danbrookens

FAIRMONT – The final major addition to the Martin County Veterans Memorial in Fairmont is expected to arrive by Veterans Day, November 11th. The memorial’s Compassion and Valor statues feature a female nurse tending to a wounded soldier. The statues have been in the works for some time and are expected to be installed soon, completing the original vision for the memorial, which was dedicated in May of 2024. Officials say donations, including support from the Anderson Sneed Foundation, have covered the statue's cost of more than 100-thousand dollars. Other recent additions include 11 military aircraft and four boat silhouettes along the back [...]

FAIRMONT – Fairmont High School students spent Friday afternoon giving back to their community through the annual Cardinals Give Back Day.Around 60 students in grades 9 through 12, organized into six advisory groups, helped at eight locations throughout the community. Projects included raking leaves, trimming bushes and trees, and other yard work for residents who needed an extra hand. Advisor Erik Walker says the program is about more than getting work done. It teaches students the importance of helping others and improving their community without expecting anything in return. Several residents who have received help over the years say they appreciate [...]

Fairmont High School Cardinal Theater is preparing to set sail with its fall musical, the classic comedy "Anything Goes." The production features 93 students in grades 7 through 12, participating in the cast, stage crew and pit band. Director Sara Gudahl says rehearsals have been going well after more than two months of preparation. The musical follows a series of comedic storylines aboard an ocean liner traveling from New York to London, featuring well-known Cole Porter songs including "Anything Goes," "You're the Top" and "I Get a Kick Out of You." Performances are scheduled for November 12th and 13th at 7 [...]

FAIRMONT – Community leaders and economic development experts gathered Thursday to discuss priorities for Fairmont’s future as Region Nine Development Commission develops a long-term economic strategy for South Central Minnesota. The 20-year plan will focus on jobs, housing, childcare, infrastructure and quality of life, while helping communities qualify for state and federal grants. Among Fairmont’s biggest needs identified were expanding childcare, keeping young people in the community after graduation and strengthening manufacturing through agricultural technology and automation. Participants also stressed the need for stronger partnerships, leadership and accountability to turn ideas into action. Fairmont Opera House Executive Director Blake Potthoff said [...]

(undated) Deer hunters in designated southern Minnesota permit areas will be required to have adult deer tested for Chronic Wasting Disease during this opening weekend of the firearms season. The Minnesota D-N-R says the mandatory testing is part of a rotating C-W-D surveillance program covering 36 deer permit areas across southern Minnesota. Hunters who harvest a deer age one year or older in those areas must have it sampled. Deer must be registered before testing, and hunters will need their D-N-R license number and the township, range and section or GPS coordinates of where the deer was harvested. Staffed sampling stations [...]

(Fairmont) Windom Area Health's new Fairmont Clinic celebrated its opening Thursday with a community open house and ribbon cutting, giving residents a chance to tour the facility and meet its medical staff. Located inside the Victoria State Crossing Building, the clinic officially opened in early October and currently offers general surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, and urology services. Future plans include adding primary and acute care, lab services and imaging in early 2027, followed by expanded acute care hours and an on-site surgery center in the spring. The Fairmont Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors also held a ribbon cutting, welcoming the new [...]

Martin County residents will have a chance to voice their opinions on the proposed PowerOn Midwest 765-kilovolt transmission line during a public hearing next Thursday, November 12th, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Fox Lake Event Center in Sherburn. The proposed line would cross southern Minnesota, including Martin County, as part of a route connecting South Dakota to Dakota County. The project needs approval from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, which is seeking public input on its necessity and potential environmental impacts. The hearing will include opportunities for residents to speak and ask questions. The project has already faced [...]

The Faribault County Board of Commissioners received an update Tuesday from the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation on its investments in local communities. SMIF President and CEO Benya Kraus highlighted grants benefiting area libraries and schools, a business loan to Nutra-Boss Incorporated and a 10-thousand-dollar grant to the city of Elmore for sports equipment lockers at Wildcat Activity Park. Kraus said for every dollar Faribault County contributes to SMIF, 12 dollars are invested back into local communities. In other business, commissioners approved a resolution opposing the proposed PowerOn Midwest 765-kilovolt transmission line project while supporting affected landowners. The board also approved the [...]

(Fairmont) A Fairmont man has been sentenced in Martin County District Court on a gross misdemeanor DWI conviction stemming from an August incident involving an electric scooter. Forty-one-year-old Brandon John Hemann pleaded guilty in September to second-degree driving while impaired. Court records show he was sentenced November 3rd to 364 days in jail, with 274 days stayed for two years. After credit for time served, he has 46 days remaining, which he can serve on electronic home monitoring with an alcohol sensor or in jail. The incident happened August 19th, when police received complaints of a man on an electric scooter [...]

Bruce Borntrager will be the new Mayor of Trimont. He won 57.7% of the vote. Josh Paulson and Jon Holtz were the winners in a six candidate field for city council. They will now work in turning around a city that has seen some turmoil in recent years. Just recently the members of the Trimont Fire Department received 10 months of back pay after numerous delays. Borntrager campaigned on leading with better communication and transparency, accountability and follow-through, responsible use of taxpayer dollars, clear roles in City government, planning for trees and parks, working with MCW on the future of its [...]