(ABC 6 News) – School districts are refusing to pay thousands of dollars to the MSHSL as part of a COVID fee. The Minnesota State High School League implemented a new COVID fee this year that varies in price due to school size. Kingsland says they were told to pay $5,000 and Albert Lea $9,000. … Read more
A major public school funding bill passed by the Minnesota House Tuesday night includes a sex ed mandate. All Minnesota school districts will be required to have comprehensive sex education programs uncer the measure, Albert Lea Republican representative Peggy Bennett says she opposes. School districts could also opt out of the standard curriculum rejected by … Read more
A Faribault man was sentenced to 7 years and 11 months in prison Monday on drug possession charges. Bradley James Richards, 35, was arrested during a 2019 traffic stop on Interstate 90 in Albert Lea, after police reportedly found half a pound of methamphetamine in the vehicle. -0-
A busy Owatonna intersection will see a major change this summer. A roundabout is being installed at 26th Street and State Avenue. Work will take about two months this summer/fall. The Steele County Highway Department is holding a virtual open house now through May 9 to get public feedback, according to a news release. -0-
ROCHESTER, Minn. – Higher unemployment and poverty rates during the pandemic created a rise in food insecurity across the region. Freeborn County says 2,900 people are dealing with hunger this year which is up from 2,730 in 2018. Channel One Regional Food Bank says the COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated the problem especially in minority communities. … Read more
A sentencing date has been set for the man charged with the 2019 murders of his 2-year-old daughter, who was found dead in a ditch near Blooming Prairie, and her mother. According to court records, Dariaz Lewis Higgins, 37, is scheduled to be sentenced for first-degree intentional homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide on July … Read more
Minnesota Democratic and Republican leaders are breathing a sigh of relief after narrowly avoiding losing one of its eight seats in Congress, according to figures released Monday by the U.S. Census Bureau. Minnesota’s growth rate, and a stronger-than-usual response to the Census Bureau’s survey, is being attributed to helping the state keep all eight of … Read more
Some Albert Lea businesses impacted by the pandemic are getting a break. The Albert Lea City Council on Monday approved waiving city permit and license fees for businesses throughout the city that had to close under state executive orders during the COVID crisis. The action applies to businesses that paid for licenses or permits during … Read more
A Forest City man accepted a plea deal in a 2019 burglary case and will not go to jail. Travis Madson pleaded guilty to “Operating a Motor Vehicle without Owner’s Consent,” an aggravated misdemeanor, stemming from an investigation by the Forest City Police Department on September 25, 2019. Madson was placed on probation for a … Read more
An Albert Lea wine bar owner, wanted for alleged COVID violations, said Friday that she will turn herself in if certain demands are met. The Interchange Wine and Coffee Bistro owner faces nine misdemeanor criminal counts, each carrying penalties of up to 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. The 56 year old is … Read more