KTOE Noon Newscast 1-8-25

Top Stories for Noon 1-8-25

• City of Blue Earth to Host Open House for New City Hall

• USDA and Minnesota Award $9.5 Million to Projects that Strengthen Food Supply Chain Infrastructure

• Mankato Man Charged with Theft after Attempting to Sell Stolen Property

• Dodge County deputies want the public’s help identifying a burglary suspect. The suspect, a Black man in a yellow hoodie, blue jeans, and orange sneakers, was seen stealing cash from a Subway store in Dodge County around 3 a.m. Friday. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office.
• Eleven state projects will receive 9.5 million in state and federal funding to improve local and regional food systems. State Ag Commissioner Thom Peterson says The Infrastructure Grants are part of a program that will fund projects that expand capacity and infrastructure for the aggregation, processing, manufacturing, storing, transportation, wholesaling, or distribution of locally and regionally produced agricultural products. Peterson says the idea of this program came out of the COVID pandemic when we faced several supply chain challenges.
  Funding Awarded To:
  Bongards’ Creameries, Bongards, MN – $1,572,259.50
  Concept Processing, Melrose, MN – $304,780.84
  Featherstone Farm, Rushford, MN – $250,535.90
  Green Acres Milling, Albert Lea, MN – $1,500,000
  Hmong American Farmers Association, Hastings, MN – $1,680,351.38
  Hoyo, Minneapolis, MN – $668,034.70
  Manna Food Cooperative, Detroit Lakes, MN – $304,198.19
  Midwest Processors, Pierz, MN – $530,483.56
  Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Redby, MN – $872,410
  Sno Pac Foods, Caledonia, MN – $1,572,500
  The Food Farm, Wrenshall, MN – $222,006.22
• New research shows A-T-V riders have a significant impact on the local economy in northeastern Minnesota. The study by the University of Minnesota Extension finds riders contributed 36 million dollars in economic activity in St. Louis, Lake, and Koochiching counties in 2023. Lead Researcher Brigid Tuck says, “the influx of visitors who ride and explore the region’s A-T-V trails is helping sustain small businesses and creating jobs.” Hotels, restaurants, gas stations and equipment shops are seeing increases in revenue thanks to the growing number of A-T-V riders.