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Rollover crash reported near Ghent on Monday

A rollover crash on Minnesota Highway 68 on Monday afternoon is under investigation, the Minnesota State Patrol said. Around 3:38 p.m., a vehicle that was traveling westbound on Highway 68 near Ghent went across the center line and struck a guardrail, the State Patrol said. The vehicle rolled and came to rest on its roof. The driver of the vehicle was the only occupant, and was uninjured, the State Patrol said. The cause of the crash is under investigation, State Patrol said.

Swedzinski announces he will not seek reelection to Minnesota House

ST. PAUL — Rep. Chris Swedzinski,R-Ghent, announced Saturday that he will not be seeking reelection to the Minnesota House of Representatives at the conclusion of his current term. Swedzinski, who has represented southwest Minnesota since 2011 in District 15A, cited a desire to spend more ...

Reading with a calf

MARSHALL — Haley Ammann-Ekstrom made a venture out from the Fairmont area to visit Park Side Elementary first graders on Thursday to share her new illustration book, along with bringing along a special guest — her baby calf. Students were able to spend an enjoyable afternoon outside in ...

MN victim services may face funding cuts

MARSHALL — Organizations that provide crime victim services in Minnesota are bracing for a potential 20% cut in available state funding. “It is concerning. These are essential services,” said Carrie Buddy, executive director of New Horizons Crisis Center. Becci ten Bensel, executive director of WoMen’s Rural Advocacy Programs, said crime victim service programs across Minnesota learned in February that there would be about $12 million less in funds available through the Minnesota Office of Justice Programs in its next funding cycle. That’s about a 20% reduction in ...

Torkelson proposes bill to prevent ties in MN House

ST. PAUL — In 2025, the Minnesota House had a rare 67-67 tie between Republicans and Democrats that resulted a delayed start to the legislative session. State Rep. Paul Torkelson, R-Hanska, has offered a novel method of preventing further ties. He recently proposed a bill to increase the number of house representatives from 134 to 135 and cut the state Senate from 67 members to 45 members. “The main motivation for this is avoiding ties in the future,” Torkelson said. “We’ve survived two ties, one in 1979 and the one in 2025 delayed action in the House for weeks. The ...

Minnesota farmers to serve on United Soybean Board

MANKATO – Dumont farmer Tom Frisch continues to embrace a greater role as a national farmer leader. In early February 2026, Frisch was reappointed by the USDA to serve a three-year term on the United Soybean Board (USB). “I’m honored to represent Minnesota on USB. We have a lot of work ahead of us in the years ahead to build markets and improve our farm economy, and I’m eager to contribute in any way I can,” said Frisch, a current director and past chair of the Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council (MSR&PC). In December 2025, Frisch, who will begin his second ...