It Figures

166

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety announced recently that 166 people were killed in alcohol-related crashes in Minnesota in 2006, the lowest death total on record. However, the department says a record-high 41,951 motorists were arrested for impaired driving. That’s about 115 driving while impaired arrests a day. The department’s office of Traffic Safety compiles the Minnesota Impaired Driving Facts annually. Some of the other key findings: Minnesota had nearly 4,700 alcohol-related crashes in 2006 — 3,500 people were injured in those crashes.

225

Ford Motor Co. is recalling about 225,000 vehicles that were already repaired as part of an earlier recall to address concerns about a cruise control deactivation switch. Ford says the affected vehicles represent a small portion of the about 10 million vehicles that have been recalled since 1999 related to the cruise control switch problem. Ford spokesman Wesley Sherwood said the automaker plans to notify the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the latest recall, which was initially reported by The Detroit News.

20

A storm that dumped some 20 inches of windblown snow on southern Wisconsin in early February left hundreds of motorists caught in a massive traffic backup while bringing schools, buses and airports across the region to a standstill. The big backup developed on westbound Interstate 90 south of Madison when semitrailer trucks lost traction and got stuck on a small hill. It started at the height of the storm and the backup gradually grew to stretch 19 miles and involve about 500 vehicles, officials said. Across southern Wisconsin, snowfall reports as the storm was winding down ranged to 21 inches near Beloit and 19.5 inches at Orfordville in south central Wisconsin, and 20.1 inches in Saukville and 19 inches at Jackson, both north of Milwaukee. Madison had 13.3 inches and Milwaukee 11.5 inches.

77 Million

State officials say southeastern Minnesota has received more than $77 million in state aid to help the area recover from last August’s devastating flooding. The money received so far is part of a $157 million emergency relief package signed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty in September to help seven southeastern Minnesota heavily damaged by flooding. State Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Dan McElroy chairs the Minnesota Recovers Task Force. McElroy says the state disaster relief is “helping people rebuild their homes, communities and businesses.”