Whether Rep. Mark Olson, R-Big Lake, could face expulsion from the House if found guilty of misdemeanor domestic abuse charges against him seems a possibility.

Read more: Expulsion from Legislature possible in Mark Olson matter

Rep. Mark Olson, R-Big Lake, pleaded not guilty to two counts of fifth-degree domestic assault in Sherburne County District Court today (Dec. 12).

Read more: Mark Olson pleads not guilty to assault charges

The driver of an SUV involved in Friday’s crash with a school bus in Ham Lake remains in critical condition.

As of 4 p.m. Monday, Tammy M. Weber was listed in critical condition at North Memorial. See more in ABC Newspapers.

Melissa Pare and Tom Rakow

Tom Rakow and his fiancé Melissa Pare have made a commitment to spend two years in El Salvador working with the faith-based organization CRISPAZ. The two feel they have been working toward this point in their lives since college and are excited to be on their way. See more in Morrison County Record.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty  ordered that all U.S. and Minnesota flags be flown at half-staff at all state buildings in Minnesota from sunrise until sunset,  Tuesday, Dec. 12, in honor and remembrance of Sergeant Bryan T. McDonough who died a hero while protecting his country and fighting for freedom on Dec. 2, 2006, in Iraq.

Read more: Gov. Pawlenty orders U.S. and state flags at half-staff in honor of Sgt. McDonough

“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” I actually heard that historic statement when it was first said, on July 20, 1969 when Neil Armstrong became the first man to step foot on the moon.

Read more: CLICKING ON THE WEB: Moon exploration on the horizon once again

Minnesota business leaders are hoping for more cooperation from two-year technical colleges and other post-high school colleges and universities to train more workers to fit their needs.

Read more: HEINZMAN EDIT: Minnesota business leaders look for more cooperation in training workers

What will the Topeka, Kansas school board say to the Brown Family THIS time, and why should we care? A fascinating story is playing out in Topeka, home of the U.S. Supreme Court case, /Brown versus Board of Education/.

Read more: NATHAN COLUMN: What will the Topeka Board say this time?

Minnesota Astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper knows what it’s like to blast into space, see the Earth from 200 miles away and move without gravity. (Photo by Rick Orndorf)

But when she spoke at Dakota Hills Middle School last week, students really wanted to know how exactly one goes to the bathroom in space (The answer: using a port-a-potty of sorts on the shuttle that, when sat upon, acts as a vacuum). See more in Thisweek Eagan.

Princeton’s two state legislators who were just re-elected – Rep. Sondra Erickson and Sen. Betsy Wergin, both Republicans – favor using the projected state surplus of close to $2 billion for other than rebate checks. See more in Princeton Union-Eagle.