Six months ago, 7 inches of rain swamped northeastern Minnesota, washing out road and devastating everything from Duluth's zoo to the iconic swinging bridge at Jay Cooke State Park.

Various regional officials, including Duluth Mayor Don Ness and Public Safety Commissioner Mona Dohman, have scheduled a Friday 11 a.m. press conference in Carlton, Minn., where they'll provide an update on on the recovery efforts from that storm.

The biggest news is expected to be an extension of time to apply for forgiveable loans that homeowners affected by the deluge and flooding can use to help return damaged dwellings to pre-disaster conditions. That so-called Minnesota Quick Start Program was slated to run out in the middle of this month. Homeowners will now have until Jan. 4, according to Department of Public Safety spokesman Bruce Gordon.

Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Homeland Security and Carlton County are expected at Friday's briefing.