Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and a string of $1,000 donations to area Salvation Army kettles has inspired at least one 'copycat' giver.

Chief Warrant Officer Two Lucas Sigfrid was a Champlin Park High School graduate who attended St. Cloud State University before joining the Army. He was one of four soldiers killed when two helicopters crashed on a training mission at a base in Washington state.

Alliant Tech last year filed a protest asking the federal government to review a contract that the U.S. Army awarded to rival BAE Systems. Alliant on Tuesday told the Pioneer Press that the government has dismissed the company's protest.

Eden Prairie-based Alliant Techsystems has landed a contract worth $30 million to supply ammunition to security forces in Afghanistan. It will be used by members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

The ammunition manufacturer says its been awarded a $37 million contract to provide ammo to the British military. It comes barely a week after being awarded a multi-million dollar contract with Afghanistan’s security forces.

Twin Cities Rise, which trains unemployed and underemployed people for better jobs, has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the eBay Foundation.

Minnesota Congresswoman Betty McCollum applauds the Army's decision to discontinue its sponsorship of a stock car racing crew. But McCollum says it will not slow her push for legislation banning Pentagon sponsorship of all sports events, including fishing tournaments and ultimate fighting.

The Marines have ordered 126 micro-surveillance robots from the Edina-based company. The U.S. Army is already using 1,800 micro-robots in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.