United Way donations strong.

Byline: Shelley Nelson

Dec. 24--The economic news has been dire for more than a year. Businesses are laying off people on the heels of the global economic crisis, and the need for services that benefit the less fortunate are on the rise, even in the Northland. In spite of that, Kathi Madsen, director of the United Way in Superior, said contributions are on par with those given last year, promising another successful campaign this year. She said some companies have downsized and are contributing less as a result, but other companies are picking up the slack through employee contributions and other fundraising efforts for the United Way. Last week, when National Bank of …