Minnesota news stories on Newser

Sand Mining Craze Stirs Up Health Fears

Neal Colgrass — Sat, 19 May 2012 07:15:05 CDT

The upper Midwest is home to the latest craze in American mining: sand. Mining companies are knocking on doors in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and nearby states to dig up tons of the stuff so oil and gas producers can inject it into the ground in a process known as fracking. Sand...

Bachmann Ditching Swiss Citizenship

Matt Cantor — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:15:05 CDT

If you were concerned that Michele Bachmann's Swiss citizenship meant she'd given up on America, worry no longer: She's getting rid of it. "Today I sent a letter to the Swiss Consulate requesting withdrawal of my dual Swiss citizenship, which was conferred upon me by operation of Swiss law when...

Tank Crushes Minnesota House (on Purpose)

Matt Cantor — Thu, 03 May 2012 17:44:05 CDT

A Minnesota house was due to be demolished—so locals figured they might as well plow through it with a tank. The 150-year-old home in Kasota went out with a bang thanks to a company called "Drive a Tank." The firm offers civilians the chance to, well, drive a tank;...

America's Weirdest State Taxes

Neal Colgrass — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 19:00:05 CDT

Federal taxes may provoke the loudest partisan bickering, but some states impose taxes that could leave you at a loss for words. Fur? Nudity? Bagels? You bet—not to mention blueberries and playing cards. ABC News rounds up a few of the weirdest: Blueberries : Maine, which produces 99% of all...

Waitress Sues Cops for $12K 'Gift' From Diner

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 11:48:02 CDT

A Minnesota waitress who says a customer told her to keep a box with $12,000 in it has sued police who later impounded the cash as suspected drug money. Stacy Knutson of Moorhead filed a lawsuit asking that the cash be returned to her. She said she believes the...

Girl, ACLU Sue School Over Facebook Flap

John Johnson — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 12:24:05 CST

Maybe this kind of thing will start sounding familiar soon? A 12-year-old girl in Minnesota is suing her school with the help of the ACLU because she says administrators made her hand over her Facebook password and pored over her account, reports CNN . The move came after the girl got...

The Happiest US State Is ...

Neal Colgrass — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 07:07:19 CST

So people like sun and surf and swaying palm trees —who knew. For the third straight year, Hawaii has taken first place in a national poll of happiness among US states, LiveScience reports. The telephone survey of more than 350,000 adults posed questions about emotional health, work environment, and...

Bachmann Bounced Out of Redrawn District

Rob Quinn — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:50:00 CST

Michele Bachmann's Minnesota congressional district has been redrawn out from under her. New district lines unveiled by a panel of judges yesterday have put the 6th District congresswoman's home in the 4th District, which is currently represented by Democrat Betty McCollum, reports the Star Tribune . Bachmann—who dropped her White...

Nephew Sues Uncle Over Awkward Facebook Photos

Dustin Lushing — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:13:57 CST

Just about everyone has been tagged in at least one awkward Facebook photo, but not everyone has brought a lawsuit against an uncle for uploading such a photo. Minnesota's Aaron Olson did just that. His uncle posted childhood photos of Olson, including one in front of a Christmas tree, along...