I realize this is the first workday for the Obama administration, but let's relive Tuesday's history through local eyes. A partisan Riverview Theater crowd ripped it up watching the Inaugural, the PiPress' Richard Chin reports. Many in the audience turned their backs on Rick Warren to protest the invocation pastor's opposition to gay marriage. There's a fun report from WCCO's Frank Vascellaro on "clippers silent" at a north Minneapolis barbershop. MPR's Brandt Williams went non-credentialed with a Minneapolis group.

If you're looking for controversy, one Apple Valley Middle School parent's complaint turned Obama's inaugural optional for students, WCCO's Esme Murphy notes. Sigh. Outstate students proved that viewing the event was good for critical thinking. Among the nuggets from the West Central Tribune's Linda Vanderwerf: "There was disagreement between two men over whether Obama was right to state that no one would 'outlast' the United States."

The St. Cloud Times praises the speech as tough-minded. Meanwhile, The Uptake showcases the best line of the day, from Joseph Lowery's closing prayer. One local attendee was enthusiastic but made a point we can all relate to: Asked about after-event plans, Ashleigh Leitch said, “Hopefully take a hot shower, because I’ve been in the cold for the last seven hours.”

Via KSTP, the ubiquitous Larry Jacobs foresees a cornucopia of Obama goodies flowing quickly to Minnesota: jobs via the stimulus, health care for the uninsured, local troops coming home. Talk about expectations! What do local African scholars think of Obama and their continent's future? Twin Cities Daily Planet's Nekessa Opoti recounts.

Norm Coleman hopes for victory in a one-on-one interview with KSTP's Tom Hauser. The candidate won't rule out going to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Strib's Pat Doyle notes the Minnesota Supremes will hear Al Franken's motion to dismiss Coleman's claims today. Good luck with that.

A judge has further narrowed an environmental lawsuit against 3M; PFCs in Washington County did not cause physical or emotional harm, the PiPress' Bob Shaw notes. The manufacturer also does not have to pay for health monitoring. What's left? Claims that PFCs damaged property values and that 3M was negligent.

Coincidentally, MPR's Martin Moylan has a neat story on 3M developing 3D for small screens, like the ones in cellphones. They don't require red-and-blue glasses; 3M film "allows a screen to rapidly project alternating images for a viewer's right and left eyes, fooling the eyes into perceiving three dimensions." One research says watching football games this way is wild. Let's hope the manufacturing process is clean.

Robbinsdale voted to close two elementary schools and a middle school. KSTP's Mark Albert notes 78 schools or programs closed in 2008; more are expected in 2009. Right now, districts aren't expecting passage of Gov. Pawlenty's proposed education hikes, which are tied to paying teachers by their school activities.

MPR's look at ground-level state budget realities through the lens of White Bear Lake continues with a report on Century College. Tuition might have to be raised 20 percent from $4,500 a year. Otherwise, classes, teachers and ultimately taxpaying students will be cut.

The Stillwater Lift Bridge might be painted green and converted to a bike and pedestrian crossing, the Strib's Allie Shah reports. The $10,000 cost of a 30-inch-tall model has some concerned; no cost on the restoration project is listed. The bridge would go green when a replacement river crossing for cars opens after 2013.

The Strib's Steve Brandt says the Minneapolis City Council won't oppose a legislative push to allow bikers to slow and go through red lights if there's no traffic. But the 7-6 vote against rejecting the initiative doesn't inspire confidence. Bike-gliding supporters were Cam Gordon, Gary Schiff, Robert Lilligren, Elizabeth Glidden, Ralph Remington, Scott Benson and Lisa Goodman.

AP reports the two Albert Lea 19-year-olds accused of physically, sexually and emotionally tormenting nursing home patients have been charged with assault, abuse of a vulnerable adult by a caregiver, abuse of a vulnerable adult with sexual contact, and disorderly conduct. They'll be arraigned today. Four juveniles are accused of failing to report the incident.

Meanwhile, attempted murder charges against a 19-year-old who threatened to cut a Woodbury neighbor's heart out have been dropped, according to the PiPress' Elizabeth Mohr. Andrew Busskohl received a new heart in 2003; he's still charged with attempted burglary, felony harassment and criminal damage to property.

Whoa: A Minneapolis mother and son are accused of ripping off the state for $2.4 million in an online learning scam, the PiPress' Tad Vezner reports. "CyberStudy 101" got 1,800 suckers to divert a $2,000 educational tax credit to Carolyn Louper-Morris and her son, William J. Morris Jr.; they were charged with 22 felony counts Tuesday. Fox9 has video. 

Ameriprise nuked 300 workers at its Minneapolis headquarters; the Strib's Kara McGuire writes that an unspecified number were laid off around the state, which has 5,700 company employees. The PiPress' Nicole Garrison-Sprenger notes the company is downtown's third-largest employer. The Business Journal's Sam Black says cuts were made at all levels of the organization.

The state and Kittson County are sparring over use of ATVs in wildlife management areas. MPR's Dan Gunderson says after the county opened so-called "ditch dumps" to the erosion machines, the state closed the ditches and put up gates. Then a county commissioner tore down the gates, and the whole thing is now in court. If Kittson wins, a bunch of northern counties will unleash their ATV armies.

Brooklyn Center officials try to spin Macy's departure into a positive thing, the Strib's Jim Adams notes. The closing may give owners more freedom to knock buildings down. Most remaining tenants are skeptical and un-sunny. By the way, Inauguration Day was also Free Makeup Day as women rushed to snatch up the spoils of a class action settlement, the Strib's Laurie Blake reports.

Nort spews: The Wolves lost at Utah 112-107 but SOTC's Britt Robson comes away a little impressed. The Wild's loss wasn't quite as uplifting; they dropped a 5-2 decision at home to the L.A. Kings. Local boy Matt Birk's Vikings career is probably over and now his "Matty B's" restaurants are going down, the PiPress' Nancy Ngo reports. MLB.com says Jason Kubel has reached a two-year deal to stay with the Twins; the club buys out his last arbitration years.