Duluth
More counterfeit bills circulating around city
Duluth police are warning people to look out for fake money.
An increasing number of counterfeit bills have been circulating through the area, police warned. The illegal tender has often been passed in bustling or attention-diverting settings such as a busy line at a grocery store or at a restaurant.
The bills appear real, except some have the telltale words "Motion Picture Use Only" printed on them in a way that blends in with the design on the front or on the back, according to photos of the bills shared by the police department.
The fake bills can be detected using a counterfeit detection pen.
Anyone who sees someone attempting to pass counterfeit money is asked to call 911.
Pam Louwagie
Austin
Riverland Community College drops fee to apply
Riverland Community College no longer will charge an application fee to prospective students. Although the college's application fee was only $20, school officials said they wanted to remove any financial barriers to people seeking to continue their education.
"We saw the application fee as a barrier we could remove for students because it slowed down the process to get them enrolled in Riverland's credit-based academic programs," said Kelly McCalla, interim vice president of academic and student affairs.
"It also is a small thing we can do for first-generation, low-income students to help them get connected to the college and begin to explore their opportunities."
Seven other community colleges in the state also have dropped their application fees, Riverland officials said.
Riverland was founded in 1940 as Austin Junior College and now has campuses in Austin, Albert Lea and Owatonna.
John Reinan
Cass County
Open house set for new Centennial State Forest
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is hosting an open house focusing on roads and trails in Centennial State Forest, Minnesota's newest state forest.
Anyone interested in recreational trail systems and motorized use of the forest can offer input.
The open house will be from 6-8 p.m. Feb. 1 at Trelipe Town Hall, 3669 County 55 NE. in Remer.
The Nature Conservancy donated the 3,394-acre state forest in Cass County to the DNR in 2013. The DNR will classify the forest as closed or limited to recreational motorized vehicles and will designate trails, minimum maintenance roads and main forest roads.
Written comments may be submitted by e-mail to foresttrailplanning.dnr@state.mn.us or by mail to Joe Unger, DNR Parks and Trails, 500 Lafayette Road, St. Paul, MN 55155-4039.
Written comments will be accepted through Feb. 15.
Mark Brunswick
