Businesses' requests far outweigh $242 million state relief package

Urban Growler was teetering toward closure when the state check for $25,000 arrived, helping the St. Paul brewery pull through the bleakest winter months.

"It was a big deal, because we were receiving no aid from the federal government," Deb Loch, master brewer at Urban Growler, said of the assistance. "Our sales are terrible, we're down between 60 and 70% from December through February. This is brutal. Those winter months, we just have to survive."

Minnesota is in the midst of distributing dollars from a $242 million aid package for businesses and nonprofits beleaguered by lost sales and state restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. But county officials, who have less than two weeks remaining to give out the largest chunk of the money - $114.8 million - say requests from businesses and nonprofits far outweigh what they have been able to provide.

https://www.startribune.com/businesses-requests-far-outweigh-242-million-state-relief-package/600029843/