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A FAIRMONT MAN IS FACING FELONY CHARGES FOR THEFT BY SWINDLE IN MARTIN COUNTY DISTRICT COURT. ACCORDING TO THE CRIMINAL COMPLAINT, 44 YEAR-OLD TIGER DAN MASON STANDS ACCUSED OF BILKING AN ELDERLY FAIRMONT WOMAN OUT OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN FEES FOR HOME IMPROVEMENTS. POLICE RECEIVED A REPORT FROM MINNESOTA ADULT ABUSE RECORDING THAT MASON HAD ALLEGEDLY CHARGED AN 81 YEAR-OLD WOMAN AROUND $100,000 FOR HOME REPAIRS OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS WITHOUT GIVING HER RECEIPTS OR INVOICES FOR THE WORK. MASON IS SCHEDULED TO APPEAR IN MARTIN COUNTY COURT ON MARCH 3RD.

The Martin County Board heard from emergency management director Abigail Nesbit Tuesday concerning the acceptance of an Emergency Management Performance Grant. “The monetary value is $21,633 which is a $100 increase over last year,” Nesbit noted. “That sounds like nothing but since we’ve been on a huge decline for the past decade, going up $100 is monumental. Our whole EM region has been showing up at representatives and senators meetings and saying that we need more money because our money’s going down and disasters are going up, which makes no sense.” The county has received the grant on an annual basis, [...]

A Northrop man, 25 year old Ramon Joseph Flores, is facing a felony charge in Martin County of criminal damage to property in the first degree, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine. According to the complaint: On Jan. 7, a Fairmont police officer responded to a call of graffiti scratched into the men’s bathroom mirror at the Martin County Library in Fairmont. The mirror was scratched with a graffiti symbol that looked identical to an earlier graffiti call at the Human Services building in Fairmont. The symbol was a combination of writing and [...]

HUGOSON PORK OF EAST CHAIN HAS THE HONOR OF BEING NAMED THE MINNESOTA PORK FAMILY OF THE YEAR AT THE MINNESOTA PORK CONGRESS. KEVIN HUGOSON - 4TH GENERATION HOG FARMER IN MARTIN COUNTY, TALKED ABOUT HOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED ON HOG FARMS - ESPECIALLY IN THE TECHNICAL ASPECT.. KEVIN'S DAUGHTER ANGIE TOOTHAKER CAME BACK TO WORK ON THE FAMILY FARM AND TALKED ABOUT A STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE OPERATION. KEVIN'S SON ERIC ALSO CAME BACK TO WORK ON THE FAMILY FARM AND TO MANAGE THE PROCESSING OF PIGS. CONGRATULATIONS TO HUGOSON PORK , EAST CHAIN, MINNESOTA PORK CONGRESS PORK FAMILY OF [...]

How the Fairmont Fire Department selects its leadership and who ultimately has control over the department came under discussion at the Fairmont City Council meeting Monday. Citing a memo from League of Minnesota Cities, which provides liability coverage for the city, Councilman Tom Hawkins requested a change in City Code to comply with the League’s recommendation to avoid potential lawsuits. Two points were at issue: change control of the fire department to the city administrator, instead of the City Council as stated in current code, and change the selection of fire department officers from the long-standing practice of being elected by [...]

THE FAIRMONT AREA SCHOOL BOARD MEETING IS TUESDAY NIGHT AT 5 PM. THE BOARD WILL ACT ON THE SCIENCE CURRICULUM AND A COUPLE OF PERSONNEL ITEMS. THE BOARD WILL HEAR A PRESENTATION ON ELEMENTARY MAKERSPACE AND ACCEPT DONATIONS AT TUESDAY'S MEETING AT THE FAIRMONT CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS.

THE FAIRMONT CITY COUNCIL MEETS MONDAY AT 5:30 PM. THE COUNCIL WILL BE PRESENTED WITH THE INVESTMENT REPORT, A LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL FOR PROPOSED LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX, A PROPOSED CITY CODE CHANGE REGARDING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND APPROVING ELECTION JUDGES. THE COUNCIL ALSO WILL ACT ON A DEED RESTRICTION FOR CEDAR PARK TRAIL PROJECT,REZONING 924 LAKE AVENUE, A MNDOT LIMITED USE PERMIT AND REVISITING A RESOLUTION DIRECTING STAFF TO RECEIVE BIDS FOR HOSTING THE CITY WEBSITE AT MONDAY'S MEETING AT THE FAIRMONT CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS.

The Martin County Board on Tuesday took the matter of consent for refugee resettlement off their agenda, due to a federal injunction. Martin County Attorney Terry Viesselman explained the matter. “A federal court issued an injunction prohibiting the executive branch of the federal government from implementing that policy of requiring communities to agree to taking refugees or not,” he said. “It’s kind of a moot point and until that all plays out I don’t think there’s any need for the board to take action at this time.” Commissioners approved a motion to authorize recruitment for an additional attorney for the County [...]

The Fairmont City Council Monday night continued an  old discussion about the investigation to determine whether any city employees knew of the former City Attorney’s cases that were expired due to the statute of limitations. The council had hired investigator Michelle Soldo to probe the matter, and she concluded that none of the city staff knew or should have known about the expiring cases, releasing her findings with “all relevant information” on Nov. 14. She later advised against interview transcripts due to additional cost, relevance and the witnesses’ concerns of retaliation. But Councilor Tom Hawkins wanted transcripts of Soldo’s conversations with [...]