U.S. consumer prices rose 5.7% over the past year, the fastest pace in 39 years as a surge in inflation battered Americans as the holiday shopping season was getting under way. The November increase, reported by the Commerce Department, followed a 5.1% rise for the 12 months ending in October. Personal incomes, which provide the fuel for future spending increases, rose 0.4% in November, slightly lower than the 0.5% increase in October.
Sales of new single-family homes rose 12.4% in November, the fastest pace in seven months, as the housing industry continued to benefit from low mortgage rates and strong demand. The November increase pushed the seasonally adjusted annual sales pace to 744.000 last month. The median sales price of a new home sold in November was $416,900…14.1% higher than a year ago.
North Dakota’s unemployment rate in November increased slightly in to 2.5%. That compares to 2.3% in October and 4.3 percent in November 2020. A total of 9,987 residents were in search of work last month. The jobless rate in Grand Forks County sits at 2.2%. Minnesota’s unemployment rate ticked down two-tenths of a percentage point to 3.3%.
For only the second time this year Grand Forks sales tax collections topped the three million mark. The local tax generated $3,061,444 in the December payment. The 2021 calendar year tax total now exceeds $29.1 million dollars. That’s up over 11% over last year’s total. The tax may have been bolstered by early holiday buying in October.
The Grand Forks council has granted the owners of the Columbian Club an extension on a Class 1 liquor license. The Knights of Columbus closed the business at 601 University Avenue during the pandemic and is currently in negotiations with a new owner for the property. The sale won’t be finalized prior to the December 31st license deadline.
The North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department announces the Park District Facility Renovation Grant (PDFRG) opening on January 3, 2022. This 50% matching grant is available to local park districts for renovation, upgrade and/or repair of existing facilities. The grant application cycle will be open until January 31, 2022. The PDFRG grant is funded with federal dollars awarded to the state through the American Rescue Plan Act.
CDC is currently investigating two separate Listeria outbreaks, both of which are linked to packaged salads. One outbreak is linked to packaged salads produced by Fresh Express. The other outbreak is linked to packaged salads produced by Dole. Product in both ND and MN were included in the recall notice. Ten people infected with the outbreak have been reported from eight states.
Xcel Energy has announced that Brett Carter will be named group president, Utilities and chief customer officer and that Jeff Savage will be chief audit and financial services officer, both effective March 1, 2022. As group president, Utilities and chief customer officer, Carter will have oversight of Xcel Energy’s four operating companies in the eight states it serves and will continue leading the company’s customer strategy.
The longtime director of the Administrative Services Division of the North Dakota Department of Agriculture, Ken Junkert, is retiring effective Jan. 31, 2022. A Mandan native, Junkert is a graduate of the University of North Dakota. He joined the department 32 years ago as an unpaid marketing intern in 1990. Ag Commissioner Doug Goehring says a search is now underway for Junkert’s successor.
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