Mankato, Minn., Sept. 29, 2022—In recognition of the global agribusiness and nutrition company’s 120th anniversary, Major Najwa Massad has formally declared this Sept. 30 "ADM Day" in Mankato. ADM — previously known as Archer Daniels Midland Company — has long been a valued business presence in the Mankato community, contributing significantly to the area's employment base, local-business spending, community-development efforts and more. "ADM has played such an important and active role in Mankato, and we are very proud to celebrate this momentous occasion with our valued community members. After many years, ADM and Mankato continue to have a successful foundation that [...]

Motorists traveling on the Highway 99 Minnesota River bridge at St. Peter should be alert for lane restrictions Oct. 4-5 as crews make repairs to the bridge, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Traffic will be reduced to one lane across the bridge with a flagging operation in place. Crews are expected to complete the repairs by Oct. 5, weather permitting. Repairs to the historic bridge are necessary after it was struck by a vehicle earlier this summer causing damage to overhead steel beams. MnDOT encourages motorists to check the height of their vehicles and loads before traveling, especially equipment [...]

The Minnesota State Patrol is pleased with the results of Project 20-22 which was conducted over six weekends from May through September.  Lieutenant Gordon Shank says officers across the state made more than 37-hundred traffic stops: "Over two-thousand-700 of those were for speed enforcement,  we had 144 seat belt contacts, 137 distracted drivers that were stopped, and we also had 61 impaired driving arrests. If you look at nothing else look at the impaired drivers that we removed from the roadway. That's a success for us because we know that fatal crashes do occur with impaired driving." Shank says the goal [...]

Governor Tim Walz is responding after a week's worth of calls from state Republican leaders, including his opponent in the governor's race Scott Jensen, for an investigation into the Walz administration's handling of the $250 million Feeding Our Future fraud scheme. Walz initially said a Ramsey County judge ordered the Department of Education to continue payments to Feeding our Future--even after it discovered suspicious activity. The judge denied giving such an order... "I'm not going to split hairs on the judge with this, the fact of the matter is, I didn't want them (suspects) to get the money, but we followed [...]

Volunteers from Minnesota and around the country are mobilizing help to people in areas impacted by Hurricane Ian. The American Red Cross's Sue Thesenga says here at home... "You can help people by donating to the American Red Cross disaster [email protected] backslash MN DAKS." Thesenga says more than 50 volunteers from Minnesota and Dakotas are deployed on standby to help provide safe shelter, meals and comfort to those in need.

Drought stress is evident as an organic farmer in southwest Minnesota begins soybean harvest. Carolyn Olson of Cottonwood says her area has been in moderate to severe drought all summer and crops reflect that. "We don’t have an accurate (yield) number to give right now, but it is probably on par or maybe just a little under last year on this variety." Olson says harvest moisture is in the 10 to 12 percent range: "Which for us is pretty ideal. But the next two fields that we tried were still way too wet (and) had some pretty green soybeans in them [...]

Local author, Allen Eskens, will present at the VINE Adult Community Center on Thursday, October 6 from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm. Eskens is the bestselling author of “The Life We Bury,” “The Guise of Another,” “The Heavens May Fall,” “The Deep Dark Descending,” “The Shadows We Hide” and “Nothing More Dangerous.” 

(Minneapolis, MN)  --  With the Vikings in London, an NFL game may still play at U.S. Bank Stadium.  The Buccaneers-Chiefs game may move to Minneapolis pending the damage Hurricane Ian may cause Tampa Bay. No final decision will be made on the game until later this week, but Minneapolis will be the contingency site.

(Faribault Co., MN)  --  A southern Minnesota man is dead after a tractor crash in Faribault County.  Police say Michael Wegner of Wells was hit by an SUV while driving his tractor on Highway 22 last night.  Police say Wegner died in the crash and three people in the SUV suffered non-life threatening injuries.

Mankato’s Indigenous People’s Day Committee is hosting a weekend full of events October 6-10th. This year’s theme is “Keeping Indigenous History: Growing our Seeds.”  All events are free and open to the public.   Thurs Oct 6, 2022 Film showing at MSU Campus - Ostrander Auditorium - 4:00pm to 6:00pm - Film Showing: Gather   Fri Oct 7, 2022 “Food and a Band” at The HUB Food Park - 4:00pm - 8:00pm Main band - Bluedog Blues Band Drum group and dancers - Upstream Singers Food trucks Vendors - Local, Indigenous *bring chair or blanket   Saturday Oct 8, 2022 Film [...]