UNDATED (LEARFIELD)  --  Meteorologists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are saying Minnesota has a chance of seeing more snowfall than usual this winter. The federal agency released its updated winter outlook Thursday.  The weather experts favor a wetter-than-normal winter for the northern United States. The outlook also says most of Minnesota is right on the edge – and has an equal chance of seeing above-average or below-average temperatures. The agency says La Nina is well-established and expected to persist through the winter season, meaning a cooler, wetter northern U-S.

MINNEAPOLIS (LEARFIELD) --  Minneapolis-based U-S Bank says it will close another 400 branches nationwide by early 2021. The bank says three-fourths of its transactions currently occur on its website or app. Most of the additional branches slated for closure have already been shut down in response to COVID-19. Executives say the pandemic sped up the ongoing shift to digital banking.

ST. PAUL (LEARFIELD/KMHL)  --  The Minnesota Department of Health is reporting 29 new deaths from COVID-19 complications. That's the highest daily increase since June and brings the state's death toll to two-thousand-180. More than 12-hundred-50 new positive tests were reported today (Wednesday), increasing the total number of cases to 115-thousand-943 since the pandemic began. State health officials announced Wednesday that they are now posting COVID cases on the website detected using antigen testing equipment. Of those 29 deaths, the department of health says there was one death in Pipestone County in an individual 60-to-64 years of age. There was also another [...]

ST. PAUL (LEARFIELD) - On a vote of 100-34, the Minnesota House passed a $1.8 billion bonding bill after nearly 10 hours of debate. The long-delayed bill will help pay for public works, infrastructure and construction projects around the state. "It creates more than 20,000 jobs, based on the United States Department of Commerce estimate," said Rep. Mary Murphy (D-Hermantown) and lead author of the House bill. However, Rep. Tama Theis (R-St. Cloud) says for all of the talk about jobs no one wants to discuss re-opening businesses in the state. "Business owners are struggling to keep their businesses open so [...]

CLARA CITY (LEARFIELD) -- The MACCRAY School District is canceling its next two football games due to COVID-19 exposure. School officials say there was one positive case in the high school and contact tracing has been completed.  Athletes, coaches, and anyone else who had close contact with the infected student are under quarantine for 14 days. Due to this exposure varsity football games for October 16th against R-T-R and October 23rd against Canby have been canceled. A letter sent to parents said the person who tested positive is a member of the football team.

ST. PAUL (LEARFIELD)  --  Maybe the fifth time is the charge.  The Minnesota House could vote on the statewide bonding bill today (Wednesday) and, if that vote is taken, the Senate would vote Thursday. Lawmakers returned to the Capitol Monday for a fifth special session.  Delays have been caused when lawmakers connected the need for various infrastructure projects with the governor’s peacetime emergency powers during the COVID-19 pandemic. With some of the concerns resolved, there is hope the gridlock will be broken and the votes will be taken.

MARSHALL (KMHL) – The legislative candidates’ forum that was scheduled tonight at Southwest Minnesota State University has been postponed until next week. Organizers had to move the forum back a week because of the ongoing special legislative session in St. Paul. The forum will now be held next Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Upper level of the SMSU Conference Center.

MARSHALL (KMHL) – The Marshall Tiger volleyball team is being forced to quarantine due to a close exposure to COVID-19. Marshall School District Superintendent Jeremy Williams tells Marshall Radio the quarantine is for two weeks. Williams said the decision has been made in accordance with Minnesota Department of Education and Department of Health guidelines. He adds the district is doing what it can to keep kids safe. As a result of the quarantine, three Marshall volleyball matches this week and next week have been postponed.

ST. PAUL (LEARFIELD) --  Governor Tim Walz says five Minnesota counties impacted by heavy rains and flooding this summer are getting state disaster assistance. The storms from June 23rd through July 3rd caused significant damage and mudslides in Kittson, Le Sueur, Morrison, Renville, and Washington counties. The state will cover 75 percent of eligible response and recovery costs and the local counties will come up with 25 percent.

ST. PAUL (LEARFIELD) - Governor Walz will keep his emergency COVID powers after the Democrat-led state House today voted (69-64) to support the extension. State House Speaker Rep. Melissa Hortman (D-Brooklyn Park) says the powers remain essential amid the pandemic. "The COVID-19 emergency has not ended, and our country has experienced needless deaths and suffering due to the President's failed leadership," said Hortman. However, Rep. Anne Neu (R-North Branch) acknowledged the seriousness of COVID-19 but said no executive orders have been issued on the pandemic in months. "This is like Groundhog's Day," said Neu. "We have been here every month doing [...]