WALKER - Cass County Board voted Tuesday to seek state mediation and to hire Tom Fitzpatrick as legal counsel to represent the county in the mediation.

Despite Minnesota families having faithfully paid their taxes throughout an extremely difficult economic period, the DFL- controlled legislature continues to believe you are not paying enough taxes and they are not spending enough of your money. Their solution to improve the wellbeing of Minnesota's families, elderly, students and business community is a huge tax and government spending increase. That will likely undo the hard fought economic progress we have made and kill more private sector jobs here in Minnesota. However, they will take care of themselves.

Cass board OKs two-year pacts with unions Employees' approval needed before deal is completed BACKUS - Cass County Board voted Tuesday to approve one of five pending two-year union contracts with county employees.

WALKER - Cass County Board Tuesday approved all but one of the county's two-year union contracts and approved the same terms for elected officials other than the board and for non-union employees.

Donations to Crow Wing County will go into buying a vehicle to assist veterans.

...contract sometime next week. The new contract covers seven different working groups, including the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 5 and the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees. It will expire June...

BAXTER - Baxter Mayor Darrel Olson expressed appreciation for the service of Bill Deblon, who retired last week from his role as community development director. Deblon joined Baxter in 2006 after spending two decades with the city of Robbinsdale.

BACKUS - With interest rates at an all-time low for a prolonged period, Cass County is feeling the effect on its investments.

Two men filed Monday for Brainerd City Council, creating a three-person race for the two at-large seats and a separate race for the Ward 3 seat.

A district court ruled Crow Wing County's unilateral action stopping step wage increases in 2012 was an unfair labor practice in violation of state law. The ruling was filed Wednesday in the Ninth Judicial District.