MARSHALL, Minn. — Representative Chris Swedzinksi and Senator Gary Dahms joined a legislative update via Zoom, hosted by the Marshall Area Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday. They say the 2026 legislative session is entering a critical stretch, with major decisions still unresolved and only a few weeks remaining before key deadlines. Rep. Chris Swedzinski said legislators are “right in the middle of it,” noting that committees are working through deadlines and budget discussions following the Easter break. “We’ve got a few big weeks ahead of us here,” he said, adding that bonding, tax conformity, and budget adjustments remain top priorities. Swedzinski [...]

WILLMAR, Minn. — The Willmar School District canceled all classes Tuesday (today) after receiving a threat related to school safety, district officials said. In a message posted Monday night, Superintendent Dr. Bill Adams said the district began investigating immediately in coordination with local law enforcement but needed more time to determine the threat’s credibility. “After school today, the district received a threat regarding school safety. We immediately began an investigation in close collaboration with local law enforcement. At this time, the school district and local authorities need more time to fully investigate and determine the credibility of this threat,” Adams said. [...]

GRANITE FALLS, Minn. — WoMen’s Rural Advocacy Programs will host a daylong Sexual Assault Awareness Month training event on Wednesday, April 15, at The Rock Dining & Events.  The event, titled “The Impact of Our Response,” runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and focuses on how system interactions influence survivor safety. Programming includes presentations from Violence Free Minnesota, the Minnesota Department of Corrections, and keynote speaker Dr. Darrel B. Turner, who will lead sessions on offender behavior, grooming, and investigative response.   Organizers say the training is designed to strengthen collaboration among professionals and improve responses to domestic and sexual violence [...]

MARSHALL — U.S. Senator Tina Smith visited Southwest Minnesota State University Wednesday to highlight federal funding and tour the future site of a new nursing simulation lab tied to the school’s planned four-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing program. The program expansion and facility upgrades are backed by $1.2 million in Congressionally Directed Spending secured by Smith and Senator Amy Klobuchar in the 2026 appropriations bills. Plans include renovating classrooms, building a new simulation lab and adding modern healthcare technology. Smith said the project is part of a broader effort to address a critical shortage of registered nurses, particularly in rural [...]

MARSHALL, Minn. — From a major summer construction milestone to long-term park planning and infrastructure upgrades, Marshall Mayor Bob Byrnes covered a wide range of city developments during a recent interview with Marshall Radio. Aquatic Center on Track for Mid-Summer Opening One of the most anticipated projects in the city continues to make steady progress. Construction on Marshall’s new aquatic center began just under a year ago, and Byrnes said contractors have remained on schedule, even through winter conditions. “There’s really a lot of work and the contractors have done just an outstanding job in keeping things on schedule,” Byrnes said. [...]

State Rep. Chris Swedzinksi (R) and Sen. Gary Dahms (R). Both are not seeking re-election after their terms end. MARSHALL, Minn. — A candidate forum and endorsing convention have been scheduled for Republicans seeking the Minnesota House District 15A seat following Rep. Chris Swedzinski’s decision not to run for reelection.  Voters will have an opportunity to hear from candidates Hunter McFall, Brad Hennen and David Sturrock during a forum on April 21 at the MERIT Center. A meet-and-greet begins at 5:30 p.m., followed by the forum at 6 p.m.  The three candidates entered the race shortly after Swedzinski announced he would step down [...]

SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota lawmakers are considering new funding to address teacher retention challenges across the state, with a proposal to allocate an additional $2 million in 2027 toward keeping K-12 educators in the classroom. The legislation, authored by DFL lawmakers and sponsored by Representative Josiah Hill of Stillwater, comes as data shows about one in three teachers in Minnesota leave the profession within their first five years. Hill pointed to long-standing concerns about early-career burnout in teaching. “I was told repeatedly by professors that if I could make it through the first five years of a teaching career, then [...]

MARSHALL, Minn. — The Minnesota Department of Health has released updated fish consumption guidelines to reduce exposure to mercury and PFAS, including new limits based on fish size and species.  For sensitive populations such as children under 15 and those who are pregnant or may become pregnant, the statewide guidance recommends eating fish like bullhead, crappie, sunfish and yellow perch up to once per week. Species such as bass, catfish and lake trout should be limited to one serving per month.  The updated guidelines also advise avoiding certain fish entirely, including muskellunge, walleye 20 inches or longer, and northern pike 28 inches or longer.  Health officials say [...]

WILLMAR, Minn. — The Minnesota Department of Transportation plans to carry out aerial photography work across southwest Minnesota this spring to support transportation planning and highway design.  The mapping effort will document existing infrastructure and surrounding landscapes along and near MnDOT right of way. Work is scheduled to begin in late March and continue through early May, weather permitting, and will take place after snowmelt but before trees fully leaf out.  Survey areas include multiple stretches of highways in the region, including portions of Highways 14, 15, 19, 30, 68, 71, 75, and 271, with locations spanning communities such as Lake Benton, Kingston, Ivanhoe, [...]