GOP finance investigation, Ely schools in red, refreshing Hamms

Campaign finance board to investigate complaint on GOP finances

Pioneer Press: "The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board has launched an investigation into possible reporting violations by the state Republican Party, a local watchdog group said today."

Ely school budget in red: by $405K

Ely Echo: "A closer look at the Ely School District's 2011-12 budget produced a rather distressing surprise: the district is on course to spend over $400,000 more than it takes in this year."

Flood map change triggers false flood insurance mandates

ThisWeek: "City leaders say some Farmington homeowners are being falsely informed by their mortgage lenders that they must purchase expensive flood insurance.Farmington City Engineer Kevin Schorzman said if homeowners haven't needed flood insurance in the past they don't need it now."

Schmaltz hero: The story of the Hamm's Beer Bear

MinnPost: "The Bear was a sportsman -- he was occasionally even shown logrolling, a lumberjack's sport and one common to Minnesota's early history. But, as sportsmen go, the Bear wasn't a very good one. His cartoons would frequently end with the Bear humiliated, either by his own incompetence or by duplicity on the part of the various animals whom he played opposite in some sort of intramural forest league."

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