The Blue Earth City Council met on Monday and reviewed a draft of the annexation agreement between the city of Blue Earth and Riverside Heights.
The agreement has now been revised from a five year agreement to a three year agreement.
According to the agreement’s updated property tax reimbursement plan, Blue Earth would reimburse Riverside Heights for $50,000 over a three year period between 2025 and 2027.
The Council will review the final agreement on May 6th.
The Faribault County Sheriff’s Office has been investigating a series of burglaries that have occurred at multiple properties over the past six months.
On Friday morning, the Sheriff’s Office assisted with a probation compliance check on 43 year old Cain Buster Waltermann at his residence in Winnebago. While there, the Deputies observed stolen property. Waltermann was then arrested for violating his probation. A series of search warrants were executed and deputies seized control substances, a firearm, ammunition and a large number of stolen items from multiple burglaries. Walterman is currently being held on probable cause for numerous gross misdemeanors and a probation violation.
Then on Sunday morning, the Sheriff’s Office was notified that a trailer that had been left behind at one of burglarized properties had been moved. Deputies were able to track the trailer and observed it being pulled by a 2002 Dodge Dakota into a driveway of a Winnebago residence. Deputies then made contact with the two occupants in the vehicle, 41 year old Nicole Marie Blum of Winnebago and 37 year old Dustin Patrick Reinhard of Blue Earth and arrested them.
Both Blum and Reinhart are being held on probable cause 3rd degree burglary, gross misdemeanor receiving stolen property and gross misdemeanor 5th degree controlled substance possession.
The incidents a both Winnebago residence are believed to be related and remain under investigation by the Faribault County Sheriff’s Office.
Minnesota had 3.2 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending April 14th, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Fieldwork included small grains planting, tilling and manure applications. Livestock were doing well with calving continuing.
Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 36% short to very short, 60% adequate, and 4% surplus.
Subsoil moisture supplies were rated 48% short to very short, 51% adequate and 1% surplus.
Farmers started planting their row crops with corn planted at 3% and soybeans planted at 1%.
In Iowa, dry conditions and warmer than normal temperatures helped Iowa farmers as days suitable for fieldwork increased to 4.9 for the week ending April 14th.
Fieldwork included tillage, spraying and applying fertilizer and seeding oats. Some corn and soybeans were also planted. Four percent of the expected corn acreage has been planted.
Topsoil moisture condition was rated 52% short to very short, 46% adequate and 2% surplus.
Subsoil moisture condition was rated 63% short to very short, 36% adequate and 1% surplus.
Baseball
Fairmont 8, BEA 1
NRHEG 13, USC 3
Blooming Prairie 13, Maple River 11
Softball
BEA 8, Fairmont 7
USC 8, NRHEG 0
Blooming Prairie 3, Maple River 2
Boys Tennis
BEA 7, Redwood Valley 0
Southwest Christian 6, Fairmont 1
Boys Golf
Madelia Meet
Girls Golf
Madelia Meet
Baseball
USC at GE/AC (On 1560AM, 95.3 FM & kbew98country.com, 4:30pm)
Esko at Fairmont
NRHEG at GHEC/ML-Truman
Mt. Lake at Martin Co. West
Softball
USC at GE/AC
LCWM at Maple River
St. James at Fairmont
GHEC/ML-Truman at MN Valley Lutheran
Madelia at Martin Co. West
Boys Tennis
BEA at Waseca
Golf
BEA vs. Maple River at Riverside T&CC
USC at Springfield
G-H/V & Forest City at North Iowa
North Union Girls at Algona
North Union Boys at Estherville
Track & Field
USC, Fairmont & Maple River at BEA Invite
North Iowa & North Union Boys at Estherville
Funeral Services for Donna Mae Schobert, age 91, of Fairmont, will be Thursday, April 18, at 2pm, at Nasinec Funeral Home in Wells. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the Funeral Home on Thursday Afternoon. Donna Schobert died Friday, March 15th, at Birchwood Cottages in Mankato.
The Faribault County Recorder’s Office has released the Vital Statistics Report for March of 2024. According to the report, there were 14 births in the county in March of this year, 9 more than 2023. There were 18 deaths in Faribault County in March, 9 more than in 2023 and 2 Marriage Licenses were issued, the same number issued in March 2023.
Baseball
BEA at Fairmont (On 1560AM, 95.3 FM & kbew98country.com, 5:30pm)
USC at NRHEG
Blooming Prairie at Maple River
Heron Lake-Okabena at Martin Co. West
Softball
Fairmont at BEA
NRHEG at USC
Maple River at Blooming Prairie
Heron Lake-Okabena at Martin Co. West
Boys Tennis
Redwood Valley vs. BEA at USC
Southwest Christian at Fairmont
Golf
Martin Co. West at Madelia
North Union vs. Bishop Garrigan & Forest City at Spring Valley
Track & Field
Maple River & MT/GHEC-ML at JWP Invite
North Union Girls at North Iowa Meet
North Iowa Boys at Lake Mills
A Mass of Christian Burial for Dale Bleess, age 73, of Blue Earth, will be Thursday, April 18th, at 11am, at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Blue Earth. Visitation will be Wednesday, April 17th, from 4-7pm, at Patton Funeral Home in Blue Earth and one hour prior to the service at the Church on Thursday Morning. Dale Bleess died Monday, April 8th, at St. Luke’s Lutheran Care Center in Blue Earth.
A new bill in the state legislature aims to keep track of health care entities across the state and help lawmakers better understand why costs might be too expensive. The bill would establish a “Minnesota Commission for Equitable Heath Care Services”, a commission that would be tasked with checking in on health care providers to held them accountable.
The commission would work with the state auditor to obtain information on things like corporate profits and issue recommendations to the legislature based on findings.
The bill heard a wide array of feedback in its Tuesday hearings. Some showed support for a bill they view as an accountability measure. Others worried that the bill would add work for the state auditor or that it would become a partisan way of mandating state health care.
The bill was laid over in the Senate State and Local Government Committee for inclusion in a future omnibus bill.