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An industry report blames government stinginess for a steep slide in how much iron ore ships are carrying across the Great Lakes. Only 30,000 tons left Silver Bay last month compared to one million tons in May 2008, and combined shipments from four Minnesota ports are down by two-thirds. The Lake Carriers’ Association says more federal stimulus funds should be spent on dredging so big boats don’t hit bottom.

Elsewhere in Minnesota news this morning …

ST. CLOUD: Woman keeps home thanks to a wealthy Texan and a homeless Samaritan. An acquaintance whose car is her home got a Texas foundation to pay off the mortgage for a local charity worker. [St. Cloud Times]

NORTHFIELD: Local lawyer pleads for African refugees at the Hague. John Fossum, just back from the International Criminal Court in the Netherlands, says immigrants here who were victimized in their homelands can seek reparations at court expense. [The African News Journal]

ST. PAUL: Outlook good for beating the other swine virus. Dr. Scott Dee, a University of Minnesota researcher, says Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS), which at $560 million in losses per year is the most expensive pig bug for the industry, could become a thing of the past. [Farmscape]

ST. LOUIS COUNTY: Iron Range schools could consolidate. A plan to build new schools between towns where schools would close requires voters’ approval — something that hasn’t been forthcoming in more than a decade. [Minnesota Brown]

THE SUNFLOWER BELT: Feds insure towering crop’s prices. More than one-third of growers in Minnesota and three other leading sunflower states now get guaranteed revenue — keeping fields yellow and farms in the black. [Associated Press]

HUTCHINSON: Co-op doubles its convenience-store holdings. The locally-owned Hutchinson Cooperative has bought and re-opened the former Food N Fuel, so customers (who are complimenting the cleanliness) can now get snacks and gas from co-op stations at either end of town. [Hutchinson Leader]