Minnesotans can celebrate a birthday 150 years in the making next week, as the state commemorates its sesquicentennial anniversary during Statehood Week May 11-18.

On May 11, 1858, Minnesota was officially admitted to the Union as the 32nd state of the United States of America.

The Sesquicentennial Convoy will leave the Capitol to travel to cities across the state for the Capitals for a Day tour from May 12-16. The cities to be visited are: Bemidji, Monday; Thief River Falls, Tuesday; Detroit Lakes, Wednesday; New Ulm, May 15; and Winona, May 16.

State Rep. Dean Urdahl was appointed Monday to the House conference committee in charge of the K-12 Education Policy Bill.

Urdahl, R-Grove City, is the only member of the minority party named to the committee by Speaker of the House Margaret Anderson Kelliher.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed the Capital Investment Bill Monday, but not before using his line-item veto power to slice more than $200 million from the bill.

But, while Pawlenty trimmed the bill from $925 million to $717 million, two projects with significance to the Meeker County area survived the cut.

There is no greater moment in the young life of a 16-year-old than being handed that magical ticket to freedom — his or her first driver’s license.

For parents, it can be the scariest moment of their lives.

Thirty-five years after the withdrawal of American soldiers from Vietnam, Minnesota officially recognizes March 29 as Vietnam Veterans Day.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed into law last week a bill designating March 29 as Vietnam Veterans Day. The date was chosen because it commemorates the withdrawal of ground troops from the Asian country on March 29, 1973.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty signed into law March 18 lowering the blood donation age to 16.

Earlier this month, the House of Representatives and Senate passed the bill, which lowers the blood donation age from 17 to 16 if the person obtains written permission from a parent or guardian.

Swedish retailer Ikea announced plans in February 2007 to begin charging customers 5 cents per plastic bag in an effort to encourage people to bring home their goods in reusable bags and cut down on plastic waste.

While charging people for plastic bags has yet to become common practice, Minnesota lawmakers are considering a law that would require retailers to make plastic bag recycling more convenient.

Aaron Imholte said he will not run against state Rep. Dean Urdahl, R-Grove City, for the Minnesota House 18B seat.

Imholte, 21, said Friday that after attending the Meeker County DFL Convention March 1, he decided he was not interested in running for the party. Imholte spoke briefly at the convention since he was entertaining the idea of running.

“If anything I became a registered independent after (the convention),” he said.

Holding candidate signs high above their heads, DFL delegates debated, cajoled, enticed and negotiated for the highest possible number of delegates to support their U.S. Senate candidate all the way to the state convention.

Each DFL Senate candidate — Al Franken, Mike Ciresi and Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer — had supporters on hand at Saturday’s Meeker County DFL Convention who attempted to mold the rare walking subcaucus process to their liking.

Hanging up a playbill and calling your customers actors in order to puff a few cigarettes might not be the loophole some bar owners believed it to be.

The Minnesota Department of Health announced Wednesday that "theater nights" being held in bars do not fall within the theatrical production exemption of the Freedom to Breathe Act.