The Blue Earth County Board of Commissioners has voted to remove the historic Rapidan Dam following its failure on July 24th due to severe rains and flooding. District 2 Commissioner Vance Stuehrenberg noted that while discussions about the dam have been ongoing for five years, the recent damage has accelerated the need for action. The plan includes restoring the Blue Earth River and replacing the CSAH 9 bridge, which is vital for farm-to-market transportation. Vice Chair Kip Bruender emphasized the importance of the road for local agriculture. The county will seek federal and state funding assistance for the project.

GasBuddy's annual Labor Day travel forecast predicts that the average gas price will fall to $3.27 per gallon, the lowest for Labor Day since 2021. The downward trend is expected to continue, with a possibility of the national average dropping below $3 per gallon by Thanksgiving. The transition to winter-blend gas on September 16th is likely to further accelerate the decline in prices.

FALCON HEIGHTS -- The Minnesota State Fair saw its lowest Monday attendance in decades, with only 80,546 visitors, due to extreme heat and severe storms that caused flash flooding on the fairgrounds. The fair delayed its opening on Tuesday for cleanup efforts. Despite record-setting turnout on Thursday and Friday, Monday's attendance was the lowest for a first Monday since 1983 and one of the lowest for any non-opening day since the mid-1980s.

MARSHALL -- The Marshall City Council approved a proposal to construct a 108-unit apartment complex in the city’s general business district. The project, called Stone Meadows, will consist of three 36-unit market-rate apartment buildings on Clarice Avenue, behind the former Shopko building.  Kuepers, Inc., a development company from Brainerd, is leading the project. The council granted a conditional use permit to allow multifamily housing in the business district, following a recommendation from the Marshall Planning Commission. Concerns about potential traffic impacts were raised, but the area is expected to handle the increase.  The council also approved the introduction of the development's [...]

Minnesota's minimum wage will rise by 2.6% on January 1st, 2025, reaching $11.13 per hour. Department of Labor and Industry Commissioner Nicole Blissenbach noted that this increase follows a recent law change, which eliminates reduced minimum wages for small employers, youth under 18, and J-1 visa workers. “Those minimum wage workers that are working in the state are able to help keep up with inflation to really better provide for themselves and their families,” Blissenbach said. Workers who don’t see the updated wage or are currently underpaid—$8.85 for small employers and $10.85 for large employers—are encouraged to report it to the [...]

Secretary of State Steve Simon has launched the "Here We Vote" campaign to reclaim Minnesota's top spot in U.S. voter turnout. "Three out of the last four we were number one, however, in the last election, Maine...was number-one in the country," Simon said. The campaign features public service announcements, online toolkits, and resources available at mnvotes.gov, where voters can find their polling place, register to vote, order a ballot, and learn about candidates. Early voting in Minnesota starts on September 20th, among the earliest in the nation.

With nearly 85% of American beef processed by just four companies, livestock producers are increasingly driven to the polls. Vice President Kamala Harris recently pledged to support small businesses and challenge industry oligopolies. Matthew Sheets of the Minneapolis nonprofit Land Stewardship Project emphasized the need for a dual approach: "It needs to be a two-pronged approach of taking on the large interests that are consolidating this industry and harming everybody that is attached to it and supporting the small to mid-sized operators and the people that are farming in a regenerative way." A proposed rule under the 1921 Packers and Stockyards [...]

The Donald Trump campaign announced that former Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard will moderate his town hall meeting on Thursday night in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Gabbard, who was an early contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, left the Democratic Party two years ago over disagreements on foreign policy and social issues. She endorsed Trump earlier this month. The move mirrors tactics used by Democrats at their recent convention, where ex-Republicans endorsed Kamala Harris and Tim Walz. Trump’s running mate, J.D. Vance, will campaign in Green Bay on Wednesday, while Harris and Walz kick off a bus tour in Georgia.

Severe thunderstorms swept through central and southern Minnesota on Monday night, bringing damaging winds and hail. Wind gusts reached 65 mph in Silver Lake, 63 mph in Eden Prairie, and 62 mph near Willmar. Hail measuring 1.75 inches fell in Lester Prairie and Parkers Prairie, while funnel clouds were reported near Essig and Kerkhoven. The storms caused widespread wind damage, toppling trees in Waconia, Isanti, and North Branch. Nearly 100,000 Xcel Energy customers lost power, and the Happy Together Grandstand concert at the State Fair was canceled.

PIPESTONE -- A Marshall woman was injured after her vehicle collided with a semi on Monday in Pipestone County, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. At approximately 2:52 Monday afternoon, a 2008 International semi and trailer was traveling northbound on US Highway 75 and a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am was traveling eastbound on 111th Street when they collided in the intersection.  The driver of the Pontiac, 18-year-old Laura Marie Meulebroeck of Marshall, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to the Pipestone hospital. The report notes Meulebroeck was not wearing her seat belt at the time of the crash.  The driver of [...]