John Harrington, a former St. Paul police chief who retired after just one two-year stint as a DFL state senator, will become the new chief of police that enforces the law on Metro Transit buses, light rail and commuter rail. He'll oversee law enforcement on a rapidly growing network of light rail and bus transit in the Twin Cities.

The Southwest Corridor Light Rail is among a long list of projects eyeing part of $50 million in grant money. MPR reports the state Department of Employment and Economic Development is expected to decide which development projects will be awarded funds in the next few weeks. The 15-mile Southwest LRT route would run from downtown Minneapolis through the southwest suburbs.

Metro Transit says it provided more than 80 million rides last year. The 3.5 percent increase over 2010 was due to more bus riders. Passengers on light rail and commuter trains were slightly fewer than the year before.

Metro Transit rolled out a pair of hybrid-electric public transit buses at the Minnesota State Fair Friday, which will serve Minneapolis and surrounding communities. The buses -- which mark a first in the U.S. transit industry -- were funded by a $1.2 million federal grant and were built in-state.

The Metro Transit police department has a "lack of accountability at all levels," "confusion and negative perceptions at all levels," and does not appear to have anyone in charge of technology, according to a new report from the Upper Midwest Community Policing Institute.

The Minnesota Twins are negotiating a deal with Hennepin County to get a stake in a new light-rail transit hub near Target Field that connects the Hiawatha, Northstar and future Central Corridor lines, the Pioneer Press reports. The $79 million project also includes an entertainment plaza on the north side of the ballpark.

It's a beautiful addition to a fall wreath, but the Minnesota Department of Agriculture is telling state decorators and retailers to avoid using the vibrant Oriental bittersweet, a woody vine that can strangle trees and crowd out native plants.