Business News: GF tax…bike share & recalls

Grand Forks set a record for sales tax collections this month. The February payment topped the $4 million dollar mark for the first time. The $4,089,175.46 check pushes the year-to-date tally to nearly $6.1 million dollars. The February collection represents sales in December.

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The number of Americans applying for jobless benefits fell to its lowest level in five weeks, even as more high-profile companies announce layoffs. Applications for unemployment benefits fell by 12,000 to 201,000 for the week ending Feb. 17. In total, 1.86 million Americans were collecting jobless benefits. (AP)

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Food costs continue to take a big bite out of American budgets as the Department of Agriculture reveals the average American spends 11.3 percent of their budgets on grocery costs, a rate that hasn’t been seen since 1991. The cost of core food options like eggs and meat products saw rises over the past several months.

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In Q3 (Jul-Sep) 2023, North Dakota’s total employment increased 2% on a year-over-year basis to 423,296, a gain of 8,222 jobs. Average weekly wages were $1,205, higher by 1.3 percent from the same quarter one year prior. Grand Forks County reported a gain of 789 jobs – a 2% increase. Average weekly wages were $1,095.

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East Grand Forks will participate in the cost of the Grand Rides Bike Share program this summer. The city will dip into its Altru Partnership Fund to the tune of $10,000 dollars to keep the bikes rolling in 2024. East Grand Forks saw ridership increase 12% last year. The DDA is looking at growing the program to possible include adult tricycles and possibly electric bikes.

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Governor Tim Walz has appointed James Rowader as executive director of the Cannabis Expungement Board. The Cannabis Expungement Board was created to review eligible felony and misdemeanor-level cannabis-related records and determine eligibility for expungement or resentencing. Rowader will start as executive director on March 25.

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Volkswagen is recalling more than 261,000 cars in the U.S. to fix a potential fuel leak that can increase the risk of fires. The recall covers certain Audi A3s and VW Golfs and GTIs from the 2015 through 2020 model years. Also included are 2015 through 2019 Golf Sportwagens, and 2019 and 2020 VW Jettas. All the recalled cars have front wheel drive. (AP)

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Toyota is recalling about 280,000 pickup trucks and SUVs in the U.S. The recall is to fix a transmission problem that can let the vehicles creep forward while in neutral. It covers certain Toyota Tundra pickups and Lexus LX 600 SUVs from the 2022 and 2023 model years. Also included are 2023 and 2024 Toyota Sequoia SUVs. (AP)

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The Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation (TRMF) has announced that Joe Wiegand will be joining the cast for the upcoming season of the Medora musical as he brings life to the figure of Theodore Roosevelt. His career includes performances at notable locations such as the White House and Roosevelt’s historic homes, with appearances across all 50 states. Auditions for additional cast members continue through March in North Dakota, Tennessee, and online.