REDWOOD FALLS, MN — Minnesota Sen. Gary Dahms of Redwood Falls has announced he will not seek re-election when his current term ends in 2026, according to a January newsletter from his office.   Dahms was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2010 and has been re-elected four times. He has served a total of 16 years in the Senate, including eight years in the majority. Prior to his legislative service, Dahms was a Redwood County commissioner.  During his tenure, Dahms held several leadership roles, including chair, co-chair, or minority lead of the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Finance and Policy Committee. [...]

COTTONWOOD, MN — Two people were injured in a three-vehicle collision on Monday north of Cottonwood in Yellow Medicine County, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. At 12:14 Monday afternoon, a 2013 Lincoln MKX was westbound on Highway 23 when it crossed into the eastbound lane and sideswiped a 2022 Peterbilt semi and collided with a 2024 Dodge Ram.   The driver of the Lincoln, 40-year-old Katie Leslie of Sauk Centre, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to the Avera Marshall Hospital. The driver of the Dodge, 63-year-old Todd Risa of Clarkfield, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was treated at the scene. The [...]

LYON COUNTY, MN — Lyon County has approved a new emergency mass notification system following a data breach involving its previous provider. County commissioners voted Tuesday to enter into a five-year contract with Motorola RAVE, a service used to deliver emergency alerts to residents, particularly during severe weather events. The total cost of the contract is about $26,000, making it less expensive than the county’s former system. The county stopped using CodeRED last fall after being notified of a major data breach. County officials said the breach was believed to have exposed user information such as names, email addresses, phone numbers [...]

SAINT PAUL, MN — Thousands are expected at the Minnesota State Capitol today at noon for the 2026 March for Life. Cathy Blaeser of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life says the rally began on the first anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s January 22, 1973, Roe v. Wade decision. “This is our 57th annual March of Life and we march to commemorate the tens of millions of lives lost to abortion and lives wounded through abortion.” Blaeser says the 30-minute march will be followed by a program on the Capitol steps. New Minnesota Department of Health data show abortions dropped by [...]

WASHINGTON D.C. — Congressional lawmakers advanced a House resolution Wednesday that would lift a 20-year ban on mining near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, sending the measure to the U.S. Senate for consideration. The Biden-era moratorium covers about 225,000 acres of federal land in the Superior National Forest, south of the Boundary Waters but within the same watershed. Supporters of the resolution say it would remove what they describe as an overly broad restriction without automatically approving any specific mining proposal. “For the umpteenth time, there will be no mining in the Boundary Waters, and there will be no mining [...]

MARSHALL, MN — A small group of protesters gathered today (Tuesday) in Marshall to speak out against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, citing concerns about civil rights, public safety and recent enforcement actions.  Gerald Gerdes, a Minneapolis native who currently lives in Marshall, said he felt compelled to protest because of the impact immigration enforcement has had on people close to him. “The things that are going on are atrocious,” he said. “I have family and friends that are immigrants, and seeing this and people not doing anything about it or being too scared to do anything about it, I wanted [...]

The Minnesota State Agricultural Society board voted at its 167th annual meeting to keep admission and parking prices unchanged for the 2026 Minnesota State Fair. The board also approved a $67 million investment package for improvements across the fairgrounds, focusing on guest experience, education, and entertainment programming. The Great Minnesota Get-Together runs from August 27 through September 7, 2026. Pre-fair discount admission tickets for all ages cost $17 and are available through August 26 at Etix.com. The tickets are valid any day of the fair. Regular gate prices during the fair will remain $20 for adults ages 13 to 64, $18 [...]

WABASSO, MN — A Vesta teen was injured in a collision involving four vehicles on Sunday in Redwood County, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. At 4:21 Sunday afternoon, a 2007 Kenworth semi collided with a 2003 Chrysler Town & Country minivan on Highway 68 in Vail Township of Redwood County. That caused a 2012 Chevy Equinox to collide with the semi. A 2016 Ford Fusion avoided a collision but did leave the roadway.   The driver of the Equinox, 17-year-old Wyatt Brockberg of Vesta, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to the CentraCare Hospital in Redwood Falls. Three occupants in the Ford, [...]

CLIFTON TOWNSHIP, MN — A 58-year-old woman was killed Tuesday evening after being struck by a motor vehicle in Clifton Township, according to the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities say the crash was reported at about 5:21 p.m. on Tuesday in the 3200 block of 240th Street. First responders found an adult female with multiple critical injuries. Despite life-saving efforts by Marshall North Ambulance and sheriff’s office personnel, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim was identified as Michelle Simmons of rural Marshall. The driver, a 20-year-old man from rural Marshall, was not injured. The Lyon County Sheriff’s [...]

SAINT PAUL, MN — Minnesota State Sen. Bill Weber, R-Luverne, announced he will not seek reelection in 2026, ending a legislative career that began with his election to the Senate in 2012. Weber has been reelected three times and said his decision reflects the length of his public service, which will total 30 years when combined with previous city-level experience. In a statement, Weber said serving southwest Minnesota and the state has been a “distinct and special honor,” while noting the increasing difficulty of bipartisan collaboration in recent years.  During his tenure, Weber held several leadership roles, including chair of the Senate Agriculture Policy Committee [...]