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Marshall seeks scooter solution on Main Street

MARSHALL — The Marshall City Council took action this week to try and address safety concerns caused by people riding electric scooters and bicycles down Main Street sidewalks. At Tuesday’s council meeting, council members voted to approve changes to city ordinances that would essentially prohibit scooter and bike riding on sidewalks in Marshall’s downtown heritage district, which includes the core commercial area along Main Street. Assistant Planning and Zoning Administrator Ilya Gutman said he reviewed both city ordinances and state laws in drafting proposed ordinance ...

John Alcorn

Editor's Note: The Independent emailed three questions to the candidates for City Council in Ward 1. John Alcorn is the incumbent and here are his answers. Personal (please list occupation, education and family): • 43-year resident of Marshal, 20 plus years in Ward 1 • Graduate of SMSU: ...

Hearing held for former YME coach

GRANITE FALLS – A hearing in a case against a former YME High School coach and paraprofessional charged with criminal sexual conduct was held Monday in Yellow Medicine County District Court, online court records said. According to court documents filed Oct. 12, the case would be assigned to a new judge and a settlement conference was scheduled for Nov. 2. Javon Duncan Hering, 31, of Sacred Heart, is charged with first degree criminal sexual conduct, second degree criminal sexual conduct, and two counts of third degree criminal sexual conduct in Yellow Medicine County. A criminal ...

Hearing held in Marshall drug case

MARSHALL — A hearing was held Tuesday for a Marshall man charged with possession of a large amount of drugs including marijuana, cocaine, THC vapes and psychedelic mushrooms, according to Lyon County court records. A future hearing date for Kasey Roy Westberg, 39, was set for Nov. 10. A criminal complaint alleges that law enforcement searched Westberg’s home in September and found bags of cannabis flower weighing a total of more than 8 kilograms and plastic baggies containing cocaine in a bedroom closet. Law enforcement allegedly found hundreds of units of THC vape cartridges ...

Looking for fall colors?

MARSHALL — Fall colors are peaking a little earlier in Minnesota this year. However, a lot of leaves are already gone in parts of southwest Minnesota, thanks to windy conditions over the weekend. “Those high winds knocked a lot of the colors off the trees,” said Adam Kurtz, manager at ...

Library board discusses options for reducing costs

MARSHALL — in light of anticipated funding reductions from Lyon County, the Marshall-Lyon County Library is looking at ways to try and save money. But even if the library takes steps like leaving staff positions unfilled and reducing operating hours, MLCL could still be facing a shortfall of about $82,000 in revenue next year, said library director Michele Leininger. Discussion of the 2027 MLCL budget was a topic of discussion at this week’s library board meeting, Leininger said. Library board members met with officials, including Marshall Mayor Bob Byrnes and Lyon County ...