UNDATED (LEARFIELD) - A new national study ranks Minnesota with the strictest overall D-W-I laws in the country.  Attorney Resh Jefferies with Siegfried and Jensen in Salt Lake City Utah notes relatively stiff penalties for the first and subsequent offenses puts Minnesota at the top. But he says one area for improvement:  D-W-I's don't become a felony until the fourth offense in Minnesota. "That is actually a bit of a bad mark towards Minnesota, where Utah and some other states doe a felony after three," said Jefferies. "So that might one area where it seemed like Minnesota was lacking." But Jefferies [...]

OLIVIA (KMHL) – A man and woman from Danube will face charges later in September following a drug bust at a home on Highway 212 in that town last week. 45-year-old Michael Voelz, of Danube has been charged with four drug-related offenses his court date has been set for Sept. 17. Marie Letourneau, 32, 0f Danube, is facing three drug charges and a weapons charge. She will appear in court Sept. 23. Authorities say they discovered one-and-a-half pounds of meth, mushrooms and several weapons and a pipe bomb in the home during a bust last week. Officers also removed a 3-year-old [...]

FALCON HEIGHTS (KMHL) – It looks like recreational marijuana use in Minnesota is set to be debated at the State Capitol in St. Paul. Lawmakers are gearing up for a showdown on the issue. House Democrats are touring 15 communities around the state to build support for legalization of the drug. The first three stops are set for Duluth, Minneapolis and St. Cloud. "We believe that Minnesota can have the best marijuana laws in the country," said House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (D-Golden Valley) at the State Fair. "We think it's vitally important that Minnesotans weigh in directly on this policy [...]

DANUBE (KMHL) – A drug bust in Danube turned up more than a pound and a half of methamphetamine, several guns and a homemade explosive device. Authorities with the CEE-VI Drug and Gang Task Force executed a search warrant at a residence on Highway 212 in Danube. Authorities say they apprehended a 41-year-old male and a 32-year-old female that lived at the residence. Agents also removed a three-year-old boy from the residence. They called in the Bloomington Bomb Squad to do a controlled detonation of the explosive device.

MARSHALL (KMHL) – Southwest Minnesota State University is the only Minnesota University to be ranked in a category of affordable bachelor ’s degrees. Best Value Schools has ranked SMSU number seven in the nation. The ranking considers cost versus value of schools and takes into account investment return, student and alumni evaluation, cost value, matriculation and academic success. "As college costs continue to rise, many budget-conscious students consider affordability a major factor in choosing a school," writes Best Value Schools. "The rankings include some of the best schools offering a full range of programs that fit your needs, along with reasonable [...]

DES MOINES, IOWA (LEARFIELD) - Democratic presidential hopeful and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar says President Trump is hurting farmers by letting small refineries *not* blend ethanol and other biofuels into their gasoline. Campaigning in Iowa, Klobuchar called it a "gut punch" to the entire rural economy. "It is not just an individual farmer out there in Iowa, it is entire communities and people that have invested in biofuels," said Klobuchar. Klobuchar said while farmers have been hit by the trade war and a difficult growing season, President Trump caved to the oil industry. "He is literally treating these farmers like bargaining [...]