KTOE Noon News 9-22-25
Top Stories for Noon 9-22-25:
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City of Mankato and Blue Earth County Work Investigating Sirens inadvertently sounding in Mankato
- The Trump administration is denying the Rochester Public School District’s mental health grant. The U.S. Department of Education says the nearly two-million-dollar grant’s diversity initiatives conflicts with the administration’s priorities. In 2023, the district received the same grant through the School Based Mental Health Scholars program. Rochester Schools Superintendent Kent Pekel wrote that the program was desperately needed, saying state data showed over 30 percent of 11th graders have seriously considered suicide. The previous grant was a collaborative effort between RPS and Winona State University aimed at addressing student mental health needs.
- Downtown Rochester is anticipating an expansive construction plan over the next ten years. The public initiative, called Destination Medical Center, promises to create an international medical hub in southeast Minnesota. A DMC spokesperson said the amount of construction Rochester will go through in the next ten years is what most cities would experience in 100 years. Minnesota lawmakers signed off on the half-a-billion-dollar initiative in 2013 which is supposed to bring in billions in private investment. The DMC has spent much of this year touting its work redevelopment and branding the community as, “America’s City for Health.”
- Alliance for a Better Minnesota, a progressive coalition, is criticizing Dr. Scott Jensen, Representative Kristin Robbins, and Kendall Qualls, the Republican challengers to Governor Tim Walz in the 2026 race. Executive Director Marissa Luna says all three are seeking an endorsement from President Donald Trump after he “went on the record last week saying that he couldn’t care less about bringing the country together, which brings up the question of do these gubernatorial candidates agree with that?” Luna is referencing a Fox News interview from Friday’s episode of “Fox and Friends.” Plans from each of the three candidates’ public plans include similar promises to cut taxes, fight for freedom, provide quality education, and create safer communities. The candidates’ campaigns have not responded to the criticism.
- A missing hunter was safely rescued Saturday night in northern Kandiyohi County. Deputies say the 59-year-old Stewartville man was last seen around 5:30 p.m. and found hours later in Burbank Township using drones, K-9s, and the county rescue squad. A New London firefighter spotted the man waving at a drone in dense woods and swamps. A rescue team reached him on foot and A-T-V around 11:30 p.m. He was medically cleared at the scene.
- A Wabasso man suffered minor injuries after a farm equipment crash near Hwy 71 in Redwood County. Deputies say 43-year-old Joel Schoer was hauling a tiller Friday morning when the trailer detached and slammed into his tractor, pushing both into a ditch. The Redwood County Sheriff’s Office says the crash caused significant damage and remains under investigation.
- A Lamberton man was hospitalized after rear-ending a parked pickup hauling farm equipment on Friday. Redwood County deputies say 29-year-old Byamba Erdene crashed on CSAH (County State Aid Highway) 6 and escaped his S-U-V before it caught fire. He was treated for minor injuries. The pickup was unoccupied. Officials say the accident caused significant damage, and the crash remains under investigation.
