UNDATED (LEARFIELD) The latest statewide scores show only about 51 percent of students tested met proficiency levels in reading, and only 45 percent were proficient in math. Minnesota Education Commissioner Heather Mueller says "it can be seen as disheartening" but notes this is the first time Minnesota had to navigate a pandemic and still educate children. Republican state Representative Ron Kresha (CREE-shaw) from Little Falls says Governor Tim Walz has yet to come out with really good solutions: "All he's done is cry about funding and all these other things," said Kresha. "Well, you're an education governor. Put a directive out [...]

ST. PAUL (LEARFIELD) -- The state Public Utilities Commission is giving the green light to site permits and transmission routes for the Big Bend Wind and Red Rock Solar projects in southwest Minnesota. The state’s largest renewable energy project is expected to create up to 300 megawatts of wind power and 60 megawatts of solar generation. The P-U-C held several public meetings and heard concerns regarding the visual impact of the wind turbines to the sacred historic Jeffers Petroglyphs near Comfrey. But the project applicants were able to reach agreement with the Lower Sioux and Upper Sioux Indian communities and the [...]

WASHINGTON, D.C. (LEARFIELD) -- Partisan reaction from Minnesota lawmakers to President Biden’s executive order cancelling federal student loan debt for millions of Americans. It will cancel ten-thousand dollars in debt for those with incomes under 125-thousand dollars and 20 thousand for Pell Grant recipients. Congresswoman Ilhan Omar calls it an important first step to providing critical relief to millions of borrowers. She’s still pushing for a full cancellation of student debt. Newly elected Republican Congressman Brad Finstad criticized the president’s action, saying it doesn’t “truly address” higher education costs and workforce development and will continue to fuel inflation at the expense [...]

MANKATO (LEARFIELD) - Free classes for students hoping to become certified nursing assistants are being offered in September and October at Minnesota State University Mankato. Keith Hovis (HO'-viss) with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education says this program helps health care workers get their foot in the door: "Over the course of the pandemic, there have been thousands and thousands of vacancies that haven't been able to be filled," said Hovis. "So, this initiative is intended to help start filling those vacancies and make sure that we are supporting health of Minnesotans all around the state." The program is part of [...]

ST. PAUL (LEARFIELD) -- The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is sending out nearly 19 million dollars in drought relief checks this week to livestock farmers and special crop producers. More than 29-hundred of the three thousand received applications were approved for the 2021 program. M-D-A officials say because the legislation required that all qualifying applicants receive a payment, the checks will be pro-rated to 41-point-nine percent of the amount farmers were eligible to receive. The maximum payment will be three-thousand-143 dollars this year. State Ag Commissioner Thom Petersen says this amount “should help people pay a few bills and that’s important [...]

SILVER LAKE (KMHL) – Two people from Montevideo were killed following a deadly crash on Highway 7 near Silver Lake Thursday morning. The Minnesota State Patrol says Wilmer Herrera, 25, of Montevideo was driving a Ford Fusion that crossed the centerline and collided head-on with an oncoming SUV. Herrera was killed in the crash. A passenger in his vehicle, Fanny Perez, 21, of Montevideo was also killed. A two-year-old in the vehicle was also taken to Hennepin County Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. Two people in the SUV were taken to the Hutchinson Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

MARSHALL (KMHL) – The cause of a large fire that destroyed a machine shed about five miles south of Marshall Tuesday night remains under investigation. Marshall Fire Chief Quentin Brunsvold tells Marshall Radio the fire presented a lot of unique challenges. "In the city I can look around and within 500 feet in any direction, I have a water source," said Brunsvold. "If I want more than one, I can just grab it and get water wherever I want to, as much water as I can handle." He points out that in a rural operation they have to bring the water [...]

MARSHALL (KMHL) – There was no shortage of people who filed for the Marshall School Board. There are three spots up for election on November 8th. Current board members Jeff Chapman and Sara Runchey filed for re-election, while Heather Anderson, Sara Brink, Trudy Madetzke, Ann Vorbach and Ben Walker also filed to be elected to the board. The top three vote getters will be elected to the Marshall School Board. The election will be held on November 8th.

MARSHALL (KMHL) – The Marshall Fire Department was battling a large fire at a farm site about five miles south of town last night. Marshall Fire Chief Quentin Brunsvold tells Marshall Radio a large machine shed was destroyed in the blaze, which was reported around 8:30 last night. Brunsvold says no one was hurt in the fire. He says the cause of it remains under investigation. The State Fire Marshal will be on scene today.

MARSHALL (KMHL) – Work to repair a sink hole on East College Drive continues today. The Minnesota Department of Transportation says the sink home was reported along the busy stretch of road in Marshall between Sunrise Lane and Mustang Trail. MnDOT officials say workers at the site yesterday discovered a void about 2 feet deep and 2 feet wide beneath the roadway. MnDOT says the void was created by a storm water pipe with a hole in it. Officials say the sink hole did not threaten nearby property. Work to repair the road is expected to be completed by the end [...]