KSUM News

The Fairmont City Council made a decision after a closed session Monday to end its agreement with Elizabeth Bloomquist, who has served as City Attorney for more than 30 years. “The council is split, and that includes me,” Mayor Debbie Foster announced at the end of the closed session to evaluate the attorney’s job performance. Foster and council members Bruce Peters and Wayne Hasek confirmed they are the three who support Bloomquist’s job performance. Tom Hawkins, Randy Lubenow and Ruth Cyphers are dissatisfied. No explanations were given as to why there is satisfaction or dissatisfaction. This comes a week [...]

The public is encouraged to attend an open house for the construction of Interstate 90 from Fairmont to Blue Earth on Wednesday, April 24 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, 1291 Torgerson Drive, Fairmont. Staff from the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the contractor will be present at the open house to answer questions about the project and traffic impacts. Weather permitting, preliminary work for this two-year project will begin soon with intermittent shoulder and lane closures.  Major traffic restrictions are expected to follow in mid-May with ramp closures and I-90 traffic carried in a two-way, head [...]

LOCAL NEWS 4/22 CITY COUNCIL THE FAIRMONT CITY COUNCIL MEETS MONDAY AT 5:30 PM . MAYOR DEB FOSTER STARTS THE MEETING WITH A PROCLAMATION OF FRIDAY, APRIL 26TH AS ARBOR DAY IN FAIRMONT. FOUR PUBLIC HEARINGS WILL BE HELD AND SEVERAL PERMITS AND/OR LICENSES FOR SUMMER EVENTS WILL BE APPROVED AT THE MEETING MONDAY AT THE FAIRMONT CITY HALL COUNCIL CHAMBERS.

FAIRMONT POLICE OFFICERS, LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT AND AMBULANCE CREWS WERE DISPATCHED TO A REPORT OF A THREE VEHICLE CRASH AT THE INTERSECTION OF COUNTY ROAD 39 AND LAKE AVENUE JUST BEFORE 3:30 PM THURSDAY. OFFICERS LOCATED TWO PEOPLE WHO WERE INJURED. A 26 YEAR-OLD MALE PARTY WAS TRANSPORTED TO MAYO CLINIC HEALTH SYSTEM-FAIRMONT AND THEN AIRLIFTED TO ROCHESTER. A 28 YEAR-OLD FEMALE WAS TRANSPORTED TO MAYO CLINIC HEALTH SYSTEM-FAIRMONT AND WAS TREATED AND RELEASED THURSDAY NIGHT. INITIAL INFORMATION FROM WITNESSES AND INVESTIGATION SHOW A VEHICLE WAS SOUTHBOUND ON COUNTY ROAD 39 AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED NEAR THE [...]

The Martin County Board Tuesday approved a motion for a sheriff’s deputy to be assigned as the school resource officer at Granada-Huntley-East Chain. The school district will be responsible for 66 percent of the cost of the position, with the county responsible for the other 34 percent. Martin County Sheriff's Offic Captain Corey Klanderud said he would work with County Attorney Terry Viesselman to draft a contract. The board approved a motion to appoint Jessica Korte to the Martin County Auditor/Treasurer position to fill the remaining term of James Forshee, who will be retiring in July. The effective date [...]

Fairmont’s Park and Street Department crews have started preparing the city’s numerous recreational areas for warmer weather. Nick Lardy, park and street superintendent, told the Fairmont Park Board on Tuesday that all but three of the city’s many docks have been put in. Bases are going in at the Winnebago Avenue Sports Complex, and work on the dugout roofs and extending the backstop will begin soon.“Hopefully, around May 1, we will start opening things up. We want to get the shelter houses open by the fishing opener on May 11,” he said. Ed Willett, who serves on the Kids [...]

The Fairmont City Council held a work session Monday night. A. major point of contention was the action of two council members — Randy Lubenow and Tom Hawkins — who met recently with Elizabeth “Libby” Bloomquist, who has served as City Attorney for 30 years, to inform her that her services might no longer be needed. At the start of the session, Mayor Debbie Foster read an April 4 email sent from Hawkins to Mike Humpal, city administrator, who then forwarded the email to the rest of the council members. It stated Councilor Lubenow and I went to see [...]

State Education Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker visited Fairmont Elementary and Fairmont High School on Monday, kicking off a statewide listening tour to promote Gov. Tim Walz’s proposed education budget. Fairmont is one of just eight schools throughout the state the commissioner is visiting this week.... Ricker first toured the elementary school, stepping inside several classrooms and observing teachers and students at work. She toured the ECFE wing and heard about Fairmont’s voluntary pre-K program. Next, Ricker went to the high school, where she toured the vocational wing, including the welding shop, wood-working shop, and family and consumer science room. [...]