KTOE Noon News 10-13-25

Top Stories for Noon 10-13-25:

• Minnesota’s exports dropped in the second quarter. Thu-Mai (To-My) Ho-Kim is with the state Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) says exports fell to 5.8 billion dollars in the second quarter, a 19 percent drop from the same period last year. She claims the decline was driven “significantly by the drop in mineral fuel and oil exports to Canada, our primary market for these goods.” Exports to Mexico and China, Minnesota’s second and third largest markets, declined by more than 20 percent each. The full second quarter 2025 report is available on DEED’s website.
• Fire officials say precipitation overnight helped crews hold the Crosby fire along the North Shore in place at 300 acres. The wildfire near Finland is now 70 percent contained. Firefighters continue making progress on the containment line and mopping up hot spots around the fire. The Interagency Fire Center says it was likely caused by lightning. A portion of the Superior Hiking Trail within the George H. Crosby Manitou State Park remains temporarily closed.
• For the third year in a row, enrollment at the colleges and universities of Minnesota State has increased over the previous year. Enrollment jumped by 5.2 percent at Minnesota State colleges, and 2.3 percent at universities in the system. Officials say the increase is driven largely by initiatives focused on keeping the cost of college affordable for all Minnesotans and quality. This fall marks the second year of the North Star Promise, which is a scholarship program that provides free college tuition for Minnesota students with a family income below 80,000 dollars. More than 9,600 students are benefiting from this program this fall.
• The Green Line Extension has reached a major milestone. After seven years of construction, the final pieces of track were laid in late September, marking a significant step forward for the project. The extension includes approximately 58 miles of steel rail and 16 new stations spanning Minneapolis, St. Louis Park, Hopkins, Minnetonka, and Eden Prairie. Metro Transit plans to conduct more than 4,000 test runs over the next two years to ensure the system is fully operational ahead of its scheduled 2027 opening. At just under 3 billion dollars, the Green Line Extension is the most expensive public works project in Minnesota’s history.
• The cause of an explosion that destroyed a house on 9th Avenue East in Hibbing last night is under investigation. Some nearby houses sustained damage from the blast which happened around 6:40 p.m.. At least one person was reportedly taken to Hibbing Hospital with injuries. Mutual aid from several communities responded to the scene.

• Local Drop-Off Locations Opening Soon for Operation Christmas Child

• Nearly one quarter of Blue Earth County residents lost power Saturday after a large outage affected thousands of homes and businesses. According to FindEnergy.com, more than 8,687 customers — about 23.14 percent of tracked meters in the county — were without power at the height of the outage. While the power was eventually restored, the cause of the outage has not yet been released.

• There will be a community event this afternoon at Mankato East High School to celebrate Indigenous People’s Day

• Three people were hospitalized after a two-vehicle crash Friday morning in Sibley County. Deputies say it happened around 10:43 a.m. on October 10th along 411th Avenue in Green Isle Township, when an 87-year-old Arlington woman, Kaye Nuesse, and her passenger Jennifer Nuesse, collided with a roadway sweeper driven by 51-year-old Gary St. John, also of Arlington. All three were taken to local hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, and both vehicles were heavily damaged. Green Isle Rescue, Arlington and Allina Ambulance, and local towing services assisted at the scene.