The strongest winter storm of the season was winding up Tuesday evening before it was expected to bring blizzard conditions to much of southern Minnesota.

According to the National Weather Service, rain was to transition to all snow Tuesday night before continuing overnight and into Wednesday morning. Increasing winds, eventually gusting between 45 and 55 mph, were expected to lead to significant visibility reductions and hazardous travel.

A blizzard warning was posted for most of the counties of southern Minnesota, excluding the Twin Cities metro area. A winter storm warning was posted there as well as for western Wisconsin.

Total snow accumulations between 5 and 9 inches were expected across the winter storm warning area. Up to 12 inches could fall in some areas in the blizzard warning area. The NWS said that totals could vary depending on the timing of the changeover from rain to snow.

Conditions are expected to gradually improve later Wednesday as the snow ends and winds slowly decrease. Temperatures will also rise, with highs in the upper 30s expected Thursday and Friday along with sunny skies.

For road conditions in Minnesota, go to 511mn.org. In Wisconsin, go to 511wi.org.

— Staff report

Probation officers reach contract agreement

Following state-facilitated mediation earlier this week, Ramsey County probation officers and Teamsters Local 320 have reached a tentative agreement with the county, according to union officials.

The agreement includes new language on wage increases, professional development, overtime pay, training and parental leave, among other areas, according to Teamsters Local 320.

Officials with Ramsey County did not return a call Tuesday seeking comment on the agreement.

The county and the union have been negotiating since October. The Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services received a notice of intent to strike from the union earlier this month. Both parties met in the state-facilitated mediation Monday before officers would have been able to strike.

If negotiations were unsuccessful Monday, probation officers had until the end of March 24 to initiate a strike.

Teamsters Local 320 represents 213 probation officers in the county.

Union officials had advocated for wage parity with Hennepin County probation officers and overtime parity with other correctional institution personnel in Ramsey County. Their other concerns involved professional development and probation officer seniority issues.

— Imani Cruzen

Cragun’s Resort sold to local investors

Cragun’s Resort, family-owned since 1940, is now under contract with a local investment group led by veteran resort management specialist and Brainerd lakes resident Jamie Tatge.

“We are incredibly honored and humbled to carry the legacy and excellence of this legendary property, which has produced nearly a century of memories for so many Minnesotans,” Tatge, president of Leisure Hotels and Resorts, said in a news release.

Cragun’s is the third largest resort in Minnesota.

Dutch Cragun, 93, and his late wife, Irma, ran Cragun’s Resort for the majority of its existence, taking over for Dutch Cragun’s parents, who bought the property on Gull Lake just after the Great Depression.

From rustic cabins, hot water and a heated pool, Cragun’s continued to expand, with year-round occupancy starting in 1978. In

2015, construction began on a $25 million remodel and expansion with upgrades to lobby areas, hotel rooms, cabins, golf courses and a marina.

The resort now offers 206 lodge-style rooms, 55 cabins ranging from one to seven bedrooms, and seven homes on the golf course. The resort has five dining options, three golf courses and more than 400 employees.

— Forum News Service

Minnesota Power maps out coal retreat

Minnesota Power plans to generate 90% of its energy from renewable sources by 2035 and eliminate coal from its fuel mix during the same time frame.

The utility laid out its roadmap for the next decade when it filed an Integrated Resource Plan with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on Monday.

Its proposal to shift away from coal by increasing its reliance on natural gas disappointed some environmentalists pushing to reverse climate change through curbed greenhouse gas emissions.

In all, Minnesota Power aims to generate about 1,000 megawatts of energy from natural gas within the next decade by repowering what is now a coal-fired unit at the Boswell Energy Center in Cohasset and also bringing another 750 megawatts of new natural gas energy capacity online.

Julie Pierce, Minnesota Power’s vice president of

strategy and planning, said the plan does not prescribe exactly how to reach those goals but acknowledged the currently stalled Nemadji Trail Energy Center could be part of the solution. That proposed $1 billion plant could bring 625 megawatts of new power capacity to Superior, Wis. The project previously failed to obtain city approval and needed permits, but recent reports of pending federal support for fast-tracking key energy infrastructure have rekindled interest in the power plant proposal.

Minnesota Power’s continued interest in new natural-gas-fired operations comes as unfortunate news for Amelia Vohs, climate program director for the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy.

“While we are still reviewing Minnesota Power’s proposed integrated resource plan, we generally believe that fossil fuels should be a very last resort, and our analysis of the NTEC gas plant proposal over many years shows the harm it will have to the community,” she said in a statement Monday.

— Forum News Service