Paddlers honor legendary Minnesota kayaker

Posted at 7:34 AM on May 22, 2013 by Dan Kraker (0 Comments)
Filed under: Around MN, Arrowhead, Outdoors, Rivers and streams, Sports & Recreation

"At last the Presque Isle is quiet, but it has left memories that will ripple for years."

So writes Jim Rada in his Upper Midwest kayaking guidebook Northwoods Whitewater, and so reads the trophy awarded to the winner of the extreme whitewater kayaking race held in his honor on Upper Michigan's Presque Isle River this past weekend.

Race winner John Kiffmeyer paddles over Manabezho Falls on the Presque Isle River during a warm-up run before the 2013 Jim Rada Memorial Race on May 18, 2013. (All photos courtesy of Karen Jensen)

For a handful of weeks every spring when the snow melts, the creeks and rivers that plummet down steep hillsides into Lake Superior become powerful, cascading class V whitewater kayaking destinations that draw paddlers from around the country. Rada, an astronomy professor and expert kayaker, introduced many paddlers to the little-explored rivers. His guidebook, for many years unpublished, became like "kayaking gospel," according to his friend and fellow paddler John Kiffmeyer.

Rada died 10 years ago of a heart attack while paddling the Presque Isle River, which drops in a series of waterfalls through Upper Michigan's Porcupine Mountains State Park to Lake Superior. Ever since, his friends have held a race on the river in his honor.

Racers jockey for position at the start of the 2013 Jim Rada Memorial Presque Isle River Race on May 18. At the start of the race, John Kiffmeyer sprinkled some of Rada's ashes into the river, "so he would make the journey with them," his widow Karen Jensen said.

Rada's widow, Karen Jensen, who he met kayaking, says over 20 paddlers came to paddle the river in honor of her late husband. She says many of the kayakers were young, in their 20s -- people she had never met.

They had all used my husband's book to find rivers," she said. "It was so joyful for me to see more people getting out to experience the rivers."

The participants in the Jim Rada Memorial Presque Isle River Race on May 18. They started en masse, paddling over a series of falls to Lake superior. John Kiffmeyer, of Asheville, NC, with the beard in the back row, organized the race, and won it.

Earlier that day she had looked back through Rada's book, Northwoods Whitewater, and had found this quote. "Rivers really need friends." The reason he wrote the book, she said, was "because he wanted to help people be friends with the rivers."

And here, 10 years after his death, on a glorious spring day when the water ran high and warm -- perfect kayaking conditions -- was proof that he had.

Some lakes may still be frozen for Fishing Opener

Posted at 3:44 PM on May 8, 2013 by Tom Robertson
Filed under: Around MN, Lakes, Northwest Minnesota, Outdoors, Politics, Sports & Recreation

The 66th annual Governor's Fishing Opener set for this weekend in Park Rapids may be one for the record books.

As of today, many lakes in the area still have lots of ice, enough so that even a couple of days of warm temperatures are unlikely to make it disappear in time for Saturday's walleye opener.

Dennis Mackedanz of Park Rapids is in charge of this year's event. He figures the ice on most lakes will shrink enough so that anglers will be able to find at least some open water.

"I've been watching it every day this past week," Mackedanz said. "We've made significant progress in the last few days. Several of the lakes look like they're going to have open water by Saturday morning. The question is, is it the whole lake? Probably not."

Fortunately, the people of Park Rapids have a "Plan B." Gov. Mark Dayton will likely spend a lot of time fishing the Fish Hook River, which enters Fish Hook Lake from the south.

Jason Durham, a Nevis kindergarten teacher, will guide the governor for the day. Durham, who's been an area fishing guide for 22 years, said visitors to the Park Rapids area won't have too much trouble finding open water for fishing.

Public access landings, however, may not have docks installed yet, as the state Department of Natural Resources and local counties couldn't get that work done while there was still ice along the shores.

"The fortunate thing for our community is that we have so many lakes situated close by, and a lot of those are smaller bodies of water, most of them under 2,000 acres," Durham said. "So we're going to have other areas to fish, because those lakes have opened up, so anglers are going to go lots of different directions and fish a lot of different lakes."

Here's what a lot of northern Minnesota lakes look like this week.

This City of Bemidji work crew is busy with spring clean-up on the shore of Lake Bemidji. But most of the lake is still covered in ice. Open water began appearing this week following several days of warm weather, but there will still likely be ice on the lake on Saturday.

That's probably going to be true for most larger lakes in northern Minnesota.

Here's a Department of Natural Resources map that pinpoints which lakes are free of ice. The DNR relies on data from the public, so it's certainly not accurate. But it does show that the state has a long way to go before all if its waters are ice free.

Minnesota city restricts drone use

Posted at 11:46 AM on April 4, 2013 by Dan Gunderson
Filed under: Around MN, Government

Photo courtesy Parrot

St. Bonifacius might be the first Minnesota city to pass an ordinance restricting the use of unmanned aircraft.

This isn't about big military style unmanned aircraft, since the city doesn't have authority to regulate them. It's more about the kind of small aircraft like the one in the photo above, which can be flown with a phone or iPad and collect high quality photos and video.

St. Bonifacius Mayor Rick Weible says he's not opposed to drones in principle. Weible says he would jump at the chance to buy a small remotely piloted aircraft with an infrared camera to assist firefighters in the community of 2,300 west of Minneapolis, as they search burning buildings for trapped victims.

But Weible says the city council didn't see enough leadership on the issue at the federal or state level.

"When I look at the potential uses of drones, I have an obligation to my residents to defend their fourth amendment rights," he said.

The St. Bonifacius ordinance says law enforcement must have a warrant to use small drones flying below 400 feet. Weible says drone use could also be allowed in emergency situations.

Current federal regulations already restrict commercial use of unmanned aircraft, so law enforcement needs a special permit from the FAA to use a drone.

But the St. Bonifacius ordinance also restricts private citizens. Under current FAA rules, private citizens can fly a small remotely piloted aircraft under 400 feet with few restrictions.

Weible says private citizens can now fly only on their own property, and can't use surveillance equipment.

He says he knows of a couple of residents in town who have the small
remote control aircraft, including one with a camera that has flown around the town taking pictures.

Weible says the city also passed a resolution asking the state to impose a two-year moratorium on the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones.

"So that we can actually look at this from a state perspective and a local perspective to kind of look at what is the right use of these. This is a new tool. We just need to sit down as a society and figure out the best way that we can use these. "

Weible says the purpose of the ordinance is as much to spark a public debate in Minnesota as to actually restrict drones in the city of one square mile.

Read the resolution and ordinance-
St. Bonifacius.pdf

Lake Superior "smokes" in the frigid air

Posted at 11:18 AM on January 24, 2013 by Dan Kraker
Filed under: Around MN, Arrowhead, Environment, Lakes

I had to pull over on my way into work this morning to snap a picture of the steam rising up out of the big lake in front of the lift bridge.

As Jay Austin, Professor at UMD's Large Lakes Observatory explains, "the steam is simply Lake Superior water evaporating, then condensing from gas to liquid droplets as it hits super-cold air. In general, Austin says, "evaporation is strongest when the air temperature is much lower than the water temperature."

An ice-coated boulder is surrounded by steam rising from the surface of Lake Superior a few miles up the shore from downtown Duluth.

While temperatures have barely eked above zero for the past several days, it's still been a relatively warm winter in Duluth. Austin says "the fact we're not seeing much ice cover is a testament to the enormity of the lake - the lake needs to be sufficiently cooled down at the surface for ice to form." So, Austin explains, the lake has been busy playing "catch up" the last few days.

Austin, of course, understands this from the perspective of a highly-regarded physicist and expert on large lakes. Still, he admits he's even amazed to look at the huge stretches of open water when temperatures are so cold.

"Think of the temperature difference - +32F water, -10F air - that's huge! And lots of heat is being lost to the atmosphere because of it."

Number of wolves killed in MN and WI show different approaches to hunt

Posted at 4:57 PM on December 5, 2012 by Dan Kraker
Filed under: Around MN, Arrowhead, Central Minnesota, Environment, Northwest Minnesota, Outdoors

With nearly two months of wolf hunting now in the books in both Minnesota and Wisconsin, it's interesting to take a closer look at the number of wolves killed in both states, compared to their target harvests and total population.

Wisconsin hunters killed 105 wolves as of December 10th, very near the state's total quota of 116 wolves. That's out of a total estimated wolf population in the state of about 850. Which means hunters, in just over a month and a half, have killed about 12 percent of Wisconsin's wolves.

Wolves roam in the wilderness on Thursday, February 11, 2010 near the Minnesota-Wisconsin border. (MPR Photo/Derek Montgomery)

Minnesota hunters have killed more than twice as many wolves as their neighbors, 243 as of December 10th, well over halfway to the state's quota of 400 wolves. But that's out of a total estimated population of around 3,000, meaning Minnesota hunters have killed about 8 percent of the state's wolves.

As MPR's Stephanie Hemphill reported shortly after Minnesota's wolf hunt began, the numbers reflect different approaches to management of the iconic predator. "Minnesota has not set a goal for a maximum wolf population, while Wisconsin has. It wants to reduce the number of wolves to 350 and keep it there," Stephanie writes.

Of course others besides hunters have killed wolves in both states over the past year. This year in Minnesota, state and federal trappers have killed at least 214 wolves that preyed on livestock. And ranchers and pet owners have killed at least 15 wolves that threatened their animals, something they could not have legally done when the wolf was listed as a federal endangered species.

We'll know a lot more about Minnesota's wolf population after the DNR completes its first wolf survey in five years this winter. Many people have speculated that the higher than expected success rate of wolf hunters suggests that the state's wolf population is higher than the estimated 3,000.

In any case, both Minnesota and Wisconsin wildlife managers are likely to tweak their hunting seasons after they assess the numbers from this year's hunt.

Minnesota's late season runs through the end of January; Wisconsin's through the end of February, if it doesn't reach its quota first.

Wilderness and the economy in Minnesota's 8th Congressional District

Posted at 6:25 PM on November 3, 2012 by Michael Olson (2 Comments)
Filed under: Around MN

What do you think? Join the conversation now.

Incumbent Rep. Chip Cravaack (GOP) and former Rep. Rick Nolan (DFL) are in a heated contest to represent the 8th Congressional District. The candidates are at odds over Nolan's support of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Act.

Cravaack accused Nolan of putting the interests of "Twin Cities environmentalists" before the economic needs of the Iron Range when he voted, in 1978, to support the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Act that established the BWCA largely as it is today.

Fire up!

Posted at 12:05 PM on October 19, 2012 by Dan Olson
Filed under: Around MN, Arts, Minnesota Sounds & Voices

Making pottery? You'll need a kiln to fire and harden your pot.

A brief history of kilns reveals they range all the way from a fire pit dug in the ground to big industrial-sized kilns for firing rows and stacks of plates, cups, whatever.

Minnesota potter Donovan Palmquist builds kilns in between those sizes.

Here he is in an image captured by MPR's Jeff Thompson earlier this week in a work space on the 14 acre compound near Farmington south of the Twin Cities, where he and his kiln and pottery partner Colleen Riley live.

You can hear Palmquist talk about kilns in a Minnesota Sounds and Voices report I prepared for this afternoon's All Things Considered.

Working quietly over the years, ("not a lot of gold and glitter in the kiln building business. . . .") Palmquist has become famous in the somewhat rarefied world of kiln construction.

He estimates he's built 370 kilns in 40 states over nearly two decades. This year he built a kiln for Harvard and one for Red Wing Pottery.

Visitors to the Riley and Palmquist pottery compound are always welcome and especially so this weekend as part of the south central Minnesota studio ArTour and sale, an annual event.

There's a pile of old growth oak, ash and maple trees in the middle of the yard. Palmquist says the wood is needed to fuel his voracious wood kiln, a slumbering giant of brick the size of a small house.

The behemoth comes alive after helpers have stacked the pots inside, split four cords of wood to stoke the kiln for two days to reach the right firing temperature.

Palmquist's description of the event evokes a medieval scene of fire, food, and socializing as the team works around the clock to fire pots, one of humankind's oldest crafts.

After truck protest, candidates voice support for loggers

Posted at 10:01 AM on September 28, 2012 by Dan Kraker
Filed under: Around MN, Arrowhead, Central Minnesota, Economy, Politics

When more than 60 logging trucks loaded down with freshly hewn timber rumbled down the old brick streets of downtown Duluth Thursday morning, political candidates saw a constituency.

The truckers backed up traffic on London Road coming into town, trying to raise awareness about their fight to change a federal law that caps truck weights on interstate highways in Minnesota.

Here's the issue: Since 1982, federal law has limited truck weight to 80,000 pounds on interstate highways. But Minnesota allows loggers to carry 90,000 pounds on state, county and local roads. State Department of Transportation officials say the extra weight doesn't contribute to extra wear and tear on the roads because it's spread out over six axles rather than five

Loggers say the federal restriction hurts their bottom line. Opponents claim heavier trucks on freeways cause more accidents and fatalities.

U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack talks to Peter Wood of Wood Forest Products during a rally by loggers Thursday, September 27, 2012 at Road Machinery and Supplies Co. near downtown Duluth, Minn. during a protest by loggers over federal weight restrictions on the interstate highway system. (Derek Montgomery for MPR)

U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack, a Republican who represents the 8th District, rode shotgun in a rig through the protest, and addressed loggers at a rally after the convoy rolled through Duluth. Cravaack pointed out that truckers in nearby states, including North Dakota and Michigan, can haul heavier loads on interstates. Those weights were grandfathered in to federal law.

"This makes no sense and makes Minnesota less competitive," Cravaack argued.

Cravaack negotiated a bipartisan amendment to the 2012 transportation bill to allow heavier logging trucks on a 75 mile stretch of Interstate 35 between Duluth and Hinckley. But a Senate conference committee stripped that provision from the bill.

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar did not attend the event. But she sent a letter in which she said she encouraged that conference committee to include the provision. Klobuchar wrote that an increase in truck weights is "the right decision for safety, and it's the right decision for our economy."

Meanwhile, Cravaack's Democratic opponent in the closely watched 8th District race, former U.S. Rep.Rick Nolan, issued a press release blasting Cravaack for twice voting for a Republican budget that would have cut between $40 and $50 billion from transportation funding, according to The New York Times.

"Cravaack may support expanding highway use for loggers," the Nolan press release reads, "but his record shows he doesn't support the funding needed to maintain our roads and infrastructure."

Nolan did not attend the rally. His press release did not say whether he supports increasing weight limits for loggers on interstate highways in Minnesota.

Harvesting the past

Posted at 1:48 PM on September 19, 2012 by Dan Olson
Filed under: Around MN, Environment, Farms, Minnesota, Minnesota Sounds & Voices, Outdoors

The combine of choice for harvesting native prairie seed is a 30-year-old Allis Chalmers Gleaner. It's simple and easy to repair.

So, the folks who own and operate the Princeton, Minnesota-based Prairie Restorations Inc. have pretty much cornered the market on them. They own about a dozen including some they keep around for scavenging spare parts because, after all, they don't make 'em anymore.

You can hear the hum of the Allis as it churns through a field of little blue stem this afternoon in my latest Minnesota Sounds & Voices story on All Things Considered.

The fun fact about the combine is part of what I learned on a visit to the company's 400-acre farm one hour north of the Twin Cities. It's close to the peak of harvest season now and the old combine is chugging through fields of native prairie plants.

However, as the photo above taken by MPR's Jeff Thompson shows, there's still lots of hand work involved in harvesting native prairie plant seeds. Trista Backlund and other Prairie Restorations, Inc. employees are harvesting Hoary Vervain on Sept. 12, 2012.

The 35-year-old Prairie Restorations company started by Ron Bowen designs, restores and manages native plant communities.

They do about 300 projects a year, planting and restoring about 1500 acres of prairie.

In the bigger scheme of things that's a significant addition in part because so much of Minnesota's native prairie, about 99 percent, is gone. It's been plowed up for fields, houses, you name it.

A visit to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources web page shows where the state's prairie remnants are located. The DNR along with The Nature Conservancy are part of a 25-year-long, $3.6 billion state program to protect and expand native plant habitat.

Voter ID could affect 215k voters; Invasives creep after Pagami Creek fire

Posted at 8:08 AM on September 10, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Photo ID edict could hit 215,000 Minnesota voters
Star Tribune: "Elderly, poor and students among those most affected by a photo requirement."

After Pagami Creek fire, worry accompanies forest renewal
"A year ago the Pagami Creek fire scorched 145 square miles of forest, mostly in the Boundary Waters area. Despite a striking amount of new growth, forest managers have major concerns, among them a huge loss of organic matter and the presence of invasive plants," MPR News.

Dangerous fire conditions forecast for Northland
"While all reported wildfires in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness were reported to be controlled, contained or extinguished over the weekend, crews will be watching closely today as dangerous fire conditions are forecast for the region," Duluth News Tribune.

Pedestrian deaths rise sharply in Minnesota
"Distractions, inattentiveness blamed for deadly collisions. Other traffic-related deaths are declining," Star Tribune.

Shiny pair of boots send Vikings to season-opening OT victory
"The Vikings' final 12 points came off the foot of rookie kicker Blair Walsh, including a 55-yard field goal that sent the game into overtime," Star Tribune.

Advocates say dogs essential to wolf hunt's success
"As Wisconsin prepares for its first wolf hunt, hunters say using dogs to track wolves is essential to the hunt's success.Animal welfare advocates, however, say the state is not doing enough to protect dogs from potentially deadly confrontations with wolves," Wisconsin State Journal.

Battleground state maps expand
"The selection of Paul Ryan as GOP VP nominee moves the needle on Wisconsin but few other states in the presidential race according to a dozen media outlets," writes Smart Politics.

Breaking bonds: The chemistry of "Breaking Bad"
MN Daily chats with "Department of Chemistry professor and chair -- and 'Breaking Bad' fan -- William Tolman about the true elements involved in four of the show's many dramatic chemical reactions."

Steering a rover on Mars
New York Times: "As one member of the team that operates the remote rover Curiosity at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory put it, 'Last night I drove on Mars, today I mowed the lawn -- it's completely surreal.'"

First Listen: Grizzly Bear, 'Shields'
You can take the forthcomming Grizzly Bear album 'Shields'for a spin on NPR Music. The group will be coming back to Minneapolis to play First Ave on October 1. NPR Music: "For a band with a firm grasp on pristine, precise production and immaculate vocal harmonies, Grizzly Bear can be inscrutable at times: Its members have been known to use their formidable studio chops in the pursuit of what can sound like puzzles waiting to be solved."

Truth telling 150 years later

Posted at 1:05 PM on September 7, 2012 by Dan Olson
Filed under: Around MN, Discrimination, Government, Minnesota Sounds & Voices, Politics, Tribal issues

A new history of the US - Dakota War of 1862 makes its debut in October at a time and location still to be announced.

They are three documentaries put together by Sheldon Wolfchild, a Dakota who lives at the Lower Sioux Agency in southern Minnesota.

Part one is already on view at the Lower Sioux Interpretive Center near Morton. It explains what Wolfchild regards as the real causes of the US - Dakota war of 1862. Part two, he says, will go even further back into history explaining the roots of, "manifest destiny." Part three is a collection of voices of elders talking about Dakota culture.

That's Wolfchild in the photo above taken last month by Minnesota Public Radio's Jeff Thompson at the Minnesota History Center exhibit.

My profile of him can be heard this afternoon at 4:50 p. m. during All Things Considered on Minnesota Public Radio news stations around our region.

His connection with the war is through his great great grandfather, chief Medicine Bottle, one of the combatants in the conflict.

Wolfchild's message is -- the Dakota people didn't cause the war.

Yes, starving Dakota attacked white settlers and the result was hundreds of Dakota and white settlers killed in the war.

Then hundreds more Dakota perished as they were banished from Minnesota to barren reservations in Dakota territory.

What caused the war, Wolfchild says, was the Indian system.

William Lass, emeritus professor of history at Minnesota State University in Mankato, says early in this country's history government officials created an Indian system which successive generations of officials knew was corrupt, but nearly everyone kept using because of the obscene profits it returned.

The system included deceitful treaties with Indians, agents and traders swindling them out of money promised them, and court decisions denying Indians ownership of their land which created a pretext for their removal.

The Indian system was based on the view that the conquering European newcomers had sovereignty over the native people.

I first met Wolfchild at a screening recently at the Parkway theater in south Minneapolis where he was showing part one of the three documentaries..

The 65-year-old Wolfchild moved back to his birthplace at the Lower Sioux Agency in 1997 after retiring from 30 years of work in California as an artist and actor.

You can see him in Disney's Squanto: The Warrior, and in Dances With Wolves.

Wolfchild is a friendly, courtly, soft spoken guy.

Until he turns, "rambunctious," as he puts it.

A "rambunctious," Wolfchild fixes the listener with a penetrating gaze. His voice turns to a growl as he lists the injustices perpetrated by the Indian system and his disappointment with the media for not telling the full story.

Wolfchild isn't acting in this role. His anger is real. And he admits that recurring trauma from his military stint in the Viet Nam war is likely linked to trauma of being a member of a minority group that has for generations endured discrimination.

Then he apologizes, his voice softens, and his gentle demeanor returns. However, Wolfchild is on a mission, and it's clear he won't rest until he's satisfied the truth telling is completed.

BWCA burns; Taking it to the stoop; Big fish story

Posted at 8:25 AM on September 7, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Officials monitoring nearly a dozen fires in Boundary Waters
"It hasn't rained much for the past two months across parts of Northeastern Minnesota, with parched trees and brush in the forest spurring small fires to grow when they usually would flicker out," Duluth News Tribune.

ArcelorMittal negotiations continue
WDIO: "The ArcelorMittal unions have presented a comprehensive proposal to the company which they feel they could recommend to its members.Thousands of those members did a practice picket at all of the ArcelorMittal facilities in the country Wednesday, including Minorca Mine in Virginia."

Demonstrations in front of directors' homes to continue indefinitely
"As the American Crystal Sugar lockout drags into its 13th month, union members are taking the fight to the doorstep of the company's directors," Fargo Forum.

Obama's speech reax: "Modest"
Andrew Sullivan takes the temperature of just under a dozen bloggers/pundits to Pres. Obama's keynote speech including: "Modest," "stay-the-course," "never quite managed to soar" and "failed to defend his record half as well as Mr. Clinton."

Islamic group buys former Medtronic HQ in St. Anthony
"The status of plans for a cultural and religious center in St. Anthony is unclear," Star Tribune.

16-year-old Hastings girl catches 375-pound halibut in Alaska
"During her 16 years on earth, Kate Curtis hasn't caught a lot of fish. The ones she has caught, though, have certainly been memorable. In August, while in Alaska on a family vacation, Curtis caught what may be her last fish - an 88-inch, 375-pound halibut," Hastings Star Gazette.

DHS shakeup; Chaotic weather strains food supply; New stadium boosts Vike's value

Posted at 8:17 AM on September 6, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Top DHS officials leaving agency
"Personnel shake-ups come amid continuing federal probe of Minnesota's Medicaid program," Politics in Minnesota.

Obama struggles to pick up blue-collar workers
MPR News: "Many white, blue-collar workers soured on the president and his policies want to know what the president will do to improve the economy."

Climate change and the food supply
"Perhaps the biggest single question about climate change is whether people will have enough to eat in coming decades. We have had two huge spikes in global food prices in five years that were driven largely by chaotic weather. And this year we may be in the early stages of a third big jump," New York Times.

New stadium boosts Viking's value 22%
Forbes "concluded that the two teams that had the biggest jump in value were the Minnesota Vikings ($975 million) and the San Francisco 49ers ($1.17 billion), whose values jumped 22 and 19 percent, respectively, as a result of stadiums being built," ESPN.

Minnesota campaign cash rules may be unlawful, court says
"A Minnesota law that limits some organizations from making restricted political contributions is 'most likely' unconstitutional, a federal appeals court in St. Louis ruled," BusinessWeek.

Minnesota voting amendment would change much more than you might think
"All voters, including those not voting in person, must be subject to substantially equivalent identity and eligibility verification prior to a ballot being cast or counted," writes Sec of State Mark Ritchie in MinnPost.

Minnesota GOP senators violate campaign finance laws, judges rule
"The Minnesota Senate Republican caucus and 12 of its members violated campaign finance laws by using taxpayer money to print partisan campaign literature in Senate offices, a panel of administrative judges ruled," Pioneer Press.

State marriage amendment to be debated Sept. 11
"Sen. Warren Limmer, R-Maple Grove, will debate the amendment with the Rev. Deborah Celley. Matt Gehring, legal analyst and research department staff Member of the House of Representatives, will speak regarding the legal aspect of the amendment," Brainerd Dispatch.

State Patrol to close Virginia 911 center
"The Minnesota State Patrol will be closing down its Virginia 911 center by no later than May 1, the state Department of Public Safety said Wednesday. The move is part consolidating such operations into two centers in the state. A full story will be on this website later today and in Thursday's MDN," Mesabi Daily News.

Essentia-VRMC affiliation approved; Rochester storm knocks down trees, starts fires

Posted at 8:15 AM on September 5, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Virginia Regional Medical Center/Essentia Health Services affiliation approved
"The Virginia Regional Medical Center will no longer be a city-owned facility," Mesabi Daily News.

Rochester storm knocks down trees, starts fires
"A violent thunderstorm early Wednesday morning knocked over trees and power lines all over Rochester and started several fires," Rochester Post Bulletin.

3M and Avery Dennison 'committed' to deal despite antitrust issue
New York Times: "3M's acquisition of an Avery Dennison unit was in limbo on Wednesday, as the companies scrambled to clear regulatory obstacles."

Daughter of Minnesota House candidate says he abandoned her
"Minnesota House candidate says although he has paid child support, conflict with his ex-wife made visitation with his daughter difficult," Duluth News Tribune.

Report: Low-income families struggle to afford rental housing
"A new report shows that many low-income Minnesota families are struggling to afford rental housing," MPR News.

Kestrel Aircraft receives $30M in tax credits for Superior headquarters
"Kestrel Aircraft Corp. will receive $30 million in tax credits to build a manufacturing plant and headquarters in Superior that will have roughly 600 jobs," Business Journal.

West Nile treatment could come from geese

"There have been nearly 1,600 cases of West Nile virus reported in the U.S., so far this year. Forty-four cases of the mosquito-borne illness have been here in Minnesota," MPR News.

Man missing for four months found dead along Northland logging road
"A man with Twin Cities and Iron Range connections reported missing by friends four months ago was found dead in a vehicle along a logging road in northern St. Louis County on Tuesday. Foul play is not suspected, officials said," Duluth News Tribune.

Zebra mussels are on doorstep of the BWCA
"The recent discovery of the invasive critters in a small Iron Range mine pit lake poses an ominous threat to northeastern Minnesota lakes," Star Tribune.

Study: Beer-glass shape alters people's drinking speed
A new study, "published in the journal PLoS ONE, suggests people drink more quickly out of curved glasses than straight ones," BBC.

2012 State Fair goers split on legalizing more fireworks
"Those taking the 2012 nonpartisan House Public Information Services Office State Fair Opinion Poll are almost evenly split on the legalization of firecrackers, bottle rockets and other consumer fireworks," House Public Information Services [pdf].

Four years after promising change, Democrats shift focus in fight for White House
"Today, Democrats gather again for the second day of their national convention. Last night, first lady Michelle Obama was the focal point of the evening at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak also addressed the delegates, but before TV's prime time. Rybak and other Democrats are focusing less on President Barack Obama's promise four years ago to change the country and more on his contrast to his 2012 Republican rival, Mitt Romney," MPR News.

Delegates: Democratic platform on gay marriage boosts effort to defeat Minn. referendum
"Democrats adopted a national platform Tuesday that includes support for same-sex marriage, which Minnesota gay rights advocates said could help them defeat a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that defines marriage as limited to one man and one woman," St Cloud Times.

The DNC viewed through the Fox News lens
"If you wanted to see Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker ignite the hall with a spirited call for justice that left delegates cheering, crying, and chanting 'U-S-A! U-S-A!' you needed to turn the channel to CNN or C-SPAN. The Fox correspondents were busy ripping the Democrats for leaving the words 'God' and 'Jerusalem' out of the party platform," National Journal.

Michelle Obama's DNC speech written at 7 grade levels above Ann Romney's
"The First Lady's speech Tuesday was written at a 12th grade level - the highest in history among the wives of presidential nominees and far above Ann Romney's lowest mark of a 5th grade level," Smart Politics.

The end of @michelleobama's speech drove 28,003 Tweets-per-minute at its peak. @mittromney peaked at 14,289 TPM at #GOP2012.

— Twitter for News (@TwitterForNews) September 5, 2012

More coverage of the DNC from MN Today

Romney's night; Loggers lose markets; 'Wild' Bill Bauer dead at 62

Posted at 8:15 AM on August 31, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

RNC: Romney addresses the convention
PBS NewsHour provides a comprehensive looks at the speeches and videos from the final evening of the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa.

Daily Circuit: Analyzing Romney's speech

Photo blog: Images from the RNC

Ongoing social media photo updates from the Republican National Convention.

Storified by Minnesota Today · Fri, Aug 31 2012 07:02:45

Fact Checkers Ding Romney On A Few Familiar Points n.pr/TDPtEx

— NPR Politics (@nprpolitics) August 31, 2012

MPR News: Minn. Paul supporters say they're unlikely to support Romney in November because of the way they were treated at RNC.

"The overwhelming majority of Republicans from all wings and parts of the party are committed to replacing Barack Obama and making him a one-term president," -- Minnesota Republican Party Chairman Pat Shortridge told MPR News.

Inside Karl Rove's billionaire fundraiser
Business Week reports that Rove is optimistic about the GOP winning U.S. Senate races in North Dakota and Wisconsin.

Around MN
MPR News: HealthPartners, Park Nicollet to merge

Minnesota loggers lose markets as mills close down

MPR News: "August was a tough month for Minnesota's timber industry. Some fear that recent plant closures could signal the end of the road for some of the state's struggling loggers."

Twin Cities comedian 'Wild' Bill Bauer dead at age 62
"Louie Anderson called him the funniest guy he ever worked with. Alex Cole said he was the most giving Twin Cities comedian around. Scott Hansen said he was a champion of new comedians.On Wednesday, Aug. 29, "Wild" Bill Bauer died in his sleep at his Inver Grove Heights home. A fixture of the Twin Cities comedy scene, Bauer was 62," Pioneer Press.
Video: Wild Bill Bauer on Louie Anderson's Comedy Showcase

A trumpet falls silent
"Musical icon Irv Peterson, who played with Wally Warren, Sammy Jensen orchestras, dies at age 91," Marshall Independent.

Buffalo Co. study: extend the frac moratorium
"A Buffalo County Health Department report on frac sand recommends that the current county moratorium on new sand operations be extended beyond its planned October 31 expiration date. A continued moratorium would allow further study of the industry and potential health and safety effects. It would also allow time for air quality monitoring to provide baseline data on existing dust levels before any new operations start up," Winona Post.

Coca-Cola of Winona ending glass tradition
Winona Daily News: "The Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Winona, the last one in the country still making the returnable 61/2-ounce glass bottles, has announced it's ending the practice after an 80-year run."

Range steelworkers, mining companies still talking
"Union contracts are scheduled to expire at midnight, with health care a major sticking point," Star Tribune.

Minnesota DNR asks hunters to spare collared bears
"While it's not illegal to shoot bears with radio collars, the Department of Natural Resources is asking that hunters take a pass," Duluth News Tribune.

Bids are in on Vikings stadium project
"The architect behind new homes for the Twins, Wild and Gophers is among those in the running for the Metrodome replacement," Star Tribune.

Thursdays on First wraps up record-setting summer
"Manning the Peace Plaza information booth on a hot afternoon, Jon Eckhoff looked at the crowd milling about the arts and crafts booths, food and beverages in hand, and declared another successful summer for Thursdays on First," Rochester Post Bulletin.

Pawlenty falls flat; Voter ID legal challenges loom; Cop kicks man on video

Posted at 8:30 AM on August 30, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Re: the Republican National Convention
Bob Collins blogs about the security state at the RNC in Tampa and how St Paul's 2008 convention informed the approach taken in Tampa this year.

Armed with one-liners, Pawlenty tears into Obama
MPR News: "Pawlenty used much of his high-profile moment at the convention in Tampa, Fla., to tear into the president, mixing humor into his sharp attacks. He drew a polite reception as he approached the podium and some loud applause for his one-liners. 'Barack Obama is the first president to create more excuses than jobs,' Pawlenty said. Politico's Mahtesian on Tim Pawlenty's speech: "If Mitt Romney's veep shortlist consisted of Ryan, Pawlenty and Ohio Sen. Rob Portman, Wednesday's speeches suggested he made the right call. Portman and Pawlenty fell flat; Ryan delivered the best speech of the convention to date. Pawlenty's beginning and end showed promise. Everything in between was forgettable. Unlike some other speakers, the Minnesota governor at least spent time extolling the GOP nominee's virtues. But wave after wave of canned lines drained the life from Pawlenty's address."

WNYC: Paul Ryan headlines a night of whoppers
Houston Chronicle: After leaving the RNC floor in protest, Ron Paul backers still steamed at Romney
Hot Dish Politics: Minnesota's Paul supporters relieved, furious after RNC vote

Photo blog: Images from the RNC

Ongoing social media photo updates from the Republican National Convention.

Storified by Minnesota Today · Thu, Aug 30 2012 05:09:51

The federal bailout that saved Mitt Romney
"Mitt Romney likes to say he won't 'apologize' for his success in business. But what he never says is 'thank you' - to the American people - for the federal bailout of Bain & Company that made so much of his outsize wealth possible," Rolling Stone.

And in the event you weren't on the internet yesterday, President Obama held a Q&A on Reddit.

Around MN
St. Paul officer seen on video kicking man

"An investigation is underway following an arrest in St. Paul caught on tape and posted on YouTube (warning: video contains foul language)," KARE11.

More lawsuits likely if photo ID amendment passes
MPR News: "This week's Minnesota Supreme Court ruling on the proposed voter ID constitutional amendment resolved one legal challenge, but more are likely to come."

Cloquet police: Victim fears for his life after shooting
"Cloquet police are investigating what is believed to be a gang-related shooting on the Fond du Lac Indian Reservation in which the victim was shot in the foot, but investigators say he isn't providing much information because he fears for his life," Duluth News Tribune.

Taconite plants face environmental challenge
MPR News: "Minnesota's taconite companies face a major environmental challenge in November when the federal government decides whether to require significant reduction in air pollution that causes haze in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Voyaguers National Park. These regulations have been a long time coming, and the decision isn't clear yet."

Steelworkers prepare to strike near Hibbing; Minn. in play?

Posted at 8:00 AM on August 29, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Steelworkers prepare to strike near Hibbing if contract deal not reached
Hibbing Daily Tribune: "Local unions of at least two area mines and their management company, Cliffs Natural Resources, are working on plans in the event that new contract deals can't be reached before the deadline. The labor contracts at the Iron Range mines are set to expire at midnight Friday." Cliffs threatens replacement workers if no deal is reached by Saturday," Duluth News Tribune.

Celebrity-like Michele Bachmann works convention crowd
"Eight months after she left the presidential race, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann still retains a celebrity-like following among many Republicans," MPR News.

WI Gov. Walker says Minnesota in play for 2012
"Wisconsin's Walker says Ryan pick puts Minnesota in playWisconsin Gov. Scott Walker says he believes Minnesota will join Wisconsin and Iowa as battleground states in this fall's presidential election," Pioneer Press. A more credible source on public opinion from Minnesota points to a surprising potential battleground state, Smart Politics looks at the potential of historically Democratic-friendly Connecticut as a toss-up.

State signals that Xcel can't drop solar subsidies
"Utility had planned to phase out the popular program next year," Star Tribune.

Duluth seeks lake breeze sans smoke
"A new ban on tobacco and the smoking of products like synthetic marijuana on Duluth's Lakewalk and adjacent parks is making its way through the City Council," Duluth News Tribune.

Zebra mussels reach their farthest point north yet in Minnesota
"The battle lines in Minnesota's fight with zebra mussels are spreading, state conservation officials said Tuesday," Star Tribune.

Ann Romney soars, Chris Christie stumbles in kicking off the Republican Convention
"Ann Romney, by far the warmer of the couple, had some success. Chris Christie, who flirted with a presidential run, did himself a whole lot of good, but maybe not much for Romney," The Daily Beast.

Good reads on the RNC

More politics from the Daily Digest

On Message

Introducing MPR's new election season feature On Message.

Here's how it works: You send us the campaign mailers that land in your mailbox, the e-mails that land in your inbox, the robocalls that interrupt your family dinner and pictures of the signs and billboards that line your neighborhood streets. We fact-check them and tell you who's paying for them.

All the details are here

VA suicide police lapses; Corn prices shutdown ethanol plants; Voter ID moves onward

Posted at 8:30 AM on August 28, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Minneapolis VA faulted for suicide policy lapses
"It didn't follow up on despondent patient who killed himself while under the agency's care, the VA Inspector General's Office said," Star Tribune.

High corn prices force ethanol plant shutdowns
"Across the nation, spiking corn prices and limited supply are forcing a growing number of ethanol plants, including the one here, to temporarily close -- yet another symptom of the worst drought in half a century," MPR News.

Minn. Supreme Court denies challenge to photo ID

Star Tribune: "It's a real victory for the constitution, separation of powers and upholding the authority of the Legislature," said Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake, author of the photo ID amendment.
"Today we are Florida," responded Chuck Samuelson of the ACLU of Minnesota, which worked on the ID challenge, referring to the 2000 presidential battle that was decided by the U.S. Supreme court. "This was a political decision by a political court."

Teamsters say they're locked out from SuperAmerica bakery operation
Pioneer Press: "Drivers for SuperMom's bakery have been locked out of their jobs after bargaining on a new contract broke down, Teamsters Local 120 said Monday, Aug. 27."

Update: Electronics loaded into coach's car seized
Mankato Free Press: "Two computers, a cellphone, two cameras, a camcorder, computer storage devices and a large storage container full of compact disks, DVDs and videotapes were confiscated when the house and garage were searched, according to a list of items taken by investigators."

Kiffmeyer touts reasons for Voter ID amendment
Rep. Mary "Kiffmeyer moved on to say she completely rejects the notion that Voter ID will disenfranchise voters, even though the amendment is designed to put tighter restrictions on voting," New Ulm Journal.

Capitol View: Some Minn. Democrats using Akin abortion comments in Congressional races

The quiet pipeline project; Ron Paul supporters look for new home; Dog school

Posted at 8:15 AM on August 27, 2012 by Michael Olson (1 Comments)
Filed under: Around MN

Stay the course: Enbridge avoids fight in pipeline expansion
"Enbridge Inc. is vastly boosting its pipeline system through Superior to the Gulf Coast, but it's avoiding the level of scrutiny that federal regulators, environmentalists and landowners are giving the rival Keystone XL oil pipeline project," Duluth News Tribune.

Is cooling the house heating up the planet?
MPR News: "In Minnesota, about half our electricity comes from burning coal. That's where the concept of an air conditioning feedback loop begins, said J. Drake Hamilton of the nonprofit group Fresh Energy."

Ron Paul, on the future of the GOP "Big Tent" party: "We will become the tent!" (MPR News). "Mr. Paul, in an interview, said convention planners had offered him an opportunity to speak under two conditions: that he deliver remarks vetted by the Romney campaign, and that he give a full-fledged endorsement of Mr. Romney. He declined. 'It wouldn't be my speech,' Mr. Paul said. 'That would undo everything I've done in the last 30 years. I don't fully endorse him for president,'" (New York Times).

MN delegate accuses Romney campaign of 'power grab'
"Marianne Stebbins, a supporter of Ron Paul's presidential campaign who chairs the Minnesota delegation to the Republican National Convention, said new delegation selection rules 'strip state parties' authority to choose convention delegates," Capitol View. "Rep. Bachmann and Ron Paul's state chair threatened efforts to show that Republicans solidly support Romney," Star Tribune.

Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain fire up tea party faithful ahead of RNC
"Sunday's rally set the table for members to align themselves with the GOP message. After tea partiers packed an east Hillsborough megachurch to standing-room-only Sunday night, after they were told jeering, heckling and animal noises were encouraged," Tampa Bay Times.

Coleman is back in a GOP seat of power
"The former U.S. senator has a big role in party's 2012 strategy," Star Tribune.

Hudson dog track site least costly, school report says
"The St. Croix Meadows Greyhound Racing Park would be the least expensive of four potential sites for a secondary school, according to a new report the Hudson School District planned to release Monday, Aug. 27," Pioneer Press.

Marriage and wilderness; Romney in Minn. big biz 'doing fine'; Rural violence program cuts

Posted at 8:08 AM on August 24, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Legislators take up flood aid in special session today

"There are people still living in campers outside their homes, because they still don't have power," Moose Lake's flood administrator Tom Paull told MPR News. "So, when it gets cold, what are we going to do with them? It's going to be a great concern, and how are we going to pay for it."

Marriage amendment campaigns square off at State Fair
"One of the biggest questions on this year's ballot is a constitutional amendment that would effectively ban same-sex marriage -- an issue that has those on both sides of the debate squaring off down the street from one another in two new booths at the fair," MPR News.

Op-Ed: Don't treat marriage like wilderness preservation
"Those who'd redefine it think like those who'd despoil the wilderness," Star Tribune.

Rural violence and abuse program falls victim to funding cuts
"Crisis intervention/advocacy program in Marshall forced to downsize this fall as a result of 45 percent cut in funding," Marshall Independent.

Negligent landlord leaves Somali mall without water
"A number of businesses at a predominantly Somali mall have gone without water and working bathrooms this week because of a negligent landlord," Star Tribune.

Romney highlights role of offshore tax havens in helping ensure big business is 'doing fine'
"Creating a potential headache for his campaign, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney said big businesses in the U.S. were 'doing fine' in part because they get advantages from offshore tax havens," Washington Post. Romney made the comments in Minnesota while collecting "roughly $1 million dollars from Twin Cities donors Thursday at two private events near Lake Minnetonka," KARE11.

Oak Park Heights vote clears way for St. Croix bridge
"The Oak Park Heights City Council Thursday evening voted to clear the way for a new bridge over the St. Croix River between Minnesota and Wisconsin," MPR News.

Stevens County woman first West Nile virus fatality in Minnesota in 2012
"An elderly Stevens County woman has died after contracting West Nile virus, the first death in the state of Minnesota this year," Morris Sun Tribune.

Capitol View: Kurt Bills presses Republicans to back Romney, not Paul.

Pre-election legal battles target voting rules
NPR: "New laws on voter identification and early voting are being challenged in court. Some cases could drag on until Nov. 6, Election Day, and beyond. The outcomes will affect voters, and maybe even the results."

Gov. Dayton asks for additional $42.5M to build health exchange
"The Dayton administration has asked the federal government for another $42.5 million to build Minnesota's insurance exchange, a key part of President Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act," MPR News.

New York Times: To avoid Tropical Storm Issac and Ron Paul supporters Romney may be nominated early. (h/t Daily Digest)

National monument celebrates 75 years
"Pipestone National Monument Superintendent Glen Livermont has mixed feelings about Saturday's weather forecast, which currently includes a 40 percent chance of rain. He knows the moisture is badly needed, but also doesn't want it to rain on his facility's celebration," Worthington Daily Globe.

Gauthier exits race; Tentative St. Cloud teacher raise; Rochester boom

Posted at 8:00 AM on August 23, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Gauthier reverses earlier decision; will not run for re-election
"A once-safe DFL seat in the Minnesota House is now a wide open contest following a roller-coaster series of events Wednesday," MPR News.

St. Cloud teachers reach deal with school district
"Teachers in the St. Cloud school district will see their first salary increase since 2009, according to the tentative contract agreement reached today that provides a 1 percent pay raise in 2012-13," St Cloud Times.

West Nile virus cases on the rise in Minnesota
"The Minnesota Department of Health says the number of human cases of West Nile virus in the state this year has increased to 27, up from 20 on Monday," MPR News.

Minnesota delegates hold the line, back Ron Paul in Tampa
Patch: "Tiana Wells, a Dundas resident who is an alternate delegate for the RNC, says her support is strongly behind Paul."

Willmar, Minn., mayor expresses support for voter ID measure
"We need a photo ID to cash a check and drive a car. Nobody makes a fuss about this,'' Willmar Mayor Frank Yanish told reporters, (West Central Tribune).

Economic boom in Rochester
"The Minnesota WorkForce Center in Rochester says more jobs are available in retail, technology or health care. With higher employment comes the demand for housing," KTTC.

Pawlenty gets prime time slot at RNC
"Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty will give a prime-time speech at the Republican National Convention next Wednesday night in Tampa," Pioneer Press.

Anger to empathy at the US - Dakota war exhibit

Posted at 2:04 PM on August 24, 2012 by Dan Olson
Filed under: Around MN, Discrimination, Minnesota Sounds & Voices, Tribal issues

Until recently I shared with Jan Klein, and for that matter thousands of other Minnesotans, a deep well of ignorance about the US - Dakota war of 1862.

Here's Jan in a photo taken by MPR's Jeff Thompson as she walked through the Minnesota Historical Society exhibit recently.

You can hear my Minnesota Sounds and Voices report on my visit with Jan later today, as part of Friday's All Things Considered.

I seem to recall Minnesota history was a part of the curriculum in my 5th or 6th grade year in school.

There must have been a mention of the war then, but I have no recollection.

Jan says same for her.

The well is no longer empty for either of us.

Part of the reason is the US - Dakota war of 1862 exhibit at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul.

Jan served on the ten-member advisory panel of settler descendants. A panel of 75 Dakota also advised the Historical Society.

Her great great grandfather, Charles Clasen, and his son, were killed by Dakota fighters in the Birch Coulee battle. She says the family lore is that her great great grandmother Carolina hid from attackers in a nearby cornfield for three days until rescued. Other family members were among the more than 200 white settlers taken hostage by the Dakota.

Jan says at first she was angry the early plans for the exhibit were, in her view, slanted toward a sympathetic view of the Dakota.

Then as time passed she says her empathy grew. Jan says watching the exhibit take shape expanded her awareness of the starvation and other problems faced by the Dakota, things she said she did not know about.

A cruel irony is that a good number of the hundreds of white settlers killed were immigrants from what is now Germany attempting to escape political chaos and violence in their homeland.

Jan explains and historians agree, that quite a few didn't speak English, some befriended the Dakota, a neighborliness some of the Dakota returned.

Jan says the the 150th anniversary exhibit has had a big impact on her thinking. When she and others placed a plaque recently at Morton City Hall in Renville County near Birch Coulee to commemorate the murdered settlers, she said the ceremony included a prayer for the Dakota.

As a result of her work as an adviser Jan says she received a call from a Dakota woman, who she declines to identify; they talked amicably, and Jan says the call ended with the Dakota woman inviting her to a powwow.

The knowledge and empathy gained by Jan Klein will likely be experienced by many who view the St. Paul exhibit and another traveling the state called Why Treaties Matter.

The exhibit's web page says the exhibit explains how the dozens of treaties signed by American Indians living in Minnesota affected their lives.

Both show how the long tendrils of government deceit have caused tragic consequences for innocent bystanders.

The Historical Society's US - Dakota War of 1862 exhibit runs through next summer.

The Why Treaties Matter traveling exhibit locations and dates include:

Thursday, August 23, 2012 through Saturday, September 22, 2012 at Ramsey County Historical Society, St. Paul.

Monday, October 1, 2012 through Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at Winona County Historical Society, Winona.

Monday, October 15, 2012 through Monday, November 12, 2012, Eden Prairie Schools, Eden Prairie.

Coach faces child porn charges; Massive BWCA cell tower on again; Prison costs up

Posted at 8:10 AM on August 22, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

MSU Football Coach Hoffner faces criminal child pornography charges, internal MSU investigation (Mankato Free Press).

Minnesota hits 200 traffic deaths this year (Alexandria Echo Press).

Fairmont considers restrictions on chickens, other animals
Fairmont Sentinel: "The council originally was going to determine if chickens are suitable household pets, but after further study of City Code, city staff has decided much of the ordinance that pertains to animals needs clarification."

Cellphone tower near BWCA will be allowed
"A 450-foot cellphone tower with flashing lights that would be seen from parts of the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness will be allowed to go forward, after the Supreme Court denied a request to hear the case," (AP).

2 General Mills websites accused of collecting kids' data
"A coalition of nearly 20 children's advocacy, health and public interest groups plans to file complaints with the Federal Trade Commission on Wednesday, asserting that some online marketing to children by General Mills Inc," (Star Tribune).

Study: Minn. prison terms lengthening, costs rising
"The average prison term for all crimes committed by Minnesota offenders has grown by 38 percent in the past two decades, the 11th largest increase of all states surveyed, costing state taxpayers an additional $93 million, according to a recent report from the Pew Center on the States," (KSTP).

Never the same: Five years later, displaced residents remember the flood
"Powerful floodwaters in 2007 destroyed the Minnesota City bridge, damaged more than 300 homes in Goodview, left 3 to 4 feet of mud on roads, and raised Goodview Lake as much as 15 feet above normal," (Winona Daily News).

Report warns of wasting infrastructure, more than 1/3rd MN sewer systems at breaking point
"Minnesota 2020 says all over the state, aging sewage systems have reached a breaking point. The Saint Paul based public policy think tank says one-third of sewer systems around Minnesota are more than 50 years old, with an average life span of a system around 40 years," (KARE11).

SCSU teams up with Minnesota business to grow, study algae
"In the basement of Brown Hall at St. Cloud State University, specially-designed water tanks are used to grow algae. It's part of a research project for a southeastern Minnesota company that builds the algae-growing technology," (St Cloud Times).

Biden tries to kick-start Minn. Democrats
"Biden criticized Romney for not releasing a full slate of tax returns, for owning a private investment firm that Biden alleges invested in companies that shifted jobs from the U.S. to foreign countries and for backing tax cuts for America's top earners," (MPR News). In Rochester, Biden "said Democrats often complain that they don't have a short, catchy phrase summing up the campaign that fits on a bumper sticker. Biden offered his own suggestion: 'Osama bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive,'" (Rochester Post-Bulletin). In Minneapolis, "Biden told a crowd of about 1,500 people: 'Folks, the middle class has started to come back. They have been ravaged,'" (Star Tribune).

"Minnesota delegates to back Ron Paul at Republican National Convention
Delegation chair Marianne Stebbins says state's delegates are 'overwhelmingly Ron Paul supporters" and that she "doesn't think Mitt Romney is a strong candidate,' (Patch).

Affection for Dylan surmounts generations
"As hundreds of people filed into Mayo Civic Center on a pleasant Minnesota evening, Plymouth resident Dennis Norton, 66, recalled his first Bob Dylan concert," (Rochester Post Bulletin).

Swine flu in Minn.; No deal on flood bill; Drought on the Mississippi River

Posted at 8:00 AM on August 21, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Will new flu strain close the Swine Barn at Minnesota State Fair?
"With one case confirmed in Minnesota, disease expert Michael Osterholm says the State Fair staple should be closed to the public this year," reports the Star Tribune.* MPR News: "Illnesses in two Twin Cities children from one family were reported to the agency late last week. A younger child tested positive for swine flu. An older child did not test positive for the illness, although the agency considers it to be a likely case. Both children are recovering."
CDC: Don't pet the pigs

Flood relief bill: Still no deal
AP: "Details of a negotiated flood relief package for northern Minnesota remain elusive for legislative leaders and Gov. Mark Dayton."

A trip down the drought-ridden Mississippi River

"The Mississippi River has had a wild 12 months. This time last year, the river was at flood level. These days, it's near historic lows. From Illinois southward, the low water levels are affecting commerce, tourism, and just everyday life," Here and Now.
In midst of a drought, trying to keep cargo moving on the Mississippi
New York Times: "The dredge Potter is scooping this stretch of the Mississippi River's navigation channel just south of St. Louis, the ship's 32-foot-wide head sucking up about 60,000 cubic yards of sediment each day and depositing it via a long discharge pipe a thousand feet to the side in a violent, muddy plume that smells like muck and summer."
"Atchafalaya," a low water tour of the Mississippi River -- (The New Yorker, 1987)

Red Bull Crashed Ice returning to St. Paul (Pioneer Press)

Regional water project begins limited operation
"A much delayed project is now providing water in neighboring states, but it's still unclear whether Minnesota will benefit," MPR News. Worthington Daily Globe: "Accelerating construction of the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System is a goal shared by many throughout the region, and it brought both Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Tim Walz to Worthington on Monday."

Quist and Walz to face-off in Rochester debate Sept. 27
"Republican Allen Quist, of St. Peter, and DFL incumbent Tim Walz, of Mankato, have accepted an invitation to the debate at Somerby Golf Community in Byron on Thursday, Sept. 27," Rochester Post Bulletin. Note: MPR is a sponsor of the debate

Itasca County sees rise in percentage of college graduates
"Itasca County has experienced a brain gain in the last 40 years. ... In 1970, 7.2 percent of those over 25 years of age had college degrees in Itasca County. By 2010, 20.8 percent of adults here had completed college," (Grand Rapids Herald-Review).

New Best Buy CEO; Lightning death on Lake Superior; Bachmann takes backseat at RNC

Posted at 8:00 AM on August 20, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Best Buy names former Carlson Chief as new CEO
Wall Street Journal*: "Best Buy Co. has chosen a new chief executive to lead the company as it struggles with falling sales and manages a public back-and-forth with founder Richard Schulze, who proposed to take the retailer private earlier this month. The new CEO, Hubert Joly, was chief executive of hospitality and restaurant giant Carlson--which includes businesses such as Radisson and T.G.I. Friday's--before he stepped down Sunday for the Best Buy job."

Iron River boy dies after lightning strikes family seeking shelter with sailboat
"As hail started to fall, and the passengers were scattered on the beach, in the waves and on the boat, tragedy struck from above as a bolt of lightning hit the shallow water near the 26-foot vessel. 'Everyone was blown off their feet. It was like a grenade went off, and there was a blinding flash of white light,' said Sgt. Wade Rasch, an investigator for the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, recounting the words of the boat's captain," reports the Duluth News Tribune.

More recent college grads relaying on food stamps to make ends meet

Recent grads are the exception on the food stamp rolls. Census data analyzed by the Minnesota State Demographic Center show they account for only a tiny percentage of overall users and make up very little of the food stamp growth in recent years. But they are growing at a faster rate than food stamp users who are their age with less education. Between 2006 and 2010, the number of young college grads in the program more than doubled both in Minnesota and nationally. In fact, by 2010, 3.9 percent of U.S. graduates with a bachelor's degree were receiving food stamps."

Solar business owners face end of Xcel incentive program
"Xcel Energy wants to end a solar energy incentive program in Minnesota by the end of 2013 that many in the solar business say has been the main driver of growth," MPR News.

Bachmann left out of Republican convention limelight
Rep. Michele "Bachmann, R-Stillwater, a contender for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination and a tea party favorite, is not among the 22 Republican 'headliners' selected so far to address the gathering in support of the Mitt Romney-Paul Ryan ticket," (St Cloud Times).

Growing pains: Hmong farmers, May Township at odds over farming regulations
"In March, May Township passed an ordinance regulating the use of agricultural garden plots. More than 30 Hmong farmers learned their rented land north of Stillwater was out of compliance in late spring -- after the seasons seeds were sown," Pioneer Press.

Hope and a path through a legal thicket for young illegal immigrants found in Minneapolis gym, (MPR News).

Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "He's not "Forever Young," but at 71, Bob Dylan is still pretty good."

Does Bob Dylan have ties to the St. James Hotel? (The Republican Eagle)

* = subscription or registration may be required

The U.S.-Dakota War 150 years later

Posted at 8:00 AM on August 17, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

The US-Dakota War, 150 years later
"This year marks 150 years since the US-Dakota war, a conflict that shaped the state of Minnesota, and its bitter consequences are still felt today," MPR News series.

In the footsteps of Little Crow
A series on the U.S.-Dakota War from the Star Tribune looking at "the darkest chapter in Minnesota's history."

U.S. - Dakota War of 1862
Minnesota Historical Society: "The U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 followed years of broken treaties and promises to the Dakota people combined with a burgeoning white population in the state. In August 1862, when late annuity payments and the refusal by agents and traders to release provisions found some Dakota facing starvation, factions attacked white settlements, the Lower Sioux Agency and Fort Ridgely in south central and southwestern Minnesota. A significant number of Dakota were against the war and did not participate."

MNHS: The Treaty Story, how Minnesota was divided from 1837 on.
Memory Map: The Dakota's relationship to Minnesota

Today's top headlines on MN Today

The Price of Safety; 9% turnout to vote; Cost of day care exceeds college

Posted at 8:00 AM on August 16, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

A few selections from the Ground Level series The Price of Safety

Video expands Duluth police force
"Their budget under pressure, Duluth police have turned to video camera surveillance to fight crime. They say it works. But they aren't cheap," MPR News.

Have you ever used a gun in self defense?

Concern for security has led one Minnesotan to use an unusual tactic to protect his farm. Ken Kalish deploys guard llamas, both to protect farm animals from predators and to keep tab on strangers.

Series Ground Level: The Price of Safety

Also on MN Today
Primary turnout was 2nd lowest in 62 years
Capitol View: "The Minnesota Secretary of State's office is reporting that voter turnout in Tuesday's primary was 9 percent. That's the second lowest voter turnout for a primary since 1950. Only the 2004 primary had a lower percentage of eligible voters turnout for a primary with 7.73 percent that year."

Commentary: Time to fix the broken primary system
"Another primary election has come and gone but the results are still the same. A pathetically small number of true believers decide the fate of our democracy by electing people at the extremes of party ideology. Thoughtful good-government types then wail and whine about the outcome, asking, 'When will it ever end? How can we stop the paralyzing polarization that has overtaken us?' The answer is that it will never end. We are getting exactly what the system is designed to produce. If we want a different result , we cannot blame the voters or the candidates. We need to change the system," (MPR News).

Cost of day care exceeds college
"Placing an infant in a child care center in Minnesota costs more than a year of state college tuition -- and can consume half the annual income of a typical single mother -- according to a national report released Thursda," Star Tribune.

Bachmann scores weakest Minn. GOP US House incumbent primary win in 50 years
Smart Politics: "Michele Bachmann's 80.4 percent primary vote total on Tuesday was the smallest vote percentage received by a Republican member of the U.S. House from the Gopher State since 1962 spanning 75 incumbent reelection bids."

Bachmann's fundraising prowess crushes that of her DFL opponent Jim Graves (Open Secrets).

Nolan, Cravaack dive into race for Congress
"Rep. Chip Cravaack and his DFL challenger, Rick Nolan, chose very different venues Wednesday for public appearances in Duluth after Tuesday's primary election determined the makeup of the race for Minnesota's 8th Congressional District," Duluth News Tribune.
AP: Cravaack, Nolan diverge on Paul Ryan's medicare plan

The 70 year old freshman?; Time between wins; Flu at the fair

Posted at 8:00 AM on August 15, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

MPR News: Nolan wins in 8th; Quist wins in 1st

Deep election results coverage and reporting on Capitol View.

Full results: here

The 70 year old freshman?
If Rick Nolan wins in November he'd be a 70 years old when he gets sworn in. The average age for a freshman Democrat in the 112 Congress: 53, average age for Democrats in a leadership position: 70. (Examiner) His age puts him close, but still pretty far away from "one of" the oldest freshman WIll Neal who West Virginians sent to the U.S. House when he was 77. (House.gov) Should Nolan win, he would have a leg up on others in his freshman class. He represented the 6th Congressional District between 1975 and 1981. Should Allen Quist, winner of last night's GOP contest in the 1st Congressional District, win in November he'd be 69 when he gets sworn in.

Our view: Cravaack, Nolan can lead the way to civility
"Nolan and Cravaack -- and their supporters -- will have opportunities in the weeks ahead to campaign with class. Candidates in all races can then follow suit. The opportunities for Cravaack and Nolan include a candidate forum on Oct. 9," (Duluth News Tribune)*.

Tough love for Quist from a fellow conservative
Allen Quist "is going to have to work hard in presenting himself as an electable Republican. Because that's not something has has a record of doing. He hasn't won an election since the mid-80s and that is a long time" -- Conservative blogger and GOP activist Michael Brodkorp on the challenge ahead for Allen Quist as he faces Incumbent Rep. Tim Walz in November (Capitol View).

U study raises new worries about flu at fairs
"At the 2009 State Fair, 19 percent of pigs tested -- even healthy-looking ones -- had the flu virus," (Star Tribune)*.

Bennett, Vikings stadium booster, loses seat on Ramsey Co. board
"Ramsey County Commissioner Tony Bennett lost his bid for re-election to the County Board in Tuesday's primary election, after serving 16 years in office," (MPR News).

PUC denies reconsideration for CapX2020 route
Post Bulletin*: "A dispute over the route of CapX2020 high-voltage transmission lines through southeastern Minnesota appears destined for a courtroom challenge, after the state Public Utilities Commission last week declined a request to reconsider a past decision."

Our View: Energy decisions will resonate in Minnesota
The Rochester Post Bulletin has a good op-ed* of looming energy deadlines and implications to consider today.

* = subscription or registration may be required

Toss-up in the 8th?; "Craziest" candidates in the 1st; Minnesota to Mars

Posted at 8:15 AM on August 14, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Minnesotans head to the polls to cast votes in today's primary election.

MPR News colleague Jon Collins has a good summary of the key races on the ballot.

MPR News will have results on-air and online. Capitol View with have updates from around the state including a video chat with academics and bloggers focusing on the Perry-Quist GOP contest in the 1st Congressional District at 9:00 and another focusing on the Anderson-Clark-Nolan DFL race in the 8th District at 9:30p.

Select a candidate: choose a candidate based on their issue stance
1st Congressional District Primary Race
8th Congressional District Primary Race

Find your polling place
Polls open from 7a-8p, Minnesota law allows same day voter registration.

Also on MN Today
Careful look at state employees health benefits may save taxpayers millions
MPR News: "The state of Minnesota is terminating health insurance coverage for about 3,100 family members of state employees. The action comes after the state conducted an audit to determine whether anyone was improperly receiving benefits. Supporters of the audit say it is proof the program is working, and that it could save the state millions of dollars."

Anyone's race in the 8th District?
"As Democrats in the 8th District head to the polls this week, there's a feeling that any of the three DFLers on the ballot could walk away a winner," (MinnPost). "Democrats seeking a northeastern Minnesota congressional seat waited for workers to end shifts at mines and mills and invaded restaurants Monday in a final push for votes ahead of a too-close-to-call primary," (AP).

Tuesday's primary will narrow the field
"After months of shaking hands, visiting county fairs and marching in parades, 1st District Republican congressional candidates Mike Parry and Allen Quist find out Tuesday whether their hard work has paid off," Rochester Post Bulletin.

Parry and Quist both make Buzzfeed's "8 craziest candidates of 2012" list.

West metro legislative primaries a race to the right
"Republican candidates in the far western suburbs have been generating much of the heat leading up to the primary. State Rep. Connie Doepke of Orono is running for the open Senate seat in District 33, after losing a party endorsement fight," MPR News.

Mars, machines and the Minnesota connection
"Mars may be 35 million miles from Earth, but we Minnesotans have a close connection. Parts of the Mars rover, which is sending back all those wonderful pictures, were built right here. At a local machine shop," (Star Tribune).

Primary reads from the 1st and 8th District

Posted at 8:00 AM on August 12, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Featured story collections for a quick and comprehensive read: Paul Ryan, Tim Pawlenty, MN-01, MN-08.

Have a story to contribue to MN Today? Email me or send a Tweet with the hashtag #mntoday.

A man lost in history
"The darkest chapter in Minnesota's past, through the rise and fall of one Dakota leader," a multi-media presentation about the Dakota wars from the Star Tribune.

Low turnout expected for Tuesday's primary election
Red Wing Republican Eagle: "The state's elections chief said that primary turnout will be low and even in the 1st and 8th districts voters are not expected to show up in large numbers."

Three DFL candidates face off to challenge Cravaack
Pine Journal: "For the first time in more than 30 years, voters in Northeastern Minnesota's 8th District are seeing a truly competitive Democratic-Farmer-Labor party primary." Star Tribune: "Dedication to DFL primaries still prevails in northeastern Minnesota, says Don Bye, longtime chair of the Eighth District DFL Party. But, Bye said, "the demographics of this district have changed dramatically. The remaining folks who hang on to the idea that the Eighth is the Range and Duluth are as mixed up as those who think the Range and Duluth are one and the same. They're not recognizing the gradual growth and shift of the population to the southern part of the district." Left MN: "Nolan seems to have the edge, but that's only because both Clark and Anderson's paths to victory involve the other two candidates splitting the vote enough for 38%-35% to be enough. But both Clark and Anderson have conceivable paths to victory nonetheless. I'm also not convinced that second place is Rick Nolan's floor, as I've heard some suggest." MN Progressive Project: "Conventional wisdom is that Nolan is poised for victory, but with no polling data publicly released it is hard to know the true state of the race. The key place to watch on election night is St. Louis County. If Nolan is either close to or ahead of Anderson in Duluth and the Range, it is all over. If Anderson can win St. Louis County big, then perhaps Clark sneaks through. If Anderson wins St. Louis County in a landslide, then perhaps he can pull off the miracle upset of our times."

Quist, Parry make final primary push
KEYC: "They've had their introductions, their caucus battle and the debates, and now the potential challengers to Congressman Tim Walz will finally find out who gets to be on the ballot." Winona Daily News: "For all their similarities, the candidates couldn't be further apart as the Aug. 14 primary looms and the intensity of their attacks -- ranging from voting records and ideologies to questioning each other's character and morals -- grows by the day."

VP candidate Ryan returns to Wisconsin to adoring crowd
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Brushing aside tears and responding to raucous cheers, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan returned to Wisconsin on Sunday for an emotional homecoming in front of thousands of people on the grounds of the Waukesha County Expo Center."

Lynx stars are Minnesota's golden girls after U.S. claims gold again
"Heading home to vie for another title, Minnesota champions heft weighty souvenirs. For the fifth Olympics in a row, the United States emerged a champion" (Star Tribune).

Minnesota mayors discuss LGA issues
"A concern shared by group members in discussing how to measure cities' need for LGA was 'overburden,' the cost to provide city services to non-residents like workers and visitors. Paying for those costs can be a particular challenge for cities that serve as regional centers," reports the Marshall Independent.

One year after Pagami Creek fire, Forest Service reverses course
Ely Echo: "One year and $23 million later, the U.S. Forest Service said if the Pagami Fire happened today it would be put out right away. That would have saved 93,000 acres from being burned after the agency dumped 1,700 gallons of napalm that helped create a fire storm that roared across the BWCA."

Anglers, home owners diverge on invasives; Last Place 'Public Nuisance'; Deer attack

Posted at 8:00 AM on August 10, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Plan to shield lakes from invasives draws fire
Star Tribune: "Angry boaters and anglers fought Thursday to defend their longstanding unfettered access to Minnesota lakes in light of controversial measures urged by lakeshore homeowners that would push regulation of public boat launches to a new level."

Duluth deems Last Place on Earth a 'nuisance'
"The city of Duluth has served a "Notice of Public Nuisance" on the Last Place on Earth and its owner, Jim Carlson, claiming the Superior Street establishment is creating a substantial deterioration of the public safety, use and enjoyment of the historic downtown district," reports the Duluth News Tribune.

New Ulm's Ali Bernard loses Olympic wrestling match to Swede
"Ali Bernard's Olympic experience ended quickly Thursday as she lost her opening match to Jenny Fransson of Sweden, then watched as Fransson was eliminated in the next round of the 72-kilogram class in women's wrestling," writes the Mankato Free Press.

Does Pawlenty have what it takes to be vice president?
"Governors typically want a running mate who has experience getting things done in Congress or has national security credentials -- not Pawlenty's strong points," writes the Pioneer Press.

Number of corporate boards Pawlenty currently serves on: 7 (Star Tribune).

Minn. consumers warned about fresh cilantro (KARE11)

Rocks tell story of early inhabitants
Lake County News: "A Minnesota archaeologist may have found proof of human life in the Superior National Forest more than 10,000 years ago."

Counterfeit cash hits garage sales
KARE11: "Counterfeit cash is showing up at area garage sales. Complaints are coming in from Elk River and St. Cloud. It happened over the weekend at a couple of homes."

Waterspout puts on a show on Lake Superior off Park Point
Duluth News Tribune: "Duluth residents and visitors who happened to look out over Lake Superior just after 11 a.m. Thursday glimpsed a rare sight: a waterspout roping its way toward Park Point." Photo

Survey: Minnesota, North Dakota will be among best places to live in 2032
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Twenty years from now, cars will fly, your iPhone will double as your au pair, and the 'Spiderman' trilogy with be on its 12th reboot. And Minnesota and North Dakota will be among the top five states to live in."

Aggressive deer attacks Minnesota farmer, but the buck stopped there
"I was going out to finish spraying the soybeans," Mark Christenson told the Pioneer Press. "I stepped out a side door, and we saw each other, and he started coming closer."

Parry "pops off again"; Personal email addresses go public; Confusing ATV trail rules

Posted at 7:35 AM on August 9, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Editorial: Candidate's attack on governor was irresponsible
"Mike Parry pops off again. It fits a pattern. It's also part of the reason voters should reject him," writes the Star Tribune editorial board. *

Data requests show cities can't keep citizen email addresses private
MPR News: "Minnesotans who have signed up for online alerts from their municipal government might be surprised to learn that email addresses cannot be kept private."

Wolf hunt opponents campaign to stop season
"A group opposed to the hunting and trapping of gray wolves is petitioning the Department of Natural Resources to cancel this year's planned wolf hunt in Minnesota," reports MPR News. The Wisconsin State Journal reports on a lawsuit against the WI DNR to stop the wolf hunt there.

New map shows where ATV riders can go off-highway in Superior National Forest
"The maps are black and white and are crowded with forest roads and trails. The new policy requires knowing the legend identifying the rules for each type of road marking on the map. Some routes are open to all types of off-highway vehicles, some are open only to smaller ATVs and others have seasonal restrictions. The rules might be defined by whether the route on the map is shaded or dotted, for example," reports the Duluth News Tribune.

$1 million each year for all, as long as tribe's luck holds
New York Times: "The Shakopee Mdewakanton are believed to be the richest tribe in American history as measured by individual personal wealth: Each adult, according to court records and confirmed by one tribal member, receives a monthly payment of around $84,000, or $1.08 million a year. The financial success of the 480 members of the Shakopee Tribe -- whose ancestors 150 years ago were hunted down, slaughtered and eventually exiled from Minnesota -- derives from their flourishing casino and resort operation, which on weekends swells the population of their tiny reservation to the size of a city." *

In the 8th, Jeff Anderson banks on home field advantage
MinnPost: "His campaign message is a simple one: I grew up here. I got a job here. I stayed here. And I know how to make sure others do the same."

Bills, Klobuchar disagree on farm bill -- and nearly everything else -- at Farmfest
MinnPost: "In their first joint forum, Republican candidate Kurt Bills voiced his opposition to the $500 billion, five-year farm bill that his opponent, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, helped shape.Wednesday's candidate forum at Farmfest here displayed the stark differences between the two U.S." Capitol View posted the full debate audio.

John Brennan's awesome Bachmann putdown
"John Brennan, President Obama's top counter-terrorism adviser, brushed off Rep. Michele Bachmann's suggestion that Muslim Brotherhood agents had infiltrated the federal government, giving an obvious eye roll when asked about it," writes Salon. *

Key financiers back up Schulze bid for Best Buy
Star Tribune: "Private equity firms would help bankroll the founder's bid for Best Buy, but the company's directors haven't advanced the proposal." *

* = registration or subscription may be required

Amoeba death; TV 'powerless' against untrue ads; 'Gutter politics'

Posted at 7:50 AM on August 8, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Amoeba in Stillwater's Lily Lake is suspected in boy's death
Star Tribune: "A 9-year-old boy died Tuesday from a suspected rare form of meningitis caused by a freshwater amoeba, and Lily Lake in Stillwater has been closed to swimming in the aftermath, the Minnesota Department of Health reported Tuesday night."

TV stations powerless to block objectionable political ads

KARE11: "Gary Boisclair, a Tea Party supporter running in the 5th District DFL primary against incumbent Democrat Keith Ellison, purchased air time on several local stations, including KARE 11. One ad ties Ellison to an Islamist extremism, without any factual basis, and shows pictures purported to be Christian children murdered by Muslims."

Dayton wants $190 million for flood aid
"Republicans were surprised Tuesday when they learned Gov. Mark Dayton wants $190 million for disaster relief, but the Democratic governor said Tuesday that even the GOP's lower figure is better than nothing," reports the Duluth News Tribune. MPR News: "Over the past 15 years, Minnesota lawmakers have responded to 32 natural disaster with appropriations totaling $488 million. State Sen. Claire Robling, chairman of the Senate finance committee said the administration's proposal was surprisingly high."

With many policy similarities, 8th District DFLers stress experience
MPR News: "The three DFL candidates competing for the party's nomination in the 8th Congressional District talked Tuesday morning about the need for elected officials to compromise."

Cravaack wants more money to arm pilots
Star Tribune: "He calls them last line of defense as White House has sought cuts."

Austin council candidate asks voter not to support him
"With the Aug. 14 primary approaching, Austin City Council candidate Zeke Dahl has one message for voters: don't pick me. According to Dahl, a convicted felon, he would be ineligible to take office on Jan. 1, 2013. 'If I did get elected, I'd have to resign,' he said," reports the Austin Daily Herald.

Dayton: Parry's pill comment is 'gutter politics'
MPR News: "State Sen. Mike Parry, who is also seeking the Republican nomination for Congress in the 1st District, is under fire for claiming that he saw Gov. Mark Dayton take pills." When asked about the pill-popping comment Parry's GOP opponent Allen Quist told the Rochester Post Bulletin, "I wouldn't touch that with a 10-foot pole."

Minnesotans take advantage of North Dakota oil boom
KARE11: "Over the last three years, opportunity has drilled its way in and around Williston, North Dakota. And Minnesotans are trying to cash in."

MN-08 Debate [video]; DNT endorses Anderson; Food-truck fair flop

Posted at 7:30 AM on August 7, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

8th District DFL candidate debate

Also on MN Today
Big questions linger about Lake Superior after the Duluth flood
"We don't know what's going to happen in the ecosystem and the lake response. We know we've added more nutrients, we know we've had a lot of sediment run-off. We're also in the situation where the sort of extreme event that we saw seems to be increasing in frequency," UMD associate professor Liz Minor, with the Large Lakes Observatory, tells the Duluth News Tribune.

Fine print within photo ID proposal could loom large
Star Tribune: "A catchy title belies the murky nature of amendment's specifics."

Albert Lea residents protest sign against illegal immigrants
"About a hundred people marched on Monday evening to protest a sign that calls for the deportation of illegal immigrants," reports MPR News.

Can technology reduce crime at a light-rail stop?
The Star Tribune reports on crime at the Lake St. light-rail station, "Police have increased patrols and even added classical music in an effort to deter troublemakers. Now they're turning to technology: more and better surveillance cameras to record crime scenes and discourage criminals."

Duluth's Fox 21 news director resigns over Facebook post
Duluth News Tribune: "Word spread via social media about comments [Jason] Vincent made on Facebook about a stranger he found in his yard Wednesday night: 'Add drunk, homeless, Native American man to the list of animals that have wandered into my yard.'"

Study shows too many kids graduate early to inappropriate car seats
"A new study published today by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine reveals why kids are at risk--too few parents are using child safety or the incorrect seats and too many are letting their kids ride up front," writes Consumer Reports.

Food truck fair fiasco
"In the wake of what was billed as the first annual Food Truck Fair in downtown Minneapolis, disappointed attendees are demanding refunds," reports the Pioneer Press.

Check your math; Fake pot rolls on in Duluth; Romney strongest on the Range

Posted at 8:30 AM on July 23, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Minnesota: Many students fail math grad exam -- but still graduate (Pioneer Press).

Demographic snapshot: Who has HIV/AIDS in Minnesota?
Star Tribune: "As of December 2011, 7,136 Minnesotans were living with HIV -- about half with the virus and half with full-blown AIDS."

Owner: New state law won't stop sales of fake pot at Last Place on Earth
Duluth News Tribune: "Although a new state law designed to crack down on sales of synthetic marijuana will take effect Aug. 1, Jim Carlson, owner of the Duluth head shop Last Place on Earth, expects it will have little effect on his sales of those products."

History in the making
Marshall Independent: "As Hope Lutheran Church in Minneota plans to celebrate its 140th anniversary next weekend, it's also looking ahead to preserve history."

High commodity prices threaten conservation lands
West Central Tribune: "Contracts on 60 percent of the land enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program in Minnesota will expire in the next five years, and conservationists and hunters are bracing for the inevitable."

Some commodities start 2012 cheaper
St Cloud Times: "A couple of key commodities in Minnesota have been much cheaper through the first half of 2012 than they were in 2011. With the possibilities of a drought affecting the forecast for the Upper Midwest through the remainder of the growing season."

Bike trail a boon to Lanesboro
Chicago Tribune: "Tucked into a wooded valley in the southeast corner of Minnesota, it could be easy to overlook the village of Lanesboro. With a population of just 754, it appears in tiny font on the state map but lures visitors from throughout the Upper Midwest."

Short-staffed by oil boom, Dickinson looks to Grand Forks
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Grand Forks city staff could be working for the city of Dickinson in the not too distant future, under a proposal the City Council is considering."

New poll suggests Presidential race tightening in Minn.
KSTP: "Romney and Obama are effectively even among male voters. All of Obama's advantage comes from female voters, where Obama leads by 14 points. Romney edges Obama among Minnesota's Independents, but not by enough to offset Obama's 2:1 advantage among Minnesota's moderates. Romney leads in Northeastern MN, but Obama leads in the rest of the state." The survey also found 52% of respondents supported the constitutional amendment to define marriage as something that exists between one man and one woman.

Our View: Bachmann must answer her peers
St Cloud Times: "Bachmann faces a simple fact: Immediately either substantiate her accusations or retract them and apologize. To choose any other route, especially silence, is to lose even more of her credibility."

Obama joins Romney in silence about guns after Aurora shooting
Swampland: "Obama didn't mention that the alleged shooter had spent two months legally stockpiling a fearsome arsenal  -- four guns, 6,000 rounds of ammunition purchased online, head-to-toe body armor and a gas mask. Romney didn't note that as Massachusetts governor, he had signed a ban on the kind of semiautomatic weapon the Aurora gunman used to murder 12 people. Neither mentioned gun laws at all."

Iron Range hate crime charges; Bachmann targets Ellison; Warm lakes pose health risk

Posted at 8:05 AM on July 20, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Two charged with hate crime in Iron Range brawl
Duluth News Tribune: "Two Iron Range men have been charged with a hate crime in connection with a brawl that broke out in a downtown Hibbing parking lot early Sunday morning after the city's Jubilee Street Dance. Two other men, including the alleged victim of the hate crime, also were charged with assault in the incident, which was caught on nearby surveillance cameras.

Crews remove pipe bomb from vehicle at Mayo Clinic campus
KAAL: "Traffic near the Mayo Clinic was diverted Thursday as authorities removed a 3-foot-long pipe bomb from the trunk of a vehicle. Authorities say the 50 to 60 pound pipe with caps on each end and a wick was removed from a vehicle inside the Generose Building parking ramp." WCCO: "No one was hurt after family members of a Mayo Clinic patient found the device in the Generose Building parking ramp at about 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Mary's Hospital, according to authorities. No arrests have been made, but police said the woman who had been driving the car with the pipe bomb in the trunk admitted her son had made the explosive months ago."

Bachmann turns Muslim Brotherhood rhetoric on fellow Minnesotan
A bipartisan chorus has emerged in response Rep. Michele Bachmann's allegations that the Muslim Brotherhood has infiltrated the U.S. Government. Republicans and Democrats have described her campaign as McCarthy-esque, unfounded and fear mongering. The latest target in Bachmann's campaign is fellow Minnesotan and the sole Muslim in congress, Rep. Keith Ellison. Tom Scheck and Jon Collins have more on Capitol View.

State Health Dept warns swimmers of deadly amoeba

KARE11: "As water temperatures rise in Minnesota lakes, the state health department is urging swimmers to take special precautions against a rare, but deadly infection caused by amoeba. The single-celled organism, known as Naegleria fowleri, lives in lake sediment and thrives in warmer water. The microscopic amoeba can travel up a swimmer's nose, migrate to the brain and destroy it in a matter of days. The best defense is to avoid putting your face in overly warm lake water, unless you're holding your nose or wearing nose plugs to keep the water. "

Also on MN Today
Suburbs see shifting racial mix
MPR News: "The Twin Cities suburbs are more diverse than you might think. A study released today shows communities in the first and second rings surrounding Minneapolis and St. Paul are seeing rapid changes in their racial makeup."

Tom Davis, 'Saturday Night Live' comedy writer, dies at 59
New York Times: "In 1975, Mr. Davis, brilliant at improvisational comedy, and Mr. Franken, a whiz at plotting funny sequences, became two of the first writers on a new show called 'Saturday Night Live,' which has lasted 37 years. ... Mr. Davis helped shape Mr. Franken's comedy, and vice versa, from the time they entertained students with rebellious, razor-edged humor at high school assemblies in Minnesota."

Minn.'s rework of anti-bullying law takes shape
Star Tribune: "Task force review will be revised. Final report due to governor Aug. 1. Draft report offers no specific language, but guidelines should be included in law to clarify policies on bullying."

Stand-off looms over U.S. plans to cut GMO crop oversight
Reuters: "Efforts to write benefits for biotech seed companies into U.S. legislation, including the new Farm Bill, are sparking a backlash from groups that say the multiple measures would severely limit U.S. oversight of genetically modified crops."

Lyon County ready for Aug 14 primary election
Marshall Independent: "Lyon County Auditor/Treasurer Paula VanOverbeke said her office has been gearing up for the election for a while now. VanOverbeke, who is anticipating more absentee voting this year because it's a presidential year, and her staff have to have everything ready to go before the primary on Aug. 14."

Company pledges $100,000 if USC school referendum passes
Mankato Free Press: "Bevcomm, a Blue Earth-based Internet and telecommunications company, has pledged a $100,000 donation to USC if its referendum for a much-needed new school building passes."

1st and 8th District congressional races liven up Minnesota's low-key primary election
MinnPost: "As Minnesota counts down to a low-key Aug. 14 primary, differences in the two highest-profile races -- in the 1st and 8th Congressional Districts -- couldn't be greater."

Minnesota 8 (Rep. Chip Cravaack; 2008 Obama 53, McCain 45) -- Cravaack was one of the shock winners on election night 2010, as he narrowly defeated long-time Democratic Rep. James Oberstar in this Democratic-leaning northeastern Minnesota district. Democrats see him as one of the most vulnerable Republican incumbents in the country -- which is true -- but they first need to pick a challenger in the Aug. 14 primary. Ex-Rep. Rick Nolan (he served from 1975-1981) has party support, but ex-state Sen. Tarryl Clark has been the better fundraiser, probably in part because she unsuccessfully challenged Rep. Michele Bachmann in 2010 (ex-Duluth City Councilor Jeff Anderson is also battling for the nomination). No matter his opponent, Cravaack -- who faces residency questions because his family lives in New Hampshire -- faces a rough road.

Minnesota looks for a bigger taste of India
Star Tribune: "Minnesota officials are trying to stimulate food exports to one of the world's fast-growing economies."

Bachman doubles down after bipartisan opposition emerges to her Muslim Brotherhood claims

Posted at 8:15 AM on July 18, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

McCain denounces Bachmann's Muslim Brotherhood statement
MPR News: "Republican U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona took to the Senate floor today to defend a State Department employee against allegations that she has ties to the Muslim Brotherhood." Star Tribune: "The State Department also weighed in, saying Bachmann's remarks were 'vicious and disgusting lies.'"

Bachmann's former campaign chief -- shame on you, Michele
Ed Rollins writes on Fox News: "I have been a practitioner of tough politics for many decades. There is little that amazes me and even less that shocks me. I have to say that Congresswoman Michele Bachmann's outrageous and false charges against a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Huma Abedin reaches that threshold. Her unsubstantiated charge against Abedin, a widely respected top aide to Secretary Hillary Clinton, accusing her of some sort of far-fetched connection to the Muslim brotherhood, is extreme and dishonest."

Star Tribune: "Despite the backlash, Bachmann doubled down on her efforts Wednesday, alleging that the Obama administration 'appeases our enemies instead of telling the truth about the threats our country faces.'" Her opponent Jim Graves is circulating a petition "demanding" that Bachmann end the "McCarthy-styled witch-hunt."

Also on MN Today
Marriage amendment foes winning money race
MPR News: "Opponents of a proposed constitutional amendment on marriage have widened their financial lead but supporters say they are confident the amendment will prevail anyway."

Fed: Regional economy sees moderate growth
Bloomberg: "The Ninth District economy grew moderately since the last report. Increased activity was noted in consumer spending, tourism, professional services, construction, real estate, and agriculture. Growth was also positive, but slightly slower than in the previous reporting period, in the manufacturing, energy, and mining sectors. Some tightening was noted in labor markets, and wage increases were moderate. Price increases were modest, and some decreases were noted."

Video chat with Olympian and Duluth Native Kara Goucher

St. Paul City Council approves Saints ballpark financing
Pioneer Press: "St. Paul is one step closer to seeing a new Saints ballpark in Lowertown.The city council voted unanimously on Wednesday, July 18, to approve a financing plan for a $54 million ballpark in downtown St. Paul near the Farmers' Market."

Franken raps Facebook on photo tagging
Star Tribune: "Chairing a hearing of a subcommittee on privacy and technology, Franken challenged Facebook's practice of automatically including its members in a facial recognition program for photographs."

Revenue commissioner: State tax system in need of repair
Bemidji Pioneer: "'A deficit isn't a Democratic or Republican thing,' Frans said. 'It's a deficit and we've got to solve it.' Dayton, Frans said, will present his budget during the next legislative session and a tax-reform system will be developed to meet that target."

Common Cause seeks criminal charges against MNGOP, Sutton
MPR News: "The group Common Cause Minnesota is pushing for criminal charges to be filed against the Minnesota Republican Party and former party chair Tony Sutton."

Voter ID opponents out-raise amendment supporters
Capitol View: "Our Vote Our Future has raised nearly $183,000 since the beginning of the year, which is about $133,000 more than it reported in June when the last round of finance reports were filed."

Minneapolis native hopes to unseat Joe Biden on Green Party ticket
The Cities: "Anti-poverty organizer Cheri Honkala joined the ticket of Green Party presidential hopeful Jill Stein this week. The Green Party's national convention takes place this weekend in Baltimore, Md."

Lumberjack Days will be missed, many Stillwater residents say
Pioneer Press: "In mid-July most years, Jeff Chilson is stocking up on beer, ice and cups, hiring extra staff and gearing up for 18-hour workdays."

Close quarters for pigs; The politics of rural broadband; Craft brew at the fair

Posted at 8:15 AM on July 18, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Video shot in Minn. spotlights how pigs are treated
Star Tribune: "Mercy for Animals used film shot in Minnesota to bolster its fight against the hog industry's use of gestation crates." AP: "Costco Wholesale Corp. has joined a growing list of retailers and restaurants in asking suppliers to phase out tight confinement pens for pregnant sows."

Lake County broadband effort turns into fight over government stimulus help
MPR News: "To help businesses like Granite Gear and solve the internet woes of northeast Minnesota residents, Lake County began stringing fiber Tuesday in Two Harbors, which is on Lake Superior's North Shore."

2 Minn. men indicted over untimely wolf kills
Star Tribune: "Just months before the state Department of Natural Resources is planning to let hunters harvest 400 wolves in Minnesota, a federal grand jury in Minneapolis has indicted two North Shore residents in an alleged conspiracy to cover up the killing of two of the animals ahead of schedule."

Minneapolis: A look at the midwest's marketing overachiever
Ad Age: "Minneapolis' greater urban area is home to 18 Fortune 500 companies, including five in the top 100. Ad Age takes a close look at the city's marketing scene."

Measuring significant drought years

NewsHour: "Overall, commodities markets are responding in anticipation of a reduced harvest and in turn, any users of the products in their raw form are seeing prices increase,"

Republicans tell Mitt Romney to show tax returns
Politico: "The list of prominent Republicans and conservatives urging Romney to put out more than the two years of tax returns he has promised is continuing to grow each day." Pawlenty: Romney's released enough tax returns (CBS News).

How Minnesota and Portland started a mini feud
Dime: "Portland and Minnesota have representatives in Las Vegas this week, carrying on a mini-feud that started with one team unwittingly a part of it, sucked in by people now long gone."

N.H.L. seeks to end "front-loaded" contracts
New York Times: "It also seeks to end long-term front-loaded contracts, like the 13-year, $98 million deals that Zach Parise and Ryan Suter signed earlier this month with the Minnesota Wild."

Minnesota State Fair: Craft beer, Luminarium among new attractions
Pioneer Press: "From a giant sandbox and skateboard lessons to a flight of Minnesota craft beer and a People's Choice vote on food favorites, the Minnesota State Fair has added a dozen new attractions to the 2012 lineup."

Fighting pesticide use; Breaking even; When otters attack

Posted at 4:03 PM on July 17, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Anti-pesticide movement gaining ground in Lakes Country
WDAY: "People in Lakes Country say they've had enough. They say pesticides from farm fields keep making them sick. They've part of an anti-pesticide movement that is gaining momentum. Their goal is showing the possible dangers of the air we breathe."

Goodhue County commission tables recommendation on silica mining
Post Bulletin: "With very little discussion, the nine-member board unanimously tabled the issue until July 30 so additional analysis could be done by residents."

10,000 jobs to break even
Minnesota Brown: "Mining wages up. Mining jobs down. New mining jobs unlikely to back-fill losses." More mining coverage

Is it fair to ridicule Romney for his 'retroactive retirement' from Bain?
New Yorker: "The concept of 'retroactive retirement' is well-established. Ben Affleck retroactively retired from the cast of 'Gigli,' thus restoring his bankability as a movie star. As the journalist Matt Yglesias recalled, Michael Jordan retroactively retired from his two seasons playing for the Washington Wizards." More 2012 coverage

Bachmann defends her witch hunt
Salon: "Rep. Michele Bachmann defended her attempt to root out 'deep penetration' by the Muslim Brotherhood into the U.S. government Friday, writing a 16-page letter explaining and expanding on her initial charges against Huma Abedin and others of being terrorist sympathizers." More 2012 coverage

Otter attack victim will dive back into Island Lake this Sunday
Northland News: "The Anoka woman, bitten by an otter 25 times last week in Island Lake, will be diving back in, this Sunday."

Spoof -- Beware: Duluth Attacking Otters

Perfect Duluth Day: "Please, beware of attacking otters in the Duluth area. There is at least one attacking otter on the loose and where there is one.... there has got to be more." Check out PDD for the glory of the full thread.

Flood clean up compromises trout stream; Needle sandwich; Walking the snake

Posted at 7:55 AM on July 17, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Needles found in sandwiches on 4 U.S.-bound Delta flights
Reuters: "Delta Air Lines Inc said it was working with federal authorities after what appeared to be sewing needles were found in food on four U.S.-bound flights that left Sunday from Amsterdam, injuring one passenger."

St. Paul Police crime lab under scrutiny in drug case
MPR News: "Attorneys representing a Rochester man charged with drug possession asked a judge Monday to throw out evidence tested by the St. Paul Police Department's crime lab, arguing the lab's results are not reliable."

Naturalists up in arms over downed trees along Chester Creek
"The cutting was so extreme that it will take the stream two to three decades to recover," Deserae Hendrickson, area fisheries supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources told the Duluth News Tribune. Chester Creek is a designated trout stream, the tree-lined banks kept the water cool and provided excellent shade for the fish. The city hired a contractor to clean up the stream after the devastating floods on June 19.

'It's sentimental': Fallen trees brings mess, sense of loss after July 2 storm
Bemidji Pioneer: "Growing up, Erik Jensen liked to sit under the white pine tree that stood at the end of his family's driveway."

Minneapolis, St. Paul gain as growth shifts from burbs
Star Tribune: "Minneapolis and St. Paul are adding new residents by the thousands, reversing a decades-long trend of population losses to the suburbs and possibly reordering priorities for things like spending on highways and transit."

West Fargo denies request to allow constrictor snakes as pets
Robert Butts said "he only became aware of West Fargo's snake ban this year after the confrontation with other residents at the park. He said he was taking one of his snakes for a walk when he drew attention from onlookers at a softball game," reports the Forum of Fargo Moorhead.

Romney veep selection: Pawlenty, Portman or Jindal
Reuters: "Ohio Senator Rob Portman, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal all offer various strengths to Romney should he decide to pick one of them to join his battle to unseat President Barack Obama and his vice president, Joe Biden, in the November 6 election."

Op-Ed: The latest shameful attack on Voter ID
Heritage Foundation: "The LWV should be ashamed that it is trying to suppress the vote of Minnesota citizens. Let's hope the Minnesota Supreme Court is not taken in by this discreditable attempt to circumvent the democratic process."

Also on MN Today
Duluth police: 5 heroin overdoses over weekend, one fatal
Out-of-state money floods Minnesota political campaigns
Nolan gets lift from DFL in 8th District
Thief River food-shelf closed temporarily
Despite tragedy, divers not deterred at 'the cribs' in Duluth
Ron Paul's delegate insurgency ends in Nebraska

Heroin death in Duluth; Thief River food-shelf closed; Ron Paul's insurgency ends

Posted at 4:20 PM on July 16, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Duluth police: 5 heroin overdoses over weekend, one fatal
Duluth News Tribune: "The Duluth Police Department is investigating the recent incidents in an effort to find the source of the drugs."

Out-of-state money floods Minnesota political campaigns
MPR News: "According to the most recent round of campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, contributors living as far away as Alaska are pumping hundreds of thousands of dollars into Minnesota's congressional races."

Nolan gets lift from DFL in 8th District
Capitol View: "Though Nolan has won his party's endorsement, he's still locked in a primary battle with Tarryl Clark and Jeff Anderson, two other Democrats vying to take on Republican Rep. Chip Cravaack this fall. And Clark raised nearly twice as much money as Nolan in the second quarter of the year."

Thief River food-shelf closed temporarily
Crookston Times: "Susie Novak, executive director of the Crookston-based North Country Food Bank, told the Times Monday that families in need in Thief River Falls will not go without food, even though the board of directors of the TRF Area Food Shelf in Thief River Falls announced Friday that, effective immediately, the food shelf there is temporarily shutting down."

Despite tragedy, divers not deterred at 'the cribs' in Duluth
Duluth News Tribune: "Chalk-written homages to 13-year-old Jeffery Carlos Watson Jr., who died a month ago near 'the cribs,' are gone, but it's doubtful everyone would heed their warning were they visible."

Ron Paul's delegate insurgency ends in Nebraska
ABC News: "Ron Paul's delegate insurgency has come to an end. Supporters of the libertarian GOP presidential candidate fell short at the Nebraska GOP convention, where they had hoped to out-organize Mitt Romney's delegates and push Paul over a critical threshold that would have ensured him an official presence and speaking slot at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., in August."

Hot; Bachmann on Muslim Brotherhood; Auroras fill the sky

Posted at 8:00 AM on July 16, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Today's heat index could reach 105
Saint Cloud Times: "A heat advisory for Central Minnesota is set to start at 11 a.m. today as temperatures could top 100."

Walz raises more than opponents in second quarter
New Ulm Journal: "U.S. Rep. Tim Walz is continuing to top his GOP opponents in fund-raising in the Minnesota 1st Congressional District race, according to his second quarter FEC reports filed Sunday."

Flush times draw newcomers to farming
Star Tribune: "High crop prices are attracting a new generation, but risks remain."

Anxiety and anger as zebra mussel invasion spreads
MPR News: "For many Minnesotans, summer evenings at the lake are perfect for a refreshing swim after a hot day. But if you swim in Pelican Lake, a popular spot in Otter Tail County, you'd better wear shoes or risk getting sliced by razor-sharp zebra mussel shells."

Nolan emerges to run for Congress after 32-year political hiatus
Star Tribune: "The former U.S. rep and the DFL Party's congressional nominee arrived at Capitol Hill as a 'Watergate baby.'"

Bakk suggests letting House take lead on disaster aid
Capitol Chatter: "When asked if they could keep the special session limited to disaster relief, House Speaker Kurt Zellers, R-Maple Grove, and Senate Majority Leader Dave Senjem, R-Rochester, said they did not think it would be proper to take up other issues, but neither promised to control their members."

Bachmann details allegations of "potential Muslim Brotherhood infiltration" of U.S.
Saint Cloud Times: "U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann is asking how a top aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton got security clearance given what Bachmann describes as the aide's family ties to the Muslim Brotherhood movement."

Pawlenty looked at as Romney running mate
New York Times: "It was four years ago this summer, when Tim Pawlenty ranked high on the list of John McCain's potential running mates, and Mr. Pawlenty and his wife, Mary, were plowing through a voluminous questionnaire probing deep into their finances and almost every other aspect of their lives."

Bikini parade, cancer claims raise eyebrows in Madison Lake
Mankato Free Press: An owner of a tanning salon in Madison Lake wants to raise awareness of the benefits of vitamin D in fighting cancer. She's wants to set a record of women wearing bikinis in a parade. Town leaders don't want that kind of attention and question the wisdom of exposing your skin to the sun as a way to fight cancer.

Latest word on the campaign trail? I take it back
New York Times: "Politicians and their advisers are routinely demanding that reporters allow them final editing power over any published quotations."

Northern Minn. sky illuminated by Auroras

Doug Kiesling: "The Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights lit up the sky over central Minnesota just northeast of the city of Saint Cloud, MN."

Superior Zoo reopening; Wilderness vs cell tower; Bison return

Posted at 8:04 AM on July 13, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Bill diluting mining rules passes U.S. House
Statewide: "Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-MN) says the measure will allow development in the PolyMet mining project to be expedited."

Wilderness advocates advance case against AT&T tower on edge of BWCA
Statewide: "The Friends of the BWCAW will continue a case against telecommunications giant AT&T that challenges the company's plan to erect a 450' cell phone tower on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness."

Our view: Welcome back, zoo
Duluth News Tribune: "Another nugget of normalcy returns to flood-ravaged-but-still-here Duluth today with the reopening of Lake Superior Zoo."

DNR partners with zoo to conserve bison
Prior Lake American: "The DNR will work with the Minnesota Zoo to cooperatively manage a genetically-pure bison herd at Minnesota state parks and at a zoo exhibition. A herd of more than 100 bison currently reside at Blue Mounds State Park in southwestern Minnesota."

Franken-sponsored campaign disclosure bill to get vote next week
MinnPost: "The U.S. Senate is set to vote on a campaign finance disclosure bill co-authored by Sen. Al Franken next week, though Republicans have objected to such efforts in the past, complicating its chances of passage."

Deadlock on taxes will raise what most Minnesotans pay into the government
Statewide: "With a tax-package set to expire in less than six months, Congress and the White House are in a debate over whichincome groups should continue to get breaks. If the deadlock endures, and a compromise isn't agreed to, middle-class Minnesotans could see their taxes go up by more than $1,200 next year."

75 years of Spam; Ice cold beer here (TCF); Godless Saints

Posted at 7:40 AM on July 12, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Happy Birthday, Spam! America's favorite canned meat turns 75

Christian Science Monitor: "Spam, the legendary canned meat whose very name invokes delight in some and queasiness in many more, turns 75 this month. The product's parent company, Hormel Foods Corp., is celebrating with what it calls a 'Spamtastic' birthday bash at the Spam manufacturing plant in Austin." Austin Daily Herald: "Spam, which turns 75 on Thursday, has been a Hormel staple for three quarters of a century."

Beer-drinking, Gopher-cheering fans can do both at TCF Stadium this fall
MPR News: "It's official. Gophers fans can drink beer -- and maybe a little wine -- in TCF Bank Stadium when the University of Minnesota's football season starts this fall."

Minnesota Atheists rename St Paul Saints the Mr. Paul Aints, for one night
Minnesota Atheists are sponsoring a game of the St. Paul Saints in August. "Our banners will hang in the stadium and we will rename the team the 'Mr. Paul Aints.' The team will wear Mr. Paul Aints jerseys during the game," according to the group's Meetup page.

Drug-training cop could face charges
Star Tribune: "Occupy protesters in Minneapolis had alleged that police officers supplied them with marijuana."

Two Harbors foster parents lose license after spanking
Duluth News Tribune: "A Two Harbors couple's child foster care license was revoked because the foster mother spanked a foster child in violation of state rules, according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services."

Eagan day care provider faces charges in death of child
KARE11: "A 64-year-old Eagan day care provider faces multiple charges in connection to the death a child in her care in August 2011."

St. Paul: Council asks Backpage site to drop adult classifieds
Pioneer Press: "The St. Paul City Council has passed a resolution calling on Village Voice Media, owners of the classified ad site Backpage.com, to discontinue the adult section of their online classifieds 'because it serves as a platform to traffic minors for sex.'"

Quist woos conservative voters in Rochester
Rochester Post Bulletin: "With just over a month until the primary election, Republican 1st District candidate Allen Quist worked to woo Rochester conservative voters Wednesday by pledging to slash government spending to balance the nation's budget."

GOP lawmaker: TSA 'in violation' of accelerated military screening law
The Hill: "Freshman Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-Minn.) said Wednesday that the Transportation Security Administration is violating a new law to accelerate airport screening of military personnel."

Being suitable lifts Pawlenty stock in veep hunt
AP: "He's not a Sarah Palin. He's a Joe Biden type of pick," said Gary Marx, executive director of the conservative Faith and Freedom Coalition, describing Pawlenty as "appealing and acceptable to all branches of the conservative base and the Republican Party as a whole."

River Falls tragedy; Help for Sartell mill; Interparty ad war

Posted at 7:45 AM on July 11, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

3 sisters found dead in home in River Falls
Star Tribune: "Mother alerted police after becoming worried for their safety. The father turned himself in."

Dayton offers help to Sartell mill in flood special session
MPR News: "Gov. Mark Dayton is expected to call a special legislative session to consider flood aid and now says he wants to consider helping the mill as well. But even with the governor's backing, the owners of the mill in Sartell aren't ready to commit to rebuilding."

Officials in Duluth to size up flood damage
MPR News: "Federal and state officials meet in Duluth Wednesday morning to begin assessing the damage done to homes and businesses by recent flooding. Results of the assessments could lead to federal aid for the region."

TV ad wars get under way in GOP 1st District Congressional race
Post Bulletin: "Republican Allen Quist said his campaign expects to spend $100,000 on TV advertising between now and the Aug. 14 primary. His first TV ad is tentatively scheduled to air Monday on cable stations across southern Minnesota and on local TV stations in Austin, Rochester and Mankato."

Bachmann warns of Muslim Brotherhood in U.S. Govt
St Cloud Times: "Rep. Michele Bachmann says the Muslim Brotherhood, the international Islamist movement that recently came to power in Egypt, has made 'deep penetration' within the U.S. government, and she wants an investigation of its influence within five federal agencies. ... Rep. Keith Ellison, DFL-Minneapolis, said in a statement that he's puzzled by Bachmann's comments. Ellison, the first Muslim-American elected to the U.S. Congress, said he doesn't understand why Bachmann would make such accusations through the press if she has information that's as sensitive as she claims. 'If she has sources for this type of information, she owes it to the country to reveal them to the proper authorities, but definitely not this way," Ellison said. "If she doesn't have this type of information, she should not be whipping up fear and hysteria about a very important matter.'"

Man rescues buddy in BWCA
Albert Lea Tribune: "Fifteen miles from Ely and more than a hundred miles from Duluth, Scott Pirsig pushed his canoe away from the shore of South Hegman Lake in the remote Boundary Waters Canoe Area. He had just left his buddy Bob Sturtz behind in the tent at their wilderness camp."

Is Jon Moe the next Garrison Keillor? Bob Collins says he doesn't know on News Cut, but explores the question anyway.

Minn. No. 1 in medical care; The value of a good storm water system

Posted at 8:08 AM on July 10, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Minnesota No. 1 in medical care
Star Tribune: "Most care categories were strong, a federal report said, with home health care the exception."

Small towns bear brunt of flood damage

MPR News: "The city of Duluth grabbed headlines following flooding that surged across northeast Minnesota nearly three weeks ago. But several small towns just to the southwest suffered some of the most extensive damage."

Estimated damage in Carlton County: more than $100 million

Good storm water system helped save Duluth schools
Duluth News Tribune: "The Duluth school district sustained only minor flood damage during the June 19-20 storm that ravaged parts of the region and is crediting in part the new storm water systems installed at some of the schools."

Farms rise again on acres where houses were planned
Star Tribune: "The housing bust and commodity boom have altered land-use patterns at the edge of suburbia."

Election 2012
Parry targets Quist over gas tax vote
New Ulm Journal: "Minnesota 1st Congressional District Republican candidate state Sen. Mike Parry was on the attack Monday against fellow Republican candidate Allen Quist over his 1986 vote in support of a gas tax increase."

In framing touchy election issues, party leaders take risks
New York Times: "President Obama and Congressional Republicans pressed ahead on Monday with politically charged proposals on tax cuts and health care, in competing efforts to frame the election-year debate. But each risked opening fissures in their own ranks, as lawmakers played up alternatives to the aggressive approaches of their leaders."

Hunting 'mansions' occupy public land; Same sex ballot suit; Kruse tries again

Posted at 8:00 AM on July 9, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Massive hunting shacks, bait crops and shooting lanes invade public lands
Duluth News Tribune: "Increasingly across St. Louis County forests, including on public lands, permanent deer stands have become a whole lot more elaborate -- some far too elaborate for county land managers. And hunters are cutting more trees near those stands so they can see deeper into the woods. Some hunters are even planting crops on public land to attract deer to their stands. 'We're getting over-built. We're seeing mansions out there -- basically hunting shacks on stilts,' Bob Krepps, St. Louis County land commissioner, told the News Tribune."

Sec. of State sued over marriage amendment
MPR News: "Supporters of an effort to amend Minnesota's constitution to block same-sex marriage say they're filing a suit about the ballot question's title."

Will 3rd time be a charm for Kruse?
Marshall Independent: "Al Kruse wasn't planning on running for office again this year, but now that he is, he's looking forward to ending his personal losing streak and getting a chance to make a difference in St. Paul in 2013."

Poor man's apocalypse
Minnesota Brown: "When you live where we do the lack of electricity means more than the loss of internet, TV and interior lighting. We also lose water. Honestly, that's probably the part that wears you down. We have bottled water to drink and do some basic grooming, but any dishes that weren't washed by Monday night are still there. Laundry is piling up. You can't flush the toilets unless you pour a bucket of lake water into the back of the tank, water that smells roughly as bad as the used toilet water we flush every fifth use. As one of our sons pointed out, "It smells like a petting zoo in here!" Actually, that's exactly right."

Reports on mailings get a bit more frank
Hotdish Politics: "Members of Minnesota's congressional delegation spent almost $690,000 over a 13-month period to send out millions of pieces of taxpayer-financed mail, buy Facebook ads and host telephone town halls with their constituents."

Amy Senser case: Will she go to prison or get probation?
Pioneer Press: "Until about 11 p.m. Aug. 23, Amy Senser could be defined by fairly routine labels: Wife. Suburban mother of two teen girls. Bookkeeper at a chiropractor's office. Volunteer for service work in Peru. Second-degree black belt.In an instant and its aftermath, all that changed."

National
Cell carriers see uptick in requests to aid surveillance
New York Times: "In the first public accounting of its kind, cellphone carriers reported that they responded to a startling 1.3 million demands for subscriber information last year from law enforcement agencies seeking text messages, caller locations and other information in the course of investigations."

Thousands still without power in Arrowhead; 1936 heat wave; Sauk Rapids sewage

Posted at 7:33 AM on July 6, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Downed trees slow work to restore power
Duluth News Tribune: "Still reeling from efforts to restore power in Itasca County after Monday night's windstorm, Lake Country Power crews were busy Thursday trying to restore power to customers across Minnesota Highway 1 -- from Togo through Tower into Ely -- after a Wednesday night storm." Northland News Center: "Nearly 4,000 Lake Country Power members are still without power Thursday after several severe storms hit the company's service area earlier this week."

1936 heat wave still most extreme
TPT: In 1936 "eight hundred Minnesotans died as the state struggled with the most extreme heat wave our state's ever witnessed. Weather historian Mark Seeley joins us to tell us all about it."

'Knee-high by 4th of July' corn not good enough now
MPR News: "The growing season so far in many Minnesota corn fields has been almost poetic. Some stalks are nearly as high as an elephant's eye, but you won't hear many people use that song lyric to describe them."

Broken pipe spews sewage into Mississippi River
MPR News: "Utility officials say up to 700,000 gallons of sewage spewed into the Mississippi River when a sewer pipe broke in Sauk Rapids on Wednesday."

Second teen charged as adult in 13-year-old's death
Star Tribune: "He was 15 at time of shooting that killed Ray'Jon Gomez. Derrick Deangelo Catchings remains jailed in lieu of bail."

Anti-foreclosure group reports progress
MPR News: "Organizers with the group Occupy Homes say their efforts to help homeowners fight foreclosure are showing signs of success.Occupy Homes organizer Chris Gray says the 8-month-old group has helped three homeowners in the Twin Cities successfully negotiate with mortgage lenders."

Interactive: Watching 'tax' Tweets after Supreme Court decision
WNYC: "You know how your corner of Twitter reacted to last week's Supreme Court decision, but how did *everyone* on Twitter."

Photos: Fireworks fill a hot Minnesota sky

Posted at 10:06 AM on July 5, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Fireworks fill the hot summer sky in Minnesota

It was the hottest 4th of July on record in the Twin Cities, heat records were broken across the state.

Storified by Minnesota Today · Thu, Jul 05 2012 05:37:11

Dark history; Hottest July 4th on record; Your fireworks photos

Posted at 7:53 AM on July 5, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Dark Minnesota history episode part of state exhibit
Worthington Daily Globe: "Museums often tell war stories, but an exhibit the Minnesota History Center just opened is more emotional than others.'This is our war,' History Center Director Dan Spock said while touring the exhibit on the St. Paul museum's third floor."

UMD drops support for Un-Fair Campaign
Duluth News Tribune: "A week after University of Minnesota Duluth's chancellor said the school wouldn't pull out of the controversial Un-Fair Campaign, UMD has done just that."

Heat records broken
MPR News: "Temperatures hit 101 in Minneapolis on Wednesday, breaking the old record of 100 set on the same day in 1949, according to the National Weather Service. St. Cloud got up to 97, one degree higher than the record set in 1988."

Union policy presents a tough campaign issue for Bills
MPR News: "Last month, U.S. Senate hopeful Kurt Bills was across the river in Hudson, Wisconsin, to support Republican Gov. Scott Walker, who was facing a recall election launched by Democrats angry about his efforts to dismantle public employee union rights."

Storms sweep across Northland
Duluth News Tribune: "Lake Country Power crews were hard at work in the Northland on Wednesday, chipping away at a mountain of outages left by severe weather earlier this week, when Mother Nature dealt the utility and the region another round of damaging storms."

This summer is 'what global warming looks like'
AP: "Is it just freakish weather or something more? Climate scientists suggest that if you want a glimpse of some of the worst of global warming, take a look at U.S. weather in recent weeks."

Amish residents question mining activity in SE Minn.
MPR News: "The rolling countryside near St. Charles is a place of horse-drawn buggies and one-room schoolhouses, woodworking shops and limited electricity."

Twin Ports Bridge Festival adds a day for flood relief
Duluth News Tribune: "On Saturday, the Twin Ports Bridge Festival starts at 10:15 a.m. with group Zumba and continues with music by The Fractals, Charlie Parr, Caroline Smith."

Farmers' safety net is now a money bag
Star Tribune: "Many crop insurance policies guarantee a profit, which, some say, feeds competition - and boosts prices -- for cropland. Who pays? Taxpayers."

Nobles County trail project to move forward
Worthington Daily Globe: "With plans to begin constructing a trail project yet this year along Crailsheim Drive on Worthington's east side, Nobles County commissioners opted to pay a little more for a land easement to avoid the likely delays of going through eminent domain."

In N.H.L. free agency, Wild sign Parise and Suter
New York Times: "For Zach Parise, the attraction of returning home proved too strong to pass up. On Wednesday, he reluctantly left the Devils, with whom he had spent his entire N.H.L. career, and signed a 13-year, $98 million contract with the Minnesota Wild."

Minnesota Twins get another dose of classic Justin Verlander in 5-1 loss to Tigers
Pioneer Press: "Justin Verlander handcuffed the Twins on four hits and a walk in a 5-1 Tigers victory Wednesday in a game that was delayed 2 hours, 26 minutes by strong electrical storms at Comerica Park. It was his 19th career complete game, and his fifth this season, a new career high."

Fireworks fill the hot summer sky in Minnesota

It was the hottest 4th of July on record in the Twin Cities, heat records were broken across the state.

Storified by Minnesota Today · Thu, Jul 05 2012 05:37:11

80 mph winds rip through northern Minn.

Posted at 8:15 AM on July 3, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Bemidji Pioneer: "A fast-moving thunderstorm tore through Bemidji shortly before 7 p.m. Monday, leaving a wide swath of debris, downed trees and much of the city without power. The storm produced 80 mph straight-line winds, Dave Kellenbenz, senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Grand Forks, N.D., said. Beltrami County Sheriff Phil Hodapp said that while the department didn't immediately know the extent of the damage, he had crews out checking every street for downed power lines."

The storm also caused damage further east in Grand Rapids.

Severe storm damage throughout Grand Rapids, Itasca County
Grand Rapids Herald-Review: "Widespread and severe damage is being reported throughout Grand Rapids and Itasca County after a severe storm hit the area after 8 p.m. Monday evening."

Meteorologist Craig Edwards on Morning Edition said it appeared the strongest wind occurred just to the south and east of Grand Rapids in Itasca County. Edwards said the storm fizzled out before hitting Duluth.

The storm hit the Twin Cities in a weaker state, but thousands of homes lost power. Crews scrambled to restore power as temperatures inched upwards.

Xcel Energy says outages now just over 8,300 in Twin Cities, down by nearly half from pre-dawn outages. #mnstorms

— Tim Nelson (@timnelson_mpr) July 3, 2012

Major storm just passed thru #BemidjiMN. Trees & powerlines down. twitter.com/BemidjiRita/st...

— Rita Albrecht (@BemidjiRita) July 3, 2012

Sunset after the storm ended. #OneMinuteTornado #NextMinuteCalm twitter.com/ChannynKJohnso...

— Channyn Johnson (@ChannynKJohnson) July 3, 2012

Also on MN Today
Stearns County day-care provider loses license
Star Tribune: "The suspension in Stearns County came after a boy died, the year's seventh death at an in-home child-care center in Minnesota."

St. Cloud ties heat record at 95 degrees
St Cloud Times: "St. Cloud tied the record high this afternoon when the temperature reached 95 degrees.This equals the mark set in 1921."

Summer season a washout for Jay Cooke Park
Duluth News Tribune: "Jay Cooke State Park probably will be closed for the remainder of the summer in the wake of flood-related washouts along Minnesota Highway 210, park manager Gary Hoeft said."

Black bears get aggressive along Gunflint Trail
Duluth News Tribune: "Dana Austin didn't at first think much about the banging on her door last week. Her husband, Tim, had been repairing a screen door earlier in the evening, and the door had been opening and closing."

Two little girls explain the worst haircut ever

Looking forward to an interesting week with chances of #nopower #mnstorms #minnesotainstagr.am/p/Mnc8u2oyEz/

— Megan Nyberg (@MNMeditations) July 3, 2012

Duluth: Wilco gets key to city; $3M tourism loss; Polar bear return uncertain

Posted at 8:35 AM on July 2, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Mayor Ness gives Wilco key to city
Duluth News Tribune: "The first show of a busy Bayfront Festival Park season was like that: An unleashing of people who have been cooped up indoors for too long listening to bands play in dark bars."

Will climate change influence Duluth's rebuilding plans?
Daily Circuit: "As Duluth continues its cleanup efforts following the June 20 flood, plans to rebuild could be influenced by climate change. The flood caused major damage to the city's infrastructure, public works and private property."

Duluth tourism takes $3 million hit after flooding
KARE11: "Damage from record-breaking flooding in northeast Minnesota has caused a major loss for Duluth's tourism industry."

Duluth zoo: Polar bear's return after flood undecided
Pioneer Press: "The Duluth zoo probably will reopen late this week, but when -- and if -- the zoo's popular polar bear and two seals will return from the Como Zoo in St. Paul is unknown."

Minnesota reverend loses church over support of same-sex marriage
FOX News: "Rev. Oliver White is looking for a new house of worship, after serving as pastor for 22 years of Grace United Community Church of Christ in Saint Paul, Minn., KMSP Fox 9 reports."

Are family vacations worth it?
Room for Debate: "Should parents soldier forth and try to create those irreplaceable family memories? Or take a real break by zipping off without the kids?"

New health care system moves forward; Kids and guns; FEMA assessments

Posted at 7:30 AM on June 29, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Minnesota officials say they will press ahead with new health care system
MPR News: "Gov. Mark Dayton's administration and state lawmakers have been preparing for life under President Barack Obama's health care law for some time. But their efforts got a new push Thursday when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld virtually all of the federal law."
More news and analysis on the health care decision.

St. Paul police chief to youth: Put down your guns
St Paul Pioneer Press: "In the first five months of this year, two types of gun violence reports were up 65 percent, compared with the average for the same period between 2008 and 2010, a Pioneer Press analysis of St. Paul police data found."

DNR doubling the fines for invasive-species violations
Star Tribune: "Inspectors, decontamination units to be dispatched to lakes."

Anthony Hargrove video is key evidence in Saints' bounty scandal
New York Times: "The relevant video footage is short. It consists of a sentence of dialogue and no more than five seconds of action. Stadium noise and the barked orders of a coach add layers of potentially confusing sound."

Floodwaters recede, but some areas still inaccessible
MPR News: "Flood waters in the lakes country of north central Minnesota are just beginning to recede following last week's deluge of rainfall."

FEMA wraps up Duluth flood assessments
Northland News Center: "The FEMA dollars it would go to things like washed out roads and bridges.In Duluth alone there's an estimated 30 million dollars in road and bridge damage. City and County officials say they desperately need Federal help."

Moose Lake flood volunteers need break, more help
WDIO: "Volunteers in Moose Lake are putting out the plea for more volunteers and help as they continue feeding hundreds more than a week after floods took hold of the Northland."

Barnum couple weathers loss of baby and the flood
Duluth News Tribune: "Richard Barber had returned home to start the pump in his basement after spending the night in the hospital with his wife who had given birth the night before the storm. The baby, Spencer, was stillborn."

[Video] Broken News

Dayton expects special session for flood aid; Bad air day; Obermueller targets Kline

Posted at 8:00 AM on June 27, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Dayton tours flood zone, says special session could provide aid
MPR News: "The governor expects there to be a special legislative session in the near future to provide relief to flooded communities. He said there may be some immediate state resources available to help rebuild damaged roads."

Also on MN Today

Range blogger Aaron Brown joins MPR News editor Michael Olson at 2:00p for a video chat about the Steelworkers recent loss at Mesabi Nugget. The chat will take place on the Google+ page for MPR News. If you can't make the chat, the video will be posted here on the Statewide blog later this afternoon.
Related
Mesabi Daily News: Mesabi Nugget unionization vote fails
Minnesota Brown: Steelworkers suffer big defeat in Mesabi Nugget vote

Supreme Court's ruling on health law carries big stakes in Minnesota
Pioneer Press: "An expected U.S. Supreme Court decision Thursday, June 28, about the federal government's sweeping health care law has generated at least one point of agreement for friends and foes of the legislation. Both sides say the ruling will have a big impact in Minnesota."

Duluth roads in ruin, repairs could take years
MPR News: "A week after a storm dumped record rainfall across the region, parts of the area's road network still lie in ruin, and officials say it'll likely take until next year to fully repair the damage."

Public forum on VRMC agreement set for July 11th
Mesabi Daily News: "The Hospital Commission on Monday approved the agreement on a 4-2 vote, with Essentia physician and commissioner member Dr. Wendell Smith abstaining. If the council now approves the pact by a two-thirds vote it will go into effect, most likely by the end of August."

Sioux gain major role at Canterbury in pact
Star Tribune: "The new agreement between the Mdewakanton Sioux and Canterbury Park goes beyond having the tribe increase race purses in exchange for the track dropping its push for racino -- it gives the Sioux a major presence at the state's premiere horse racing venue."

In 2nd District, Obermueller targets Kline on Medicare
MPR News: "Like most summer-time parades, the one at Cottage Grove's Strawberry Fest in mid-June, teamed with candy-chasing kids, and vote chasing politicians. Among the mayors, city council members, county commissioners and legislators was Democrat Mike Obermueller, who is running against U.S. Rep. John Kline in Minnesota's 2nd District."

Student in Facebook posts case found dead
MN Daily: "Amanda Tatro died a week after losing her case at the Minnesota Supreme Court."

Analysis: President Obama a consistent critic of the Supreme Court
Smart Politics: "Obama's critical comments of the Court outweigh favorable comments by more than a 4:1 margin since taking office."

Who Should Romney Pick for His Vice President?
Reasons for picking Pawlenty: "As a two- term governor he reined in spending and took on public-sector unions." Ramesh Ponnuru writes in Bloomberg.

St. Louis River drops; Hog stall debate; Union suffers loss on Range

Posted at 8:00 AM on June 26, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Flood update: Water levels dropping along St. Louis River system
Duluth News Tribune: "Minnesota Power reported late Monday that the level of Fish, Boulder, Rice and Whiteface lakes dropped Monday and that Island Lake, which had been rising for days even after the rain, finally stabilized and is expected to begin falling soon."

Road projects in Duluth: 'expensive and time consuming'

KARE11: "The images of washed out roadways, craters in streets, and buckled pavement are unforgettable, but the work will be daunting. 'This one is of the charts,' said Larry Bohrer with TKDA Engineering and an expert in roadway design."

Veterans of past floods: Recovery takes time
Star Telegram: "Be patient, be persistent, but don't be quiet about it. That is what others who have experienced devastating flooding have learned during the recovery process."

How the federal disaster declaration process works
Pine Journal: "Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton has not yet requested a federal disaster declaration."

AP: Flood damage keeps Jay Cooke park closed

Get the latest flooding and recovery news from MN Today.

Also on MN Today this morning
Debate over hog stalls rages

MPR News: "Minnesota's $2.5 billion hog industry is on the defensive, with farmers under growing pressure to change how they raise pigs. At issue is the widespread practice of housing pregnant sows in stalls so small the animal can't turn around. The hog stall used by most farmers is roughly seven feet long by two feet wide -- about the same size as a pregnant sow weighing 600 pounds or more."

Washington County: Parades put limits on marching politicians
Pioneer Press: "Afton officials won't name names, but Minnesota Senate candidate Karin Housley says she's probably the one to blame -- or credit -- for new restrictions on politicians marching in Afton's Fourth of July parade."

Mesabi Nugget unionization vote fails
Mesabi Daily News: "A two-day vote held by the United Steelworkers District 11 at the Mesabi Nugget plant near Aurora has failed. Steelworkers District 11 organizer Jerry Perpich acknowledged the outcome on Friday. 'We lost the vote,' he said."

Op-Ed: Steelworkers suffer big defeat in Mesabi Nugget vote
Minnesota Brown: "The DFL's strongest ally -- labor -- is still alive, but weaker. All but one of the mines are still solidly union, but any union steward would tell you its harder to get people excited and active in the union these days because the pay is good. Several Range mine unions willingly voted away the eight-hour day because younger workers prefer longer shifts with more days off."

Crowds, crime vex Minneapolis downtown bar closings
Star Tribune: "Violent crime is up 60 percent downtown so far this year; it's up 16 percent citywide so far this year, according to police statistics."

Minnesota's ruffed grouse numbers drop significantly
Star Tribune: "Spring drumming counts were down 24 to 60 percent in the prime grouse range in northern and northeastern Minnesota. The counts were down 33 to 73 percent in the northwest, and didn't change significantly in the central hardwoods or southeast."

Hospital Commission narrowly approves affiliation with Essentia Health
Mesabi Daily News: "The Hospital Commission narrowly approved an affiliation with Essentia Health for its city-owned hospital. The Monday afternoon vote was 4-2, with Commissioner Dr. Wendell Smith, an Essentia physician, abstaining."

Sand trains stir up dust in St. Paul neighborhood
Star Tribune: "Open train cars filled with sand have raised alarm in St. Paul's St. Anthony Park neighborhood, where some residents wonder if the silica that comprises 80 percent of the unprocessed sand is safe."

On a wagon train, all the fun is getting there
Post Bulletin: "Traveling at 3 miles an hour, a wagon train crawls across the landscape. The world slows down. And that's just how Willis Cunningham likes it. 'It has to slow down,' said Cunningham, who is retired and lives in White Bluff, Tenn."

River's Edge: Promoter happy, crowd happy, St. Paul mayor happy
Pioneer Press: "River's Edge Music Festival looks like a hit. Downtown St. Paul's newest outdoor music festival debuted over the weekend to wide acclaim, with thousands of fans hitting Harriet Island to see art-metal band Tool and jam-band favorites the Dave Matthews Band headline the two-day event."

By the numbers
Superior flood damage estimate: $5-7 million
Superior Telegram: "City infrastructure damage is at $2 million. It'll take $3.5 million to $5 million to repair damage to 14 buildings at UW-Superior."

Aitkin floods; Duluth in a changed climate; Pawlenty cool to VP nod

Posted at 8:00 AM on June 25, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Aitkin reaches major flood stage
Brainerd Dispatch: "As of Sunday, water levels on the Mississippi River at Aitkin were at 18.05 feet, nearing the record high of 22.5 feet and putting the area in the major flood stage."

Duluth eyes rebuilding for a wetter climate
Star Tribune: "'Duluth is maybe in the first wave of cities to adapt to climate change,' said University of Minnesota Extension climatologist Mark Seeley. Climate scientists say increasing precipitation, particularly from intense thunderstorms, is a symptom of ongoing climate warming, because warm air holds more water vapor than cooler air. The Upper Midwest saw a 31 percent increase in 'intense' rainfalls -- the statistical 1 percent events -- from 1958 to 2007, over previous decades, according to the National Climatic Data Center. Last Tuesday and Wednesday's Duluth rainfall, measuring from 7 to more than 10 inches across the city, was in some places nearly double what's regarded as Duluth's 1 percent-chance rainfall. That made it 'next to impossible to plan for,' Shaffer said."

Duluth mayor: 'My focus is on the residents'

KARE11: "I know the streets will get taken care, but thinking about people, through no fault of their own, got hit with this," said Ness following a tour of homes still submerged in the Fon Du Lac area. "There's a lot of damage and we need insurance companies and FEMA to do the right thing and come through."

Return home stuns Thomson residents
Duluth News Tribune: "The rising floodwaters forced most of the 153 residents of this Carlton County community to evacuate their homes last week."

No flood insurance? There may be other options for victims of last week's storm
Duluth News Tribune: "In all of Duluth, only 111 flood insurance policies have been sold, according to Kris Eide, director of the Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management office."

Hundreds of volunteers clean up at Lake Superior Zoo
AP: "The cleanup is under way at Lake Superior Zoo. Hundreds of volunteers have showed up this weekend to help clean up the mud and debris left behind by the recent deluge and its resulting flooding."

Minnesota sets baseline to measure quality of wetlands
Pioneer Press: "What's clear is that ponds and wetlands in the southern and western parts of the state are in poor shape, while those in the northeastern region are in good shape."

Polarized over health care, united on drama of ruling
New York Times: "Representative Michele Bachmann boarded a flight from Minnesota on Sunday night -- even though the House will not meet until Tuesday -- to make sure she would not miss the Washington moment she has been excitedly anticipating, the Supreme Court ruling on President Obama's health care law."

Will confidence in Supreme Court erode or rebound after Obamacare decision?
Smart Politics: "The U.S. Supreme Court's net confidence rating during Barack Obama's presidency is at an all-time low since Gallup's measurement began in the early 1970s."

Hot money turns from stocks to farmland
Star Tribune: "Over the past decade, U.S. farmland has returned an average of 15.5 percent a year. ... That compares with about 4.1 percent for the Standard & Poor's 500 stock index and about 1.8 percent for 90-day government bonds. Gold? About 19 percent."

Marsalis returns to Winona for classical recital
La Crosse Tribune: "World-class jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis will embark on a new journey in the world of classical music at the 2012 Minnesota Beethoven Festival."

Economic punch of Target Field tailing off
Star Tribune: "Tax revenue is down, but new ballpark is still a good draw to downtown restaurants and bars."

VP Watch
Tim Pawlenty, on if he'd serve as VP on the Romney ticket: "I've really encouraged folks to look at other prospects" (Face the Nation).

Moose lake flooded; Climate change and flooding; Student poverty rises

Posted at 8:00 AM on June 22, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Moose lake city in Minnesota but its just all lake for now twitter.com/tigress_85017/...

— jean anderson (@tigress_85017) June 22, 2012

Photos: Flooding heads south, Moose Lake underwater

In Moose Lake, a stunned, flooded community comes together
MPR News: "Flooding spread around northeastern Minnesota Thursday, after record rains earlier this week. Outlying communities southwest of Duluth spent much of the day doing whatever they could do to fend of rapidly rising water." Duluth News Tribune: "By the end of the day, dozens of homes in Moose Lake were completely flooded as water from the lake and the Moose Horn River overflowed their banks. In several neighborhoods of the town of 2,750, the only way to get around was by boat or swimming."

'I plugged my nose, I took a breath and I prayed'
Duluth News Tribune: "It all happened in less than 30 minutes." Boy who got sucked into culvert recounts his amazing story.

Duluth flooding damage could exceed $100M
Finance and Commerce: MNDoT spokesperson Beth Petrowske, "said the damage is 'very widespread,' adding that the cost will probably be over $100 million. In addition, she said, the severe weather has affected MnDOT projects under construction, including the $68 million Interstate 35 'mega project.'"

Climate change and the Duluth flood
Updraft: "This type of storm reminds us that climate is changing in Minnesota. Not only in terms of quantity of precipitation, but in the character of precipitation as well. A larger fraction of our annual total precipitation is coming in the form of intense thunderstorms." -Mark Seeley

Live chat: Eyes of the flood
Friday at noon
A discussion with Duluth photographers about this week's historic flooding, their craft and their city.

VP T Paw? Yes! No!
Pawlenty moves up Romney VP list
Washington Examiner: "While the GOP buzz about Mitt Romney's vice presidential pick is focused on rookie Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, key sources say that former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is fast moving up the veep list and likely now is the second choice behind Ohio Sen. Rob Portman."

Op-Ed: Pawlenty for VP? I don't see it.
Washington Post: "The latest media buzz, usually sourced to unknown people who talked to other unknown people, is that former governor Tim Pawlenty is moving up in th VP sweepstakes. To be blunt, I don't believe a word of it."

Politico: Pawlenty stock soars in Romney-world
The Atlantic: Pawlenty would be strong addition to Romney ticket

Obama cabinet turnover rate remains historically low (so far)
Smart Politics: "With seven months left in his term, the president holds the fourth lowest departure rate of cabinet department heads out of 23 administrations since FDR."

Graph of the day: Minnesota's student poverty rising

MN2020: "There's a slow wave hitting Minnesota's schools. Gradual, but inexorable, the share of our students coming from lower income backgrounds is growing. This has major repercussions for our schools and is something we need to do a better job preparing for and responding to."

Around MN: Duluth dries out; New PolyMet CEO; Serious walleye fishing

Posted at 8:10 AM on June 21, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Heavy rain caused major flooding in Duluth, Minn. and up the North Shore of Lake Superior. Sinkholes swallowed cars as Duluth's stormwater system failed under the pressure of a flood not seen in decades.

MPR News: "State and local emergency management officials on Thursday will begin to assess the damage in Duluth. Up to ten inches of rain fell in torrents over the city on Wednesday, flooding rivers and creeks and overwhelming the city's storm water system. Dozens of streets and highways were closed, giant sinkholes swallowed cars and homes and apartments were flooded. No major injuries or deaths were reported, although there were some close calls and many residents were shaken by the force of the flood."

Ariel survey of the flood from KARE11

Nearly 300 people flee high water in Duluth and along St. Louis River
Duluth News Tribune: "By airboat, trucks and city bus, residents evacuated the Fond du Lac neighborhood on Wednesday as flooding from the region's torrential downpour turned their homes into islands."

Flooding forces evacuation from homes, campsites
WDIO: One man was still in Jay Cooke State Park when the water began to rise."All of the sudden, the path in front of me was just another river, it was 6 feet wide where I tested the edge it was at least 3 feet deep and it was rushing way faster than I was willing to walk through," Lathan Kistler of St. Paul said.

Lincoln Park residents suffer major damage to homes

Northland News: "The unprecedented flooding in the Duluth area has caused hardships for many in the Northland.The Lincoln Park Neighborhood was hit particularly hard. '[In] eight years I've never seen anything like this,' said resident Alisha Barnes, 'It's just a hard pill to swallow. For me and all of my neighbors.'"

Duluth washed out by torrential rain
"We're trying to be as vigilant as we can so that we don't have that catastrophe. Because everywhere you look, there is potential for tragedy" -- Duluth Mayor Don Ness (Star Tribune).

In Lake County, storm deemed worse than 'blowdown' of '99
Duluth News Tribune: Lake County Sheriff Carey Johnson said the heavy rain Tuesday and Wednesday left more of a mark on the county than the Fourth of July storm in 1999 that has since become known as the 'blowdown.' Nearly 24 hours of torrential rain swelled every waterway along the North Shore and left many roads closed due to water running over them or because they had breaches where everything was washed away. Internet, phone and 911 service was out Wednesday morning. The same fiber line that was severed in early 2010 was damaged again near Knife River, knocking out all communication up the shore for several hours."

Gov. Dayton joins Mayor Ness at 11a today to talk about where things stand. Ness told MPR News yesterday that he will seek federal assistance to help rebuild Duluth.

Photos: Widespread flooding submerges part of Duluth, North Shore

Heavy rain caused major flooding in Duluth, Minn. and up the North Shore of Lake Superior. Sinkholes swallowed cars as Duluth's stormwater system failed under the pressure of a flood not seen in decades.

Storified by Minnesota Today · Wed, Jun 20 2012 22:53:26

Also on MN Today
PolyMet names Jon Cherry to be President and CEO. Cherry will lead the company as it seeks approval to mine copper, nickel and other precious metals near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (release). More PolyMet news from MN Today.

2012: Labor targets the Midwest
Politico: "The Midwest is ground zero for organized labor this fall. In the wake of the failed Wisconsin recall attempt, unions are forging ahead with their 2012 battle plan, pouring cash and resources into Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, Minnesota and Ohio in an effort to recapture ground lost" in 2010.

Graves' wealth is between $22M, $111M
Star Tribune: "Rep. Bachmann seeks to use financial disclosure against her challenger."

DFL-leaning funds lead fall fundraising race
Pioneer Press: "Minnesota Democratic-leaning political funds have raised twice as much money this year as their Republican-tilting counterparts as the race for control of the Legislature heats up."

Red Lake Nation fishery capitalizes on wild-caught walleye
Indian Country: "Beginning in 1917, the now 11,000-member tribe has banded together to market walleye, which has grown into a successful money-maker with $2.5 million in fisheries revenue projected for this year. 'Last year we processed 650,000 pounds,' says Ojibwa tribal member Bill May of his 100 percent tribally-owned and operated fishery that plans to move into greater consumer retailing in the near future. The self-professed 'oldest and largest freshwater walleye processing plant in the United States' ships fish fillets, fresh or frozen, to businesses and homes overnight via FedEx."

Op-Ed: Marriage ban is bad for business
Star Tribune: "Business leaders are opposing the marriage amendment because it's the right thing to do."

Op-Ed: Cellphone tower will scar BWCA
Stephen Wilbers writes in the Star Tribune: "Phone tower ruling undermines and undervalues true wilderness experience."

Crystal lockout isn't done, but is it over?
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Some are ready to take the deal, imperfect as it may be. Others would rather walk away for good than concede defeat with nothing to show for 10 months of hardship."

North Dakota family decides to sell dream house they won, stay home in Kindred
Fargo Forum: "It's not every day a family wins a half-million-dollar home, but besides a few overnight camping adventures in a West Fargo dream house, the Gilbertsons have decided to stay put in Kindred. But they won't be walking away empty-handed."

Billions in the bank: New ND budget report says $2B in surplus, reserves by next summer
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "The latest state finance report predicts a whopping $2 billion in surplus and reserves by June 30, 2013, the end of the biennium."

Mosquito season in full force; Paulsen legislation, stock portfolio intersect

Posted at 8:00 AM on June 19, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Mosquito season peaking in Twin Cities
Pioneer Press: "Mosquito season is at its peak in the Twin Cities, but itchy residents may find some relief in knowing the bug's numbers are expected to drop."

We are not alone:
Mosquitoes arrive early - and in force‎ - Miami Herald
Mosquitoes mob Green Valley; residents organize to zap swarms‎ - The Seattle Times
Some Lower Valley farmers irritated by mass of mosquitoes‎ - The News Tribune
Lower Valley farmers dealing with out-of-control mosquitoes‎ - Yakima Herald-Republic

Also on MN Today

Paulsen's legislation, stock portfolio intersect
OpenSecrets: "Last week's House passage of H.R. 436, the Health Care Cost Reduction Act, was a victory for Rep.Erik Paulsen, its sponsor. And the Minnesota Republican's political success may provide a boost to his investment portfolio, as well."

City of St. Paul seeks to stop photo ID
Star Tribune: "The city of St. Paul joined other photo ID foes in arguing against a proposed constitutional amendment that is headed for the November general election ballot."

Kline leads NRCC effort in tough races
Politico: "The Battleground Program is the party's major dues drive of the year. ... Reps. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, Kristi Noem of South Dakota, Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia, John Kline of Minnesota and Roskam are co-chairing the effort."

Why Ohio? The numbers don't lie
Smart Politics: "Talk about bellwethers: Ohio's vote for the winning presidential candidate has deviated from the national vote an average of just 2.2 points since 1900 and only 1.3 points since 1964."

Justin Morneau is making healthier decisions at the plate
Star Tribune: "By saying no to gluten and dairy and yes to fruits and veggies, he's making food work for him."

IRS resists whistleblowers despite wide U.S. tax gap
Bloomberg: "Alliantgroup LP is a politically connected advisory firm that helps companies apply for lucrative tax credits. Clients have ranged from Oscar de la Renta to an Arkansas candle maker.The firm also helps companies sidestep taxes, two former employees alleged in July 2009."

Pawlenty still a no-go for VP role
WCCO: "Despite all the hoopla surrounding Pawlenty as a possible VP, many still consider Florida Senator Marco Rubio as the frontrunner."

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."

This Week in MN: Ventura's warm homecoming; General Mills same sex reverberations

Posted at 9:09 AM on June 16, 2012 by Michael Olson (1 Comments)
Filed under: Around MN

This Week in Minnesota Politics

Former Governor Ventura beats up on the two-party system and money in politics, and Minnesotans cheer him on; General Mills comes out against the marriage amendment; Farm bill; Politicians reveal riches (or lack thereof); and Senate candidate Kurt Bills stars in a bizarre short film.

Storified by Minnesota Today · Sat, Jun 16 2012 10:08:06

Southern Minn. flooding; Hubbard's love for country; Nolan's Act 2

Posted at 8:00 AM on June 15, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Minn. delegation less wealthy than other states
Capitol VIew: "U.S. Sen. Al Franken, a Democrat, U.S. Reps. Michele Bachmann and Chip Cravaack, both Republicans and U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson, a Democrat, all requested additional time to file their disclosure forms. Members can delay filing until mid-August. Last year, Franken, Bachmann and Cravaack delayed filing their disclosures until later in the summer. Overall, Minnesota's members were worth considerably less than their well-heeled counterparts in both chambers. A 2011 report by the Center for Responsive Politics estimates that Senate members have an average net worth of $2.6 million while House members average $756,000."

What happened in Washington this week? Join a chat with Brett Neely and Michael Olson today at noon on the Capitol View blog from MPR News. Submit your question now.

Also on MN Today
Heavy rainfall leads to flooding in counties south of metro

KARE11: "Thursday's storms have left behind a lot of unwanted rainwater in Goodhue, Rice and southern Dakota counties. The area has received from two to six inches of rain since Thursday morning. The flooding has forced the closure of Highway 50 between Hampton and Miesville."

Cannon River floods in Northfield
Northfield News: "The city is littered with debris from yesterday's storms, but all Northfield roads are clear this morning, according to Deputy Police Chief Chuck Walerius."
Photos from Northfield Patch
Phil Picardi reports on MPR News: "More heavy rains are forecast for the region tomorrow."

Marriage amendment: Where Minnesota corporations stand
General Mills is the most recent Minnesota company to take a stand against the proposed constitutional ban on same sex marriage. The Pioneer Press takes a look at where other Minnesota companies stand.

There is something we need to discuss
The General Mills blog provides an inside perspective on what led to the company's opposition to the proposed constitutional ban on same sex marriage. Capitol View: "The decision was panned by Minnesota for Marriage, a group working to pass the amendment. John Helmberger, chair of Minnesota for Marriage, released this statement: 'It is very disappointing that General Mills has decided to play PC politics by pandering to a small but powerful interest group that is bent on redefining marriage, the core institution of society.'"

Rick Nolan makes case for Act 2 in Congress
AP: "Three decades after he left Congress, Democrat Rick Nolan believes he is ready to go back -- and more prepared than ever for the job."

NRCC reserves airtime for Fall to help Cravaack
Roll Call: "$856,000 in the Minneapolis market. This buy boosts freshman Rep. Chip Cravaack's (R) re-election bid against a to-be-determined Democratic nominee."

Hubbard's "love for country" expressed in Koch donations
Politico: "'They ask for support -- and they get it because we all love our country and we have a different vision than do the liberals,' said Stanley Hubbard, a Minnesota television station owner who has attended the Koch donor summits for years and plans to be in San Diego for this month's meeting."

Wheeling and dealing with Dayton in China
MinnPost: "Over the last decade China has become Minnesota's second largest export market (after Canada), and an important source of job growth in the state. For Dayton, an occasional critic and opponent of free trade agreements during his U.S. Senate tenure, this is overdue."

Union to vote on American Crystal Sugar contract offer
MPR News: "About 1,300 workers locked out of their jobs at American Crystal Sugar will get another chance to vote on the company's contract proposal next week."

Digging up the truth in Northfield bank raid
Northfield News: "It's a story that's almost too good to be true. You may know the first part -- Jesse James and other gang members attempted in 1876 to rob a bank in Northfield, only to fail. Researchers are still piecing together the rest of the story, 136 years later."

Eagle-eye photographer solves mystery of missing Chaska bird

Star Tribune: "An eaglet rescued after a severe storm 14 years ago in Chaska has been tracked to a nest in St. Peter, where it is flourishing."

Zoning issue or anti-Muslim bias?; Cougar boom; "Gangs in government"

Posted at 8:00 AM on June 14, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Muslims aren't giving up on opening Islamic center in St Anthony
Star Tribune: "St. Anthony's rejection of a proposed Islamic center marks the first time in seven years that a new Muslim house of worship has been blocked by a local government in Minnesota. City leaders said the decision was solely a land-use issue, but Muslim leaders expressed fears that Minnesota may be joining the ranks of other states where proposed mosques and Islamic centers have been blocked by government amid anti-Islamic rhetoric and intense community resistance. 'This is the first one [in Minnesota] where we're seeing so much anti-Muslim hate involved,' said Lori Saroya, president of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations."

Mark Heuring blogs: "Should you hold the St. Anthony government responsible for disparaging remarks made in a public forum? I don't think so. I also dislike the notion that Islam, or any religion, cannot be criticized. As a Catholic, I hear my faith criticized quite often. While I dislike such criticism and find it unfair, I'm not inclined to sue those who disparage my faith. I would hope that the imam and his congregation would think hard about getting the federal government involved. I think St. Anthony would, in the end, welcome the congregation, but suing your way in isn't likely to help that happen."

Cougars recolonizing Midwest, one male at a time
MPR News: "You may remember a couple of years ago, a lot of us were following reports of a cougar making its way around the northern Twin Cities suburbs. That adventurous cat eventually made it all the way to Connecticut, where it was killed by a car. Now, a report from the University of Minnesota published in The Journal of Wildlife Management says that cougars, or mountain lions, like that one are slowly expanding their range eastward returning to areas where they were killed off a century ago."

Former Gov. Jesse Ventura takes on 'gangs' in government
MPR News: "Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura has published a new book criticizing the two-party system. It's called 'DemoCRIPS and ReBLOODlicans: No More Gangs in Government.'"

Ely copper deposit estimate doubles
Duluth News Tribune: "Already reported as the world's largest untapped deposit of copper, the Twin Metals mine exploration area near Ely contains even more copper, nickel, platinum and other valuable metals than previously estimated, the mine's parent company said Wednesday."

Koch funded group critical of "corporate special interests"
Capitol View: "'A nearly half a billion dollar boondoggle taxpayers can't afford. Senator Bill Ingebrigtsen sided with corporate special interests and his policies are costing taxpayers,' an example of the flier reads. It calls the Vikings stadium deal a 'give away' to corporate special interests."

Special assessments to help fund F-M diversion
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Diversion Authority officials could be using a phrase more often that property owners who would benefit from a proposed Fargo-Moorhead diversion will likely dread: 'special assessments.' Residents ought not to panic, officials said, since they're still months - more likely years - away from determining who would cough up how much dough."

Flood-prone areas drove thin win for sales tax
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Eight of Fargo's 20 precincts gave a citywide sales tax measure the push it needed Tuesday to reach the supermajority required for passage, most of them on the city's south side."

Ontario guide fined for using dogs, boats to drive deer to hunters
Duluth News Tribune: "A Fort Frances, Ontario, hunting guide who catered to American clients has been fined after admitting that he used dogs and motorboats to drive deer toward his clients, who would shoot the deer while they were swimming."

Album review: Trampled By Turtles shines in 'Stars and Satellites'
Duluth News Tribune: "It's TBT in a slightly more reflective mood with some good fortune and a lot of touring miles under their belt. They can still let it rip with their brand of high octane speed-grass/thrash-grass/punk-grass/slam-grass (or whatever you want to call it), but here they're looking inward a bit more."

Miles Marshall Lews: Prince showed his roots on 'Sign O' The Times'
NPR Music: "Miles Marshall Lewis draws a line from Prince's concern for his community to the Hip-Hop Nation."

Moderation in North Dakota; Voter ID costs; No train to Duluth

Posted at 8:03 AM on June 13, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

ND voters dump Fighting Sioux nickname
AP: "Voters approved a measure that lets the University of North Dakota dump its controversial Fighting Sioux nickname." Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "'Obviously, we're disappointed,' said Sean Johnson, Bismarck, spokesman for the group that sought the referendum on the nickname. He blamed 'a lot of false fears generated by the foundation,' a reference to the UND Alumni Association and Foundation, which took the lead in encouraging a vote to allow UND to retire the nickname. Keeping it, the alumni groups and others said, could severely damage UND because of NCAA sanctions. The alumni groups spent about $250,000 on the campaign, mostly on TV advertising. 'When your opposition outspends you 25-1, they'd better fire their ad company if they don't win,' Johnson said."

Property tax ban crushed at polls
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "North Dakota's property tax revolt fizzled at the polls in primary election returns Tuesday night."

Fargo expands panhandling ban
AP: "The Fargo City Commission is moving forward with plans to expand a city ordinance banning panhandling."

Voter ID supporters dispute Ramsey Co. election cost estimates
MPR News: "County officials estimate that having enough staff and equipment to check IDs and confirm voter eligibility will cost an additional $1.7 million for each two-year election cycle. They say that property tax payers may have to foot the bill."

Minnesota warming trend gains steam
Star Tribune: "Minnesota is warming, and faster than most of the rest of the country. Since 1970, the state famed for its deep-freeze sensibilities was the nation's third-fastest-warming state, and its average minimum temperatures rose faster than any other state's."

Minneapolis-Duluth Northern Lights Express derailed by Anoka County commissioners
News Cut: "Anoka County delivered a big punch in the gut to people who helped it get the commuter rail service it coveted and now uses. County commissioners today voted 4-to-3 to pull out of the Northern Lights Express project, which sought to bring passenger rail service from Minneapolis to Duluth."

Charges: Lakeville middle-schoolers paid girl $5, soda to take locker-room photos
Pioneer Press: "Parents and students in Lakeville are on the fence. They cant decide whether they support the decision to file criminal charges against four middle school students accused of taking and sending inappropriate photos and video of two classmates."

St. Anthony City Council rejects Islamic center plan
Star Tribune: "A lawsuit could follow after St. Anthony City Council voted 4-1 against proposal, citing land use and zoning."

Twins look strong as offense holds off Phillies
MLB.com: "When analyzing his team before the season, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire kept harping on how he felt the offense would be his club's strength this year."

Educational attainment in Minnesota, visualized
Minnesota Data Opener: "Congratulations to Jason Voiovich, Amanda Rohrer and Patrick Martin. They won the first Minnesota Data Opener which challenged data wizards to visualize state educational attainment data."

Saint Paul's Rock and Roll over rainbow
Nokohaha: "And on the sixth day of the sixth month, twelve years into the twenty-first century this giant rainbow shows up over Hague Avenue in Saint Paul. Children start running up and down the sidewalks leaping and screaming at the top of their lovely, little lungs."

Minn. big winner in ND election?; Part time orchestra; Reflections from the headwaters

Posted at 7:45 AM on June 12, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Minnesota could win big after election results come in tonight in North Dakota
Star Tribune: "Banning property taxes would cost North Dakota $812 million in annual revenue -- money used to fund schools and local government, said Cory Fong, North Dakota's tax commissioner. Should voters abolish property taxes, that revenue would likely be replaced by raising North Dakota's sales taxes, Fong said Monday. 'That creates a competitive advantage to Minnesota,' said Brad Schlossman, CEO of West Acres Development, in Fargo, N.D. 'If sales taxes go up in North Dakota and you live near the Minnesota border, where would you rather shop?'"

Jesse Ventura lets both sides have it in new book
Pioneer Press: "In his new book, former Gov. Jesse Ventura makes this startling revelation: "Like more and more guys, I experience electile dysfunction. That's defined as 'the inability to become aroused over any of the choices for president put forth by either party in the 2012 election year.' "

Rep. Ellison: Left wants Sanders, will settle for Obama
Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison tells Politico: "We've got to understand that there will be a president, and that president is not going to be Paul Wellstone or Bernie Sanders or anyone that we would dream. The reality is Obama is who we have."

Monticello hopes private company can help struggling municipal broadband
MPR News: "A new company will run a financially struggling, municipally-owned broadband network, the city of Monticello decided Monday evening."

Duluth teen clings to life after rescue from the cribs
Duluth News Tribune: "A 13-year-old Duluth teen underwater in Lake Superior for more than 30 minutes was clinging to life in a Duluth hospital late Monday after being rescued just off shore."

FEC sues ex-Sen. Craig over use of campaign cash
AP: "Former U.S. Sen. Larry Craig is being sued by federal election regulators who say he misused some $217,000 in campaign funds for his legal defense after a 2007 Minnesota airport bathroom sex sting."

Americans' net worth has plummeted
NPR: "Personal wealth was decimated across America by the housing collapse and the financial crisis, according to a new report by the Federal Reserve. Incomes declined for almost all demographic groups, and net worth plummeted to levels not seen in a generation."

Feeling pinched, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra may go part time
Star Tribune: "St. Paul ensemble is negotiating with musicians, might cut their workweeks."

Fargo to crack down on panhandlers
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Panhandlers who frequent Fargo's busiest intersections will soon have to take their business elsewhere."

DFL complaint against Senate GOP may continue
Capitol View: "The Office of Administrative hearings ruled today that a case accusing Republicans in the Minnesota Senate of using taxpayer money for campaign literature may go forward."

Where is all begins
Nick Nelson: "Some beautiful images of Lake Itasca, headwaters of the Mississippi River."

(h/t MinnPost)

Flawed DWI tests; 1st African-American Miss North Dakota; New view on old brew

Posted at 8:00 AM on June 11, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

New DWI tester is called flawed
Star Tribune: "Hundreds of recent drunken-driving arrests in Minnesota may be tainted because of a flaw in the breath-test device that is replacing one tangled up in a court challenge over its reliability."

First African-American crowned Miss North Dakota
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "And to think, she almost didn't enter the competition.Rosemary Sauvageau was ready to throw in the towel after finishing as second runner-up in 2010 and first runner-up in 2011 in the Miss North Dakota pageant. But her mother convinced her to give it one last shot this year."

Obama tests "likability"
Politico: "The polls agree: President Barack Obama is likable. The question is whether he's likable enough to get reelected."

Heroin making an aggressive comeback in Central Minnesota
St Cloud Times: "Heroin, which used to frighten off young people because of its stigma as a counter-culture drug that involved sharing needles, has made an aggressive comeback that has local investigators scrambling. There have been five overdoses resulting in two deaths in the last month and a half in the St. Cloud metro area, four deaths in Mille Lacs County, two more in Sherburne County since the first of the year and at least one each in Wright and Morrison counties since Jan. 1."

Kmart ends its run in New Ulm
New Ulm Journal: "A closing business sale followed with discounts on merchandise. By Sunday's closing, the majority of the display racks stood empty like tree branches in winter. The store's floor was mostly empty because most of the shelving had been sold." New Ulm Journal: "Until the final hour when the New Ulm Kmart locked its doors for good, New Ulm resident Marge Hames kept up her 79-day effort to show the store's employees how much they meant to her."

Bachmann Graves becomes enter two person race in 6th Congressional District
St Cloud Times: "Kay Wolsborn, a political-science professor at College of St. Benedict and St. John's University, says there's no clear answer on who benefits from this year's head-to-head matchup in the 6th District. Wolsborn said the three-term Bachmann, a former presidential candidate and national tea party star, isn't likely to be a voter's second choice. Most will support or oppose her strongly, Wolsborn said. But Wolsborn added that Graves is clearly the underdog in the campaign. After this year's redistricting, most observers agree the 6th District -- already Minnesota's most conservative -- became even more GOP-friendly."

Poll: Klobuchar cruising, Franken too
PPP: "Amy Klobuchar's job approval ratings are not quite as lofty as when PPP last polled Minnesota in January, but still almost twice as many of her constituents like their freshman senator as dislike the work she is doing."

Searchers are looking for a missing pilot and plane near Duluth
Duluth News Tribune: "The Civil Air Patrol says the twin-engine Piper -- described as a white twin engine Piper PA-31 Navajo with red and blue striping -- with one person on board was reported to be on a flight from Fleming Field in South St. Paul to the Duluth airport and back to St. Paul on Friday."

An old brew gets a fresh spin in New Ulm
Star Tribune: "The home of 'Hermann the German' wants to attract a younger, more affluent cast of tourists. Schell's, the state's oldest brewery, is looking for a similar demographic to buy Schell's products beyond the brewer's traditional southern Minnesota base."

Duluthian creates app to attract fish with underwater sounds
Duluth News Tribune: "Greg Bambenek remembers as a kid going out on the Mississippi River with his dad, putting out set lines for flathead catfish. In a rowboat, the two would set out 50 baits, all suspended from one long cord. When the last one was baited and dropped, Bambenek's dad, a commercial fisherman, would always whack the water with a paddle."

This week in Minnesota politics

Posted at 7:00 AM on June 9, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

American Crystal impasse; Dream home nightmare scenario; Vampire theocracy

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

Locked-out American Crystal union members gather for a rally Wednesday, June 6, 2012, in the Moorhead Center Mall parking lot across from American Crystal headquarters in Moorhead, Minn. The contract dispute has lingered for 10 months, since American Crystal last Aug. 1 locked out about 1,300 union workers at sugar beet processing plants in North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa. The two sides have not met since February. (AP Photo/The Forum, David Samson)
Union workers rally outside Crystal HQ
AP: "Locked-out American Crystal Sugar factory workers have completed a 200-mile journey by foot and hay wagon in advance of an expected Friday meeting between union officials and company representatives."

MPR News reporter Dan Gunderson: "When the lockout started 10 months ago, union members picketed around the clock at the Moorhead factory. Now on most days, a handful of picketers show up only for morning and afternoon shift change. Many workers have taken new jobs to make ends meet, or are going to school to learn a new skill. On a recent morning, Cary Bergene was one of four picketers outside the Moorhead factory. The 55-year-old Fargo resident worked at American Crystal for 29 years. Now he is taking classes in computer technology and looking for temporary work. Bergene is getting by on unemployment, which is about 40 percent of what he was earning at American Crystal. In a couple of weeks, his unemployment benefits will run out."

Also on Minnesota Today

Op-Ed: Education reform that wasn't
Brad Swenson writes in the Bemidji Pioneer: "With the stroke of Gov. Mark Dayton's red veto pen, the Minnesota House Republicans' sweeping education reform measure fell by the wayside during the recently concluded legislative session. Had it passed, it could have put Minnesota on a path similar to that taken by Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin."

Jeff Anderson hopes roots count in race
AP: "Former Duluth City Councilor Jeff Anderson is aiming to make local connections count for more than money as he competes with two fellow Democrats for the right to challenge GOP U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack in a nationally watched congressional race."

Bachmann misrepresents jobs report
FactCheck: "In a mailer to her constituents, Michele Bachmann incorrectly claims a new trade agreement with South Korea - which she supported -- will 'create almost 1,000 jobs' in her Minnesota congressional district."
Capitol View: Dayton China trip will include new trade office
Star Tribune: State justices to weigh fate of a proposed ID amendment

Poll: Romney trails Obama in Minnesota, Pawlenty pick wouldn't help
Pioneer Press: "Picking former Gov. Tim Pawlenty as his running mate wouldn't do Mitt Romney much good in Minnesota, according to a new poll. President Barack Obama leads Romney by a hefty 54 percent to 39 percent in Minnesota, the Public Policy Polling survey found."

Show of support turns into debate over Coon Rapids ban on rosaries
Star Tribune: "Coon Rapids High teen was told to remove it, over gang concerns. It's banned in Anoka-Hennepin schools as a possible gang symbol."

Winning dream home could be financial nightmare
Forum of Fargo-Moorhead: "On the southern edge of this city sits a house worth $500,000. It's a dream home, its builder says, and on Saturday, someone will win it."

Monthly costs of living in the giveaway home:
• $898.09 mortgage payment on $200,000 (to pay income tax)
• $741.32 for property taxes
• $353.12 for special assessments
• $145.83 for insurance
• $290 for utilities
• $416.67 maintenance
TOTAL: $2,845.03 per month

Bachmann inspires 'vampire theocracy' for True Blood creator
Entertainment Weekly: "When penning the fifth season of True Blood, the frightening yet disarmingly funny vampire drama that returns to HBO this Sunday, creator Alan Ball found inspiration (in all places!) by watching the scary-in-their-own-right presidential primaries."

A day in the life of Nice Ride bikes [Animation]
MinnPost: "The green bikes have come to downtown St. Paul with this week's installation of 25 Nice Ride stations ... It's the latest expansion of the popular bike rental system that lets subscribers pedal between automated, solar-powered stations scattered throughout Minneapolis and St. Paul."

Garden of your Mind - Fred Rogers (remix)

By the numbers
MPR News: "On average, the University of Minnesota system spends about $12,000 a year to teach an undergraduate."

Cross burning arrests; Bronze stars return; Renters ruin the neighborhood?

Posted at 8:00 AM on June 7, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Two Bemidji men arrested on suspicion of cross burning incident last month
Bemidji Pioneer: "Derek Daniel Barnes, 20, and Ryan Fairbanks Andree, 19, were arrested on suspicion of terroristic threats and use of explosive/incendiary devices, according to a news release issued Wednesday night by the Beltrami County Sheriff's Office. ... The woman who reported the cross is white while her two adult children are mixed-race because their father is black. The woman was home alone and ran outside to douse the flames with water after seeing flames extend five feet into the air, she told the Pioneer. The newspaper agreed to withhold her name after she requested not to be identified to protect her family's identity. 'I was scared to death,' she told the Pioneer. 'Somebody has this much hatred to be lighting a cross?'

Also on MN Today
Influence Industry: In Wisconsin recall effort, the side with most money won big
The Washington Post: "If the Wisconsin recall battle was a test of the power of political spending, the big money won big."
MN Today: Wisconsin recall fallout
Capitol View: GOP emboldened on union issues, WH threatens to veto Paulsen's device tax cut, WI an opportunity for Romney

Homesteaders are giving way to renters in Twin Cities
Star Tribune: "Minneapolis and St. Paul see more single family houses not homesteaded, which experts say can destabilize neighborhoods."

Drought conditions continue in Northwest Minn.
MN Climate Working Group: "As of May 29, the U.S. Drought Monitor places some northwest Minnesota counties in the Moderate Drought category."

22 people arrested in Northland heroin sweep
Duluth News Tribune: "'Operation Brownstone' -- named after brown powder heroin, the type most seen in the Twin Ports -- was a concentrated effort by" local and federal agencies "to combat the increase in heroin trafficking and abuse being seen here."

Stolen bronze star markers replaced on veterans' graves
Isanti County News: "Local veterans' graves once again have the recognition they so distinctly deserve."

Ruling says part-time firefighters can unionize
MPR News: "For the first time, some part-time firefighters in the state are eligible to form labor unions, says a ruling by the Minnesota's Bureau of Mediation Services."

Survey: Mpls parents spoil their kids, St. Paul parents don't
WCCO: "Minneapolis and St. Paul often have friendly rivalries, and a new survey is sure to have parents in both cities talking."Minnesota's new

PUC chair familiar with complex issues
Midwest Energy News: "As an administrative law judge for the past 13 years, Judge Beverly Jones Heydinger has helped the commission sort out some of its most complex and contested cases."

Chammy the horse gets to stay in city
New Ulm Journal: "The Hintzes consider the horse an attraction for city residents and visitors. They were served a notice by the City of New Ulm that the horse must be removed because its presence violated city ordinances on keeping livestock and for 'excessive manure.'"

Beer trip: Soak up the suds
Star Tribune: "Vacation time? Hop in the car for a visit to breweries along your route as you explore the region."

Walker wins; Worker dress code disagreement; No pit-party hate crime charges

Posted at 7:30 AM on June 6, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Walker survives Wisconsin recall
Capitol View: Voters in Wisconsin elected not to recall Gov. Scott Walker (R). Walker is the first governor to survive a recall in U.S. history.
Results from Wisconsin public media

30 Somali employees walk out of Le Center food plant after dress code disagreement
Pioneer Press: "The new policy disallows dresses worn below the knee. Workers said the new prescribed length is not in keeping with Islamic tenets regarding modest dress for women."

Hate crime allegations don't materialize, 7 charged with assault in Kelsey Township gravel pit party
Duluth News Tribune: "Seven young adults, including a 21-year-old Duluth man who claimed he was beaten because he said he was gay, were charged with crimes Tuesday in connection with an incident May 26 at a Kelsey Township gravel pit."

More than a dozen former legislators attempt comebacks this year
MPR News: "In a year when about 20 percent of the Minnesota Legislature plans to retire, there are also 20 former state lawmakers working hard to get back to the Capitol."

1 in 5 area children lack enough food, study finds
Duluth News Tribune: "One out of every five Douglas County children doesn't get enough food to support an active, healthy lifestyle, a report released on Monday said."

St. Charles parents upset over breathalyzer tests of seniors
Post Bulletin: "Some parents are considering a lawsuit against the school district after seniors at St. Charles High School on Friday were given breath tests for alcohol consumption."

Duluth's Mayor Ness: Cooler by the lake
Star Tribune: "Duluth's youthful chief executive is bringing fresh energy and, yes, a sense of hipness to the port city."

Verdict: Mayo Clinic violated confidentiality agreement with surgeon
Post Bulletin: "A federal jury reached a verdict on Monday in favor of an oral surgeon who filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Mayo Clinic."

Minneapolis Wi-Fi growth is far short of expectations
Star Tribune: "The popularity of cellular data and bundled service offers from competitors have hurt."

All Olmsted County and Rochester seats contested
Post Bulletin: "At the close of filing Tuesday, every race for a seat on the Rochester City Council or Olmsted County Board is contested, and two of the races have three candidates, setting the stage for primary elections in those districts."

Finding Worthington around the world
The Public Square: "I work for Bedford Industries. Although the company was founded in Worthington nearly 50 years ago, many from Worthington don't know is that Bedford is the world's largest manufacturer of twist ties. And those tiny little bag closures know how to travel!"

Venus transit; Walker talk; Bachmann drag

Posted at 8:00 AM on June 5, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

MSUM right spot to see Venus transit
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Astronomy enthusiasts around the area are gearing up for an event today that won't happen again for another 105 years." When you look, don't stare directly at the sun. Use a filter, like a pinhole camera. The U of M hosts viewings at a couple locations in the Twin Cities. (h/t @jenehrlichMPR)

Pew: Americans are more polarized
NPR: "It's not just our politicians who are divided. According to a new report (pdf) from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, Americans' values and 'basic beliefs are more polarized along partisan lines than at any point in the past 25 years.'"

The big recall question: How will Tuesday's electorate compare to 2010?
Journal Sentinel: "With few undecided voters left, the biggest question mark remaining before Tuesday's historic recall election is the composition of the electorate. Which voters vote?"

How big will Barrett score in Dane and Milwaukee Counties?
Smart Politics: "Holding 2010 totals constant for the state's other 70 counties, Barrett would need to carry 75.1 percent of the vote in Wisconsin's two most populated counties to beat Walker on Tuesday (up from 64.1 percent in 2010)."

What Wisconsin's recall election tells us about Obama Romney: Nothing
Slate: "Inevitably, pundits have cast it as a 'test run' for Obama/Romney."

Oberstar endorses Nolan in 8th District
MPR News: "Long-time DFL U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar endorsed Rick Nolan Monday in his bid to unseat GOP freshman incumbent Chip Cravaack."

Electoral Vote Map: Obama 257, Romney 181

HuffPost: "Maps and electoral vote counts for the 2012 presidential election. Our latest estimate has Obama at 257 electoral votes and Romney at 181."

A closer look at Minnesota

Winona council upholds frac sand permit
Winona Daily News: "The Winona City Council voted 4-2 Monday to uphold a May decision by the city's board of adjustment to allow a local trucking company to ship frac sand through the commercial dock."

Black bear euthanized after eating Canadian murderer
AP: "Canadian conservation officers have euthanized a black bear that ate the remains of a convicted murderer."

Forest tent caterpillars rev up for 'the big one' in northern Minnesota
Star Tribune: "The caterpillars, which during peak infestations can make a stinky mess of the outdoors, develop in cycles over the course of decades or more. They set a record in 2002-03, clearing 7.5 million acres of hardwood trees of their leaves in central and northern Minnesota."

Pinnacle airlines leaving Memphis for Minnesota?
Fox: "Pinnacle Airlines may be jet-setting from Memphis to Minnesota. Joe Williams, Corporate Communications Manager for Pinnacle, says Minnesota has approached the Memphis-based company about moving their headquarters there."

Council considers Carnegie plan
Bemidji Pioneer: "The Save the Carnegie Committee is about to embark on a major fundraising drive to raise more than $1 million to preserve and restore the city's historic Carnegie Library."

The American Queen paddle-wheeler cruises on the Mississippi
New York Times: "This spring, the American Queen welcomed its first passengers in years. As it cruised the Mississippi, things seemed fine until a 'wreck' threatened to do the unthinkable: disrupt dinner."

If Michele Bachmann was Romney's running mate, Obama's lead in Minnesota would increase by 6 points

— PublicPolicyPolling (@ppppolls) June 4, 2012

Arts around MN: Weekend art fairs and "A Murder in Silk"

Posted at 4:20 PM on June 1, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN, Arts

Edina Art Fair

This weekend as June emerges there is many opportunities to experience local art in various forms. On Friday, June 1st through Sunday, June 3rd there is an art fair that includes work from more than 300 different artists. Admission is free, and the event includes two food courts and acoustic performances. There is also a Kid's Art Zone, which includes puppet shows, paint facing, and many more fun activities for children. In 2009 the Edina Art Fair added "Green Artists" which consists of art made from recycled and reused items.
Artist directory [PDF]

Riverwalk Market Fair

Another Art Fair, located in Downtown Northfield, will take place every Saturday from Saturday, June 2nd through October 27th. This Saturday will feature Kathleen Johnson, a world-class hammered dulcimer player.

"The mission of Riverwalk Market Fair is to provide Northfield-area farmers and artists with a place to show and sell their products. In the first two years of operation, Riverwalk Market Fair generated $ 240,000 in vendor sales. In 2011 we counted over 20,000 visitors. Our all-volunteer team of artists and farmers who operate the Fair are dedicated to making the vendor experience the best it can be. In addition to the fees the Fair receive from vendors, the organization receives funding from a growing list of community partners. The combined efforts of our dedicated volunteers and support from our local community are what makes Riverwalk Market Fair possible."

"A Murder in Silk"

In Duluth at The Play Ground a performance called "A Murder in Silk" will take place on Friday, June 1st and Saturday, June 2nd. The performance will consist of a live silk painting and music by the guitarist Alan Sparhawk from the band Low and violinist Gaelynn Lea. It is a unique opportunity to attend this event, and the collaboration of music and art creates an enchanting way to spend the evening.

-- Elisabeth Pedersen, contributor, Minnesota Today

Pagami fire post-mortem; Obama comes to town; Becoming conservative

Posted at 7:15 AM on June 1, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Eight Forest Service workers faced down death last year in BWCA fire
Star Tribune: "A dramatic new post-mortem on last summer's Pagami Creek forest fire acknowledges that eight U.S. Forest Service employees feared for their lives when trapped by a surprise surge of the inferno and recommends several changes in fire-management tactics to prevent loss of life in the future." Report highlights from the Duluth News Tribune: "Incoming information was incomplete; maps were based on that information; managers made decisions based on those maps, and field personnel didn't know what the maps were showing," the report notes in one analysis.

Obama comes to town
MPR News: "Unlike four years ago when Obama and his Republican opponent visited Minnesota frequently, it looks like the state may not draw as much attention from the presidential candidates -- in part because Mitt Romney has not started an active campaign here."
Washington Times: Obama Minn. trip to test gay marriage's political clout

Jack Meeks, chair of Romney's MN Steering Committee, expects Romney to campaign in MN in the next few months but didn't have specifics.

— tomscheck (@tomscheck) June 1, 2012

Minnesota cabin owners lose mineral lease fight, for now
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: Landowner brings family to fight against more exploration
"The concerns about sulfide mining are understandably far greater than they are about the kind of mining we've had in Minnesota so far" -- Gov. Mark Dayton (MPR News).

Firefighting effort at Sartell mill could reach 6 figures
St. Cloud Times: "The cost of fighting a fire that has been burning since Monday at the Sartell Verso paper mill could run into the six figures, city officials said Thursday."

3 Minnesota trails get national designation
Pioneer Press: "Federal officials have designated three Minnesota trails national recreation trails."

Build-ready projects? $47.5M in Minn. money up for grabs
Star Tribune: "The state of Minnesota is offering disappointed communities a second shot at millions of dollars for local projects."

Oil patch schools in dire need
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Oil Patch school districts seeing an influx of new students are in a state of emergency."

Lumberjack Days investigation done, forwarded to county attorney
Pioneer Press: "The Lumberjack Days Festival Association was accused last fall of issuing worthless checks for more than $35,000 to three vendors and the Stillwater Area High School boys hockey booster club."

Foreclosure protest puts Minneapolis officials in tight spot
Star Tribune: "Demonstrators said they'll be back, despite repeated ousters. Owners moved two months ago."

Conservative Moments: an Interactive History
Public Insight Network: "This interactive timeline of political and cultural moments in American conservatism is built from interviews and correspondence with hundreds of people across a wide spectrum of political thought."

Rising rivers; telescope mystery; the miseducation of Jostens

Posted at 8:00 AM on May 31, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Firm tied to 35W bridge still getting Mpls. contracts, bidding on Stillwater bridge
Star Tribune: "An engineering firm that drew criticism for its work on the collapsed Interstate 35W bridge continues to receive city contracts in Minneapolis, where leaders have not shared Gov. Mark Dayton's hesitation in giving the firm more business."

Rising St. Croix, Mississippi rivers create headaches
Heavy rains around the state have drained into the St Croix and Mississippi rivers. The Pioneer Press reports the rising water is hurting businesses and river commerce.

St. Paul UCC church at brink of closing over gay-marriage stand
Star Tribune: "The Rev. Oliver White's support for same-sex marriage set off an exodus. Now, his UCC church is on the verge of closing its doors."

U telescope's two-day detour ends at Texas truck wash
Star Tribune: "A high-tech telescope dropped off the map somewhere between the University of Minnesota and its Texas destination for two days before mysteriously resurfacing at a Texas truck wash Wednesday night."

Conceal and carry permit holder robbed with own gun
KARE11: "A 34-year-old man is charged with first degree aggravated robbery after Minneapolis police say he held up a conceal and carry permit holder with his own gun."

Man enters not guilty plea in alleged swindle of $300,000 worth of wild rice
Grand Rapids Herald-Review: "A Colorado man charged in connection with an alleged swindle of a Deer River business entered not guilty pleas in a brief court appearance Tuesday morning."

Photos: Minnesota Vikings participate in organized team activities
Pioneer Press: "Minnesota Vikings players participate in an organized team activities session Wednesday at Winter Park in Eden Prairie."

Mpls-based Jostens gives graduates diplomas with 'education' spelled 'eduation'
City Pages: "Minneapolis-based Jostens, a company that makes yearbooks, class rings, and other 'education'-related trinkets -- finds itself taking a bit of PR beating after a student at a Colorado high school recently pointed out to school administrators that on his diploma, 'education' was spelled 'eduation.' Oops!"

Mining exploration moves forward near BWCA

Posted at 8:00 AM on May 30, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Feds OK mineral exploration permits near Ely
MPR News: "The permits cover almost 39,000 acres, but the Forest Service says only about 1,000 acres will be disturbed by the drilling. More than 100 miles of temporary roads would be built." Duluth News Tribune: "No exploratory drilling will be allowed in the BWCAW but exploration is and will be conducted nearly up to the edge of the wilderness." ... "The decision is open to public comments through June 18. It was picked over four other options, including an option to allow no exploration and other options that restricted drilling to winter months only or that placed additional noise limits on drilling."

Related
Superior National Forest: Federal Hardrock Mineral Prospecting Permit EIS

Also on MN Today
Fire just latest setback for Verso
Saint Cloud Times: "Verso Paper Corp. has never experienced an explosion and fire of the magnitude seen this week in Sartell, according to Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Robert Mundy."

Photos: Top 10 plants that changed Minnesota

Pioneer Press: "The University of Minnesota horticulture professor Mary Meyer set out to find out, along with the U's Landscape Arboretum, the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences and U of M Extension. A panel judged plants by their impact (positive and negative)."

Wal-Mart takes aim at Best Buy with ads
Star Tribune: "Best Buy Co. Inc.'s plans to close 50 big-box stores by the end of the year is creating, at least temporarily, a consumer electronics hole that Wal-Mart is eager to fill."

Minnesota tries to fend off criticism on Medicaid
Star Tribune: "A top official tells a GOP-led panel that a questioned UCare payment was not due to overcharges."

Pay restored for local Guard
Echo Press: "President Barack Obama Friday signed into law a bill co-sponsored by all of Minnesota's congressional delegation that will return up to 27 days of paid leave to some of the state's National Guard members who have served in Kuwait helping to wind down the United States' involvement in Iraq."

Waldron out, interim chief selected for Virginia Police
WDIO: "Dennis Benz is now the acting chief for the Virginia Police Department. His most recent rank was detective.Benz is taking over for former Chief Dana Waldron, who's resignation went into effect on Friday evening. Waldron agreed to resign back on May 11."

U salaries reflect priorities
Minnesota Daily: "Recently, California has been the site of a major discussion of university salaries, where recent legislation may allow outside foundations and organizations to add to the university president salaries."

Courthouse security bill moving through U.S. Senate
KAAL: "The goal is to increase safety in America's courthouses. And a plan pushed by Senator Al Franken has passed one more committee hurdle in the US Senate."

Closely divided La Crosse Co. gears up for Walker recall election
MPR News: "When Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker supporter Oscar Hagen's neighbors started to blanket his block with signs for Democratic challenger Tom Barrett, he decided to do something about it."

Coalition targets Minnesota farmers for cleanup of river sludge
Star Tribune: "Voluntary efforts to reduce sediment are criticized as insufficient. Farm groups say members have worked to reduce soil erosion."

Calls for peace in Proctor follow alleged anti-gay attack

Posted at 7:45 AM on May 29, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Alleged assault draws protesters to Proctor
Duluth News Tribune: "A throng of people displaying rainbow-themed flags, balloons and dress rallied Monday afternoon in Proctor to show their support for Max Pelofske, a gay 21-year-old Duluth man sent to the hospital with deep bruises after an alleged assault late Saturday night."
Backstory: Gay man alleges hate-crime assault; 2 arrested (Pioneer Press)

Also on MN Today
St. Paul pastor who backs gay marriage turns to Internet to keep church open
Pioneer Press: "Web show host John Ong lives in Kansas City, Mo., but his audio program recently took a detour into St. Paul's East Side."

Wisconsin recall: Scott Walker enters final week with edge
The Washington Post: "A week from today, Wisconsin voters will decide whether to recall Gov. Scott Walker (R), an outcome that remains possible if not likely, according to sources closely following the race.

Ashland strike could be microcosm of public union fight with Walker
WPR: "A bitter five week strike in Ashland that ended this month with some replacement workers hired and the union accepting a 'right-to-work-type' concession, could be a microcosm of things to come in Wisconsin's private sector."

Op-Ed: Minnesota's cookie-cutter GOP
Bob Carney Jr.: "In recent years, the Minnesota Republican Party has moved away from a crucial guiding principle: consent of the governed."

Sartell paper mill blast claims 1 life
Saint Cloud Times: "One person was killed Monday and five were injured in an explosion that caused a large fire at a paper mill in Sartell."

Hwy. 1 fire burned 175 acres, had price tag of over $650,000
Ely Echo: "Two outbuildings and one hunting shack were destroyed and the porch of one home was damaged."

New rules reality hits Hiniker Pond
Mankato Free Press: "'We hate 'em. We hate 'em,' said Dennis Nesje of the new restrictions. 'We used to like to come out here and have a couple of beers and watch the kids swim. Now we just have to watch the kids swim, and that's boring.'"

Around MN: Chipotle struggles after firing 450 undocumented workers in Minn.

Posted at 7:51 AM on May 22, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Chipotle struggles after firing 450 undocumented workers in Minnesota
Businessweek: "The 1,260-store burrito chain fired about 450 Minnesota workers who couldn't confirm the validity of their work documents. The firings affected store operations and resulted in a temporary increase in labor costs to train new workers, Chipotle said in a filing."

Also on Minnesota Today
Gambling insiders doubt wisdom of Minnesota bet on e-gambling
Pioneer Press: "Minnesota is betting big that bringing technology to small-dollar bar gambling will draw a surge of new players whose wagers will help build a $975 million football stadium for the Vikings." MPR News: The e-pulltabs will arrive in establishments around the state in September.

High winds and heavy rain events eroding farmland
Daily Globe: "A wind advisory issued for today and a forecast for potentially heavy rains as early as Wednesday have the potential to wreak even more havoc on eroding topsoil across southwest Minnesota's farmland."

State's program a better measurement of Minn. schools, education official says
Duluth News Tribune: "The Minnesota Department of Education released new ratings today to gauge student achievement in an attempt to accurately portray school performance -- something the No Child Left Behind law failed to do, officials said."
MPR News: "The state system considers academic growth and other factors when assessing schools, not just one set of test scores. It identifies a narrow group of the highest- and lowest-performing schools for all to see, not just a broad list of who failed and who didn't. It also removes many of the toughest sanctions for low performance."
[MAP] Minnesota schools: MMR Ratings 2012

Best Buy's interim CEO snags big pay package
Star Tribune: "Corporate governance experts say G. Mike Mikan's pay is overly generous, given his lack of retail experience."

Pipe fight underway in Hudson
Hudson Patch: "A court fight is brewing between Left of Center and the City of Hudson after local cops changed the way they are enforcing the city's drug paraphernalia ordinance."

Buffalo on the loose

KEYC: "An update for you on those wayward buffalo in Northern Iowa. Some are still on the loose and have made it into Minnesota."

Couple says 'I do' over family graves
Austin Daily Herald: "Wedding bells rang out this weekend over the least likely place imaginable. Diane Waller and Randy Kjarland gave their vows during a 3 p.m. wedding ceremony Saturday set beside their parents' graves in Oakwood Cemetery. ... 'How cool is that?' Waller, the bride, said."

Soudan Underground Mine tours resume Saturday
Duluth News Tribune: "The park closed after a March 2011 fire deep below the surface that took several days to completely extinguish."

Daycare disaster; Paul delegates deliver; Solar eclipse

Posted at 7:45 AM on May 21, 2012 by Michael Olson (1 Comments)
Filed under: Around MN

Overcrowded day cares 'a recipe for disaster'
Star Tribune: "When care providers take too many children, dangers multiply. Several sites of child-care deaths had been cited for capacity violations."

Ron Paul has Texas-size influence in Minnesota GOP
MPR News: "An overwhelming majority of the Minnesota delegation to this summer's Republican National Convention will be going to Tampa, Fla., as Ron Paul delegates. The Texas congressman had a huge influence on last weekend's Minnesota GOP convention in St. Cloud. Beyond nearly sweeping the national delegates, state Rep. Kurt Bills, Paul's endorsed candidate to take on Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar this fall, won the GOP endorsement over two other Republicans." Star Tribune: "The eclectic Texan's triumph at the state Republican convention was discouraging to longtime activists." Christian Science Monitor: Ron Paul 'bloodless coup' in Minnesota takes most delegates. Now what?

Bills to take to the road in school bus to campaign for U.S. Senate
Princeton Union Eagle: "He and his family, explained Bills, intend to 'rattle around' the state in the bus campaigning. Indeed, the back of the bus may get an upgrade from a church group to make it more comfortable for Bills, his wife Cindy, and the couple's four children, the candidate explained."

Ely firefighters catch a break from weather
Duluth News Tribune: "More than an inch of overnight rain helped firefighters make significant progress Sunday toward extinguishing a wildfire that earlier had threatened the city of Ely."

Klobuchar defends Democratic approach on budget
MPR News: "Sen. Amy Klobuchar's opponents accuse her of letting spending get out of control, but she points out that she has supported some big spending cuts."

Minnesota same-sex marriage fight re-energized -- on both sides
CNN: "Minneapolis is a conflicted city. It's home to one of the largest gay pride festivals in the Midwest and was once dubbed the 'gayest city in America' by The Advocate magazine. The metropolitan area is also home to the conservative power base of Rep. Michele Bachmann."

Farm prices continue to rise
Mankato Free Press: "Agricultural property values in Blue Earth and Nicollet counties continue to shoot up while homes and businesses stay the same or fall slightly in value."

Wine country comes to rural St. Peter
Mankato Free Press: "After watching the first grapevines planted three years ago, Kent Schwickert spent the weekend welcoming customers for the first time to Chankaska Creek Ranch & Winery near St. Peter. "

Congress cranks up heat on Minnesota HMO/Medicaid Probe
KAAL: "Congress sends follow up questions and requests state documents. All of this is connected to a Congressional investigation into Minnesota's 4-billion dollar Medicaid program."

Hill of Three Waters
Minnesota Brown: "An unofficial understanding has long existed between the various mining companies and local Ojibwe people that allowed the three-way watershed to remain untouched. The location's mystical, spiritual power has been recognized by centuries of peoples, quite possibly an eon's worth. It shows a rare point where the watershed breaks three ways: north to Hudson Bay, south to the Mississippi River and East to the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway."

Beautiful solar eclipse!
Astro Bob: "It cleared just in time here in northern Minnesota for a great eclipse experience. My friend Jim joined me for a jaunt to Island Lake north of town, where we set up a couple small telescopes along a pleasant stretch of sandy beach."

Long day ahead for firefighters near Ely

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

"This thing isn't over yet." Firefighters brace for long day near Ely, expecting high winds and warm temps. Dan Kraker reports there are 75-100 firefighters in Ely that will combat the fire which has subsided significantly since yesterday when it threatened the town.

Firefighters mop up near Ely

MPR News: Firefighters were able to stop a fast moving wildfire just outside the town of Ely on Thursday. The Highway 1 Fire started when a power line snapped.

Several small fires quickly grew into a 216-acre blaze. Superior National Forest District Ranger Mark Van Every says the fire got to within a couple of hundred yards of Ely.

"It was a very close call," he said. "The fire was moving very rapidly, spotting ahead of itself, being pushed by the wind, you can see by the shape of the fire, it's a classic wind driven fire, it starts here and it gets pushed in a large cigar shape, and it was being pushed directly towards that southeast end of town."

Van Every says a quick response from several large water-dropping aircraft stationed nearby likely saved some homes from being destroyed. He says firefighters today will work to contain the fire's perimeter, and then work from the outside in, extinguishing any hot spots.

Also on Minnesota Today
Health care reform: GOP preps plan for ruling on law
Politico: "House Republican leaders are quietly hatching a plan of attack as they await a historic Supreme Court ruling on President Barack Obama's health care law."

Government support could shift for farmers
MPR News: "Over the last several years prices for soybeans, corn and other crops have increased, bringing in big revenues for Darwyn Bach and other farmers. But despite some years of increased profits, Bach still received a $4,500 check from the federal government."

Parts for Minnesota Power wind turbines blow through Twin Ports
Duluth News Tribune: "The latest installment of a growing wind energy center on the plains of North Dakota is moving through the Duluth port this week as Minnesota Power ramps up its renewable energy efforts."
The DNT is also reporting that the Duluth mail-processing center will remain open

Op-Ed: Dayton turned his back on compromise, Minnesotans
Sen. Julianne Ortman, R-Chanhassen writes in the Star Tribune: "Bipartisan deal in Legislature offered needed tax relief and jobs."

Op-Ed: Mining policies threaten national security and economy
H. Sterling Burnett writes in The Hill: "Instead of utilizing our more than $6.2 trillion worth of key mineral resources to our advantage, we've allowed confusing, outdated regulations deter investment in U.S. mining to the point that we're now 100-percent import dependent for 19 key minerals."

Op-Ed: Citizenship to Go
New York Times: "The real problem with citizenship laws is not their manipulation by lawmakers or entrepreneurs, much less by mythical 'anchor babies.' The problem is more fundamental: the age-old, irrational linkage between citizenship and birthplace."

Whooping cough concerns; Underappreciated Modernist designs; Sen. Bills?

Posted at 8:00 AM on May 17, 2012 by Michael Olson (1 Comments)
Filed under: Around MN

Whooping cough cases on the rise in Minnesota
Pioneer Press: "Minnesota health officials say the state is dealing with a rising number of whooping cough cases this year."

Preservationists aim to halt Peavey Plaza redesign in Minneapolis
MPR News: "Brackish, green water fills the reflecting pool at Peavey Plaza in downtown Minneapolis. Two of the three pumps that circulate it have stopped working. The third hasn't been turned on since last year. The fountain's iconic metal columns are dry and a bronzy tinge can be clearly seen." New York Times: "The plaza has become another battleground in the wars being fought around the country between preservationists determined to save what they see as underappreciated Modernist designs and cities and developers pushing to move on."

Vying for Klobuchar's seat, Bills says he can make 'tough decisions'
MPR News: On Friday, Republicans are expected to endorse a candidate to run against DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar. MPR News is looking at what each of the candidates is proposing to do about the nation's budget deficit. The three Republicans in the race all say government spending is out of control. Each is promoting a balanced budget, but none thinks taxes need to go up. Instead they all insist cuts and spending and regulations cuts are the best approach to ending deficit spending. This week we've heard from Dan Severson and Pete Hegseth. Today, it's state Rep. Kurt Bills' turn.

New Blue Cross network ranks Mayo Clinic in Tier 2
Post Bulletin: "Blue Cross ranked Mayo Clinic more costly than some of the other health systems covered by the plan, so the clinic gets a Tier 2 ranking instead of Tier 1."

For first time in U.S., minority babies now in majority
Star Tribune: "Census estimate marks a first for the nation, serving as harbinger of change to come."

Superior woman's 'ex-husband sale' stops traffic
Duluth News Tribune: "A public display of anger over love gone wrong -- or a celebration over a marriage ended -- caused traffic delays on North 21st Street in Superior on Wednesday."

Minn. apple crop mostly survives untimely frost
AP: "The sudden cold snap that interrupted Minnesota's warm spring five weeks ago doesn't appear to have been as big a disaster for the state's apple crop as first feared, but it still has left some growers hurting and worried."

Duluth casino contract invalid; Redistricting bills; 50 years of spending

Posted at 7:57 AM on May 16, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Interior Department calls Duluth's casino contract invalid
Duluth News Tribune: "The city of Duluth's efforts to hold on to a casino revenue-sharing agreement with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa have been dealt another blow."

Workers authorize strike at 8 Twin Cities hospitals
Star Tribune: "Workers at eight Twin Cities hospitals could be off their jobs later this month in a temporary strike over a new contract."

$628K sought for redistricting costs
AP "The Minnesota court panel that settled the latest round of political redistricting is now being asked to cover more than $628,000 in legal bills for the Democrats, Republicans and citizens who joined the lawsuit."

Mankato woman, 21, drowns in Blue Earth River
Mankato Free Press: "A woman and three of her friends got on their inner tubes, floated away from the sandy shores of Rapidan Dam Park and started what was going to be a lazy trip down the Blue Earth River on a warm May afternoon."

Hegseth seeks Medicare, Social Security overhauls
MPR News: "Delegates to the state Republican convention will endorse a candidate for U.S. Senate later this week. MPR News is looking at what each of the candidates is proposing to do about the nation's budget deficit."

Duluth School Board begins laying off teachers
Duluth News Tribune: "Six non-tenured teachers were laid off Tuesday by the Duluth School Board in a 5-1 vote.The layoffs include four special education teachers, one English teacher and one social studies teacher."

Engaging teens in pregnancy prevention may be paying off
MPR News: "In the sex education classes teens take in Minnesota schools, abstinence has been touted as the only 100 percent effective way to avoid pregnancy. But survey statistics don't give abstinence the credit."

Chisago Lakes fishing tournament goal? Kill the carp
Pioneer Press: "The Chisago Lakes Lions Club has a solution for the common carp that are muddying area waters: catch as many as you can, and kill them."

Paul campaign lays out delegate strategy
Politico: "On a call with reporters this morning, Paul campaign chairman Jesse Benton laid out the campaign's strategy for winning delegates going forward and stressed that Paul's supporters won't cause problems at the Republican convention in Tampa this summer."

Mystery donor gives $7 million to Coleman group
USA Today: "An anonymous donor gave $7 million to the American Action Network, a conservative group that spent millions to aid Republicans in the 2010 midterm congressional elections, according to tax returns the organization is filing with the Internal Revenue Service."

Lawmakers react to end of session
KAAL: "Democratic Governor Mark Dayton and state legislators kept Minnesota under budget, adjourned on time, and without a government shutdown. But besides a Vikings stadium deal, lawmakers were quick to blame one another on a relatively slow session."

Majority in poll: Retire Fighting Sioux nickname
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "A month before the electoral showdown over the University of North Dakota's Fighting Sioux nickname, a new statewide poll shows likely voters inclined toward allowing the university to retire the historic name and logo."

Goodhue County Public Health building evacuated after OSHA complaint
Rochester Post Bulletin: "In an ironic development, Goodhue County officials have been forced to begin evacuating 21 employees from the Goodhue County Public Health building after receiving a list of health concerns from the Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Division (OSHA) in St. Paul."

50 years of government spending, in 1 graph
Credit: Lam Thuy Vo / NPR
Planet Money: "Of each dollar the federal government spends, how much goes to health care? How much goes to defense? How much goes to other programs? And how has spending changed over time?"

Dolphins depart; Social media restrictions for teachers; Ron Paul's party

Posted at 8:10 AM on May 15, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Dolphins will leave Minn. Zoo after getting state money to fix up exhibit
MPR News: "Visitors to the Minnesota Zoo only have a few months left to see the two dolphins there. The animals will be sent to other aquariums while the zoo's Discovery Bay building is under renovation, and they will not be coming back."

Moorhead Schools approve new social media policy for teachers
WDAY: "The district says it encourages teachers to use social media, but they need to serve as positive ambassadors for the district. In the event of an investigation, teachers may be required to give the district access to his or her personal social media sites."

Poll: Minnesotans supportive of stadium and Dayton, but don't want it built with public funds
KSTP: "Though Minnesotans remain divided on what to do about the Minnesota Vikings, a plurality now for the first time supports building a new stadium."

Minneapolis City Council prepares to consider Vikings stadium
St Cloud Times: "Now that Gov. Mark Dayton has signed the $975 million Minnesota Vikings stadium bill, it's Minneapolis City Council's turn to get the ball."

Poll: Obama up big in Minnesota
The Hill: "President Obama has a big lead over Mitt Romney in Minnesota, according to a Survey USA poll released on Monday." The same poll also found that a majority in the state support same sex marriage.

Dayton gets last word as he vetoes reworked GOP tax cuts
Star Tribune: "Some had hoped he'd sign bill as thanks for GOP stadium support."

Senjem: Session successful, governor vetoes disappoint
Mankato Free Press: "Senate Majority Leader Dave Senjem says the 2012 legislative session was largely a success, Mankato still has a good chance to get civic center upgrade funding, and Mark Dayton's veto pen was the session's biggest disappointment."

Best Buy's Richard Schulze: Stereo seller to retail giant
MPR News: "In 1966, Best Buy was a stereo specialty retailer called Sound of Music, founded by Richard Schulze in St. Paul."

Op-Ed: State GOP is returning to sound principles
Star Tribune: "Ron Paul supporters have encouraged much of this internal restoration."

The cure, not the controversy; Asian carp find new route north; GOP rift

Posted at 7:15 AM on May 14, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Susan G. Komen participants focus on the cure, not the controversy
Pioneer Press: "Plenty of people wore pink at Sunday's Susan G. Komen Twin Cities Race for the Cure, focusing on eradicating breast cancer and celebrating its survivors and not on the recent divisions created over the foundation's ongoing funding of Planned Parenthood."

Asian carp may have found a Minnesota back door through Iowa
MPR News: "There's a back door for Asian carp to sneak into Minnesota, and fisheries officials are worried that the invaders might have found it already."

Op-Ed: How do you take your Tea?
Lori Sturdevant: "Republicans leave the Capitol more divided than many realize, including their funders."

It's more than partisan at the Capitol. It's personal
NewsCut: "It's not particularly difficult to see why so many legislators have called it quits at the Minnesota Capitol this session, often citing the changing atmosphere of partisanship there."

Mayo Clinic team returns from Mount Everest
Post Bulletin: "Team members had stayed at a base camp until a week ago, then they began a 50-mile trek, intending to do 10 days of research. They left the mountain a couple days early for reasons related to the effort of the North Face."

Gaylord, Minn., school's strategy pays off
Star Tribune: "Over the past eight years, the rural school about 60 miles southwest of the Twin Cities has dramatically raised reading scores, most notably among elementary students who are learning English, about one-fourth of the student population."

4 years + 4 majors + 4.0 = Path to success for St. Scholastica grad
Duluth News Tribune: "When Brock Erdahl walked across the commencement stage with 570 undergraduate classmates from the College of St. Scholastica on Sunday afternoon, he was recognized as a quadruple major."

Restaurant Report - Tycoons in Duluth
New York Times: "If you're going to open a restaurant celebrating millionaires, Duluth, Minn., is a surprisingly appropriate place to do it: at the turn of the 20th century, the city had more of them per capita than any other in the country."

Western Wisconsin leg of CapX2020 transmission project approved
Winona Daily News: "State regulators have approved plans to build a $202 million, high-voltage transmission line in western Wisconsin that will serve as the last leg of the CapX2020 transmission line, a 700-mile series of lines bringing lower-cost power from the Dakotas."

Op-Ed: Mitt Romney, the unlikable candidate
Daily Beast: "It's been a long time since the country elected a man as personally unappealing as Mitt Romney. Will Americans overlook their deeply held conviction that he's a jerk?"

'War on women?' Yes, no and a sidestep
Star Tribune: "With women's votes emerging as a major battleground in the 2012 presidential election, the three women in Minnesota's congressional delegation are carving out distinctly contrasting roles."

The beginning of the end of coal?

Posted at 3:41 PM on May 11, 2012 by Dan Kraker (2 Comments)
Filed under: Around MN, Arrowhead, Environment, Utilities

Yesterday on All Things Considered I reported how the Minnesota Department of Commerce is pushing for the closure of five coal-fired electric generators in northern Minnesota by the end of the decade.

Minnesota's Commerce Department wants Minnesota Power to shut down one of its three coal-fired generators at its Taconite Harbor Energy Center along the North Shore of Lake Superior in Schroeder.

That recommendation from Commerce came after the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission ordered Minnesota Power to study the economics of closing some of its coal units. It was the first time the PUC had ordered a so-called "baseload diversification study." The PUC has since also asked Interstate Power and Light and Otter Tail Power for similar studies. It wants Otter Tail to evaluate retiring its Hoot Lake coal-fired power plant.

Tough new environmental regulations are increasingly making older and smaller coal-fired generation stations uneconomic. Many utilities are turning instead to cheap and much cleaner burning natural gas. Xcel has already converted two Twin Cities area coal plants to natural gas. Midwest Generation just announced it will close two Chicago area coal plants sooner then expected rather than retrofit them.

So is this the beginning of the end of coal? Bloomberg Energy Analyst Rob Barnett published a report this week that declares the "twilight of coal-fired power" in the U.S. Barnett says a proposed new EPA carbon dioxide standard rolled out last month "effectively bans the construction of new coal-fired power plants" in the U.S.

Still, Barnett says we'll still have coal-fired power in the U.S. for decades to come. It will just make up a smaller chunk of our electric generation. Already, coal's share of generation capacity has shrunk from 52% to 40% since 2000.

Minnesota Power's plans mirror that trajectory. The utility now derives about 95% of its electricity from coal. But next year that share will drop to 75%, and utility Vice President Al Rudeck says that will drop to 50% by 2025.

But the company also announced this week it will spend nearly $400 million dollars on environmental upgrades at its giant Boswell power plant in Cohasset. As Rudeck describes, the utility will invest more heavily in wind, hydro, and gas, but coal will still provide the base of its generation.

Investment in Vikings unlikely to pay off; Walleye opener; Accretive answers

Posted at 8:00 AM on May 11, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

After years of wrangling, new Vikings stadium nearly a reality

MPR News: "The decade-long debate over a new, publicly subsidized Vikings stadium reached a conclusion Thursday, along with this year's legislative session, at the State Capitol. The Senate passed final legislation to build a $975 million stadium in Minneapolis by a vote of 36-30."

Wilf: 'We're here to stay'
Star Tribune: A video recap of VIkings stadium debate and post-vote reaction.

Duluth News Tribune: 'Skol, Vikings' heard 'round the Minnesota Capitol
Star Tribune: "Dayton deserves much of the credit, but he wasn't alone."
Field of Schemes: The deal "shows that if team owners ask for the moon and the stars, they can usually count on being bargained down by only a couple of lesser planets."

Minnesota Vikings set to get new stadium, investment unlikely to pay off
Wall Street Journal: "The deal makes Minnesota, population 5.3 million, the latest small market to shell out big bucks for a major sports stadium, despite evidence that such investments rarely pay off for taxpayers in purely economic terms."

LA Times: "This stadium is the best interest for the state," said Sen. Julie Rosen, a Republican from Fairmont who was lead sponsor of the bill. "This investment from three partners is the best for this state."

Sen. Scott Newman, a Republican from Hutchinson who opposed the bill, predicted it would pass. He said the state should be spending its money on things like healthcare and education.

"I know it happens across the nation, but it saddens me to think that our citizens believe that this is a wise expenditure of tax money," Newman said.

Also on Minnesota Today
Dept. of Commerce: Minnesota Power should close old coal plants
Duluth News Tribune: "The Minnesota Department of Commerce has come to the same conclusion as environmental groups, although for different reasons, that some of Minnesota Power's oldest coal-fired power plants should shut down sooner rather than later."

Fishing opener: Early spring may be good for fishing, bad for fish
Pioneer Press: "Among the reasons: A mild winter followed by an early-spring heat wave forced ice off lakes with record-breaking haste, allowing fish to spawn and recover before anglers could try to hook them."

Anglers see visions of walleyes
Duluth News Tribune: "John Chalstrom was in his leech office Thursday afternoon dealing hundreds of the wriggling black creatures into 50 waiting Styrofoam containers."

Accretive to comply with Franken's query, CEO says
Star Tribune: "Accretive Health CEO Mary Tolan has pledged to fully respond to questions that Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., posed last month about the company's debt-collection tactics and patient-privacy practices at Fairview hospitals."

Motoring in Moorhead
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "As Bill Cullen started his bike here, a wave of Bike Night passersby circled around his 1925 Harley-Davidson and 1921 sidecar to hear the purr of the engine."

Reservation homelessness persists; Ron Paul joins Minn. GOP convention

Posted at 8:03 AM on May 10, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Study: Reservation homelessness persists
MPR News: "Housing improvements over the last several years have not led to fewer homeless people on Minnesota's Indian reservations."

Minnesota Vikings one step closer to new stadium
MPR News: "Only a state Senate vote stands between the franchise and the $975 million stadium the Vikings would move into ahead of the 2016 season. The House passed the stadium plan early Thursday by a 71-60 vote."

Ron Paul to speak at Minn. GOP convention
Capitol VIew: "Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul will speak at the Minnesota Republican Convention in St. Cloud on May 18."

ACLU Minnesota sues voter ID advocacy group over failure to disclose nonprofit status
MSNBC: "The Minnesota Voters Alliance, the group suing state and local officials over allegations of fraud in Minnesota elections, was accused Wednesday morning by the Minnesota branch of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of not registering as a nonprofit organization."

Bullying is common factor in suicide deaths of two teens in southeastern Minn.
MPR News: "Two southeastern Minnesota teenagers have killed themselves in the past two weeks. While the cases are very different, the suicides prompt an outpour of grief and discussion about bullying."

Ax won't fall on rural post offices
CNN: "The U.S. Postal Service is backing off a previous plan to close thousands of post offices, and will instead cut hours at 13,000 rural facilities in an effort to save $500 million a year."

After questions on tactics, Accretive cuts forecast
New York Times: "Despite a surge in revenue in the first quarter, Accretive Health on Wednesday lowered its earnings estimate for 2012 because of the loss of an important contract amid accusations that the medical debt-collection company had used overly aggressive tactics."

Angry opponents of N.C. amendment call for moving Democratic convention from Charlotte
News Observer: "North Carolina voters have spoken. Now it's other people's turn. And, around the country, many of them are so mad at Tuesday's results on Amendment One that they're calling for the Democratic National Convention to be yanked out of Charlotte."
More same-sex marriage coverage from Minnesota Today including:
KARE11: Obama's same sex marriage support fuels Minn. debate
Analysis: Obama gambles with same-sex marriage move
Romney pushes back at reporter for asking about same-sex marriage

Garlic Mustard taking over the metro
KARE11: "It sounds delicious but cities around the metro and residents are fighting against it. Garlic Mustard is just one of many invasive plants that is taking over parts of the Twin Cities."

Green groups threaten EPA with lawsuit
MPR News: "Several environmental groups are trying to force the federal government to impose pollution controls at Xcel's Sherburne County power plant."

MAP: Wisconsin property in the path of the St. Croix River Crossing Project
Patch: "At least one Houlton farmer is upset about the St. Croix River Crossing Project and what it will do to farmland that has been in his family for generations."

Mayor highlights efforts to fight blight in Duluth
WDIO: "City officials say blight and nuisance properties diminish quality of life and community pride. Today Duluth Mayor Don Ness highlighted the city's efforts to keep neighborhoods looking clean, safe and livable."

Waconia set for Governor's Fishing Opener
KSTP: "Gov. Mark Dayton plans to attend Friday's community picnic in Waconia, then fish Lake Waconia at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, and fish again later Saturday morning."

Minnesota's odd laws debunked
WDAY: "Websites and books are full of lists of Odd Laws. But just how many of them are still on the books or even existed at all? In the first of a two part series, we look at Minnesota's Odd laws."

Farmers market overload; BWCA land swap; 'Bigotry's last gasp'?

Posted at 8:00 AM on May 9, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Does Minnesota have too many farmers' markets?
Pioneer Press: "At six farmers' markets each week, Jessica Gilbertson stands behind her white cooler poised to sell meat and eggs. But when customers trickle in, and she nets $50 in sales, she's left wishing she spent that time on the tractor."

Despite Chicago mayor's intervention, Minnesota AG says she won't back off Accretive probe
Pioneer Press: "Attorney General Lori Swanson is vowing to press on with her investigation of Accretive Health despite the mayor of Chicago asking her to rein it in until she has met executives to discuss concerns about the company's collection practices."

Cravaack introduces BWCAW land swap bill
Duluth News Tribune: "Just days after the Minnesota Legislature approved a plan to trade state land in the Boundary Waters for federal land outside the federal wilderness, U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack has introduced the deal in Congress."

Bonding bill includes funds for affordable housing
MPR News: "The bonding bill Minnesota lawmakers passed Tuesday includes more than $35 million for affordable housing."

Bonding bill heads to governor without Mayo Civic Center funding
Rochester Post Bulletin: "A nearly $500 million public works bill that includes funding to expand The Hormel Institute in Austin is headed to DFL Gov. Mark Dayton."

Scale of Goodhue County wind project questioned
Rochester Post Bulletin: "A 78-megawatt wind-power project proposed for Goodhue County that has been trying to get a state permit since late 2008 has been stalled by organized and determined local residents who have spent six figures fighting it."

Zacc Harris and his modern vision
State of the Arts: "If the Twin Cities jazz scene were in one large building, Zacc Harris would be room-hopping.In one room he's in a trio playing jazz standards. Down the hall, he's in the band Vital Organ, a classic jazz combination of guitar, drums and the Hammond b3."

Twins win one but still having abysmal season
Yahoo! Sports: "As the only team in all of Major League Baseball to still be at single-digits in wins, the Minnesota Twins are breaking the hearts of their most faithful fans and becoming the laughingstock of the sports world."

Op-Ed: Same-sex marriage amendments: bigotry's last gasp
Ana Marie Cox: "It's cold comfort to gay couples in North Carolina and Minnesota today, but mainstream America accepts marriage equality."

Vikings: House vote unworkable; The other side of the bridge; Catholic marriage campaign

Posted at 8:00 AM on May 8, 2012 by Michael Olson (1 Comments)
Filed under: Around MN

Vikings bill passes House
News Cut:

The Minnesota House of Representatives passed the Vikings stadium bill after nine hours of debate on a 73-to-58 vote. Here's the entire bill. The major changes were:

** State will share in naming rights income and will cap state portion of construction costs. The Vikings do not like this provision.

** Provides a 25% payment of the TOTAL SELLING PRICE to the state if the Vikings sell. That percentage is reduced 1% each year. The original bill called for a payment of the PROFIT only.

** The Vikings, rather than the stadium authority, would be responsible for operating overruns once the stadium is running

Capitol View has the vote count.

Vikings lobbyist Lester Bagley says new team contribution needs "to be worked out." He called the $105 million increase as "not workable."

— tomscheck (@tomscheck) May 8, 2012

Also on Minnesota Today
Fortunes of Wisconsin landowners take turn with St. Croix River bridge
Star Tribune: "Standing in his western Wisconsin farm field on a recent morning, Ed Gillstrom pointed to where a new four-lane highway will wipe out some of the 95 acres where he grows hay for his cattle. 'To take and wreck anything this beautiful because Stillwater wants a bridge ...,' said Gillstrom, his voice trailing into the wind. 'That whole bridge project is about as crooked and political as anything can get. They've got all the politicians in the country telling me what's good for this land.' The Gillstrom family and a half-dozen other landowners in lightly populated St. Joseph Township now know with certainty that they will see, within four years, a major transformation of their rural way of life.

Catholic Church a powerful force in marriage amendment debate
MPR News: "Minnesota law already prohibits gay marriage. But Catholic bishops have made passage of the amendment a top political priority this year, so much so that the Catholic Church is putting a lot of money and prayers into the effort to pass the marriage amendment."

On Game Day, bonding bill games cease
Star Tribune: "A $496 million bill crafted by a bipartisan rump group sailed smoothly through the House on a 99-32 vote, with every DFLer in the chamber joining a majority of Republicans in voting yes. A similarly positive reception for the bill is expected in the Senate later in the day."

Wisconsin Gov. candidates Barrett and Falk compete for labor votes
WPR: "Democratic candidates for governor Tom Barrett and Kathleen Falk are making late bids for labor votes, ahead of Tuesday's recall primary." WPR has this take on the Democratic candidate's final debate before today's vote.

Critics of war on invasive carp decry cost, environmental impact
MPR News: "For about two decades, several species of fish commonly known as Asian carp have been creeping up the Mississippi River and its tributaries, gobbling up food native fish need to survive."

Sensers' text messages show a family grappling with tragedy
Star Tribune: "A thick printout containing hundreds of text messages sheds little light on what happened when Amy Senser struck and killed a man on a Minneapolis freeway ramp last summer."

Twin Ports VA clinic to begin expansion this week
WPR: "The largest Veterans Administration outpatient clinic in northwestern Wisconsin is going to get even bigger, starting this week. It's gearing up to serve the growing number of veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq."

The county that picks presidents
National Journal: "Welcome to the molten core of the political universe, the hottest battleground in the biggest battleground state. Since 1960, Hillsborough County has called every single presidential election except for one--and there's no reason to think that voters here won't do it again."

Walleye opener 'pretty darn normal'; Bear kills dog; MN GOP fiscal woes

Posted at 3:45 PM on May 7, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Top stories from Minnesota Today this afternoon
Bob Collins is live blogging the Minnesota House debate on the Vikings stadium.

U of M to clamp down on executive severance pay
Duluth News Tribune: "University of Minnesota leaders are looking to tighten up the way departing executives are paid."

Minnesota walleye preview: 'A pretty darn normal opener'
Park Rapids Enterprise: "Anglers can talk about the early spring, ideal water temperatures and whether the fish have recovered from spawning, but the opening day of walleye season in Minnesota always comes down to getting out there and learning firsthand what the fish are doing."

Dog killed by bear in backyard of Sherburne County home
KARE11: "A dog was killed by a female bear in the backyard of a residence in Livonia Township Monday. Sherburne County Sheriff Joel Brott says the bear and her three cubs were in the backyard eating out of a bird feeder."

Minnesota House passes bonding bill
Star Tribune: "The Minnesota House has signed off on a $566 million bonding bill that would fund construction and preservation projects across the state."

Hennepin County gun permits up 54 percent In 2012
WCCO: "Applications for gun permits were up 54 percent from last year over the first four months of 2012, according to a report released Monday by the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office."

Minnesota Republican Party lays out 'serious concerns' about financial management
Star Tribune: "The Minnesota Republican Party Monday reported officials found 'questionable decision-making and a lack of accountability' among the 'serious concerns' in the party's financial management over the past several years."

Microsoft's Gates allowed to increase stake in Ecolab
Biz Journal: "Ecolab Inc. moved on Monday to allow Microsoft co-founder and Chairman Bill Gates to increase his ownership stake in the St. Paul company to as much as 25 percent."

'Antiques Roadshow' in Minneapolis
MinnPost: "What's the highest-rated show on PBS? Not 'Masterpiece' or 'Frontline,' but 'Antiques Roadshow,' where people show experts stuff from their attics and learn that it's worth a fortune -- or not. For anyone who has ever hoped the painting found in Aunt Martha's trunk was a lost Vermeer, 'Roadshow' is TV crack."

Red Bulls return; Nolan gets DFL nod; Graduates face grueling job hunt

Posted at 7:37 AM on May 7, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Last of Minn. Nat'l Guard Red Bulls return home
WCCO: "The last of the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 34th Infantry Division -- the Red Bulls -- returned home to Minnesota Sunday."

Body of fallen soldier escorted to Rochester
KAAL: "It was an emotional homecoming for the family of Sgt. Nicholas Dickhut. 'They took him off the plane and I thought 'Oh my god he's home,'" said Dickhut's aunt Elaine Ferguson.

Vikings' stadium vote Monday could be biggest day in team history
SB Nation Minnesota: "After a decade of trying, the Minnesota Vikings will finally have a stadium bill reach the floor of the Minnesota legislature on Monday. One way or another, it will be a historical day."

Nolan gets DFL endorsement in the 8th District
Northland News Center: "DFL Party Chair Ken Martin says Nolan has a strong campaign and that the party is looking forward to work with him in his race for the 8th District congressional seat currently held by Congressman Chip Cravaack."

Amid vast acres of dying birch trees, residents planting the seed to restore North Shore forests
Duluth News Tribune: "The forest along Lake Superior's North Shore has been drastically changed by humans over the past century. Now, people are making a growing effort to change it back."

New procedure for teaching license draws protest
New York Times: Dozens of students "have refused to send Pearson two 10-minute videos of themselves teaching, as well as a 40-page take-home test, requirements of an assessment that will soon be necessary for licensure in several states," including Minnesota.

SMSU grads reach end of 'chapter'
Marshall Independent: "'Be adventurous. Being adventurous is part of being alive on this earth,' Thomas Jackson, a 1985 SMSU alumnus, said. 'Be honest. Be kind. Be humble.' He also urged students to be ready to offer a hand to the people who come after them."

Bemidji State graduates told to 'keep up your optimism'
Bemidji Pioneer: "Nearly 950 graduates walked across the state at the Sanford Center Friday afternoon, catching one dream and moving on to the next. 'Everyone who is successful must have dreamed something,' said Trustee of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Alfredo Oliveiva, quoting from an Indian proverb."

College graduates likely to face long job hunt
Wall Street Journal: "Graduating college students face a mixed job market at best this year, and most will leave school without an offer in hand, despite an uptick in hiring by on-campus recruiters."

North Dakota using facial-recognition software when taking driver's license photos
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Before Randy Wilson stepped in front of the camera at the DMV last Thursday, he was told to remove his glasses for his driver's license photo."

Twins no bargain, but tickets are
Star Tribune: "After just two seasons at their new digs, the Twins are drawing far fewer fans and even scalpers are having trouble breaking even."

Twins hold hitters-only meeting in effort to escape funk
Pioneer Press: "At one point not long ago it appeared the Twins' offense was just a couple of clutch hits away from being very, very dangerous. Now, quite suddenly, every hit is a challenge."

Finding Minnesota: Minnow shots down the hatch
WCCO: "The Corral Supper Club in Nelson, Minn., celebrates the fishing season with Friday night shots - with a splash of minnow."

This week in Minnesota

Posted at 11:58 AM on May 5, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Arts Around MN: Split Personalities; Homegrown; Marc Johnson-Pencook

Posted at 3:58 PM on May 4, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Washington Gallery, an artist cooperative in Duluth, MN will be displaying an exhibit titled "Split Personalities" through the month of May. The exhibit is a collaborative effort by local artists Brett Grandson and Evan Unverdorben. The title comes from this collaboration, and from the different medium used in the exhibit. Unverdorben will be exhibiting his work in abstract painting, and Grandson will be presenting his landscape photography. The studio will be open for the public every Saturday and Sundays from 1 to 5 p.m. until May 27.

To check out music happenings in Duluth this weekend, the annual Homegrown Music Festival is continuing to celebrate local music acts until Sunday, May 6th.
"The Homegrown Music Festival is Duluth's annual showcase of rawk and/or roll devil music," organizers contend. "It began as a simple birthday party with a handful of bands and a bunch of beer. Now it's a complete bureaucracy, run by a volunteer steering committee and a fiscal agent, featuring about 150 musical acts, along with a few filmmakers and other artists."

Every day this weekend there will be a different act at many different venues throughout Duluth and the surrounding area. The event provides the chance to check out the local music talent, and to witness a diverse amount of musical styles.

In Robbinsdale artist Marc Johnson-Pencook is exhibiting his work at Robin Gallery throughout May. The opening reception is this weekend on Saturday May 5th from 4:00p.m.-8:00p.m.

"For this art show I have put together a cross section of my black and white artwork from the past five years along with some older pieces that represent my personal landmark work," says Johnson-Pencook. "My drawings can be organized into 'series' and 'sequential' art. A lot of my single composition belong to a running series ;( skeletons, bugs, musician portraits).The book illustrations fulfill my challenge of creating sequential art.

"I have always loved comic art and film making as storytelling devices. Illustrating a book creates a decision making process of pacing the pictures in a strategic way so that they work in conjunction with the words and decorate the readers' mind with images. So for this month of May I share my imagination with you."

Robbin Gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11a.m. - 4p.m. and Thursday evenings from 5:30p.m.-8:30p.m.

-- Lis Pedersen, contributor, Minnesota Today

Mining debate about trust; Twins fall to major league-worst; Drought diminishes

Posted at 8:00 AM on May 4, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Op-Ed: Trust at heart of copper mine debate
Sam Cook asks in the Duluth News Tribune: "If things go badly years down the road, what are the chances that a mining company can be held financially responsible?"

Cook's reflection came after this week's forum on the PolyMet project and proposed copper-nickel mining in the Arrowhead region of the state. You can listen to the entire forum here.

Minnesota Twins GM Terry Ryan: 'You can't feel sorry for yourself'
Pioneer Press: "General manager Terry Ryan doesn't seem inclined to dynamite his team less than a week into May, but he wasn't defending it much a day after the Twins fell to a major league-worst 6-18."
Boston Herald: Twins manager Gardenhire says his team played like Little Leaguers
Unrelated
Big League Stew: "The British are whining, the British are whining -- about some Minnesota Twins fans stealing the anthem of one of England's professional soccer clubs, Leeds United."

Now that some parts of the state have had a months worth of rain in the first three days, the drought is starting to diminish. Climatologist Mark Seeley discussed a comprehensive resource for tracking "recent rainfall totals and resulting impacts." in the state. See for yourself at the Puddles Page.

Last defendant in racial beating sentenced
Brainerd Dispatch: "The second defendant in a Feb. 6, 2011, racially-motivated attack in downtown Brainerd will serve more than five years in prison for the crime."

Dayton OKs wolf hunt, license increases
MPR News: "The governor's decision disappoints some environmental groups. Steve Morse of Minnesota Environmental Partnerships says both bills were peppered with unfortunate new policies, along with measures that Gov. Dayton badly wanted."

High tech classrooms in northeast Minnesota redefine distance learning

MPR News: "A school district collaborative in northeast Minnesota is using high tech video technology to link classrooms with others in the region."

Minnesota schools find it harder to shorten their school weeks
MPR News: "People in the Sleepy Eye Public Schools District in southwest Minnesota watched with interest in recent years as 11 rural districts switched to four-day weeks."

Dayton vetoes bill that would weaken teacher seniority
MPR News: "Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed a bill Thursday that would have forced school boards and teachers unions to consider teacher performance when making layoff decisions, rather than just seniority."

For one Vikings' fan, new stadium is personal
"It's not about the Super Bowls we've lost."

AP: "Supporting the Minnesota Vikings is Larry Spooner's lifelong passion. He has been camping out at the Minnesota Capitol with his purple van, trying to help the Vikings win more support for a Metrodome replacement in downtown Minneapolis."

Minnesota Senate fails to override fireworks veto
Pioneer Press: "State Sen. Michael Jungbauer took to the Senate floor Thursday, May 3, in an unsuccessful push to legalize the kinds of aerial and high-powered backyard fireworks that are readily available across state lines in Wisconsin or the Dakotas."

Who Built The 405? Oberstar wades into California political skirmish
BuzzFeed: "Who Built The 405?: Former Minn. Rep. Jim Oberstar says it's Berman. This is what they're fighting about in L.A.."

Minnesota business lets customers drive a tank
WDAY: "There are certain perks in this life that a select few will ever experience - being a billionaire, hitting a game wining shot as millions watch. How about driving an army tank and blasting through cars and buildings?"

Minnesota to lift burning restrictions Monday in 13 more counties
Star Tribune: "State burning restrictions are being lifted next week in 13 more Minnesota counties."

Post Bulletin: "Finding shoes for the nation's tallest man takes more than a trip to the mall." (h/t: @CathyWurzer)

Ron Paul's candidate for Senate; Crystal Sugar talks on; KFC drug raid

Posted at 7:55 AM on May 3, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Ron Paul could play big role in Republican pick for Senate race

MPR News: "The three candidates seeking the GOP nomination include former state Rep. Dan Severson, Minnesota Army National Guard Capt. Pete Hegseth and first-term state Rep. Kurt Bills of Rosemount, who has Paul's backing. Severson and Hegseth say Minnesota Republicans should be concerned about that because Paul's anti-establishment brand of politics would make Bills an unviable candidate to run against Klobuchar in the general election. But the state GOP convention is expected to attract many of Paul's supporters, which could help Bills win the endorsement."

Kasson police chief confirms investigation into girl's death
Post Bulletin: "Rachel Ehmke took her own life on Sunday. Her parents, Rick Ehmke and Mary Ehmke, believe bullying triggered her suicide. Kasson Police Chief Ken Schuck said today that the Dodge County Sheriff's Office is investigating what role harassment may have played in Rachel's death."

Mining Q&A draws hundreds to Duluth
Northland News Center: "From jobs, to water quality, to wild rice, all were topics of discussion Wednesday during a question and answer session on mining."

Severe storms sweep through Faribault, southern Rice County
Faribault Daily News: "Severe storms raked through Faribault and southern Rice County Wednesday night, setting off tornado sirens as a rotating wall cloud was identified by Skywarn spotters."
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: Wind gust of 74 mph reported in Wahpeton overnight

Rancher loses lease after he refused to give up opposition to quarry plan
West Central Tribune: "A rancher who voiced opposition to plans by the Strata Corporation to develop a quarry in Big Stone County will not have the lease renewed for the land where he grazes his cattle."

Union: Crystal lockout negotiations to resume June 8
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "American Crystal Sugar Co. and the Bakery Worker's union will resume talks on June 8."

Worthington KFC raided by Buffalo Ridge Drug Task Force
Worthington Daily Globe: "As part of an ongoing investigation, the Buffalo Ridge Drug Task Force executed three search warrants Wednesday morning, seizing small quantities of marijuana and cocaine, along with other items."

Republicans split on stadium as they try to convince skeptics they're serious
MPR News: "Republicans in the Minnesota Legislature are trying to build support for a stadium financing plan that was initially panned by DFL lawmakers and the Minnesota Vikings."

Editorial: A misguided GOP stadium ploy
Star Tribune: "Plan to use bonding needs a lot of work in a short time period."

Fargo elementary students shaken up by abortion protest images
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Some Clara Barton Hawthorne Elementary School children were reportedly traumatized Wednesday by seeing graphic posters displayed by anti-abortion protesters at the corner of 25th Street South and 13th Avenue."

Quist, Parry to fight it out in primary
New Ulm Journal: "Allen Quist announced Monday that he plans to file for Minnesota's 1st Congressional District primary election on Aug. 14, forgoing his prior decision to wait for the continuation of the Republican endorsing convention."

Bachmann to endorse Romney
CBS News: "Former GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., plans to endorse the party's presumptive nominee Mitt Romney at a campaign event in Portsmouth, Va., on Thursday, Romney campaign officials say."

After primary losses, legacies of debt and strained reputations
New York Times: "Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House who dropped out of the race on Wednesday, is a stark example of how the dream of being president -- or at least a candidate with benefits -- can be dashed."

How we get around in Minnesota

Posted at 8:51 AM on May 2, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Troops return; Wilderness reopened; Fergus Falls veggie mandate

Posted at 7:49 AM on May 2, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Emotions high as troops return
Austin Daily Herald: "Goosebumps and tears filled the community room at the Austin Armory Tuesday afternoon as more than 30 National Guard soldiers saw their families and friends for the first time in nearly 10 months."

Parts of BWCA to reopen today
MPR News: "Much of the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness that was burned in last year's Pagami Creek wildfire will reopen to the public starting today."

Students won't have option to turn down fresh fruits, veggies
Fergus Falls Journal: "Come next fall, students who typically get canned peaches and green beans on their plates will see fresh varieties. And they will no longer have the option of not taking them."

Amy Senser case in the hands of the jury
KARE11: "The fate of Amy Senser, accused of killing a Twin Cities chef in a hit-and-run-accident, is now in the hands of a jury."

Tornado touchdown reported near Sedan
Pioneer Press: "In central Minnesota, a trained weather spotter reported a brief tornado touchdown at 4:48 p.m. Tuesday near Sedan, Minn., according to the National Weather Service office in Chanhassen. Sedan is about 20 miles south of Alexandria. However, no significant damage was reported."

Heavy rain, hail pounds Central Minnesota

St Cloud Times: "Heavy rains, wind and hail pounded parts of Stearns, Benton and Sherburne counties Tuesday evening. A severe thunderstorm moved into Central Minnesota about 5 p.m. dropping heavy rains, hail as big as a golf ball and some tornadoes."

Occupy protesters march down Nicollet Mall
WCCO: "Nicollet Mall was a sea of loud protesters and police as the Occupy Minnesota movement took part in May Day activities on Tuesday."

Tea party speakers sound off
Brainerd Dispatch: "In typical freewheeling fashion, a truck driver, a politician, a soldier and a high school student each addressed a crowd of more than 50 to criticize big government and the direction in which they see the U.S. heading."

Behind the scenes at Caribou Coffee

KARE11: "Inside the Caribou Coffee Headquarters in Brooklyn Center, three guys are single handedly taste testing every batch of beans they've ordered or may order if it passes the strenuous test they call Cupping."

Paint by partisanship; The third Dakota; Radar love

Posted at 7:55 AM on May 1, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Visualizing presidential campaign contributions throughout Minnesota
MinnPost: "We've mapped 2012 first-quarter presidential campaign contributions in Minnesota. Each dot on the map represents a $20 contribution to a candidate, grouped by ZIP codes."

Legislature seeks progress on bills as deadline nears
MPR News: "Gov. Dayton and GOP legislative leaders continue to negotiate on three issues: a Vikings stadium, a tax bill and a public works bonding bill. Legislative leaders are now set to task as the constitutional deadline to adjourn, May 21, draws near."

In fight over Obama health law, a front in Minnesota
New York Times: "The state has sought advice from consumer groups, labor unions, doctors and hospitals, employers, insurance companies, agents and brokers, and American Indian tribes.But one notable group has been missing from the process: Republicans, who control both houses of the State Legislature."

State's immigration tide shifts back to Mexico
Star Tribune: "Those leaving cite immigration crackdown, economic slowdown."

Rochester soldier killed Sunday in Afghanistan

Rochester Post Bulletin: "Nicholas Dickhut, 23, of Rochester, was killed in action Sunday while serving with the U.S. Army in the Kandahar province of Afghanistan, according to his mother Jacqueline Carson, of Rochester." MPR News: "I don't even want to think about the fact that he's never coming home," Carson said. "All the plans that he had made and all the things we talked about, it's just never going to happen. I really thought he was going to make it. I really did."

Minnesota corn farmers planted 3 million acres last week
Pioneer Press: "Minnesota farmers poured into their fields last week, planting more than 3 million acres of corn in what looks to be the largest corn crop in state history."

Crystal says union's cost estimate of labor struggle too high
AG Week: "American Crystal Sugar Co. officials deny new union claims that a labor lockout has more than doubled processing costs for 2011 beets. They acknowledge costs have increased ... and say the company is seeing its replacement hires as a possible permanent workforce."

Minn. legislature struggles to find session's end
KSTP: "The Minnesota Legislature will stick around into May to try to reach agreement on tax breaks, state-financed construction projects and a Minnesota Vikings stadium plan."

Superfan says pass stadium or become 'the third Dakota'
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Larry Spooner loves Vikings football so much he has taken more than 40 days of vacation over the years to ask legislators to approve a new stadium."

Minn. Republican Party says it reached deal with landlord to avoid eviction from headquarters
Star Tribune: "Party chairman Pat Shortridge says Monday night that the confidential agreement with Hub Properties will be finalized in a week. It came on the eve of a court hearing where the landlord's eviction notice was to be heard. Shortridge says the hearing won't happen now."

New radar promises more detailed pictures of coming storms
Rochester Post Bulletin: "The new Doppler radar promises to give forecasters more detailed information about storms as they develop, in turn providing more information to local communities about severe weather headed their way."

Cravaack critics; Lutherans oppose marriage amendment; ER bill collector

Posted at 7:45 AM on April 30, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Op-Ed: Numbers fail to support claims of Cravaack's critics
Duluth News Tribune: "U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack may not have been the one to paint the target that's on his back this election season -- but he provided plenty of paint."

Minnesota Vikings asking for stadium taxpayer subsidy of $77 per ticket
Forbes: "If the bill for the Minnesota Vikings new stadium passes the cost to taxpayers will be $77.30 per ticket, per game, for 30 years, according to an analysis by state senator John Marty, who submitted his findings to his colleagues yesterday."

St. Croix River bridge: Muck sucks up money for project
Pioneer Press: "The price tag for the new St. Croix River bridge could run as high as $676 million - a figure almost three times as much as the $234 million spent replacing the Interstate 35W bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis."

Northland Lutherans oppose Minnesota marriage amendment
Duluth News Tribune: "Northland-area Lutherans are opposed to amending the Minnesota Constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman."

Even in the ER, Fairview patients faced bill collectors
Star Tribune: "Patients describe aggressive tactics they encountered at Fairview hospitals."

Accretive Health chairman has debt-collection history
Chicago Tribune: "The chairman of the Chicago-based company under fire this week in Minnesota for its debt-collection practices in some hospitals has a history in the business that includes a separate run-in with the attorney general in that state."

Amy Senser expected to testify at her trial today
AP: "Amy Senser is expected to take the stand this morning in her own defense during her trial in Hennepin County District Court. Senser, the wife of former Minnesota Viking Joe Senser, is on trial for three counts of criminal vehicular homicide."

Minnesota Gov. Dayton signs bill to encourage more school revenue from forest trust
Duluth News Tribune: "Gov. Mark Dayton late Saturday night signed into law legislation that changes how 2.5 million acres of state forestland is managed across northern Minnesota."

Two sand mine permits tabled in Buffalo County
Winona Daily News: "The Buffalo County Zoning Board of Adjustment has tabled a permit for new frac sand mines. The three-member board voted 2-1 this week to delay action on a permit for a Gilmanton mine for up to 60 days while awaiting results of a state Hwy. 88 study."

Richard Bellman, lawyer who fought discrimination in zoning, dies at 74
New York Times: "Richard Frederick Bellman was born in Minneapolis on Feb. 20, 1938. He graduated from the University of Minnesota, did graduate work in political science at the University of Chicago and returned to the University of Minnesota to earn a law degree."

GOP firm's 'CEOs' in the dark
Star Tribune: "Men listed as chief executives of a company created to handle 2010 recount debt are dumbfounded that their names were sent to the state."

Election 2012
Details of Romney's economic plan keep evolving
USA Today: "Surrogates for presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney frequently point to a 59-point economic plan released last year in response to criticisms that the campaign has been short on specific proposals."

This week in Minnesota

Posted at 12:23 PM on April 28, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Legislative endgame; Dayton vetoes abortion bill; Apartment boom

Posted at 8:00 AM on April 27, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Tying together gambling, stadium a dicey prospect for lawmakers
MPR News: "For now, the fate of the Vikings new stadium in Minnesota still rides, at least partly, on racehorses." WCCO: "In football terms, you could call it 'fourth and long' when it comes to lawmakers approving a new stadium for the Minnesota Vikings."

Stadium bill maneuvering offers a refresher course in legislative politics
MinnPost: "Among other things, the ongoing stadium debate is offering Capitol onlookers a refresher course in several political realities -- that no legislative committee is necessarily benign, that there's no free ride for controversial legislation and that things aren't always what they seem."

There is news about the team and not where they play. Statewide: In other non-stadium Vikings news, draft picks restore order

Dayton vetoes abortion clinic restrictions
Pioneer Press: "Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed a bill that would impose licensing requirements on Minnesota clinics performing 10 or more abortions a month."

Bachmann plans to back Romney 'all in good time'
USA Today: "Newt Gingrich is making plans to do it next week. Rick Perry did so last night. And Michele Bachmann is indicating she'll do so, too, on her own time frame."

Hunting, livestock main topics of Duluth wolf conference
MPR News: "With a proposed wolf hunting season nearing approval in the Minnesota Legislature, state wildlife managers and others are meeting in Duluth for an annual conference on wolves in the Great Lakes region."

Woman who caused Delta flight quarantine identified as Red Wing resident
Republican Eagle: "A phone call asking for medical advice for a Red Wing woman returning from Uganda resulted in a two-hour quarantine for Delta flight Thursday afternoon."

New suburban flight: Apartments take off
Star Tribune: "A rental-housing construction boom in the core cities is migrating to the suburbs, but location is crucial."

Scientists seek tiny particles in the big woods
Duluth News Tribune: "Preparations for a $283 million international experiment to solve mysteries of the universe have reached an important milestone in the woods of northern Minnesota."

Racino rebirth; Minnesota Medicaid scrutinized; Experimentation at Homegrown

Posted at 7:45 AM on April 26, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Dayton says he won't negotiate on LIFO
MinnPost: "Gov. Mark Dayton today said that as the Legislature heads into its final days he is open to compromise on any issue except the proposal to end seniority-based teacher layoffs in Minnesota."

Sen. committee adds racino plan as it approves stadium bill
MPR News: "In a surprise maneuver, supporters of putting slot machines at Minnesota horse tracks tacked a racino plan onto the Vikings stadium bill on Wednesday." West Central Tribune: "The Vikings stadium got 'another first down' Tuesday, proclaimed the chairman of the state Senate committee that kept the bill's recent momentum going."

Will rank and file lawmakers support the stadium?
MPR News: "It's been nearly two years since voters decided to put Republicans in charge of the Minnesota House and Senate, while at the same time electing a Democrat as governor."

Chris Coleman asks senators to keep St. Paul alive
Star Tribune: "St. Paul mayor, while supporting a stadium in Minneapolis, is seeking a share of the largesse."

Congress puts Minnesota Medicaid on the hot seat

Pioneer Press: "Minnesota's national reputation for being a leader in health care took some hits in Congress with more questions about whether the state manipulated the rate certification process in the Medicaid program to wrongly obtain federal dollars." MPR News: "At issue during a congressional hearing was $30 million that the HMO UCare -- one of four large insurance companies that provide services for Minnesota's Medicaid program -- returned to the state last year."

Accretive falls as Minnesota sues over debt collection practices
The Boston Globe: "Accretive fell the most since its May 2010 debut as a public company after Minnesota's attorney general, Lori Swanson, sued the Chicago company, alleging it put debt collectors in emergency rooms and at patients' bedsides in violation of federal and state debt-collection and privacy laws."

Minnesota Legislature OKs new oversight for state school trust lands
Pioneer Press: "Moments after the Minnesota House overwhelmingly approved a measure changing oversight of state school trust lands, Republicans and Democrats shook hands and exchanged hugs. On the House floor. At center aisle."

Kurt Bills gains advantage for GOP Senate endorsement
MInnPost: "In the contest to be the Republican challenger to Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a last-place presidential contender may decide the outcome. Based on the strength and organization of Ron Paul's Minnesota campaign, the odds are tipping in favor of the candidate Paul has endorsed."

Red Sox complete sweep of Twins, 7-6
Bring Me the News: "Boston beat the Twins, 7-6 to complete a three game sweep at Target Field. Just a day after Ron Gardenhire said he needed more from his starting pitchers, Liam Hendriks lasted just four innings. The Twins get a day off before starting a three game series against the Royals tomorrow."

Don Draper's free night in Rapid City
CNN: 'To the Don Drapers of the world, the Howard Johnson hotel brand would like to say this: We're sorry and your next stay is on us,' the company said in announcing a 'Mad Men'-inspired promotion."

First nestlings at day 3

Penelopedia: "A moment before this photo was taken, they were all flopped down, but my camera made a little chime as it turned on, and the sound triggered their gaping reflex. They went from flopped to this position in the blink of an eye."

Cook County News Herald turns 121
WTIP: "The Cook County News Herald is truly a treasury of moments in time. In this edition of WTIP's historical series 'Moments in Time', Jay Andersen, a former News Herald editor, interviews the current editor, Rhonda Silence, about the history of the newspaper."

Homegrown starts off with experimentation

Duluth News Tribune: "The annual Homegrown Music Festival kicks off Sunday with a couple of hours of recycled drone music featuring a new mallet piano and an electric khoto with a bridge made from an old snowmobile."

PolyMet CEO frustrated with permit delays; MN-02 DFL candidate forum

Posted at 7:30 AM on April 25, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

PolyMet CEO frustrated with permit delays
WDIO: "Phase 1 of PolyMet is $350 million dollars. CEO Joe Scipioni said that's like an investment of almost $1 million dollars a day, for a year. 'That's what our region is missing out on, while we wait for permits.'" Greg Seitz with Friends of the Boundary Waters responded to the WDIO report, "PolyMet's permits have been delayed because of the inadequate draft Environmental Impact Statement for the mine proposal that was put out in 2009. The Environmental Protection Agency gave the review the lowest grade possible. The mine would have caused violations of Minnesota water quality standards for 2,000 years, and the company did not provide any information to assure Minnesota taxpayers that we won't get stuck with a multi-million dollar clean-up bill."

Join an online candidate forum today at noon with the candidates seeking the 2nd Congressional District DFL nomination.

Members of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party will gather Saturday in Rosemount to endorse a challenger to Republican Incumbent Rep. John Kline.

Dems think Rep. Kline is weaker in new 2nd District

MPR News: Minnesota's redrawn 2nd Congressional District has a trio of Democrats weighing a challenge to incumbent U.S. Rep. John Kline, a Republican who could be more vulnerable than he has been in past elections.

Dakota County Commissioner Kathleen Gaylord, former DFL state Rep. Mike Obermueller of Eagan, Minn., and Northfield City Council member Patrick Ganey have announced that they will challenge Kline, who has represented the sprawling district south of the Twin Cities for 10 years.

In the recent round of redistricting, the 2nd District lost conservative ground in Carver and Le Sueur Counties to the south. It gained solid Democratic turf to the north, picking up parts of South St. Paul and West St. Paul.

Kline declined to comment. But the changed district lines have the three Democrats optimistic about their chances.

Vote analysis: Rep. John Kline voting record "far-right"

GovTrack: "Kline is a far-right Republican according to GovTrack's own analysis of bill sponsorship. Use this chart to compare Kline to other members of the House of Representatives on leadership and ideology."

"We must continue to fight Washington's big government tax-and-spend approach that is burdening our children and grandchildren with insurmountable debt. And I will continue to fight for you on the front lines of these important battles to repeal ObamaCare, eliminate the over-regulations that are smothering America's businesses, and stop the Big Labor movement that is leading to unprecedented abuses of power," -- Rep. John Kline, speaking to Republican delegates (MinnPost).

Also on Minnesota Today
Vikings stadium plan takes on an 'air of inevitability'
Star Tribune: "Measure passed one Senate panel and was headed to another, paving the way for a possible final vote soon."

GOP debating whether to call back delegates in congressional contest
Post Bulletin: "Republican officials want resolution in choosing a candidate to back for the 1st District Congressional seat held by Democratic Rep. Tim Walz. Mower County Republicans Chairman Dennis Schminke said a primary fight would be bad for the party's efforts to defeat Walz."

Rep. Kline fights Obama's bid to cap student loan interest
Star Tribune: "U.S. Rep. John Kline, who heads the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and is the House's point man on education issues, is among the Republicans in Congress reluctant to extend the current rates, a move that would cost about $6 billion per year in additional subsidies."

Red Cliff band to help recover 70 barrels from Lake Superior
Duluth News Tribune: "A report released by Red Cliff in 2006 indicated that pollutants might be in the barrels. Citing Army Corps and Honeywell Munitions records, the Red Cliff report said chemicals ranging from PCBs to mercury, lead or even uranium could be in the barrels."

Dayton under fire for vetoing E-Verify requirement
MPR News: "Republican lawmakers are criticizing Gov. Mark Dayton's veto of an immigration enforcement bill. The bill would have required the state to run names of new state employees through a federal database called E-Verify to check their work authorization in the United States."

Duluth School Board to request levy
Duluth News Tribune: "The Duluth School Board will move ahead with plans to ask taxpayers for more money for classroom operations next fall."

Attorney general: Investigation of Fairview debt collector shows illegal use of patient data
MPR News: "The state attorney general's office's released the results of an investigation into Fairview Health Services' relationship with a debt collection company accused of violating federal and state patient privacy and debt collection laws."

Senate turns back effort to ban payments to 'pray the gay away' therapy
Hot Dish Politics: "On a bipartisan 27-40 vote, the Senate Tuesday turned back a move to ban government reimbursement for reparative or conversion therapy to 'pray the gay away.'"

Minnesota Senate sends fireworks bill to governor
Hot Dish Politics: "Gov. Mark Dayton will soon decide whether Minnesotans can purchase and use more powerful fireworks."

Sen. Dave Thompson Discusses Frustrating Session: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com

Vikings rebirth; Cleaning Lake Pepin; Mines in space

Posted at 8:00 AM on April 24, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Vikings stadium plan gets another chance at Capitol
MPR News: "The Minnesota Vikings appear to be gaining ground again in their effort to get a $975 million stadium in downtown Minneapolis, now that the House Ways and Means committee has grafted a dead stadium bill from last week onto a new plan to legalize electronic pull tabs and bingo." Pioneer Press: The bill "would use $550 million in public money to build a stadium for the Minnesota Vikings on the site of the Metrodome is on its way to the floor of the House."

Hunting. fishing license fee increases pass senate
Union Eagle: Minnesota Senate "passed its game and fish bill, one including proposed hunting and fishing license fee increases."

Lake Pepin sediment study ready for comment
Rochester Post Bulletin: "The long-awaited draft study of how to slow the sedimentation of Lake Pepin quantifies how farmers and cities must reduce the amount of soil they send into the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers."

Bolander wins bid for Stillwater bridge test shafts
Pioneer Press: "Crews late this spring will begin boring test shafts into the St. Croix River for structural-load testing that will provide information for the designers of the new bridge south of Stillwater."

Rev. Bradlee Dean: GOP warns St. Cloud State Republicans about hosting pastor
AP: "Minnesota Republican officials are threatening the St. Cloud State University chapter of College Republicans with sanctions if they host a fiery pastor."

Minnesota House passes amended fireworks bill
Star Tribune: "The Minnesota House voted Monday to allow Minnesotans to buy and use more powerful aerial fireworks, but only during a five-week fireworks window in June and early July."

Veepstakes: Tim Pawlenty makes more sense than you might think
Swampland: "Republican insiders say the first priority in selecting a running mate is to 'do no harm.' Nobody embodies that mantra better than Pawlenty."

Twins' improvement on the field hasn't translated to more wins
Pioneer Press: "The Twins are one of the majors' better hitting teams and showing flashes of the defense that was once their trademark, major improvements over last season, when they lost 99 games.Yet they're still finding ways to lose."

Op-Ed: No reason to delay mineral lease decision
Mesabi Daily News: "The Executive Council is waiting for the Legislature -- which is totally dysfunctional this year -- to act on something that isn't even needed before it can allow mineral leasing rights for four companies that have already had their bids accepted for nonferrous exploration."

Gizmodo: Space miners poised to snatch Iron Range jobs.

1st District GOP divided; Otter Tail police drone; The Twinkie subsidy

Posted at 7:21 AM on April 23, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

1st District Republicans divided between Quist, Parry
Mankato Free Press: "Vigorously unanimous in their desire to beat Democratic Congressman Tim Walz, the delegates at the 1st District Republican Convention Saturday were deeply divided over who could accomplish the task." Politics in Minnesota: "Neither candidate managed to pass the 60 percent vote threshold needed to automatically win the endorsement in the all-day contest, nor were they willing to concede the close race, which never strayed from more than a 25-vote margin between the two candidates." Rochester Post-Bulletin: "At first, Parry, a state senator from Waseca, appeared to have the advantage. He led Quist by 19 votes on the first ballot. But as the evening wore on, Parry's lead eroded. After 10 hours and 15 ballots, Quist took the lead and held it. The swing in support came after the former state representative from St. Peter challenged Parry to a debate where each candidate asked each other five questions. Parry declined. Quist asked the delegates, 'Why would you want to endorse a candidate to debate Tim Walz when that candidate is afraid to debate Allen Quist?' Parry responded that the focus needs to be on beating Walz. He took Quist to task for waving list of questions in front of stage while he was addressing the delegates." AP: "Delegates will reconvene in another two or three weeks."

Duluth, St. Louis County retirees see six-figure pensions
Duluth News Tribune: The Public Employees Retirement Association of Minnesota confirms that 17 retired Duluth or St. Louis County "workers receive pensions of more than $100,000 a year."

FAA releases lists of drone certificates, Otter Tail County denied
EFF: Otter Tail County sought a certificate to be able to fly a drone, the small county in the northwest part of Minnesota was denied.
Next Gov: "Why, does Otter Tail County, Minn., located 60 miles southeast of Fargo, N.D., and 178 miles northwest of Minneapolis, with a population of 57,000, need its own drone? I called and asked, but no response yet."

Duluth cafeterias line up for local farmers' food
Duluth News Tribune: "If the beef you eat at a local hospital or college cafeteria this week tastes a bit fresher, credit your good fortune to more than two decades of a small but growing advocacy for locally grown foods."

The Twinkie subsidy
Grand Forks Herald: "Out of the $260 billion taxpayers spent on agricultural subsidies between 1995 and 2010, $16.9 billion went toward four common food additives: corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, corn starch, and soy oils."

Editorial: Student debt is nearing a tipping point
Post Bulletin: "Youth is a wonderful thing, but those of us who sometimes look back wistfully upon early adulthood have at least one reason to be glad that we're a bit further along in our life's journey."

Grow yourself a six-pack
New York Times: "Hop vines thrive in full sun to partial shade, and in fertile, well-draining soil. Other than that, they don't require much care."

Ineffective Liriano gets rocked as Rays trample Twins
ESPN: "The Minnesota Twins are becoming concerned with Francisco Liriano's struggles."

The Kadunce River at sunrise. Although this year's spring runoff was minor, it still caused the rivers to flow. Usually, there's a rock bar at the mouth of this river. (permalink) Photo courtesy of Bryan Hansel.

This week in Minnesota

Posted at 10:59 AM on April 21, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Few substantive differences emerge among 8th District DFL candidates

Posted at 7:37 AM on April 20, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Three DFLers debate in Duluth to challenge Cravaack

MPR News: "Three DFLers are vying to run against the freshman, state Sen. Tarryl Clark, former congressman Rick Nolan, and former Duluth City Council President Jeff Anderson. Each tried to make a distinct case at a candidates' forum in Duluth on Thursday night. In front of a crowd of about one hundred people at the College of St. Scholastica, all three voiced their support for a single-payer health care system, reduced spending on the military, and for increased investment in infrastructure, including the proposed Northern Lights Express rail line between the Twin Cities and Duluth. ... They also all support controversial copper-nickel mines in the region, as long as sufficient environmental safeguards are in place. Anderson, who grew up in Ely, spoke most plainly about his support for mining."

Duluth News Tribune: "If the just more than 100 people at a 90-minute forum were looking for distinction among the three Democratic candidates hoping to unseat U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack, it was hard to find Thursday night." The Northland News Center also has a story about the forum.

Also on Minnesota Today
U.S. Senate candidates share concerns, priorities
Bemidji Pioneer: "The four candidates seeking the Republican endorsement for U.S. Senate all agree that Amy Klobuchar needs to be replaced, but their main areas of concern varied, covering national debt, Obamacare, foreign policy and the size of government."

USA Today finds old Minnesota lead plant sites
KARE11: "Two sites in the Twin Cities are among 400 such locations nationwide noted in a special investigation published by USA Today on Thursday morning. The probe identified potential pollution sites at old factories that the article claims did not get enough reaction from government authorities."

Rukavina letter threatens Pequaywan Township over mining vote
Duluth News Tribune: "State Rep. Tom Rukavina says he was only about half serious when he sent a scolding letter to the Pequaywan Township board threatening to take away the township's share of taconite tax money after town supervisors voted for a resolution critical of copper mining."

Republicans link Dayton's likes with bills he won't
Pioneer Press: "Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton chastised Republican lawmakers Thursday, April 19, for tacking some of his veteran/public safety initiatives onto a money-management bill he opposes."

Student loan interest rates loom as political battle
New York Times: "The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that a one-year freeze on the interest rate for subsidized Stafford loans would cost $6 billion. 'Bad policy based on lofty campaign promises has put us in an untenable situation,'" said Rep. John Kline (R-Minn).

N.F.L. Warns That Vikings Could Move
New York Times: "N.F.L. Commissioner Roger Goodell will fly to Minnesota on Friday to warn state lawmakers that if they do not help the Vikings build a new stadium, the team will be forced to explore other options, including leaving the state."

Yanks' four homers cost Twins in the Bronx
MLB.com: "Considering their past struggles in the Bronx, it would be easy for the Twins to take solace in splitting their four-game series against the Yankees."

New abortion regulations; Food stamp cuts; TSA mission creep

Posted at 7:38 AM on April 19, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Minnesota commissioner to testify before U.S. House hearing over HMO payment
Pioneer Press: "Questions about the financing of Minnesota's Medicaid health insurance program will be a key part of an upcoming congressional hearing."

Dayton: Negotiations with GOP going south
MPR News: "DFL Gov. Mark Dayton says end-of session negotiations with Republican legislative leaders are headed in the wrong direction."

Abortion bills pass Minnesota House, Senate
Hot Dish Politics: "If a woman is going to take an abortion pill like RU-486, she should do it in the presence of a doctor, the House voted Wednesday. Representatives were less open, however, to an amendment that would have required a physician presence every time a man pops a Viagra."

A Vikings stadium 'Plan B' moves forward
Star Tribune: "There may not be an agreement this spring to build a new Minnesota Vikings stadium, but legislators may be preparing a Plan B. A proposal to authorize electronic bingo and pull tabs, along with sports-themed tip boards, will go before the House Taxes Committee on Thursday."

Jack Jablonski leaves rehab center for a new home
KARE11: "After three and a half months of physical therapy at the Sister Kenny Rehabilitation Institute in Minneapolis, Jack Jablonski gets to go home."

Wolf hunt caught in Minnesota legislature
MPR News: "A spat between two influential state senators has put on hold a bill that would allow the hunt, proposed after the federal government removed the wolf from the list of endangered species in January."

Farm bill cuts would hit food stamps
Program aids 46.5 million with low incomes
Forum of Fargo-Moorhead: "Complying with GOP mandates to reduce spending, the House Agricultural Committee voted Wednesday to cut $33 billion over 10 years to the nation's cornerstone nutrition program." Grand Forks Herald: Minn., N.D., Reps on opposite sides of farm bill cuts

Conflicted Catholics: Consciences wrestle with church actions on marriage amendment
MinnPost: "Lisa Vanderlinden grew up a Roman Catholic. She went to a Catholic college, married in the church and taught at a Catholic high school. Six years ago, Jason, the youngest of Vanderlinden and husband Brent's four sons, came out as gay."

Twin Cities population to grow more diverse, elderly by 2040
MPR News: "The population of the Twin Cities metro area will grow, age and become more diverse by the year 2040, according to a new report released Wednesday by the Metropolitan Council."
Winona Daily News: 2 area cities challenge census data reporting less residents

61 acres to be added to Voyageurs National Park
Duluth News Tribune: "In its largest purchase ever, the Voyageurs National Park Association has bought a 61.55-acre property on behalf of Voyageurs National Park."

For elders with dementia, musical awakenings

NPR: "Henry, an elderly Alzheimer's patient in an American nursing home, recently became a viral star. In a short video that has been viewed millions of times online, he starts out slumped over and unresponsive -- but undergoes a remarkable transformation as he listens to music on a pair of headphones."

Op-Ed: The TSA's mission creep is making the US a police state
Guardian: "The out-of-control Transportation Security Administration is past patdowns at airports - now it's checkpoints and roadblocks."

Rowdy tax rally; UND considers American Indian portrayals

Posted at 7:30 AM on April 18, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Top picks from Minnesota Today:
Duluth tax rally gets rowdy
Duluth News Tribune: "More than 50 protesters on the steps of Duluth's Judge Gerald Heaney Federal Building on Tuesday afternoon called on Congress to adopt the Buffett Rule, while an earlier gathering at the Rainbow Senior Center turned into more of a verbal confrontation between left and right."

No pay raise for elected officials -- again
Star Tribune: "The consequences of underpaying elected officials are increasingly apparent. This year and in the last several years, good legislators have chosen to end their public service prematurely because they find the $31,140 annual salary insufficient."

Former Rochester School Board member: Scrap tenure
Post Bulletin: "A former Rochester School Board member traveled to St. Paul on Tuesday to urge the governor to sign a bill scrapping the state's teacher seniority system."

'The good, bad and ugly:' UND exhibit reviews use of American Indian names and images
Grand Forks Herald: "The exhibit at UND's Memorial Student Union, part of the annual Time Out dedicated to Indian culture, history and traditions, is Richie Plass' way of speaking out on a long-running dispute over how Indians are portrayed."

Study finds link between 3M-made chemical and cancer
Saint Cloud Times: "A chemical made by 3M Co. found in drinking water is 'more probably than not' linked to cancer of the testicles and the kidneys, according to a panel of scientists."

A more predictable result for the Yankees against the Twins, 8-3
MLB.com: "After being ejected for arguing balls and strikes in the top of the third inning of Tuesday's game, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire had plenty of time to talk with left-hander Francisco Liriano."

City responds to Bemidji Township's letters regarding annexation
Bemidji Pioneer: "The city of Bemidji rejects the idea that there is a dispute with the orderly annexation agreement necessitating the need to delay review by the state Office of Administration Hearings."

Obama's home state advantage
Smart Politics: "As electoral map gurus put forth their latest projections, here is one tidbit to consider: the major party nominee from the most populous home state has won nearly twice as many presidential elections in U.S. history (32) as the nominee with the smaller home state population (17)."
More Election 2012 coverage

More top stories from MPR News:
Minn. Senate passes fireworks bill
Investigating the CEO is about protecting the company
Teachers hope to boost test scores with fresh air, food, mints
Aircraft company bringing more than 200 jobs to Duluth
Vikings' Bagley: There is no next year
Senate rejects attempt to raise game and fish fees

Stadium bill rejected; Twins beat Yankees; Loons return early

Posted at 7:30 AM on April 17, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

House committee rejects Vikings stadium proposal
MPR News: "The Minnesota Vikings have run into some of their most serious opposition yet in the decade-long drive to get a new home for the NFL franchise in Minnesota on Monday night, as a key state House committee rejected their proposal for a nearly $1 billion downtown Minneapolis stadium."

Some Minnesota lawmakers ready to adjourn, some want more time
Detroit Lakes Online: "Every issue in front of the Minnesota Legislature is optional as it prepares to adjourn in a few days, a couple of weeks or on its mandatory May 21 last day."

Fate of Minnesota schools' integration aid hangs in limbo
Star Tribune: "Lawmakers' dispute over how to use $108M may jeopardize funds."

White Bear Lake couple identified among cruise victims
KARE11: "Two bodies recovered from the wrecked Costa Concordia cruise ship have been formally identified as Americans Barbara and Gerald Heil from White Bear Lake, Minn."

Yankees knock around Pavano early, but the Twins get to Garcia often
New York Times: "As a Yankee, Carl Pavano tormented hometown fans, managing only 26 starts and 9 victories from 2005 to 2008. He has been healthy since leaving the Bronx, and on Monday night, he dispensed more anguish to those same fans, this time wearing another uniform." Twins 7, Yankees 3
Minnesota Twins beat New York Yankees | ESPN

Trout fishing opener lures anglers to the water
Post Bulletin: "Opening day of the regular trout fishing season is a mini-celebration in southeastern Minnesota, a chance to keep trout you might catch, meet friends, see wildflowers and savor spring. Saturday was such a day."

Tea Party launches committee to fight Roch sales tax
Post Bulletin: "A campaign to defeat a proposal to extend Rochester's city sales tax took center stage at this year's Rochester Tea Party Patriots rally Monday."

Walz has huge fundraising edge in 1st District race
Winona Daily News: "Whoever emerges from the Republican Party to face Democratic Rep. Tim Walz will be at a financial disadvantage in Minnesota's 1st Congressional District. Campaign reports filed over the weekend show Walz, a third-term congressman, with considerably more money than possible rivals Allen Quist and Mike Parry."

Duluth citizen patrols, police stress safety first
Duluth News Tribune: "Duluth Police Information Officer Jim Hansen said you can't predict what any one individual might do, but he is confident that the patrol members in Duluth know what is expected of them. 'We just call if we see something and stay out of it,' Morgan Park's Timothy Olson said."

Brothers mourn sibling's death on Mendota Bridge
Pioneer Press: "There were 14 siblings five years ago. Now there are only four. Two of their names are Fali and Issa Prosper, two orphaned brothers in mourning once again."

Lakewalk sewage overflow tank gets to work
Duluth News Tribune: "The big, ugly, view-blocking concrete bunker along the Lakewalk in downtown Duluth did its job Monday by stopping 2.5 million gallons of a mix of raw sewage and rainwater from flowing into Lake Superior."

Mid West Music Fest: Three days, 15 venues, 120 acts
Winona Daily News: "The 2012 lineup features more than 120 artists performing on 17 stages across Winona. Artists come from around the Midwest, with musicians hailing from as far away as Oklahoma City, Okla., Duluth, and Madison, Wis. About 20 to 30 acts are from Winona."

Three semifinalists named in Winona State president search
Post Bulletin: "The search for a new Winona State University president has been narrowed to three semifinalists, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system announced today."

GOP derails Senate 'Buffett rule' taxes on wealthy
AP: "Senate Republicans derailed a Democratic "Buffett rule" bill Monday forcing the nation's top earners to pay at least 30 percent of their income in taxes, using the day before Americans' taxes are due to defy President Barack Obama on one of his signature election-year issues."
Election 2012 coverage from Minnesota Today

Warm spring brings loons back to MN early
AP: "Transmitter data confirm that the unusually warm spring is bringing loons back to Minnesota almost three weeks earlier than usual."

This week in Minnesota

Posted at 8:00 AM on April 15, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Last call at the Capitol; DFL endorsements test campaigns; Real estate rebound

Posted at 5:59 AM on April 16, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Weekend tornadoes leave 'a royal mess' in Midwest
USA Today: "Parts of the Midwest were picking up the pieces and tallying the damage Sunday after scores of tornadoes roared through the Plains over the weekend, leaving five dead, dozens injured and homes reduced to rubble." Updraft: Minnesota narrowly dodges severe weather bullet

Issues in the Minnesota Legislature: What is moving, what is not
Inforum: "As state lawmakers face the end of the 2012 session, most issues remain unresolved."

Barnes, Graves win DFL endorsements for Congress
Politics in Minnesota: "Brian Barnes and Jim Graves both won DFL endorsement at a pair of conventions this weekend. Graves, a luxury hotel owner, beat two other DFLers to get the party's nod to challenge incumbent GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann in the 6th Congressional District."

More buyers are seeking homes in 'shadow market'
Star Tribune: "With inventory at historic lows, many Twin Cities house deals are happening behind the scenes, long before the properties hit the market."

U.S. will pay $2 million to Minn. Chippewa in settlement
New York Times: "In one of the largest financial settlements made to American Indian tribes, the federal government said this week that it had ended dozens of lawsuits by agreeing to pay tribes more than $1 billion for the mismanagement of funds and natural resources that the government holds in trust."

Paul supporters chosen as delegates in three congressional districts
Pierce County Herald: "Supporters of Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex) won delegate slots at three Minnesota Congressional District conventions Saturday."

Bachmann warms to idea of Romney endorsement
Capitol View: "Rep. Michele Bachmann, a former candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, says she is 'very seriously looking at an endorsement for Mitt Romney.'"

Titanic centennial: Duluth woman who survived wreck remains an enigma
Duluth News Tribune: "First-class Titanic passenger Constance Willard of Duluth was nothing if not eccentric and, given the little information anyone has learned about her since April 1912, a mysterious woman as well."

Lake Minnetonka reveals a new trove of shipwrecks
Star Tribune: "Archaeologists are scanning the bottom of one of Minnesota's largest lakes for unknown shipwrecks, and have already found some."

What's happening Minnesota? This weekend in arts and culture

Posted at 3:40 PM on April 13, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

This weekend marks the opening of an exhibit titled "Luke Holden's Heavy Flow" at the independently owned Ochre Ghost gallery. It will display the artwork by local artist Skid Mark. The exhibit opens Friday, April 13th and will continue until April 19th. The exhibit will include all new artwork in watercolors, collages, and prints. Ochre Ghost is a gallery located downtown in Duluth, Minnesota that focuses on the efforts of emerging artists in the area. The gallery is unique because it is devoted to representing the underground art that is created by young talented individuals.

To find out more about this event and so much more, check out Ennyman's blog.

On Friday April 13th there will also be an opening at Prøve Gallery, which is another independently owned gallery located in Duluth that features experimental and contemporary artwork. The show is titles "Sanctuary" and will be premiering installation work created by the owners of Prøve Gallery,

For a more theatrical experience, check out Yellow Tree Theater located in Osseo, Minnesota for a performance of The Glass Menagerie.

The Glass Menagerie 60 trailer. from Yellow Tree Theatre on Vimeo.

More arts and cultural listings from around the state on Minnesota Today.

-- Liz Pedersen

Volunteer cops; Oil production record set in N.D.; Red Scare

Posted at 7:45 AM on April 13, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Nest Labs blasts Honeywell as uncool in lawsuit response
Pioneer Press: "A high-tech startup being sued for infringing on Honeywell's thermostat patents is blasting Honeywell in U.S. District Court in Minnesota with a defense that can be summed up thusly: 'We're hot, and you're not.'"

Duluth mayor says his first experience stage diving is likely his last (with video)
Duluth News Tribune: "Mayor Don Ness celebrated Trampled by Turtles Day with a feat of athleticism, shades of which likely haven't been seen since 1992 when he and his Duluth Central teammates finished third in the Class AA state boys basketball tournament."

Michele and Marcus Bachmann's 'ex-gay' clinic's practices described by undercover filmmaker
HuffPo: "Although Marcus Bachmann has continually denied that his Christian counseling clinic practices so-called "pray away the gay" therapy, yet another prominent LGBT activist is testifying to the contrary."

Ellison fires back after West makes Communist allegation
MPR News: "At an event in Florida, Rep. Allen West (R-Fla.) told an audience, 'I believe there are about 78 or 81 members of the Democrat Party that are members of the Communist Party,' West said, 'It's called the Congressional Progressive Caucus.' While the CPC includes the most liberal members of Congress, none belong to the Communist Party although Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, has described himself as a socialist before. 'Calling fellow Members of Congress 'communists' is reminiscent of the days when Joe McCarthy divided Americans with name-calling and modern-day witch hunts that don't advance policies to benefit people's lives,' said Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) and fellow CPC co-chair U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva in a statement."

Ellison also took his defense of the CPC to MSNBC.

N.D. oil production sets record in February
Grand Forks Herald: "Output is up 60 percent from February 2011 and 114 from February 2010. North Dakota remains third among states as production averaged 558,254 barrels per day."

Moorhead Police force benefitting from volunteer officers
WDAY: "Volunteer cops have passed out more than a million dollars' worth of parking tickets, saving the city thousands of dollars. A couple dozen volunteers are lightening the load of professional officers, in more ways than one."

Winning wheel of Dutch gouda sells for $8,400 at Wisconsin auction
Pioneer Press: "A 24-pound Dutch cheese named the best in the world at an international competition held in Madison last month has been auctioned for $8,400, or $350 per pound."

Best Buy investigates Dunn relationship; Stillwater bridge delay?; Twins win

Posted at 7:45 AM on April 12, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Best Buy board investigating Dunn's conduct with female staffer
Star Tribune: "Best Buy's board of directors is investigating allegations that former CEO Brian Dunn, who abruptly resigned Tuesday, used company resources to carry out an inappropriate relationship with a female employee, the Star Tribune has learned."
More Best Buy coverage from Minnesota Today.

MPR News: Maintenance and utility relocation costs could delay St. Croix River Crossing

Twins savor first win of season
MLB: "The Twins didn't make it look easy, but they came away with their first victory of the season against the Angels on Wednesday at Target Field."

Big alternative energy projects move ahead amid challenges
New York Times: "Plans for enormous projects are beginning to move ahead. One such project, by Clean Line Energy, which develops high-voltage transmission lines, would create enough capacity to take 3,500 megawatts of wind power from Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota to Illinois and states to the east."

Dumpster diving: Trash sorting gives students insight into sustainable living
Bemidji Pioneer: "Caleb Countryman grinned from ear to ear Wednesday afternoon as he held up a bright blue plastic canteen a classmate found minutes earlier in the trash. It looked brand new."

Romney works to address 'gender gap'
New York Times: "Mitt Romney moved Wednesday to ... narrow the gender gap he faces against President Obama -- but his campaign immediately found itself squeezed between its intensifying efforts to appeal to women and its need to avoid alienating conservatives."
More Election 2012 coverage from Minnesota Today.

Drone resister; 30 years of calling the Dome home; Primer: Copper-nickel mining

Posted at 7:30 AM on April 11, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Voter ID
Lawsuits likely before and after Voter ID balloting
MPR News: "Only days after the Legislature approved a proposed constitutional amendment that will ask voters this November to require that Minnesotans show photo identification at the polls, groups that oppose the measure vowed to fight it in court."

Drones
First man arrested with drone evidence vows to fight case
US News and World Report: "The tiny town of Lakota, N.D., is quickly becoming a key testing ground for the legality of the use of unmanned drones by law enforcement after one of its residents became the first American citizen to be arrested with the help of a Predator surveillance drone."

Best Buy
CEO Brian Dunn leaves Best Buy over 'personal conduct'
MPR News: "Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn is leaving the company amid an investigation into his personal conduct."

UnitedHealth vet Mikan asked to steady Best Buy
Star Tribune: "Though he brings financial bona fides as the company's interim CEO, analysts don't see him in the job permanently."

Red River
Field drainage affects Red River Valley flooding, new study shows
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Tile drainage of farm fields has been cast as a villain that aggravates flooding in the Red River Valley and held out as a great hope for better managing runoff to minimize flooding."

Lake Superior, invasive species
Salties bring no new invaders, thanks to 'swish and spit'
Duluth News Tribune: "The first saltwater ship of the 2012 season left the Twin Ports on Tuesday afternoon with a load of wheat bound for Belgium, and there's some good news on what the Arubaborg probably did not leave behind. Invasive species."

Occupy Minnesota
City Hall confrontation between Occupy protesters and Mayor Rybak has a '70s vibe
MinnPost: "Tuesday afternoon's session was not a meeting about putting up tents in Minneapolis.This, rather, was an old-fashioned protest gathering with an opportunity to shout at the mayor and the police chief about allegations of police brutality."

History
Metrodome: Home sweet storm home
Historically Inclined: "Never mentioned among the pantheon of great ballparks, Minnesota's former home to Major League Baseball is also celebrating a milestone anniversary in 2012, albeit with no fanfare. Utilitarian at best when it opened 30 years ago this month, the Metrodome made early-season baseball sufferable in the North Star State, where April showers are always cold and often white, but its weatherproof, space-aged charm was soon eroded by carpet burns, trampoline bounces and vanishing pop-ups."

Mining
MPR News Primer: Copper-nickel mining
MPR News: "Mining runs deep in the culture and economy of northern Minnesota. So why are people drawing battle lines over plans to build copper-nickel mines in the Iron Range? It's a new kind of mining for Minnesota and there are plenty of potential rewards -- and risks."

Op-Ed
Kurt Zellers: GOP offers its best ideas for jobs
Star Tribune: "The governor should take them seriously. After all, he invited them."

Catholics object to portrayal of pope; GOP debt; Potato chip Jesus

Posted at 7:30 AM on April 10, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Catholics object to portrayal of pope in Holocaust play at UMD
Duluth News Tribune: "A controversial play scheduled at UMD next week critical of Pope Pius XII for not doing enough to stop the Holocaust has raised the ire of some local Catholics who are calling the event 'hate speech.' The 1963 play "The Deputy" is part of the 19th annual Baeumler Kaplan Holocaust Commemoration held at the University of Minnesota Duluth to raise awareness of the persecution of Jews and others by the Nazis before and during World War II. Fr. Richard Kunst, a Duluth priest and papal historian, said he spoke with UMD Chancellor Lendley Black briefly Monday and asked him to cancel the play. Other Catholics also have contacted UMD."

Tragic day in Brooklyn Park, as police seek man in triple homicide
Pioneer Press: "The man outside the Brooklyn Park day care seemed suspicious. It was before sunrise Monday, April 9, and a mother had just dropped off her toddler. She wanted to know if everything was OK. So she called. Someone answered the phone at DeLois Brown's home-based day care. But the line quickly went dead." MPR News: "No arrests have been made yet in connection with the killing of three adults at a home-based daycare in Brooklyn Park. Police are searching for a thin, black man in his mid-twenties who was seen fleeing on a BMX bike from the quiet residential neighborhood where the deaths happened."

Fighting the Nimrod-Lyons State Forest "Jeep" wildfire

Brainerd Dispatch: "Firefighters are battling a wildfire that has already burned more than 1,400 acres in north-central Minnesota."

Danger extremely high for fires in SE Minnesota
KAAL: "The high winds and dry conditions kept fire fighters busy Monday with a number of grass fires. One that got away fast, a fire in High Forest Township near Stewartville. As a precaution, some homes were even asked to evacuate."

Area orchard owners hoping cool weather doesn't chew business to the core
Winona Daily News: "With temperatures threatening to drop into the 20s both overnight Monday and late tonight into Wednesday, Eric Rogich said he will be 'hoping and praying and watching' at Southwind Orchard near Dakota, Minn."

Peterson: Obamacare not all bad
Marshall Independent: "U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minn., is well aware that Republicans are already running ads against him for his decision to not vote to repeal Obamacare. ... But he can't help but wonder how this summer's campaign will be shaped if the Supreme Court votes it down this summer."

Redistricting reboot: Where is Faribault now?
Fairbault Daily News: "Starting after the 2012 elections, our congressional representative will come from the 1st Congressional District, not the 2nd Congressional. Congressman Tim Walz (DFL-Mankato) is the incumbent in the First, Congressman John Kline (R-Lakeville) is the incumbent in the Second."

Souhan: Twins offense has been downright offensive
Star Tribune: "Minnesota was supposed to be able to hit, but it hasn't happened so far."
More on the Twins rough start to this season on Minnesota Today.

Op-Ed: Gas prices are nothing to complain about
MPR News: "It's time to be indignant about indignation. Each time gas prices rise, shrieks are heard in the land as if somewhere in the Constitution there's a right to cheap and plentiful fossil fuels."

Obama campaign to oppose proposed amendment to ban gay marriage
Poliglot: "The Obama campaign has announced its opposition to the marriage amendment that will be on the November ballot in Minnesota that would restrict marriage only to opposite-sex."

National GOP worried about state of Minnesota organization
Politico: "The Minnesota GOP is so deep in debt it has stopped paying the lease on its headquarters, the Iowa and Nevada parties are in transition after disastrous caucuses, and Ohio Republicans have been in a state of open warfare for months."

Newport woman says she found Jesus image in her potato chip
Pioneer Press: "Jesus Christ has made yet another appearance on a potato chip.At least that's what Newport resident Carol Isaak believes. The night before Easter, Isaak, 67, decided to snack on some potato chips."

Sailboat tragedy; Homeless in Moorhead; Rural doctors struggle

Posted at 7:30 AM on April 9, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

'Horrible tragedy' leaves 2 siblings dead, third hospitalized
Bemidji Pioneer: "Two children died after falling into a frigid lake, and a third is listed in critical condition after first responders pulled the siblings Friday afternoon from Clearwater Lake. The children were in a small sailboat with their father, Dan Risland, when it toppled in strong winds. He reportedly told authorities that he attempted to get the children to shore, but struggled in the wind and current."

Moorhead homeless shelter is seeing increasing amounts of people
WDAY: "A Moorhead homeless shelter is seeing a startling number of people seeking shelter.Churches United has had 2333 stays in overflow housing since November. Nearly 17-hundred by men. 643 by women. And 11 stays by families."

Duluth training program for rural doctors feels money pinch
Duluth News Tribune: "A medical residency program in the heart of Duluth that trains future doctors to work in rural areas is being squeezed by decreasing funding and increased regulation, its director said."

Wildfire burns 1,000 acres in Wadena County
Saint Cloud Times: "Firefighters are battling a wildfire that has already burned about 1,000 acres in north-central Minnesota.The fire started Sunday about 4 p.m. near Lyons State Forest near Nimrod. Wadena County emergency manager Scott McKellep says no injuries were reported as of late Sunday night."

Farm bill faces austere future
MPR News: "Farmers may face some uncertainty by harvest time as Congress grapples with rewriting the farm bill before it expires in September. On the table are big cuts in federal farm spending."

Move up fishing opener? Not all resorters are game
Star Tribune: "Moving Minnesota's fishing opener up a week might sound like a great idea for walleye-hungry anglers, but not everyone is thrilled. 'It will be a nightmare for us and a nightmare for resorters,' said Tom Neustrom of Grand Rapids, a fishing guide. 'What are they thinking?' He said that anglers long ago booked trips for guides and resorts, and changing the dates would be 'a mess.' Jay Schelde, owner of Pike Bay Lodge on Lake Vermilion and president of the Lake Vermilion Resort Association, agreed. 'I don't think it will help anybody,' Schelde said. 'It's way too short notice.'"

12 arrested at Occupy MN demonstration
KARE: "Twelve people were arrested Saturday night during an Occupy MN demonstration in downtown Minneapolis." MPR News: "Police spokesman Sgt. Steve McCarty said officers warned the group at Peavey they were violating city ordinances and blocking public access and to leave. McCarty said demonstrators marched through the area of Hennepin Avenue and 5th Street at about 10 p.m. He said they blocked intersections and impeded an ambulance on an emergency call. McCarty said that's when officers arrested the 12 protestors. Demonstrators say they moved to the side to let the ambulance pass. In a release, Occupy protestors say they were marching peacefully when officers 'attacked' them."

Race-specific groups take aim at academic disparity
Star Tribune: "With Woodbury High's 'Be the Dream,' staff and students tackle racial issues head-on."

Ex-pastor in court today for sex charges
Grand Forks Herald: "A former Lutheran pastor in Lake George, Minn., southwest of Bemidji near Itasca State Park, faces an omnibus court hearing today in Park Rapids on 15 counts of criminal sexual conduct involving a boy."

Gov. Dayton's child care unionization order is nullified
Star Tribune: "A Ramsey County judge ruled Friday that Gov. Mark Dayton exceeded his authority in ordering a union election for certain in-home child-care providers."

GOP lawmaker says weak job numbers show need for federal job program reform
The Hill: "House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman John Kline (R-Minn.) said Friday that the weaker-than-expected employment picture in March is more evidence that Congress needs to streamline and reform the various federal job-training programs."

Cattle rustler faces jail time
Pierce County Herald: "Cattle rustling in southwestern Minnesota could land an eastern Minnesota man in jail."

Plans continue for Minnesota's newest park -- La Salle Lake State Recreational Area
Grand Forks Herald: "With the help of a handful of Hubbard County citizens, the vision for Minnesota's newest state park is slowly coming into focus."

Skateboarding fans raising money for 'Target Field' of parks in Cloquet
Pine Journal: "About 150 people attended a pancake breakfast at the Cloquet Senior Center on Saturday morning, paying $5 apiece to raise money toward a concrete skate park planned for a section of the city's Athletic Park."

This week in Minnesota

Posted at 9:04 AM on April 7, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Walleyes, northern pike begin spring spawning runs

Posted at 4:31 PM on April 6, 2012 by Tom Robertson
Filed under: Around MN, Environment, Lakes, Northwest Minnesota, Outdoors

AP photo

Bemidji area fishing guide Paul Nelson says walleyes, northern pike and perch have begun their spawning runs in many northern lakes.

Fish spawning activity is heavily dependent on weather. In a recent outdoors column in the Bemidji Pioneer, Nelson said cool temperatures following ice-out on area lakes this year put most of the fish in a holding pattern. But the subsequent warm-up now has fish actively spawning in lakes and rivers.

Now is the time of year that DNR fisheries workers are out stripping eggs from walleye so the fish fry can later be stocked in area lakes.

Nelson reports that crews have begun that process on the northeastern corner of Lake Winnibigoshish. Apparently most of the walleye were not "ripe" when they were captured in the nets. Warmer temperatures will quickly change that.

Minnesota cities in watercolor

Posted at 8:35 AM on April 6, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Cartographers at Stamen have released a series of map visualizations that provide a re-imagined view of cities. Here's a look at cities around the state in Stamen's Watercolor overlay.

Stillwater

Moorhead

Duluth

Rochester

St Cloud

Minneapolis

St. Paul

What are your favorite views of Minnesota with the mapping tool? Share them in the comments.

Turbine projects motionless; Water park illnesses grow; Apartment construction up

Posted at 7:45 AM on April 6, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Resort owners have mixed feelings about plans for earlier Minnesota fishing opener
Duluth News Tribune: "Legislators are proposing to move the Minnesota fishing opener a week earlier. While most anglers probably would welcome getting on the water sooner, reaction in the tourism industry is mixed."

Alternative energy: North Dakota's prairie winds waning
Grand Forks Hearld: "North Dakota's once-booming wind energy sector is waning because of the sluggish economy, continued transmission bottlenecks and the prospect that federal tax credits will expire at the end of the year."

Moorhead waitress gets to keep $12,000 tip
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "After the story prompted national headlines, authorities here said Thursday that police will return to the waitress the $12,000 left behind in cash by a Fryn' Pan customer."

Metro home building on the rise
Star Tribune: "Demand for apartments is fueling an increase in building in the metro area, especially in Minneapolis and inner-ring suburbs."

Lee Byberg gears up to take his second shot at Peterson
MinnPost: "In 2010, a historically good year for Republicans nationally, Peterson beat Byberg by more than 17 points in a district that leans to the right. His advisers are planning a different outcome this fall."

Number of crypto cases linked to Northland water parks continues to rise
Duluth News Tribune: "The number of confirmed and suspected cases of a waterborne disease outbreak linked to Duluth's Edgewater Resort and Water Park continues to rise."

Limited resources drive library systems in Arrowhead Region to merge
Lake News Chronicle: "Structural reorganization is the name of the game at libraries here in Lake County as a merger between the Arrowhead Library System and the North Country Library Cooperative will go into effect July 1."

Report: Minnesota native who wrote 'Three Cups of Tea' mismanaged nonprofit
Pioneer Press: "'Three Cups of Tea' author Greg Mortenson will remain the face of the charity the Minnesota native co-founded, despite his having to repay $1 million after an investigative report released Thursday concluded he mismanaged the organization and misspent its money."

So long, Southgate Bowl
Perfect Duluth Day: ":Since the Southgate Bowl in Cloquet is shutting down to make way for a Walgreens, it seems fitting to pay tribute. Best wishes to Gerry and Rose Pollard, who opened the place in the 1970s."

From MazdaSpeed3Ftw on YouTube: "A compilation of time lapses on my spring break trip to the north shore of Lake Superior. We visited Grand Marais, Grand Portage, the Gunflint Trail, and made numerous stops along the way."
Thanks to JP Rennquist for sending.

Warning sirens fail tests; Asbestos dump protest; Dance of the Dust Devil

Posted at 7:45 AM on April 5, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Police say Native Mob busts lead to lull in gang-related crime

MPR News: "Law enforcement officials are tracking a drop in gang activity in some tribal communities that they say is the result of a sweeping take-down of Native Mob gang leaders earlier this year."

Voters to decide photo ID question on Nov. 6
Bemidji Pioneer: "The Legislature approved the Republican-backed constitutional amendment proposal Wednesday, the Senate 35-29 and the House 72-57. The vote fell along party lines other than Republican Sen. Jeremy Miller of Winona's 'no' vote."

Magnetation prepares second plant
WDIO: "The second Magnetation plant on the Iron Range will be producing concentrate in May. Workers in are in the home stretch of prepping the $50 million dollar project."

On stadium cost, Vikings owners may not have much skin in the game
MPR News: "Team officials call that part of the deal 'private money.' But that doesn't mean team owner and East Coast developer Zygi Wilf will necessarily foot the bill.Instead, it appears the Vikings will employ a hallmark of real estate deals, and do much of their financial lifting with other people's money."

Test finds problem with warning sirens
WDIO: "Wednesday's warning siren test in Duluth turned up some problems." KAAL: "Albert Lea will test civil defense sirens on Thursday after they failed to work on Wednesday."

City Board of Adjustment approves frac sand washing facility
Winona Daily News: "A new silica sand washing and processing facility is coming to Winona. The city's Board of Adjustment on Wednesday unanimously approved a permit for Robert Hemker's washing and processing facility on Frontenac Drive in the east-end industrial park."

Landfill neighbors protest plans to dump asbestos at site
Post Bulletin: "Living less than a half-mile away from the Vonco/Veit landfill, Bill Ryther and his wife, Bonnie, are concerned about plans to allow friable asbestos to be disposed of at the site."

Diver, Defoe to face off for tribal chair
Pine Journal: "Incumbent Fond du Lac Tribal Chair Karen Diver will face former Tribal Chair Peter Defoe in June's General Election."

Walz on hand as Obama signs STOCK Act
Winona Daily News: "U.S. Rep. Tim Walz stood behind President Barack Obama's left shoulder Wednesday as Obama signed a bill banning federal employees and lawmakers from engaging in insider trading."

Duluth Obama For America office celebrates grand-opening
Northland News Center: "The office on West Superior Street will serve as the hub for campaign activity in the Duluth area and is the third OFA Minnesota office to open in the state."

Bemidjians take disrupted cruise in stride
Bemidji Pioneer: "Our ship, the Azamara Quest, had suffered an engine room fire, leaving us adrift late last week in the South China Sea, less than a third of the way into a 17-day cruise. Nearly all of the 1,000 people aboard, including 10 of us from Bemidji, were safe, although a crew member was seriously injured."

Minnesota's tick season is crawling to early start
St Cloud Times: "Start checking for ticks.A mild winter and early spring have led to both earlier-than-normal tick activity and a quick start of tick-borne disease season, according to a report Wednesday, from the Minnesota Department of Health."

Fighting Sioux nickname ballot language OK'd
Grand Forks Herald: "Secretary of State Al Jaeger today released approved ballot language for the referred measure concerning UND's Fighting Sioux nickname. The issue will be one of several measures on the June 12 primary election ballot."

Former area priest returning to US to face molestation charges
WDAY: "A former Fargo-area priest is being extradited to the US from the Philippines to face child sex abuse charges."

Legislative races come into focus
Alexandria Echo Press: "When the legislative lines were redrawn to reflect population changes, Douglas County's political landscape changed."

Isobutanol, lifeline for struggling ethanol plants?
MPR News: "The former Agr-Energy plant in Luverne will end production of the corn-based fuel. Instead, it will start making another type of alcohol called isobutanol that can still be sold as fuel, but is largely used to make plastics, solvents and other products."

VIDEO: Dust Devil forms after controlled burn near Gentilly, Minn

WDAY: "A fairly large dust devil formed in a burned field about five miles south of Gentilly on Wednesday afternoon. It lasted more than three minutes and broke up after reaching a gravel road."

A murky IRRRB; Ojibwe opposition to Wolf hunt; 'Intelligent Design' in Bemidji

Posted at 7:05 AM on April 4, 2012 by Michael Olson (1 Comments)
Filed under: Around MN

Ranger seeks IRRRB transparency
MPR News: "Three years after opponents of the Iron Range coal gasification plant had triggered a critical state report of Excelsior Energy with public documents, the Duluth News Tribune reported that the company still hadn't followed through on promises to build energy plants on the Iron Range. But despite tens of millions of dollars in state, federal and IRR investment in the company, the public still could not access their yearly audits or other financial documents because of the provision exempting IRR from public records requirements."

Diver crushes competition in Fond du Lac primary
Duluth News Tribune: "Incumbent Chairwoman Karen Diver enjoyed a commanding victory in the primary election Tuesday for leadership of the Fond du Lac Band."

Mitt Romney's Wisconsin win means the end of the end
Washington Post: "That sound you hear? It's the fat lady singing."

Duluth's Gauthier warns of Ojibwe court challenge over wolf hunting
Inforum: "Minnesota House members approved a bill Tuesday that moves next month's fishing opener up a week and establishes a wolf hunting and trapping season on the same dates as deer hunting season."

DFL has set its sights on Rep. John Kline's seat
Star Tribune: "When the new political maps came out, Democrats rejoiced that they had a better chance than ever to knock off Rep. John Kline, R-Minn. Just one problem: They lacked a Democratic candidate."

Institute of Creation Research: Intelligent Design concept presented at Bemidji seminar
Bemidji Pioneer: "The inclusion of Intelligent Design in schools' studies of life origins is overdue, said the superintendent of Bagley schools."

I-35E toll lanes get OK from Ramsey County Board
Pioneer Press: "Adding toll lanes to Interstate 35E north of downtown St. Paul has support from the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners."

To understand U.S.-Dakota conflict, historians resort to 'truth recovery'
Mankato Free Press: " Recent articles and letters to the editor in The Free Press demonstrate the raw emotions and conflict that surround the U.S.-Dakota War 150 years ago. Controversy over a poem on a proposed marker in Mankato, disputes over what artifacts to put on public display, and letters pointing out atrocities leading up to and during the war show the variety of views. So when the Minnesota Historical Society curators set out two years ago to begin planning their exhibits and activities surrounding the anniversary this summer, they used a 'truth recovery' process to sift through the facts and emotions in an attempt to portray events from all angles."

Brown County has high rate of obesity, drinking
New Ulm Journal: "Brown County has very few low birth-weight babies, low teen birth rates, and high clinical care but higher than average obesity and drinking rates, according to a 2012 County Health Rankings released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute."

Vanishing grassland; Ponzi payback; Voter ID likely on November ballot

Posted at 7:45 AM on April 3, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Vanishing grasslands threaten pheasants and other wildlife
Marshall Independent: "The DNR says some 300,000 CRP contracts will expire this year alone, and the loss of protected grasslands like this stands to have a negative impact on wildlife like pheasants, prairie chickens and grassland songbirds."

Teen Challenge is asked to give back $2.3 million in Petters gifts
Star Tribune: "Receiver and trustee Doug Kelley asserts the donations were actually proceeds from the Petters-run Ponzi scheme and should be returned to reimburse investors and creditors who lost money when the $3.65 billion fraud collapsed in 2008."

Panel reaches deal on Minn. voter ID bill
AP: "A proposed constitutional amendment requiring Minnesota voters to present photo identification at polling places is on the cusp of reaching November's ballot."

Former Duluth woman pleads guilty to voting while ineligible
Duluth News Tribune: "A former Duluth woman pleaded guilty Monday to voting in the 2008 general election while ineligible."

Immigration raid arrests 56 in Minnesota
MPR News: "In raids across the country last week, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested more than 3,100 immigrants, many of whom had previously been convicted of serious crimes. The operation included 56 arrests in Minnesota."

Health rankings: Steele, Olmsted rank high
MPR News: "Cass County in north central Minnesota was last in health outcomes for the second year in a row, according to the rankings issued by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute."

At Capitol, debate crackles over legalizing fireworks
Star Tribune: "Bills to expand the sale and use of consumer fireworks are moving ahead at the Minnesota Legislature, triggering criticism from firefighters, cities and hospital burn centers."

Minnesota Legislative retirements
Storified by Rachel Stassen-Berger: "A round up of retirements looming at the Minnesota Legislature."

American Crystal employees alter lifestyles during lockout
AP: "The daily protests by union workers outside the American Crystal Sugar plant in Moorhead, Minn., have become sporadic, and nine months into the company-imposed lockout, the only hint of the ongoing contract dispute Monday was a pro-union poster someone had nailed to a wooden stand."

Op-Ed: American Crystal Sugar strikes back
American Prospect: "In the lockout era, winning union representation is not a one-time thing."

Op-Ed: Real debate behind the media circus
New York Times: "If you wander among the more than 300,000 words -- the equivalent of a few novels -- that the Republican candidates have uttered in the debates alone this cycle, you will find more than the habitual chest-thumping, flag-waving, support-our-troops fare on the question of America in the world."

Newport Labs sold, Employees assured operations will continue as normal
Worthington Daily Globe: "Newport Laboratories has been acquired by Merial Limited, the animal health division of Sanofi, a global and diversified health care conglomerate."

Grand Rapids students' energy-efficient vehicle wins first prize in national mileage contest
Duluth News Tribune: "Born in a high-tech Grand Rapids High School classroom, the Cure won first place in the Eco Marathon's 'urban electric' category... The car used the least kilowatt hours of battery electric power as it completed the 6-mile course, all while keeping up an average speed of at least 15 mph."

Future of Lake Superior commercial fishing unclear
WTIP: "Joe Duffy has spent the better part of his 70 some years fishing on the Big Lake. He's from Red Cliff, a reservation on Lake Superior's South Shore--in the heart of the Apostle Islands. A lot of things have changed in Joe's lifetime...so much so, he wonders if commercial fishing on Superior will survive."

Million-dollar inmates; Property tax appeals jump; Buffalo Bill's Duluth

Posted at 7:45 AM on April 2, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Property tax appeals jump
Duluth News Tribune: "Hundreds" of Duluth and St Louis Co. residents "have successfully fought to have their property values lowered by a combined $117 million since 2007, while other residents have gotten refunds of about $2.2 million since that time."

Minnesota's million-dollar inmates
Star Tribune: "Two forces -- an aging prison population and rising health costs -- threaten to crush the state's corrections budget."

Study shows deer population reducing valuable North Shore trees

MPR News: "The white-tailed deer is one of Minnesota's most iconic and abundant wild creatures. They lure thousands of hunters into the woods every fall and are adored by children and wildlife lovers. But the deer are taking a toll on our forests. A new study released today documents the drastic impacts deer are having on the forest along the North Shore. Nearly 20 years ago the conservancy fenced off three half-acre blocks of forest along the North Shore to keep deer out. It left three adjacent blocks untouched, where deer are free to browse. Since then, White has worked to document the differences between the two areas."

New Ulm man runs without a party, or campaign contributions
New Ulm Journal: "Jerry Pagel said he's running because he believes partisan politics resulting from extremism by both major political parties have crippled state government."

People in hoodies rally in downtown Duluth to honor Trayvon Martin
Duluth News Tribune: "Simultaneous demonstrations were held Saturday afternoon in cities around the nation from Sanford, Fla., to Duluth."

Karlstad clergy united in faith
Grand Forks Herald: "Karlstad, a town of 760 in the southeast corner of Minnesota's most northwest county -- Kittson -- has eight churches, the equivalent of one for every 95 residents. Every year they get together for Palm Sunday."

In email to constituent, Senate Majority Leader bemoans lack of corporate power at MN capitol
Bluestem Prairie: "It's the Feast of Fools, but a February email exchange just posted on a southern Minnesota DFL elist yesterday (and reposted here with permission) is no joke."

1940 Census a bonanza for Minn. family history diggers
MPR News: "Professional genealogists like Paula Stuart-Warren and and her amateur counterparts are anxiously awaiting Monday's once-every-10-year data dump. If you know where your relatives lived, you can find out who lived there, where they were born, where they worked and even how much money they made."

Buffalo Bill Cody, his little sister Helen, and their connection to Duluth
Perfect Duluth Day: "Buffalo Bill Cody financed the Duluth Press Building in the friendly West End. There also used to be a Cody Hotel in West Duluth named after Buffalo Bill, and he is also the namesake behind Cody Street in West Duluth."

Early grape budding threatens 2012 crop if frost returns
Grand Forks Herald: "The record-shredding warm weather in North Dakota could be trouble for grape growers in the state this year, officials said."

Minnesota's warm winter cools heat expenses
Star Tribune: "Lower natural gas prices also factor into the equation, but nevertheless, some consumers can expect their total bill to be about $200 less than last year."

Republicans retreat on gay marriage
Politico: "Just a few years ago, House Republicans were trying to etch their opposition of gay marriage into the Constitution. Now? They're almost silent."

Underground city; Water park woes; Budding concerns over early spring

Posted at 9:00 AM on March 31, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Murphy resigns as Beltrami County administrator

Posted at 10:50 AM on March 30, 2012 by Tom Robertson
Filed under: Around MN, Government, Northwest Minnesota

Beltrami County Administrator Tony Murphy has resigned. Murphy, who served in the key post for more than a decade, submitted his resignation letter Thursday afternoon to commissioners.

"Over a period of time, the County Board and I have reached a mutual decision to separate," Murphy wrote in an email sent to department heads.

The resignation took some county commissioners by surprise, according to the Bemidji Pioneer. Beltrami County Board Chairman Quentin Fairbanks declined to comment on Murphy's tenure with the county, when asked by the newspaper.

In the letter, Murphy said he's received a job offer within Minnesota and is also considering other job options.

He said he's proud of what the county accomplished during his administrative tenure. That includes construction of a new law enforcement center, as well as new judicial and administrative buildings and expansion of the county jail.

Murphy's last day with the county will be May 1.

Warm weather worries anglers; Water park illnesses spread; Sen. Telemarketer

Posted at 8:00 AM on March 30, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Gophers crushed by Stanford in NIT Championship
ESPN: "Stanford forced two turnovers to open the second half to take a 10-point lead and stayed up by double figures the rest of the way. The Golden Gophers turned it over 22 times."

Anglers worry warm weather could kill Minnesota fish
Echo Press: "Minnesotans expect temperatures in the 70s, maybe reaching the 80s in places, when April debuts Sunday, but the continued warm weather worries anglers."

Number of suspected illnesses increases in Duluth water park outbreak
Duluth News Tribune: "The number of suspected cases of a waterborne disease linked with Duluth's Edgewater Resort and Water Park has risen to 41, a state official said on Thursday."

Mergansers make their home on Lake Marquette
Bemidji Pioneer: "A pair of common mergansers finds Lake Marquette the place to call home this season. Many of the waterfowl spring migrants have returned to the Bemidji area and all are displaying their courtship splendor."

Best Buy: 5 Twin Cities stores among 50 to be closed
Pioneer Press: "To survive the future, Best Buy is returning to its past. The struggling electronics giant will close 50 U.S. big-box stores and lay off an additional 400 corporate employees as it refocuses its business on smaller stores."

Senator by day, telemarketer by night
Planet Money: "Most of our lawmakers are moonlighting as telemarketers."

Bonding bill blues; The big payback; Another good year for farmers

Posted at 7:47 AM on March 29, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Bonding bill cheers and jeers
Hormel Institute passes another hurdle toward legislative funding
Post Bulletin: "Plans to expand the cancer research center in Austin got a major boost this morning with the Senate Republicans' $496 million bonding bill, setting aside $13.5 million for the project."

Bonding bill sidelines Duluth
Northland News: "The Senate Capital Investment Committee released a $496 million bonding bill which shows no support for Duluth Projects."

Mankato leaders, legislators decry Mankato exclusion from bonding
Mankato Free Press: "Senate Republicans unveiled a bonding bill larger than proposed by their House counterparts, but Mankato's request for $14.5 million in civic center funding was not included."

Senate says no to sports complex
Marshall Independent: "The Minnesota Senate on Wednesday delivered a third strike to Marshall's proposed $12.9 million regional amateur sport complex, leaving the project off its bonding proposal and sending sports facility supporters back to the bench."

Winners and losers in Senate bonding package
KAAL: "On Wednesday, the Minnesota Senate released its version of the bonding bill. They want to spend $496 million dollars on mostly infrastructure and building projects, including the Hormel Institute and the Mayo Civic Center."

Also on Minnesota Today
Feds threaten to cancel casino deal
Duluth News Tribune: "The city of Duluth's efforts to reclaim a share of gambling revenue from the Fond-du-Luth Casino were further complicated by a letter Mayor Don Ness received Wednesday morning."

Rochester parents won't pursue challenge of 'Tango' book
Post Bulletin: "The parents of a Gibbs Elementary School student who sought to remove the book 'And Tango Makes Three,' the story of two male penguins who raise a chick together, have decided to not refile their challenge."

House, Senate leaders reach deal on shifting $430 million from state reserves to pay back schools
Pioneer Press: "Minnesota House and Senate leaders have reached an agreement to start paying back the $2.4 billion owed to public schools in the state."

Pepper balls acquired to calm potential jail riots in Mille Lacs County
Princeton Union Eagle: "There hasn't been a riot inside the Mille Lacs County Jail for decades, but the Mille Lacs County Sheriff's Department is adding a pepper ball weapon to the department's arsenal in case a jail riot should occur."

Wildlife managers worry over funding
Bemidji Pioneer: "Randy Prachar knows what it's like to pinch pennies, but the longtime wildlife manager for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources says things now are reaching a breaking point."

Sappi Workers in Cloquet to vote on strike
Northland News: "Maintenance and Boiler Operators could be going on strike soon at the Sappi Paper Mill in Cloquet."

Farmers enjoy strong year despite price drop
MPR News: "Farmers had another strong financial year in 2011 according to study of about 2,400 farms across the state."

New preservation guidelines for St. Anthony Falls historic area
MPR News: "In a city without a defining monument -- like the Gateway Arch or Golden Gate Bridge -- the downtown riverfront has become Minneapolis' front door to the world."

Lodge pool closes after report of illness
Brainerd Dispatch: "The pool at the Lodge at Brainerd Lakes was closed Monday night after a person with a confirmed case of cryptosporidiosis, a water-borne intestinal disease, was linked to the Baxter motel pool, a Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) epidemiologist said."

Duluth's aging infrastructure catching up with city
WDIO: "On the surface most people in Duluth have no problem with their water, but infrastructure down below is causing more and more problems for the city."

Growth in Chinese language classes underscores national trend
Minnesota Public Radio: "When Tang Beiyi leaves Minnesota, she'll leave hundreds of Mandarin-speaking kids. The Chinese program at Willmar High has grown popular since its start in 2006, so much so that a group of students will head to China today."

Olmsted County Board views 17 redistricting options
Post Bulletin: "The new boundaries are required to level the population in each of the seven districts as a result of the 2010 U.S. Census."

What's wrong with the Minnesota River?; Capitol tone in three Tweets

Posted at 7:50 AM on March 28, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

St. Peter Security Hospital director removed
Mankato Free Press: "The short-lived and controversial tenure of Minnesota Security Hospital CEO David Proffitt is over."

Waterborne disease outbreak is traced to Duluth water park
Duluth News Tribune: "An outbreak of a waterborne diarrheal disease has been linked with Duluth's Edgewater Resort and Water Park, a state health official said on Tuesday."

What's wrong with the Minnesota River?
Redwood Falls Gazette: "For years experts have addressed the water quality issues of the Minnesota River by stating it is not where it needs to be. While one would consider much of that expertise anecdotal, the reality of the river's water quality is closer to becoming officially determined."

Great Lakes residents clash over water levels
AP: "U.S. and Canadian officials are considering an audacious and costly effort to control the freshwater seas' ups and downs in a way they never have before. A panel of scientists and engineers will release Wednesday a five-year study of options ranging from minor tinkering to a massive, $8 billion engineering project that would invite comparisons to the Panama Canal or the Hoover Dam."

Editorial: Raise fees to bolster hunting, fishing
Star Tribune: "Minnesotans have repeatedly renewed their commitment to the state's valuable natural resources over the years. With approval of the proposed increases in license fees, their elected representatives in St. Paul can help ensure that the state's hunting and fishing habitats will not be ignored this time."

Minnesota bill would make users' private social network sites off-limits to employers
Grand Forks Herald: "Conservative and liberal Minnesota legislators are combining efforts to stop a business practice they say invades job applicants' privacy. The bill includes all social networking sites where users can make a profile and control who sees it."

Billionaire Taylor's net worth stays steady, Forbes reports
Mankato Free Press: "Mankato businessman Glen Taylor's net worth has stayed steady at $1.8 billion, ranking him as the 719th wealthiest person in the world and 256th richest in the United States."

Giant mine project advances; Watching the watchers; VP TPaw?

Posted at 7:45 AM on March 27, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Giant mine project near Ely takes step forward
Duluth News Tribune: "Twin Metals formally announced Thursday that it has instructed its engineering contractor to draw up plans for an 80,000-ton-per-day mine and processing plant -- an operation that would be one of the largest private enterprises in state history."

A closer look at the role of neighborhood watch programs in local communities
WDAY: "With the national uproar over the Trayvon Martin case, many people are questioning the true role of a neighborhood watch. Seventeen year-old Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a neighborhood crime watch captain, who claims he felt threatened by Martin who was unarmed."

State works to cut haze in northern wilderness areas

MPR News: "Today, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency takes another step in a long-running effort to clean up the air over some of Minnesota's most cherished places. The MPCA's Citizens' Board will consider submitting a state plan to reduce air pollution to the federal Environmental Protection Agency. The Regional Haze Rule is part of a nationwide attempt to return clear skies to the largest national parks and wilderness areas, including the Grand Canyon, Lake Superior's Isle Royale, and other treasures. The plan also aims to rid the air of pollutants that contribute to heart attacks, asthma, and other health problems. EPA officials have indicated they likely will approve it. But the National Park Service and the U.S. Forest Service, the agencies responsible for the national parks and wilderness areas, have criticized the state's plan and say it doesn't cut pollution enough."

Minn. timber harvest down 25-30 percent since 2006
AP: "Northern Minnesota's logging industry is suffering along with the rest of the national wood products industry, but leaders of trade groups say loggers who've held on so far are likely to survive."

Op-Ed: Allow logging of downed
Ely Echo: "Let's face the facts, 90 percent of the BWCAW goes unseen from visitors. If it's not viewable from the water, a campsite or portage, people don't see it."

Housing squeeze tight for Minnesota's low-income families
MinnPost: "The dramatic decline in home values over the last several years has not resulted in improved access to affordable housing for the people who need it most - extremely low-income families."

Moorhead taking action to boost housing starts
WDAY: "During the middle of the last decade Moorhead saw over 300 housing starts per year, but since the 2009 flood that number is closer to 100."

Minority groups oppose new Minneapolis ward map
Star Tribune: "Indian and Hispanic representatives argued that proposed alterations of the electoral map would dilute their voting power."

St. Cloud rolls out new precinct map
St Cloud Times: "Some St. Cloud residents will vote at new locations, based on changes to the city precincts map."

Dayton criticizes GOP health insurance exchange efforts
Pioneer Press: "As the U.S. Supreme Court began its historic review of the federal governments sweeping health care overhaul, the political debate in Minnesota over how to implement the law heated up at the state Capitol."

The veepstakes: Finding Romney's mini-me
HuffPo: "Marco Rubio, it's said, can deliver Florida and some of the Hispanic vote; Bob McDonnell, similarly, is a fellow technocrat who can probably deliver the key swing state of Virginia; Tim Pawlenty has crossover appeal to Democrats; Susana Martinez could close the 'gender gap.'"

Brainerd Parks and Rec closes skate park due to vandalism
Brainerd Dispatch: "Fans and users of Jaycee Skate Park will have to find another place to skate board come Tuesday, with the Brainerd Parks and Recreation Board coming to a unanimous decision to close the skate park until further notice."

New food shelf site provides space to meet hunger needs
Bemidji Pioneer: "In addition to its main site, the Bemidji Community Food Shelf has about a half-dozen storage locations sprinkled throughout the area."

Faribault mill weaves new chapter
Star Tribune: "Under new ownership, the Faribault Woolen Mill Co. is continuing its rebirth as the nation's only fully integrated textile manufacturer, boosting its workforce and landing a contract to produce blankets for J.C. Penney Co."

U of M grad workers vote down unionization
MPR News: "Results released Monday show University of Minnesota graduate assistants have voted down an attempt to unionize over pay and working conditions." MN Daily: "About 68 percent of the 4,400 eligible graduate student workers cast votes in last week's election."

Crop disease challenges bean farmers
AgWeek: "Area dry bean and soybean farmers will face some new, or at least expanded, challenges this growing season.Dry bean producers are confronted with anthracnose, a little-known disease that can hammer both yields and quality."

Duluth councilors approve controversial furniture purchase
WDIO: "Duluth city councilors approved a proposal to spend more than $90,000 to refurnish a space in the city hall basement. It'll be used by 21 employees, according to Dave Montgomery, the city's Chief Administrative Officer."

Lake levels are ... up?
WWJ: "According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), all of the Great Lakes are higher than they were last year in March, and Lake St. Clair is 4 inches higher."

Water experts say it's time to clean Great Lakes
USA Today: "Emerging technologies, new federal programs and global volunteer efforts are aiding in cleaner water, but there still is work to be done."

Op-Ed: Deep thought is dead, long live deep thought
Scientific American: "Alan Jacobs posted a technology article for The Atlantic titled "Jobs of the Future: A Skeptic's Response." In the article, he voices his doubts that a skillset promoted by the internet and social networking would usher in a new wave of future employment."

By the numbers
Number of snakes in a Coon Rapids Home: over 300
The Pioneer Press reports the Coon Rapids City Council could determine if the local resident may continue to "keep living with more than 300 snakes in his house."

Battle over invasives emerges in court; Santorum waits for Wisconsin

Posted at 7:45 AM on March 26, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Invasive species war spills into court
Star Tribune: "As efforts to fight zebra mussels and other invasives heat up, some argue that a Minnesota birthright is at stake: Unfettered access to lakes and rivers."

Santorum ignores pressure to bow out to Romney
New York Times: "The race isn't over until the people of Wisconsin sing," Mr. Santorum said. "We need you to sing a week from Tuesday."

Fresh and local salad greens feed students in Willmar
West Central Tribune: Willmar High School students enjoy year-round veggies. "The greens came from the Willmar Community Greenhouse located at the MinnWest Technology Campus. Operated by the school district and staffed partly by volunteer students, the greenhouse is providing fresh vegetables and salad greens for the district's food service program."

Like fresh produce? Buy yourself a share
Duluth News Tribune: "CSA farms, which sell shares to consumers for a summer's worth of produce, grow in popularity."

Family's move puts Rep. Chip Cravaack in a political bind
Star Tribune: "He campaigned against Oberstar calling the Democrat out of touch."

Marilyn Hagerty: Messages are good, bad and ugly when you go viral
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "You are a dolt and the main reason why North Dakota is viewed as being a backwoods dump. The Olive Garden is the McDonald's of dining...A touch of Europe? Ha! Why don't you take a vacation and visit New York or San Francisco and see what real people eat?"

Meet the worst bike lane in the Midwest
Twin City Sidewalks: "I'm sure the battle for 'worst bike lane in the Midwest' is a contentious one. The USA is riddled with terrible bicycle infrastructure, from sea to shining sea."

BNSF warns of rail yard dangers following discovery of body
Grand Forks Herald: "Notifications of relatives of the person found dead along railroad tracks in the BNSF Railway yard in Grand Forks Saturday morning weren't complete yet Sunday, a police sergeant said."

St. Paul Saints stadium backers want Lowertown's artists on their team
Twin Cities: "While the St. Paul Saints hope for $27 million from the state to build a new ballpark in Lowertown, team owners are promising to get creative with their artsy new neighbors should the money come in for the new digs."

Sparks don't fly as candidates meet
Duluth News Tribune: "U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack got a visit Thursday from a group of Ely high school students and their chaperone, who just happens to want Cravaack's job."

Look like John Goodman? The Coens have a job for you
Star Tribune: "Ever wondered what size pants John Goodman wears? Here's hoping you haven't, but just in case, that capacious bit of trivia -- 56-inch waist -- just crossed our desk in a press release about the latest production by Joel and Ethan Coen."

American Spirit leaves winter layup

Duluth Shipping News: "She battled a thick fog but the American Sprit had no trouble getting through the Duluth Harbor, under the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge and out to Lake Superior on her way to load iron ore pellets in Two Harbors."

This week in Minnesota

Posted at 10:32 AM on March 24, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Duluth leaders join call for public water investment

Posted at 2:58 PM on March 29, 2012 by Dan Kraker
Filed under: Around MN, Arrowhead, Government

In Duluth, to get an up-close look at the city's aging water infrastructure, just drive down 4th Street in front of Whole Foods Co-op. You'll be detoured around a huge crater in the street, where the city is replacing a collapsing manhole.

Photo courtesy of Whole Foods Co-op

The city of Duluth maintains hundreds of miles of underground water pipes and tunnels, dating back to the early 1900s. City utilities workers repair over 100 water main breaks a year. Last December Duluth was highlighted in a documentary called Liquid Assets Minnesota, which highlighted the pressures on an aging infrastructure. When the film was released, Duluth Mayor Don Ness said that "as a nation, we have neglected our water system and we're paying the price in the form of very expensive water main leaks and breaks."

Now Ness, along with Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and other leaders across the country, has signed on to an open letter urging the Obama Administration and Congress to reinvest in public water systems.

The letter highlights the findings of a new report called Public Water Works! by the group Corporate Accountability International. According to the report, U.S. public water systems face a $23 billion per year investment gap.

Counties leery of juvenile detention facility; Senate eases shutdown pain; Fighting fire in drag

Posted at 7:45 AM on March 23, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Counties still leery of juvenile detention facility
Fairmont Sentinel: "Martin and Faribault counties are talking with the Youth Services International facility in Elmore, but local youth will not be housed there until further notice. YSI Academy houses at-risk youths ages 13-19, and had been the holding facility for local juveniles finding themselves in trouble with the law. But recently there have been reports of non-violent offenders, such as runaways or truancies, being housed with students from Ramsey County who have been sent to Elmore for violent crimes."

Boat dealers happy with unseasonal temps
WPR: "The unseasonably warm weather has been a boon for lakeside communities. Boat retailers are reporting a double-digit increase in sales."

Senate votes to keep parks and lottery running during shutdown
MPR News: "Republicans in the Minnesota Senate passed two bills Thursday that are aimed at easing the impact of future state government shutdowns.One measure would keep state parks open, while the other would make sure the State Lottery and horse racing tracks continue operating."

Feds critical of how Minnesota polices haze over parks
Star Tribune: "They say Minnesota's rules don't go far enough to reduce pollution-related haze over areas such as the BWCA and Voyageurs."

Loyal customer protests Kmart closing
New Ulm Journal: "Braving light rain and cool temperatures, an elderly New Ulm resident spent the day outside Thursday, protesting the pending closure of New Ulm's Kmart across the street from the store with home-made signs."

DNR, tribe reach deal on walleye spearing limit
JSOnline: "The state and the Lac du Flambeau band of Lake Superior Chippewa have reached a deal that keeps a three-walleye daily bag limit on most lakes where tribal members exercise their treaty rights to spear fish."

Hotelier Jim Graves considering run against Bachmann
Political Animal: "Graves lives in Minneapolis, but touted his St. Cloud roots. Born and raised there, he attended St. Paul's Elementary School, graduated from Cathedral High School and received a bachelor's degree at St. Could State University. He started his career as a sixth grade teacher at Holy Spirit Elementary."

Minnesotans are driving less, MnDOT says
MinnPost: "In what might be viewed as the silver lining to the economic black cloud, Minnesotans apparently are driving less."

Once-obscure wine regions: Minnesota
Napa Valley Register: "The remarkably cold winters in northern U.S. states would kill most French varieties, so in the last 20 years, special French-American hybrid varieties have been developed that, though a bit unusual at first taste, can make appealing wines."

The Brick offers refunds after first show
Star Tribune: "Concertgoers said sightlines, security and other logistics wrecked the Brick's opening."

Rain dampens concerns for fast spreading wildfire
Brainerd Dispatch: "The Brainerd lakes area received about 1.61 inches of rain in Monday's downpour and has added to that total with .06 inches on Wednesday and .01 inches as of Thursday afternoon, the Department of Natural Resources reported."

Sedan firefighters combat car blaze on St. Patricks Day in drag

Minnesota waterfalls raging from recent snowmelt (with videos)
Duluth News Tribune: "Can't make it up the North Shore this month to see the waterfalls running high from melting snow? Then check out these videos, shot earlier this week, of the show being staged by the rivers at three state parks: Gooseberry Falls, Tettegouche and Judge C.R. Magney."

Highway 94 in Collegeville, MN By speedreed66

Plane crash kills 3; Duluth Metals' 100 year copper-nickel project; Santorum's sweater boom

Posted at 7:45 AM on March 22, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Plane slams into field near Glencoe, killing 3
Star Tribune: "Pilot, his wife and his mother, along with three pets, died in a fiery wreck near Glencoe."

Duluth Metals sets Bechtel parameters for 100 year mine
Mineweb: "Duluth Metals' huge copper-nickel-pgm-gold resource on the Duluth complex in northern Minnesota moves on a stage with top engineering company Bechtel being given the parameters on which to base" a Pre-feasibility Study.

Pequaywan Township resolution cold to copper mining
Duluth News Tribune: "Pequaywan Township north of Duluth has become the third township in the region to pass a resolution asking for a go-slow-or-don't-go approach to copper mining."

Minnesota landowners worried that mining companies will use eminent domain to take their property
Oakdale Patch: "At the request of a constituent who owns land in northern Minnesota, Rep. Nora Slawik sponsored a bill that would eliminate mining companies' ability to take land through eminent domain."

Rukavina amendment sets allocation of copper-nickel mining taxes
Duluth News Tribune: "Rep. Tom Rukavina of Virginia was successful in adding an amendment to the tax bill outlining how copper-nickel mining taxation will be allocated to cities, counties and schools similar to how taconite taxes are distributed."

Lawmakers debate funding for Southwest light rail
MPR News: "Gov. Mark Dayton has made expanding light rail in the southwest metro a top priority this year. But House transportation leaders this week failed to include the light rail line from Eden Prairie to downtown Minneapolis on a list of recommended projects."

Janesville farmstead gets brunt o f tornado damage
Mankato Free Press: "The Martin Sexton farmstead received extensive damage to a large machinery shed, hog building and farm equipment. A grain bin was flung into a wooded area and two large evergreens were plucked from the ground, one falling onto a garage."

Bachmann calls for GOP unity
Michele Bachmann: "At this point, we would be better off if we could unify around a candidate, whoever that candidate may be," she said. "I will back whoever the people choose. But I think it's important for us to unify and unify quickly."

Bomb blasts and nature: Not a good mix along Minnesota Valley State Trail
Star Tribune: "The Air Force Reserve recently told trail supporters that the route needs to be moved because a bomb disposal training site has been added to the reserve's property, making the trail location unsafe because of the potential for flying fragments and unexpected bangs and booms."

Superior view of ice
OPB: "According to a report published last month in the Journal of Climate, the 5 percent of the Great Lakes' surface that froze over this year puts the average amount of ice covering the lakes at a decline of 71 percent over the past 40 winters, with Lake Superior's coverage alone declining a whopping 79 percent."

Republicans want Romney to close the deal
National Journal: "Hoisting his newest trophies -- a landslide win in Illinois and an endorsement from former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush -- Mitt Romney came to this Baltimore suburb on Wednesday for a victory lap aimed at bringing the marathon Republican primary to a close."

Rick Santorum campaign a boon to sweater vest maker
Politico: "Rick Santorum's campaign has been a boon for the sweater vest industry.The presidential hopeful's campaign spent nearly $100,000 in February to buy sweater vests from Bemidji Woolen Mills in Bemidji, Minn., according to campaign finance reports released Tuesday."

House passes Voter ID amendment; MN-08 DFL candidate debate; BWCA smog

Posted at 7:39 AM on March 21, 2012 by Michael Olson (1 Comments)
Filed under: Around MN

House GOP passes voter ID amendment

Capitol View: "Republicans in the Minnesota House passed a proposed voter ID constitutional amendment early this morning on a 72 to 62 party line vote, after nine hours of debate.If the Senate follows suit, the question will appear on the statewide ballot in November." Hometown Source: Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake, proposed the bill said during floor debate, "We don't say close enough is good enough." Pioneer Press: "Democratic Rep. Steve Simon of St. Louis Park said voting requirements should be changed by laws that the Legislature can amend, not by a constitutional amendment that could only be altered by voters. 'Amending the constitution should only be done when absolutely necessary to accomplish a goal - not because you can, not because it feels good, not because you have the votes, not because you feel passionately about an issue. That's not good enough,' Simon said. While 16 other states require voters to show photo IDs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Simon said only one other state, Mississippi, has set that requirement in its constitution."
MPR News Primer: Voter ID
Minnesota Today: Voter ID news

DFLers Nolan, Anderson and Clark debate

TPT Almanac: "The top three Democrats who want to represent congress from Minnesota's 8th District joined Cathy and Eric on the couch. Rick Nolan, Jeff Anderson and Tarryl Clark faced off."

Rep. Cravaack talks oil, politics, PolyMet
TPT Almanac: "Last week we heard from his DFL challengers and this week Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-8th District) sat down at the Almanac table with Cathy and Eric."

Superior police captain Chad La Lor resigns
Duluth News Tribune: "The separation comes after La Lor was accused of providing untruthful testimony during a Police and Fire Commission hearing in November."

No answers yet in death of 27-year-old Fargo man found near railroad tracks
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Family and friends of a 27-year-old Fargo man whose body was found Monday along the railroad tracks between Glyndon and Hawley, Minn., said Tuesday that Jared Nilles was a good-natured theater lover who left many friends behind."

Faribault City Council tries to close smoking loophole by banning "tobacco sampling"
Faribault Daily News: "The administrative mess that would come with introducing regulation was deemed too much. A ban settles the issue, which councilors believe the state will get involved with in the future. Tobacco sampling uses a sort of loophole in the Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act, which prohibited smoking in many indoor places statewide -- even though the Freedom to Breathe Act, added in 2007, expanded those restrictions, according to a report from the Minnesota Department of Health."

Environmentalists take on MPCA over pollution in BWCA and northern parks
MinnPost: "The view in the BWCA isn't what it used to be. The air, vaunted as some of the cleanest in the world, is growing more polluted. Sunsets and sunrises are dimmed by haze."

Wadena, Minn., seeks aid as residents, businesses leave
West Central Tribune: "'Wadena is losing residents and businesses, city leaders told a Minnesota Senate committee Monday in seeking state aid to rebuild facilities lost in a 2010 tornado. 'We have been planning for 21 months,' Mayor Wayne Wolden told members of the Senate committee that recommends public works project funding. 'This is the time to complete this.' Four businesses have closed in the past six months and it is hard to attract new ones, he said, partially because amenities such as offered in a community center and swimming pool were destroyed."

Op-Ed: Protect Minnesota's environment and mining, too
Rep. Mindy Greiling writes in the Star Tribune: "For years, companies have routinely understated the cleanup costs of nonferrous metallic mineral mines. Often it takes years after these mines have shut down for the damage they inflict to become apparent. To get out of these exorbitant costs, the companies will simply declare bankruptcy and leave the taxpayers holding the tab. For instance, in Montana, the Zortman-Landusky Mine left residents with a $33 million bill. In Colorado, Summitville Mine's tab is $185 million and growing. In South Dakota, unpredicted acid drainage problems and failed containment liners left local streams unable to support aquatic life. The company declared bankruptcy in 1999 and left taxpayers on the hook for millions of dollars in cleanup costs."

Op-Ed: Bills should broadly deter shutdowns
Star Tribune: "It's better to spare all from the pain than to exempt some."

Michigan event puts electric snowmobiles to the test
Highwire: "Each year in early March, teams of college students from across the country converge on Houghton, Michigan to compete in the Society of Automotive Engineers Clean Snowmobile Challenge."

Marshall hotel owner urges caution on development
Marshall Independent: "He's not against economic growth or development in Marshall, Scott Hicks said, but plans to bring growth to the area need to take the survival of existing businesses into account."

Farm Family of the Year
Albert Lea Tribune: "Andy Bakken is the fifth-generation in his family to work on the farm and has spent the last 13 years doing so. Bakken and his wife, Jody, have used the farm as an opportunity to teach their four children responsibility and the difference between right and wrong."

Don Shelby leaves MinnPost for news aggregator Bring Me The News

The prom and the porn star
News Cut: "Mike Stone, allegedly from Oakdale and allegedly a senior at Tartan High School (I've been unable to confirm this), has been asking porn stars on Twitter to be his date for the senior prom."

Sand mining ban; Gone are the days of good government?; Warm weather gamble

Posted at 7:45 AM on March 20, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Winona residents praise ban on sand mining
MPR News: "Residents in Winona, Minn., applauded the council's decision to temporarily ban any new or expanded silica sand mining or processing operations within city limits.Four other cities and five counties in southeast Minnesota have passed moratoriums on silica sand mining in recent months."

DFL files ethics complaint against Senator Michel
Uptake: "The fallout from the affair between Senator Amy Koch and her staffer Michael Brodkorb leads to an ethics complaint against a Senator Geoff Michel."

How Minnesota won the women's hockey title
Slapshot: "A matchup between the nation's top two women's hockey teams and Western Collegiate Hockey Association rivals set the stage for an intense battle in the N.C.A.A. championship game Sunday night, and the Minnesota Gophers walked away with the championship title, winning 4-2 over Wisconsin."

Minnesota gets D corruptibility grade, says State Integrity Investigation
City Pages: "​Minnesota is in the middle of the pack when it comes to the potential for government corruption, according to a new study by the Center for Public Integrity, Public Radio International, and Global Integrity."

Farmers gamble on warm weather, start planting early
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Mike Bergeron beat the calendar, planting spring wheat in the last days of winter, nearly a month before he usually does such seeding."

Minnesota House votes for board to run trust lands
Pioneer Press: "The Minnesota House opted Monday, March 19, to approve a shift in control of 2.5 million acres of school trust lands in northern Minnesota from a state agency to a new board in hopes of generating more money for schools."

Op-Ed: Public has right to know how tax dollars are used
Duluth News Tribune: "The bill would require the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board to make public more information than it has been about clients seeking public money."

Report: Twin Cities rental market tightest in a decade
MPR News: "New housing data shows shows the Twin Cities rental market is the tightest it's been in a decade, with rents on the rise."

Russell Means to discuss Wounded Knee takeover at Augustana
Argus Leader: "Widely known for leading the 71-day armed takeover of Wounded Knee on South Dakota's Pine Ridge Reservation, Means' talk is called 'Wounded Knee, Before, During and After,' and coincides with the Center for Western Studies' 44th annual Dakota Conference."

AFL-CIO registers PAC to fight "right-to-work" amendment
Capitol View: "Minnesota's unions have formed We Are Minnesota, a fund meant to raise money to oppose a proposed constitutional amendment that would make union membership and the payment of union dues voluntary for all workers."

Freakonomics - Conspicuous conservationism
Minnesota Today guest editor Steve Boland: "Interesting story of what people will spend to have other people *see* that they are green, rather than just being green."
Reading a story that you think other Minnesotans will find interesting or important? Become a guest editor and share your links.

Finding Minnesota: Somerskogen Sugarbush

WCCO: "Almost all of us love this warm March weather, but not maple syrup farmers. Why? Because when maple trees bloom, the sap stops. But in Minnetrista, the sap is still slowly flowing. And that's a good thing."

A ride in the park

Rice Creek Trail ride in Fridley from Yamihoo. (h/t Fridley Patch)

Where in the Boundary Waters Should I Canoe?
Boundary Waters Blog: "No matter how many times I've been on Boundary Waters canoe trips it's still a tough decision to decide where to go. Who I'm paddling with, how much time I have and how energetic I'm feeling all make a difference in what route I'll choose."

Chef's night off at Kitchen in the Market
Eat Drink Life Love: "It's the most fun you'll have in a kitchen ... probably ever. You'll eat fantastically and learn a lot too. The evening also benefited Renewing the Countryside, a local non-profit organization that champions rural communities through farming, business and other creative initiatives."

Foggy Night from David Cowardin on Vimeo.

GOP seeks to unseat Walz; An online Ojibwe dictionary; Vote on UAW at U of M

Posted at 7:45 AM on March 19, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Republicans say they have a shot at unseating DFL U.S. Rep. Tim Walz

MPR News: "As the November election approaches, Republicans in Minnesota think one of their best chances for recapturing a congressional seat is in southern Minnesota's 1st District. Republicans insist the incumbent there, U.S. Rep. Tim Walz, a Democrat, is out of step with his constituents. State Sen. Mike Parry and former state Rep. Allen Quist are seeking the GOP endorsement to take on Walz in November. So it's a busy time for the candidates, with political organizing meetings taking place across southern Minnesota, including the Le Sueur County Republican convention a couple of Saturdays ago, where about 100 people were present."

Former Star Tribune publisher, arts patron John Cowles dies at 82
MPR News: "John Cowles Jr., who published the Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper in the 1980s and grew to become a key arts patron in the Twin Cities, has died. He was 82 years old."

Urban farms a tough row to hoe for Minneapolis City Council
MPR News: "The Minneapolis City Council this week takes up a controversial set of proposed ordinances designed to encourage urban agriculture."

We're not from around here, are we?
Star Tribune: "The land of 'ya sure, you betcha,' isn't quite as filled with native Minnesotans as it used to be, according to U.S. Census data."

Is the retirement age increasing?
Tom Gillaspy: "While there is some evidence that some workers are delaying retirement, for many workers, the reality is very different and retiring earlier than expected becomes a necessity."

Team helps create online Ojibwe People's Dictionary
Pioneer Press: "Gerri Howard was loath to let a digital recorder capture her voice for a new kind of dictionary. A fluent speaker of Ojibwe on Minnesota's Leech Lake Reservation, she didn't like how she sounded on playback."

Minnesota legislators tread softly around possible Brodkorb lawsuit
Pioneer Press: "Michael Brodkorb once was the bane of Minnesota Democrats, a savvy and aggressive operative whose scorched-earth approach to politics ... powered his rise to dual roles as deputy chairman of the state GOP and chief spokesman for Senate Republicans."

Path to end of Minnesota legislative session still fuzzy
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Minnesota's legislators want to go home for the year in a month, or a little more, but the crystal ball showing how to get there is murky."

Minnesota to vote on rescinding immunity for lawmakers facing drunken driving arrest
Fox9: "The provision, found in the state constitution, allows lawmakers 'privilege from arrest' when they are pulled over by police."

In vote this week, graduate workers take sides on union backed by UAW
Minnesota Daily: "Despite previous failed attempts, union proponents at the University think organizing with the United Auto Workers will be the key to forming a union this time around. ... If a union passes, students who aren't members will be required to pay UAW because they benefit from contract negotiation."

Minnesota DNR hires manager for wildlife habitat program
Echo Press: "A veteran Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) biologist has been selected to manage the state's wildlife habitat program."

UMD development could make campus more livable
Duluth News Tribune: "Developer of the Woodland Middle School site says prospects for retail and restaurant development will depend partly on 'grand entrance' option at UMD."

Do digital gadgets increase our appetite for news?
NPR: "One in every four Americans receives their news digitally from mobile devices, which are helping to expand the consumption of journalism across multiple sources, according to a new report released Monday."

This week in Minnesota

Posted at 9:00 AM on March 17, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

No smoke near Pagami Creek since January

Posted at 4:50 PM on March 15, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN, Arrowhead, Outdoors

MPR News Dan Kraker: "Superior National Forest District Rangers and Ron Stoffel, the Wildfire Suppression Supervisor for the DNR, say they have not heard any reports of smoldering or burning in the Pagami Creek fire area. Superior National Forest District Ranger Mark Van Every says there hasn't been any smoke reported since January. But with the remaining snow cover melting fast, he says they could potentially see some smoldering activity soon."

That contradicts a report lacking attribution from the Northland News Center that was featured on Minnesota Today's morning update.

Related
Minnesota Today: Boundary Waters News

Brodkorb's affair; Frac sand setbacks; The vanishing Eelpout

Posted at 7:33 AM on March 16, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

What's this Michael Brodkorb story all about?
Brodkorb asserts other staffers had affairs with government officials, weren't fired

MPR News: "Attorneys for former Senate Republican caucus spokesman Michael Brodkorb said Thursday that they would pursue legal action against the Senate for firing Brodkorb because he had an affair with his boss, former Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch."

MPR News: What are both sides claiming?
Since Brodkorb was fired on Dec. 16, 2011, the Senate has maintained that he is an "at-will" employee, meaning he can be let go at any time. Brodkorb's boss, Koch, stepped down as Majority Leader, so his services as her chief spokesman would no longer be needed, the Senate contends. Like all new employees of the Legislature, Brodkorb signed a document when he was hired acknowledging his "at-will" status. Brodkorb's lawyers say he was fired illegally. They say the only reason Brodkorb was terminated was for having an intimate relationship with Koch. Brodkorb's lawyers also say his personnel file did not contain a record of poor work performance.

Minn. House passes bill to tap reserves to pay back schools
Star Tribune: "The House approved a Republican-backed measure to use state reserve funds to pay down debts to public schools following a debate that previewed some of the themes that may reappear in Legislative elections in November." MPR News: "The future of the legislation is unclear. The Senate has not yet taken up a companion bill, and the governor has publicly criticized the measure as not fiscally responsible. Dayton, too, is concerned about cash flow problems. He accused Republicans last week of using the issue to try to 'remedy themselves' for November. 'It sounds good. Everybody wants to repay the schools. It shouldn't have been borrowed from them in the first place. It wouldn't have under my proposal,' Dayton said. 'But to try to bail the legislators out before the election on the backs of fiscal responsibility for all the citizens of Minnesota I think is very inappropriate.'"

Lawmakers take aim at hospitals over life and death decisions
KAAL: "A growing number of parents say hospitals make them feel pressured to let their babies die rather than face a life with disabilities."

Chris Cook trial: Jury acquits Vikings cornerback of assaulting girlfriend
Pioneer Press: "As the court clerk rose to read the verdicts, the defendant, Minnesota Vikings cornerback Chris Cook, bowed his head. A man sitting in the gallery, a fan, clutched a football he'd brought into the Minneapolis courtroom."

Winona passes 1-year moratorium on frac sand mining
MPR News: "Winona city officials held an emergency meeting this week and passed a one-year moratorium that temporarily bans any new or expanded silica sand mining operations within city limits."

Town of Gale denies frac sand mine rezoning
Winona Daily News: "The town of Gale Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to deny a rezoning application that would have allowed building a frac sand mine."

Op-Ed: Minnesota eyes cut to fat program
Brainerd Dispatch: "If SHIP funding is cut or dries up, it should be recommended that people adopt their own health and wellness programs. One option most Minnesotans might wish to engage in (at minimal cost) is walking around their own neighborhoods and meet the folks on their block. Another option available to everyone is getting up off the couch and riding a bike on the beautiful Paul Bunyan Trail. Another healthy consideration is to take a kid fishing and eat the healthy catch with the family."

Op-Ed: Sen. Secretary conflict of interest in Brodkorb dispute
Clucking Stool: Cal "Ludeman has a huge conflict of interest here. He's playing with house (well, actually the Senate's and by extension the taxpayers') money to hire a lawyer to protect the Senate Republican caucus and himself. ... Cal Ludeman ought to be the last person in charge of this litigation."

Future looks rosy for Cloquet mill
Pine Journal: "Construction is expected to start in April on a conversion at the Sappi mill in Cloquet that Project Director Mike Schultz said will add at least 20 years to the life of the mill."

Fewer Eelpout found in area lakes
Grand Forks Herald: "The eelpout or burbot, that beady-eyed freshwater cod widely known as the "ish of fish" for its unsightly appearance, doesn't get a lot of attention, but fisheries managers in Minnesota and North Dakota say the species is in decline."

Pagami fire concern lingers; Mineral rights bill stalls at Capitol; Minnesota museum month

Posted at 7:45 AM on March 15, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

This post initially contained an item by the Northland News Center that reported the Pagami Creek fire was still smoking. MPR News followed up on that report and found a different story. Dan Kraker reports, "Superior National Forest District Ranger Mark Van Every says there hasn't been any smoke reported since January. But with the remaining snow cover melting fast, he says they could potentially see some smoldering activity soon." -- Updated at 5:04pm

Former Sen. Majority Leader Koch, Brodkorb affair confirmed
Star Tribune: "The revelation of an Amy Koch-Michael Brodkorb relationship comes in wrangle over his termination." Star Tribune: "'Despite Mr. Brodkorb's efforts to disrupt the work of the Senate in the current legislative session, to distract members of the Senate, to extort a payment from the Senate and to try his so-called claims in the media, the Senate will not allow that to succeed,' Cal Ludeman, the secretary of the Senate, said."

Landowners won't get help fighting mining leases from Minnesota Legislature
Duluth News Tribune: "Legislation that would give northern Minnesota landowners more power to say no to mining companies that own the mineral rights under their land appears dead at the state Capitol."

May is Minnesota museum month
New York Times: "The country's first monthlong, statewide celebration of museums. It is the creation of several Twin Cities museum administrators, who expect it to become an annual event."

Senate panel vote on Vikings stadium delayed indefinitely
MPR News: "Supporters of a bill that would finance a new $975 million football stadium for the Minnesota Vikings suffered a setback Wednesday." Pioneer Press: "Gov. Mark Dayton minced few words Wednesday, March 14, as he called on House and Senate leaders to end the "theater of the absurd" surrounding the Minnesota Vikings stadium proposal and move the bill to a final vote." Star Tribune: "After nearly two hours of debate and testimony, the Senate Local Government and Elections Committee abruptly opted against a vote on the bill, after several members from both parties expressed significant concerns about it. Bill sponsor Sen. Julie Rosen, R-Fairmont, insisted however that the postponed vote was not a setback."

Obama signs St. Croix Bridge bill
MPR News: "President Barack Obama has signed legislation authorizing a replacement for the aging Stillwater Lift Bridge.The approval grants an exemption to the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to build a new, four-lane bridge over the St. Croix River. The project is estimated to cost as much as $676 million."

St. Paul teacher accused of bias
Pioneer Press: "The families say Timothy Olmsted repeatedly disparaged their children, who are black, and made them sit at the back of his classroom."

iPads for St. Louis County schools
WDIO: "The St. Louis County School Board approved a new three year technology plan on Monday. And the plan calls for providing iPads for every high school student, starting in 2014. But next fall, all 7th and 8th graders will get to start using theirs."

Moorhead chief says plant fire worst he's seen in 20 years, damage could be in the millions
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Duysen said the fire was likely started by a pulp dryer on the west end of the building. He likened the dryer to a 'big oven' used to dry wet newspaper. The recycled newspaper is used to make the egg cartons."

Disappointment over graffiti covering Rochester park
KAAL: "On a warm day like we had Wednesday, many families headed outside enjoying parks and playgrounds. But people in a Southeast Rochester neighborhood arrived at theirs to find it vandalized, but for the parks department, a cleaning trip to Joyce Park is nothing new."

Faribault Woolen Mill tries to secure spot on National Register
Faribault Daily News: "Councilors approved a letter supporting the mill's application to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places this week. If the mill secures the designation, it will give it a national scope and open the door for state and federal Historic Preservation Tax Credits."

Minnesota's most influential plants? Arboretum wants input

MPR News: "The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum wants you to nominate your pick for the '10 Plants That Changed Minnesota.' The new initiative, which will include education at K-12 and college levels, is led by Mary Meyer, a professor of horticultural science at the University of Minnesota."

Worker shortage; Spammy study in Neveln, Merging music and Lake Superior

Posted at 7:45 AM on March 14, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Shortage of workers looms
Alexandria Echo Press: "Survey shows manufacturing firms are confident of future. Minnesota's manufacturers remain confident in their firms' futures, as solid revenue, profitability and capital expenditure projections hold steady for the second year in a row."

Magnetation bill dropped in Minnesota House
Duluth News Tribune: "Legislation that would have waived the environmental review process for the proposed Magnetation pellet plant in Itasca County was shelved Tuesday in favor of a compromise bill that offers faster environmental permitting for up to three pilot projects in the state."

Fun in the sun at citywide ski meet
Pine Journal: "Cloquet's annual citywide ski meet turned into a festival of spring Sunday, complete with half-naked skiers and water-skiing."

Hormel Foods to study breakfast protein deficiency at Neveln
Austin Daily Herald: "That's why researchers are looking into protein intake at Neveln. Scientists figure first-graders are still honest enough about what they eat that any data collected will be reliable, as opposed to older, possibly more food-conscious survey participants."

Outdoors groups back higher fishing, hunting fees

MPR News: "More than 60 outdoors and environmental groups want lawmakers to raise the state's hunting, fishing, and boating fees.They say the move would bring in more money for the state's Game and Fish Fund which is projected to run a deficit next year."
Join the conversation on Facebook

Public invited to flood recovery 'thank you' event with former President Clinton Saturday morning
Grand Forks Herald: "The city of Grand Forks is inviting the residents of Grand Forks and East Grand Forks to a special thank you to former President Bill Clinton Saturday for his efforts and support of our community's flood recovery. Clinton will be in Grand Forks for the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Convention."

Faribault School board goes from $1.3M to $400K in cuts
Faribault Daily News: "After a harsh list of cuts from the Faribault Public School Board last week board members came up with the possibility of a total number that might be less painful for the schools.

Northland group tries to save Superior family from foreclosure
WDIO: "Hundreds of people are trying to help a Superior family who is at risk of losing their home. Krystal and Chris Dunbar bought this house in 2007 but in 2009 Chris lost his job. They were unable to make full payments and fell behind."

Willmar retailers say they are seeing uptick in sales as economy grows
West Central Tribune: "Nationwide, a stronger job market is strengthening the economy, and retailers are reaping the benefits. ... In the Willmar area, businesses are starting to see that upward trend reflected in their own sales figures."

Tycoons' Rathskeller is no ordinary basement bar in downtown Duluth
Duluth News Tribune: "The Rathskeller, in the sub-basement of Duluth's old city hall at 132 E. Superior St., has a pre-Prohibition theme with an air of exclusivity that nods to a time when secret societies were en vogue."

Musician seeks to merge music and Lake Superior
Ashland Current: "Washburn musician Marlin Ledin plans to sail Lake Superior this spring, summer and fall, recording the sounds of the lake and making music aboard his sailboat, Voyageur."

'Minnesota ice': starting over in Minnesota

Posted at 2:42 PM on March 12, 2012 by Michael Olson (4 Comments)
Filed under: Around MN

Tribes oppose wolf hunt; Federal cuts reach home; When mom goes viral

Posted at 7:45 AM on March 13, 2012 by Michael Olson (1 Comments)
Filed under: Around MN

Some Ojibwe tribal members object to wolf hunting, trapping

MPR News: "Some Ojibwe in Minnesota are worried about the fate of the state's wolf population.State lawmakers are considering a hunting and trapping season for wolves, which were removed from the federal endangered species list last year."

Before wolves may be hunted, science, faith and politics clash in Wisconsin
New York Times: "The Great Lakes Indian Fish and Game Commission, which represents 11 tribes of the Ojibwe (also known as the Chippewa, or Anishinaabe) in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan, opposes the hunt on the basis of religious principle and tradition."

NYT: Scientist John Vucetich studies wolves on Isle Royale
A collection of blog posts and observations from a season of scientific study on Isle Royale.

Minneapolis copes with a smaller slice of federal funding
Star Tribune: "Minneapolis feels effects of federal cutbacks to money for programs that serve a wide range of people."

Right to Work debate riles Minnesota Capitol
St Cloud Times: "Minnesota Republican senators got a taste Monday of the fight over labor rights that gripped other Midwestern statehouses in the last year, with a committee narrowly passing legislation to curb union power even as hundreds of demonstrators chanted and yelled just feet away."
Minnesota Today: Right to Work debate

Minnesota's Game and Fish Fund faces shortfall
Bemidji Pioneer: "Minnesota's Game and Fish Fund is projected to be in the red as early as July 2013."

Cravaack: PolyMet review to be released in Oct.
MPR News: "8th District GOP Rep. Chip Cravaack says the controversial PolyMet precious metals mining project in northeast Minnesota is on track to have a draft environmental review released to the public this October."

'Sled Dogs to St. Paul' musher Frank Moe talks about journey
WTIP: "After spending a week on the trail and travelling more than 350 miles, Moe arrived at the state capitol on Monday, March 8th. Moe is back home in Cook County now, and he stopped by the WTIP studios on Monday, March 12th to talk about the experience and why he did it."

Minnesota ranks highly on happiness
Gillaspy Demographics: "Gallup and Healthways have released the 2011 Gallup-Healthways Well Being Index for states, metropolitan areas and congressional districts, and once again Minnesota ranks near the top."

U of Minn. professors clash with stem-cell company
Star Tribune: "Two University of Minnesota ethicists have set off a firestorm by raising questions about a controversial Texas stem-cell company."

Swedish institute to collaborate with ICC on biomass research program
Grand Rapids Herald-Review: "Biomass could be the saving grace for northern Minnesota's timber industry and Itasca Community College is poised to adapt to this new demand - now with help from Swedish researchers facing a similar shift in focus."

Finding Minnesota: Marine Art Museum

WCCO: "Water is a crucial part of Minnesota's culture. With all the lakes and rivers, our state claims more shoreline than Florida, California and Hawaii combined. So it's fitting that priceless paintings of water from some of the world's greatest artists are on display in the river town of Winona. Names like Van Gogh, Renoir and Matisse can be found at the Minnesota Marine Art Museum. In fact, the collection includes what may well be Vincent Van Gogh's first oil painting."

Op-Ed: When mom goes viral: Marilyn Hagerty, 85, is talk of social media
Wall Street Journal: "Some people pursue celebrity. Others stumble into it as they are rushing off to bridge club."

'Right to work' amendment debate, silica sand mining on hold, fewer sites in BWCA

Posted at 7:39 AM on March 12, 2012 by Michael Olson (1 Comments)
Filed under: Around MN

BWCA wildfire aftermath includes campsite closures
AP: "Rangers had hoped to have most back in operation when paddlers returned. But standing scorched trees known as snags and burned latrines raise safety and sanitation issues that still must be addressed, spokeswoman Kris Reichenbach said."

Puzzle of baby found in river weighs on sheriff
Star Tribune: "Months after 'Angel' was found in the Mississippi, authorities are still looking for answers. Services for the infant girl will be in April."

With SE Minn. silica sand mining on pause, groups organize
MPR News: "Silica sand mining is a divisive topic in southeastern Minnesota. Local officials have held town hall meetings with residents, met with environmentalists and industry leaders, and passed moratoriums on mining so they can study the practice that has already swept parts of Wisconsin." Star Tribune: "Hydro-fracking spawns a new Minnesota industry - and fears about its effects."

Walz calls for campaign finance reform
Winona Daily News: "Rep. Tim Walz, D-Minn., plans to make his 2012 election finances an open book -- and he hopes groups that donate to political campaigns will do the same. Walz is a co-sponsor of a bill that would require corporations, super political action committees, and unions to report campaign donations."

Minnesota Senate committee takes up "Right to Work"
Pioneer Press: "The state Senate's Judiciary and Public Safety Committee will take up a proposed constitutional amendment this morning that would forbid contracts requiring workers join unions or pay union dues."

Appraiser's work for St. Louis County under scrutiny
Duluth News Tribune: "Jan Jackson and her family are responsible for assessing more townships than any other appraisers in St. Louis County."

Limiting invasive species in Minnesota waters is one issue state lawmakers agree on
St Cloud Times: "From electric barriers to a proposed research center at the University of Minnesota, aquatic-invader legislation is gaining traction at the state Capitol. Millions of state dollars are almost certain to follow."

Faribault Daily News: "There is a natural tension between cities and counties and the state when it comes to revenue production -- while the state can levy sales and income taxes, it can also manipulate other funding steams that impact cities like the Homestead Market Credit and Local Government Aid. 'It's frustrating every time you see a bid, and there is sales tax. Especially on capital purchases,' said Faribault City Councilor Dave Miller. 'You think we add it all up, we could get a cop or two.'"

Dayton: Vikings stadium bill has '50-50' chance at Capitol
MPR News: "Gov. Mark Dayton said Sunday while he supports a new Vikings stadium, he's not sure it will win approval at the Legislature."

Tight G.O.P. primaries suggest less-predictable south
New York Times: "The Deep South base is not as predictable as it once was. National polling companies have found a volatile contest in Alabama and Mississippi, a near toss-up among the three leading candidates. And indeed the primaries represent a rather neat slicing of the Southern electorate at the current moment."

Ham radio space helps sway couple to buy North Dakota home on ebay
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "James Stiles doesn't hunt, fish, bird watch or yet dig for dinosaur bones -- the typical hobbies that draw people to North Dakota. He's moving to the state to increase his stock as a ham radio operator."

By the numbers
Report: Great Lakes ice down 71 percent since 1973
AP: "A published report says the amount of ice covering the Great Lakes has declined about 71 percent over the past 40 years, a drop that the lead author partly attributes to climate change."

This week in Minnesota

Posted at 7:00 AM on March 10, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Brew pub brawl, Rep. Franson stays put, Bieber's snake slithers into Owatonna

Posted at 7:45 AM on March 9, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

A battle brews over beer laws
Star Tribune: "Craft beers are hugely popular, but brew pubs' market is limited by age-old Minnesota rules."

Good mining times predicted on the Range
Duluth News Tribune: "Top officials of Ohio-based Cliffs Natural Resources held their annual community forum Thursday and said their three taconite plants will continue to churn out pellets at near record clips with stable work forces and solid demand from steelmakers."

Franson refuses demands to resign: 'I have great support'
Capitol Chat: "Protesters' chants for Rep. Mary Franson to resign Thursday only strengthened her resolve to remain on the job. She offered her third apology for a video that some found offensive to Minnesota's poor. But the Alexandria Republican said 'I have gotten great support.'"

Mankato hosts national curling competition, finals on Saturday
Mankato Free Press: "Ten women's and 10 men's teams have been competing for the past week at Caledonia Community Center with finals matches slated for Saturday."

Grand Forks Herald restaurant critic Marilyn Haggerty's review of the new Olive Garden in Grand Forks became Internet-gold as Fark, Reddit, Gawker and other meme-generating sites picked up the 85 year old's assessment of the new culinary offering. When Haggerty's daughter encouraged her to log onto Facebook and read the comments about her review Haggerty replied: "I'm working on my Sunday column and I'm going to play bridge this afternoon, so I don't have time to read all this crap," reports the Grand Forks Herald.

Vikings stadium: North suburbs' Chamber of Commerce calls process 'unfair'
Pioneer Press: "For days, Ramsey County commissioners Tony Bennett and Rafael Ortega have accused key state leaders of holding their proposal for a Vikings stadium in Arden Hills to a tougher standard than the plan for a site just east of the Metrodome, which has gained the governor's blessing."

Wilf likely to make money off new stadium
MPR News: "It's hard to know exactly how much the Vikings owners will benefit from a stadium, in part because the NFL doesn't disclose football's financial secrets, and because the Vikings won't discuss it."

Former N.D. newspaper owner resigns at Minnesota weekly over plagiarism allegations
Grand Forks Herald: "Jon Flatland, a past North Dakota Newspaper Association president and past owner of Finley, N.D.'s Steele County Press, is accused of copying other writers' work during his 28-year career."

A brew fest raises its frothy head in Winnebago
Mankato Free Press: "The city of Winnebago will become Sudsville for a day this summer.The Faribault County community aims to bolster its visitor traffic with its first-ever Craft Brew Fest featuring more than 20 brewers and upward of 50 beers."

Northern lights put on great show in Northland skies overnight (with video)
Duluth News Tribune: "Good things came for those who waited to see the northern lights in Northland skies overnight."

Justin Bieber's snake finds a home in Owatonna
Faribault Daily News: "The yellow and brown reptile that goes by the name Johnson, you see, had already reached stardom after he joined teen singing sensation Justin Bieber on the red carpet for the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards. Now, after a fortunate chain of events, the famous pet has moved to the Owatonna-based zoo."

By the numbers
Annual value of animal agriculture to Minnesota: $8 billion
A new report puts the number of animal agriculture jobs in the state at nearly 35,000.

"Bully" police chief, no mail for dangerous trailer park, solar storm

Posted at 7:45 AM on March 8, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Hockey officials, parents place greater emphasis on reducing injuries, concussions
MPR News: "As Minnesota's top high school hockey teams take the ice at the Xcel Energy Center during the State Boys' Hockey Tournament this week, there is greater emphasis to reduce the kind of play that can lead to concussions and other serious injuries."

Virginia, Minn.: The police chief who can't be canned?
Star Tribune: "Employees and bosses in Virginia, Minn., insist Police Chief Dana Waldron is a bully, but attempts to fire him have failed for more than a year."

Postal Service stops delivery to local trailer park, citing danger
Post Bulletin: "Effective Wednesday, the U.S. Postal Service suspended mail delivery to a southeast Rochester trailer park, citing danger to carriers from loose dogs, and other problems."

Op-Ed: A misguided Minnesota anti-sharia bill
Star Tribune: "State Sen. Dave Thompson, a Lakeville Republican, introduced a bill this week only to withdraw it a few hours later. In between, area Muslim leaders called a press conference in which they, along with key Christian and Jewish leaders, denounced the bill for what it was: veiled anti-Muslim bigotry."

Massive solar storm speeds toward Earth
AP: "The largest solar storm in five years was due to arrive on Earth early Thursday, promising to shake the globe's magnetic field while expanding the Northern Lights."

Bradford Cox stands by his hour long rendition of "My Sharona" at the Cedar Cultural Center
AV Club: "After Pitchfork reported on local recaps of the show, which described the experience as bizarre and sort of uncomfortable, the Deerhunter frontman called the publication up to explain a few things."

Determination - and a Minnesota twist - bring violinist Midori to town
Orlando Sentinel: "World-renowned violinist Midori was almost the concert that got away -- until the Orlando Philharmonic, aided by a mystery donor, a local charitable foundation and a fortuitous Minnesota connection, stepped in."

Wolf hunt advances, dissing Minneapolis, brewing in Bemidji

Posted at 7:30 AM on March 7, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Bill to allow wolf hunting clears Senate committee
MPR News: "A Minnesota Senate committee Tuesday approved a bill for a wolf hunt that would start in the fall. Farmer and hunting groups testified in support of a season for wolf hunting."

Santorum takes North Dakota despite Paul's presence in Fargo
Grand Forks Herald: "Despite a final personal pitch from Libertarian Ron Paul, it was former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum who took home the most votes in North Dakota's statewide Republican caucuses." Politico: "Mitt Romney's weaknesses show no sign of going away. He struggles in the South and with evangelical voters. He's not conservative enough. He loses among rural voters and with voters down the economic scale." More 2012 coverage from Minnesota Today.

Survey: Many Minnesotans still without insurance
MPR News: "A new report shows that the portion of Minnesotans who have health insurance has not recovered from losses that occurred during the recession that ended in 2009. Minnesota's uninsured rate in 2011 remained essentially unchanged at 9.1 percent, despite improvements in the state's job picture."

Fargo man challenging North Dakota's ban on gay marriage
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Lenny Tweeden plans to take his case to allow gay marriage to North Dakota voters."

Crowdsourced funding for Bemidji micro-brewery
MPR News: "Tina Hanke and Justin "Bud" Kaney are standing in a community kitchen at Harmony Food Cooperative, getting ready for the day in a few weeks when they and a partner, Tom Hill, plan to start brewing beer on a commercial scale. Hanke cracks open one of their craft beer specialties, a bottle-conditioned 'rye Saison,' describing it with appreciation as "a little bit more bubbly of a beer, almost like a champagne quality."
Join an online chat with Minnesota's beer makers Thursday at 11:30a.

Duluth school board discusses plan to save $4.8 million
Duluth News Tribune: "The district proposed several budget ideas to the School Board on Tuesday night during a planning session meant to help put together the fiscal year 2013 budget. The board will vote on a final list March 20, which will reconcile about $4.8 million in reductions."

Minn. lawmakers back bill to fight Asian carp
MPR News: "With Asian carp spreading up the Mississippi River, members of Minnesota's congressional delegation are introducing legislation designed to counter the invasive fish."

17 men charged with soliciting prostitutes in Rochester
Rochester Post Bulletin: "Seventeen men have been charged with prostitution-related offenses in Olmsted County District Court following a police sting aimed at clients of prostitutes in Rochester."

Op-Ed: DFL is stuck in the mud of teacher seniority
Lynnell Mickelsen: "So there I was, in late February, a lifelong, die-hard progressive DFL mom from Minneapolis, sitting in the governor's office with Rep. Branden Petersen, a die-hard conservative Republican dad from Coon Rapids."

Op-Ed: Racial justice is not a monopoly of the Left
Cafe con Leche Republicans: "Republican Congressional Candidate Chris Fields (R-MN) caught my attention for a variety of reasons. First, Mr. Fields seems genuinely intent on reaching out to the black community."

Op-Ed: Deflating the bloated public pension myth
Star Tribune: "The pension facts in a new report by the National Institute on Retirement Security warrant a look as well. They blow the myth of cushy retirement payouts to public employees at taxpayer expense."

Howler's Jordan Gatesmith has some choice remarks for Minneapolis
Local Current: Gatesmith: "There's this band called the 4onthefloor, for example, and the gimmick is that they play, you know, they have four kick drums, and they all play the kick drum on the floor, and they're like Mumford & Sons crap. ... Nothing will happen outside of Minneapolis for them." The comment section on this one is lively.

Minnesota legislative notebook: DNR says it should keep school land duties
Grand Forks Herald: "Minnesota's natural resources commissioner does not want to give up his job of managing 2.5 million acres of land, mostly in northern Minnesota that support schools across the state."

Sled-dog trek highlights fight in DFL over Iron Range projects
MinnPost: "On Thursday, environmental activist Frank Moe, a former DFL state representative from the Iron Range, will finish a 350-mile sled dog trek from Grand Marais on the steps of the state Capitol. He will bear petitions with thousands of signatures calling for a moratorium on mineral mining."

The aging of the BWCA visitor
NewsCut: "Is it a problem that the average age of a visitor to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is approaching twice that of the average age in the 1960s?"

Caitlin Robertson -- "Like Pure Snow"

(h/t Perfect Duluth Day)

Gov. Walker pushes mining in Superior, silver carp moves north, Ron Paul's North Dakota

Posted at 7:30 AM on March 6, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Gov. Walker visits Superior to tout mining proposal
Superior Telegram: "'We're not the badger state because we have all these animals around,' said Gov. Scott Walker. 'We're the badger state because our heritage involves mining' and if any state can streamline the process, to return to mining, it should be Wisconsin."

Dreaded carp netted in Mississippi near Winona
Rochester Post Bulletin: "An 8-pound silver carp, an invasive species known for its wild leaps out of the water when startled, was netted by a commercial fisherman Thursday on the Mississippi River near Winona, making it the furthest north one has been found."

Bill aims to slash price of county property site by $120,000
Duluth News Tribune: "Though the city had agreed to a purchase price of $150,00 and did not request the new legislation, the bill was introduced by state Reps. Tom Rukavina and Carly Melin.

Dayton vetos gun bill
Capitol View: "In his veto letter to the Legislature, Governor Dayton said he vetoed the bill because most major law enforcement agencies raised issues about the bill. Dayton said he appreciated the efforts to craft the bill to ease worries by law enforcement but said their concerns 'must be honored.'"

On Super Tuesday, Ron Paul zeros in on North Dakota
AP: "In a state that typically receives more in federal spending than it pays in taxes, unabashed small-government cheerleader Ron Paul has done the most campaigning, drawn the largest crowds and attracted the biggest share of political donations among Republican presidential candidates."

Super Tuesday: Four things to watch for
NPR: "Super Tuesday 2012 is finally here, with Republican presidential preference contests -- a mix of primaries and caucuses -- occurring in ten states from sea to shining sea."

Strong Super Tuesday turnout expected in Oil Patch
Dickinson Press: "Caucus sites in the Oil Patch are expecting strong turnouts for Super Tuesday today following visits by two Republican candidates and an emphasis on energy policy from all four."

Editorial: Surprises in store at caucuses?
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Active Republicans and those identifying themselves as Republicans, even though they are not Republicans, are cranked up for what promises to be a very interesting day at caucus sites across the state."

Amateurs are new fear in creating mutant virus
New York Times: "Over the past decade, more amateur biologists have started to do genetic experiments of their own. One hub of this so-called D.I.Y. biology movement, the Web site DIYbio.org, now has more than 2,000 members. 'I worry about the garage scientist, about the do-your-own scientist, about the person who just wants to try and see if they can do it,' Michael T. Osterholm of the University of Minnesota said last week at a meeting of biosecurity experts in Washington."

Strengthening rural Latino start-ups
MPR News: "More than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States, Latinos are entrepreneurs, and that tendency has been increasing. Nearly a quarter of all new entrepreneurs in 2010 were Latino, according to the Kauffman Foundation, which has been studying the topic for many years."

Senate to choose an insider trading bill
New York Times: "Senate leaders, eager to avoid a freewheeling, unpredictable debate on Congressional ethics, are considering simply accepting a House-passed bill to ban insider trading by lawmakers. This approach would kill two provisions previously passed by the Senate and would, in the eyes of some, weaken the measure promoted as a way to restore trust in Congress. One Senate provision at risk would regulate a booming industry that collects "political intelligence" from political insiders for the use of hedge funds, mutual funds and other investors. The second would give prosecutors powerful new tools to pursue public corruption cases."

Stillwater bridge: MnDOT tweaks new bridge cost estimate
Pioneer Press: "The estimated cost of the St. Croix River Crossing Project has dropped by several million dollars in revised figures from the Minnesota Transportation Department."

Op-Ed: Gaffing his way to victory
Weekly Standard: "Mitt Romney is leading the league in gaffes. We know this because the media are counting. The Week lists his '9 worst clueless-rich-man gaffes.' The Wall Street Journal trumps that with 'Romney's Top 10 Wealth Gaffes.' The Christian Science Monitor refers to the 'Mitt Romney gaffe monster.'"

Op-Ed: Poorly told political fortunes
New York Times: "This presidential race has been all about upended expectations. At the mile marker of Super Tuesday, it's worth pausing to look at how frequently we've erred and how much we've learned."

Upgrades slow at Minn. nuclear plants, anti-mining musher heads for St. Paul, remembering Kubly

Posted at 7:55 AM on March 5, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

State's 2 nuclear plants will get post-Fukushima upgrades
Star Tribune: "Yet some U.S. nuclear critics question whether the actions are sufficient, pointing with skepticism to the purchase of off-the-shelf pumps and backup generators, rather than more expensive equipment designed for nuclear power plants."

Wabasha-Kellogg school will be site for radiation testing
Rochester Post Bulletin: "If there's a major problem with the Prairie Island Nuclear Power Plant, up to 3,500 people from that area might come to the Wabasha-Kellogg school to be checked for radiation and, if it's found on them, decontaminated. The school has agreed to be the second radiological reception center for a larger accident at the plant north of Red Wing along the Mississippi River, said Brenda Wodele, county emergency management director."

Anti-mining crusade mushes through Duluth

Duluth News Tribune: "Frank Moe, a former Minnesota legislator, will leave Duluth today to deliver petitions expressing concern about a new form of mining in Minnesota. He'll be traveling by dog sled."

Al Quist, Mike Parry jockey for delegates at county conventions
Mankato Free Press: "Former state Rep. Allen Quist on Saturday won double the delegates of state Sen. Mike Parry at the Blue Earth County Republican Convention, the event which sends the second biggest contingent to the endorsing convention that will choose the challenger to Democratic Congressman Tim Walz."

Locked in struggle for wrestling supremacy
New York Times: "Augsburg, in downtown Minneapolis, boasts 11 wrestling championships, including nine since 1995. Wartburg, located here in a town so small the residents proudly note the stoplights, counters with eight titles, including six in the past nine seasons. Theirs is a zero-sum relationship."

Ron Paul to be in Fargo on Super Tuesday
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Texas congressman Ron Paul plans to return to Fargo and possibly Bismarck this Tuesday, a state GOP spokesman said Sunday. North Dakota will be holding its party caucuses, along with contests in nine other states, as part of Super Tuesday."

Duluth has doubled its seasonal snowfall in the past week
Duluth News Tribune: "Remember how, a couple weeks ago, there were patches of bare ground in Duluth and continuing talk of the "un"-winter of 2011-12? All that seems like a distant memory now. Lake-effect snow bands dropped several more inches of snow on Duluth and locations along the North Shore today, pushing weekend snow totals well in excess of a foot in some locations. That's on top of the nearly a foot of snow that fell Wednesday. And a few inches fell the previous Sunday, too. In all, Duluth has more than doubled its seasonal snow total in the past week."

Gov. Dayton's crucial days may lie just ahead
Star Tribune: "Any second term likely hinges on his persuasive powers at the Capitol." Gov. Dayton joins the Daily Circuit this morning at 9a.

State Rep. Mary Franson apologizes for comparing food stamps to feeding the animals
Hot Dish Politics: "State Rep. Mary Franson has apologized and removed a YouTube video that compared Minnesota's food stamp program to 'feed(ing) the animals.'"

How to handicap the Super Tuesday contests
Smart Politics: "Santorum vote totals are averaging nearly five points higher than the final polling numbers in primary and caucus states."

Voter ID drive part of quiet, well-funded national conservative effort
AP: "A proposed constitutional amendment to require a photo ID for Minnesota voters is part of a surge of similar legislation nationwide, much of it springing from a conservative organization that's well-known to politicians but operates largely out of public view."

Jewish group cites Torah in campaign against same-sex marriage ban
MPR News: "The group Jewish Community Action says the proposed state amendment to define marriage as between a man and woman conflicts with Jewish tradition."

State's budget gains tied to lower health care spending
Pioneer Press: "Health care costs usually are budget breakers.So, it was a bit of a surprise last week when state officials said a key driver of Minnesota's improved budget outlook was lower-than-expected health spending."

St. Croix bridge supporters hail long-awaited approval
MPR News: "U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat, and Republican U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann met in Stillwater this morning to celebrate the passage of legislation that allows for a new bridge connecting the city to western Wisconsin."

Minnesota state Sen. Gary Kubly dies
Worthington Daily Globe: "One of the old-style Minnesota state senators, not into partisan bickering, has died.Sen. Gary Kubly, DFL-Granite Falls, died in a St. Paul hospital Friday after suffering a medical problem Wednesday morning. He was diagnosed with Lou Gerig's Disease in 2010 and his health gradually failed."

Voice for rural Minnesota falls silent
Marshall Independent: "Sen. Gary Kubly loses battle with Lou Gehrig's disease, dies at age 68."

Surfin' Superior and other stories that mattered this week

Posted at 7:47 AM on March 3, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Romney: Oil Patch for all, Pres. Clinton join ND Dems, Who is Pete Hegseth?

Posted at 8:00 AM on March 2, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Romney holds up Oil Patch as a shining example during Fargo campaign stop
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "In a brief campaign stop here Thursday morning, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney railed on the policies of Democratic President Barack Obama, while emphasizing North Dakota's prosperous Oil Patch as a shining example of what the rest of the nation could be like."

Pres. Clinton to deliver keynote at ND Democratic convention
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "North Dakota Democrats are aiming for a comeback in 2012, and they've landed a star attraction to help make that happen."

Klobuchar gets stronger challenger
The Hill: "Army National Guard Capt. Pete Hegseth (R) on Thursday morning announced he will run against Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), giving Republicans an upgrade in the race." MPR News: "Some GOP insiders predict Hegseth will finally bring some attention and money to the Republican side of the Senate race." MinnPost: Hegseth on Kloubuchar and why she is popular, but doesn't deserve to be reelected. "Because she talked a good game to get elected and people haven't paid enough attention to how she has voted. I don't like representation that says one thing, then goes to Washington and votes another way, and then comes back and hopes that nobody was looking or paying attention. ... She campaign heavily on deficits and debt but has voted six times to raise the debt ceiling and the debt has almost doubled during her term. She voted for TARP, for the $837 billion bailout of Wall Street. She voted for Obamacare. Hegseth opposes all of those things."

Also on MN today
Faribault students learning spelling a new way
Faribault Daily News: "A spelling program that focuses on phonetics and patterns, was implemented in the elementary schools last school year. ... The program involves students working with cards and sorting vocabulary words according to sounds or spelling or letters used."

Voter ID bill advances amid questions
Capitol View: "A proposed constitutional amendment to require voters to show a photo identification at the polls has cleared another hurdle in the Minnesota Senate, despite lingering questions about what the new process would actually cost."

Worthington builds on bioscience niche
MPR News: "On the edge of town, not far from the many livestock farms near Worthington, the employees of Newport Laboratories work to kill the microscopic bugs that sicken farm animals."

Vikings stadium plan faces tough road in Legislature and with Minneapolis City Council
MPR News: "State lawmakers are now waiting for more specifics of the Vikings stadium plan that was announced Thursday by Gov. Mark Dayton and other stadium supporters." MPR News: "The new Minnesota Vikings stadium deal unveiled Thursday faces a hurdle at the Minneapolis City Council, where a majority of council members have opposed similar stadium plans in the past. The major sticking point for a number of council members is the Minneapolis City Charter."

House passes bridge bill after an earmark debate
New York Times: "The House overwhelmingly approved legislation Thursday to allow construction of a new $700 million bridge between Minnesota and Wisconsin, a project that has drawn comparisons to earmarks and required a Congressional exemption from a landmark environmental law." More Stillwater Bridge news from MN Today

Trail conditions in best shape yet this winter
Timberjay: "Spring may be on the horizon, but the winter recreation season is just getting underway in earnest across the region as recent snowfall has trail conditions in the best shape of the winter."

Video of waves, surfers on Lake Superior during Wednesday's blizzard
Duluth News Tribune: "When the weather is at its worst, conditions are at their best for surfers who regularly brave the frigid water of Lake Superior whenever high winds kick up big waves."

Apple Valley Zamboni driver charged with DWI had blood-alcohol level of 0.32, police say
Pioneer Press: "The Apple Valley man who allegedly drove a Zamboni while drunk in January had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.32, according to charges filed this week in Dakota County District Court."

Michelle Obama to visit Minn.
Capitol View: "First Lady Michelle Obama is scheduled to be in Minnesota on March 16 to raise money for President Obama's presidential campaign. Mrs. Obama is scheduled to hold the fundraiser at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis."

By the numbers
0: The numbers of binding delegates that will be awarded during North Dakota's Super Tuesday Caucus

Understanding age, partly cloudy budget forecast, NCAA benches "Fighting Sioux"

Posted at 7:45 AM on March 1, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Mayo's living lab learns real life lessons about aging

MPR News: "Two-thirds of Minnesota counties have populations older than the national average. It is a trend that has broad implications for everything from the state's budget to health care.Molly McMahon, a designer for Mayo Clinic's Center for Innovation, wants to know how aging changes a person's life."

Romney to stump in Fargo
Grand Forks Herald: "Vibrant growth and the nation's lowest unemployment rate have made North Dakota the beacon in a country still recovering from a crippling recession." Gingrich is the only GOP candidate who hasn't visited the state. North Dakota's GOP caucus is non-binding. Here's a look at the Super Tuesday nomination contests from Real Clear Politics.

Fairmont officials look for efficiencies
Fairmont Sentinel: "City, county and school officials gathered Wednesday to discuss ways they can share services and save money.Turns out they're already sharing more services than most people probably realize."

With budget surplus in hand, Dayton wants session to focus on jobs

MPR News: "With the state budget appearing to be on track, Gov. Mark Dayton and GOP legislative leaders say they want to focus the rest of the legislative session on jobs." Politics in Minnesota: "The budget surplus can largely be attributed to a $230 million decrease in spending, mostly due to lower-than-anticipated enrollment in the state's early Medical Assistance expansion provided under the federal health law for single adults." MPR News: "The outlook for Minnesota's economy remains positive but not great." Duluth News Tribune: "Even without big bucks, policymakers were happy that they are not facing a deficit, as they did last year when they were forced to plug a $5 billion hole in the state budget."

Job challenge: Grow more entrepreneurs

Ground Level: "Cities and counties in Minnesota are doing what they can these days to encourage entrepreneurism. Especially in rural areas, small startups are viewed as the best hope for economic growth in a sluggish economy that may keep bigger, established companies from building a new plant or opening a new office. The goal is to nurture existing and would-be businesspeople at home rather than looking outside for jobs, often a futile endeavor. Fostering that entrepreneurial spirit can be difficult. A January report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, in fact, suggested that self-employment in the region has declined since the start of the recession.

Minnesota House passes bills beefing up prosecutor protection
Pioneer Press: One bill "would lift an existing restriction banning county attorneys and assistant county attorneys from carrying firearms while on the job. They still would have to go through the same process of getting permits to carry as any other Minnesotan."

PolyMet plans to turn farmland into wetlands
Statewide: "PolyMet Mining Corp. has announced plans to restore farmland in Minnesota to wetlands. Environmentalists caution that not all wetlands are created equal."

Moratorium: Fillmore County will take up to one year to study silica sand mining concerns
Bluff County News: "Fillmore County joined the list of those in southeastern Minnesota with moratoriums on silica sand mining issues."

Mining program could come back to U
MN Daily: Rep. Tom Rukavina DFL-Virginia "introduced the bill to bring mining back to the University and to prepare Minnesota students for mining engineering jobs -- a sector with employment opportunities on the rise."

NCAA: Don't bring Fighting Sioux name to playoffs
AP: "University of North Dakota teams risk forfeiting any post-season games if their teams, cheerleaders or band wear or display the school's Fighting Sioux nickname and American Indian head logo, an NCAA official said Wednesday."

Snow day fun in Duluth

News Cut: "During the spring flooding in the Red River Valley last year, I was taken with the people who went water skiing in the roadside ditches.It's only fair, then, that we give equal time to the other side of the state and a different season. Today in Duluth, someone went skiing behind a Jeep." The Duluth News Tribune has a couple of videos from around the city that captures the storm .

By the numbers
Rank of Minnesota in a national well-being survey: 3
Pioneer Press: "When it comes to well-being, we're No. 3.So says something called the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, a massive national survey on health, happiness and quality of life that ranked Minnesota as the third-best state in the country." North Dakota leads Minnesota, Hawaii tops the list.

Sand mining moratoriums expand, winter wallop, rosy budget forecast

Posted at 8:00 AM on February 29, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Fillmore, Houston counties OK yearlong sand mining moratoriums
Winona Daily News: "Houston and Fillmore counties both passed yearlong frac sand moratoriums Tuesday, adding their names to a growing list of area counties seeking time to study the issues that surround the booming mining industry."

Leap Day Storm
Northland watches a winter wallop
Duluth News Tribune: "It's official: Duluth will not break its record for the least snowy winter on record. Now that we have that out of the way, we can sit back and enjoy the biggest snowstorm in more than two years."
DNT: Closings around the Arrowhead

No travel advised north of St. Cloud
St Cloud Times: "The Minnesota Department of Transportation has issued a no travel advisory for U.S Highway 10 north of St. Cloud.Travel is difficult because of heavy and blowing snow and lack of visibility."
Big Story Blog tracks the weather all day.

Forum editorial: This storm is not off the charts
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: Conversation overheard among newcomers spending their first winter in Fargo-Moorhead: "This is the 'toughest weather' place in the nation? I don't see it. Hasn't been all that cold, not much snow. I don't see it." Well, today first-winter residents can "see it."

Also on MN Today
Rosy budget forecast doesn't solve everything
Star Tribune: "State leaders who spent years draining reserves and borrowing money to patch up leaky budgets will get a sober reminder Wednesday that it will take years before the state's finances fully recover. The strengthening economy has many legislators feeling upbeat before the state economic forecast is released Wednesday, but it's tempered by the knowledge any new surplus must immediately go to restore budget reserves and repay money owed to public schools."

Job challenge: Grow more entrepreneurs
Ground Level: "Cities and counties in Minnesota are doing what they can these days to encourage entrepreneurism. Especially in rural areas, small startups are viewed as the best hope for economic growth in a sluggish economy that may keep bigger, established companies from building a new plant or opening a new office."

Minnesota, Wisconsin close to restoring tax reciprocity deal
Winona Daily News: "Lawmakers and state officials in Minnesota and Wisconsin are close to finalizing an agreement that would allow residents who live in one state and work in the other to file just one income tax return beginning next year."

MPCA rules to cut haze in BWCA, Voyageurs Nat'l Park
MPR News: "The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is working on rules aimed at reducing haze in Voyageurs National Park, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, and Isle Royale."

Do bike paths promote bike riding?
The Atlantic: "A recent study of Seattle residents found that those living near bike paths had an increased likelihood of riding, but saw no effect for bike lanes. Then again, a study in Minneapolis reached the opposite conclusion."

Stillwater bridge plan faces hurdle in the House

The U.S. House is expected to debate today and vote Thursday on a bill to allow a new $700 million, freeway-style bridge across the St. Croix River. Both the bill's sponsor, Republican Michele Bachmann, and its biggest opponent, Democrat Betty McCollum, are part of a lobbying effort to sway the final outcome, which could end decades of debate over what to do about the aging Stillwater Bridge."
KARE11 counts Minn. lawmaker votes.

Op-ed: The truth about sulfide mining
Greg Seitz: "We have heard a lot from PolyMet, Twin Metals and other companies proposing this new form of mining in our state that they will practice 'environmentally safe mining,' but they have not presented a single piece of evidence to back that claim up."

Radinovich runs for 10B seat
Brainerd Dispatch: "Radinovich, 25, said he would emphasize jobs, education and care for seniors. He said he would work to fix Minnesota's budget rather than relying on accounting gimmicks that deny school districts adequate funding while cutting local government aid and increasing property taxes."

Council wants to consider domestic partnership registry
Northfield News: "A municipal ordinance registry is the only government-issued documentation same-sex couples can access in the state, according to Outfront Minnesota.Currently, nearly 20 Minnesota cities offer domestic partnership registries."

Brainerd High School dance cut short after complaints of "grinding" on the dance floor
Brainerd Dispatch: "BHS Principal Andrea Rusk. Rusk said the small group of about 20 students was acting inappropriately, such as "grinding" on the dance floor and being disrespectful. Rusk said when a song came on that the group of students didn't like, they sat down on the floor."

By the numbers
Amount of tax on a meal in Minneapolis: 10.775%
That includes state/city sales taxes and a downtown restaurant tax. The Star Tribune reports on a study that finds it is the highest in the nation.

Restricting abortions, ending hockey fights, preparing for ice-out

Posted at 7:45 AM on February 28, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Minnesota anglers begin removing ice houses
WDAY: "Anglers in Lakes Country today are heeding the forecast of nasty weather on the way. Minnesota requires ice houses be removed within the week, and with both snow and wind on the way, waiting may be an unwelcome way to end the season."

With oversupply and slowing demand, ethanol industry lurches in wake of lost subsidy

MPR News: "After predicting they would survive the end of a major federal subsidy without problems, it looks like officials at the nation's ethanol producers may have been too optimistic."

Two bills increase abortion regulation
Pioneer Press: "It takes aim at a videoconferencing program instituted last year by the local branch of Planned Parenthood that's intended to give patients in rural parts of southern Minnesota easier access to medication abortions."

St. Croix bridge bill likely to get House vote this week
Capitol View: "Long-delayed legislation to authorize a new, highway-style bridge to take the place of an aging river crossing in Stillwater could receive a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives as soon as Wednesday."

Plan closes tax loopholes, gives schools $2B
Pioneer Press: "Two DFL state lawmakers on Monday announced a plan to close corporate tax loopholes to pay back the $2.2 billion Minnesota owes schools."

Lawmakers weigh compromises on voter ID bill

MPR News: "A bipartisan bill to protect the integrity of Minnesota's elections would create a new voter verification system without requiring photo identification cards or changing the state constitution. Republican lawmakers are weighing the compromise to address criticism of the proposed constitutional amendment that would allow voters to decide if Minnesotans should show a photo ID at the polls. Legislators also are uncertain about the makeup of the next Legislature, which would have to fill in the details should voters approve the amendment."

What info is on my license's magnetic strip?
WCCO: "'Everything that's on the front, except the picture, is on the magnetic strip,' said Bruce Gordon, director of communications for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety."

Junior hockey on cusp of a revolution: trying to stop fighting
New York Times: "The increased recognition of the long-term dangers of brain trauma, across all sports, has forced hockey's leaders to consider ways to reduce blows to the head."

U.S. Supreme Court won't get involved in Asian carp fight
Chicago Tribune: "The U.S. Supreme Court announced today it would not take up Michigan's case against the Army Corps of Engineers to try to stop Asian carp from entering the Great Lakes."

'Unity Rally' to be held in Duluth
WDIO: Area groups and individuals "have signed a letter, pledging to stay away from the 'Supreme White Alliance' rally on Saturday. They said the discriminatory groups thrive on publicity and conflict. To keep that to a minimum, they're asking other community members to stay away."

Moorhead schools to get assistant principals
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "The new positions, expected to cost $300,000 to $325,000 altogether, will help Moorhead schools meet two mandates from the 2011 Legislature."

GOP US House members in Super Tuesday states withholding endorsements
Smart Politics: "Republican U.S. Representatives from Super Tuesday states have endorsed presidential candidates at half the rate (27 percent) of pre-Super Tuesday states (53 percent)."

Unions unhappy with proposed changes to City of Duluth hiring process
Northland News: "Unions working with the City have come out in opposition to the proposed changes saying they go above and beyond streamlining the hiring process and, in turn, weaken the system and cut down transparency."

Bemidji angler's catch: a rod, walleye and eelpout

Posted at 1:02 PM on February 24, 2012 by Tom Robertson (1 Comments)
Filed under: Around MN, Northwest Minnesota, Outdoors, Sports & Recreation

Bemidji Pioneer Photo/Monte Draper

A Bemidji man pulled up the catch of a lifetime on Wednesday while ice fishing on Lake Bemidji.

After setting the hook on a bite, veteran angler Burnie Trepanier pulled from the ice hole a 28-inch walleye, an eelpout and a winter fishing rod and reel -- all at once.

Trepanier told The Bemidji Pioneer that as he was pulling the catch up, he initially thought he might have hooked a giant northern pike or a big muskie.

But after a long battle, the first thing he pulled out of the hole was a rod and reel tangled in his line. Next came the walleye and a tangle of braided line.

"And then up came about a 6-pound eelpout. I couldn't believe my eyes," Trepanier told the newspaper.

What's unclear are the chronicle of events that led to the strange catch. Trepanier theorizes that someone lost the rod and reel after a walleye bit on the line. He thinks the eelpout bit on his sucker minnow and then got tangled in the line and the fishing pole.

Trepanier says there's no way to know how long the walleye had been dragging the pole on the lake bottom. The hook was rusted and the jig was faded, but the fishing pole and reel were in good shape.

Trepanier says he plans to have the rod, reel and the two fish mounted.

When a tent becomes a castle, eagles vs turbines, problems with marriage

Posted at 7:25 AM on February 24, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Senate passes bill that expands use of deadly force

MPR News: "A bill that would allow citizens more freedom to use deadly force is now on a fast track to Gov. Mark Dayton. The Senate passed the bill Thursday with bipartisan support in a 40-23 vote after heated debate. The bill gives gun owners significantly more latitude to use deadly force for self defense. The bill creates a presumption that anyone who uses deadly force while in a home or dwelling does so believing themselves in danger of harm or death. It expands the definition of dwelling to also mean a hotel room, tent, car or boat. Dayton has not said if he will veto the bill, but was concerned with police opposition."
The Uptake: Police opposition to Minn gun bill doesn't worry author

Controversial Goodhue wind farm environmental impact plan rejected
MPR News: "The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission rejected a developer's plan to protect eagles and other wildlife that might be harmed by a controversial wind farm project in the southeastern region of the state."
Pioneer Press: Concern over migrating eagles may kill Goodhue windmill project

Racial disparity runs deep
Duluth News Tribune: "Racial disparity is broad, systemic, historic and persistent in Duluth, but an array of efforts are under way to bring more equity to people of color."

Charter school segregation target of new U of M report
Huffington Post: "Charter schools often promise to bring greater equity to education, but a new brief starts with the assumption that they fall short in delivery -- and provides recommendations to fix the alleged injustice."

Sales increase, but Hormel's first quarter earnings drop 14%
Austin Daily Herald: "The company reported fiscal 2012 first quarter net earnings of $128.4 million, down 14 percent from earnings of $148.8 million a year earlier. Sales totaled $2.04 billion, which was up 6 percent from fiscal 2011."

Superior's arch could make comeback
Superior Telegram: "A century ago, an arch honoring local Civil War veterans stood 90 feet above Tower Avenue and Broadway Street. Built in 1900, a decorative arch with four gracefully curved steel shafts and an ornate top was placed at the corner to welcome members of the Grand Army of the Republic to the city."

Redistricting fallout continues
Capitol View: "The biggest question is what GOP House Majority Leader Matt Dean intends to do. Dean has been paired with Rep. Carol McFarlane, R-White Bear Lake. McFarlane told MPR News that she's not sure whether she's going to run again."

St. Paul downtown ballpark pitch gets warm reception at legislature
MinnPost: "The contrasts between the push for a new baseball park for downtown St. Paul and a Vikings stadium couldn't be greater."

Kids on Field Trip Find Body in Eden Prairie Park
Fox9: "A group of Oak Grove Middle school students stumbled across a dead man with a gunshot wound to his head on a Thursday field trip in Eden Prairie, Minn."

Op-Ed
Robert Franklin: Straight talk about the marriage commitment

Today, as 29 years ago, it isn't gays and lesbians who threaten marriage as an institution.

Look at the statistics: Half of U.S. marriages end in divorce. About 40 percent of children are born outside of marriage, more than half among mothers under 30.

For the first time, the 2010 census found that fewer than half of U.S. households include a married couple. About 7.5 million opposite-gender couples live together unwed, up 50 percent in a decade.

The focus on defining marriage in the face of all this suggests that the constitutional amendment isn't so much about preserving the institution as it is a revolt against a growing acceptance of gays and lesbians in American culture (and, cynics might say, about getting out the social-conservative vote).

It's like: "The house is on fire! Call an architect!" (Star Tribune)

Voter ID advances while alternative considered, state budget a drag on Moorhead

Posted at 7:30 AM on February 23, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Voter ID
Minn. Senate committee passes photo ID for voting
AP: "A state Senate committee has approved a constitutional amendment asking Minnesotans to decide whether voting should require a photo ID despite objections from Secretary of State Mark Ritchie that it will be difficult to implement and increase federal government oversight of the state's elections."

Secretary of State Mark Ritchie offers Voter ID alternative: electronic poll books
MinnPost: "Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie has proposed an alternative to the Voter ID plan now being considered by Republicans in the Legislature."

Wisconsin man refuses to vote after finding veteran's ID no good at polls
Journal Times: "A local man wasn't allowed to use his veteran's card to vote in Tuesday's primary and he's pretty steamed about it."

Editorial: A voting solution in search of a problem
Star Tribune: "Don't enshrine major election change in state Constitution."

Op-Ed: Voter ID opponents try, try again
Jeff Davis: "At almost every turn their objections have been disproved, yet they persist."

The Rochester Post Bulletin hedges in its editorial on Voter ID.

League of Women Voters releases a documentary on Voter ID.

Related
KAALTV: Winona State holds Voter ID forum

Redistricting and Election 2012
Court map more competitive than partisan maps
MinnPost: "Incumbents will have to fight to save dozens of legislative seats. Mike Dean, executive director of Common Cause Minnesota, calculates that the new district boundaries set the scene for competitive races in at least 51 House seats and 26 seats on the Senate side."

Martin announces for House District 10A seat
Brainerd Dispatch: "Hours after new political lines were drawn, Kurt Martin, the 54-year-old owner of a Brainerd technology company, announced his candidacy for the House District 10A seat which would represent much of western Crow Wing County. He'll seek the endorsement of House District 10A Republicans."

Also on MN Today
MN Today contributor Don Reeder writes: "Residents worry the state's budget deficits would eventually have a negative impact on local school funding and taxes."
Moorhead council aims to attract more residents to city
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "We're a better town. I believe that. I'm not going to back down from Fargo. We're the best town in the metro," Councilman Mark Altenburg said Tuesday. "We've got better schools, we've got better community, and we're 20 years ahead in terms of flood protection."

Minnesota teachers must prove they can do the math
Star Tribune: "Dayton signs bill requiring instructors to pass a basic skills test to get licenses."

Duluth peace activists urge public to ignore white supremacy group's planned rally
Duluth News Tribune: "Local peace activists are urging the public to completely ignore next week's visit by the Supreme White Alliance."

Report affirms lifesaving role of colonoscopy
New York Times: "This study puts that argument to rest," said Dr. David A. Rothenberger, a professor and deputy chairman of surgery at the University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center. He was not part of the study."

Twin Cities banks getting better, Fed says
Pioneer Press: "Minnesota's community banks are in significantly better shape than they were a year ago but they still have a long way to go to get back to the profitability they saw in the last decade, the Minneapolis Fed's Ron Feldman said Wednesday at a media briefing."

T-Mobile urges U.S. to block Verizon's spectrum purchase
New York Times: "These joint-marketing agreements will turn these rival companies into partners, rather than competitors," Senator Al Franken, Democrat of Minnesota, wrote in a letter to the commission this month. "I fear this will ultimately mean less competition, less choice, and higher prices for consumers."

Racists to rally in Duluth, redistricting reverberations, small town rhymes

Posted at 7:43 AM on February 22, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

White supremacy group plans Duluth rally
Duluth News Tribune: "The white unity rally will be held at the Duluth Civic Center and could last up to three hours, a local organizer said."

Redistricting
New political boundaries drawn for Minnesota
MPR News: "New congressional districts released today by a special court panel put DFL Rep. Betty McCollum and Republican Rep. Michele Bachmann in the same district. Along with the congressional map, the panel released the new political boundaries the Minnesota Legislature."

Michele Bachmann catches break in Minnesota congressional map
Politico: "Bachmann, a third-term congresswoman who waged an unsuccessful bid for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination, will run in a Republican-friendly district in the suburban Twin Cities area that will actually be slightly safer for her than her current one."

Subtle changes in the 1st and 2nd Districts
Pioneer Press: "The south suburban 2nd District will shift southeasterly. ... The 1st District, meanwhile, will still run across southern Minnesota, though it will lose Wabasha County and two counties and part of a third in the southwest to the 7th District covering western Minnesota."

New boundaries create open seats in Central Minnesota
Saint Cloud Times: "A state judicial panel released the new boundaries as part of the once-a-decade redistricting process, creating several new Central Minnesota legislative districts without an incumbent lawmaker residing in them."

Editorial: Credit judges for fair representation
Star Tribune: "Minnesota should give them a permanent role in redistricting."

Range retains similar legislative delegation
Minnesota Brown: "The 8th CD is largely unchanged, with Rep. Chip Cravaack still here. Iron Range and Duluth legislative incumbents are largely protected, though the orientation moves west (not south as I had suspected). Rep. Carly Melin absorbs a lot of Itasca County precincts."

Ripple In Stillwater: Redistricting poses tough choices for Bachmann's political future
Ripple In Stillwater: "In a fundraising email to supporters ... Bachmann charged the five-judge redistricting panel responsible for the 'injustice' of placing her in the same district as DFL Congresswoman Betty McCollum with 'liberal bias.'"

Redistricting data show a rise in minority populations throughout Minnesota
MNpublius: "The Census, of course, doesn't tell us anything about political affiliations. But there are certain proxies we can use. For example, minority groups tend to lean heavily toward the DFL."

Cloquet area residents plan rally to highlight Cravaack's absence from 8th District
Pine Journal: "As new redistricting maps are made public in Minnesota on Tuesday, a group of Cloquet area residents will be bringing attention to the fact that no matter how the lines are drawn, Rep. Chip Cravaack does not live in Minnesota's 8th District."

Also making news
Foley revives police department, appoints interim chief
Saint Cloud Times: "City Council members voted to re-establish the Foley's police department Tuesday by a vote of 4-1.Mayor Gary Gruba voted against the motion."

NikeeJS raps in praise of small town life

MPR News: "When the rapper Nikee JS started recording rhymes at 14, his lyrics relied mostly on beamers and bling. But 12 years later, he's flipped the script. Instead of rapping of fast cars, flashy jewelry and champagne, Nikee JS now draws inspiration from the cornfields of his native Jackson. He aims to bring a small-town sensibility to the rap scene."

Minn. Congressional Districts redrawn

Posted at 1:20 PM on February 21, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Fighting Sioux nickname lingers, redistricting maps out today

Posted at 7:30 AM on February 21, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Fighting Sioux

UND Fighting Sioux nickname battle refuses to die

The controversy over the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux nickname refuses to die. You almost need a scorecard to keep track of the twists and turns in the nickname saga. Lawsuits have been filed, laws passed, laws repealed, the nickname's been retired, it's been reinstated -- all because nickname supporters refuse to give up."

UMD fans again warned over 'offensive' chants
Duluth News Tribune: "For the second time in three years, fans' chants at Bulldog hockey games draw complaints. This time, North Dakota players are targeted."

Redistricting
New battle lines: Minnesota political redistricting maps out Tuesday
Pioneer Press: "The new lines, which will reflect population changes over the past decade, are almost certain to create several districts that have two or more incumbent lawmakers and others with none."

Bachmann to run, regardless of map
Star Tribune: "She said any boundary changes - which can broadly reshape the political landscape - won't affect her plans."

Will new redistricting map bring Minnesota more competitive US House Races?
Smart Politics: "History says no: Gopher State elections in redistricting years ending in '2' have been the second least competitive, behind only years ending in '6'"

The Daily Circuit takes up redistricting at 9:12am this morning.

The Big Story Blog follows the story all day and explains the implications of the maps that are expected to be released this afternoon.

Also on MN Today
Fatal crashes near Alexandria
Alexandria Echo Press: "In the space of three hours, five lives were lost in two separate crashes near Alexandria today."
Alexandria Echo Press: Victims names released

Bachmann wants Medicaid rates to get closer scrutiny
Pioneer Press: "Following word last week of a federal investigation into how Minnesota finances its public health insurance programs, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann said Monday that more audits might be needed for the Medicaid program."

Stillwater-based political blogger keeps ire stoked
Star Tribune: "From the ashes of a house fire several years ago that destroyed most everything he owned, Karl Bremer saved a flame-licked carbon copy of a letter he wrote in August 1974 to Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey."

Bremer's most recent post takes a look at a favorite topic of his, the Stillwater Bridge.
More truth, less 'truthiness' needed in St. Croix River Boondoggle Bridge debate
Ripple In Stillwater: "One would expect a certain amount of truthiness from lobbyists for this boondoggle. But members of Congress--specifically Michele Bachmann and her Wisconsin colleagues--now have employed the tactic in an effort to railroad a House vote through as a 'noncontroversial' measure."

Ron Paul: Don't tell farmers what to raise, sell
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, continued his push for the Republican presidential nomination on Monday when he spoke to voters here."

Priest's suicide saddens Fargo diocese
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "The Fargo Catholic Diocese is reeling from the apparent suicide of a 45-year-old priest on Valentine's Day in the rectory of Nativity Catholic Church."

Northern lights dance across the Northland sky (with video)
Duluth News Tribune: "The northern lights put on quite a show over the Northland from Saturday night into early Sunday morning."

Oil field danger, human trafficking in Minn., Bong's tale takes flight

Posted at 7:09 AM on February 17, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Widow of oil worker hopes others won't take decision to work in oil fields lightly
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Cathy Ries has some blunt advice for anyone thinking of going to North Dakota's oil fields to make extra money: 'Don't.'"

Minnesota: A human trafficking battleground
KARE11: "The FBI ranks Minnesota as the nation's 13th largest center for human trafficking of children."

Minnesota House passes bill stripping seniority as key factor in teacher layoffs
Pioneer Press: "Proponents of basing teacher layoffs on performance rather than seniority got a big victory Thursday, with the Republican-led Minnesota House passing a bill that would end the practice of using experience as the deciding factor when schools have to let teachers go."

Chairwoman says Fond du Lac Band made 'great inroads' in 2011
Duluth News Tribune: "The year 2011 was a successful one for the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa on economic, community and cultural fronts, Chairwoman Karen Diver said Thursday, hours before delivering her annual State of the Band address."

McCollum grills Salazar on St. Croix River crossing
Hot Dish Politics: "U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, who has been swimming upstream to stop a $700 million 'mega' bridge across the St. Croix River, took her fight Thursday to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, where she got a chance to cross-examine Interior Secretary Ken Salazar."

Fishing for eelpout continues to grow in popularity
Bemidji Pioneer: "The ice conditions are good on most lakes in the Bemidji area. Temperatures were near or above freezing during the day most of the week but the temperatures were cold enough overnight to re-freeze any melting on the lakes."

Bong's tale takes flight
Superior Telegram: "The story of America's Ace of Aces, Maj. Richard I. Bong, was more than a decade in the making."

CEC closes out alpine, Nordic ski seasons
Pine Journal: Esko's trio of downhill speedsters turned in a respectable finish for Cloquet-Esko-Carlton at the 2012 Minnesota state Alpine ski meet Wednesday afternoon at Giants Ridge in Biwabik, Minn."

Washington County Fair owes $120,000 for back taxes
Pioneer Press: "The fair paid sales taxes until 2002, said Dan Dolan, who has been president of the Washington County Agricultural Society since 2006. At some point before the 2002 event, fair officials were told they no longer needed to pay them, he said."

Happenings: Anti-valentines, Land by Hand, Still Life with Iris

Posted at 2:03 PM on February 16, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

By Elisabeth Pedersen, contributor, MN Today

Keeping the love alive in Minnesota
Valentines day may be over, but this weekend presents many opportunities to celebrate, or in some cases, to "anti-celebrate."

On Friday, February 17th at 10:00, Tycoons Alehouse will be celebrating the 8th annual Anti Valentines show.

This event is 21+, and it ideal for individuals who prefer beer to chocolate. Duluth Tycoons states how they "proudly pour award-winning Fitger's Brewhouse Beer from a fully stocked bar." This celebration is also in recognition of Duluth's weekly magazine for "art, music, and swearing," Transistor.

Transistor plays a crucial role in Duluth's arts and culture scene by providing a weekly calendar, quirky comics, and sarcasm. The Anti-Valentines show will feature performances by local groups Crew Jones, and the Uptown Boys.

Land by Hand: Fiber Artists Explore Place opens in Mankato tonight that will be featuring original work by Minnesotan artists.
- Image credit: Jill Lynn
The themes of this show are natural landscapes, and historical traditions. The artists in this show demonstrate their work in various media with an emphasis on fiber art. Each piece of work is unique to the artist, but they also reflect a larger sense of the environment that surrounds us. The landscape of Minnesota is inspirational in various aspects, and this show allows the opportunity to view the diverse perspectives that each artist has of their surroundings. This event supports Minnesotan artist, and upholds artistic traditions as a way to provide a sense of community and culture. The show opens Thursday, February 16th and goes from 12:00p.m. until 4:00p.m. and will remain on display through March 28th, 2012.

Yellowtree Theatre, located in Osseo is a place "where good stories live," and this weekend the stage lights will warm Still Life with Iris a play written by Steven Dietz.

Yellowtree Theatre explains, "set in the magical land of Nocturno, Still Life with Iris is a fantastical adventure chronicling a little girl's search for the simplest of things: home." It is an educational, entertaining, and inspiring play that involves Poe's literary figure Annabell Lee, and the iconic Mozart as companions in Iris's adventures and trials. It is an excellent play for the young, and the young at heart. Yellowtree Theatre is an exceptional venue that can be seen in the aesthetic quality of the venue itself, as well as the brilliant performances they put on with each show.

Santorum finds friends in Fargo, Chippewa band settle dispute from 1800s

Posted at 7:30 AM on February 16, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Different approach, same message from Gov. Dayton: Work together
Bemidji Pioneer: "Gov. Mark Dayton took a kinder, gentler approach in his Wednesday night State of the State speech, but his message still was the same as in recent public comments when he harshly criticized Republicans." MPR News: "In a speech that was part conciliatory and part confrontational, Gov. Mark Dayton outlined his priorities for the legislative session, and politely asked legislative leaders to pass his job creation plans." Star Tribune: "The DFL governor, who just last week called Republican leaders "too extreme to lead," asked them to pass his bonding bill, vote on a Minnesota Vikings football stadium and vacate the State Capitol for several years to accomplish a major overhaul of the aging structure." MPR News live blog coverage of DFL Gov. Mark Dayton's State of the State address.

Santorum goes after Obama in Fargo, N.D.
MPR News: "Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum drew a crowd of hundreds at a campaign stop in Fargo, N.D. Wednesday evening." Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Candidate holds up Sioux jersey and says 'I sort of like that logo.'" Santorum releases federal tax returns showing rise in wealth in 3 of 4 years AP: "Santorum, 53, has sold himself in the Republican primaries as both a Washington outsider and a social conservative, stressing his family's coal-mining background and his appeal to religious and working-class voters. His personal finances tell a different story."

Six Chippewa bands to split $28 million federal payout
Duluth News Tribune: "Congress moves to settle an 1800s land transaction that took timber and farm land from Chippewa reservations."

Potter, Pottinger lead women's division at national curling tournament
Bemidji Pioneer: "The Cassie Potter and Allison Pottinger rinks share first place heading into Wednesday's action at the National curling tournament as each team owns a 6-1 record."

Whooping cough cases cause one Northland school district to cancel classes
Duluth News Tribune: "After enduring absentee rates of 25 percent to almost 33 percent for days, the South Shore school district administrator decided it was time to close down for a few days. The culprit, Clendon Gustafson said: whooping cough."

MN Voter Photo ID Passes In Senate Committee
UpTake: "A Republican backed Minnesota constitutional amendment passed in its first Senate committee vote today. The amendment would require a photo ID to vote in a Minnesota election."

Politics, cost derail sex offender policy overhaul
Politics in Minnesota: "Key Republican legislative leaders hoped to push fundamental changes, but that now looks unlikely."

Sen. Paul stalls Klobuchar bill on synthetic drugs
Star Tribune: "A broadly popular bill by Minnesota Democrat Amy Klobuchar to outlaw synthetic recreational drugs across the nation has run into an increasingly common obstacle in the U.S. Senate: the objection of a single senator."

Moorhead City Council member says city should step in on Bluestem
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "In hopes of pushing for more events there, a Moorhead council member wants the city to join talks between the Fargo School District and Bluestem Center for the Arts to fix the finances of the performing arts facility in south Moorhead." The Mayor says city "has no place in discussion."

Ron Paul to visit North Dakota this week
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "A second Republican presidential hopeful will be visiting North Dakota this week.Ron Paul will be visiting Williston on Sunday, according to North Dakota Policy Council Director Brett Narloch."

Field of study: Twins continue to analyze Target Field's dimensions
Star Tribune: "The Twins haven't been afraid to tinker with Target Field during its infancy. After the inaugural 2010 season, the club removed the black spruce trees from behind the center-field fence and hung black mesh off the batter's eye behind the bullpens to improve the hitting background."

Mayo loses whistleblower case, frac sand road repairs, income disparity

Posted at 7:49 AM on February 15, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Dayton going for hopeful in State of the State address
Pioneer Press: "Gov. Mark Dayton will emphasize making Minnesota a better place to live by creating jobs, using education as a workforce development tool and making government more efficient in his second State of the State address today."
Follow the Big Story Blog today for coverage throughout the day and instant analysis as the speech begins at 7:00pm. MPR News will carry the address live on-air and online.
Today's Question: In your view, what's the state of the state?

Whistleblower wins case against Mayo Clinic
Rochester Post Bulletin: "The U.S. Department of Labor has found that Mayo Clinic discriminated against a Rochester employee who made legally protected safety complaints."

Who pays for road damage from frac sand trucks?
Winona Daily News: "Commissioners agreed that relying on the state's aggregate tax isn't viable -- county projections show it would not generate enough money to cover the significant repairs expected. Commissioners instead began to look at a road use agreement, which would require mining companies to pay to upgrade the roads their trucks use."

Minnesota GOP wants to phase out statewide business property tax
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "A Minnesota Republican tax priority is lowering and eventually eliminating a statewide property tax on businesses, but Democrats say they are funding the tax cut with money from poor, disabled and elderly renters."

Data: Examining income trends around Minnesota
MinnPost: "It turns out that incomes across Minnesota vary greatly, but there are some definite patterns in the variation."

NCAA imposes sanctions on WSU basketball
Winona Daily News: "The NSIC plans to nullify the Winona State University men's basketball team's first 13 conference games of the season after discovering that Grant Johnson was ineligible to play. The ruling means WSU's hopes to host the regional playoff tournament are now in serious doubt, though the Warriors, currently ranked third in the country for Division II, will still likely make it to the postseason."

Tenacious local group wants new route for CapX 2020
Saint Cloud Times: "When Xcel Energy wouldn't take the landowners' proposed route change to the state Public Utilities Commission because it didn't have unanimous landowner support, the E-5 landowners took the rare action of taking it to the commission themselves."

Battle is on over 2.5 million acres of school trust land in northern Minnesota
Duluth News Tribune: "Natural vs. economic resources is at the center of the debate over control of Minnesota's 150-year-old school trust land."

Minnesota Vikings commit to staying for 2012 season
Pioneer Press: "The Minnesota Vikings on Tuesday cemented their intent to remain in Minnesota by announcing they will not file a league-required 'intent to relocate' by today's deadline."

Occupy movement plans Midwest regional gathering
AP: "Organizers of Occupy protests around the Midwest will gather next month in St. Louis, pledging to emerge from a "winter lull" as a bigger and stronger force. Occupy Midwest Regional Conference will start with a gathering at 7 p.m. March 15 beneath the Gateway Arch, organizer Chuck Witthaus said Tuesday. A mass occupation will continue through March 18, but not on the Arch grounds. Organizers aren't disclosing the location."

Decision time for researchers of deadly bird flu
Reuters: "Michael Osterholm, policy director at the Minnesota Center of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance and an NSABB member, has limited hope for what one meeting can achieve. 'Nothing will be solved in one meeting,' he said. 'This is a complicated issue that requires a great deal of international input. It is not a simple yes or no ... We have no margin for error here.'"

The new MinnPost is here
A redesigned MinnPost is now live. They're now using an open source platform, Drupal, to publish online content.

Minnesota Scenes

"Captured at sunrise on a -2F morning along Lake Superior just south of Grand Portage, MN. I'd seen several images made of this location before, but wanted to create a unique perspective. Putting on my insulated hip waders I waded out into the frigid water with my tripod, knowing that once I pulled it from the water it would freeze up instantly. Just as I found the composition that felt right the sun began rising behind the clouds of fog that had been created during the frigid night. I continued shooting until my toes could take no more, then waded back out, with water instantly freezing the bottom of my boots to the first dry pebbles along the shoreline" -- Ryan Tischer © 2012 - All Rights Reserved.
View more photos

Legacy fund water studies reveal early findings, protesters block mining trucks, budget crunch

Posted at 8:00 AM on February 14, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Photo by Blue Corgi via Flickr
Study: Minn. groundwater contamination levels low, but chemical health risks unknown

MPR News: "A new study finds Minnesota groundwater is contaminated with low levels of chemicals, but the chemicals are not as widespread in groundwater as they are in lakes and streams. This is the first study to examine groundwater across the state for "chemicals of emerging concern." Researchers tested 40 shallow wells around the state for 92 contaminants. They found 20 different contaminants. One or more chemicals were found in about one-third of the sampled wells. Minnesota Pollution Control Agency scientist Sharon Kroening said the chemicals come from products like plastics, medications, detergents, insect repellents and fire retardants."

MPR News: "A new report is giving Minnesotans a first look at how their tax dollars are helping improve water quality in the state. The six state agencies receiving Legacy Amendment money for clean water projects reported their progress in some of the 18 different categories, including mercury in fish and phosphorus discharges from wastewater treatment plants. But for many of the categories, it's too early to know whether progress is being made."

Take a deeper look at Minnesota's ground water with MPR's Ground Level.

Minnesota's black middle class is shrinking

MPR News: "Erica Kantola considers herself part of the middle class, even though she has a modest income.But for Kantola, an enrollment services specialist at Inver Hills Community College in the Twin Cities, her status has less to do with how much money she makes than what she can do with it."

In Minnesota, health care, farmers may feel budget squeeze
Star Tribune: "Budget proposals would reach all walks of life."

Political rhetoric, state and federal budgets will impact residents
Faribault Daily News: "Political negotiations, state of state addresses, presidential budgets and bonding bills -- what does all the rhetoric mean to a factory worker in Faribault? In pure dollars, a lot."

Protesters block mining trucks in Winona

KARE11: "In the heart of downtown Winona, there is an explosive issue brewing underground, and above it.Monday afternoon, dozens of protesters blocked trucks carrying specialized sand into a processing plant. The sand is used in the controversial practice of hydraulic fracturing or 'fracking.'"

Target: Paper no more?
Star Tribune: "Target's apparent penchant for plastic comes at a time when retailers are increasingly focusing on ways to reduce their environmental impact. The Retailers Industry Leaders Association, which last month elected Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel as its chairman, recently issued its first ever report on sustainability."

Duluth School Board considers range of possible budget cuts
Duluth News Tribune: "The School Board saw the first draft of possible cuts, generated by labor management groups and other staff, which will also be presented at community meetings this week where other ideas will be sought by the district."

Mayor Rybak: The best plan for Vikings, at the fairest cost
Star Tribune: "Minneapolis can do this using only taxes that are already collected."

Bon Iver wins at Grammys, legislating via amendment, Ron Paul's border strength

Posted at 7:30 AM on February 13, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Grammys 2012: Bon Iver thanks the 'talent that's not here'
LA Times: "The easygoing folk pop band Bon Iver was named best new artist, and the act's mastermind, Justin Vernon, used his time on the Grammy podium to thank 'all the non-nominees who never will be here.' While the likes of Kanye West have endorsed Bon Iver, the Midwestern act was competing against bigger names such as rapper Nicki Minaj and electronic sensation Skrillex. Like Arcade Fire's album of the year win last year, Bon Iver's nomination and win is a victory for the independent community."

Duluth News Tribune: "Michael Baker, a 1975 Duluth Central High School graduate who went on to become a drummer to some of pop's biggest stars and Whitney Houston's music director for two decades until her death Saturday, doesn't talk much about the adversity in her life. In an interview last May, he said simply that he'd 'seen it all' during every stage in her career. On Sunday, he again accentuated the positive and concentrated on the joy that Houston brought to millions, calling her a sweet person who brought beauty to the world. 'She was really, really a wonderful person,' Baker, who has a home in Woodbury, Minn., told the News Tribune in a phone interview from Los Angeles, where he arrived Sunday afternoon. 'I would just say that she was someone who brought something incredibly special to the world.'"

Dayton vetoes civil lawsuit bills, blasts GOP leadership
MPR News: DFL Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed the first bills sent to him this session on Thursday, and he used the occasion to blast Republican legislative leaders.

Legislators respond to property tax complaints
St Cloud Times: "Property owners are peeved about rising tax bills this year, rural lawmakers and a prominent business leader in Central Minnesota say. The blowback has at least two local legislators, Rep. Sondra Erickson, R-Princeton, and Sen. Dave Brown, R-Becker, rethinking the votes they cast last year."
More legislative news from MN Today

Schlienz admitted shooting, blamed it on courts
Duluth News Tribune: "In one of the first calls he made at the St. Louis County Jail, 42-year-old Daniel Schlienz explained to a friend in his hometown of Grand Marais why he shot Cook County Attorney Tim Scannell and Grand Marais resident Gregory Thompson on Dec. 15, blaming it on frustration with the court system."

January tax collections below forecast
Capitol View: "Minnesota Management and Budget says general fund revenues were $107 million below forecast in January. The agency says revenues are $45.5 million less than forecast for the fiscal year that runs from July 1 to June 30. The latest revenue forecast details the state's tax collections for the past month."

Proposed amendments to Minnesota's constitution carry GOP dreams
Forum Communications: "Minnesota Republicans look to the state Constitution as a way to enact some of their pet policy dreams. In some cases, the constitutional amendments are ways to get around Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton, who would not approve of their policy choices."

Warm winter extends ferry season between Bayfield and Madeline Island
Duluth News Tribune: "If a resident of Madeline Island wants to catch tonight's 7:30 showing of "Star Wars: Episode I" in 3-D at the theater in Ashland, they'll have to plan on a 15-hour commitment."

2012
Rick Santorum's plan to derail Mitt Romney
Politico: "Rick Santorum's campaign is eyeing a pair of swiftly approaching Midwestern primary states as its best -- and perhaps only -- opportunity to deal a mortal blow to Mitt Romney and permanently transform the Republican presidential race into a one-on-one duel to the finish."

O Canada: Ron Paul excels in northern border states
Smart Politics: "The vote for Paul is nearly double in states bordering Canada compared to the rest of the nation for both caucuses and primaries during the 2008 and 2012 election cycles."
More from the campaign trail from MN Today

Hot times in old Duluth this weekend

Posted at 10:00 AM on February 10, 2012 by Michael Olson (2 Comments)
Filed under: Around MN, Arts

By Elisabeth Pedersen

This weekend is an exceptionally lively time for the Duluth art scene which includes a musical opening, a CD release show, a diorama, and then some.

The much-anticipated opening of the Tony Award winning musical Spring Awakening opened on Thursday. The New York Times has called this musical "A groundbreaking jolt of genius." The Renegade Theater Company is holding it at Teatro Zuccone in Duluth. The concept of this musical developed from a controversial play written in the 1891 by Frank Wedekind, which portrays confusion and misunderstandings of adolescence. This play has recently been adapted into a rock n' roll musical that delves into the lives of teenagers who live in Germany during the late 19th century. It transports the audience to a time of tension and frustration that is not so distinct from our own era by exploring the ideas of desire, loss of innocence and idealism, and how to grow with strength in a world filled with harsh realities. The struggles with sexuality and morality that the adults and teenagers face in Spring Awakening brings perspective to the way we view ourselves, and the values within our own society.

Art Hounds also included Spring Awakening in their weekly arts review.

The annual Diorama-Rama always marks a motivating time of the year by inspiring anyone with a creative knack to try their hand in creating their very own diorama. This year it takes place tonight at Sacred Heart Music Center. It is an event that is stimulated solely on community support and efforts. Anyone can take place in it simply by making a diorama that includes anything their heart desires, and then bringing it to Sacred Heart Music Center. Whether your expertise is in lighting, carving, painting, or even coloring--the Diorama-Rama has a place for you. Entertainment will include musical guests The Black-Eyed Snakes, Cockfight, DJ 45, and Dan Anderson. Also, Bridget Riversmith, a local Duluth artist, will be displaying animations for the audiences viewing pleasure.

If you are unable to join the fun on Friday at sacred Heart Music Center, Keri Noble will be performing there Saturday.

Her music is brilliant, wonderfully touching, and would be the perfect way to spend time with friends.

Also Saturday: Martin Zellar's CD release show that will be taking place at Pizza Luce with special guest Charlie Parr. The show will begin at 10:00p.m. It will be a lively performance that will please all who enjoy folk acoustic jams.

Anti-racism campaign moving beyond billboards, Duluth

Posted at 5:14 PM on February 9, 2012 by Dan Kraker (13 Comments)
Filed under: Around MN, Arrowhead

The Un-fair Campaign has made quite a splash since it was unveiled only two weeks ago. The campaign is intended to raise awareness about "white privilege" -- institutional racism that gives white people unearned advantages over others simply because of the color of their skin.

But its provocative billboards have sparked a backlash in Duluth and beyond. A Facebook group called the "Stop Racist Unfair Campaign" has attracted hundreds of members critical of the campaign's tactics.

Other parts of the country are also taking note. KPCC, the major public radio station in Los Angeles, aired a 40-minute segment on the campaign on the Patt Morrison Show.

Organizers are now moving on to its second phase, a series of discussions, speeches and films scheduled around Duluth. They aim to encourage dialogue and move beyond the soundbites featured on the billboards.

The first event take place at 7 p.m. tonight, with the screening of a video talk called "Power, Privilege and Difference" by sociologist Allan Johnson, at the First United Methodist Church. Others, including a series of three community dialogues facilitated by the St. Paul Foundation as part of their Facing Race Initiative, are scheduled throughout February and beyond.

County attorney says fed's gang bust won't fix problem

Posted at 11:04 AM on February 13, 2012 by Conrad Wilson
Filed under: Around MN, Law enforcement, Tribal issues

At least one county attorney is concerned that a mass bust of alleged gang members will amount to a short lived victory.

In a statewide bust last month, federal authorities charged 24 people said to belong to a gang called the "Native Mob." Charges included attempted murder, drug trafficking and racketeering.

Arrests were made in the Twin Cities as well as on the Leech Lake, White Earth and the Mille Lacs Indian reservations.

"The indictment that was unsealed ... I think is a pretty important indicator as to the efforts we are taking in Minnesota at all levels to enhance public safety," U.S. Attorney B. Todd Jones said at the time of the arrests.

But Mille Lacs County Attorney Jan Jude, whose office assisted in the investigation, has doubts about how big a dent law enforcement put in the gang problem.

"Certainly a big bust like that should have an impact," she said. "I don't have a lot of faith that it's going to have a long-term impact. I think that there are people that are going to fill those shoes very quickly."

Jude said serious felonies have quadrupled since 2007 on the tribal land in Mille Lacs County, resulting in hundreds of cases. She said most of the repeat offenders her office prosecutes also come from the reservation.

Duluth: not as romantic as Mickey Mouse

Posted at 11:50 AM on February 9, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Baby's near death renews call for vaccinations, Essar growth spurs pollution concerns, seed scarcity

Posted at 7:00 AM on February 10, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Mother warns parents to vaccinate after baby's near death

WCCO: "A Minnesota mother is pushing all parents to vaccinate their kids after a case of whooping cough put her baby in intensive care for nearly a month. 'This didn't have to happen and we're so, so fortunate that we have a happy ending but it could have been so much worse,' said Emily Stevenson."

Residents still concerned as Essar plans to ramp up
WDIO: "Folks came to learn about the permit on Thursday at the Nashwauk-Keewatin High School. It would allow the company to ramp up their taconite production at the plant site in Nashwauk. Currently, they're permitted for around four million tons per year. They'd like to go to 6.5 million tons."

Same-sex Fargo couple denied marriage license, but hope others are spurred to action
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "'Guess why we're here?' Lenny Tweeden wryly asked Cass County Treasurer Charlotte Sandvik as he stepped up to the courthouse counter on Thursday afternoon."

Seed scarcity could stall corn farmers eager to plant
MPR News: "After a year of extraordinary profits pushed by high corn prices, Minnesota farmers are looking forward to planting season. But their hopes of another strong season may be threatened by a growing scarcity of seed corn."

Reinert to governor: Put Vikings stadium in Duluth
Duluth News Tribune: "State Sen. Roger Reinert is throwing a fourth-down Hail Mary pass with just seconds left on the clock today as he sends Gov. Mark Dayton a letter suggesting a new Minnesota Vikings football stadium be built in Duluth." Also from the DNT: "So far, Reinert is on his own. No other Duluth official has signed the letter. And the Vikings hadn't heard of the plan until Thursday afternoon. ... 'We're three weeks into a 10-week legislative session and we are running out of time to start vetting new sites,' said Vikings VP Lester Bagley."

Ground Level: "We love it on the Iron Range," 27-year-old Catherine Branville said. "Both of our families are from here and we knew eventually we wanted to come back this way. We needed the right opportunity and job. The store went up for sale and it all ironically fell into place. It gave us the opportunity to come back for a reason. We both have Scandinavian heritage, so the store was an interesting fit for us."

Property taxes could rise if a constitutional supermajority amendment is adopted
Minnesota Budget Project: "Our report warns that restricting legislators' ability to raise taxes would make it harder to provide the services that residents want and value. Policymakers would look for ways to fund services that don't need supermajority votes. Past experience has shown that the inability to raise taxes at the state level in Minnesota leads to more pressure on tuition, fees and property taxes."

Sanford Health plans major expansion in Bemidji

Posted at 3:38 PM on February 9, 2012 by Tom Robertson
Filed under: Around MN, Healthcare, Northwest Minnesota

Plans are moving ahead for a big expansion of Sanford Health's medical campus in Bemidji. A regional planning board approved the expansion this week, according to a story in the Bemidji Pioneer.

The expansion plans include a 20,000-square-foot orthopedic center, a 24,000-square-foot surgery center and a 40,000-square-foot cardiac center.

Sanford officials say the expansion is part of a commitment made when Sanford Health and North Country Regional Hospital merged last spring. Sanford agreed to invest $75 million into the Bemidji community, including a $5 million gift to the North Country Regional Health Services Foundation.

The expansions mean some patients will no longer have to travel to Fargo for certain procedures.

The plan also includes a 12,000-foot medical supply building and a new parking area with nearly 800 spaces.

The campus exansion may require the reallignment of Bemidji's Hannah Avenue to the west. A portion of another roadway, Pine Ridge Avenue, will be vacated as part of the plan.

Fears of a fiery spring, Nolan wins big, Cravaack and Kline STOCK Act holdouts

Posted at 7:30 AM on February 9, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Dry landscape is raising fears of a fiery spring
Star Tribune: "All but the extreme southeast corner of Minnesota is experiencing some degree of drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. In south-central and southwest Minnesota, as well as in the Arrowhead region of northeast Minnesota, the drought is labeled 'severe.'"

Congressional candidate Rick Nolan wins big in Minnesota caucus poll
Duluth News Tribune: "Candidates Jeff Anderson and Tarryl Clark likely are to stay in the 8th District race through the primary. Former U.S. Rep. Rick Nolan of Crow Wing County held a strong lead today in the 8th Congressional District as the final votes cast by DFL caucus participants from Tuesday night was tallied." Nolan was the only candidate who pledged to abide by the results of the poll.

STOCK Act expected to pass final Congressional hurdle today
MPR News: "In just weeks, the bill went from having fewer than a dozen co-sponsors to 280. Six of Minnesota's eight House members now support the bill -- Republicans Chip Cravaack and John Kline are the two holdouts."

Analysis finds $55M shortfall in Minneapolis stadium plan
MPR News: "As stadium planners winnow down the potential locations for a new football stadium in downtown Minneapolis, new questions are cropping up about the city's plan to pay for it."

Group asks candidates to support Asian carp fight
WSJ: "Environmental activists Tuesday challenged President Barack Obama and the Republicans hoping to unseat him to support a hotly debated plan to protect the Great Lakes from an Asian carp attack by cutting off their Chicago-area connection to the Mississippi River watershed."

Global financial fraud case goes to trial in Minneapolis
Star Tribune: "Prosecutors said investigators uncovered a highly structured ID-theft ring with local roots."

Un-Fair debate sparks dialogue in Duluth
Duluth News Tribune: "We can get caught up in the lingo," commission member Sheryl Boman Schneider said. "The bottom line is how we deal with disparities and disproportionality" for people of color in Duluth.

University of Minnesota regents to decide how to handle Steve Sviggum's new legislative job
Pioneer Press: "The University of Minnesota Board of Regents is about to chart a course for reaching a position on Regent Steve Sviggum's new Senate job."

Northshore Mining fined over dust
Northland News Center: "Northshore Mining is paying up for having exceedingly high dust levels.Cliffs Natural Resources has agreed to pay a $240,175 civil penalty to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and to increase air measurement practices."

Historic Pachyderm studio space will be rejuvenated
Local Current: "Though the space is still viewed as hallowed ground amongst rock historians, Pachyderm Studios down in Cannon Falls, Minnesota has weathered some tough times over the past few years."

Santorum sweeps, Nolan on top in 8th with Anderson close 2nd

Posted at 7:30 AM on February 8, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Santorum swoops in to win Minnesota

Duluth News Tribune: "Northland Republicans joined those caucusing across Minnesota on Tuesday night in giving a strong nod to former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum to take on President Obama in November." MPR News: "Santorum supporter Ed Bird turned out at the Coon Rapids caucus because the candidate is the most conservative of the field, he said. 'I think he's absolutely got more conservative values,' Bird said. 'He's a good religious person, a strong person of conviction.'"

Photos from the night.

Nolan DFL frontrunner, Anderson close
Duluth News Tribune: "DFL loyalists across Northeastern Minnesota gave their early nod to Rick Nolan to try to retake the 8th Congressional District from freshman Republican Chip Cravaack, although former Duluth City Councilor Jeff Anderson was showing strong support in Duluth and the Iron Range. Nolan, of Emily in Crow Wing County, was the favorite among DFL party regulars and activists heading into Tuesday night's precinct caucuses. With about two-thirds of the straw polls counted, Nolan had 1,088 votes to Anderson's 642, with about 200 for former State Sen. Tarryl Clark and nearly 200 undecided."

GOP caucuses put issues to real test
Star Tribune: "Supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment to require voters to have a photo ID made their point Tuesday."

Nationally, Romney's bad day is Santorum's best
AP: "Republican Rick Santorum is looking to capitalize on a string of stunning victories that snapped his four-state losing streak and raised new questions about front-runner Mitt Romney's clout with conservatives."

Washington Post: Tuesday was an embarrassing night for Mitt Romney, and nowhere was that more true than in Minnesota.

This was a state where the former Massachusetts governor had nearly everything going for him:

* He won the state in the 2008 presidential race by 18 points.

* He had the backing of the state's two most high-profile Republicans, former governor Tim Pawlenty and former senator Norm Coleman. This is in contrast to his last two wins in Florida and Nevada, where the most high-profile Republicans kept their powder dry.

* And unlike the Missouri primary, which he also lost on Tuesday, Newt Gingrich was on the ballot in Minnesota, potentially stealing votes from Rick Santorum.

But despite all that, with nearly half of the vote in, Romney is in a distant third place, far behind even second-place Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) and taking only about one in every six votes in tonight's Minnesota caucuses.

Op-Ed: Mitt Romney has reason to be concerned
National Review: "Mitt Romney's campaign will have lots of explanations for their man's poor showing tonight. ... What Romney won't be able to explain away is just how much more poorly he did tonight in those three states than in his 2008 showing -- when he lost the GOP nomination for president."

Legacy funds being used to cover cuts in conservation
Star Tribune: "Critics say the shift is a misinterpretation of voters' will in passing amendment."

St. Paul district, teachers' union tout deal
Pioneer Press: "The St. Paul district and its teachers' union will make a joint push for smaller classes - if they can line up the dollars to hire 66 extra teachers."

Minnesota Votes: 2012 Caucuses

Posted at 7:05 PM on February 7, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN, Politics

Minnesotans have their say in the Republican Presidential race

Posted at 4:45 PM on February 7, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Caucus Day 2012: Ron Paul doubles down on Minnesota

Posted at 7:30 AM on February 7, 2012 by Michael Olson (14 Comments)
Filed under: Around MN

Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) waits backstage before he speaks to supporters in St. Cloud, Minn. AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

Presidential hopefuls vie for bragging rights in caucus

MPR News: "There are no delegates up for grabs at the Minnesota Republican Party caucuses, only bragging rights. The straw poll also is non-binding, so the results will have little to do with how Minnesota's delegates will eventually be allocated at the Republican National Convention in August."

National Journal: "When former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty was campaigning for the Republican nomination, he frequently joked about hailing from the state that elected liberal icons such as Eugene McCarthy, Hubert Humphrey -- and here comes the punch line -- Al Franken, the comic-turned-senator. But running alongside the state's progressive streak is a conservative insurgency that is personified by Pawlenty's one-time rival for the White House, Rep. Michele Bachmann, and that helped the GOP in 2010 take over both chambers of the Minnesota legislature for the first time in nearly four decades. The heavy influence of the conservative and tea party movements make Minnesota's caucus on Tuesday one of Newt Gingrich's best and possibly only hope for an outright win in the month of February, which mostly features contests in states favoring Mitt Romney. Gingrich allies point to exit polls in Florida, where he lost badly to Romney but siphoned support from the most conservative voters, the strongest tea party supporters and voters who consider abortion the most important issue."

Searching for a win, Paul makes Minnesota caucuses a beachhead in Republican nominating race
Washington Post: "Ron Paul has invested days of campaigning and money for television ads ahead of caucuses in Minnesota, where he's hoping he can eke out the first win of his Republican presidential campaign."

Ron Paul, reeling from Nevada loss, enters crucial stretch
LA Times: "This is the mystery of Ron Paul, or one of them, anyway: how a 76-year-old Texas congressman who bears a slight resemblance to Mr. Magoo and sounds like he's running against Woodrow Wilson can draw some of the biggest, youngest and most ardent crowds of campaign 2012."

Rep. Paul: "Freedom Is a Young Idea"
Wall Street Journal: "'There is a good reason why young people are more open to it ... Freedom is a young idea,' Mr. Paul told a sizable crowd in St. Cloud. "Young minds are not muddled up' by conventional wisdom and the media, he added."

As campaign heads to Midwest, Romney turns his focus to Santorum
New York Times: "Even as Mitt Romney tries to fend off the continuing challenge from Newt Gingrich and focus his attention on President Obama, he is now being forced to deal with another rival."

Ron Paul rallies St. Cloud-area supporters
St Cloud Times: "Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul rallied supporters in St. Cloud on the eve of the Minnesota caucuses, urging support for a non-interventionist foreign policy and for 'sound-money' monetary policies he says would boost the middle class."

Q&A: Minnesota's precinct caucuses
MPR News: "At Minnesota's precinct caucuses today, voters begin the long process of choosing candidates who will appear on the 2012 ballot in November. Whether you're a Democrat, Republican, Independence Party-backer or Green, here's a quick guide to Minnesota's caucuses."

Also on MN Today
Minnesota Power files report on coal plants
Duluth News Tribune: "Minnesota Power filed a report with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on Monday that looks at how the utility might generate electricity into a future with new federal pollution regulations and aging coal-fired generators."

Red River flows well above average despite driest winter on record
Forum of Fargo-Moorhead: "The Red River's volume of water is flowing at more than twice its long-term average this winter despite months of abnormally dry weather."

Landowners dispute snowmobile trail
Saint Cloud Times: "After her child had a near miss and her dog died, Tanya Pufahl became more vocal in the small group of residents upset about the snowmobile trail just outside her front door in Rice."

MillerCoors buys Crispin, Mpls. maker of hard cider
Star Tribune: "The Minneapolis company, launched in 2008, is the country's third-largest hard cider producer."

Minnesota storm chaser killed in Oklahoma collision with wrong-way driver
MSNBC: "Storm chaser Andy Gabrielson survived the hunt for tornadoes for more than 10 years, but driving home Saturday afternoon after two days of chasing storms in north Texas, he could not avoid a wrong-way driver on an Oklahoma highway, The Weather Channel reported."

Ron Paul's slow and steady campaign, teens organize in support of gays, ticks head north

Posted at 7:30 AM on February 6, 2012 by Michael Olson (4 Comments)
Filed under: Around MN

Ron Paul outraising Mitt Romney in Minn. and nine other states
Smart Politics: "The Texas Congressman has netted more large donor money than Romney in 10 states including Tuesday's caucus state of Minnesota. Although Mitt Romney raised more money than Ron Paul by more than a 2:1 margin through the end of Q4 2011, the Republican outsider's 50-state fundraising strategy has seen him pull ahead of the party's frontrunner in the money game in several states across the country."

Paul generates enthusiasm in Minn.
New York Times: "With a solid third-place showing in Nevada and ardent grass-roots support expected to help him in caucuses in Colorado and Minnesota, Mr. Paul is likely to command greater attention for his inimitable mix of doom-saying and doses of folksy, homespun humor."

Poll: Minnesota GOP presidential nomination a toss up
Capitol View: "According to the Democratic polling firm, Rick Santorum has a slight lead with 29 percent of the vote. Mitt Romney has 27 percent of the vote, while Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul follow with 22 percent and 19 percent respectively." AP: "Minnesota Republicans are now "among the most conservative party activists in the country," said Chuck Slocum, who led the Minnesota Republican Party in the mid-1970s. And that could pose problems for front-runner Romney, fresh off a commanding win in Nevada and eager to extend his winning streak."

Romney camp expects Santorum to do well in Minn
New York Times: "Rick Santorum and Representative Ron Paul of Texas have pockets of support in states that have yet to vote. The Romney campaign believes that Mr. Santorum has the potential to do well on Tuesday, both in the Minnesota caucus and in the Missouri nonbinding primary."

Pioneer Press: "A memorial service has been set for the White Bear Lake couple still missing after their cruise ship ran aground and partially capsized off the Italian coast more than three weeks ago. The service for Jerry and Barb Heil will be 10 a.m. Feb. 18 at St. Pius the X Catholic Church in White Bear Lake. 'We again would like to thank everyone for all the prayers, cards and support you have shown us,' an online statement from the family said."

One town's war on gay teens
Rolling Stone: "In Michele Bachmann's home district, evangelicals have created an extreme anti-gay climate. After a rash of suicides, the kids are fighting back."

Disease-carrying ticks move deeper into Minnesota's Arrowhead
Duluth News Tribune: "A decade or so ago it was unusual to see a tick-borne illness diagnosed in someone from north of Duluth," Dr. Timothy Burke, infectious disease specialist at Essentia Health, said. "But now it's a fairly routine thing."

Barn Raising in Viking, MN
WDAZ: "People in a small community are pulling together in a big way. Volunteers from Viking, Minnesota and surrounding areas are joining to fulfill a cancer victim's wish."

Cravaack pushing legislation to protect area mines
WDIO: Rep. Chip Cravaack "got an amendment attached to a transportation bill closing loopholes in 'Buy American' provisions for U.S. Steel. Cravaack said local and state governments have been able to get around the rule by dividing projects into smaller segments."

Apps hold big promise for ag
Ad Week: "Like a growing number of agriculturalists, Rick Swenson uses his cellphone for more than talking."

Freight train derails in southeast Minnesota
Forum of Fargo Moorhead: "Nineteen cars left the track when a Canadian Pacific freight train derailed along the Mississippi River," near Red Wing.

High levels of mercury found in North Shore babies, MN-03 DFL forum, Brodkorb's odds

Posted at 7:30 AM on February 3, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

High levels of mercury found in North Shore babies
Star Tribune: "One in 10 babies along Minnesota's North Shore are born with unhealthy levels of mercury in their bodies, according to a new report on contamination around Lake Superior, the first to look for the pollutant in the blood of U.S. infants."

MN-03 DFL candidate forum
DFL candidates Sharon Sund and Brian Barnes join an online MPR News forum today at 11:00am to discuss their positions on the issues facing Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District. Rep. Erik Paulsen currently represents the district that serves the western suburbs of Minneapolis.

Union fight brews with right-to-work push in Minn.
AP: "Republicans pulled Minnesota into an explosive issue Thursday by introducing legislation to make union membership optional, setting the stage for a fight that has triggered boycotts by Democratic lawmakers and large protests in other states."

No contract yet; city workers strike imminent
Timberjay: Twenty-five "Ely city workers weren't walking a picket line as of presstime on Thursday, but the possibility of an imminent work stoppage hung in the air nonetheless."

Legal experts: If Michael Brodkorb sues over Senate firing, chances of prevailing could be slim
Pioneer Press: "Labor law experts interviewed by the Associated Press cited a number of barriers to any claim by Brodkorb, chief among them the Senate secretary's assertion that he signed an agreement acknowledging he was an "at-will" employee, which means he would be subject to firing at any time."

Ron Paul to stage town hall at Mayo H.S. Saturday
Rochester Post Bulletin: "Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul will make a stop in Rochester on Saturday in advance of Tuesday's caucuses."

Santorum to visit to Minnesota
WDIO: "Republican Presidential candidate Rick Santorum is set to visit three Minnesota cities on February 5, including Eden Prairie, Bemidji and Lake Waconia."

Innocuous building near stadium is key hub for regional communications
MPR News: "The quest for a new Vikings stadium has inadvertently cast attention on a little-known building in downtown Minneapolis that plays a crucial role for anyone who uses the Internet."

146 animals seized at Bigfork property
WDIO: "With help from the Star of the North Humane Society, 146 animals were seized. The court documents said there dogs, horses, chickens, a goat, rabbits, and pheasants."

Warm temps energize Jewel's baby bears
Northland News Center: "Just 12 days old, the cubs are moving around in their den earlier than researchers expected and are considerably more vocal than black bear and internet phenom Lily's, cubs were."

St. Paul artist using homemade postcards to help save Postal Service
Pioneer Press: "Peter Kramer is determined to save the U.S. Postal Service - one postcard at a time. The St. Paul artist and accomplished architect is so passionate about the cause that he's come up with 'Postcards to Save the Post Office,' a collection of more than 120 one-of-a-kind postcards."

Peter Kramer - Postcards to Save the Post Office
and
Kathy Wismar - paintings and ceramics
February 4 - March 4, 2012
Opening Reception in St Paul: Saturday, February 4; 5-7 PM at the Grand Hand

Voter ID, electronic pull tabs, Duluth Pack goes to Washington

Posted at 7:30 AM on February 2, 2012 by Michael Olson
Filed under: Around MN

Constitutional Amendment requiring Voter ID has a long road to the ballot
MPR News: "A proposed constitutional amendment to require Minnesotans to show photo identification in order to vote is facing a rough road at the State Capitol. Amendment opponents packed a Senate hearing on the measure Wednesday and dozens took turns to criticize the bill, providing most of the five hours of testimony."

"Very simple, very easy, you walk in, take out your wallet, you produce your photo ID, you say I am who I am, and then you vote," said Rep. Kurt Zellers, R - House Speaker.

"If we're going to do constitutional amendments, let's do constitutional amendments that help people and not attack people," said Rep. Tom Rukavina DFL - Virginia.Northland News Center

The pros and cons of electronic pull tabs

KARE11: "Supporters for a new Minnesota Vikings stadium say electronic pull tabs could fund the state's share of the project and generate $72 million a year, but at what cost?"

Minnesota bill to end teacher seniority sparks debate
Fargo Forum: "A bill introduced in the Legislature to end the use of seniority in determining teachers' job security is getting mixed reviews from administrators and teachers in Moorhead and Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton schools."

Target Center deal bound to a 'mistake'
Star Tribune: "Minneapolis took over the arena 17 years ago, and now it's become a sticking point for a Vikings stadium."

Mayo researchers find possible link between anesthesia and ADHD
MPR News: "Researchers at the Mayo Clinic have found an increased incidence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder among children exposed to anesthesia more than once before age two."

Romney stumps in Minnesota
Mitt Romney riding high in Minnesota visit

MPR News: "Still riding high from his decisive win in Florida's Republican primary, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney didn't seem bothered a bit when a supporter of same-sex marriage threw glitter on him at the beginning of his Minnesota rally."

'Poor' quote by Romney joins a list critics love
New York Times: "Mr. Romney's aides cannot always bring that well-known level of discipline to one crucial aspect of the campaign: their candidate's seemingly endless ability to utter remarks that, to the delight of his critics, sail onto political blogs, YouTube and Twitter."

Duluth Pack shines in D.C. spotlight
WDIO: "The President of Duluth Pack spent the morning on Capitol Hill talking about his effort to produce 'Made in America' products. The opportunity gave him the chance to show off some of Duluth's most successful wares."

Bakk: Senate must explain Brodkorb legal situation
Hot Dish: "Senate Minority Leader Tom Bakk has asked Senate Republicans to explain who gave Secretary of the Senate Cal Ludeman the authority to hire a lawyer to defend the Senate against any legal action from Brodkorb."

Federal election filings show Faribault contributors
Faribault Daily News: "Federal Election Commission campaign filings were due on Wednesday and a look at the data reveals lopsided fundraising so far in the First District congressional race."

DFLer Sund stumps for support at Southdale Library
Minnetonka Patch: "'Fairness' was the theme of the evening as prospective 3rd District Congressional candidate Sharon Sund spoke to a small crowd at Edina's Southdale Library."