danbrookens

(Fairmont) FAIRMONT — Today marks the final day at the Fairmont Area Chamber of Commerce for longtime employee and outgoing President Kandi Menne. Menne has been with the chamber for 11 years, including the past four as president. She first joined the organization in 2015 as office manager before taking over as president in the fall of 2022. During her tenure, Menne helped navigate new state employment laws, gave the Fairmont Area Life visitor guide a fresh look, and oversaw a rebranding that included a new logo and website. She also helped launch several community events, including the annual Sip and [...]

The Fairmont City Council continued work on its 2027 budget Tuesday, focusing on capital improvement projects and equipment needs. One major discussion centered on the city’s yard waste site, where $515,000 is currently budgeted for a garage enclosure, burn box and used excavator. Council members questioned the costs and whether the site should be staffed. After discussion, the council agreed to remove the yard waste funding from the budget for now and revisit the issue at a future work session. The council also debated the number of vehicles needed by the streets and parks departments, including 13 dump trucks. Some members [...]

(Fairmont) The Fowler Family was named the Martin County Farm Family of the Year. Their farm has more than 160 years of history and is continuing its family tradition into a sixth generation. The Fowler family farm was established in 1857 by Henry H. Fowler. Ron and Dora Fowler took over the operation in 1975, and today their son, Travis, represents the sixth generation to farm the land. Ron started his livestock operation with 20 sows after graduating high school and eventually expanded to 1,000 farrow-to-finish sows. Today, the family manages about 18,000 wean-to-finish hogs, farms more than 1,000 acres of [...]

(Blue Earth County) A mother and son charged in connection with the killing of a North Mankato teenager are back in jail. Eighteen-year-old Ryan Wolner and 53-year-old Christa Wolner are being held in the Blue Earth County Jail on pending charges related to allegedly owning or possessing a machine gun, trigger activator or machine gun conversion kit. Both had been out on bail after being charged earlier this month in Nicollet County in connection with the death of Tyson Goodsell. Christa Wolner faces four charges, including aiding an offender after the fact and helping an offender avoid arrest. Ryan Wolner faces [...]

(Fairmont) The Fairmont School Board is considering putting another building bond referendum before voters. The district’s previous 21-point-7-million-dollar referendum failed in November 2025. It included improvements to the fine arts learning center, a secure entry and office addition, locker room renovations, building updates and districtwide maintenance projects. Superintendent Andy Traetow says the district is now reviewing inflation and construction lead times to determine what a new proposal could look like. If the board moves forward, the district could potentially seek voter approval in February 2027. Traetow says the district would need to file paperwork with the Minnesota Department of Education by [...]

(Fairmont) Fairmont city officials have settled on a location and size for new pickleball courts, but final design work is on hold for now. The City Council Monday unanimously approved a plan for four tournament-ready courts at the north corner of the Jeffery Kot soccer fields. Shade structures are included, while lighting and landscaping could be added later. The decision follows a city survey that received 247 responses. Sixty-five percent of respondents preferred an indoor pickleball facility, while 54 percent favored four courts. The council also discussed whether design plans from pickleball courts in Iowa could be used to save money [...]