Lake County

Arrowhead broadband project boosted by grant

A federal grant brought new life to a stalled high-speed Internet project for Lake County and portions of eastern St. Louis County. The $3.5 million Connect American Fund grant from the Federal Communications Commission announced earlier this month will help broadband provider Lake Connections, based in Two Harbors, complete its plan to lay fiber optic cable across the Arrowhead from Aurora to Little Marais, and from Ely down to Two Harbors.

The project also won needed support this month from the Lake County Board of Commissioners by a 3-2 vote.

Weather, terrain and "utility pole attachment issues" made the project more difficult than expected, according to a statement from Lake Connections. The delays and added expense led to a suspension of the project's loan funds by the federal Rural ­Utility Services agency. Under the new plan, construction of all three phases of the project should be completed by next summer.

matt mckinney @_mattmckinney

Fairfax

Liquor stores see losses

A new report shows that city-owned liquor stores in outstate Minnesota aren't faring as well as their metro-area counterparts.

In 2013, 33 municipal liquor operations reported net losses for the year — compared with 25 in 2012, according to a Minnesota State Auditor's report released Tuesday. All 33 cities with losses sit in outstate Minnesota.

The biggest losers were: Fairfax, with a net loss of about $44,400; Hanley Falls with $36,500; Rushford with $27,300; Wells with $26,800; and Howard Lake with $26,200.

Officials in Fairfax, pop. 1,200, attribute their No. 1 spot partly to vacation and sick time paid out to a longtime, outgoing manager. Competition with big box stores, including those in nearby New Ulm, have also contributed to declining sales, said Marcia Seibert-Volz, city treasurer and administrator.

But a new manager has revised prices and bolstered marketing, Seibert-Volz said. "Things are turning around," she said. "Hopefully this year, we'll be in the black."

JENNA ROSS @ByJenna

WINONA

City offers downtown app

A new app, "Downtown Winona," allows people to look up downtown stores, restaurants, events and ­services.

Released by the city's Main Street Program director David Bittner and Spine and Sport Physical Therapy owner Dennis McEntaffer, the free app aims to let residents and visitors know about businesses they wouldn't have otherwise discovered.

"The big thing is to let people know how many businesses, and not just retail stores … that [are] downtown," McEntaffer told the Winona Daily News.

The duo hopes to work with local hotels and bed-and-breakfasts to advertise the app.

MAYA RAO @Mrao_Strib