In Bemidji yesterday, Paul Bunyan Telephone, a telecom co-operative, announced patron payouts of $2.8 million at its annual meeting/fish fry. Rising demand for service and a plan to keep using copper wires mean out-sized salad days for the co-op. At the event, nearly 6,000 customer-members dined on the state fish and — this is so Minnesota — elected a new director by a vote-margin even smaller than Al Franken’s.

Elsewhere in Minnesota news this morning … 

DULUTH: Old-growth trees in way of airport expansion. A baker’s dozen of alternatives to shutting Sky Harbor Airport are now down to two that would trim 100 to 500 trees in Park Point’s forest. [Duluth News Tribune]

WINONA: Rochester’s bid for passenger train really about re-routing freight. Boosters of a high-speed upgrade for Amtrak’s line to Chicago say Rochester wants in partly so it can banish downtown freight trains. [Winona Post]

METRO: Suburbs resent how United Way lavishes cash on cities. Programs in ‘burbs are getting funding cut as urban needs grow, leading some to direct donations locally. [St. Paul Pioneer Press]

LE SUEUR: District can’t convert public school to charter, state says. Officials didn’t plan to change Hilltop Elementary much — but they hoped to spend less per pupil and get special federal grants. [Mankato Free Press]

ST. CLOUD: Scholar scores top baseball-history award. St. Cloud State University professor David Laliberte studies Native Americans who played the game at Minnesota boarding schools a century ago. [St. Cloud Times]

ST. PAUL: Candy company marks a century in business. Pearson’s makes Mint Patties, Salted Nut Rolls and the legendary Nut Goodie — but no longer the Seven Up Bar, so tricky to craft that the factory usually had to destroy the first two hours’ production run. [St. Paul Pioneer Press]