Although low water levels aren't an issue north of the Ohio River because of the lock-and-dam-system, those that ship by barge will have to ship lighter loads to avoid bottoming out. Lighter loads mean heavier costs for barges leaving Minnesota.

The drought that's squeezing trade on the lower part of the Mississippi River is threatening to force barge lines to lighten cargos in Minnesota if it doesn't rain more soon, the Star Tribune reports.

The Pioneer Press reports the first towboat and seven barges, headed to St. Paul, traveled through Red Wing and Hastings Saturday to mark the start of the season. The average opening is March 20.

Rescuers pulled a 21-year-old woman to safety in St. Paul after she fell about 30 feet down a Mississippi River bluff on Sunday night, the fire department said. They immobilized her on a stretcher and used ropes to haul her back up.

Two kayakers, ages 16 and 21, were rescued Tuesday after they lost control of their kayaks in the fast-moving Mississippi River and ended up yelling for help on an island in Sauk Rapids near St. Cloud.