Chalk one up for the Tower Timberjay, a small newspaper Up North that has been locked in a two-year battle to open up records to scrutinize the Milwaukee firm that helped build new digs for the St. Louis County school district. The Duluth News Tribune has a story on the latest legal wranglings. The Star Tribune is working on its own take in the tug-o-war between the Timberjay and Johnson Controls.

One attorney, Mark Anfinson, thinks the ruling from the state Court of Appeals could have a broader reach on access to state records. He tells the News Tribune the ruling could empower citizens and news organizations to get more stuff and make businesses more accountable to taxpayers.