December 2022

Joins 51 AGs in request to cut down on unwanted messages that cost Americans millions in fraud Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has joined 51 attorneys general — from every state and the District of Columbia — in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission in support of the FCC’s proposal to help cut down on unwanted text messages. The proposal would require mobile wireless providers to block texts from invalid, unassigned, or unused numbers, and from numbers on a Do Not Originate (DNO) list.

912 Minnesota consumers to receive more than $1 million in restitution in lawsuit Minnesota filed jointly with CFPB Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, in a joint prosecution with the States of Minnesota and North Carolina and the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office on behalf of the People of the State of California, will be distributing over $95 million in restitution to more than 87,000 consumers nationwide who were harmed by Consumer Advocacy Center Inc., d/b/a Premier Student Loan Center, and related companies. This includes just over $1 million to 912 Minnesota consumers who were defrauded by Premier. Premier operated its student- loan debt-relief enterprise through multiple corporate entities and under multiple names, including co-defendants True Count Staffing Inc., d/b/a SL Account Management, and Prime Consulting LLC, d/b/a Financial Preparation Services.

The Minnesota Energy Assistance Program has raised the maximum amount eligible Minnesota households can receive to pay for emergency fuel deliveries this winter by 150 percent. The Energy Assistance Program, administered by the Minnesota Department of Commerce, increased the maximum crisis benefit from $600 to $1,500, allowing eligible homeowners and renters to avoid the anxiety of a nearly empty fuel tank.

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Prairie Business has opened the nomination period for its annual Top 25 Women in Business, a list that honors some of the region's most successful and noteworthy businesswomen.

Bloomington, Minn. – Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR) Executive Director John Jaschke presented the 2022 Outstanding Soil and Water Conservation District Employee award to Becker Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) Administrator Bryan Malone today during the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts’ (MASWCD) annual convention in Bloomington. Malone also serves as Host District Manager for the Red River Valley Conservation Service Area (RRVCSA).

If you’ve been paying attention to the happenings around you, you’ve probably heard the frightening news of the earlier, more severe spike of influenza (flu), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and other illnesses compared to previous years. COVID-19 continues its hold over the healthcare system, as well.