Rochester, MN

Albert Lea, MN

ALBERT LEA, Minn. – A man is pleading guilty to selling methamphetamine in Freeborn County. Michael Ray Sanders Jr., 50 of Albert Lea, was accused of selling almost 15 grams of meth to a confidential informant on July 28, 2020. The South-Central Drug Investigation Unit says Sanders sold the drug for $800.

Albert Lea man pleads guilty to selling meth

ROCHESTER, Minn. - A 23-year-old man was arrested early Sunday after allegedly threatening to blow up a woman’s car. Police said Divaunte Young is facing charges of terroristic threats along with gun and drug crimes after threatening a woman. Police said the woman refused to give the man a...

Man, 23, arrested for threatening to blow up woman's car in Rochester

Minnesota State

Houston, MN

OLSMTED COUNTY, Minn. - A 68-year-old man suffered serious injuries following a chain-reaction crash that could result in criminal charges. The sheriff’s office said it happened at 5:45 p.m. at the 6800 block of Highway 63 N. when a truck was rear-ended. The driver is in critical condition and...

Multiple injuries, 1 seriously, in Highway 63 crash that could result in criminal charges

ALBERT LEA, Minn. - Serious crimes in Albert Lea plummeted by 28 percent in 2022 as the city saw its lowest crime rate in five years. In data released Monday by the city, Albert Lea said serious offenses dropped from 485 to 352 last year. Less-serious crimes, like vandalism and...

Serious crimes in Albert Lea dropped by nearly 30 percent in 2022

ALBERT LEA, Minn. - For the second straight year, crime has fallen in Albert Lea. City officials released data today showing a drop in crime rates by over five percent from 2021 to 2022, an improvement from last year. The results contrast those from 2018 to 2020, where crime rates...

Albert Lea sees crime rates drop again

Iowa State

ROCHESTER, Minn. – Rochester has a new Deputy Fire Chief. Holly Mulholland was named Tuesday as the replacement for Deputy Chief Vance Swisher, who left the Rochester Fire Department (RFD) to become Fire Chief in Ankeny, Iowa. RFD says Mulholland has been with the department for almost 15 years and she is the first woman to serve in the Deputy Chief role.

Rochester names its first female Deputy Fire Chief

ROCHESTER, Minn. - A series of car break-ins occurred near a local college over the weekend. According to Rochester police, three vehicles were reported to have had their car windows smashed in this past Saturday around 5:30 pm by one of the car's owners. All three cars were parked in...

Three cars reportedly broken into near RCTC

Austin, MN

AUSTIN, Minn. – Dealing drugs results in probation for a Mower County man. Michael Gonzalez-Garate, 26 of Austin, was arrested in May 2022 for first-degree sale of drugs. The Austin Police Department says Gonzalez-Garate sold 30.08 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in March 2022. Gonzalez-Garate pleaded guilty...

Austin man sentenced for selling meth to police informant

Grand Meadow, MN

AUSTIN, Minn. – A woman accused of attacking her boyfriend with a knife and a chair is pleading not guilty. Nikki Rae Heitland, 35 of Grand Meadow, was arrested in February and charged with second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and third-degree assault causing substantial bodily harm. She entered a not guilty plea Monday and is now set to stand trial beginning May 1.

Mower County woman pleads not guilty for violent attack on her boyfriend

ST. PAUL, Minn. - Governor Walz held a ceremonial signing for the catalytic converter theft bill Tuesday afternoon. The bill will increase criminal penalties for stealing converters and only allow registered metal scrap dealers to buy them. Detached converters are now required to carry a vehicle information number in permanent ink or engraving.

Governor Walz signed catalytic converter theft bill

For many of us, taking care of our mental health is an up-and-down battle. But for one Rochester man, it was a literal journey. In September 2021, Evan Hansen walked across the state of Minnesota - over 300 miles from near Sioux Falls, SD to near Winona, MN - carrying a canoe to raise awareness and money for mental health after suicide took the lives of several people in his life. His journey raised over 50 thousand dollars for the Southeast Minnesota chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI).

Rochester man pens new book on extreme portage and mental health

ROCHESTER, Minn. - Active PT and Sports, a Rochester physical therapy clinic, is hosting free pain and injury screenings on the floor of the Rochester Athletic Club each month. While Active PT has an office connected the building where you can be assessed for free on an appointment basis -...

ActivePT offers free screenings at Rochester Athletic Club

ROCHESTER, Minn.-The Rochester Public School Board received more specific information regarding which teaching positions will be cut for the 2023-2024 school year at Tuesday's meeting. Roughly 104 vacant and existing positions will be cut, which includes areas like K-6, special education and world language. RPS' Chief Administrative Officer John Carlson...

Nearly 104 vacant and existing positions on track to be cut at Rochester Public Schools

ROCHESTER, Minn. - Over a hundred school buses have been installed with cameras to catch reckless drivers. Rochester Public Schools installed these cameras to deter drivers from not stopping behind school buses with their stop arms extended. The cameras were funded by grants from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety...

RPS installs stop arm cameras on school buses

ROCHESTER, Minn.-There was a flea market today at the Olmsted County Fairgrounds. Lots of vendors there were trying to sell a variety of things, such as comics. At the Vintage Flea Market Antique/Toy Show, there was a vendor with a massive amount of comics. Some of them came out all the way back in the 1970s. Others were from this decade. Most of the comics featured superheroes, but he also had ones inspired by cartoons and westerns.

Flea market in the Med City

Oregon State

ROCHESTER, Minn. - States across the nation are considering new regulations to crack down on the opioid epidemic. From Oregon to New Jersey - state lawmakers are pushing for harsher penalties for fentanyl possession, manufacturing, and distribution. Many legislators are in talks about how to get a real handle on...

New fentanyl penalties are being proposed across the US, and the impact on end users could be severe

ROCHESTER, Minn.-Family Service Rochester's "Week of Champions" is underway. To celebrate the 21st annual "March for Meals," local champions, such as Rochester Mayor Kim Norton, are delivering meals through March 24th. At Rochester's Shorewood Senior Campus, Rochester City Council President Brooke Carlson read a mayoral proclamation officially kicking off the week. After that, volunteers went on to deliver meals along their routes. One of the places they stopped by at was Carolyn Boelter's residence. She said she enjoys the company.

Family Service Rochester kicks off "Week of Champions"

ROCHESTER, Minn. - The departments of the City of Rochester are looking for seasonal workers for the spring and summer. Parks and Recreation are hiring workers right now to prepare the parks, athletic courts, and fields for the warmer spring weather. "Especially for areas in the Parks and Forestry division....

City of Rochester is hiring seasonal workers

Olmsted County, MN

ROCHESTER, Minn. - Olmsted County and Family Service Rochester's "Guiding Partners to Solutions" outreach program is expanding to a handful of new locations Tuesday. The program serves to bridge gaps that make it difficult for community members to connect with social workers. Services are only available at 2117 Campus Drive,...

Olmsted County, Family Service Rochester expand "Guiding Partners to Solutions" program

ROCHESTER, Minn.-- March 21 is National Single Parent Day, putting single mothers and fathers in the spotlight because it’s not easy. The Jeremiah Program in Rochester has bonded together many single mothers in the area. It's goal is to “disrupt generational poverty, two generations at a time” by investing...

Celebrating National Single Parent day

ROCHESTER, Minn.-There were song brainstorming sessions at Shorewood Senior Campus today. They were to help compose a song for the chorus Resounding Voices, which welcomes those who have Alzheimer's or a related dementia. At the sessions, Suzy Johnson, the artistic director of the chorus, listened to ideas that residents thought of on the fly or came up with ahead of time. She is looking to compose a song addressing a topic that resonates with the residents. She said it's a good idea to continue being creative no matter what your age is.

Song brainstorming sessions at Shorewood Senior Campus

Kasson, MN

KASSON, Minn.-- It's been nearly four years since the last major flood in the city of Kasson, which left the city fighting for economic stability and a sense of security. The City of Kasson is working on getting a $5 million funding bill approved to make improvements to their public water infrastructure and reduce flooding hazards.

City of Kasson strives to maintain flood control

ROCHESTER, Minn.-The Harlem Globetrotters played at the Mayo Civic Center today. Before the …

The Harlem Globetrotters come to the Med City

ROCHESTER, Minn.-At long last, spring is finally here, and it's got a local flower shop excited. For Tulips & Truffles Florist, there's usually a bit of a lull in sales in between Valentine's Day and the start of spring, so they've been looking forward to this day. Jay Wassner, one of the floral designers, said the season gives the shop a big boost in revenue. Some of their more popular flowers around this time are tulips as well as irises. Customers come in looking to add some color to their lives. He said flowers can help people communicate with each other better.

Local Flower Shop Excited for Spring

Byron, MN

Stewartville, MN

Viola, MN

Oronoco, MN

Eyota, MN

Mantorville, MN

Elgin, MN

Pine Island, MN

Hammond, MN

Racine, MN

Dover, MN

Zumbro Falls, MN

Plainview, MN

Chatfield, MN

Millville, MN

Mazeppa, MN

Dodge Center, MN

Hayfield, MN

Sargeant, MN

NewsBreak

Rochester woman found in snowbank for 2nd time in a week after another apparent overdose

ROCHESTER, Minn. - A 42-year-old Rochester woman was found in a snowbank for the second...

Rochester woman found in snowbank for 2nd time in a week after another apparent overdose

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