KTOE Noon News 3-28-25
Top Stories for Noon 3-28-25
- Minnesota State Mankato’s College of Business to Host FutureSolvers Cultivation Challenge March 28
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Detour for Highway 22 Mankato to St. Peter project begins April 11
- Due to extreme fire risk conditions, there’s a Red Flag Warning in southwestern Minnesota today (Fri 12-8 pm). Forecasters say fires can spread quickly and grow out of control with strong winds and low humidity. The warning is in effect for Cottonwood, Jackson, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, and Rock counties. Crews in the west metro battled a large grass fire Thursday in Corcoran (CORK’-rin). Temperatures could reach the low 80s this afternoon in the southwest part of the state.
- Minnesota’s flu season is winding down, but it is not over just yet. According to the Minnesota Department of Health’s weekly update, there were 82 hospitalizations last week, a decrease from 143 the previous week. This season, over 7,300 people have been hospitalized due to complications from the flu. The number of Minnesotans who have died from influenza complications sits at 336, including two children. There were no new school outbreaks last week, following two outbreaks the week before. However, six outbreaks were reported in long-term care facilities, an increase from two the previous week.
- Nearly 95 percent of Minnesota remains abnormally dry, and two-thirds of the state is in a moderate drought. Conditions are about the same as last week in the new U.S. drought monitor map. The areas with moderate drought dropped a half percent after recent snowfall. Just under 9 % of the state is in a severe drought. The driest areas are in north central Minnesota and the southwest along the South Dakota border.
- Eden Prairie-based UnitedHealth Group no longer has mentions of diversity, equity, and inclusion goals on parts of its corporate website. TechCrunch also reports that the health care company scrubbed information from an online career page dedicated to DEI. The change comes during a federal pullback on stated diversity goals at corporations in Minnesota and across the United States. UnitedHealth Group told Reuters this week that it complies with existing and emerging laws while striving to support what is best for the communities we serve.
