MARSHALL (KMHL) -- Debbie Streier has been named the new Regional President and CEO for Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center. Streier is currently serving as the Vice President of Operations at Avera St. Luke’s Hospital in Aberdeen, and she will begin her new role on Feb. 1, 2021. As Regional President and CEO, she will have leadership responsibilities over Avera Marshall Regional Medical Center in Marshall, Minn., as well as Avera Tyler in Tyler, Minn. and Avera Granite Falls Health Center in Granite Falls, Minn. Streier was named to the post after a national search. She succeeds Mary Maertens who stepped [...]

Washington, DC (LEARFIELD)  --  On a vote Monday night Congress approved a 900-billion-dollar pandemic relief package.  The bipartisan bill should finally bring badly needed cash to businesses and individuals, along with the resources needed to vaccinate the nation from COVID-19.  Minnesota Congressman Tom Emmer says the package includes 28-million dollars for vaccines and distribution and hundreds of billions more for the Paycheck Protection Program.  Though he supports the package, Emmer says Congress needs to “correct the fiscal course of our nation.” Senator Tina Smith says the $900-billion-dollar package is a step in the right direction even though it will increase the [...]

St Paul (LEARFIELD) - Today Governor Tim Walz extended his shut down of indoor dining at bars and restaurants, pointing to hospital capacity as a large concern for the decision. “Community spread is still well above 30 percent in our communities,” Walz said, “and again, just to remind you, community spread is where we don't know where it is coming from” Hospitality groups have pushed back saying the known cases resulting from people inside bars and restaurants is less than one percent. In relation to the extended shut down, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says if businesses violate the governor's order [...]

ST. PAUL (PRESS RELEASE) – The first COVID-19 vaccine shipments arrived in Minnesota today at four sites across the state: Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Sanford Bemidji Medical Center, Olmsted Medical Center, and Cass Lake Indian Health Services. Governor Walz visited the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center Monday morning to greet the very first shipment’s arrival in Minnesota. “This is an exciting day for Minnesota,” said Governor Tim Walz. “The first vaccines are here. They are safe, and they will be ready to go soon. The sun is coming up, Minnesota” “With these first shipments, we will soon begin vaccinating thousands [...]

St.Paul (LEARFIELD)  --  The state of Minnesota is taking legal action against three restaurants for violating the latest COVID-19 executive order.  Attorney General Keith Ellison filed lawsuits against the Boardwalk Bar and Grill of East Grand Forks and Havens Garden in Lynd.  Both were sent cease and desist letters from the Minnesota Department of Health after they remained open despite the four-week pause on in-person dining.  Polk County District Court granted Ellison's temporary restraining order against the Boardwalk Bar and Grill Friday to prohibit it from remaining open.  Officials also revoked the license of and issued a 95-hundred-dollar fine to the [...]

Russel, MN (DAKOTA NEWS NOW) - Officials in Lyon County responded to an incident early Saturday morning at a residence in Russell, MN. A 62-year-old man was found at the scene by first responders with traumatic injuries to his head that they believed to be caused by a large knife. While Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office deputies were responding to assist at the scene, they located a suspicious vehicle leaving the area and attempted to stop the driver. A pursuit of the vehicle lead the deputies into Pipestone County where both Lincoln and Pipestone County deputies as well as the Minnesota State [...]

St. Paul (LEARFIELD)  --  A federal lawsuit was filed on Thursday, December 10th, challenging the pause Governor Tim Walz has put on youth sports in the state.  Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm and several other state officials are named as defendants.  Attorneys for the group “Let Them Play MN” are accusing the state with lacking substance and evidentiary support for the ban.  It also claims the governor’s Executive Order keeps the public from being able to protest. The group “Let Them Play MN” also argues the unfairness that young athletes are sidelined while college [...]

MARSHALL (KMHL) – Avera Marshall will be one of three hubs in southwest Minnesota to administer the vaccine for COVID-19. Avera Marshall announced this week that their pharmacy is equipped to store the vaccine – one of the two needs to be stored in extremely cold temperatures. Avera Marshall Chief Medical Officer Dr. Steven Meister says they will be using a hub and spoke method for delivering the vaccine. He explains, “Avera Marshall will be one of the hubs, and then we deliver the vaccine to spokes around us. The reason that that is in place is because the Pfizer vaccine [...]

An effort has been started by the Reopen Minnesota Coalition group to try to convince small businesses across Minnesota to open-up in defiance of Governor Tim Walz's executive order.  Darius Teichroew of Maple Grove is a spokesman for the group.  He says they want business owners to open starting next week. Teichroew says that they have a two phased plan, stating, “We've basically got a two-phased plan where we re-open more of the rural Minnesota businesses next Wednesday and then following that on Friday the 18th more of the metro area businesses open up.” Business owners can head to the group’s [...]

St. Paul (LEARFIELD)  --  A group of state Republican lawmakers are pushing to move teachers towards the front of the line for the COVID-19 vaccine.  Representative Peggy Scott of Andover said, "I hear daily from our parents about the impact that the lack of in-person learning is having on their children and these stories are sad, and they are very real."  Scott says teachers and school personnel should be considered "essential" after health care workers and those in long-term care facilities.  State health officials expect to receive more than 180-thousand doses of the COVID vaccine this month and each patient will [...]