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 [...]

SAINT PAUL, MN — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, joined by the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to halt what officials describe as an unconstitutional surge of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota. The lawsuit, filed against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and related agencies, asks a federal court to end “Operation Metro Surge,” which began in December 2025 and brought thousands of armed and masked DHS agents—including Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection—into the Twin Cities. The state and cities are also seeking a temporary restraining order, citing immediate and [...]

The Southwest Minnesota Arts Council will host a gallery exhibit featuring the Scottish kiltmaking work of Sheila Tabaka from Jan. 15 through Feb. 27, 2026.  The exhibit will be on display at the SMAC Gallery, located at 509 W. Main St. in Marshall, and may be viewed in person during regular office hours, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m., or virtually.  Tabaka is a costume designer and faculty member in the Entertainment and Theatre Arts program at Southwest Minnesota State University. Her work explores fabric, historical techniques and traditional Scottish tartans. She began focusing on traditional handmade Scottish [...]

LYON COUNTY, MN — The Lyon County Sheriff’s Office released year-end statistics highlighting the workload of the Lyon County Dispatch Center in 2025.  Dispatchers handled 45,400 total phone calls during the year, including 6,537 emergency 911 calls and nearly 39,000 non-emergency calls—an average of about 125 calls per day. Emergency calls averaged nearly 18 per day, with most coming from wireless phones. Of the 911 calls, 4,873 were wireless, 682 were wired, 402 were VOIP, and 557 were classified as unknown, often due to hang-ups or inactive phones. Dispatchers also handled 23 text-to-911 messages.  Wednesdays were the busiest day for both emergency and non-emergency calls, [...]

SAINT PAUL, MN — The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension announced it has withdrawn from the investigation into a fatal shooting involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel in Minneapolis on Jan. 7, citing a lack of access to evidence and investigative materials. According to BCA Superintendent Drew Evans, the agency was initially notified of the shooting that resulted in a woman’s death and, after consultation with local, state and federal authorities, agreed to conduct a joint investigation with the FBI. Later that day, the FBI informed the BCA that the U.S. Attorney’s Office had decided the FBI would solely lead [...]

WILLMAR, MN — A Willmar man is facing new federal charges tied to the 2022 overdose death of a Willmar woman.  Hudeife Muhamed Mire, 24, was arraigned Jan. 6 in U.S. District Court in New York on a charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. He is scheduled to be arraigned at a later date in Minnesota on federal charges of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death, distribution of fentanyl resulting in death, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.  Mire was originally charged in 2022 following a Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office and CEE-VI Drug and Gang Task Force investigation into the overdose death of [...]

SAINT PAUL, MN — Following a shooting involving federal ICE agents in Minneapolis, Governor Tim Walz directed state agencies to mobilize resources to support public safety efforts in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The Minnesota National Guard has been notified to prepare in case assistance is needed, and the State Emergency Operations Center has been activated to coordinate the response.  The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the FBI are jointly investigating the incident. State officials are coordinating with law enforcement agencies in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Hennepin and Ramsey counties, the Department of Natural Resources, and the National Guard. The Minnesota [...]

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Homeland Security officials say a woman was killed during an ICE-involved shooting Thursday in Minneapolis, prompting strong reactions from state and local leaders. According to Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin, the woman had been protesting ICE and allegedly drove her vehicle into federal agents. McLaughlin said the incident remains under investigation but described it as an act of domestic terrorism. Video from the scene shows an SUV with a bullet hole in the windshield that had crashed into a light pole. Authorities later identified the woman as 37-year-old Renee Good. Following the shooting, residents gathered in the street [...]