MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – They’re cute and cuddly, and they put a smile on the faces of patients in the hospital. They’re called Medical Monkeys.

Lanae Paaverud, who founded the charity that provides them, spoke with Jamie Yuccas and Matt Brickman on Saturday morning.

Paaverud shared how it all started and described how people respond differently to the Medical Monkeys than, say, flowers or balloons.

To learn more about Medical Monkeys, watch the interview above and visit the website.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – In a Minnesota, there are a lot of us who love to sit by the lake and fish.

And there are others, who would want some better odds. For them, there’s a legendary Northeast Minneapolis restaurant where you can catch your own dinner — Jax Café.

Jax boasts a breathtaking patio, and it’s very own trout stream.

“People swear they have walleye or salmon out here, but it’s always been rainbow trout,” said Bill Kozlak, the owner of Jax.

The restaurant has been in his family for 80 years. His uncles got the idea for the trout stream from visiting a Chicago restaurant in the ‘50s.

“They had fish in a stream…it was just for a display,” Kozlak said. “And they came back with the idea, and said, Let’s take it a little further.”

The rainbow trout are raised on a farm in Rochester, Minn.

“Long before farm to table, we take the farmer out, it goes from Jax’s stream to the table,” Kozlak said.

Bob Foster ate his first rainbow trout at the restaurant more than 30 years ago.

Now he’s cooking them up.

“That’s a blessing and a burden,” he said. “Sometimes they come out perfect, sometimes they come out a little wanky.”

What does Jax do with the trout in the winter?

“People ask all the time,” Kozlak said. “They have no idea that this is Minnesota and [the stream] is only a foot-and-a-half deep and, yes, we drain the stream. And we sell out the trout in the fall. I bet I get asked that twice a week.”

Eating at Jax is a family tradition — many proms or wedding dinners have started there, and ended on the patio, or in the stream.

“A couple wedding parties have had a groomsman or two [fall in the stream], but no injuries,” Kozlak said.

They filet the fish out of sight. And the taste couldn’t be any fresher.

You can net your own trout until October. Jax got a late start this year, because the stream was frozen.

Jax is celebrating turning 80 years this year. If you’d like to learn more about the restaurant, visit its website.

DULUTH, Minn. (WCCO) — For the past 20 years, the old St. Louis County Jail stood as a vacant reminder of trouble. It was an unwanted fixture in downtown Duluth…until a Twin Cities developer heard the cries of those looking to preserve the property.

Now, Grant Carlson hopes to turn the jail into the most popular address in town.

With its commanding view of Duluth, it seems hard to believe the five-story granite building came close to the wrecking ball.

“The building was built in 1924,” Carlson said. “It held close to 200 inmates, give or take.”

He says the building he now owns is a bit intimidating, especially since it still has jail cells.

“I think our jaws were on the ground, not sure what to think, but we both agreed and thought there’s opportunity here,” he said.

Carlson’s company will renovate the county old jail into something of value – like apartments, artist’s lofts or even senior housing. Street level could be retail space, a coffee shop or a restaurant – or a mix of all three.

What’s key is the building’s historic significance, which will help pay for the renovations.

“That makes the project eligible for both a 20 percent state and 20 percent federal credit,” Carlson said.

Locked in their 6 by 8 foot cells, inmates didn’t enjoy views of the harbor. Instead, they spent time scribbling messages and counting down the days. It’s funny to think that someday people might pay to stay.

“Most likely there’s going to be some kind of reuse of a cell,” Carlson said.

The challenge to renovating the jail is striking a balance – finding a modern charm and appeal in a former place of punishment.

Carlson is currently lining up partners in the project. He hopes to finalize plans for the commercial and residential use of the jail in the next six months.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The national average for a gallon of gas has gone up 17 days in a row. But here in the Twin Cities, gas has dropped three cents to an average of $4.17 a gallon.

That’s still quite a bit higher than the national average. And boaters are feeling the pinch.

Last weekend on Lake Minnetonka, the price was $5.39 a gallon.

But people with boats we talked with say the winter was too long to stop them from getting out on the water.

And it’s not just the owners of boats and other recreational vehicles feeling the pinch. Race car drivers may have it worst of all. Racing fuel is now up to $8 a gallon.

Jerry Hollom of Fridley has been the proud owner of a 1968 American Motors AMX — twice. He bought it in ’68, sold it in ’86, and was elated to buy it back again in 2008.

“It’s glass and metal and rubber, but it was actually kind of emotional,” Hollom said.

And it’s the love he has for his car that justifies Hollom now spending nearly $130 to fill up.

“Of course, everybody would like it lower, but if that’s the going rate, you’re stuck with it,” he said.

Hollom is a retired race car driver, so he only drives his AMX here and there.

It’s those still racing who would really like to see a checkered flag for rising fuel prices.

At Raceway Park in Shakopee, it’s $8 a gallon for racing fuel. That’s roughly $2 higher than last year.

Kevin Busse, the event announcer at the raceway for the last 18 years, said he’s never seen high performance fuel prices this high. He says it won’t stop drivers, but like everyone else, they will feel the burn in their pocketbooks.

“It can add up just getting out here with regular gas, and then you pull in at the track and you’ve got to buy the higher octane as well to get the best out of your race car,” he said. “It adds up.”

Related: Cheap Gas Finder

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – According to a study out of UCLA, 5,000 same-sex Minnesota couples are expected to get married in the next three years.

And that’s translating into a bit of a boom on the business side of the industry.

At Hell’s Kitchen in Minneapolis, they have four weddings booked for August and September.

Same sex weddings in Minnesota are expected to bring in $42 million, and increased tax revenues of $3 million.

“This isn’t going just something that’s going to be a quick, ‘Let’s jump on the bandwagon and do this’ thing,” said Eliesa Johnson of Photogen Inc. “It really is going to affect the industry for the long-term.”

In talking with a number of wedding vendors, it doesn’t appear there will be a huge rush of August or September weddings, but it’s clear the vendors are planning for the future.

“It’s just been doing gangbusters for our business,” Stephen Rocheford said.

The sales force at Lavender magazine has been getting 10 calls or emails an hour. They expect their next Pride issue to break advertising records.

They say vendors want the business of a readership whose income averages $90,000 a year.

“It’s a practical thing for businesses,” Rocheford said. “They need to stake out a claim in the gay market.”

There is still some confusion within each county about when same sex couples will be able to apply for their marriage licenses — before Aug. 1 or not.

County departments are meeting this week and next to figure out the logistics.

The closures affect the Upper and Lower St. Anthony Falls locks in downtown Minneapolis, and Lock and Dam 1 near Minnehaha Park between Minneapolis and St. Paul.

For safety, the Corps closes these locks to recreational boaters when river flows exceed 30,000 cubic feet per second, and it closes them to commercial traffic at 40,000 cubic feet per second.

The Corps says it expects to closures could last around five days.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Its quarterly performance missed Wall Street’s expectations.

The meat producer, known for Spam and other cured, smoked and deli meats, earned $125.5 million, or 46 cents per share, for the three months ended April 28. That compares with $127.9 million, or 48 cents per share, a year earlier.

Analysts predicted earnings of 49 cents per share, according to a FactSet survey.

The current quarter included about $9 million in one-time costs related to the Skippy deal. Hormel Foods Corp. agreed to buy Skippy in January from Unilever for $700 million.

Revenue rose 7 percent to $2.15 billion from $2.01 billion, but fell short of the $2.19 billion that Wall Street expected.

Revenue from the refrigerated foods segment, which comprises nearly half of Hormel’s total revenue, fell 2 percent to $1.01 billion due to increased grain costs.

Grocery products revenue, which includes Spam and makes up 18 percent of total revenue, climbed 49 percent to $393.5 million thanks to the Skippy transaction and better sales of products such as Dinty Moore stew, Spam and Mary Kitchen hash.

Specialty foods revenue increased 7 percent to $245.7 million, while international and other revenue rose 21 percent to $117.4 million partly because of increased sales of Spam products.

Revenue from Jennie-O Turkey Store, which makes up 18 percent of revenue, declined about 2 percent to $384.7 million on higher grain costs and weaker commodity turkey prices.

The Austin, Minn., company still foresees full-year earnings of $1.93 to $2.03 per share. Analysts expect $1.99 per share.

Hormel shares finished at $42.40 on Wednesday. They have traded in a 52-week range of $27.28 to $43.17.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Most of us don’t have a hard time finding the words to describe our feelings about the record-high gasoline prices facing Minnesota drivers. “Ridiculous” and “crazy” came from some gassing up in Uptown Minneapolis on Wednesday.

According to GasBuddy.com, it took just three days for prices to rise 50 cents, peaking at an average of $4.35 for a gallon of unleaded.

But from last Friday until Tuesday, the price has been dropping. Slowly. It’s been a 12 cent drop.

Why do gas prices rise quickly, but fall so slowly?

According to a 2010 report by the Federal Trade Commission, retail prices rise four times faster than they fall, when there’s a corresponding move in wholesale prices.

Researchers call it the rocket and feathers effect.

“You do tend to see a delay when there’s a reason to drop price,” said Akshay Rao, a pricing researcher and professor at University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management.

Rao said when refineries catch fire or go down, prices should go up right away, so gas stations have cash to buy the next delivery.

“My current inventory has to take into account what the market is doing,” he said.

But when fires go out and supply starts to climb, we don’t notice.

“It’s less visible, less salient, and consumers are not hammering saying, ‘Hey supply went up, prices should be dropping,’” Rao said.

On the way up, we’re all noticing the price. We’ll go elsewhere to save a penny. It’s a competitive pricing situation, and perhaps counter-intuitively, the very high prices might involve less profit-taking. On the way down, however, all of the parties involved in the production and distribution of gasoline take advantage of our lack of knowledge.

“Most if not all markets are typified by significant factions of consumers who are not well informed,” said Rao, noting “there is profit-taking” and “greed” going on.

Some researchers have found that people are less likely to drive around comparison shopping on the way down, because of the “reference price” phenomenon. When you paid prices at $4.35/gallon, seeing a price at $4.25/gallon feels like you’re saving money.

Plus, gasoline isn’t a truly competitive market, because consumers typically buy gasoline when they need it, where they usually find it.

“People are habitual shoppers when it comes to gasoline,” Rao said. “They go to two or three stations.”

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – There was a lot of debate at the Capitol this year about pay raises for Minnesota lawmakers.

But a WCCO investigation found soaring salaries are actually going to state employees who work as staff members.

Even taking out workers at the state judicial branch, MnSCU and the U of M, there are nearly 700 state employees making more than $100,000.

WCCO asked taxpayers on the street who the highest paid state employees and almost everyone told us it was Gov. Mark Dayton.

But that’s not true.

WCCO got the list of nearly 37,000 people who work for state agencies, the governor and the state legislature.

There are 107 state workers who make more than the $118,000 that Gov. Dayton pulls in each year. And 698 state workers earn more than $100,000.

There is actually a state law that says state employees can’t make more than the Governor, but the law allows for a lot of exceptions, and many exceptions allow staff members to make a lot more than their bosses.

Gov. Mark Dayton’s own chief of staff, Tina Smith, makes $124,000 — more than he does.

Legislators earn, on average, $40,000 a year.

But their salaries are dwarfed by most of their staff members’ earnings. Though the legislature is in session for five months a year at most, lawmakers have 400 full-time staff members.

And 28 of those staff members make more than $100,000, and seven make more than Gov. Dayton.

Former State Representative Phil Krinkie, who’s the President of the Taxpayers League of Minnesota said “legislative employees have very little to do” when the legislature is not in session.

Krinkie said the legislature has too many highly paid full-time workers.

“When there are few, if any, legislators in the building and no legislative session going on, there is little or nothing for many of these people to do in terms of productive work for the taxpayers,” Krinkie said.

At a news conference last month, Gov. Dayton said many highly paid state employees could make more in the private sector.

“It’s a competitive market, as it is in the private sector, and we need to be accommodating to that,” Dayton said. “Very talented and sought-after people, like our commissioners and agency heads, can get salaries 50 to 100 percent larger than that.”

But Krinkie said the state could save money by outsourcing the jobs of some of its highly paid employees.

The highest paid state employee is Howard Bicker, who earns $253,000 as the executive director of the State Investment Board.

He manages $62 billion in state investments that have averaged an 8 percent return in 10 years.

Krinkie said someone like Bicker is highly skilled and has done a good job, but that the real question is whether the state should contract with an outside firm to handle the state’s investments.

“The real question is, ‘Is that a necessary role for someone in state government, or should those funds be managed from outside investment firms?’” Krinkie said.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services has 20 doctors working at state hospitals who make more than $200,000 a year. The Department of Corrections has five dentists making more than $120,000 each.

“Is it more cost effective to contract out for dental services, or do you hire a dentist who is going to be on location?” Krinkie said.

And then there is the question of duplication. The Office of Enterprise Technology is in charge of computer services for the state, and has 51 employees earning more than $100,000.

Yet each individual state agency still has its own IT officers who earn as much as $132,000 each.

“Do you really need that many IT people, not only in a central office, but in each agency,” Krinkie said.

While the issue of raising legislative salaries has been hotly debated, Krinkie said the larger issue of overall state employee pay is off the radar.

“Few state legislators really take the time to take a look at what is really going on in the internal workings of state government and that is why we have bureaucratic bloat,” Krinkie said.

WCCO did not hear back from the DFL House or Senate leaders for comment. A spokesperson said the state is working on a plan to consolidate IT services, but denied there is duplication.

As for lawmakers, voters will decide in 2016 if a council should set legislators’ pay.

Want a closer look? Check out these links.

Executive Branch Employee With Total Regular Wages Over $100,000

Minnesota Senate Salary Roster

Minnesota Senate 2012 Expenses

Minnesota House Salary Roster

Minnesota House Per Diem Rankings

*All State Agencies

H2M, a Fargo-based advertising and marketing agency, filed the lawsuit against Dane Boedigheimer and Spencer Grove in U.S. District Court in North Dakota on Monday. Boedigheimer and Grove are the creators of the animated series “Annoying Orange.”

H2M alleges Boedigheimer and Grove ripped off a copyrighted character called The Talking Orange that was created for television commercials for the North Dakota Department of Transportation. The commercials aired in North Dakota and western Minnesota from 2005 to 2010. The lawsuit also names Annoying Orange LLC and Annoying Orange Inc., both based in California.

“Defendants Dane Boedigheimer and Spencer Grove were raised, resided, educated, attended film school, were employed and first obtained access to ‘The Talking Orange’ in North Dakota and western Minnesota — the same area where Plaintiff H2M’s ‘The Talking Orange’ and its derivatives, were widely disseminated on cable television,” the suit states.

The Talking Orange is comprised of an inanimate orange that has a superimposed mouth with lips, tongue and teeth. An actor’s mouth speaking the character’s part is composited onto the orange. It has a “snotty, annoying and slightly obnoxious” voice, which gives it an abrasive and abusive persona, the lawsuit stated.

“Like ‘The Talking Orange,’ ‘Annoying Orange’ appears to be speaking with a ‘voice’ that is perfectly in sync with the movement of the actor’s mouth, lips, teeth and tongue,” according to the lawsuit.

Boedigheimer and Grove are both North Dakota natives and attended college at Minnesota State University-Moorhead before relocating to California, the lawsuit said. Both still have family members in North Dakota and western Minnesota.

H2M is seeking damages, an injunction prohibiting Boedigheimer and Grove from profiting off their product, and attorneys’ fees.

A representative of Boedigheimer and the producers of the show said she could not comment on current litigation. A spokeswoman for Cartoon Network also said the channel had no comment.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Minnesotans United for All Families leader Richard Carlbom provided the figure to The Associated Press ahead of a mid-June deadline to report lobbying during the just-completed legislative session. About $400,000 to $500,000 was spent on TV ads, he said.

Minnesotans United likely will rank at or near the top of 2013 legislative lobbying, if historical spending is any guide. The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and Xcel Energy are the only entities to recently surpass the $2 million mark in a single year, and some of that includes lobbying state utilities regulators.

The Minnesotans United money fueled a personal lobbying effort, phone banks and television commercials. The group used 14 lobbyists.

In contrast, the main opposition group, Minnesotans for Marriage, had three registered lobbyists.

Gay marriage advocates went from narrowly defeating a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage last fall to winning the new law in mid-May.

“In order to be successful in the legislative effort, we couldn’t let it feel like there was any letup at all,” Carlbom said of the heavy spending.

The turnabout was sudden, but not entirely surprising given the Democratic takeover of both legislative chambers.

With majorities sympathetic to their cause, supporters of gay marriage saw the legislation pass with room to spare. In the House, it passed 75-59 with four Republicans joining all but two Democrats. Days later, the Senate approved the bill 37-30 with one Republican in favor and three Democrats joining the opposing side.

Gov. Mark Dayton signed the bill in front of a crowd of thousands. Minnesota was the first Midwestern state to enact gay marriage through legislative vote and the 12th state overall to allow it. Couples can begin to wed on Aug. 1.

Minnesota United has now shifted gears. In has set up a political action fund that group leaders say will be used to help legislators who voted for gay marriage in their next campaigns.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The landslide at Lilydale Regional Park swept over a group of children from Peter Hobart Elementary School in St. Louis Park, burying one to the waist and completely burying another, Fire Marshal Steve Zaccard said.

Another child suffered minor injuries in the landslide, which happened about 1:15 p.m. The three children were taken to Regions Hospital, and one died, Zaccard said. The child with minor injuries was treated and released, and the other child is in serious condition, Zaccard said.

The search proceeded cautiously for the fourth child as light rain fell throughout the afternoon. Zaccard described that search as a recovery effort.

Crews were trying to make the scene safe Wednesday night, using fire hoses to wash away loose dirt before it falls on searchers, Zaccard said. Digging had stopped earlier, and crews were setting up lights and preparing to search into the night, he said.

“Obviously we have a very tragic situation here today,” Mayor Chris Coleman said at a news conference hours after the gravel slide.

Police and firefighters dug frantically with shovels and their hands to get to the children, Zaccard said. He estimated it took an hour to rescue a child buried to the waist, and another half-hour to reach the buried child as more workers and equipment were moved in.

As news of the gravel slide broke, parents gathered at the school, located in a western Minneapolis suburb several miles away, to await their children.

Zaccard said several days of rain had softened the ground at the park, but it and nearby Cherokee Park were open and available to the public Wednesday. Brad Meyer, the city’s parks and recreation spokesman, said it’s rare to close a park “unless there is a major hazardous condition.”

“We didn’t have any indication that we should close the park or that it was unsafe,” Meyer said.

The area is popular for school field trips because students can hunt for fossils in the soft sandstone cliffs, said Michael Rutzick, who was at the park Wednesday and lives in nearby Mendota Heights.

“It’s all sandstone. Sandstone and trees,” Rutzick said.

Tammy Olson, who lives two blocks away, was at the scene with her two young nephews Wednesday. She said she never considered the park dangerous.

“I’ve been here six years, and my husband has been here 23. He said there’s never been an issue with accidents down there,” Olson said.

A firefighter also was injured by a falling rock but was expected to recover, Zaccard said. Another firefighter suffered a back injury, and both firefighters were back home, the fire department tweeted.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The company, based in Minneapolis, also cut its annual profit outlook, sending its stock down in premarket trading.

Target is the latest in a string of companies including rival Wal-Mart Stores Inc. that underscore how weather and other pressures have squeezed business in the first couple months of the year.

Still, Target, whose sales growth has been uneven since the recession, remains confident in its strategies to attract shoppers.

Target has reached out to customers with two big growth initiatives. It has been offering a larger selection of food and also a program, started in 2010, that gives shoppers a 5 percent discount when they pay with Target-branded credit and debit cards.

At the same time, Target continues to team up with new designers for limited-time partnerships. Earlier this month, Target announced its latest designer collaboration, with Phillip Lim. The collection is due out in September.

Last year, Target expanded into urban markets using smaller versions of its big-box stores in Seattle, Los Angeles and Chicago.

Target also started to expand into Canada earlier this year, its first foray outside the U.S. The company is opening the stores in waves that should add up to about 125 stores at locations once owned by Canadian retailer Zellers by the end of the year. During the first quarter, it opened 24 stores in Canada.

“Target’s first- quarter earnings were below expectations as a result of softer-than-expected sales, particularly in apparel and other seasonal and weather-sensitive categories,” Gregg Steinhafel, chairman, president and CEO of Target, said in a statement. “While we are disappointed in our first-quarter performance, we remain confident in our strategy, and we continue to invest in initiatives, including Canada, our digital channels, and CityTarget, that will drive Target’s long-term growth.”

Target said it earned $498 million, or 77 cents per share, for the three months ended May 4. That compares with $697 million, or $1.04 per share, a year earlier.

Excluding items related to its Canadian expansion and retirement of certain debt, the company earned $1.05 per share.

Sales rose 1 percent to $16.71 billion.

Revenue at stores open at least a year slipped 0.6 percent as the number of transactions fell 1.9 percent. That’s considered an important measure of retail performance because it strips out the effect of stores that open or close during the year.

Analysts had expected earnings of 95 cents per share on revenue of $16.82 billion.

Target expects that adjusted earnings per share will be in a range between $1.09 and $1.19 for the current quarter.

For the full year, the company now expects $4.70 per share to $4.90 per share. That’s down from its original guidance of $4.85 per share to $5.05 per share.

Analysts had forecast $1.11 per share for the second quarter and $4.63 per share for the year.

The results come a week after Wal-Mart, the world’s largest retailer, reported that its first-quarter profit edged up just slightly, and the company struggled with a sales malaise in its namesake business.

Revenue at stores open at least year at its namesake U.S. business dropped 1.4 percent, the first decline since the second quarter of 2011.

Wal-Mart also offered a quarterly profit outlook that came below Wall Street’s projections. Wal-Mart blamed a litany of factors affecting its budget-conscious customers, including a payroll tax increase, delayed tax refunds, job worries and bad weather. The company did say that sales this month have been rebounding.

Target’s stock dropped more than 2 percent to $69.75 per share in premarket trading.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — It’s lunchtime at Cyndi Cunningham’s in home day care where for the past 15 years she’s operated her non-union business, caring for the children of working parents.

Now, her non-union status would be forced to change under legislation approved in the closing hours of the legislative session. By a 68-66 vote, the Minnesota house passed a measure granting the right to unionize Minnesota’s in-home child care providers and personal care attendants.

The law would require any day care provider of a child on state assistance to join or pay their fair share union dues. That assistance is known as the Child Care Assistance program.

“At this point in time I can conduct business with anybody I want without reprisal. It’s my choice, my freedom and the family’s freedom. This puts a constriction on what families of similar providers can choose to do,” Cunningham said.

Despite heated legislative debate and vocal protests at the capitol, it’s now up to the state’s 12,700 licensed and unlicensed in home child care providers to decide if they want the right to collective bargaining.

“They won what they’ve been fighting for a decade,” Jennifer Munt said.

Munt is the director of public policy for AFSCME, the union which now has until 2017 to put the matter up to a vote.

“What we’ve heard from providers is that they like to raise the reimbursement rates, improve access to good training and take care of families on the waiting list for child care support,” Munt said.

Presently, 16 other states allow day care providers to unionize. Cunningham expects a legal challenge on grounds the new law will force providers like her to pay for a union they don’t want or need.

“It’s a dramatic change in our business,” Cunningham said.

The state’s 12,000 personal care attendants (PCAs) are also covered by the law and will be allowed to vote on union representation.

About half of the jobs being eliminated are in the U.S., according to the Associated Press. A Medtronic spokeswoman said about 65 percent of the job cuts have already occurred. The rest will be eliminated in the current fiscal year that ends next April.

Out of the total 2,000 jobs to be cut 230 were announced by Medtronic earlier this month at the company’s Memphis-based spine facility.

Medtronic shares rose 5 percent Tuesday after the company reported better-than-expected fourth quarter earnings on sales of implantable heart defibrillators and pacemakers.

The world’s largest medical device maker reported net income of $969 million, or 95 cents per share, a decrease of 2 percent from $991 million in the prior-year period. Excluding one-time events and gains the company would have earned $1.12 billion, or $1.10 per share. Revenue rose 4 percent to $4.46 billion for the period ended April 26.

That was better than estimates of analysts polled by FactSet who predicted earnings per share of $1.03 on revenue of $4.38 billion.

“With our scale and breadth of innovative technology, Medtronic is clearly outperforming the market,” said CEO Omar Ishrak, in a statement.

Shares of Medtronic Inc. rose $2.58 to $52.47 in afternoon trading.

Sales of the company’s pacemakers and implantable defibrillators increased 3 percent to $1.33 billion, driven by international sales. Sales of spinal treatments slipped 1 percent to $811 million while neuromodulation devices increased 6 percent to $492 million.

The results suggest Medtronic may be regaining momentum after years of sluggish sales of its two leading products: implantable heart devices and spinal implants. The company’s defibrillators have been hurt by safety recalls and reduced medical spending.

The Minneapolis company’s spinal business has been hurt by revelations about the company’s handling of studies and marketing of its protein bone graft Infuse. Last year a Senate investigation concluded that the company helped write and edit medical journal articles about the graft that downplayed its risks. InFuse contains a genetically engineered protein that can stimulate bone growth.

For fiscal year 2014 Medtronic said it expects earnings per share between $3.80 and $3.85 on revenue of $17 billion to $17.2 billion.

(TM and © Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Its adjusted earnings beat Wall Street expectations, but revenue fell short as the company faced tough pricing competition during the quarter. Its shares fell in premarket trading.

The company has been working on a turnaround plan as it faces increased competition from online retailers and discount stores. The plan includes closing stores, cutting costs and investing in training for its employees. In April it also said it would sell its 50 percent stake in its European joint venture to streamline its business and strengthen its balance sheet.

The electronics retailer says net loss for the three months ended May 4 after paying preferred dividends totaled $81 million, or 24 cents per share. That compares with net income of $158 million, or 46 cents per share, last year.

Excluding restructuring costs and costs related to selling its stake in Best Buy Europe, it earned 36 cents per share. That beat the 24 cents per share that analysts expected, according to FactSet.

Revenue fell nearly 10 percent to $9.38 billion, short of expectations of $10.67 billion. Revenue in stores open at least one year fell 1.1 percent. The measure is a key gauge of a retailer’s expectations because it excludes stores that open or close during the year.

CEO Hubert Joly said results were hurt by the shift of Super Bowl, which typically drives TV sales, into the prior quarter, and the decision to reduce sales in some non-core businesses.

CFO Sharon McCollam said the company expects the price competitiveness that hurt per share results in the first quarter will continue into the second. She added that adding Samsung store-within-stores and restructuring retail floor space at some stores are expected to hurt some stores as well.

The investments in its turnaround plan, however are expected to be “substantially offset” by the company’s cost cutting initiatives.

Best Buy shares fell 48 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $26.33 in premarket trading about 75 minutes ahead of the market opening.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The Twin Cities is averaging $4.34 per gallon, while Chicago’s averaging $4.30. Honolulu is third with $4.26.

Earlier this week Sen. Amy Klobuchar called on the Department of Energy to take action.

“This spike in gas prices is hurting families, businesses and farmers across Minnesota and disrupting commerce,” Klobuchar had said. “Scheduled maintenance at refineries should not be allowed to cause such major disruptions in supply. That’s why I have called on the Department of Energy to thoroughly review the closures and the timing of maintenance operations and take action to prevent future supply problems that cause consumers pain at the pump.”

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The term “Going Green” can be a little intimidating.

But Saturday at the Union Depot in St. Paul, MN Goes Green organizers hope to make it easy with everything from repurposing items in your house, to fashion and food.

“I think most people want to do the right thing,” said Scott Mayer of MN Goes Green. “They want to recycle and make the earth a friendly place.”

And MN Goes Green can help.

“We have over 35 vendors who are going to be there offering some really simple do it yourself ways to be environmentally friendly,” Mayer said.

Co-ops such as Mississippi Market get fresh food, grown locally, no matter the season.

“We have more co-ops in Minnesota than anywhere else in the country,” said Liz McMann of Mississippi Market

People will also be able to bring old garments from their closet to have them turned into something new — a dress was even made out of a shower curtain.

And knick knacks from around the house turn into treasures, like cigar boxes becoming bird houses.

Owners of electric cars will also be outside the Union Depot, and can answer questions about how the cars work and how much they cost to run.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — What’s 10,000 Minutes of Minnesota Craft Beer?

It’s a packed week with member events and 612 Brew is a good place to start, as a cold one could, in fact, be considered art.

“When you look at art, you want to appreciate it, you want to take it in — it’s the same thing with beer, a lot of work goes into it,” Robert Kasak said.

This isn’t the only taproom to taste.

“There’s 10,000 variations of beer when you look at the industry, the home brewers in the state of Minnesota,” said Clint Roberts, executive director of the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild.

And with 10,000 minutes in a week, the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild is hoping everyone fills their time with ales and lagers — like 612 Brew’s ginger beer.

“I literally grate 70 pounds of ginger and throw it into the boiler,” Kasak said.

The labor of love can be found in the 50 breweries across the state.

“When you buy a Minnesota craft beer, or a local item, it literally is brewed by the guy down the street in your town,” Roberts said. “It supports your friends and neighbors.”

If you don’t want to fight the crowds in northeast Minneapolis, there are events all over the state, from Duluth to Rochester.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Some elementary school kids in south Minneapolis got some real show-and-tell this morning.

FFA high school kids from the Morris area brought real farm animals to Risen Christ Catholic School. The idea was to teach city kids where their food comes from, and the big grills were fired up.

Everyone who wanted a burger got one for lunch.

“You ask them questions like, Where does your burger come from? And they say the grill. Where does your pizza come from? Little Ceaser’s. You know, they have all these ideas of the food comes from a grocery store or a restaurant,” said Natasha Mortenson, an FFA advisor.

The Future Farmers of America (FAA) get funding for this outreach from commodity groups, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and others.

The Greater North Dakota Chamber has created billboards that mock proposals in the Minnesota Legislature, including bills that would raise certain taxes.

The first billboard went up Thursday along Interstate 94 in Moorhead, Minn., which is across the Red River from Fargo. It reads “NORTH DAKOTA” on the top line and “OPEN FOR BUSINESS” on the bottom.

Moorhead City Council member Mark Hintermeyer says he considers the message unproductive and confrontational and wants the sign taken down immediately.

North Dakota Chamber President Andy Peterson says one of the objectives of the campaign is to help Minnesota improve its business environment. He says that would benefit the entire region.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

The plants would be built near Hankinson, about 70 miles south of Fargo, if they are approved by regulators. The proposed site is near both a natural gas pipeline and an electrical transmission line, according to The Forum newspaper.

The plants would go into service in 2018 and 2019. Each would be capable of generating up to 215 megawatts of electricity, or enough to power about 130,000 homes.

Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy also has proposed a 215-megawatt natural gas-powered peaking plant near Minneapolis that would go into operation in 2017. The three plants are planned to meet a gradual increase in power demand in Xcel’s service area, which includes Minnesota and the Dakotas.

If the two North Dakota plants are built, they would be the first power generation plants in North Dakota to be owned and operated by Xcel, which has 90,000 electricity customers in the state, mostly in the eastern cities of Fargo and Grand Forks.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – As farmers get underway with their spring planting, some bee farmers in Minnesota are already counting their losses.

In the last couple days one major producer reported that thousands of honey bees suddenly died.

In 2005, Minnesota was the sixth largest honey producer in the nation. But since 2006, millions of bee colonies have died off in Minnesota and across the nation.

“Whatever it is, it’s affecting the nervous system of the bees,” said Rand Honl of Honl’s Bees, Inc.

When Honl checked on his hives Tuesday morning, it wasn’t the bees in the air that caught his attention but the ones on the ground.

Bee keeping runs in the family. Every spring Honl and his wife bring thousands of honeybees cross-country from Texas to Winthrop, Minn. Their honey is shipped across the country. But in more than 50 years of business, Honl has never seen this.

Their bees were fine last week, now most of the worker bees are gone.

Each bee box Honl has produces about 100 pounds of honey. Worker bees make all of the production possible.

Worker bees bring in the pollen, and Honl thinks by venturing into farm fields his bees were hit by pesticides.

“It’s something to do with farm chemicals. Right now, you know, they’re planting. They’re spraying. It’s got to be something to do with farm chemicals,” Honl said.

And Honl believes he isn’t alone. Other beekeepers across the country have reported similar problems. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture took samples of his dead bees, as did Bayer Crop Science, a company that makes pesticides.

It’s still too early to determine what killed Honl’s bees.

In a statement, Bayer said: “Reports of this kind should be carefully investigated. (We) understand the necessity for healthy bees as pollinators for agriculture and food production.”

Whatever the cause, it’s a major buzzkill for Honl’s business.

“You see this, and it’s just the pits, you know,” said Honl.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has reported that there isn’t one specific cause for the drop in bee colonies in the United States.

In addition to certain pesticides, the USDA says mass planting of a single crop and certain parasites have also been factors.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Tom and Marcia Sheppleman asked: Where does Minnesota’s gas come from?

Almost all of Minnesota’s gasoline is refined here in Minnesota, according to the Department of Commerce. The Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery near Rosemount makes 70 percent of the state’s gas. The rest comes from the Marathon Refinery in St. Paul Park.

Minnesota’s oil comes almost exclusively from Canada. But the amount fluctuates, according to Jake Reint, spokesman for Flint Hills in Minnesota.

He said that 80 to 90 percent of the oil for they purchase to make gasoline is from Canada. Pine Bend also brings oil in from North Dakota. In the past they’ve brought some in from the Gulf of Mexico.

Sheila from Stacy asked: What does a couple closed Chicago refineries have to do with our prices?

Because those repairs are taking a while, Minnesota refineries were selling gas to Chicago, according to Patrick DeHaan, petroleum analyst from GasBuddy.com. Right now the entire region has a tight supply… and so prices here jumped quickly.

Diane Runyan from New Brighton: Where is the North Dakota oil going?

According to Justin Kringstad and North Dakota’s Pipeline Authority, 71 percent of the oil goes out on train cars to refineries on the coasts.

Eight percent of the oil stays in North Dakota at its only refinery. Twenty percent goes on pipelines to the Midwest, some to Minnesota.

Dave Johnson from Owatonna: Why do they shut down several refineries at the same time?

Different companies own those refineries, and right now it would be against anti-trust laws to coordinate like that.

If you knew that two refineries were going to do maintenance, you might stockpile and take advantage of the higher price, according to Reint from Flint Hills.

“If you know the markets going to be short a certain number of barrels, you’d have a huge issue,” Reint said.

He said the equipment is set up to do maintenance on a part of the facility while continuing to produce gasoline from other parts of the operation.

“It’s a very competitive marketplace, and there are serious anti-trust rules. We don’t know what other refineries are doing,” said Reint.

Regardless, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), is calling for an investigation to see if there are ways to prevent having multiple closures in the same region at the same time.

“Scheduled maintenance should not be allowed to contribute to such a major gasoline shortage,” Klobuchar said.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – WCCO viewers picked what they believed to be the Best Patio in Minnesota, and Psycho Suzi’s in Northeast Minneapolis came out on top.

When sitting on Psycho Suzi’s patio, it’s easy to feel like you’ve left the North Star state.

“I describe it as your tropical oasis in Minne-snow-ta,” said Psycho Suzi’s Shannon Weed.

There are thatched umbrellas, tropical flowers, and a full assortment of umbrella drinks.

Suzi’s has been a Nordeast favorite for a decade, but only moved to the edge of the river a few years ago.

“Having this amazing opportunity to be on the Mississippi, I think that is hugely beneficial,” Weed said.

Not only did it give them more space, but it allowed for a whole new type of customer.

“We have people that cruise up on their boats, hang out here for the day, then cruise back down the river,” she said.

In fact, not only is the super-sized patio dog friendly, they’ve added a second level.

“I mean, it’s a balcony, overlooking a 300-person patio on the Mississippi,” Shannon said. “It’s kinda like a no-brainer, you have to do it.”

Add that to a menu packed with scratch-made pizzas, and Minnesota’s beloved tater tots, and it’s easy to see why Suzi’s patio has quickly become a summer staple.

“It’s just the amount of care that goes into it because we know how, how important this patio is not only for us, but for Minnesota,” Weed said.

This weekend would be a good time to check the patio out as Art-A-Whirl is taking place, and Suzi’s will be hosting a puppy fashion show.

The top two percent of income earners will pay two percent more on a portion of their income. The per-pack tax on cigarettes will rise by $1.60. Some corporate tax preferences will go away. But there won’t be any changes to the alcohol tax.

Gov. Mark Dayton, House Speaker Paul Thissen and Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk say the agreement will pave the way for the Legislature to pass its budget before a mandatory Monday night adjournment to the session.

Combined, the taxes will generate $2 billion more for Minnesota’s two-year budget. But the leaders say there is $400 million in potential property tax relief in their plan.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Drivers, and their wallets, have likely noticed the big 15 percent jump in gas prices this week. Some saw prices as high as $4.29 a gallon.

So, we sent Heather Brown to find out how people can get a little relief. Watch the report above to find out!

The Upper Mississippi Academy would serve students from prekindergarten through 12th grade. It would use about 200,000 square feet in nine historic buildings on the Upper Post overlooking Fort Snelling State Park.

The plan was one of five ideas submitted to the DNR in response to a request for proposals for restoring and reusing 28 historic buildings that were part of a military facility near the Minneapolis airport that has sat mostly vacant for the past 40 years.

While the school is the only project moving ahead at this time, the DNR says it may continue discussions with other proposers regarding potential reuse of other parts of the Upper Post.

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The figures released by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development show that the state’s jobless rate fell to its lowest point since May of 2008. It’s also below the national rate of 7.5 percent.

Officials said employers eliminated 11,400 jobs in April, but the state overall has gained more than 24,000 jobs over the past year. The state’s job growth rate of one percent is slightly below the national mark of 1.6 percent during that time.

State officials said losses occurred most heavily in transportation and utilities, government and leisure and hospitality. The greatest gains came in education and health services and professional and business services.

A budget bill approved Wednesday in the House would temporarily chop the rates to produce savings to businesses of $346 million over the next two years.

The tax is based on the wages paid at for-profit companies. The bill, which the Senate is poised to pass Thursday, also cuts an additional assessment on businesses.

The cuts are happening because the unemployment insurance trust fund is brimming. The fund’s financial health has improved as the economy has rebounded. If the fund balance deteriorates, the full rate cut would not happen.

The rate cuts have no bearing on the general state budget because the unemployment insurance fund is maintained outside the main treasury.

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — “When did that happen?” is the question most motorists are asking Wednesday, after seeing the latest price for a tank of gas.

Gas prices shot up to more than $4 statewide overnight — the highest being reported as $4.25 in the west metro, according to Gail Weinholzer, director of public affairs for AAA Minnesota/Iowa.

Even at Costco, which is typically the cheapest for gas, is reporting $4.09, she said.

And unfortunately, Weinholzer said there’s no relief on the way.

“What’s interesting is that over the last month we’ve seen about a 30-cent increase and yet, we’ve also seen a 30-cent increase today alone,” she said. “We started the day at an average in Minnesota of about $3.85 and virtually every place that I’ve talked to today is reporting in excess of $4.19.”

Weinholzer said on Thursday, we’ll “shatter” the previous record for the highest statewide average for gas. The previous record was $3.98 in July 16, 2008.

“Tomorrow morning we will report the highest statewide average that has ever occurred in the state of Minnesota,” she said.

The reason for this crazy price hike?

Two large refineries in the Chicago area — one owned by BP, the other owned by Exxon Mobil — have shut down for an extended period of time for maintenance, Weinholzer said.

“It’s not unusual for refineries to close for a week or so for maintenance but when I say ‘extended,’ one of these facilities has been closed since the middle of April and neither of them will restart before Memorial Day,” she said.

That means the supply has been severely constricted and subsequently, prices have shot up.

For those of you that typically try to wait it out and refill when the price drops again, you may be waiting longer than you’d like.

Weinholzer said we will not see any relief in prices at the pump before mid-June and there’s a chance we won’t see any significant relief before the Fourth of July.

“This is affecting the entire upper Midwest, from North Dakota to Michigan,” she said.

Rumors that the gas spike has something to do with the upcoming Memorial Day weekend — and big traveling weekend at that — are false, Weinholzer said.

“That is absolutely not the case,” she said. “There’s a significant portion of the country paying significantly less for gas than we are.”

Weinholzer said their website, fuelgaugereport.com shows a graphic where motorists can see this rise in gas prices is only hitting the Midwest region.

A glimpse at what is known and what is left to be decided on taxes, which are being raised to plug a future $627 million budget hole and increase spending for education, property tax relief and job creation grants.

TAXING THE TOP

Gov. Mark Dayton, whose family founded the department store chain that spawned Target Corp., campaigned on a “tax-the-rich” platform. In year three of his term, that will come to pass.

It’s the workhorse tax in the budget framework between Dayton and Democrats who run the Legislature. They have agreed to establish a new fourth tier on the state’s income tax. It would hit the top 2 percent of earners — applied to taxable income above $250,000 for married couples and $150,000 for single filers.

The new tax rate is still subject to negotiation, but will fall somewhere between 8.49 percent and 9.85 percent. That’s above the state’s current top tax rate of 7.85 percent.

THE TOP OF THE TOP

The tax burden could be even heavier for some.

As part of the agreement, there will be a temporary surcharge on taxable income above $500,000. The money derived from that will pay off roughly $850 million in state debt to schools racked up during prior budget fixes. Once that debt is erased, the surcharge goes away.

Here’s the catch: When lawmakers vote they won’t know the tax rate. It probably won’t be set until August, when the state budget agency formally closes the books on the last fiscal year. Any money left over from this fiscal year goes to repay schools, meaning the amount the surcharge needs to raise gets smaller.

Rep. Ann Lenczewski, the House Tax Committee chairwoman, said she expects the surcharge to be a couple of percentage points or less. It would start with this tax year.

TOBACCO TAX

People who smoke or chew tobacco will play a big role in bailing out the state budget.

Hundreds of millions of dollars will be drawn from higher tobacco taxes.

The per-pack tax on cigarettes will rise by at least 94 cents but perhaps as much as $1.60.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk said he would be surprised to see Minnesota’s tax shoot past the Wisconsin rate. That state now charges $2.52 per pack, and Minnesota would match that by upping its tax by $1.29.

The excise tax on moist snuff and cigars could go up by 20 percent or more.

STRETCHED SALES TAX

More things will fall under the state sales tax, but the list isn’t nearly as long as it once was.

The tax will touch services that are now exempt. Businesses that seek custom computer software and those that route their goods through warehouses will pay tax on those services, for instance. Admission to premium stadium seats and suites at sporting events will be taxed, too.

Most goods and services sold directly to consumers that weren’t taxed before won’t be taxed now. A plan to tax clothing, tattoos, wedding services, over-the-counter drugs, home maintenance and car repairs was dropped.

The extra money from the sales tax would pay for a sales tax exemption planned for purchases by city and county governments. The exemption will cost state government about $100 million per year, but lawmakers say it should ease pressure on locally imposed property taxes.

ALCOHOL TAX

House Democrats are keeping open the possibility of raising beer, wine and liquor taxes for the first time since 1987.

But their budget dance partners don’t want to go that route, especially top officials in the Senate.

The House plan would fetch more than $338 million from the added booze tax. Its backers claim that it amounts to 7 cents per drink, but brewers and others in the alcohol industry argue that the true impact on consumers could be twice that because the cost will be passed throughout the production and retail chain.

PROPERTY TAXES

While state taxes rise, Democrats are confident that property taxes will be tamped down — or even cut.

The budget outline has $400 million set aside for programs aimed at preventing increases in the taxes imposed by local governments. Some of the money takes the form of extra aid to cities and counties. Some will be used to buy off levies that schools use to supplement their state aid.

And some will go directly to renters and homeowners through existing tax relief programs.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Arctic Cat posted a smaller-than-expected loss in its fiscal fourth-quarter, as sales improved across all product lines.

The maker of recreational vehicles and snowmobiles said Wednesday that it is reinstating its quarterly dividend and approved the buyback of up to $30 million of its stock due to its strong performance, healthy cash flow and future prospects.

Arctic Cat lost $5.1 million, or 38 cents per share, during the traditionally slow fourth quarter. That compares with a loss of $6.2 million, or 49 cents per share, a year earlier.

Analysts, on average, expected a loss of 41 cents per share, according to a FactSet survey.

Revenue for the period ended March 31 increased 15 percent to $113.2 million from $98.5 million. Wall Street was looking for $121.4 million in revenue.

All-terrain vehicle/side-by-side revenue climbed 16 percent to $87.6 million mostly on strong dealer demand for Wildcat side-by-sides and North American ATVs and Prowlers. Snowmobile revenue improved mostly because of sales incentives. Sales of parts, clothing and accessories rose 5 percent to $31 million primarily because of snowmobile parts sales.

For the year, Arctic Cat Inc. earned $39.7 million, or $2.89 per share. In the previous year, the company earned $29.9 million, or $1.72 per share.

Annual revenue rose 15 percent to $671.6 million from $585.3 million, buoyed by better sales of snowmobiles and side-by-side, all-terrain vehicles.

Chairman and CEO Claude Jordan said in a statement that increased sales volumes and cost-control efforts helped its full-year performance.

Arctic Cat anticipates 2014 earnings between $3.17 and $3.27 per share on revenue in a range of $754 million to $768 million. Analysts expect earnings of $3.29 per share on revenue of $727.9 million.

The company declared a quarterly dividend of 10 cents per share. The dividend will be paid on June 14 to shareholders of record on May 31. Arctic Cat currently has about 13.2 million outstanding shares.

Its shares finished at $48.74 on Tuesday after hitting a 52-week high of $48.84 earlier in the day.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Just a day after the new Vikings Stadium design was unveiled, a new redevelopment plan is in the works for the stadium’s backyard.

The city of Minneapolis is partnering with Ryan Companies to build a $400 million project in east downtown that includes a parking ramp, offices, retail space, housing space, and a park called “The Yard” – all with connecting skyways.

Web Extra: “The Yard” Photo Gallery

“There were all sorts of plans for this part of downtown but nothing has ever happened,” said Mayor R.T. Rybak. “Well, dog days are over. We are announcing one of the largest developments in the history of Minneapolis that will transform this area.”

The project will require the Star Tribune to relocate downtown and will generate about 2,000 jobs. Ryan Companies will be covering most of the costs. The city will be responsible for $65 million, which they plan to pay for by selling a bond and collecting revenue from the parking ramp.

“We want to create an urban park experience and a development that has excellent transit access and is very appealing to anyone who lives and works there,” said Ryan Companies VP of Development Rick Collins.

“You can do an awful lot when you bring a development that generates 3.5 million dollars a year”, Rybak said.

The Yard will be open for tailgating on game days. The city plans to break ground on the project in spring 2014 and finish it by 2016.

The initial environmental impact statement for the PolyMet mine near Hoyt Lakes was released in 2009, but the federal Environmental Protection Agency called it inadequate. PolyMet announced the completion of the updated version on Monday.

In response to criticism of the original, PolyMet has made several changes to its mine proposal. Among other things, it now plans to treat all its wastewater discharges with reverse osmosis to meet the state’s sulfate standard for waters where wild rice grows.

The report will be released for public review later this summer.

The Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness says the new report should get the highest level of scrutiny.

(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

MAPLE GROVE, Minn. (WCCO) – Nadia Cakes in Maple Grove has people lining up for their delicious cupcakes. And the story of how the shop’s owner ended up in Minnesota is perfect for Mother’s Day weekend.

Abby Jimenez won The Food Network’s Cupcake Wars with an absolutely incredible Triple Berry Cheesecake Cupcake.

“There’s the graham cracker crust, New York-style vanilla bean cheesecake,” Jimenez explains. “It’s got a sour cream glaze, whipped cream, graham cracker, and triple berry compote.”

Jimenez has zero official training as a chef. She took a cake decorating class and started experimenting. Her first Nadia Cakes store was in California.

“My husband and I wanted to open a second store,” she said. “We took a 23-state, cross-country trip, and landed in Minnesota. The three kids are in public school, which is fantastic here. They have all their friends in the neighborhood, and the people here are very welcoming.”

The children’s family portrait hangs in the bakery at Nadia Cakes — and yes, Nadia is the middle child.

“Nadia lets it go to her head,” Jimenez said. “She comes into the shop and tells people it’s her shop.”

Nadia Cakes use a little pudding in the batter, and a magical extract that costs $145 per bottle.

Every day there are at least 14 different flavors up for sale.

“Yesterday, we had 24 flavors in the case, today we have about 18,” Jimenez said.

Valentine’s Day is the biggest week for the store, but Mother’s Day is a close second.

“It’s all about our kids,” Jimenez said. “This is a family-run business. My husband I both work the business. It’s family first. We did it for the kids.”

Jimenez still has her Nadia Cakes store in California — she and her husband take turns flying back to check on it.

It’s part of the Midwestern fight in many towns to slow down the growth of sand mines and production facilities.

Those against the sand mines want lawmakers to step in.

In part four of Inside Minnesota – and our conclusion to the series – WCCO’s Susie Jones talks to a lawmaker about what’s being done to answer citizens’ concerns.

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) – Mother’s Day is almost here.

And that means a lot of us will be sending flowers to the women who mean the most to us.

WCCO viewers’ choice for Minnesota’s best flower shop is Martha’s Gardens.

Tucked away in St. Paul’s Merriam Park is a busy little flower shop capable of producing some very big work.

Martha Gabler Lunde — the Martha in Martha’s Gardens — is one of those people who ooze creativity.

Whether her focus is on flowers, or painting, or music, she’s always thinking. But even with her active imagination, Martha never envisioned opening her own shop.

“I do love the industry and what I do,” she said. “But owning a business, and being a mother wasn’t exactly in the plans.”

Those plans changed 15 years ago when Martha’s husband suddenly got very ill, and she was faced with the possibility of supporting her family all on her own.

“I don’t know that I would have had quite all of the ambition and drive had I not been going through such a health crisis within my family,” she said.

But her husband bounced back and her business blossomed.

Now her creativity is in full bloom. Martha isn’t shy about using non-traditional ingredients in her designs.

The hope is that customers are able to find the same joy in the arrangements that Martha and her crew find in making them.

“I think really it’s just about giving to people … distributing happiness,” she said.

The competition was tight this week, too, Angela’s Bella Flora in Duluth was a close runner-up.

In this installment of Inside Minnesota, WCCO’s Susie Jones talks to two concerned citizens who want to put the brakes on this project.

Listen.

Inside Minnesota: Silica Sand Storm (Part 3)

Susie went to a mine that’s been in operation for decades where they showed her how St. Charles’ proposed sand mine would work.

Inside Minnesota: Silica Sand Storm (Part 2)