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.

The money is part of President Barack Obama's Small Business Jobs Act, aimed at fostering lending that can spur growth and job creation.

When Minnesota entrepreneurs are in need of cash, many of them end up in the offices of local non-profits. Some of state's most generous non-profits when it comes to business lending are getting $4.5 million from the federal government to help out Minnesota businesses.

State education officials put in the application in hopes of being awarded up to $45 million in federal funds from the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge. The competition is designed to encourage better learning standards and access to early learning programs for low-income children.

The congressional ban on federal money for specific state and local projects means the residents of Marshal will have to wait at least another year before an already two-decade long water supply project will start flowing.

About 12,000 jobs here would have been disrupted if the legislation wasn't extended past its Sept. 30 deadline. The bill will pump more than $650 million around the country to continue work on a variety of projects.