Christi Rowan, who pleaded guilty in April to one count of bank fraud and one count of bankruptcy fraud, has asked for a lenient sentence, while federal prosecutors seek the maximum six-month sentence.

Gary Hendrickson, who is currently the company's president and chief operating officer, will succeed William Mansfield.

The company is updating the labeling for its implantable infusion pumps and sent a letter to doctors last month to remind them about how to refill the pumps correctly and thus avoid problems.

The state had 5.8 unemployed people per job vacancy in the fourth quarter of 2010, down nearly 30 percent from the previous year when there were 8.2 unemployed people for each vacancy.

A start-up tech firm in California claims that Best Buy stole its buy-back program model after it was led to believe it was entering into a partnership with the Richfield-based retailer.

Aspen Research Corporation has been sold by Andersen Corporation to a local investor group for an undisclosed amount.

The additions bring the office building's vacancy rate to about 8 percent, well below the average vacancy rate for Minneapolis-which was at 17.9 percent at the end of 2010, according to Cassidy Turley.

More than 120 Minnesotans will lose their jobs as the retailer closes 200 underperforming stores nationwide-four in Minnesota-as it reorganizes under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Alison Davis-Blake, who has been dean of the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management for almost five years, will leave her post this summer to lead the University of Michigan's business school.

The Iowa-based company has agreed to purchase the stores from Trimont-based NuWay Cooperative.

David W. Cress pleaded guilty to a single count of engaging in prostitution, a misdemeanor, and was sentenced to one year of probation and a $350 fine.

The parent company of Home Federal Savings Bank-which recently announced that it would defer a $325,000 payment owed on its Troubled Asset Relief Program loan-is now under scrutiny by its regulator.

Minneapolis-based Target unveiled plans for a new small-format store in Chicago, as well as the official moniker for its new urban locations: CityTarget.

The company's fourth-quarter and fiscal 2010 financial results were positive, but Capella faces uncertainty in light of proposed U.S. Department of Education regulations that would require it to better prepare students for employment or risk losing access to federal loan programs for financial aid for students.

The company will write checks to 1,100 member companies and more than 45,000 individuals and other businesses-including 13,009 checks totaling $38.9 million within Minnesota.

The home-improvement retailer will add about 900 seasonal workers-700 of which are in the metro area-to its Minnesota stores to accommodate for its busy season.