MARSHALL -- West Saratoga Street, between S 5th Street and S 6th Street, will be closed to all traffic on Friday, January 10, 2025, from 7:30 AM to 2:30 PM. The City Street Department will be conducting tree removal operations during this time. Residents are advised to park on adjacent streets as access to the area will be restricted. No through-traffic will be permitted during the project. For questions or additional information, contact the City of Marshall Public Works office at 507-537-6773. The City thanks the community for their patience and cooperation.

WASHINGTON D.C. – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is urging dairy producers affected by H5N1 to apply for financial relief through the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-raised Fish Program (ELAP) by the January 30, 2025, deadline. The program provides critical support to producers who experienced losses in 2024 due to adverse conditions, including the impact of H5N1 on milk production.  Since July 2024, ELAP has offered assistance to dairy producers who suffered milk losses when cattle were removed from commercial milking due to positive H5N1 tests. To date, over $80 million has been distributed to producers in 16 [...]

SAINT CLOUD -- CentraCare has unveiled the most popular baby names for 2024 at its Minnesota hospitals, highlighting a mix of timeless classics and unexpected newcomers. St. Cloud Birth Center Director Jami Nordmann announced that Liam claimed the top spot for boys, while Eleanor was the most popular name for girls. "So, quite a few of those traditional names that you expect for this year, and there were a few of them we haven’t heard too frequently," said Nordmann. Other traditional names rounding out the top list included Hudson, Theodore, Oliver, Charlotte, Elizabeth, and Sophia. Interestingly, this year's most popular girl’s [...]

SAINT PAUL -- Online sports betting is back in the spotlight as the Senate Finance Committee prepares to address its potential legalization. The hearing, scheduled for this morning at the state capitol, will focus on the risks of gambling addiction and financial hardship that opponents argue are intrinsic to sports wagering. Leading the charge for the proposal is Senator Matt Klein, who views regulation as a necessary step toward oversight and public safety. Klein likened the push for legalized sports betting to the state’s approach to cannabis, emphasizing the parallels between the two industries. "It’s the argument we made for cannabis. [...]

SAINT PAUL -- Minnesota regulators have halted progress on a gas pipeline near the Pipestone National Monument. On Tuesday, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) unanimously revoked the project's permit, ordering cultural and archaeological surveys on two alternative routes. This decision follows strong opposition from tribal groups who regard the area as sacred to their religious practices.  In September, the PUC narrowly approved a 13.1-mile route that placed the pipeline farther from the monument than the company preferred. However, Tuesday’s unanimous vote signals a shift in priorities. The PUC may ultimately approve one of the proposed routes after the surveys are [...]

MARSHALL — Lyon County’s newly elected officials took the oath of office on Tuesday during the first county board meeting of 2025. The ceremony included three county commissioners and two Soil and Water Supervisors.  Todd Draper was sworn in as commissioner for District 2, representing part of Marshall, while Gary Crowley took the oath for District 4, covering the northern half of the county. Rick Anderson, who won a contested race against Tom Chandler, was sworn in as commissioner for District 5, representing the southern half of Lyon County.  In the Soil and Water District, Gary Laleman and Mason Johnson were [...]

WILLMAR — The Minnesota State Patrol has identified the driver who died in a truck crash near Willmar on Tuesday morning as 67-year-old Terry Allan Vreeman of Spicer.   At approximately 7:17 a.m., Vreeman was driving a 2018 Peterbilt straight truck northbound on Highway 71 when the vehicle collided with a railroad bridge.  Authorities report that Vreeman was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash.   Assistance at the scene was provided by the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office, Willmar Police Department, Willmar Fire Department, and Kandiyohi County Rescue. 

WINDOM -- The Windom Police Department put out an updated press release Friday afternoon regarding the fatal New Years Eve Stabbing at the Phat Pheasant Pub. Police arrested No Name Given Happy. He has been charged with 2nd Degree Murder with Intent, 2nd Degree Murder without Intent, 2nd Degree Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, and Threats of Violence.  The fatal stabbing victim was identified as 30-year-old Ben Matter of Windom.  The 31-year-old victim referred to in the original press release suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to the Windom hospital. During the investigation, police discovered another 30-year-old Windom man was stabbed [...]

MARSHALL -- The Minnesota Lottery celebrated two new millionaires Thursday as winners of the 2024 Minnesota Millionaire Raffle claimed their $1 million prizes. Both winners chose to remain anonymous. One winner, who purchased a ticket in Nowthen, Anoka County, credited his grandmother's advice for his decision to play. “She always has good advice,” he said. The other winner secured his prize after buying three tickets in Tracy upon learning less than one percent of the 800,000 tickets remained. Meanwhile, a winning ticket sold in Delano has yet to be claimed, leaving the final prize unclaimed for now.

REDWOOD FALLS -- During the January 2, 2025, Redwood Falls City Council meeting, the council accepted a $45,500 donation from the local non-profit organization Providing Resources, Officer Training, Equipment, Canine, and Team Support (PROTECTS). Established in 2024, PROTECTS identified the creation of a Police K-9 program for the Redwood Falls Police Department as its first initiative. The donation will fund the purchase of a K-9, training and certification for the dog and its handler, and specialized equipment for a K-9 squad car. No city funds will be used to support this project. This will be the first K-9 unit in the [...]