Minnesota briefs: American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame inducts six

Six people were inducted Saturday into the American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame at a dinner at the Mount Frontenac Clubhouse.

The crop of new inductees included elite jumpers, coaches and people who have promoted the sport, including the late Wally Wakefield, a lifelong member of the St. Paul Ski Club who was widely known in the ski jumping world. He died May 2.

The American Ski Jumping Hall of Fame and Museum, which is housed in the St. James Hotel, has been fundraising for a new, Olympic-level ski jump at Mount Frontenac, on land owned by the Prairie Island Indian Community.

No timeline has been established yet for groundbreaking as plans continue to evolve, project spokesman Dennis Egan said last week.

The area is home to a rich ski-jumping history, thanks to two Norwegian brothers who imported the sport to Minnesota in 1883.

Mikkjel and Torjus Hemmestvedt built their jump on the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River, drawing thousands of people to national competitions.

A windstorm destroyed the jump in 1950, and it was never rebuilt.

MATT MCKINNEY

The Minnesota Public Facilities Authority has awarded St. Cloud a $6.6 million grant to help pay for $24.3 million in wastewater treatment improvements.

The improvements include an upgrade to reduce the discharge of phosphorus.

The balance of project funding will come from local sources and potentially a low-interest loan, which could be announced in the fall.

The Public Facilities Authority provides financing and technical assistance to help communities build and maintain infrastructure that protects public health and the environment and that promotes economic growth.

JOHN REINAN

A National Park Service grant of $750,000 will help spruce up one of the city's notable historic parks.

Lincoln Park, a 37-acre green space in West Duluth, will be getting "significant facility upgrades, a new playground and accessible trails," according to a city statement.

The improvements will follow work to stabilize the banks of Miller Creek, which runs through the park and suffered damage during 2012 flooding.

Lincoln Park, which features a pavilion, picnic areas, disc golf, and biking and hiking trails, is home to Duluth's first playground, created in 1908.