The power lines on Madison Avenue will get buried, the Mankato City Council decided Monday, though it’s still not clear who will pay — Xcel Energy or Mankato taxpayers

DENVER (AP) - Tea party activists long skeptical of Mitt Romney are either warming up to the GOP presidential front-runner or reluctantly backing him after giving up on finding a candidate they like better.

State transportation planners sought Mankato-area residents’ input Monday on the overall direction of its transportation plans.

ROSEVILLE, Minn. (AP) - Lottery officials say a winning ticket sold in Faribault County is worth nearly $1.3 million. The ticket for the Gopher 5 game was sold for Friday's drawing. The ticket matched the winning numbers of 3, 4, 17, 29, and 34.

Mankato’s public safety department wants to replace 10 of its squad cars with SUVs. The deciding factor in the sedan-versus-SUV discussion appears to have been the four-wheel-drive ability of the latter, the police version of which is called a “Ford Utility,” based off Ford’s Explorer model.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) - An Omaha man has died from injuries sustained in a fall at a Council Bluffs casino. The Council Bluffs Daily Nonpareil ( http://bit.ly/zUFzCB ) says the 62-year-old man fell Friday afternoon at Ameristar Casino-Hotel.

WELLS, Minn. (AP) - A retired veteran from Wells has claimed a winning lottery ticket worth nearly $1.3 million. Benjamin Ramos Sr. matched all five numbers for the Feb. 10 drawing of Gopher 5.

In Bob Manwarren’s home, birdsong doesn’t stop for the season

North Mankato teenager Shelby Tweten got little face time on Thursday night's "American Idol" segment, but it was enough to confirm that she sang well enough to advance to the next round.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) - A woman is suing a Waterloo casino after she was denied a $42 million jackpot on a penny slot machine. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier ( http://bit.ly/xaNE9Y ) says Pauline McKee was playing the machine at the Isle Casino Hotel in July when the screen showed she'd won $42 million.