You better bundle up. A WIND CHILL ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON FRIDAY FOR FLOYD, MITCHELL, MOWER, FREEBORN, AND FARIBAULT, with local forecasts calling for wind chills of 35 below zero in portions of north central and northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota. Commuters are cautioned to be aware of possibly dangerous road conditions. -0-
An Owatonna man busted in a 2020 undercover raid is going to prison for selling a firearm to an federal agent. Dayton Charles Sauke was sentenced Tuesday to 31 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Sauke pleaded guilty in August after several social media posts that were consistent with manufacturing and … Read more
With a $7.7 billion surplus predicted in the state budget forecast, residents could get another stimulus check. Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov Peggy Flanagan laid out a host of economic proposals Thursday, including sending $700 million worth of checks to millions of Minnesota households. The direct payments, dubbed “Walz Checks” by the governor’s office, … Read more
NORTHWOOD, Iowa – A Worth County woman facing multiple drug trafficking charges pleaded not guilty. Law enforcement says it searched the Manly home of Melissa Ann Hungerford, 36, in September 2021 and found over 32 grams of methamphetamine, magic mushrooms, marijuana, a digital scale, and a handgun. Her trial is set to start on March … Read more
The future of two infrastructure projects in Albert Lea are in jeopardy after the city’s bonding requests were not included in Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s $2.7 billion capital investment proposal unveiled Tuesday. The Shell Rock River Watershed District had requested $8 million in bonding for the final phase of dredging on Fountain Lake, and the … Read more
Several Albert Lea business were cited during underage alcohol and tobbaco enforcement sweeps. The Albert Lea Police Department said in a news release that while all of the alcohol retailers passed their compliance checks, three business failed for tobacco sales. According to a press release, Minnesota began prohibiting sales of tobacco products to anyone under … Read more
The 68th Annual District 5 Eagles fundraising Telethon in Rochester was a huge success. Representatives of the BP Cancer Group donated $200,000 during the event, dubbed the longest locally run telethon in the United States. The generous donation was the largest reported during the Saturday [Jan. 15] event. The Geneva Cancer Auctions and supporting organizations … Read more
Mayo Clinic is under scrutiny as the pandemic continues to create staffig shortages. This week, the Minnesota Nurses Association filed a petition with hospital management at six Mayo Clinic facilities, including in Albert Lea, demanding action to curtail the worsening staffing crisis and recognize nurses’ sacrifices throughout the pandemic. Nurses’ demands are focused on retaining … Read more
FREEBORN COUNTY, Minn. – DNA has led to the arrest of a man suspected of ransacking a house in the summer of 2020. Shannon Lee, 51, is facing a charge of second-degree burglary stemming from an incident at a home off Highway 13 in Freeborn County where the homeowner reported several items had been stolen, … Read more
ALBERT LEA, Minn. – An Albert Lea man busted in a 2020 uncdercover drug trafficking investigation has accepted a plea deal in Freeborn County District Court. The South Central Drug Investigation Unit says, Troy Jay Thompson, 41, sold more than 11 grams of meth to a confidential informant in February 2020. Thompson pleaded guilty Tuesday … Read more