William Garfield Sandison, the former CEO of Community National Bank, is one of three executives from the bank who executed a scheme to defraud other financial institutions through the financing of Ramsey Town Center.

Colorado-based Gevo is beginning a $22 million retrofit of the Luverne facility-which will become the world's first commercial-scale bio-based isobutanol plant.

In March, 19 of 20 major metro areas experienced falling year-over-year home prices-led by Minneapolis, which was the only city to post a double-digit decline.

A study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that employers plan to hire 19.3 percent more graduates in 2011 than they did in 2010.

The state's banks saw a significant jump in aggregate earnings during the first three months of the year, but much of the growth can be attributed to a drop in provisions for loan losses.

The Edina-based food distribution company hadn't been looking to sell its Hispanic-oriented Avanza stores, but it took Texas-based Lowe's Market up on an unsolicited offer.

A union that represents IBM employees recently reported that the company is reducing its work force across four divisions, including one that has a location in Rochester.

Separately, the retail giant said that it has chosen 105 Canadian sites at which it will build Target stores as part of its planned expansion north of U.S. borders.

Sandra Calkins admitted to falsifying her business records in order to renew a line of bank credit and attract investors.

Co-working firm Coco will open a 16,000-square-foot innovation center at the Minneapolis Grain Exchange, which will provide space for tech accelerator Project Skyway.

Alliant Techsystems filed a petition on Monday protesting an $850 million contract that it lost to London-based BAE Systems.

St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman wants to pay for a Vikings stadium in Minneapolis with a statewide alcohol tax of 2 cents per drink. He also wants to move the state's pro basketball teams from the Target Center to the Xcel Energy Center.

A total of 70 job cuts will be layoffs, while the remaining 170 positions will go unfilled after employees retire or leave for other reasons.

According to the Star Tribune, recently unsealed search warrants back up allegations that Michael Krzyzaniak used investors' money to fund his lavish lifestyle.

The Star Tribune reported that an increasing number of local companies are experimenting with ways to make work fun for their employees; efforts include everything from reviving company picnics to daily in-house foosball games and dinner-and-drink outings.

The Nerdery and volunteer Web professionals have already donated $1.5 million worth of free Web sites to nonprofits through the program. Now they're headed to Chicago.