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A collection of news and stories from around the state of Minnesota. John Fitzgerald compiles the best of greater Minnesota coverage every Tuesday.

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scene from night of the living dead

Rochester ready for zombie apocalypse (or anything lesser); Winona County fighting ash borer

By John Fitzgerald | 05/14/13

ALSO: Child poverty holds steady in Owatonna; Marshall veterans air concerns; fishing opener is wild and windy; and more.

frozen lake
Greater Minnesota

Lakes remain frozen as fishing opener approaches

By John Fitzgerald | 05/07/13

ALSO: Blooming Prairie shatters snowfall record; farmers delayed from fields another week; MSUM goes into lockdown, but it’s just a janitor.

wind turbines photo
Greater Minnesota

Wind-to-hydrogen project planned in Renville County

By John Fitzgerald | 04/30/13

ALSO: Frac sand demonstrators arrested in Winona; farmers waiting to get into fields; record number of Duluth teachers retiring; and more.

duluth airport photo
Greater Minnesota

Duluth airport gets more use

By John Fitzgerald | 04/23/13

ALSO: Winona looks at climate change; soil moisture recharges between frosts; Mankato begins watering restrictions; and more.

Boston flowers
Greater Minnesota

Minnesota marathoners call in from Boston

By John Fitzgerald | 04/16/13

ALSO: Embassy wants help finding Waseca man; charges filed after standoff in Grand Rapids; fish poachers charged; cattle producers lose profits; and more.

shattuck-st. mary's
Greater Minnesota

Ex-Shattuck student tells of sexual abuse, why he came forward

By John Fitzgerald | 04/09/13

ALSO: Rochester boy ticketed for tossing rock off overpass; Gaylord police fight claims of racial profiling; DNR needs frog-ID volunteers; and more. 

american crystal sugar
Greater Minnesota

Locked-out Crystal Sugar workers get ready for fifth contract vote

By John Fitzgerald | 04/02/13

ALSO: Moorhead mom caught packing heat at La Guardia; suicide threats, pot use are up in Mankato schools; Marshall looks to supplement water supply; and more.

pizza manufacturing
Greater Minnesota

Austin Packaging Co. cutting half its jobs

By John Fitzgerald | 03/26/13

ALSO: Monticello nuke plant may require upgrades; sequestration forces St. Cloud Airport tower to close; ACGC schools to continue four-day week; and more.

winona depot
Greater Minnesota

Train-carried hazmat may go through your town, but you don’t know about it

By John Fitzgerald | 03/19/13

ALSO: Central Minnesota schools agree that unfunded mandates are onerous; East Grand Forks sexual- assault victim outraged by short sentence; Southwestern schools get go-ahead to continue schedule changes; and more.

Greater Minnesota

Cirrus in Duluth names new president

By John Fitzgerald | 03/12/13

ALSO: Lyons County Pheasants Forever celebrates 30 years; New Ulm Irish prepare for St. Patrick’s Day parade; “Trylle Trilogy” may become a film soon; and more. 

Mayo Clinic
Greater Minnesota

Mayo Clinic keeps an eye on its competitors as it grows

By John Fitzgerald | 03/05/13

ALSO: Fergus Falls to offer free all-day kindergarten; Monticello nuke plant shut down for upgrade; Martin County eyes population trends; and more.

Connie Gores
Greater Minnesota

Connie Gores named president of SMSU

By MinnPost staff | 02/26/13

ALSO: The NewPage paper mill in West Duluth has laid off 13 employees; Red Wing mayor to resign; Viracon to expand in Owatonna.

Svea Lutheran Church
Greater Minnesota

Kandiyohi County homeless to get help from new group

By John Fitzgerald | 02/19/13

ALSO: Austin smokers mixed over higher taxes; Klobuchar recognizes St. Cloud business; electronic pull-tabs a hit in Southern Minnesota; and more.

Minnesota Capitol. Photo by House Public Information Services
Greater Minnesota

Schools 200 miles apart join to lobby lawmakers for funds

By John Fitzgerald | 02/12/13

ALSO: SCSU president at State of the Union speech, TV station warns of zombie attack, chickens can now live in Fairmont, Willmar utility reimbursed for Hurricane Sandy work.

Winona state
Greater Minnesota

Winona State dean fired for sexual misconduct; totem-pole killer gets 15 years

By John Fitzgerald | 02/05/13

ALSO: Former Bemidji teacher accused of sex crimes found dead; drones spark business in Grand Forks area; and more.

Jack Ohle
Greater Minnesota

Gustavus president under fire from alum, profs, students

By John Fitzgerald | 01/29/13

ALSO: Corn gains popularity; lack of snow helps northern pike; why Blackmun has been blackballed; and more.

Greater Minnesota

History, mystery of Willmar War Memorial Auditorium examined

By John Fitzgerald | 01/22/13

ALSO: Duluth schools look at teacher reviews; reality show might film on Mille Lacs; Obama pens entry to Ely time capsule; and more.

flu relief medicine
Greater Minnesota

Flu closes Northrop school; child, 3, left on freezing Fond du Lac bus for hours

By John Fitzgerald | 01/15/13

ALSO: Owatonna bird count breaks records; Duluth schools won’t raise class sizes; White Water Whiskey in the works; and more.

assault rifle
Greater Minnesota

Assault-style guns selling fast in Worthington; retired prof floats Newtown conspiracy theory

By John Fitzgerald | 01/08/13

ALSO: Hormel’s Skippy purchase dissected; preachers protest 'Juice Bar' in Lynd; St. Cloud issues prepped for Legislature; and more.  

'Our polar bear might be out'
Greater Minnesota

Duluth flooding at zoo: 'The devastation was beyond comprehension'

By Joe Kimball | 12/26/12

Amid torrential rains, worried zookeeper Maicie Sykes had to hunt for the polar bear Berlin, the 23-year-old bear she'd trained for three years.

Police cars at night. Creative commons photo by Flickr user appleswitch
Greater Minnesota

Man questioned in Cold Spring killing upset over treatment of apartment

By John Fitzgerald | 12/18/12

ALSO: Duluth teens illustrate prostitution problem; poverty on the rise in Mankato; weather expert predicts a tricky year for ag; and more.