Biofuel Energy says it's closing its ethanol plant in Fairmont until the price of corn comes down. The drought that has ravaged the Midwest's corn crop has pushed up corn prices and erased the profit margins of ethanol producers. A plant in Little Falls shut its doors this summer.

The Central Minnesota Ethanol Co-Op has suspended operations until they can buy corn or sell ethanol at a better price, the St. Cloud Times reports. The Little Falls plant is using the downtime to complete maintenance and other projects, but most of the 30 employees are out of work.

U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack says new emissions standards enacted by the Environmental Protection Agency are a threat to Minnesota's mining industry. The rules are aimed at reducing the haze over northeastern Minnesota. Cravaack calls them an assault on jobs and says the federal government should let the state enforce pollution rules.

Rep. Chip Cravaack announced Saturday that he will seek to end federal authority over some outdoors activities on Mille Lacs Lake. Specifically, he's referring to Coast Guard regulations requiring a so-called “six-pack” license for fishing guides or anyone operating a boat for hire with up to six passengers.

Livestock farmers and ranchers seeing their feed costs rise because of the worst drought in a quarter-century are demanding that the Environmental Protection Agency waive production requirements for corn-based ethanol. The Obama administration sees no need for a waiver, siding with corn growers – many of them in presidential election battleground states Iowa and Ohio – who continue to support the mandate.

There are now dueling get-to-know-you ads in the 8th District congressional race between Rep. Chip Cravaack, R-Minn., and DFL challenger Rick Nolan. In his newly released spot, Cravaack focuses on how he reached his goal of becoming a Naval aviator like his father – and how he is now a father who wants to help his children achieve their dreams.

In less than a decade, the fuel has gone from consuming 10 percent to 40 percent of the country's total grain crop. And agriculture experts tell Reuters that's likely a major driver behind rising corn prices, land prices and farm income.

U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack, R-Minn., is in a showdown with the Obama administration over potential cuts to a program that arms airline pilots as the last line of defense against hijackers. Cravaack, a former pistol-packing pilot, objects to proposed cuts to the Transportation Security Administration program.