WASHINGTON D.C. — Congressional lawmakers advanced a House resolution Wednesday that would lift a 20-year ban on mining near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, sending the measure to the U.S. Senate for consideration. The Biden-era moratorium covers about 225,000 acres of federal land in the Superior National Forest, south of the Boundary Waters but within the same watershed. Supporters of the resolution say it would remove what they describe as an overly broad restriction without automatically approving any specific mining proposal. “For the umpteenth time, there will be no mining in the Boundary Waters, and there will be no mining [...]

MARSHALL, MN — A small group of protesters gathered today (Tuesday) in Marshall to speak out against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, citing concerns about civil rights, public safety and recent enforcement actions.  Gerald Gerdes, a Minneapolis native who currently lives in Marshall, said he felt compelled to protest because of the impact immigration enforcement has had on people close to him. “The things that are going on are atrocious,” he said. “I have family and friends that are immigrants, and seeing this and people not doing anything about it or being too scared to do anything about it, I wanted [...]

The Minnesota State Agricultural Society board voted at its 167th annual meeting to keep admission and parking prices unchanged for the 2026 Minnesota State Fair. The board also approved a $67 million investment package for improvements across the fairgrounds, focusing on guest experience, education, and entertainment programming. The Great Minnesota Get-Together runs from August 27 through September 7, 2026. Pre-fair discount admission tickets for all ages cost $17 and are available through August 26 at Etix.com. The tickets are valid any day of the fair. Regular gate prices during the fair will remain $20 for adults ages 13 to 64, $18 [...]

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 [...]