AM.MN: Tribe’s HQ burns three weeks before groundbreaking on new one

In what the tribe terms an “ironic twist,” an Aug. 11 groundbreaking had already been set for a building to replace the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa government headquarters that burned to the ground Monday. The FBI and State Fire Marshal’s office are investigating the Nett Lake fire, which tribal officials say started, suspiciously, in at least two places. No one was hurt and firefighters saved a server with the tribe’s electronic records.

Elsewhere in Minnesota news this morning…

MISSISSIPPI RIVER: Replacement of under-river sewer pipe from South St. Paul to St. Paul starts this month. Somehow there’s $37 million available to keep sewage flowing from Gov. Pawlenty’s boyhood home to the State Capital. [Minnesota Public Radio]

BEMIDJI: “Urban blight” prompts move to halt owners from converting homes to rentals. A proposed moratorium leaves students and real-estate investors feeling “picked on.” [Bemidji Pioneer]

DULUTH: Mayor defends dismissal. Mayor Don Ness says he saw signs in “the first week” that he’d have to get rid of Michael Ashcraft, who in May moved from Kansas to become the city’s fourth chief administrative officer in less than two years. [Duluth News Tribune]

WORTHINGTON: Minnesota 60, meet Catch-22. Residents of East Acres Trailer Park are in the way of a planned expansion of State Hwy. 60, but a local housing shortage means there’s no place for them to move. With federal funds on tap, it could be a topic for talk with Sen. Al Franken’s staff, who are in town today. [Worthington Daily Globe]

MINNEAPOLIS: Have they considered enlarging Hooters? Owners of Bellanotte (including Denny Hecker) are fretting about leasing their 10,000-square-foot space in downtown’s Block E after they closed the fancy restaurant. But really, they’re only helping the MinneApple keep pace with the Big Apple’s empty-storefront scene. [Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal; Star Tribune; New York Times]

STATEWIDE: Is the beaker half full or half empty? Depending on which daily you read, “Students’ science test scores take big jump” or “Minnesota students fall short on science, test scores show.” [Star Tribune; St. Paul Pioneer Press]