Community Blood Bank coming to area communitiesThe Community Blood Bank will be in the area over the next two weeks.Your first opportunity to give "the gift of life" will be at the Hills Beaver-Creek High School from 7:30 a.m. to noon Friday, March 31. On Tuesday, April 4, the Community Blood Bank will be in Luverne for a collection at the Sioux Valley Luverne Medical Center.Hours for their drive will be from noon to 6 p.m.Successful Red Cross blood drive …The American Red Cross hosted a blood drive at Grace Lutheran Church Monday from noon to 6 p.m.According to Virgene Bullis, donors surpassed the collection goal of 65 units. The total number of units collected was 76, including 59 whole blood units and 17 double red cell units.She said the American Red Cross staff was pleased that there were three first-time donors, and several donors received one-gallon-level pins Monday.Will Minnesota lose representation?As we get closer to the next U.S. census, it is becoming clearer that Minnesota is very likely to lose one of its eight congressional districts.According to one estimate quoted in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, we are 2,500 people short of keeping our eighth congressional seat.That would be less than one half of one percent of the state’s projected 2010 population of 5,339,872.The loss of a U.S. congressional seat would not only lessen our clout in Congress, it would also affect presidential races. A state’s electoral college votes are based on the number of representatives in Congress.The number of house seats is 435, and it’s reallocated every 10 years after the census is completed.As things are now, Florida, Texas and Arizona are on track to gain the seat that Minnesota and other northern states could be losing.Texas and Florida are projected to gain three seats, while Arizona will probably gain two.Some are predicting California may stay at its current count of 53, which would be the first time it hasn’t added to its congressional clout since 1850.One of Minnesota’s problems is the flight of the baby boomers.As they get older, (OK, me, too) the boomers want to go where it’s warmer in the winter. In some cases they may want to choose their southern residence as their new home for tax purposes.Minnesota has had eight seats in Congress since 1960, when it was reduced from nine, and after the 2000 census, it was the only Great Lakes state not to lose a seat.$25.6 million waiting to be collected could be yoursAre you one of 24,600 Minnesotans who didn’t file a federal income tax return in 2002?If you didn’t, you could have a piece of $25.6 million coming your way.However, to collect your share, you must file a 2002 return no later than April 17, 2006.According to the IRS, approximately half of those who would file a claim would receive more than $525.In some cases, individuals had taxes withheld from their wages or made payments against their taxes out of self-employed earnings but had too little income to require filing a tax return.Other taxpayers may also be eligible for the refundable Earned Income Tax Credit.Any money that has not been claimed by April 17 will become property of the U.S. Treasury.To those who don’t claim it, the rest of us taxpayers thank you for your contribution.Nationally, about $2 billion is awaiting about 1.7 million people who didn’t file a 2002 federal income tax return.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com