News

A Fairmont man is facing felony charges in Martin County after allegedly threatening the County Attorney. Bradley Steven Post, 56, has been charged with one count of terroristic threats and one count of harassment. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. He has also has been charged with stalking, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine, according to the criminal complaint. Post has two convictions for stalking, in 2016 and 2017. The County Attorney’s Office has prosecuted Post for criminal matters and civil commitment matters [...]

The  Martin County Board on Tuesday briefly discussed a possible location for a proposed Justice Center. The board approved a motion to write a letter to the County Auditor requesting four tax-forfeited parcels of land near the Fairmont liquor store at Center Creek Commons on Highway 15 be withheld from sale or lease for six months. The board heard from County Attorney Viesselman, who explained the process and language of briefly acquiring the property. “The property we’re talking about is our No. 2 preferred site for the Justice Center and it’s been forfeited, so by statute the county can acquire [...]

The Fairmont City Council met Monday for the sole purpose of selecting a new investigator to delve into city staff’s awareness of criminal cases allowed to expire under the statute of limitations during the tenure of former City Attorney Elizabeth Bloomquist. The investigator also will identify any individuals officially involved in the matter and the extent of the involvement and awareness from January 2012 to May 2019. The firm selected by the council at its Sept. 23 meeting — Jardine Logan and O’Brien — was unable to start an investigation until November, and Councilor Tom Hawkins and Mayor Debbie [...]

Federated Rural Electric, Jackson, recently presented a donation totaling $7,500 to both the Jackson County Historical Society and the Martin County Historical Society. Federated took advantage of matching funds from two organizations to triple the impact. “Federated donated $2,500, then secured matching funds from the CoBank’s Sharing Success Program and Basin Electric Cooperative,” stated Federated’s General Manager Scott Reimer. “Cooperatives are concerned about their local communities; we saw this as a way to help each organization accomplish a major project and assist in preserving that local history.”CoBank is one entity that provides Federated long-term financing for line construction projects, [...]

THE MARTIN COUNTY BOARD MEETS TUESDAY AT 9 A.M. THE BOARD WILL CONSIDER A MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT FOR MARTIN COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, VICTIM SERVICES GRANT, A REQUEST FROM TRIMONT CONCERNING TAX FORFEITED PROPERTY AND CONSIDER ISSUANCE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS. COMMISSIONERS ALSO CONSIDER QUIET ROOM POLICY, COST ALLOCATION PLAN, DISCUSS ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT UPGRADES AND CONSIDER ACQUISITION OF TAX FORFEITED LAND FOR COUNTY PUBLIC PURPOSE AT TUESDAY'S MEETING AT THE MARTIN COUNTY COURTHOUSE.

The American Red Cross urges people of all races and ethnicities to give blood or platelets to help increase the diversity of the blood supply. The vast majority of blood types fall into one of the major blood groups. However, for patients with rare blood types or those who receive regular blood transfusions, blood must be matched closely – beyond the primary A, B, O and AB blood types – to reduce the risk of developing complications from transfusion therapy. The best match may be someone of the same racial or ethnic group. Eight-year-old AJ Torres requires blood transfusions [...]

The Fairmont Area School Board on Tuesday approved a 2020 property tax levy that will decrease 2.93 percent. The proposed levy is $5.5 million, a reduction of $167,000 from 2019. Superintendent Joe Brown reminded the board that the Minnesota Supreme Court will be at Fairmont High School on Oct. 9 to hold its 50th traveling oral argument. Fairmont High School has been selected as the site this year. “They’ll be hearing an oral argument case. We have invited other local schools as well,” he said. The justices are then expected to visit Fairmont classrooms. On the Tuesday night prior, [...]

Many residents in southern Minnesota and north Iowa are picking up the pieces after severe storms rumbled thru the area on Tuesday evening. In northern Iowa,  one of the hardest hit areas was Swea City, as numerous power poles and trees were knocked down by the strong winds that were part of a line of thunderstorms. Authorities said the storm took out power for nearly 100 customers in the Swea City area.. The city clerk in Swea City said "As part of the clean up, city residents should deposit their tree limbs and branches on the curb-side for pick [...]

The Fairmont City Council voted 4-1 Monday to move ahead with a state forensic audit covering 17 years in two areas of the city’s books. After a lengthy discussion, council members decided on a time span from January 2002 to January 2019, focusing on the municipal liquor store and the Housing and Redevelopment Authority. Councilor Wayne Hasek, who cast the lone dissenting vote , questioned the need , citing the annual audit the city undergoes each year. Fairmont City Council members Tom Hawkins, Randy Lubenow and Ruth Cyphers. Out numbered Bruce Peters and Wayne Hasek, who opposed hiring an [...]

Early Tuesday morning  the Faribault County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Blue Earth Airport for an emergency landing by a  Mayo helicopter. The Faribault County Sheriff’s Office was notified that the Mayo  helicopter had to make an emergency landing due to smoke in the cockpit. When deputies arrived on scene the helicopter was grounded and shut down. The crew was standing outside of the helicopter and they were safe. There was no longer any visible smoke inside the cockpit. The Blue Earth Police Department, Blue Earth Fire Department and the United Hospital District Ambulance Service assisted on the scene. [...]