Publisher’s Perspective

By Tim Douglass, Publisher

Received a tidbit of news from the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office last week. The news addresses something called the “Senior Assassin” game.   It is a game apparently played by graduating high school seniors in many high schools around Stearns County.  I haven’t heard of anything like this going on at Minnewaska or any other area schools, but I thought the Sheriff Office response was appropriate.

Here’s the news release sent out by the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office.

“High School seniors throughout Stearns County are continuing the practice of the “Senior Assassin” game.  This may also be referred to as Nerf wars.

“This game involves students “stalking” and “shooting” each other with water guns or Nerf guns in an attempt to be the last senior standing. It is basically “Hide and Seek” with water guns or Nerf guns. The game involves hiding and sneaking around to surprise other players. Every year law enforcement agencies throughout Stearns County get calls reporting suspicious people that turn out to be students playing this game.

“The safest thing for students is not to play. While it is a game for those involved, it often leads to concerns and calls from the public.

“For those playing, here are a couple reminders: Do not trespass onto or into other people’s property while playing and if you’re asked to leave, do so. Use water and Nerf guns that are brightly colored and can be clearly identified as toys. Hiding in dark places and carrying anything that could be mistaken for a firearm is not advisable. This is also true for wearing dark clothing, camouflage, and masks. If you encounter a law enforcement officer, do not run or hide. Explain to the officers what you are doing so those who were concerned can be informed.

“Residents, if you see something or someone suspicious, please do not confront anyone yourself. Contact law enforcement and provide information for the matter to be checked on.”

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Leave it to Wisconsin to reduce the size of a body of water to claim it has more lakes than Minnesota.

Fact Brief from Minnpost.com

Since the 1990s, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has operated a database tracking the number of lakes in the state. According to that database, there are actually 11,842 lakes in Minnesota, well over 10,000.

This places Minnesota in the No. 3 slot for states with the most lakes in the country, following Alaska and Wisconsin. While this is often touted by Wisconsinites, many Minnesotans point out that part of the reason Wisconsin is considered to have more lakes is the state’s definition of a lake. Specifically, Wisconsin counts smaller bodies of water as lakes.

Minnesota defines a lake as a body of water with an area of at least 10 acres. Wisconsin’s Department of Natural Resources includes lakes as small as 2.2 acres.