St. Paul, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) soon will seek citizen input on creating limited opportunities for open-water hunting for waterfowl as well as a number of other topics at annual public input meetings. Aside from open-water duck hunting, the DNR is seeking input on the following proposals: Allowing Canada goose hunting in August to alleviate [...]

  ST. PAUL, Minn. – Melting winter snowfall won’t do much to alleviate the extremely dry soil conditions across Minnesota, even if some areas experience spring flooding, said Greg Spoden, the state climatologist. Roughly 70 percent of Minnesota is in extreme drought or severe drought. “All of the snow that has fallen over the winter by and large remains on [...]

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Less than a month after winning an award for creating more opportunities for students to study out of the country, St. Cloud State University has won another.  This time it’s for creating a diverse education in campus classes. SCSU is used to giving out all kinds of awards to students.  However, a school isn’t usually recognized [...]

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — State lawmakers say it’s time to raise grant amounts for Minnesota’s low-income families. Democratic Sens. Chris Eaton, from Brooklyn Center, and Minneapolis Rep. Susan Allen have bills that would double the monthly grant for the Minnesota Family Investment Program, which has not increased since 1987. The maximum grant for a parent and child is currently [...]

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A bipartisan group of Minnesota lawmakers who want to increase state funding to nursing homes say failing to do so means more long-term care facilities will close. A group of House and Senate members unveiled their proposal Tuesday. It calls for boosting state nursing home reimbursements by $56 million over the next two years. That [...]

The Minnesota House passed a bill on mond

Minnesota actors may not be able to smoke real cigarettes on stage if a new bill passes.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota’s budget chief will likely wait until summer before deciding whether to activate so-called blink-on revenue options for the new Vikings football stadium. Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Jim Schowalter encountered sharp questions Monday from lawmakers who are worried that general tax dollars will be needed to compensate for poor results from expanded gambling. Finance [...]

ST. CLOUD, Minn. – City workers and business owners alike are digging in to help remove some of the snow covering up roads and sidewalks in St. Cloud. John Johnson, a local business owner said, “I’ve been out shoveling twice so far this morning. Once before the plows came through, and then once afterwards.” While the workers have been trying [...]

  ST. PAUL, Minn. Top Minnesota lawmakers are working toward new gun  legislation that wouldn’t impose universal background checks for gun purchases. House Speaker Paul Thissen and Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk say the alternate planbacked by gun rights advocates is more likely to pass this session than one from the House Democrat who led gunhearings last month. The new [...]