A St. Paul firefighter will receive a more than half million dollar settlement in a disability dispute. William Eldredge claims the fire department tried to fire him and transfer him to a lesser paying job because he had an eyesight disability.

After city leaders huddled for several hours late Tuesday, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman announced Wednesday that the design-build contract for the $54 million Lowertown ballpark will be reopened for bids. The contract was originally awarded to Minneapolis-based Ryan Companies the day after the St. Paul Saints received $25 million in a state economic development grant.

The St. Paul Fire Department's Rescue Squad 2 is back on the chopping block, after disagreement between the firefighters union, and the fire chief and Mayor Chris Coleman, the Pioneer Press reports. The mayor sent a letter to the firefighters union on Tuesday saying the specialty rescue squad would be decommissioned for budget reasons. No firefighters will lose their jobs as a result of cutting Rescue Squad 2, the city said.

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman has avoided a planned protest at the annual mayor's budget address Monday thanks to an agreement with the firefighter's union. Union officials were angry this week after Coleman announced he would decommission Rescue Squad 2 and leave only two rescue squads in the city. The squad will remain with the agreement, but have one less member.