MARSHALL—The United Way of Southwest Minnesota is collecting new school supplies through July 26 to help local K-12 students start the school year prepared. The annual “Stuff the Bus” drive supports families by providing essential items that help students feel confident and ready to learn. High-need items this year include cap erasers, dry-erase markers, folders, glue sticks, highlighters, Kleenex boxes, notebooks, pencils, and pink erasers. Volunteers are needed to help sort and distribute supplies on August 1, 5, and 6. In 2024, the drive provided more than 60,000 supplies to nearly 4,000 students at 22 local schools. Schools will handle distribution [...]

De GRAFF, Minn.—One person is in critical condition and two others, including a woman from Tyler, were injured in a two-vehicle collision on Thursday near De Graff in Swift County, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. At approximately 5:43 Thursday afternoon, a 2022 Chevy Equinox being driven by 70-year-old Linda Mary Holzheimer of Appleton was traveling westbound on Highway 12. A 2013 Lincoln MKX being driven by 53-year-old Nicole Rae Peterson of Tyler was traveling southbound on 4th Street when the vehicles collided.  Holzheimer and Peterson sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were taken to the Benson Hospital.  A passenger in the Chevy, [...]

MARSHALL—As the Lyon County Fair approaches, the Lyon County Historical Society Museum is preparing the historic schoolhouse exhibit with a fresh look and new features in the works.  “We finished painting the exterior of the schoolhouse red just this last week,” said Museum Executive Director Jennifer Andries. “We have the windows and the trim to finish. They are primed and we just need to paint them. But the schoolhouse looks great. It really needed a new, fresh coat of paint. The red looks really nice.”  Along with the painting, the area around the schoolhouse is also getting spruced up in time [...]

EDGERTON, Minn.—The 75th annual Edgerton Dutch Festival is underway, continuing today with a full slate of activities as the community celebrates “Diamonds Through the Decades.”  Thursday’s events included Just for Kix dance performances, inflatables, and the debut of mini bull riding and mutton busting.  Friday’s highlights include the return of the wood shoe carver from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., a variety of food trucks, and the popular midway carnival games, open from noon to 9 p.m. Both the EPS Booster Club and SWC will have brat stands open by 4 p.m.  The 75th Dutch Festival Parade begins at 6 p.m., [...]

MARSHALL — A detour of Highway 68/59 in Marshall is set to begin July 14 as BNSF Railway replaces tracks near the junction of Highways 68 and 59, the Minnesota Department of Transportation announced. Traffic will be rerouted along Channel Parkway, Highway 19, 240th Avenue, and Highway 23. The closure is expected to last through August 1, weather permitting. Preliminary work will begin July 11 with a flagging operation in place. MnDOT will also take the opportunity to repair catch basins and install drain tile to improve drainage and driver safety in the area. The drainage improvements, led by R and [...]

MARSHALL—The Lyon County Historical Society Museum, located downtown across from the post office in the former library building, is inviting anyone interested in tracing their family history to its upcoming genealogy workshops and Genealogy Club meetings, Executive Director Jennifer Andries announced. The Genealogy Club meets at 1:30 p.m. on the first Monday of each month in the Joseph Amato Research Center at the museum. “The Genealogy Club meets the first Monday of the month at 1:30 in the Joseph Amato Research Center,” Andries said. “We held a meeting here just this past Monday. We had about six people come in and [...]

MARSHALL — The Marshall City Council has approved an alcohol license for a new adults-only event at the Marshall Aquatic Center on July 23.  The license, requested by Marshall Community Services, was included in the council’s consent agenda and passed without discussion at Tuesday’s regular meeting.  The "Adult Night" event will be open to individuals 21 and older and will feature food, games, prizes, a deejay, and beverages served by the Hitching Post. Admission is $10.  A city-issued license is required to serve alcohol at city-owned facilities. 

WABASSO, Minn.—A community blood drive is being held today, July 9, at the Wabasso Community Center, 1429 Front Street. Donations will be accepted from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  Both whole blood and Power Red donations are welcome. Whole blood is the most common donation type and typically takes about an hour. Donors must be in good health, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be at least 17 years of age, or 16 with signed parental permission. Donations can be made every 56 days, up to six times per year.  Power Red donations collect red blood cells while returning most plasma [...]

COTTONWOOD, Minn.—A Willmar man was arrested on drug charges after a traffic stop in Cottonwood, according to the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office. At approximately 12:01 AM on Tuesday, deputies performed a traffic stop near the intersection of North Barstad Road and West Front Street in Cottonwood. After investigating, a 20-year-old Willmar man was arrested for 5th degree possession of a controlled substance. 

MARSHALL—A detour on Country Club Drive begins Tuesday, July 8, as part of the ongoing Highway 19 reconstruction project in Marshall, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). Country Club Drive will be closed from Southview Drive to Highway 19 to allow construction of a new roundabout at the intersection of Highway 19, Country Club Drive, and South 2nd Street. Traffic will be detoured via Southview Drive and Highway 59 through the end of September, weather permitting. The Highway 19/College Drive project is progressing in stages to minimize traffic impacts. Highway 19 is currently closed from Fairgrounds Road to the [...]