Greater Minnesota

A 2009 loan to a mining exploration company has turned a profit for the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board.
Bat epidemic poses challenges for Soudan State Park
A rapidly spreading disease called white-nose syndrome has killed more than a million bats in eastern North America in the past four years. That has officials at the Soudan Underground Mine State Park in northern Minnesota -- which is home to thousands of bats -- pondering how to respond. Park officials are worried the disease could turn up at almost any time.
Deer research initiative to examine Wisconsin herd
The largest-ever deer research initiative in Wisconsin is underway -- a five-year effort to study survival rates of bucks and evaluate the impact of predators on deer populations. A team of scientists has been trapping, tagging and monitoring hundreds of deer in northwestern Wisconsin.
Budget-cutting fever puts ethanol subsidies at risk
As lawmakers look for places to cut spending, federal support for ethanol could become a tempting target. The U.S. Government Accountability Office says ethanol subsidies cost taxpayers billions of dollars and are not necessary.
Duluth plans celebration to honor Bob Dylan
Plans are brewing in Duluth for the Minnesota city's first DylanFest in May, a celebration of folk-rock icon Bob Dylan during his 70th birthday.
The cross-country skier found dead by a snowmobiler in Bayfield County, Wis., last month died shortly after he was struck by a vehicle, according to an autopsy released Thursday.
Appeals court overturns sugar beet injunction
Environmental groups failed to show that seed plants for sugar beets genetically modified to withstand the popular weed killer Roundup would cause irreparable harm, a federal appeals court said Friday in overturning an injunction that called for the destruction of the plants.
Faculty at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse campus have decided to go forward with a vote this week on whether to unionize, although the results might be rendered meaningless by Gov. Scott Walker's proposal to eliminate their collective bargaining rights.
The Lake Superior Chippewa Fond du Lac Band has purchased on old hotel in downtown Duluth to expand its casino. But, plans to move forward with the expansion are on hold while the Fond du Lac Band fights with the city over its share of casino profits.