WILLMAR (KMHL) - The Minnesota Department of Transportation expects most highways in southwest Minnesota to remain closed for much of the day (Saturday). MnDOT says an evening of strong winds and blowing and drifting snow combined with stranded vehicles made most state highways in the region impassable Saturday morning. According to MnDOT, vehicles that were stranded require towing so they can reopen many of the roads - and travelers who ventured out on closed roads this morning and became stranded made the situation worse. "MnDOT's goal today is to get one lane open," said District 8 Maintenance Superintendent Lonnie Hoffman. "And [...]

MARSHALL (KMHL) - The Minnesota Department of Transportation is advising no travel across much of southwest and south central Minnesota Thursday evening. MnDOT says no travel is advised overnight in 12 southwest Minnesota counties due to limited visibility and extreme weather conditions -- which could be life-threatening if a motorist becomes stranded. MnDOT is advising no travel in Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Lac Qui Parle, Lincoln, Lyon, McLeod, Meeker, Murray. Pipestone, Redwood, Renville and Yellow Medicine counties. According to 511mn.org, MnDOT has also closed several stretches of highway, including Interstate 90 from the South Dakota border to Blue Earth, state highway 23 south [...]

ST. PAUL (LEARFIELD) - Health officials are concerned about an increase in hospitalizations for RSV. Health officials say over 100 children were hospitalized with the respiratory virus in September, a higher number than usual for this early in the season. RSV hospitalizations have increased in the last two weeks to a level typically seen during peak winter months. Health officials are worried that the trend could extend to flu season, which hasn't popped up yet in the state.

  MANKATO (LEARFIELD) - U-S Senator Tina Smith used a visit to the Mankato area to talk about the Inflation Reduction Act and the Farm Bill.   Smith toured the four-point-five megawatt Kasota Prairie Community Solar Garden Thursday which has four-thousand solar panels: "The Inflation Reduction Act has tax credits exactly for this kind of project," said Sen. Smith. "And the beauty of those tax credit is that it makes less expensive to build solar gardens like Kasota Prairie and it will help to lower costs for consumers." Senator Smith says the bill is the single largest investment in climate and clean [...]

WORTHINGTON (LEARFIELD) – New public hunting land will be dedicated Friday afternoon (10/14)  in Nobles Country as part of the Minnesota Governor's Pheasant Hunting Opener. Nearly 300 hundred acres will be added to the Ransom Ridge Wildlife Management Area near Rushmore.   The land features rolling hills and prairie restorations that buffer the Little Rock River. The Governor's Pheasant Opener returns this weekend after being cancelled the past two seasons due to COVID-19.  This is the second time the Worthington area has hosted the event.

UNDATED (LEARFIELD) - More than a dozen commercial turkey facilities in Minnesota reported cases of high-path avian flu during September. Minnesota Turkey Growers Association executive director Ashley Kohls says this year’s outbreak is somewhat similar to 2015. "But what's changed from 2015 is the understanding of how to respond to high-path AI," said Kohls. She adds that now state and federal partners continue to pool and refine their resources. "If they have the unfortunate situation of finding high-path AI in their flocks, they’re able to respond in a timely manner so they are able to get back on track with turkey [...]

PORTER (KMHL) – The Highway 68 detour between Porter and Taunton was removed yesterday, however, the detour from Marshall to Minneota remains in place. The Minnesota Department of Transportation says drainage repairs near Porter were part of the project – that portion of the work has been completed, however the culvert replacements and shoulder widening along 11 miles Highway 68 from North Grant Street in Minneota to the Redwood River in Marshall continue. MnDOT still has not said when that work will be completed.

MARSHALL (KMHL) – A Marshall man is dead following a farm implement accident that occurred just south of Marshall Monday afternoon. According to a press release from the Lyon County Sheriff’s Department, Edward Gary Wyffels was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident. There are not a lot of other details available at this time. The sheriff’s department says the cause of the crash is under investigation.