Medford, MN Local News and More

Faribault Woman Files Discrimination Charge After Burger King Worker Wears Blackface

Shavelle Devine pulled up to the drive-through window at a Faribault Burger King on Halloween and found the employee working the register with her face covered in dark makeup. Devine recorded the encounter, and in the video the employee tells her, “I'm just Black today,” later adding, “I just wanted to be Black.” Devine has since filed a discrimination charge against the restaurant under Minnesota civil rights law.

Faribault, MN · 1d

Owatonna People's Press

Moore says Fry slandered her, county is negotiating in ‘bad faith’

When the Steele County Commissioners voted unanimously on Aug. 25 to pursue a contract with Dr. Kellyanna Moore, who has filled the coroner role since 2009, it appeared the Steele County coroner saga was close to a resolution. However, the negotiations between Moore and Steele County Attorney Robert Jarrett seem to have hit an impasse. The commissioners went into closed session, which the agenda cited as being protected under attorney-client privilege, following Tuesday’s board meeting and reconvened for the subsequent open session to publicly discuss the coroner contract structure. The discussion was spearheaded by Jarrett. His position was that the current services agreement as outlined provided no coverage options for claims related to coroner services—such as body transportation and workers’ compensation suits for those currently employed through Moore’s office—and that the Minnesota County Insurance Trust could not offer coverage. It was his belief that the gap in coverage could leave the county open to litigation in the future. As such, he said he refused to sign off on the services agreement as proposed. Moore contended that no claims have been made against her office during her time as the Steele County coroner and that her insurance as well as that

Steele County, MN · 21h

Owatonna People's Press

partner publisher · 23.4K followers

An overview of Steele County’s $4.8 million construction efforts this year

Steele County Engineer Jacob Rezac updated the Steele County Commissioners on their 2026 County Construction projects and an outlook on projects on the horizon for 2027 on Tuesday. Rezac’s presentation included construction windows and an itemized cost for each project which in total incurred a bill of $4,764,000. The first project subheading included retrofitting various culverts in the county. A 10 by 8 box culvert was installed in Havana Township at 64th Street NE under bridge 74J33. The approximate cost was $185,000, which came in at 26% under budget. The project’s duration was from Sept. 21 to Sept. 28 and issues faced included utility conflicts and relocation. A pair of box culverts measuring 16 by 8 and 16 by 9 respectively were installed in Summit Township under bridge 74J37 at 19th Street SE. The approximate cost came in at $468,000, which was 32% under budget. The project’s duration was from Sept. 4 to Sept. 28. Issues faced included high water due to rain. A 12 by 8 box culvert was installed at CSAH 18 under bridge 74J36 at an approximate cost of $437,000, which was 49% under budget. The project’s duration was from Aug. 10 to Sept. 15. Issues faced

Steele County, MN · 16h

KSTP 5 Eyewitness News Minneapolis-St. Paul MN

Northfield woman charged after DWI crashes, 2 officers hurt in arrest

A Northfield woman was charged after she drove drunk, hit several cars and homes, and hurt two officers during her arrest.

Northfield, MN · 1d

ohsmagnet.com

Owatonna Football ends their season in a heartbreak loss

The Owatonna Huskies football team saw their 2026 season come to an end after a heartbreaking 25-20 loss to Rochester Century in the section semifinals on Saturday, Oct. 31. After putting together a strong season finishing with a 7-1 record in the regular season, the Huskies were hoping to continue their season with another playoff win. However, Century came out on top, ending Owatonna’s season and bringing a tough ending to what had been a successful season.

KEYC

Murder at Alexander House raises money to support Waseca Exchange Club

WASECA, Minn. (KEYC) - Murder at Alexander House has become an annual tradition for the Waseca Exchange Club at 610 State Street North to raise money it can share with charitable causes. The annual murder mystery fundraiser takes guests back to Russia in 1916, where a murder has taken place...

Waseca, MN · 12h

Owatonna People's Press

partner publisher · 4.3K followers

Police: Chaska woman charged with child endangerment after allegedly driving while high

Maria Jose Salcedo, 35, of 1 Riverbend Place #119, Chaska, has been charged with driving while intoxicated and two counts of child endangerment relating to a June 29 event near I-35 mile post 47 in Steele County. The Minnesota State Patrol alleges two separate callers reported a white Jeep heading southbound on I-35 was speeding, crossing over lane lines and almost crashing into other vehicles. Police said troopers saw the vehicle drive by with an inoperable driver’s side headlight and an active rear wiper despite it not raining. While troopers followed the Jeep, it reportedly crossed the fog line and drove on the shoulder of the interstate, and followed the vehicle in front of it “dangerously close.” Police said Salcedo jerked onto the shoulder and slammed on its breaks when the troopers initiated a traffic stop, and the driver’s side tires were reportedly still partially on the fog line. Salcedo’s children, ages 12 and 6, were in the backseat of the Jeep, police said. Asked if she had been drinking, Salcedo reportedly told officers she drank Remy Martin, an alcoholic champagne. Police said Salcedo had an open and partially consumed cannabis edible chocolate bar, a clear plastic bag with marijuana

Chaska, MN · 2d

Faribault Daily News

Faribault Legion to continue suicide awareness event after previous organizer closes

American Legion Post 43 Commander John Haessig was driving home from HyVee with $300 worth of groceries in the back of his truck. No one knew it then, but the veteran was not in a good state of mind. He…

Faribault, MN · 1d

Northfield News

partner publisher · 591 followers

Woman allegedly assaults 2 officers, drunkenly crashes into trucks, homes

A woman faces multiple pending charges after she allegedly drove into multiple vehicles and houses while intoxicated and left two officers with non-severe injuries Monday evening around 6 p.m. in Northfield. Neighbors said the woman drove through multiple backyards, pointing out tire marks in the grass they said her vehicle left behind. Katherine Anne Niles, of 201 Greenvale Ave., Northfield, was charged by the Rice County Attorney’s Office with two counts of fourth-degree assault against a peace officer, obstructing the legal process, leaving the scene of an accident, DWI and refusal to submit to a chemical test despite a search warrant. The worst charges carry a maximum sentence of 3 years and a $6,000 fine. According to the criminal complaint, Niles was driving a 2007 Saturn VUE when she struck two homes and two vehicles along Second Street W, then hit a third vehicle on Plum Street S, where officers stopped and arrested her. The complaint says officers smelled alcohol on Niles, who was found crying in the driver’s seat of her heavily damaged car. She told officers “she did not know how she got there but knew she messed up,” according to the complaint. A preliminary breath test registered

Northfield, MN · 2d

Waseca County News

partner publisher · 901 followers

HAPPY BUT NOT SATISFIED: Bluejays once again enter state playoffs with top south seed

After a thrilling comeback victory in the Section 3AAA championship, the Waseca Bluejays were obviously ecstatic making a return trip to the state tournament. But senior captain Brady McKenna made it clear in the huddle after the game: "I'm happy, I'm not satisfied. We got a lot of work to do." The Jays' season looked to be in doubt in the section title game against the Tri-City United Titans on Friday, Nov. 6 in New Ulm. They were trailing 24-14 in the fourth quarter, but they ended up scoring 14 unanswered points to punch their return ticket to state and get revenge over TCU in dramatic fashion. The Titans handed the Jays their only defeat in the regular season. Waseca's second straight 3AAA championship comes after a remarkable 2025 season that saw them go undefeated in the regular season and finish the season as the Class AAA runners-up. Now, there is no doubt that Waseca looks to continue their season for a few more weeks, hoping to make it back to the state championship game. "I'm really happy," McKenna told the Waseca County News after the section championship about the teams' goals past that. "We got a plan, it's just

Waseca, MN · 1d

Owatonna People's Press

‘Proactive not reactive’: Planning commission moves forward with ordinance amendments

After being asked 100 questions by Owatonna, Northfield and Pine Island residents about data centers, the Owatonna Planning Commission moved forward with recommending its proposed ordinance amendments, including defining and regulating data centers. “It’s a 0.001% area of what we’re doing,” Community Development Manager Greg Kruschke said about data centers during the open house before Tuesday’s planning commission meeting. “The code was last updated in the ‘80s. There’s been updates through there, but the last major overhaul (was in the 1980s).” Changes to the Zoning Ordinance include cutting about 50 pages, updating zoning districts, adding a shoreland ordinance and modernizing home occupation standards, among others. Data centers were defined as “A facility used for the storage, processing, management, and distribution of digital data and information, consisting of servers, networking equipment and supporting infrastructure such as cooling systems, backup power generation and electrical equipment.” The definition was further broken up to major and minor data centers; major data centers have a capacity threshold of “greater than 5 MW of totaled designed IT load (often expanding to 100+ MW),” while minor data centers have “up to 5 MW of total designed IT load.” During the open house, Planning Specialist Emma Bransford said

KEYC

WEM football enters state with undefeated record

WATERVILLE, Minn. (KEYC) - The Waterville-Elysian-Morristown football team is set for this year’s state tournament after claiming the Section 2AA title this past week. We caught up with the Buccaneers prior to the team’s Thursday night match-up with the two-time defending state champion Jackson County Central Huskies.

Waterville, MN · 1d

ohsmagnet.com

Balancing School and sports as a Student Athlete

Dealing with school and sports can be a very challenging experience for student athletes. Having to worry about tests and assignments while knowing you have a big game or contest ahead of you later in the day can negatively affect your performance in class or in your sport. While you may have multiple responsibilities that you have to take care of in the classroom and on the court or field, finding a balance between the two is essential to being successful.

Owatonna People's Press

Mike Keller is Federated Insurance’s next president

Mike Keller, Federated Insurance’s executive vice president and chief financial officer, was named as the company’s next president starting Jan. 1, 2027. Since joining Federated Insurance in 2003, Keller has held leadership roles in company’s financial operations and on its executive team. He has had a hand in important Federated acquisitions over the years, and will continue to do so in his new role. As president and chief financial officer, Keller will also support the chairman on mergers, strategic planning and board matters. “Mike has an impressive 23 years of leadership and financial stewardship at Federated Insurance, along with over a decade of experience in public accounting and consulting, including auditing prominent insurance companies at Ernst & Young and leading insurance industry benchmarking at Ward Group,” said Nicholas Lower, Federated Insurance chairman, president and CEO. “He has been instrumental in strengthening our financial position, diversifying our operations, and deepening our investment in employees, clients and the community.” Keller, a 1992 graduate of the University of Cincinnati, will continue to lead the company’s financial and facilities operations, along with non-traditional investments such as real estate and venture capital. Outside of Federated, Keller and his wife, Nancy, are active in the Owatonna

wasecacountypioneer.com

partner publisher · 13.3K followers

Polka Service finds new tunes for familiar liturgy

About 75 people enjoyed a meal of sausage, sauer kraut and fried potatoes after attending a “Polka Service” at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Waseca the evening of Saturday, Nov. 7. There were no lederhosen or traditional German dresses, but the elements of the evening’s liturgy were sung...

Waseca, MN · 1d

KAAL ABC 6 NEWS Minnesota Iowa

Gov. Walz authorizes disaster assistance after flooding in southern Minnesota

(ABC 6 News) – Gov. Tim Walz authorized state disaster assistance Wednesday for four counties in southern Minnesota after historic September flooding. The aid will support Fillmore, Houston, Steele and Waseca counties after intense rainfall caused flooding, mudslides, road closures and damage to homes and property. The governor said he was grateful to the emergency […]

Minnesota · 2d

KIMT

partner publisher · 116.8K followers

Incumbent Delana Weis wins coin flip tiebreaker in Pine Island

Weis, as the incumbent, was allowed to choose heads or tails. The coin landed with heads facing up, marking her as the winner.

Pine Island, MN · 11h

News8000com WKBT News 8

Caledonia crushes Cannon Falls to advance to MSHSL state semifinals

The Warriors continued their dominant 2026 campaign on Thursday night as they trounced the Bombers 63-12 in the quarterfinal round.

Caledonia, MN · 12h

Owatonna People's Press

New Richland is ‘out of the crisis’ after September floods

After about 700 square miles of south and southeastern Minnesota was flooded with 6 inches or more of rain in 24 hours, senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, along with Rep. Brad Finstad, asked President Donald Trump and his administration to approve the state of Minnesota’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration for Individual Assistance. Gov. Tim Walz’s request for disaster assistance for the period of Sept. 18-20 covers Fillmore, Houston, Steele and Waseca Counties. New Richland, a city of 1,200, was flooded with about 9 inches of rain, which forced evacuations during the Sept. 19 flood. The Waseca County Board of Commissioners had declared a state of emergency after the flood. “In the city of New Richland alone, more than three-quarters of homes are damaged and residents of a skilled nursing facility were evacuated and unable to return to the facility,” the Democrats and Republican wrote in a letter to Trump on Nov. 3. “This storm event has been assessed as at least as destructive as the July 2026 mega-rain that many of these communities experienced and were recovering from just months prior.” Minnesota Realtors and the REALTORS Relief Foundation announced in October that a $70,000 grant was available

New Richland, MN · 2d

ohsmagnet.com

Intro to hoops: Owatonna boys basketball is undwerway

A new season brings new expectations, new opportunities, and for the Owatonna Huskies, one final opportunity for a group of seniors to leave their mark on the basketball program. As the opening tip of the 2026-27 season gets closer, Owatonna is preparing for a season built around team chemistry, athleticism,...