Cropland bubble; Timber woes; Longest game yet at Target Field

Posted at 8:00 AM on June 18, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

High cropland prices sow fortune and worry
Star Tribune: "The agriculture industry is riding high, leading to a wave of expansion driving up the cost of cropland. Ever-new record prices raise worries the bubble is about to burst."

Is Wisconsin ripe for a Romney win?
CBS News: "Thanks to the current political climate and a Republican power trio there, the Badger State, which has voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every presidential election since 1984, is showing a glimmer of hope for Romney's campaign."

Minnesota's reputation as electoral battleground state appears to be waning
Pioneer Press: "In a sign that the presidential race is heating up, Mitt Romney is on his most intensive campaign swing since locking up the Republican nomination -- a five-day, six-state bus tour with stops in Wisconsin and Iowa. But not in Minnesota."

Job numbers dropped under Gov. Romney: True
"Massachusetts dropped from 36th all the way down to 47th in job creation when he was governor," said DFL Party Chair Ken Martin. Poligraph finds: "Martin's numbers are right, but the claim deserves some context."

Duluth proudly honors 92-year-old Tuskegee airman
Star Tribune: "Duluth's Joe Gomer survived wars fought on two fronts: one against our country's enemies in World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Cold War and the other against prejudice, both in the military and back home."

Dayton announces Women Veterans Day
MPR News: "Gov. Mark Dayton has declared Monday as Minnesota Women Veterans Day. ... In announcing the move, the governor's office cited statistics from the national Women's Memorial Foundation that show there are about 23,000 women veterans in Minnesota."

Minn. loggers feel the heat after Sartell paper mill fire
Pine Journal: "When the devastating Memorial Day fire at the Verso Paper Mill in Sartell shut down operations at that plant indefinitely, the ripple effect was felt regionwide. ... The Verso fire comes as particularly bad news for loggers on the heels of the downturn on the housing side of the forest industries market in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Demand for wood in the state dropped more than 30 percent, from 4.1 million cords to 2.7 million cords."

Dead trees stand as proof that weed killer Imprelis went awry
Star Tribune: "Golf courses, housing developments and individual homeowners are required to leave trees damaged by herbicide as they await claims from DuPont."

Property-tax warnings hit record high in Hennepin County
Star Tribune: "Hundreds of property owners owe the county nearly $43 million in back taxes and penalties."

Twins outlast Brewers in 15 innings
CBS: "Denard Span had an RBI single with two outs in the 15th inning and the Minnesota Twins rallied to beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-4 Sunday in the longest game played at 2 1/2-year-old Target Field."

Cold Spring Brewing Co. manager sees optimistic future with new $12 million expansion
St Cloud Times: "For seven years, Mike Feldhege has been a regional sales manager for Cold Spring Brewing Co. He's never been more optimistic that good times are ahead, and that's likely because a new $12 million brewhouse opened by the company could put some bad memories to rest."

United States of Craft Beer: Which regions sell the most?
Midwest sees continued growth
AdAge: "The West Coast is still a craft brewing powerhouse, but other regions in the country are gaining steam fast."