Legendary singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt's tour stop during opening night of the Minnesota State Fair Grandstand Thursday won't be just a run-of-the-mill gig. The Grammy-winning artist has several ties to the state, dating back to 1971 when her first album was recorded in the Twin Cities.

The medical director for the state Department of Corrections told the Star Tribune prison medical staff failed to quarantine a prisoner with a history of leprosy who had visible lesions. The offender was held in the general population in prisons at St. Cloud and Rush city for nearly two months this spring, exposing prison staff and hundreds of inmates to the communicable disease.

MPR reports two-thirds of the toxic chemicals in our air come from the tailpipes of automobiles, ATVs and boats. The Twin Cities area has so much pollution that it could soon fall short of federal standards, and pollution officials say metro residents may need to change their habits.

Right now you'd better hold your fire when you're in a state park. But the Minnesota DNR is considering a change. The popularity of firearms safety classes has swamped the available space at shooting ranges. State parks might become an overflow option.