HAZEL RUN (KMHL) – A juvenile was arrested and taken to the Prairie Lakes Youth Program in Willmar following a reported fight and a subsequent high-speed chase through rural Yellow Medicine County. The Yellow Medicine County Sheriff’s Office says they received a call about a possible fight in Hazel Run around 8:20 Tuesday evening. The two people involved left the scene in a Toyota 4-Runner – authorities spotted the vehicle a short time later and a high speed chase ensued that ended in Granite Falls. The driver fled on foot and was arrested a short time later – authorities say there [...]

MARSHALL (KMHL) – There are still significant challenges in the testing for COVID-19. Many providers still do not have enough tests available so they have to save the ones they have for the most emergent cases - and many of the tests still aren't accurate. Avera-Marshall Chief of Staff, Dr. Steven Meister says they are reserving tests for those most in need, including the elderly with underlying health conditions and front-line health care providers. But in addition he notes the test isn't perfect either. "It'll say you're negative, and in 30 percent of those people it's actually a positive test," said [...]

MARSHALL (KMHL) – For nearly a decade the city of Marshall has been debating about what to do with the old Marshall Hotel building. Last night, the Marshall City Council discussed and approved advertising for bids to demolish the abandoned building on Main Street. Former City Engineer and Public Works Director Glen Olson told the council there were more problems found with the building during the city hall renovation (next door to the old hotel building) in downtown Marshall than expected. Marshall City Administrator Sharon Hanson told the council during last night's meeting work on city hall revealed water had been [...]

ST. PAUL (LEARFIELD) -- A bipartisan group of state lawmakers, and many bar and restaurant owners, want Governor Tim Walz to sign an executive order allowing the sale and delivery of sealed containers of alcohol for off-premise drinking to Minnesotans who are 21 and older during COVID-19. Advocates say that typically, beer, wine and mixed drinks can account for up to half of a restaurant's sales. That revenue is gone with the current halt on dining in at restaurants. Governor Walz said today that if lawmakers opt to pass a measure addressing the issue, he will sign it into law.

ST. PAUL (LEARFIELD) -- Governor Tim Walz yesterday signed an Executive Order extending Minnesota's peacetime emergency through May 13th. Walz initially declared a peacetime emergency to respond to the COVID-19 March 13th. The governor says "our actions have saved lives, but the threat of COVID-19 remains." He adds the next stages of the pandemic will challenge Minnesotans and an extension of the peacetime emergency will allow us to protect the health and well-being of Minnesotans and to continue to respond to the rapidly-evolving situation. Health officials did not report any new deaths yesterday from the Coronavirus, and just 29 new cases [...]

MARSHALL (KMHL) – Hog farmers in southwest Minnesota who sold their hogs to Smithfield are finding themselves in a pinch as they wait to see how things turnout with the indefinite closure of the company's Sioux Falls plant. Minnesota Pork Producers Association President Dave Preissler says Smithfield is trying to re-route the hogs it has contracts to purchase - but that the capacity of the Sioux Falls plant is 20,000 hogs per day. "It will really stretch the capacity of all of those other plants to be able to deal with that, but we'll see how this goes," said Preissler. If [...]

UNDATED (LEARFIELD) - The vice president of the Minnesota Farmers Union says farms of all sizes need to have a COVID-19 contingency plan in place. Brian Klabunde (kluh-BUN-dee) says this is especially important for small farms, who may be counting on just one or two people to get most of the work finished.  What happens if that farmer gets the virus?: "You need to start thinking about what your plan is," said Klabunde. "Start talking to your neighbors - don't go see them but start talking to them." He says much like other industries - their turn is coming. Klabunde says [...]