By LIZ FEDOR, Minneapolis Star Tribune

GRANITE FALLS, Minn. - Welders at Fagen Inc. will kick off the new year by using their torches to fabricate parts destined for an ethanol plant in Hungary.

After losing his job as a golf course superintendent, Steve Timm got lucky.

It was December 2007 and the recession was beginning to take hold across the United States. Manufacturers in Minnesota had begun to slash jobs by the thousands.

Higher airfares are prompting consumers to try to cash in frequent flier miles.Travelers have been sitting on a mountain of frequent flier miles that can be turned into millions of free tickets. But many chose not to redeem those miles when they could buy round-trip tickets to the East Coast for as low as $200. Now that some prices have doubled, using the miles makes more sense.

Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines executives recognize time is growing short to propose a merger that could win regulatory approval before President Bush leaves office, and they now are seriously discussing multiple merger options.