Stephen Swanson is a web producer at CBS News Minnesota. Stephen was a floor director for a decade before moving to the WCCO-TV newsroom in 2011, where he focuses on general assignment reporting.

Brandon Hundt said he "let hope creep in" when his design — a North Star and a snowflake on a deep blue background — was chosen last month as a finalist for Minnesota's next state flag. Those hopes ...

The St. Paul Public Library system is embracing one of the rejected designs for Minnesota’s new state flag. Patrons will soon be able to get a limited-edition laser loon library card. The creative ...

A bright red dancing lobster with “Maine” messily scrawled across a clipart tree. A moose-like figure with disproportionately long legs drawn in marker, presumably by a child. Even martial arts legend ...

Some of the eliminated designs for Minnesota’s next state flag are getting new life in an alternative market. The State Emblems Redesign Commission received more than 2,600 submissions for the new ...

No one can say there wasn’t much variety among the submitted options to redesign the state flag of Illinois. The 21-member Illinois Flag Commission ultimately leaned more traditional when choosing the ...

SPRINGFIELD — Earlier this month, the Illinois State Flag Commission selected 10 designs out of more than 4,800 submissions as finalists in the competition to select a new state flag.