The suburb is looking into what's known as the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) program, which allows a local government to issue bonds on behalf of building owners who want to finance energy projects. Building owners then pay for the projects through surcharges on their property taxes. In effect, the energy savings finance the projects.

Gov. Dayton and lawmakers earlier this year replaced the homestead market value credit, which lowered many Minnesotans' property taxes, with a new program. But local governments say the new plan is raising property taxes significantly. And poor, rural Minnesotans are bearing the brunt of it.

City officials say merging the two funds will save Minneapolis property tax payers tens-of-millions of dollars a year. Mayor R.T. Rybak says the savings from the merger will help support no increases in the city's property tax levy.

DFL challenger Rick Nolan, rekindling his congressional career 30 years after he last served in the U.S. House, has defeated one-term Rep. Chip Cravaack, R-Minn., in one of the most closely watched and expensive U.S. House races in the nation.

The three DFL candidates running for Minnesota's 8th Congressional District debated in Duluth Tuesday often found themselves agreeing on the same policy issues, so they tried to differentiate themselves based on style and experience instead. Tarryl Clark, Rick Nolan and Jeff Anderson will find out next Tuesday who the voters want to take on Republican U.S. Rep. Chip Cravaack.

Duluth City Council member Jay Fosle is looking to take state DFL Rep. Kerry Gauthier's place in the the state house. Fosle entered his name as a write-in DFL candidate after Republican leaders called for Gauthier's resignation after the rep's alleged sexual tryst with a 17-year-old boy at a rest stop. Gauthier is seeking his second term as a state representative in House District 7B in November's General Election.

State Rep. Glen Gruenhagen says modern day use of DNA and forensic technology make it unlikely the wrong person will be convicted of murder. He favors a return to the death penalty that Minnesota junked 101 years ago.

A passion for history led Audrey and Jerry Majerus to restore a 110-year-old one-room school house on their rural property near Fort Ripley, Minn., complete with period school desks and a bell outside the entrance.