Check our flood map for the latest conditions.

Go to jordannews.com/floodmap.

The U.S. Department of Education announced the finalists in the first round of the federal Race To The Top (RTTT) competition. Minnesota is not among them.

Part of President Obama's American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, RTTT is a competitive grant program that aims to help reform American education.

Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Tennessee made the first cut.

Forrest Adams of the Chanhassen Villager reports:

Before forging ahead with a state bonding bill, Gov. Tim Pawlenty this week urged legislators to come to grips with $1.2 billion budget deficit.

In his budget plan, outlined last month, Pawlenty would fill the deficit hole by making cuts in state aid to local units of government, to the health and human services budget, and to state agencies and other programs. It also relies on money from the federal government.

Leah Shaffer of the Eden Prairie News reports:

One way or another, this could be the year to see action on plans to reconstruct the interchange at Interstate Highway 494 and Highway 169.

Depending on what funding sources come together, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) could be awarding bids to contractors as early as late May, according to Michael Beer, project manager at the state agency. Construction could even start later this year or in early 2011.

A group from the Scott County Association for Leadership and Efficiency (SCALE) will be traveling to Washington on Feb. 24 to lobby for funding for Highway 13 corridor improvements.

"The efforts of SCALE and being engaged has really helped, along with the delegation to Washington," said Scott County Public Works Director Lezlie Vermillion at a recent SCALE meeting. "This roadway is bigger than just one city, and Washington is recognizing that."

A press release from the office of U.S. Rep. John Kline, R-Minn.:

BURNSVILLE – Congressman John Kline is inviting high school students who are residents of Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional district to participate in the 29th annual Congressional “Artistic Discovery” competition.

Thirty years ago, one-third of Minnesotan households were putting off at least one major purchase because of the high inflation rate.

Read about this and more of Jordan's history in the Looking Back
column published in the Feb. 11 print edition of the Jordan Independent.

Kristin Holtz of the Shakopee Valley News reports:

SHAKOPEE -- Mike and Kristen Savage were tired, rumpled and exhausted.

More than 50 hours without sleep, the Shakopee couple was sitting in an Orlando airport with dozens of other would-be moms and dads, hearing the laughing voices of their children in the room next door.

The Savages could only wait to hold their 1-year-old infants, playing on the other side of the wall, for the first time.

This was not the homecoming the Shakopee couple expected.

Lori Carlson of the Prior Lake American reports:

Paul Kramer of Savage returned home this past Sunday after nine days of helping with earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.

Kramer is the Prior Lake Rotary Club’s international chairman. He returned about a week earlier than he’d expected, in part because he heard that military flights out of Haiti may cease soon.