The Department of Natural Resources suspects the Newcastle disease is responsible in the deaths of hundreds of birds on Pigeon Lake in west-central Minnesota and on Minnesota Lake in southern Minnesota. The DNR says around 700 cormorants, 100 pelicans and some gulls, herons and egrets have been found sick and dead at Pigeon Lake, near Litchfield, alone.

Many area residents say it's one of the prettiest places on Lake Minnetonka during the winter, but, Enchanted Island is filling up with trash. Neighbors are furious.

A new treatment that was intended to kill zebra mussels in two Minnesota lakes was not successful. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources used copper sulfate, a chemical used to treat swimmer's itch, to get rid of the invasive species in Lake Irene in Douglas County and Rose Lake in Otter Tail County.

The Department of Natural Resources is auctioning rights to prospect and mine for metallic minerals on close to 64,000 acres in northeastern Minnesota, in Aitkiin, St. Louis and Lake counties, the Associated Press reports.

The FDIC shutdown Patriot Bank in Forest Lake Friday. First Resource Bank in Savage agreed to take over the assets and deposits from the failed Minnesota bank. There have been seven U.S. bank failures in 2012. Patriot Bank is the first to fail in Minnesota this year.

Doctors have diagnosed two Minnesota women, both in their 40s, with meningitis after they received injectable steroids from a Massachusetts pharmacy, the Minnesota Department of Health said in a news release Saturday. Officials expect to see more cases in the state as the nearly one thousand patients treated with the tainted products are notified.

A drop in water pressure caused the Minnesota Department of Health to issue a Do Not Drink order for the water in Lino Lakes. Low pressure makes the water vulnerable to bacteria. Nearly two dozen restaurants face closing unless they can arrange a substitute water supply.

It was an intriguing image – thousands of pigeons exploding from the back of a truck and circling the skies over Worthington. But who was releasing them and why? Now the Worthington Daily-Globe reveals: The Twin City Concourse pigeon racing club released nearly 1,500 pigeons on Aug. 25 and Sept. 1 at the Tru-Shine Truck Wash. It turns out Worthington is just a good drop point given its 150-mile distance from the Twin Cities.