Olivia, MN: The Renville County Attorney’s Office announced Monday that on Friday, March 10, 2023, following a one-day jury trial, a Renville County jury found a Redwood Falls man guilty of Felony Controlled Substance Crime in the Fifth Degree. Renville County Attorney Kelsie Kingstrom prosecuted the case. Wesley Lemar Andreasen, 20, of Redwood Falls, MN, was found guilty based on his actions that took place on September 28, 2021. According to the criminal complaint and testimony at trial, Mr. Andreasen was driving through the city of Fairfax when his vehicle was stopped. A search of the vehicle located a baggie of [...]

MILROY -- Two people were injured when their vehicles collided in Milroy yesterday. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, at approximately 3:09 Monday afternoon, a 2013 Chevy Traverse was traveling northbound on Highway 68 and a 2017 Freightliner semi was traveling eastbound on County Road 32 when the vehicles collided in the intersection.  The collision sent the semi into the Milroy baseball field outfield fence and took down one of the light poles.  The driver of the Chevy, 28-year-old Megan Demi Weber of Lamberton, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to Avera Hospital.   The driver of the Freightliner, 26-year-old Mojad [...]

BERGEN – A Windom woman was injured when her vehicle lost control and rolled in the ditch Saturday morning. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, at approximately 6:22 Saturday morning, a 2006 Chrysler PT Cruiser was traveling southbound on Highway 71 in Jackson County when it lost control, entered the ditch and rolled.   The driver of the Chrysler, 19-year-old Haley Jean Ambrose of Windom, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to the Windom hospital.  Assistance was provided by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Jackson Ambulance. 

GHENT – An Osakis man was injured when his vehicle struck a snow plow Saturday morning. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, at approximately 8:46 Saturday morning, a 2015 GMC Terrain was traveling on Highway 68 in Lyon County near Ghent when it struck an unoccupied plow truck that was on the shoulder of the highway.   The driver of the GMC, 85-year-old Robert Ray Keesling of Osakis, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to the Marshall hospital.  Assistance was provided by the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office and Ghent Fire Department. 

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Transportation will start spring load restrictions in the SOUTH zone Monday, March 13, at 12:01 a.m. Winter load increases have already ended in the SOUTH, SOUTHEAST and METRO zones. Spring load restrictions have already been scheduled to start in the SOUTHEAST and METRO zones on Friday, March 10. Seasonal load limit zones and restricted routes can be found on the MnDOT load limits map. Start and end dates and other load limit information are shown at mndot.gov/loadlimits.

LEARFIELD (St. Paul, MN) -- State regulators are approving Xcel Energy's proposed sale of 348 acres of land near its Sherco Power Plant in Becker to Elk River Technologies. That company plans to develop the property into a new data center. Xcel has a preliminary proposal to sell the land to Elk River Technologies for $7.7 million. The deal is expected to be finalized in July. Xcel Energy is retiring the coal-fired power plant.

LEARFIELD (Bemidji, MN) -- The Minnesota Nurses Association says its nurses have reached a tentative agreement with Sanford Bemidji Medical Center on a new three-year contract. MNA officials say it includes fair pay increases, better accrual of paid time off, and stronger language to protect nurses' contracts in case of a change of ownership, or the proposed Sanford merger with Fairview Health. Nurses have called off Monday's picket in Bemidji. Negotiators are recommending they vote "yes" on the new contact.

LEARFIELD (St. Paul, MN) -- The Minnesota House is sending a bill backers say will reduce the rash of catalytic converter thefts in the state to the desk of Governor Tim Walz. It prohibits scrap metal dealers from buying any catalytic converter without a marking that ties it to the original vehicle. The House agreed to minor changes the Senate made on the bill. Supporters say the average cost to replace a catalytic converter is $2,600.

LEARFIELD (St. Paul, MN) -- The anti-crime package from Minnesota House and Senate Republicans includes increased penalties for carjacking, fleeing police in a motor vehicle, and for possessing or distributing fentanyl. Sentences would also increase for offenders with two or more convictions for violent crimes. GOP Representative Walter Hudson of Albertville said, "the third time you've done it, you've already been caught twice, you've already been through trials twice and you've been convicted twice -- so you're clearly not learning your lesson." Mandatory sentences would be required for dangerous offenders who commit crimes with a firearm. And county attorneys would have [...]

LEARFIELD (Stillwater, MN) -- A corrections officer at the Stillwater state prison is recovering from injuries suffered in an assault Thursday morning.  The Department of Corrections says an inmate rushed up to the sergeant and started punching him in the face during a "routine" facility unit movement.   Other officers were able to stop the attack and the sergeant was taken to the hospital.  Seven corrections workers have been injured in assaults this week at the Stillwater and Oak Park Heights prisons.  DOC Commissioner Paul Schnell says in a statement, "we will take every appropriate action to stop these senseless acts of [...]