Self-service tab renewal kiosks coming

BY SHANNON GRANHOLM MANAGING EDITOR

Getting your tabs may soon be as easy as withdrawing cash from an ATM.

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety says Minnesotans will soon see bright yellow kiosks at deputy registrar offices and grocery stores.

The kiosks allow you to skip the registrar line and renew your registration with a touch of a few buttons. A $4.95 convenience fee will be charged.

“At DVS (Driver and Vehicle

Services), our focus is providing convenient, efficient service,” said DVS Director Pong Xiong. “We know Minnesotans are busy, so we’re doing everything we can to remove barriers and meet our customers where they are.”

The state is working with Intellectual Technology Inc., a company based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The company currently has self-service kiosk programs in in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Michigan, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and West Virginia.

According to the company’s website, $3.3 billion has been processed by their self-service kiosks.

Kiosk capabilities include renewing and printing vehicle registrations and decals, collecting agency fees, ordering duplicate vehicle registrations/ driver’s licenses/IDs and permits, registering as an organ donor, registering to vote, registering a new vehicle, renewing a driver’s license or state ID cards, printing official driving records and updating contact information.

Emergency crews from Ramsey County and Washington County were called just before 8 p.m. The search continued Thursday and Friday until Lowell's body was found.

Friends and family describe Lowell as an excellent carpenter, avid motorcyclist and traveler. His sister, Molly Lowell McLaughlin, gave the following statement to Press Publications.

“Our family is deeply sadden by the sudden lose of Mark. He had the biggest heart and was always willing to lend a helping hand to anyone in need. When Mark walked into the room, you felt a bright light. He was forever the storyteller, which always resulted with laughter. He was a Harley guy that loved riding with friends. It’s so heartbreaking to know he’s gone, but we are so grateful to have had him in our lives and I know we will be reunited with him someday. We Love you Mark!” Long-time friend Kevin Graber has many fond memories of Lowell and a lifetime of stories.

“My memories of Mark and his brothers began in the late 1960s when my grandmother moved from the family farm in Hugo to a little house on 4th Street in White Bear Lake,” Graber said. “His parents' house was across the street and when visiting my grandmother, I would go out and play with Mark and his brother Pete as well as some of the other neighbor kids.”

Graber said he didn't see Lowell again until they both attended White Bear Lake High School where they became good friends.

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