Beckman Coulter, which employs about 750 at its Chaska facility, is reportedly looking at offers from private-equity firms and other companies, including 3M.

Dell plans to maintain Compellent's existing operations and staff in Eden Prairie, and it intends to invest in engineering, support, operations, and sales capability.

Following a year of record sales, the Austin-based company wants to increase the number of authorized shares of voting common stock from 400 million to 800 million.

The Apple Valley Medical Clinic, which denied wrongdoing, will pay to settle allegations that it submitted false claims for payment to the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

The university's technology commercialization brought in $75.2 million in revenue in fiscal 2010-down 21 percent from last year due mostly to the expiration of several foreign patents related to an AIDS treatment.

The company said that it has reduced sugar levels in cereals advertised to children by 14 percent since 2007 and made substantial progress in 2010.

The local companies were honored earlier this month by the U.S. Chamber Business Civic Leadership Center for their social and civic commitments.

According to the suit, Polaroid transferred $40,000 to Lance Bass' production company in 2005 without receiving a "reasonably equivalent value in exchange for the transfer."

The initial phase of a new mixed-use development in Bloomington calls for three buildings-including 14,000 square feet of retail space and restaurants, as well as 234 housing units.

David McCaffrey was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for a scheme in which he fraudulently obtained $8 million in financing for his company, ConServe Corporation.

A report that the agencies released Thursday estimates that Minnesota's state and local governments spent at least $4 billion in 2009 on compensation features with "weak or no" relationships to public-sector outcomes.

Sherry Smith, who has acted as interim chief financial officer since Pamela Knous stepped down in July, will take over the role permanently.

Court documents state that Xcel denies liability and has agreed to settle "only to avoid the expense, burden, and time of litigation."

The recent compromise calls for the new development to be mixed-use-which would put to rest concerns from a local resident group that in October spoke against retail-only building.

The two companies announced Thursday that they are in "advanced discussions" regarding a merger, and Dell may buy Compellent for $27.50 per share.