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Flood update: Water levels dropping along St. Louis River system

: "Minnesota Power reported late Monday that the level of Fish, Boulder, Rice and Whiteface lakes dropped Monday and that Island Lake, which had been rising for days even after the rain, finally stabilized and is expected to begin falling soon."

Road projects in Duluth: 'expensive and time consuming'

: "The images of washed out roadways, craters in streets, and buckled pavement are unforgettable, but the work will be daunting. 'This one is of the charts,' said Larry Bohrer with TKDA Engineering and an expert in roadway design."

Veterans of past floods: Recovery takes time

: "Be patient, be persistent, but don't be quiet about it. That is what others who have experienced devastating flooding have learned during the recovery process."

How the federal disaster declaration process works

: "Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton has not yet requested a federal disaster declaration."

: Flood damage keeps Jay Cooke park closed

: "Minnesota's $2.5 billion hog industry is on the defensive, with farmers under growing pressure to change how they raise pigs. At issue is the widespread practice of housing pregnant sows in stalls so small the animal can't turn around. The hog stall used by most farmers is roughly seven feet long by two feet wide -- about the same size as a pregnant sow weighing 600 pounds or more."

Washington County: Parades put limits on marching politicians

: "Afton officials won't name names, but Minnesota Senate candidate Karin Housley says she's probably the one to blame -- or credit -- for new restrictions on politicians marching in Afton's Fourth of July parade."

: "A two-day vote held by the United Steelworkers District 11 at the Mesabi Nugget plant near Aurora has failed. Steelworkers District 11 organizer Jerry Perpich acknowledged the outcome on Friday. 'We lost the vote,' he said."

Op-Ed: Steelworkers suffer big defeat in Mesabi Nugget vote

: "The DFL's strongest ally -- labor -- is still alive, but weaker. All but one of the mines are still solidly union, but any union steward would tell you its harder to get people excited and active in the union these days because the pay is good. Several Range mine unions willingly voted away the eight-hour day because younger workers prefer longer shifts with more days off."

Crowds, crime vex Minneapolis downtown bar closings

: "Violent crime is up 60 percent downtown so far this year; it's up 16 percent citywide so far this year, according to police statistics."

Minnesota's ruffed grouse numbers drop significantly

: "Spring drumming counts were down 24 to 60 percent in the prime grouse range in northern and northeastern Minnesota. The counts were down 33 to 73 percent in the northwest, and didn't change significantly in the central hardwoods or southeast."

Hospital Commission narrowly approves affiliation with Essentia Health

: "The Hospital Commission narrowly approved an affiliation with Essentia Health for its city-owned hospital. The Monday afternoon vote was 4-2, with Commissioner Dr. Wendell Smith, an Essentia physician, abstaining."

Sand trains stir up dust in St. Paul neighborhood

: "Open train cars filled with sand have raised alarm in St. Paul's St. Anthony Park neighborhood, where some residents wonder if the silica that comprises 80 percent of the unprocessed sand is safe."

On a wagon train, all the fun is getting there

: "Traveling at 3 miles an hour, a wagon train crawls across the landscape. The world slows down. And that's just how Willis Cunningham likes it. 'It has to slow down,' said Cunningham, who is retired and lives in White Bluff, Tenn."

River's Edge: Promoter happy, crowd happy, St. Paul mayor happy

: "River's Edge Music Festival looks like a hit. Downtown St. Paul's newest outdoor music festival debuted over the weekend to wide acclaim, with thousands of fans hitting Harriet Island to see art-metal band Tool and jam-band favorites the Dave Matthews Band headline the two-day event."

Superior flood damage estimate: $5-7 million

: "City infrastructure damage is at $2 million. It'll take $3.5 million to $5 million to repair damage to 14 buildings at UW-Superior."

Minnesota News

Statewide Blog

Michael Olson

Author

Flood update: Water levels dropping along St. Louis River system; Veterans of past floods: Recovery takes time; How the federal disaster declaration process works; Debate over hog stalls rages; Mesabi Nugget unionization vote fails; Op-Ed: Steelworkers suffer big defeat in Mesabi Nugget vote; Crowds, crime vex Minneapolis downtown bar closings; Minnesota's ruffed grouse numbers drop significantly; Hospital Commission narrowly approves affiliation with Essentia Health; Sand trains stir up dust in St. Paul neighborhood;

St. Louis River drops; Hog stall debate; Union suffers loss on Range

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