Unsettled Wednesday, then cooler before heating up next week

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Archer Daniels Midland plans to build a new facility in Stearns County, but wants Stearns County taxpayers to help pay for needed road improvements around the proposed 80-acre complex.

ADM, one of the largest agricultural companies in the world, wants to build a facility to process Midwestern corn and soybeans that arrive by truck and to then ship them by rail to their next destination. The facility would generate a considerable amount of new truck traffic.

 that $1,7 million in road improvements are needed, but that is more than ADM had budgeted. The company wants the county create a special taxing district that would use tax money generated by the project to repay bonds used to pay for improvements.

The Times also reports the "project is expected to create eight to 10 jobs with wages anywhere from $36,000 to $65,000 a year."

 on the ADM request will be held Tuesday morning.

A jail-building boom has collided with falling crime rates, leaving counties with cells to spare (

Homeowners insurance rates could be going up

Private insurers are expected to pay out at least $10 billion this season and hurricane season is on its way (

Hastings considers high-pitched noise to keep teens out of parks 

Hastings might soon install a late-night sound-blaster to keep teenagers out of one of its parks. The gizmo emits sounds audible only to young people - sounds that can't be detected by older people with less-sensitive hearing (

Duluth renaissance led by new business and civic leaders

Duluth is experiencing a renaissance based upon a new generation of business and civic leaders, an aggressive investment in the city's built infrastructure, solving legacy issues, and an economy that has out-performed the rest of the state through this recession (

 when the environment and the economic clash at the St. Croix River. This week we look at an argument that has happened on-and-off for some 50 years. The lower St. Croix River region is one of the most beautiful in the country - and it's protected by an act of Congress from development. But the protected area is also close to the Twin Cities and connects the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Right now an aging lift bridge serves as the only way to get across the St. Croix River there.

Right now there is a proposed $690 million project to replace the lift-bridge and a congressional proposal to exempt that project from the Scenic & Wild River's Act (which has the support of some pretty prominent politicians in the state).

So we pose this assertion (for debate purposes): Congress should exempt a proposed Stillwater bridge from the federal Scenic & Wild River's Act. 

Minnesota News

Statewide Blog

Michael Olson

Author

Archer Daniels Midland is seeking to build a new facility in Stearns County, but wants Stearns County taxpayers to help pay for needed road improvements around the proposed 80 acre complex.

ADM seeks Stearns County tax district for new elevator

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