The former mayor and city clerk of Tower in northeast Minnesota both face criminal charges for allegedly trying to remove the publisher of the Timberjay newspaper from that city’s economic development authority. The Star Tribune reports the Saint Louis County Sheriff began investigating after receiving a complaint that the city clerk had altered official public records to make it appear that Marshall Helmberger’s term had expired. Investigators say former mayor Joshua Carlson admitted he wanted Helmberger removed because he thought Helmberger obtained a 125-thousand-dollar grant from the I-Triple-R-B without the city council’s approval. The former mayor and city clerk weren’t reachable for comment. They both have August 30th court dates.