Sen. Amy Klobuchar's visit on Wednesday to LINDAR Corp. in Baxter placed a spotlight once again on a familiar yet troubling refrain we've heard from certain business owners.

It wasn't easy and it wasn't always pretty, but the Crow Wing County Board's finished product of the 2012 budget is one deserving of commendation. The board reduced the tax levy by 2.37 percent compared to 2011.

Our opinion: Unemployment Brainerd’s jobless Amid last week’s good news from Baxter (Is anyone else looking forward to Olive Garden and Costco moving to the area?) there was bit of jarring bad news which stuck out like Rudolph’s red nose on a foggy Christmas Eve....

Producing a budget for a large organization can be a long, grueling process. It's not made easier by last-minute surprises by an organization's leadership.

It was a news story with legs. A holiday tale of a big box retailer that said no to the cheerful bell ringers of the Salvation Army. The media jumped all over it last week.

Are this year’s early Black Friday hours a sign of creeping commercialism or a desperation ploy by battered retailers? We’ve heard both explanations since many stores announced they would open by midnight on Thanksgiving Day. That’s the night before Black Friday with some chains asking their e...

New Westgate Mall stores, a nearby renovated movie theatre, free WiFi, a national chain restaurant. What’s not to like about the vision articulated last week by the new owners of the Westgate Mall?...

Brainerd School District supporters of kindergarten through 12 education might feel a little self-satisfied after the passage of two school levy referendums this month. Resist that temptation. There’s work to be done at the Minnesota Legislature if we’re to avoid the same painful process of goin...

This time, Brainerd School District voters weighed the ballot questions posed by school officials and strongly supported two school levy requests. As a result, parents and community members who had been concerned about what more drastic education cuts would mean for the district, are breathing a lit...

Education funding in the state of Minnesota is broken down and, as a result, Brainerd School District voters are being asked to step up to the plate on Nov. 8 and support the school district’s operating levy requests. While renewing or increasing operating levies for our schools is never a pleasan...