(Washington, DC) KMHL -- Minnesotans have the highest credit scores in the country. That's according to a WalletHub report that compared the average credit scores of residents in all 50 states. Minnesota ranked number one with a statewide average of 724. The upper Midwest all ranked near the top of the list as well. South Dakota and North Dakota are tied for 5th with an average score of 715. Nebraska cracked the top ten with an average of 712, with Wisconsin right behind them at 711. The nationwide average is 695. Meanwhile, Mississippi (662) ranked dead last. Source: WalletHub

OLIVIA, MN (KMHL) -- According to the Renville County Attorney’s Office, 45-year-old Luciano Martin was found guilty of Felony Assault in the Second Degree and Felony Domestic Assault on Friday after the jury deliberated for just over one hour.   According to the criminal complaint and testimony at trial, in May of 2022, Martin was living with the victim in Olivia after they moved there together from Litchfield. An argument broke out and Martin attacked the victim hitting her on the head and yelling at her. The victim attempted to leave the residence to call law enforcement, but Martin stopped her [...]

UNDATED (KMHL) -- Avera has received over $2.5 million in funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to support nursing and address health care workforce capacity through innovative solutions including telehealth and virtual nursing.  The first grant, Project NEXT, a $1.5 million grant from HRSA, will support a three-year Rural Public Health Workforce Training Network Program. Project NEXT will prepare the rural public health workforce by providing cross-trained skills in telehealth, health information technology and skill opportunities such as telemetry monitoring and virtual nursing.  Cross-training will allow others to perform some tasks of nursing, such as documentation, allowing nurses [...]

MONTEVIDEO, MN (KMHL) -- One man is in critical condition after his vehicle lost control and struck a tree Thursday. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, at approximately 8:41 Thursday morning, a 1992 Ford F150 was traveling westbound on Highway 7 in Chippewa County when it lost control, left the roadway and struck a tree. The driver of the Ford, 64-year-old Bradley Munsterman of Granite Falls, sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported to the North Memorial Hospital.   Assistance was provided by the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office, Clara City Fire and Ambulance, and Montevideo Ambulance. 

SAINT PAUL, MN (KMHL) -- Minnesota's fire departments have a new tool to help prevent or reduce the number of fires in their communities and ultimately save lives. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety State Fire Marshal Division (SFMD) launched a new Fire Risk Analysis Tool today and made it available to the fire service statewide. This software platform is unique in mapping which areas of a jurisdiction have the most fires and pinpoints what caused them. Fire chiefs can use these data points to: Identify high-risk populations and communities to better focus resources. Identify staffing needs at fire stations based [...]

SAINT PAUL, MN (KMHL) --  Minnesota gained 17,400 jobs in October, up 0.6% from September on a seasonally adjusted basis, according to numbers released today by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). All of that job growth came in Minnesota's private sector. This is the 13th consecutive month of job gains in Minnesota. The U.S. gained 261,000 jobs in October, up 0.2% from September, with the private sector adding 233,000 jobs, up 0.2% on a seasonally adjusted basis. Minnesota's unemployment rate remains historically low at 2.1%, up one-tenth of a point from September. The national unemployment rate ticked [...]

MARSHALL, MN (KMHL) The Marshall Hy-Vee held an awards ceremony Wednesday afternoon at the Marshall Hy-Vee Market Grille to receive the President’s Cup. Individual department managers were also honored and received plaques for their efforts.   The Cup is awarded four times a year at the end of each quarter. To win the award, Marshall Hy-Vee had to overachieve and outperform all others in core business results including sales, inventory management, and controlling expenses. It was noted during the ceremony that the Marshall Hy-Vee is the only store to win the Cup for a second time in its short existence.   [...]

One man is injured following a one-vehicle rollover incident in Renville County.  According to the Renville County Sheriff’s Office, at approximately 5:56 this morning (Tuesday), a 2010 Chevrolet Impala was traveling northbound on County Road 21 near the intersection of 880th avenue in Crooks Township of Renville County when it left the road and rolled in the ditch.   The driver of the Impala, a 40-year-old man from Willmar, was initially trapped in the vehicle after it came to rest on its roof but was assisted out by a passerby. He sustained minor injuries in the crash.  The Renville County Sheriff’s [...]

The Small Cities Development Program has awarded $20 million in funding for small cities, townships, and counties in Greater Minnesota. The Small Cities Development Program (SCDP) grants will be used for infrastructure and rehabilitation projects in 34 Minnesota cities, townships, and counties.  Area towns receiving funds include:  City of Balaton, $599,955 Owner-occupied housing and rental rehabilitation  City of Danube, $600,000 Public facility improvements  City of Hendricks/Garvin, $1,198,325 Owner-occupied housing, rental rehabilitation and public facility improvements  City of Maynard, $115,000 Rental rehabilitation  City of Sanborn, $600,000 Public facility improvements  City of Slayton, $737,840 Owner-occupied housing, rental and commercial rehabilitation  SCDP grants will be [...]

PRESS RELEASE For Minnesota’s Infant Safe Sleep Week, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is encouraging parents and caregivers to tune into what pediatricians are saying about the best ways to keep babies sleeping safely. For the first time in five years, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in June updated its safe sleep recommendations for preventing unexpected deaths for children up to 1 year old. The recommendations continue to support the ABCs of safe sleep: ALONE: Infants should always sleep or nap alone - not sharing beds or cribs with others. BACK: Always put a baby on their back to [...]