Greater Minnesota

Minnesota's high school class of 2011 scored an average of 22.9 of a possible 36 on the ACT, among the best in the nation.
Family remembers Matthew Harmon
The father of a U.S. soldier and Minnesota native who was killed in Afghanistan speaks in his memory.
The Fond du Lac Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa has purchased a sacred Ojibwe island on the St. Louis River.
Obama seeks to reconnect with voters in Minnesota
In what could be considered his campaign kickoff for the 2012 election, President Barack Obama told a town hall audience Monday that the nation's slowly improving economy is hampered by the impasse in the nation's capital.
The Madison Police Department says the swimmer pulled from Lake Mendota has died.
Thome hits 600th home run
Minnesota slugger Jim Thome become the eighth player to hit 600 home runs, connecting twice against the Detroit Tigers on Monday night.
UND misses deadline to drop Fighting Sioux nickname; faces sanctions
The University of North Dakota faces sanctions starting today because it continues to use the Fighting Sioux nickname. An agreement the school reached earlier with the NCAA called for UND to stop using the name and logo by today.
Every Friday this summer, we look ahead to the weekend in Minnesota with our Friday Festival. This time, we go to Hutchinson which is holding its annual Minnesota Garlic Festival. Jerry Ford is the organizer, and he spoke with MPR's Tom Crann about the event.
President Obama, a die-hard Chicago Bears fan, welcomed the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers to the White House Friday, congratulating them on their victory as well as the work they do in the Green Bay community.
When Minnesota last month replaced its Market Value Homestead Credit in an effort to save money, it raised the specter of property tax increases. But property tax changes will vary around the state, and local officials are grappling to understand the new law’s effect.