"Tax Talk Today" gives businesses a headstart on tax prep

excerpted from the Barnesville Record-Review, 12-24-07

Tax professionals, their clients and small business owners may want to tune into the IRS's free January Tax Talk Today (TTT) Web cast: "Getting Ready for the Filing Season 2008: Part 2 (Businesses)." The program will be broadcast live on Jan. 8, from 2-3 p.m. Not available then? The Web casts are archived for 12 months. You can also listen via audio podcast.

Morris Transit served most riders in 2007

excerpted from the Morris Sun Tribune, 12-22-07

Morris Transit surpassed 60,000 annual riders for the first time in its 33-year period. The previous record was 59,775 riders set in 1997.

The rider boom that blossomed in 2007 began in the latter half of 2006.

Higher gas prices, convenience and no parking worries were cited as possible reasons, as was an increase in older people moving to assisted living facilities and a possible influx of UMM students.

"I think people have heard it from others that it's a good service and that it's cheaper than driving," said Beth Heinrich, Morris Transit Coordinator.

Read entire article.

LaTienda founder honored for work within Hispanic community

excerpted from the Morris Sun Tribune, 12-22-07

Nancy Huot, owner of LaTienda, a grocery and convenience store that caters to the area's Hispanic community, was honored with the City of Morris' 2007 Human Rights Award.

Huot opened the store as a way to help Hispanic residents adapt to life in west central Minnesota, and as a place for them to gather with friends and meet others in the area.

Read entire article.

"Grow Minnesota!" strives for job retention in state

excerpted from the Pope County Tribune, 12-10-07

The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, in concert with 40-plus local chamber partners, completed nearly 800 visits this past year with owners and/or managers of Minnesota businesses. It's part of "Grow Minnesota!" the chamber's business and job retention program.

"Grow Minnesota!" has two purposes: to thank businesses for investing in Minnesota, and to identify their challenges to growing in Minnesota. The information collected also feeds the Minnesota Chamber's pulbic policy agenda at the Capitol.

"As a small community, it is important to let our businesses know how much they mean to us," said Cody Roghan, associate director of the Glenwood Area Chamber of Commerce. "'Grow Minnesota!' allows us to do so while finding ways to assist them, as well. We're thankful for this important program."

Foreclosures in Greater Minnesota higher than expected

The wave of foreclosures swamping greater Minnesota may be twice as large as previously reported by national studies, housing officials heard at a recent GreaterMinnesota Foreclosure Crisis Summit in St. Cloud.

The new study quantified for the first time the number of actual sheriff sales of foreclosed properties county by county in Minnesota in 2006. It found a stunning 11,207 foreclosures statewide, nearly double the 5,995 reported in a national study conducted by RealtyTrac, a leading provider of real estate industry data, over the same period.

The study, which covered the 80 counties outside the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area (Greater Minnesota), was commissioned by Greater Minnesota Housing Fund and prepared by HousingLink, a Minneapolis-based research organization that providesinformation to housing organizations and policymakers.

Read the full report.

Manufacturers concerned about worker shortages

excerpted from the Alexandria Echo Press, 12-5-07

A "high-performance workforce" is the number one factore for success, say 66 percent of Minnesota manufacturers that responded to a newly released DEED survey of the state's manufacturing firm.

The findings included:

• Workforce shortages were highest for skilled production and scientist and engineering positions; lowest in low-skilled production and management and administration.
• Collaboration with education is viewed as important in developing high-performing workers, yet when compared with national manfacturing respondents surveyed by NAM, Minnesota collaborated far less on educational activities.

Read report.

Herman gets $144,000 grant for street extension

excerpted from the Herman Review, 12-9-07

A $144,000 grant from the Dept. of Employment and Economic Development will be used to pay for most fo the remaining work on the Pacific Ave. extension to the site of a fertilizer plant that New Horizons Ag Services is intending to build on the northwest edge of town.

Read more.

Perham-based Minnesota Online receives outstanding use of technology award

excerpted from Detroit Lakes Tribune, 12-02-07

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system's Minnesota Online, a gateway to more than 4,700 course selections and 200 programs offered via the Internet, was recently recognized for innovative and effective uses of technologies in supporting students. Minnesota Online's Online Support Center received the Outstanding Work Award from the Western Cooperative for Educational Telecommunications for delivering high quality student services, particularly to veterans and military personnel. Located in Perham, the center provides pre-admission planning and advising seven days a week.