News

At their regular meeting on Tuesday, the Fairmont Area School board unanimously approved a resolution to present district voters with a single-question building bond referendum this fall. On Tuesday, November 4, residents will decide whether to invest $21.7 million for critical facility and educational improvements at both schools by casting their vote. According to Superintendent Andy Traetow, "Over the past year, we have worked through a long-range planning process to further understand, identify, and prioritize our needs, including a facility analysis, an educational adequacy assessment, a utility analysis, a roofing analysis, and gathering feedback from various stakeholders." The proposed plan includes [...]

A 70-year-old female is dead and a 38-year-old male is in custody following a shooting early Wednesday morning in Windom. According to the Windom Police Department, officers were dispatched to the 1400 block of 12th Avenue at 5:19 a.m. on the report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers located a 70-year-old female who had suffered gunshot wounds. After Windom Ambulance arrived, the female was transported to Windom Area Health. At 5:28 a.m., officers were advised that a male had broken into a residence in the 1200 block of River Road and was in the bathroom. Officers responded to the scene and [...]

 A Waterville man was killed in a motorcycle crash near Minnesota Lake on Saturday. The Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office says it happened on County Road 161 just south of County Road 159 in Danville Township, northeast of the town of Minnesota Lake. Deputies identified the rider as 54-year-old Ronald Berger Remme of Waterville. Authorities say Remme was not wearing a helmet and sustained serious injuries during the crash. Deputies and first responders from Minnesota Lake Fire and Ambulance attempted life-saving measures at the scene but were unsuccessful. The preliminary investigation suggests Remme was riding his 2006 Harley Davidson south on [...]

Saturday, June 21st, just before midnight, the Faribault County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call regarding a motorcycle crash at 600th Avenue and 195th Street in Dunbar township, northeast of Wells. The motorcycle, a 2008 Kawasaki ZX1400C sport, was being operated by Alan Richard Knutson, a 46 year old male from Wells. Knutson was the sole person on the motorcycle. Based on the initial investigation, deputies determined that Knutson was travelling northbound on 600th Avenue and failed to turn for the eastbound curve. Knutson continued northbound off the roadway, entered the ditch, and was ejected from the motorcycle. Knutson, who was [...]

The Minnesota Youth Livestock Expo will return to Fairmont this weekend at the Martin County Fairgrounds. Events begin on Thursday in the Sheep category, with Friday and Saturday featuring events and shows for cattle, goats, and rabbits. The swine portion of this years show will be held at the Mower County Fairgrounds in Austin July 11th and 12th.  The event offers a highly competitive preview show to help Minnesota youth prepare themselves and their livestock for showing competitively through the coming weeks at county fairs. MYLE is open to exhibitors who are a bona fide member, in good standing that are [...]

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Hundreds of people, some clutching candles or carrying flowers to lay in front of a memorial, gathered outside Minnesota’s Capitol on Wednesday evening for a vigil to remember a prominent state lawmaker and her husband who were gunned down at their home. As a brass quintet from the Minnesota Orchestra played, Gov. Tim Walz wiped away tears and comforted attendees at the gathering for former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, who were killed early Saturday in the northern Minneapolis suburbs. Colin Hortman, the Hortmans’ son, embraced Walz and lay a photo of his parents [...]

A man is in custody after the person he lived with was found dead in the southern Minnesota home they shared, authorities said. The investigation started just after 2 a.m. Tuesday with an abandoned car on Highway 22 near the Terrace View Golf Course in Mapleton, according to the Blue Earth County Sheriff's Office. Despite a witness's help, authorities could not find the driver. Deputies went to the Mapleton home of the vehicle's registered owner, where they found him dead "with obvious signs of trauma," the sheriff's office said. Police have not shared his age or identity. Authorities eventually found and [...]

The Minnesota State High School League Robotics Tournament was held in St Paul at Concordia College, Gangelhoff Center, on Saturday. The MSHSL began hosting robotics tournaments in 2012 and has remained a single class tournament regardless of school size for the state’s approximately 200 FIRST robotics teams. The game is played by two alliances made up of 3 teams each playing in 3 vs 3 matches. Teams play seven qualification matches followed by 12 teams playing in a double elimination finals bracket. The top 36 robotics teams in the state qualified for the tournament based on performance and awards received at [...]

A living symbol of hope, resilience, and remembrance is coming to Fairmont High School, thanks to the determination and vision of 11-year-old Natalie Flaherty. On Thursday, May 29 at 1:00 PM, the public is invited to a special ceremony at the Performing Arts Center at Fairmont High School, where an Anne Frank Sapling—grown from the chestnut tree that once stood outside the secret annex where Anne Frank wrote her famous diary—will be planted. This rare honor places Fairmont among just 16 locations in the United States to receive a sapling from Anne Frank’s original tree. Other locations include the U.S. Capitol, [...]