Group sues Central Corridor planners: The Preserve and Benefit Historic Rondo Committee today filed a lawsuit against the planners of the Central Corridor light-rail project, saying they “neglected to adequately consider” the impact the $941 million project would have on businesses and residents along University Avenue. The committee is a coalition of a dozen African-American community organizations, businesses and individuals. The group alleges that officials violated the National Environmental Policy Act by not adequately identifying the project’s adverse effects or how to mitigate the impact. Read full story
U.S. Bancorp closes deal to buy BB&T banks: U.S. Bancorp announced today it has completed its purchase of roughly $850 million in deposits and 14 branch locations from BB&T Corp.’s Nevada banking operations. The deal includes branches in Las Vegas, Reno and several markets in northern Nevada. Read full story
MoneyGram announces partnership in China: MoneyGram International, based in St. Louis Park, and Bank of China have announced a deal to bring its money transfer services to the bank system’s 10,000 domestic branches in the mainland. The agreement, which more than triples MoneyGram’s presence in China, follows the successful completion of a six-month pilot that ran in 240 branch locations in Beijing. Read full story
Cargill donates $2M to Macalester for charter-school program: The Cargill Foundation has awarded a $2 million grant to the new Center for School Change at Macalester College in St. Paul, intended to improve the academic and operational performance of Minneapolis-area charter public schools that serve a high percentage of students from low-income families. Read full story
