Eighty representatives voted for the plan and fifty against. But because it involves borrowing $221 million, the bill needed 81 votes for approval. Some lawmakers hope Capitol repairs can be rolled into a larger package of construction projects. They say the cost of fixing the historic building will only go up if it is postponed.

A St. Charles mayoral candidate will remain on the ballot despite two felony drug convictions. Stephen Thomas Conlin will be sentenced in December after a jury found him guilty of third-degree marijuana sale and fifth-degree possession of marijuana last week. The charges stem from a 2010 raid on his home and downtown barbershop where authorities confiscated more than 17 pounds of pot, marijuana plants, cash and firearms.

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.

The bonds were sold at a historic low interest rate of 2.82 percent. The sale now brings the state’s bond debt total just under $6 million.

The House Ways and Means Committee has sent a $434 million borrowing bill to the House floor. It includes an amendment to spend more than $220 million to restore the state Capitol building. A separate restoration proposal failed by a single vote Thursday.

Xcel Energy says a power outage affected an area of downtown Minneapolis near Block E Tuesday morning, but electricity was back for most areas after noon.

President Barack Obama has requested $350 million more for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative next year. More than 650 grants have been awarded for projects to clean polluted sites, restore wildlife habitat and fight invasive species.

Minnesota has been awarded $15.5 million in federal funding to offer small businesses loans in hopes of boosting the local economy. The money is part of President Obama's Small Business Jobs Act, which was signed into law last year.