because this isn't how you want it to end. And at the same time, it's impossible to get closure." Until positive identification ties any remains to Poirier, Simich said, "we need to push forward" with the volunteer search. BLOM continues on A15: U.S. attorney's office charged Biom with possessing firearms while a convicted felon, which carries a penalty of 15 years to life in prison. V.

1' 1 1 7'V 4 V--' .7 1..: if i -l The state sided with HMO members, who want their share of the money. Blue Cross" tobacco award plan rejected By Glenn Howatt Star Tribune Staff Writer Minnesota Commerce Commissioner David Jennings Thursday rejected a proposal by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota to spend its $469 million tobacco settlement award on programs to help people quit smoking and improve their health. The decision surprised Blue Cross officials, who up to now had seen their proposal survive an unsuccessful class-action lawsuit and the scrutiny of an administrative law judge, who recommended the plan in March. Company officials said they needed time to study Jennings' decision. Jennings said he rejected the proposal partly because it was unfair to policyholders.

"Subscribers who paid higher premiums for health insurance to Blue Cross because of its increased expenses due to tobacco-related illness have largely been ignored in this plan," Jennings said. TOBACCO continues on A17 Staf Tribune photo by David Brewstef On Thursday afternoon, Farrah Slad wore a multimillion-dollar grin. "I'm trying to stay pretty calm on the outside, but Inside, I'm shaking," the Brainerd resident said. Getting rich quick: 21-year-old wastes no time in claiming the jackpot ALSO INSIDE: They're all winners at the lottery office; some just won a little less than others. A18 Many in Brainerd share the winner's thrill A19 prizes.

That wasn't Slad's style. "I wanted it to hit me today and come here and verify 1 was the winner," she said, at ease in a sweater and faded jeans as she talked with reporters at lottery headquarters on Thursday. "I couldn't sleep last night." Slad is the latest winner of a new breed of mega-jackpots that states created to boost interest in lotteries faced with fierce competition from casinos. WINNER continues on A18 lion. And Slad, 21, wasn't going to waste any time claiming her winnings.

She was too nervous to drive to the Minnesota State Lottery office in Roseville, so her father, Greg, took the wheel. Her mother, Nancy, worried they were driving too fast. "I kept telling him to slow down," she said. Other Powerball winners older people with children and house payments spend days or weeks consulting financial planners or lawyers before claiming their By Pat Doyle Star Tribune Staff Writer Giddy and tired from a restless night, Farrah Slad of Brainerd, skipped her $9-an-hour job Thursday and jumped into a car with her parents. They sped toward the Twin Cities with an envelope on the dashboard, "so we could all see it, all the time." It held the ticket for the biggest lottery prize ever won in Minnesota, $78.9 mil July 4th weekend WEATHER HEWS INSIDE Coleman gives Twins a deadline St Paul Mayor Norm Coleman has given today as a deadline for the Twins to "finalize their commitment" to his city, while Minneapolis has delayed a campaign to promote a new ballpark.

Turn to BL RAIN AND SHINE: Thunderstorms are a risk each day, but Sunday should be the driest and hottest of the week Parents complain Frosted Flakes aren't grmTrrreat, but officials say they're better than nothing. Are schools sugar-coating breakfasts? By Kim Schneider Star Tribune Staff Writer Parents have complained, food service workers sometimes cringe, and a school board member says she wouldn't feed that stuffto her own kids. But nutritionists say chocolate milk is better than no milk. And when Minneapolis tried to substitute Raisin Bran for Frosted Flakes, the cereal ended up in the garbage, not in anyone's stomach. As a result, most mornings, thousands of kids eating breakfast in city school and park programs are munching on pastries and washing it down with chocolate milk.

It's not as bad as it sounds, says JoEllen Miner, director of food services for Minneapolis schools. BREAKFAST continues on A14: St. Paul schools' food service has gotten complaints when it has served sweet rolk. EVENTS MUSIC: Bob Dylan and Paul Simon will perform at 6 tonight at Canterbury Park in Shakopee. Tickets are $45 plus fees, and are available at Ticketmaster outlets (651612-989-5151).

Theyll play again Saturday at 6:30 pm at Bayfront Park in Duluth, where the tickets are $41 plus fees. Page El FOOD: The Taste of Minnesota opens at 11 am. today at the State Capitol Mall It features concerts, family entertainment, nightly fireworks and lots of food. Admission is free. Page E15.

FIREWORKS: Fireworks displays will be popping throughout the metro area and beyond this weekend, starting tonight at the State Capitol A list of festivals and fireworks is on Page Ell SPORTS: If your dog's a Twins fan, Sunday is its day to bark at the park. Dogs can attend the 1:05 pm. game at the Metro-dome (commemorative dog tickets are $3), if accompanied by a humaa Please read and recycle end, with a good chance of 90 degrees. Strong thunderstorms are likely today, and Saturday will be hot and muggy. Page B8.

TMVEL" THINK AND DRIVE: Drivers are reminded to see orange. There are more than 55 highway projects going on across the state, including work on Hwy. 5 near Minneapolis-St Paul International Airport Crews will be off the job from today through Tuesday, but evidence of their work will be visible. CLOSINGS MONDAY HOLIDAY: Because July 4th lands on a Sunday, Monday will be commonly observed as Information 612-673-4000 Classifieds. 612-673-7000 Circulation.

612-673-4343 or 1-800-775-4344 1 07029 offices will be closed both davs. V. VU Friday, July 2. 1999 Cooyright 1999 Star Tribune Volume WinNumber 89 8 sections but most major Star Tribune photo by David Brewster Plenty of oooohing and aaahhlng will be taking place this weekend. This was last July 4th in Hastings.

stores and grocery stores will be opeaPageBL.