In Monday's local news roundup, a real hot button issue as smoky backyard fires imperil civility. Plus: the Strib's Norm profile and the death of the Minnesota music biz's godfather.

By Catherine Conlan | Monday, Oct. 13, 2008

DULUTH — "Totally devastating" is how one logger describes the hits the timber industry in Minnesota has taken over the past few years.

By Marisa Helms | Friday, Oct. 10, 2008

UPDATE: At a town meeting in Lakeville, Sen. John McCain found himself repeatedly having to defend his Democratic opponent against comments from his own supporters, who spoke of their distrust and fear of the Democratic presidential nominee. Toward the end of the meeting, an apparently annoyed McCain even grabbed the microphone away from a woman who called Barack Obama untrustworthy and “an Arab.”

Republican presidential nominee John McCain is paying an afternoon visit to Lakeville, the city that calls itself the "southern gateway to the Twin Cities."

You could forgive Duluth's Charlie Parr for wincing a bit when he first heard his song on an ad for mobile giant Vodafone. The soundtrack is quintessential Parr: the quiet engine of his blues guitar fingerpicking and the jumpy growl of his voice. The scene, however, is completely alien to the shadow America of Parr's songs.

In Friday's local news roundup, the first post-crash state budget forecast comes out today — how big is the bad number? Also: Pols disgorge Petters cash. And: The marijuana dude abides.

By Joe Kimball | Friday, Oct. 10, 2008

Sen. John McCain is making area stops in La Crosse and Lakeville today. When he and his rival, Sen. Barack  Obama, drop in for a quick visit, they usually have four goals, advisers say: energizing their base, wooing undecided voters, raising a little money and getting that all-important media coverage.

By Dan Haugen | Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008

Speaking on the day the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped another 678 points, Gary Stern said he believes the $700 billion rescue plan will prove effective — but not without some of the pain reminiscent of the recession of the early 1990s.

A not-so-great day for Norm's campaign: another poll shows him behind, a campaign spokesperson shows nervousness, a Social Security attack shows deception and a KTCA special showcases marital rumors.

By Jay Weiner | Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008

An analysis of Major League Baseball ticket prices finds the Twins consistently below the league-wide average, but that likely will change with the team's move to Target Field. Of the other area pro franchises, only the Timberwolves have been below their respective league's average ticket price.