KTOE Noon News 3-26-25

Top Stories for Noon 3-26-25

• Casey’s Cash for Classrooms Grant Distributed to Loyola Catholic School in Mankato
• Tax Statements & Value Notices will be mailed out by the last day in March for Blue Earth County Homeowners

• Project Community Connect Offers Free Community Resources: April 22

• The proposed rules governing Minnesota’s legal cannabis industry are now in the hands of an administrative law judge. The Office of Cannabis Management submitted the draft rules to a judge who has 14 calendar days to approve, approve with changes, or reject them. The O-C-M can start issuing cannabis business licenses once the rules are adopted and published in the State Register. Officials say social equity applicants approved last fall will receive the first licenses. Other qualified applicants will be awarded licenses through lottery drawings in May or June.
• Washington, D.C., health officials have confirmed Minnesota’s first measles case of the year. An MN man who tested positive for the virus had visited multiple locations while contagious, including a health clinic in D.C. on March 22nd. This comes after a nationwide resurgence of measles outbreaks. Officials believe many people were exposed. MDH lists the exposure data as unknown, and the case is pending classification.
• State Senator Robert Farnsworth of Hibbing is the new Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board chair. Farnsworth was selected to replace former Senator Justin Eichorn of Grand Rapids during a special meeting this morning (Wed) in St. Paul. Eichorn lost his chair position when he resigned from the Minnesota Senate last week after being charged with soliciting a minor for sex in Bloomington. Farnsworth said in a statement, “I’m honored to serve as chair of the I-R-R-R Advisory Board and look forward to working with my colleagues to strengthen the Iron Range economy.”