The league says they will cancel the first two weeks of the upcoming season if a new labor deal isn't reached by next week. The first five games of the Timberwolves' season are scheduled at the Target Center. Without those games -- local parking ramps, bars and restaurants will suffer.

Starting this summer, the district is setting up a free online learning program for all 600 of its current sixth-graders. A teacher from each of the district's middle schools will monitor progress and keep in touch by e-mail. Schools will even be open one day a week for students who don't have Internet at home.

The City of Minneapolis is urging the shutdown of two Warehouse District clubs -- Envy and Bootleggers-- after city regulatory staff say they observed over-serving of alcohol, a rash of fights and marijuana smoking in the bathroom. The city says the proposed action is part of their crackdown on club crime.

The NHL lockout has some St. Paul business owners concerned about their bottom lines. Former player and now restaurant owner Tom Reid says losing the hockey season would be a big blow to businesses near the Xcel. Less than 24 hours into the lockout, Wild defensemen Jared Spurgeon has signed on to play in a European league.

The Star Tribune takes an early look at what the city calls Downtown 2025. The plan calls for doubling the number of residents (by leveling the Metrodome and converting the site into a neighborhood, a plan that conflicts with the mayor's vision). The proposal also aims to create a "stadium district," revitalize Nicollet Mall and end homelessness, among other goals. But a big vision comes with a hefty price tag, of course: $2 billion.

The new Duluth Flame Nightclub for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community is a glitzy, stylish addition to downtown Duluth, the Duluth News Tribune reports. “I’d like to think that as a community we are beyond making an issue of whether or not it’s a gay bar,” Mayor Don Ness said. “It just seems like a very old-fashioned debate. Of course we welcome this business to Duluth.”

Some restaurant owners in downtown Minneapolis say the city is giving food trucks an unfair advantage over brick and mortar stores. Doug Sams, founder of D. Brian’s Deli & Catering, tells WCCO-TV that food vendors park in front of his doors and "hijack" customers, and his sales are suffering because of it.