Regional briefs

FARGO, N.D. (AP) -- Steve McLister, publisher of The West Central Tribune of Willmar, Minn., is the new general manager of The Forum of Fargo.

The announcement was made by Lloyd Case, chief operating officer of Forum Communications Co.

McLister, 42, will succeed Bill Marcil Jr., who plans to pursue other interests.

Before becoming publisher in Willmar, McLister was publisher of The Mitchell (S.D.) Daily Republic. Both newspapers are owned by Forum Communications Co.

Owners of unclaimed property listed

ST. PAUL (AP) -- State officials are pointing out that Minnesotans' chances of having unclaimed property waiting for them at the Department of Commerce are greater than their chances of winning the lottery.

Acting Commerce Commissioner Jim Bernstein said Wednesday that 23,000 Minnesotans have been identified as owners of this year's unclaimed property, valued at more than $22 million.

The property includes abandoned checking and savings accounts, uncashed payroll checks, stocks and bonds, and safe-deposit box contents.

This year's complete list is available on the department's Web site, http://www.commerce.state.mn.us/mainup.htm.

Owners can claim their property by filling out the claim form published in newspapers or by contacting the Department of Commerce at (651) 296-2568, toll-free at 1-800-925-5668, or by e-mail at unclaimedpropertystate.mn.us.

Citizens who oppose Target haven't given up

NORTHFIELD (AP) -- The 120,000-square-foot Target store is starting to take shape on the outskirts of this city, a year after the building was narrowly approved in a referendum, but citizens against it haven't given up the battle.

The Mainstreet Defense Fund, which sued the city over the issue, has lined up national experts for a rally planned at 7:30 p.m. today at the Grand Theater.

''No one thinks that we'll keep the Target store from opening,'' said fund supporter Kiffi Summa. ''But if we can keep the strip of highway from looking like Apple Valley, we'll be happy.''

In March 1999, after a blistering debate, residents voted 2,667 to 2,573 to permit rezoning for the store. Last month, the Preservation Alliance of Minnesota named the city's historic downtown one of the state's 10 most-endangered sites because of the impact some fear after the store opens in October.

Student barred from graduation events over racial slur in yearbook

ST. CLOUD (AP) -- A high school senior is barred from taking part in graduation ceremonies after slipping a coded racist message into the school's yearbook.

In a section of the yearbook where seniors' quotes appear, Technical High School senior Jacob Meyer wrote a racial slur against blacks spelled backward, school officials say.

The words were an inside joke with friends and he never meant to hurt anyone, Meyer said.