Somewhere along the way, local officials started buying into the concept that cities need to develop a so-called brand to drive growth and economic development. The city of Rochester has…
Economic growth Star Tribune: Minnesota med-tech startups on pace to raise more than $1B again this year Star Tribune: Minnesota factories, dealerships brace for trickle-down effects from UAW strike Twin…
The Federal Emergency and Management Agency promoted a recent open house in Montevideo to unveil new flood insurance rate maps for Chippewa County as a chance “to see how the…
The Walz administration kept a tight lid on the behind-the-scenes deal-making in recent months to turn over ownership and control of the Upper Sioux Agency State Park to the Upper…
There’s only one reason to construct a carbon dioxide pipeline to dispose of emissions from ethanol plants in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota — fear and loathing over climate…
DFL legislators have been on the warpath for years. So the newly passed ban on using Native American names and mascots in public schools undoubtedly ranked as one of the…
The Upper Sioux Agency State Park draws more than 30,000 visitors annually to Yellow Medicine County in southwestern Minnesota. But probably not for much longer, given the Walz administration’s plan…
The pandemic ended in 2021 for all practical purposes, with most Minnesotans eager to get back to life as usual. So many citizens may be surprised to learn that some…
The pandemic may be over, but many school districts are just starting to suffer the coronavirus’ ill effects on the health of their finances — their own strain of financial…
Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flannagan made a big deal out of getting the latest COVID booster shot back in September. They even included their spouses in the…
State and local taxes and spending West Central Tribune: Litchfield school bond referendum fails, but operating levies pass in Hancock, Paynesville Pioneer Press: Real World Economics: Structural or cyclical in…
It’s one thing for the proponents of cancel culture to get their way in erasing the names of urban historical landmarks like Lake Calhoun in the Twin Cities. But the…
State and local taxes and spending CBS News: Minnesota not collecting as much tax revenue as it could on newly legal THC edibles West Central Tribune: City of Willmar proposing…
The chronic housing shortage that’s so often in the news isn’t confined to the Twin Cities metro area. Residents in rural Minnesota can run into the same problem, prompting one…
State and local taxes and spending Duluth News Tribune: Minnesota lawmakers back waiving taxes on student loan forgiveness West Central Tribune: Kandiyohi County 2023 tax levy set to increase, but…
“Back to school” means just that for authorities in one southwestern Minnesota county who plan to crack down on students who skip school, fall behind and often get into trouble.…
There were high expectations for the economic benefits Enbridge’s Line 3 replacement project promised to bring to the 15 northern Minnesota counties the pipeline runs through. But a new study…
State and local taxes and spending The Center Square: Minnesota lawmakers set to haggle over tax cuts Duluth News Tribune: Minnesota House passes property tax cuts, family tax rebates West…
For those following at home, the links, key dates, and key events included below provide a road map to the story, as it has unfolded. Not one person has been…
Labor market KSTP: Minnesota recruits teens to health care jobs amid workforce crisis Kare 11: Record-high job vacancies in Minnesota as pandemic worker shortages continue WJON: Central Minnesota to Experience…
Labor market Alexandria Echo Press: New year, new minimum-wage rates as of Jan. 1 Fergus Falls Daily Journal: Minimum wage increase Duluth News Tribune: ‘More of what workers want’: Wage…
Economic growth Star Tribune: Supply chain trouble takes big bite out of Minnesota’s small food producers Minn Post: Long-term thinking is they key to Minnesota’s economic prosperity KPVI: Minnesota is…
Labor market KNSI: How Will the Vaccine Mandate Impact an Already Tight Labor Market? KSTP: DEED reports highest number of job openings in at least 20 years Star Tribune: Study…
A record number of Minnesotans applied for and received a permit to carry a concealed weapon last year — 96,554. An unprecedented number of residents — more than 358,000 —…