Dayton Declares Emergency Over Propane Shortage
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton has declared a state of emergency because of a severe shortage of propane and other home heating fuels statewide.
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Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton has declared a state of emergency because of a severe shortage of propane and other home heating fuels statewide.
Tight supplies of propane and bitter temperatures across much of the nation are putting the squeeze on a number of rural communities. That's because rural residents rely on propane fuel to heat their homes and businesses. But a severe shortage of propane is forcing the price of LP to skyrocket.
American shoppers say they are very concerned about the safety of their personal information following a massive security breach at Target, but many aren't taking steps to ensure their data is more secure, says a new Associated Press-GfK Poll.
State agencies were monitoring natural gas supplies in the eastern part of North Dakota Monday following a pipeline explosion over the weekend in the neighboring Canadian province of Manitoba.
Xcel Energy is asking certain natural gas customers, in three states, to turn down their heat. The request comes after a natural gas pipeline exploded in Canada Saturday morning.
The extreme cold isn't just uncomfortable. It's becoming expensive, too, especially for homeowners in rural Minnesota who rely on propane to heat their homes. Prices jumped last fall, and with several subzero nights this winter, the cost of propane continues to climb.
Frank Vascellaro and Chris Shaffer are braving the frigid weather and getting out to Minnesota's lovely, ice-covered lakes every Thursday and Friday until the middle of February. The second stop on this year's winter lake trip brought the fellas to Hackensack, Minn., a town in Cass County with a population of just over 300. Hackensack is a town with lots to do, and like many of the small towns the guys have been to, you can also find plenty of great places to eat. One of them is Lucette's Pizza.
It's a busy Friday afternoon at Parc Boutique in northeast Minneapolis. Racks full of women's fashions greet the customers. But Parc's owner, Thao Nguyen, says the recent cold snap has hurt her in-store sales. "It's harder for people to come into the shop," Nguyen said. Just like how tornadoes and hurricanes disrupt economic activity, there is also a steep cost to our cold weather. The lower the temperature drops, the fewer of us venture outside to shop, dine and recreate.
Thousands of Minnesota workers earn a minimum wage that's less today than it was in 1974 -- that's among the findings of a new state report on the minimum wage from the state Department of Labor and Industry.
Twin Cities fashion retailer Len Druskin will close several stores in the coming days and weeks in a restructuring effort. In an email by Michael Druskin, president of Len Druskin, Inc., the company will close three of its nine locations in the Twin Cities – all three of which are located in Gaviidae Common in downtown Minneapolis. LD Len Druskin and LD Blues will close on Sunday, Jan. 26, and Len Druskin Man will close sometime in February.
Scott Leitz, MNsure's interim CEO, is promising to make changes to the program after a review found problems with staffing, leadership and technology. "I felt it was very important for us to get a really good, clear and independent look at where we were at with regard to MNsure," Leitz said. The review by Minnesota-based Optum Health looked at MNsure's call center, program management and software.
This Friday, Jan. 24 is National Peanut Butter Day. According to the National Peanut Board, it takes about 540 peanuts to make a 12-ounce jar of peanut butter, and Americans spend almost $800 million a year on peanut butter.
In his twelve years as superintendent at Minnetonka Public Schools, Dr. Dennis Peterson has called off school three, maybe four times. Each time it was for snow, not cold.
If you think your furnace has been running a lot this January, you're absolutely right. CenterPoint Energy said the first major cold snap in early January set a new daily record for natural gas consumption.
A former day care owner in Moorhead has pleaded guilty to neglect and child endangerment after police found her drunk at her home.
