RUSSELL (KMHL) - Construction on State Highway 91 south of Russell has been going on for a while, but starting this (Monday) morning the Minnesota Department of Transportation is closing a portion of the highway from Russell to Balaton. The detour is expected to run between now until August 27th and will use both Highway 23 and U.S. Highway 14. MnDOT says it will be replacing bridges and repairing and replacing culverts in the area and resurface the highway from the Nobles/Murray County line to Russell. It is part of two detours expected along the stretch of Highway between Russell and [...]

MARSHALL (KMHL) - The Lyon County Sheriff’s office arrested a 33-year-old man Friday afternoon in connection with a fire and a stolen vehicle that were reported on Friday. Sheriff’s officials say they received a report of a suspicious vehicle Friday morning in Stanley Township. Authorities attempted to search for the vehicle's driver but were unable to find him that morning. Friday afternoon shortly before 2 p.m. firefighters and authorities responded to fire at an attached garage at 3294 310th Street northeast of Marshall.  Authorities say they believe the vehicle and fire are related. They say both the garage and residence suffered [...]

MARSHALL (KMHL) – The Minnesota State Bus Rodeo is coming to Marshall. Community Transit and United Community Action are hosting the event this weekend at Southwest Minnesota State University. It is the first time that Marshall has ever hosted the state competition. UCAP Transportation Director Kathleen Amick says they are very excited to be hosting the event and it will bring public transportation systems and drivers from all across the state to Marshall. "They come from all over," said Amick. "We have the big bus competition, which is the larger metro transit programs from St. Cloud, Rochester and Duluth." She said [...]

MONTEVIDEO (KMHL) – Donations and tributes in memory of a recent Montevideo High School graduate who was killed in a car accident earlier this week are pouring in. Madison Gorham, 18, of Montevideo, was killed Monday when the Ford Taurus she was driving was involved in an accident with a DOT truck and semi Monday night near Morris. A Go Fund Me Page set up in Gorham’s memory has raised more than $8,300 dollars to help her family. The page says Gorham was a talented musician and was planning to study music at Concordia College in Moorhead starting in the fall.

ST. PAUL (KMHL) - The United States Department of Agriculture is extending the filing deadline for crop acreage reports until July 22nd for Minnesota agricultural producers affected by heavy rains and flooding. "Agriculture operations throughout the state have been hit by hard by heavy rains and flooding that have affected their operations," said FSA State Executive Director, Joe Martin. "The deadline extension provides more flexibility for producers who experienced planting and field work delays." Filing a timely crop acreage report is important for farmers who want to maintain eligibility for a number of USDA programs including disaster assistance, safety net, crop [...]

MARSHALL (KMHL) – Minnesota State University system Chancellor Dr. Devinder Malhotra was in Marshall yesterday talking about new scholarships for students pursuing high demand careers. The workforce development scholarships are worth $2,500 for students pursuing careers in advanced manufacturing, agriculture, health care services, information technology, early childhood education or transportation at any of the state colleges in the Minnesota State system. "The hope is that this will become a catalyst to get students to come to our colleges who otherwise thought college was not possible," said Malhotra. "Then after they graduate and get into high-paying jobs then they are likely to [...]

ST. PAUL (LEARFIELD) - Preliminary numbers from the Minnesota Health Department show a promising trend in drug overdose deaths statewide. For the first time in a decade, MDH says the number of opioid overdose deaths decreased in 2018. Health officials say there were 331 opioid overdose deaths in 2018 compared to 422 in 2017. "We know that deaths related to prescription opioids fell a full 32 percent from 195 prescription opioid-related deaths in 2017 to 134 in 2018," said Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcom. Malcolm explains part of the decline is due to widespread distribution of the opioid overdose antidote naloxone, [...]

ECHO (KMHL) – The Minnesota Department of Transportation has completed part of the work on State Highway 67 in the Echo area. MnDOT says the bridge replacement project over Boiling Spring Creek has been completed. Transportation officials say that detour has been removed. However, officials remind motorists there is still a detour on the highway in the Echo area. MnDOT says traffic is still detoured near the Upper Sioux Agency State Park because of cracking pavement.

CARVER COUNTY (KMHL) – A Sanborn woman was hurt in a head-on crash that killed a Litchfield woman Monday night. The Minnesota State Patrol says Elen Stark, 55, of Sanborn, was taken to Ridgeview Hospital for non-life threatening injuries after the crash when a 2006 Buick Rendezvous crossed the center line and hit Stark’s Suburban head on. Authorities say 58-year-old Antoinette King of Litchfield, who was driving the Rendezvous, was killed in the crash.

VESTA (KMHL) – Motorcycle safety has come into the regional spotlight in the wake of a couple of recent motorcycle crashes in the Vesta area. Twice in the last week, riders have collided with deer near Vesta – in both cases the riders survived the crash. One of the main reasons for their survival of the accidents was the riders were wearing a helmet and leather, according to State Patrol Captain Casey Meagher. "The important thing we have learned in the last few instances is the importance of the proper safety, protective equipment by the motorcycle riders, having leather gear, having [...]