Kirsti Marohn

1 week ago | mprnews.org | Kirsti Marohn

Construction on a new nonprofit center dedicated to protecting Minnesota’s state bird officially gets underway on Friday with a groundbreaking ceremony. The $18.5 million National Loon Center in Crosslake, about 25 miles north of Brainerd, has been a decade in the making. It will include a visitor center and space for research and education. The center aims to teach people how to conserve freshwater ecosystems that are vital to loons’ health, said Jon Mobeck, executive director.

1 week ago | mankatofreepress.com | Kirsti Marohn

State lawmakers extended a lucrative tax break that helps lure data centers to Minnesota in a compromise bill passed during a special session earlier this month. But they also added new regulations on the booming data center industry aimed at protecting the environment, including the state’s water supply and climate goals, as well as electricity customers.

1 week ago | mprnews.org | Kirsti Marohn

Create an account or log in to save stories. Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories. State lawmakers extended a lucrative tax break that helps lure data centers to Minnesota in a compromise bill passed during a special session earlier this month. But they also added new regulations on the booming data center industry aimed at protecting the environment, including the state’s water supply and climate goals, as well as electricity customers.

1 week ago | mprnews.org | Kirsti Marohn

Create an account or log in to save stories. Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories. Boaters age 12 to 21 will soon need to get a permit before they can legally operate a motorized watercraft in Minnesota. The state Legislature passed the new safety requirements in 2023, as a response to a pandemic-fueled increase in people owning and operating boats on Minnesota lakes and rivers.

2 weeks ago | mprnews.org | Kirsti Marohn

Create an account or log in to save stories. Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories. Several dozen people protested in Elk River on Wednesday in support of a St. Paul woman, Isabel Lopez, who was arrested for alleged actions during a narcotics raid in Minneapolis last week. The large law enforcement presence outside a restaurant at Lake Street and Bloomington Avenue on June 3 — which included ICE agents — drew protesters.