Rental property owners in St. Paul claim the city's housing code will drive up their costs and limit their ability to rent to African-Americans, who make up a disproportionate share of low-income renters. The property owners claim the city is violating the Fair Housing Act by aggressively enforcing the code. City officials say it's the landlords who are trying to evade the fair housing rules by avoiding maintenance and renting out dilapidated housing.

The Post Bulletin reports the Rochester-based medical facility is requiring about 900 desk employees to wear black pants and light-blue shirts, instead of scrubs. Employees have voiced frustrations, despite Mayo willing to reimburse workers for the new uniforms.

The Free Press reports petitions with hundreds of signatures have already been given to the City Council. The $30 million plant would convert food-processing and animal waste into energy. Supporters tout the economic benefits, but opponents call the project "dysfunctional."

While a discrimination case against a Le Center food manufacturing plant is just getting started, another state agency is trying to determine whether the estimated 40 Somali workers who claim discrimination led to their departure from the business are eligible for unemployment benefits.

The city says an apartment complex with more than 120 code violations can't lease any more units until it fixes the problems. Those include squirrels, mice, roaches, mold, bad wiring, faulty plumbing, sagging ceilings, the list goes on and on ...

The iconic blue pinafore and white blouse that Minnesota-born Judy Garland wore throughout "The Wizard of Oz" will be auctioned next month in Beverly Hills, Calif., and could fetch $500,000 or more.