Twin Cities construction employment down 17%: The Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area lost 10,100 construction jobs in May, a decline of 17 percent, compared with the same month last year, according to data released today by the Associated General Contractors of America. Nationwide, 294 out of 337 metro areas lost construction jobs during the 12-month period. Read full story

Case-Shiller says home prices up 9.5% in Twin Cities: Home prices in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area increased 9.5 percent from April 2009 to April 2010, according to data released by Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller Home Price index. The closely watched index, which tracks average home prices in 20 markets, reported that the Twin Cities index increased 1.8 percent from March to April. That compares with a 2.5 percent dip reported from February to March. Read full story

Judge will sentence 7 involved in Petters case in August: U.S. District Judge Richard Kyle will sentence seven people in August who admitted their involvement in the Tom Petters fraud. Kyle wrote in an order issued today that they will happen sometime during the week of Aug. 16. The seven defendants, including former Petters Co. executive and key government witness Deanna Coleman, pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the Minnesota businessman’s illegal dealings. Read full story

Sun Country to start flying out of Lansing: Sun Country Airlines will begin offering service out of Capital Region International Airport in Lansing, Mich., on Dec. 22, the carrier announced today. Mendota Heights-based Sun Country will offer domestic flights out of Lansing to Las Vegas and Fort Meyers and Orlando in Florida. Read full story