Minnesotans who buy their hunting, fishing and other Department of Natural Resources’ licenses at retail outlets will soon do so via a new electronic licensing system.

Effective Feb. 18, DNR retail license sales will be available on new touch-screen terminals that allow sales clerks to be more efficient when inputting data and outputting licenses.

Rebates up to $10,000 per home are now available to Minnesota homeowners who install qualifying solar electric and solar hot water systems. Rebate reservations are available on a first-come, first-served basis for solar systems that are installed at an applicant's primary residence by a licensed contractor that meets program participation criteria.

Download the appropriate application materials below.

Solar electric rebate:
http://www.state.mn.us/mn/externalDocs/Commerce/Solar_Electric_Rebate_Pr...

Solar hot water heater rebate:

Gov. Tim Pawlenty today announced a proposal to more than double prison time for sex offenders and a new comprehensive internet education program to help protect children from online predators.

Under the Governor's proposal, an offender convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct would receive a 25-year sentence, more than doubling the current presumptive sentence.

State Rep. Dean Urdahl, R-Grove City, was named co-chair this week of a bipartisan group recently brought together with a serious undertaking: redesigning state government.

For people who are worried about their next house or home equity payment, or have missed one or two payments, help is a phone call away.

During the past two years, Heartland Community Action Agency’s foreclosure counseling program has assisted more than 262 households in Kandiyohi, McLeod, Meeker, and Renville counties. Heartland is one of several foreclosure counseling agencies across the state that is helping homeowners at risk or facing foreclosure, free of charge.  

Due to the early closing of school on Monday, Litchfield School District's Registration Night for eighth through 11th grades was rescheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 22.

The district spelling bee was rescheduled to 7 p.m. Feb. 22.

The Litchfield School Board meeting also was rescheduled to Feb. 22.

Agricultural producers looking to solve natural resource problems on their farms might want to apply for assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program administered by the USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The Minnesota NRCS announced that a scoring period to determine priority for funding applications will occur at the end of February. Nearly $22 million is available to assist producers.