Greater Minnesota

Warm weather forces park officials to suspend Isle Royale wolf count for first time in decades
The National Park Service suspended the count Tuesday out of concerns that warm weather has left the ice surrounding the island unsafe for the ski-planes the researchers use in their surveys. Regional temperatures have been above freezing for the last week.
Essentia's decision to end labor and delivery services in Fosston sparks outrage
A large number of people joined a public hearing Tuesday night on Duluth-based Essentia Health’s decision to end labor and delivery services at the Fosston hospital.
How rethinking design could reduce the need for road salt
Eden Prairie is a pilot city testing low-salt design. The concept is to plan streets and buildings so ice and melted snow don't accumulate in places where people walk and drive, reducing the need for deicing salt that pollutes lakes, rivers and streams.
Paddle planning: BWCA permit reservations open Wednesday
Reservations for trips into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness open Wednesday at 9 a.m. Permits usually get snapped up fast. Forest officials offer several tips to make your reservation.
Cloquet police: Motive still not known in fatal motel shooting
Cloquet police say they still haven’t established a clear motive for the shooting at a motel that left three people dead in that city earlier this month.
Man who stole ‘Wizard of Oz’ ruby slippers avoids prison time
A federal judge told the man who stole a pair of the iconic ruby red slippers slippers worn in the classic film “The Wizard of Oz” that his crime was “extraordinary in its stupidity, selfishness and impact,” yet he did not sentence him to any prison time because the thief is terminally ill.