The North Star state is having a good run in the media lately. A day after the Atlantic declared Minneapolis pretty much the best city ever (they were talking about the whole metro area, though) Mother Jones is lauding Gov. Mark Dayton as “ the Most Successful Governor in the Country.” The article, by Patrick Caldwell, recaps Dayton’s entire political history and looks at Minnesota’s success of late, in particular in contrast to our neighbors to the east:

“I feel affirmed in my political views,” [Dayton] says now, “and that the direction we’ve taken in Minnesota is much better for our state and for most of the people in Minnesota than what’s happened in Wisconsin. The numbers show that unmistakably…I still think they’re the right politics for the Democratic Party—and the right policies for our country.”

But lest our heads get too big, the Washington Post follows yesterday’s Atlantic Minneapolis love-fest with the question, “If Minneapolis is so great, why is it so bad for African Americans?” The piece goes on to note that Minneapolis is an extremely white city compared to, for example, New York, and that a recent survey by the financial social network WalletHub found Minnesota to be the worst of the 50 states in terms of financial inequality between black and white residents.

In other news…

You don’t mess with St. Patrick’s Day in St. Paul. Even if you’re the mayor. [Pioneer Press]

Friends Mourn 13-Year-Old Duluth Suicide Victim [KQDS]

Those fat bikes might really be catching on.

A Forest Lake man’s sight was restored, thanks to a bionic eye. [KARE]

The key to staying safe on icy sidewalks? Walk like a penguin. [NBC Philadelphia] 

Vikings expect to have Adrian Peterson back next season. [Pioneer Press] 

Minnesota group enlisting former NFL players to start a rugby league [Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal]