Greater Minnesota

Xcel's plan to store more nuclear waste at Monticello plant gets OK
The Minneapolis-based utility says it needs additional storage to continue operating the 52-year-old nuclear plant until 2040, a decade beyond when its current license expires.
After two-year spike, Boundary Waters visits drop to pre-pandemic levels
The number of visitors to the Boundary Waters dropped in 2022, returning to pre-pandemic levels. But the number of permit cancellations and no-shows continued to rise.
Stearns County board rejects proposal to help property owners get rid of racial covenants
The proposal stemmed from research conducted last spring by students at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University, who uncovered dozens of discriminatory covenants in Stearns County. The measure failed after some board members seemed confused about what it would do, and questioned whether it’s needed.
Meet the producer behind the Minnesota State Fair's famous roasted corn
Of the hundreds of foods available for purchase at the Minnesota State Fair each year, few can be considered nutritious. Jerry Untiedt contends that his homegrown roasted corn is one of them.
Prime, grass fed — bird friendly? Audubon Society label coming to a meat aisle near you
The Audubon Society is expanding its ranch certification program to the Midwest, in an effort to create consumer demand for bird-friendly ranching practices. A farmer in Clearwater, Minn., is one of the first in the state to start the process.