Business

DULUTH — Cliffs Natural Resources is shedding its Canadian operations, selling U.S. coal mines and looking to get out of iron mining in Australia. What apparently will remain of the shrinking Cleveland-based company will be its Minnesota and Michigan taconite iron ore operations....

WILLMAR — In an all-out blitz that started in November, local leaders and volunteers have completed nearly 100 face-to-face surveys with Kandiyohi County business owners. The next task will be to look at the information they collected and to analyze it. The process will help provide...

FARGO, N.D. — The U.S. Department of Commerce has reached an agreement with the Mexican government and sugar producers to suspend the anti-dumping and countervailing duty cases against Mexican sugar imports. The deal is causing cautious optimism among sugar producers and criticism...

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — It appears St. Cloud will lose its coveted air-service link to Chicago less than a year after flights began. SkyWest Airlines, which operates twice-daily United Airlines flights from St. Cloud Regional Airport to Chicago O’Hare International Airport, announced...

MOORHEAD — An auction is a snapshot of how people are feeling, said Greg Peterson, known as Machinery Pete, who has been tracking auction prices on farm and construction equipment since 1989. And the prices of some used ag equipment dropped significantly from mid-August through...

WILLMAR — Jennie-O Turkey Store of Willmar and Del Taco LLC of Lake Forest, California, announce they have teamed up to develop lean, seasoned ground turkey as a protein option in Del Taco’s menu items. According to a joint announcement, the turkey option will be available at...

WASHINGTON — A bill that would allow farmers, ranchers and other small businesses to expense equipment to run their operations is on its way to President Barack Obama’s desk. The Senate passed the one-year Tax Increase Prevention Act 76-16 Tuesday night. The measure extends Section...

Staff reports WILLMAR — West Central Industries announces the appointment of Renee Nolting as the agency’s new executive director. “Renee is coming home,” said Board President Christie Kurth in a news release. “After running our food services for 19 years, Renee pursued...

ST. PAUL — The commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has appointed 10 Minnesotans to three-year terms on citizen oversight committees that monitor the agency’s fish and wildlife spending. Among the appointments are two area men who are both avid hunters...