Local News January 30, 2024

Woman in Court on Vehicular Homicide Charges Today

Kaylee Richmond is expected in court today on charges of criminal vehicular homicide. According to the criminal complaint filed in Blue Earth County District Court, she admitted to racing another driver on Madison Avenue in Mankato in August 2023. Her car hit a pedestrian, 66-year-old Jeffrey Allie Ward, of Mankato, who died. Her omnibus hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. today. 

GoFundMe Setup for Family of New Richland Man Who Died in Mexico

Community members in the New Richland area have pitched in to help the family of Brent Possin, a southern Minnesota farmer who went to Mexico on vacation this month. He never returned home. The 50-year-old was eating with his wife Lianne at a resort outside Cancun, Mexico, when he suddenly went into cardiac arrest. Possin died after several days in intensive care. Family member said Possin suffered a brain bleed, leading to brain swelling and then death. According to a family friend, a GoFundMe was setup to help pay medical bills but will now be used to cover funeral costs and burial. It has raised about half of the $100,000 goal so far. Possin leaves behind a wife and three children. 

Kids Against Hunger 15th Annual Food Pack and Show in Fairmont

Volunteers in the Fairmont area are preparing for the 15th annual Kids Against Hunger food pack, held February 10 at the Fairmont Armory. Students at Fairmont High School will also hold a variety show at 7 p.m. tomorrow (Wednesday) at the school for a fundraising event for the organization. Shirts will be sold and donations accepted onsite. The supplies come from Sioux Falls Kids Against Hunger, a satellite location and permanent packing site. Fairmont is a mobile packing site. Church and service groups often donate. 

Mayo New Prague Ends Labor and Delivery Services

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) will hold a public hearing on February 6 at 6 p.m. on Mayo Clinic Health System New Prague ending labor and delivery services. The clinic there will soon stop providing labor and delivery services, including operative delivery and Cesarean delivery, according to the submission it filed with MDH. Mayo Clinic Health Systems will continue to provide prenatal, post-natal and well-woman outpatient services at its New Prague location. In June 2021, the state legislature passed a bill requiring public notice and hearing before the closure of a hospital or hospital campus, relocation of services or cessation in offering certain services. 

GMG Gets $40M for Work-Based Learning with MAPS

Greater Mankato Growth (GMG) received $40,000 from a grant to support work-based learning programs with Mankato Area Public Schools (MAPS), who will receive $20,000 of the money. GMG added additional staff on its economic development team to support the programs. The funding was unlocked through a partnership with the Greater Twin Cities United Way. The funds also support the Regional Economic Development Alliance (REDA) to engage in workforce development and resident retention programs. GMG was 1 of 11 chambers of commerce across Minnesota to receive funds under the program. 

City of Eagle Lake Welcomes Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant to Area

The City of Eagle Lake welcomed Lieutenant Mitch Gahler with the Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office to his new post in Eagle Lake this week. Gahler was assigned to Eagle Lake to oversee operations within the city for law enforcement. He brings ten years of experience with the sheriff’s office, where he held a variety of positions including correctional officer, deputy sheriff and investigator. He also served as a firearms instructor, tactical team operator, mobile field operator and a drug task force agent. 

Study Says 41.5% of Mankato Business Owners Have No College Degree

Flippa just released a new study about the U.S. locations with the most business owners who never went to college and found 41.5 percent of Mankato business owners have no degree. Among the nation’s ten largest industries measured by number of business owners, the share of owners in the Mankato, MN metro area who never went to college exceeds 50 percent in all but three – real estate (23 percent), consulting (8.9 percent) and legal services (5.1 percent). Given that 41.9 percent of all U.S. business owners never went to college, the Mankato area is just below that national average for business owners who never graduated college, according to the study results.