Today’s news update

For a full report, listen every day at 6:05 a.m., 7:05 a.m., 8:05 a.m., 12:05 p.m, and 5:05 p.m.

Click to listen!

For the top news briefs,

• The Northfield City Council has unanimously approved utility rate adjustments that are part of Northfield’s proposed 2010 budget. For 2010, that means a 2% and 5 % increase in the volume rates for water and sewer, respectively. That would mean the water volume charge per 100 cubic feet would increase from $1.50 in 2009 to $1.53 in 2010. For sewer, the wastewater volume charge per 100 cubic feet would rise from $3.40 in 2009 to $3.57 in 2010. Stormwater rates will increase will be 21%, from $9.50 this year, to $11.50 in 2010. That’s still below the rate needed to support the operation of the utility. The rate will likely continue to increase, but Finance Director Kathleen McBride says that will be eased in over time.
• Minnesotans have now donated more than 12-million dollars to the state’s non-profits on the first-ever “Give to the Max Day”, an online-only event that ends at 8:00 this morning. All donations made at giveMN.org will be proportionately matched out of a half-million-dollar grant from the Saint Paul, Minneapolis and Bush Foundations. More than 37,000 Minnesota non-profits are registered with the site, including dozens of organizations in Northfield. Minnesota leads the nation in charitable giving. Last year, Minnesotans donated $4 billion to charity.
• (AP) The wreckage of a small plane has been found in Clearwater County after several days of ground and air searches for a missing pilot from Farmington. Authorities say a search team from Mahnomen and Clearwater counties, as well as the State Patrol and White Earth police will head to the remote, wooded site at daybreak today. The area is about 20 miles south of Mahnomen. Mahnomen County Sheriff Doug Krier says a private pilot from Walker spotted something Tuesday about 4:30 p.m. near the Mahnomen County line. He picked up a sheriff’s deputy and they flew back to the site and confirmed the plane’s wreckage. Pilot Andrew Lindberg was flying from Lakeville to Hallock Friday to go deer hunting when his Piper Cherokee disappeared.