Every two years, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency creates a list of impaired waters that do not meet water quality standards. It is estimated that about 40 percent of Minnesota's lakes and streams are impaired by conventional pollutants.

Last week, the agency announced the draft 2018 Impaired Waters List, which is open for formal public comment until Jan. 26, 2018. All written comments received during that time, and agency responses, will be forwarded to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which will determine pollutant-reduction goals to restore the impaired waters.

Written comments can be submitted by e-mail to miranda.nichols@state.mn.us or by mail to Miranda Nichols, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, 520 Lafayette Road N., St Paul, MN 55155. A return postal address must be included. For more information, go to the agency's Impaired Waters List website at pca.state.mn.us/water/minnesotas-impaired-waters-list.

Mark Brunswick

ST. CLOUD

City hopes to buy, develop old Tech High School

St. Cloud city leaders hope to redevelop the century-old Tech High School when the school district vacates the building in 2019.

City leaders told the City Council last week that the school board will vote on conveying the building and land to the city soon.

"The school district's not in the business of redevelopment," Mayor Dave Kleis told the council, adding that the city has tools such as tax increment financing, tax credits and zoning rules that the school district doesn't.

Kleis said the city will work with downtown residents who live by the school — "this neighborhood being one of the most historic neighborhoods in our community" — to put a plan in place in 2018 for the building's new use. The city could seek requests for proposals for the building in 2019. Part of the building, which opened in 1917, is historic and could be repurposed while the rest could be redeveloped or demolished, Kleis said.

"For us this is the perfect scenario," Superintendent Willie Jett said.

The upkeep and repair for the 100-year-old building is extensive. In 2016, voters approved $104.5 million for a new Tech High in south St. Cloud. The new 320,000-square-foot school is expected to open in fall 2019.

KELLY SMITH

Duluth

Bent Paddle brewery to expand to larger space

Bent Paddle Brewing Co., Duluth's largest craft brewery, is relocating. But it's not moving far, with plans to take its taproom to a larger space a block down the street from its existing location in the revitalized Lincoln Park neighborhood.

The spot on W. Michigan Street, slated to open in early 2018, will include an event room for up to 70 people, a fireplace, a small performance area, kids' nook, retail shop and pet-friendly patio. The company will also add a smaller brewing system for experimental and smaller batches of craft beer.

Four co-founders opened Bent Paddle in 2013 and it is now Minnesota's sixth-largest brewery.

Pam Louwagie