Hey all. As always, TGIF. We have some news digest for you on University-related stories floating out there on the Web. We’ll try to pick a few out.

*Two University of Minnesota Board of Regents candidates have different views on research centers in southern Minnesota, which is represented by the 1st Congressional District seat the candidates are contending for, Post Bulletin reports. Dr. Patricia Simmons, who currently serves as the board’s chairwoman, said she thinks centers like Hormel Institute in Austin and the Southern Research and Outreach Center in Waseca work well together and are important to the state economy. CEO of Newport Laboratories Randy Simonson, the other candidate, said he is worried about the redundancies in the University system and wasn’t sure if the facilities are cost-effective.

*Didn’t think I would be able to transition from the Board of Regents to using snowmageddon, but why not. A lot of schools canceled evening classes, including the University of Minnesota. Here is an interesting snowstorm timelapse from the Pioneer Press. Funny line from the article: "At the Capitol, the weather slowed legislation even more than usual." That’s just great. The Star Tribune reported that 580 cars were towed in Minneapolis. Now we just have to brace for the cold. Hot chocolate anyone?

*Also, here is a quick one for the sports fans: Former Gopher football and NFL player Jack Brewer rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange this afternoon, the Star Tribune reported.