New 1862 memorial planned

Posted at 2:33 PM on April 30, 2012 by Mark Steil (0 Comments)
Filed under: Southwest Minnesota

(Photo courtesy City of Mankato)

As the 150th anniversary of the 1862 U.S.-Dakota War approaches, the Mankato City Council has agreed to support a new memorial commemorating the single most remembered event of the conflict: the execution of 38 Dakota warriors on Dec. 26, 1862.

The Mankato Free Press reported that the memorial will list the names of the 38 Dakota hanged that day. The conflict was fought mainly in and near the Minnesota River valley in southern Minnesota in August and September of 1862.

Also on the memorial (image above) will be two poems. One, by Katherine Hughes, reads in part:

Remember the innocent dead,
Both Dakota and white,
Victims of events they could not control.

Remember the guilty dead,
Both white and Dakota,
Whom reason abandoned.

The memorial will be placed in Reconciliation Park in downtown Mankato. A committee is working to raise about $100,000 to build the memorial.

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Spring weather brings geese north

Posted at 1:51 PM on March 7, 2012 by Mark Steil (0 Comments)
Filed under: Southwest Minnesota, Weather

(Photo courtesy of Judy Markl, Minnesota DNR)

This week's strong southerly winds and mild temperatures pushed thousands of Canada, White-fronted and Snow geese into Minnesota.

On Sunday and Monday in the southwest part of the state, the honking of northbound geese could be heard occasionally throughout the night. About 5,000 geese arrived this week at the Talcott Lake Wildlife Management Area near Worthington, said Judy Markl, an assistant wildlife manager for the state Department of Natural Resources.

About 100 miles north of Talcott, some 75,000 geese are at the Lac qui Parle management area. Although some arrived this week, most have spent the entire winter there. Usually a blizzard blows them south, but this year's mild temperatures allowed the geese to stay through the coldest stretches.

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Suzlon plant shutdown continues

Posted at 4:17 PM on February 23, 2012 by Mark Steil (0 Comments)
Filed under: Southwest Minnesota

(MPR file photo)

The Suzlon company has sent out a strong signal that it doesn't intend to reopen it's Pipestone plant anytime soon.

he India-based company once had more than 500 employees in the southwest Minnesota community making blades for wind turbines. But since manufacturing ended more than a year ago, Suzlon has kept only a maintenance crew at the plant.

The Pipestone County Star reports that the company now says it intends to use the building only as a service facility.

The wind industry as a whole had a good year in 2011, and expects a lot of construction again this year. But the outlook for 2013 is uncertain. If a key federal subsidy for the industry is not renewed, construction of new turbines next year is expected to fall sharply.

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Quarry plan faces more hurdles

Posted at 2:53 PM on February 17, 2012 by Mark Steil (0 Comments)
Filed under: Rivers and streams, Southwest Minnesota, mining

(Photo courtesy of Anne Queenan)

A disputed plan to quarry granite along the Minnesota River in the western part of the state has moved a step forward. But it may also face a significant new hurdle.

The North Dakota-based Strata Corporation wants to mine the stone for use as aggregate in road construction and other projects. The Big Stone County Planning Commission Thursday evening recommended that the full county board approve the idea, if certain conditions are meet.

Darren Wilke, a county environmental officer, said the vote was 5-3 to recommend in favor of the project. But the planning commission also recommended that the county board require the company to address about a dozen environmental concerns connected to the project, for dust, noise, water quality and other issues.

Quarry opponents say it would cause irreversible damage to a scenic leg of the Upper Minnesota River near Ortonville, Minn. They're concerned the operation would harm wild animal and plant life in the area, lower property values and damage the region's tourism potential.

And there's another potential roadblock for the project. The Ortonville Township Board has passed a moratorium on new projects like the proposed quarry. The township plans to set up its own planning and zoning commission which would have to approve Strata's plans. Strata officials say they are reviewing the township action.

Several other agencies also must sign-off on the project, including the state Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

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Minnesota River quarry idea sparks debate

Posted at 1:43 PM on February 1, 2012 by Mark Steil (2 Comments)
Filed under: Environment, Rivers and streams, Southwest Minnesota

(Photo courtesy of Anne Queenan)

A proposal to quarry granite along the Minnesota River on the state's western border is generating debate in Big Stone County.

North Dakota-based Strata Corporation wants to turn the granite into stone aggregate for concrete, asphalt and other construction materials. Officials at the Grand Forks company say there is a severe shortage of aggregate in the construction industry.

A group of nearby residents argue the site about two miles southeast of Ortonville should be left as it is.

The above photo shows some of the land included in the proposed quarry area. Residents are concerned the development would have a variety of bad consequences, including lowering nearby property values, hurting wildlife and harming the Minnesota River's tourism potential in the area. They're also worried about environmental damage, wondering if the quarry will hurt surface and ground water supplies.

The Big Stone County Planning Commission will continue a hearing on the issue Thursday evening in the town of Clinton. A previous session in early January drew a full house, about 75 people.

It's not known if the commission will make a recommendation on the issue Thursday. But no matter what side of the debate they eventually come down on, the matter will go to the full county board.

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Repairs planned for historic Granite Falls bridge

Posted at 12:50 PM on January 19, 2012 by Mark Steil (0 Comments)
Filed under: Flooding, Southwest Minnesota

(Photo courtesy of the Granite Falls Advocate Tribune)

Spanning the Minnesota River in downtown Granite Falls, it looks like a mini Brooklyn Bridge

The Minnesota suspension bridge is only for foot traffic, but it is related to the big city structure.

Both were designed by the same firm, the Roebling Company.

The Granite Falls Advocate Tribune reports that the 87-year-old pedestrian bridge in the southwest Minnesota community is going to get some much-needed fixing.

For many people, the best known images of the bridge may be when it's submerged in a springtime flood:

(Photo courtesy of the Granite Falls Advocate Tribune)

During times of high water, people often wonder if the bridge can survive the onslaught. It long has. But the rehab should make it better able to withstand any future floods.

.

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150th anniversary of 1862 war begins

Posted at 3:34 PM on December 29, 2011 by Mark Steil (0 Comments)
Filed under: Southwest Minnesota

(Wood Lake battle site, MPR file photo)

The West Central Tribune is reporting that an easement agreement to preserve the 1862 Wood Lake battle site in southwest Minnesota has been signed. The farmland, creek and woods were the scene of the final battle in the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862.

That war will receive plenty of attention over the next year since 2012 is the 150th anniversary of the conflict. One of the first events is a six lecture series about the war presented by Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter and the Nicollet County Historical Society.

The first speech is next Wednesday, Jan. 4, at 4 pm in the Melva Lind Interpretive Center on the campus. The final lecture is on Jan. 26.

Nicollet County Historical Society Executive Director Ben Leonard said the speeches will give the public a chance to "immerse themselves in the history" of a complicated event.

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Dakota ride to Mankato starts Saturday

Posted at 12:17 PM on December 8, 2011 by Mark Steil (0 Comments)
Filed under: Southwest Minnesota, Tribal issues

The riders in 2008 MPR photo

A horseback ride commemorating the mass execution of 38 Dakota warriors following the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 is set to start this Saturday in South Dakota.

The group of predominantly Native American riders will cross into Minnesota a week or so later. They're scheduled to arrive in Pipestone on Dec. 17.

Darwin Strong, the Minnesota coordinator of the ride, says the annual event will end with a Dec. 26 ceremony in Mankato, at the site of the hangings.

"People need to know and understand that the blood of those 38 plus two men, still runs today, their ancestry is still here today," says Strong.

Strong's 'plus two' comment refers to Dakota chiefs Little Six and Medicine Bottle, who were executed in 1865 for their roles in the war which was fought in and near the Minnesota River valley.

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Garbage-to-compost operation may end

Posted at 11:30 AM on September 26, 2011 by Mark Steil (0 Comments)
Filed under: Southwest Minnesota

(Photo courtesy of Prairieland Compost Facility)

Minnesota's largest garbage-to-compost plant may end the composting side of it's operation. Prairieland in Truman has been in business for 20 years. The Fairmont Sentinel says a costly paddle wheel is driving the discussion.

Although the plant was built as a compost only facility, through the years fuel production has gradually grown. Prairieland director Mark Bauman says right now about 40 percent of the garbage coming in is converted to fuel for power plants, 30 percent goes for compost and the rest is sent to landfills because it's not the right material for either.

Bauman says if composting is abandoned, the fuel side will continue. Right now the fuel is burned at an Xcel Energy power plant in Mankato.

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Cause of New Ulm fire remains mystery

Posted at 2:32 PM on July 6, 2011 by Michael Olson (0 Comments)
Filed under: Southwest Minnesota

By Alison Dirr

The fire that ripped through New Ulm's Bohemian Bed and Breakfast Saturday, killing six, has captivated the attention of southern Minnesota.

New Ulm Police Chief Myron Wieland told the Mankato Free Press the fire was the worst in the city in recent memory.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, though local papers have reported that the blaze started on the porch in the front of the house.

The New Ulm Journal provided the most coverage, publishing blogs, articles, editorials and obituaries chronicling the lives of Bobbi Mcrea, the Bohemian's owner, and her two daughters who perished in the fire.

In an article Sunday, the Journal's Serra Muscatello wrote, "The city lost a landmark building in the fire that destroyed The Bohemian Bed & Breakfast on Saturday, but moreso, it lost an energetic, enthusiastic woman supporter of the city's history, tourism and the creative arts."

Although officials have not released the names of the six victim, friends and family confirmed the deaths of Mcrea and her daughters. Names of the other three victims have not been released.

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Danebod celebrates its 125th anniversary

Posted at 1:46 PM on June 3, 2011 by Mark Steil (0 Comments)
Filed under: Southwest Minnesota

A legacy of the early European settlement of southwest Minnesota celebrates its 125th anniversary this weekend.

The Danebod Lutheran Church was started by Danish immigrants in the community of Tyler in Lincoln County. Church member Ricke Bly says the open-to-the-public celebration begins Saturday morning.

"We will begin with coffee," says Bly. "It's a real Danish tradition. You always have to make time for coffee."

Other scheduled events include outdoor games, singing, dancing and a timeline show of the church's history.

Bly says besides the church the Danebod campus in Tyler includes a folk school, a museum and other historic buildings. Church founders believed in life-long education and started the folk school to promote that goal.

The school still operates today. Bly says there are several educational camps at the school during the summer for children and adults.

The church itself is built in the shape of a cross and is on the National Historic Register.

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Spring planting headaches

Posted at 12:01 PM on April 21, 2011 by Mark Steil (0 Comments)
Filed under: Farms, Southwest Minnesota

Numbers are very important for farmers this time of year. They're ready to plant the new crop, but except for some very scattered fieldwork over the last week, nothing's moving.

There's a number: 0. As in, none of the Minnesota spring wheat crop has been planted. The average for this time of year would be about 9 percent. That means there's a lot of farmers watching and waiting. A little knot of concern tightens somewhere in their subconscious. It's time to be in the fields.

Here's another number: 1.00". That's one inch of rain at Winnebago last week. Southern Minnesota. Right in the heart of the state's best farmland. Most other spots across the state received less than that, but it was enough to keep farmers out of the fields. Melting water from the winter snows also helped delay things, but by itself the March thaw isn't enough to put spring planting on a lengthy hold.

Last year, Minnesota also had heavy snow, but when it melted the rains held off so that soils dried and farmers could get moving. Maybe that type of weather will return this year. A little later, but soon? That little knot is loosening a bit.

One final number: 28. As in April 28. If you had to pick one day as the best possible day to plant corn, University of Minnesota Extension says that's it.

Corn planted on that day, with good weather throughout the growing season, makes 208 bushels an acre. (OK, I guess a few more numbers.) If farmers plant two weeks later, by May 14, it's 204 bushels. By May 26, production is off 15 percent, at 177 bushels per acre. In most years, that kind of a drop could mean the difference between making money and losing money on the crop.

Oh, my head.

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Bioscience conference set for Worthington

Posted at 10:26 AM on March 18, 2011 by Mark Steil (0 Comments)
Filed under: Southwest Minnesota

Representatives in the bioscience industry, a big, diverse field that is growing in importance, will gather early next month for a conference at Minnesota West Community and Technical College in Worthington.

The industry covers everything from medical devices to genetic advances in crop production. Among the headliners at the Worthington conference will be Steve Burrill, who's developing the Elk Run BioBusiness park in Pine Island, just north of Rochester.

The bioscience industry is "doing well" in Minnesota, a state that has the right mix of industry, academics and workers to move ahead in the field, said Faegre & Benson patent attorney Sean Solberg, who has attended the past six bioscience conferences in Worthington.

Solberg said the networking opportunities at conferences like the one in Worthington are an important part of the industry's growth. Some of the companies and institutions scheduled to be at the April conference are Medtronic, Thurston Genetics, Tenex Health and the University of Minnesota.

The conference, set for April 7 and 8, is open to the public.

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Ethanol plant receives temporary reprieve

Posted at 11:52 AM on March 8, 2011 by Mark Steil (0 Comments)
Filed under: Ethanol, Southwest Minnesota

MPR File Photo/Mark Steil

A financially troubled ethanol plant in southwest Minnesota has been given a two-month extension on its line of credit.

In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing posted Monday, Heron Lake BioEnergy disclosed that AgStar Financial Services has agreed to "extend the maturity date for the Revolving Line of Credit Loan and the Forbearance Agreement" for up to 60 days.

In exchange for the agreement, Heron Lake BioEnergy, which lost $17 million over the last five years, paid 50 percent of its deferred interest bill, company officials said.

A dollar amount was not published in the filing.

AgStar officials say they will not declare Heron Lake BioEnergy in default if the company can meet the terms of the latest agreement. Heron Lake owes AgStar about $54 million.

The Heron Lake plant produces nearly 50 million gallons of ethanol a year.

Many ethanol companies are struggling now with very low, or even negative, profit margins. Ethanol prices have moved up recently, but the industry must pay very high costs for the corn it turns into ethanol. Corn prices are over $7 a bushel now on the futures market.

Heron Lake BioEnergy's financial difficulties came to light in a January SEC filing, when the ethanol company acknowledged that it needed additional capital to remain in business. Heron Lake BioEnergy officials also said the company needed to raise $4.5 million by March first to repay a line of credit.

The latest filing doesn't say whether the company was able to raise that money. So far neither Heron Lake BioEnergy or Agstar have responded to requests for comment.

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Southwest Minnesota ethanol plant in financial trouble

Posted at 2:39 PM on February 23, 2011 by Mark Steil (9 Comments)
Filed under: Ethanol, Southwest Minnesota

In a report filed last month with the Securities and Exchange Commission, an ethanol plant in southwest Minnesota characterized its financial bottom line in a sentence that told of trouble.

"We need additional capital to continue our business."

The Heron Lake BioEnergy plant is one of several ethanol plants in the region facing an uncertain future. Last week, the bankrupt Otter Tail Ag Enterprises facility near Fergus Falls was sold to a Nebraska ethanol company.

The problems for Heron Lake are growing, even though it managed to make a small profit last year, $1.7 million. But that positive news wasn't good enough to reverse the red ink the company has accumulated in the last five years -- more than $17 million in losses.

The SEC filing says as a result of its money problems the ethanol producer that produces 50 million gallons per year "violated certain financial covenants under our master loan agreement" with AgStar Financial Services.

Heron Lake owes AgStar nearly $54 million. The ethanol company's officials concede that they have until next Tuesday to raise $4.5 million "to repay our line of credit."

The company's SEC 10-K paints a dismal future for itself if it can't come up with the money.

"If we are unable to service our debt, AgStar may accelerate all of our indebtedness and may seize the assets that secure our indebtedness, causing us to lose control of our business," Heron Lake officials say. "We may also be forced to sell our assets, restructure our indebtedness, submit to foreclosure proceedings, cease operations or seek bankruptcy or reorganization protection."

Heron Lake is one of the few ethanol plants in the nation powered by coal. State officials have cited it for air and water pollution. Last December, the company paid a $66,000 Minnesota Pollution Control Agency penalty for the problems.

More recently the company has had to deal with volatile corn prices, the main ingredient in making ethanol. Corn prices have moved from just over three dollars a bushel last summer to well over six dollars this month.

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Walz to hold 'Congress on your Corner' stop

Posted at 3:42 PM on January 13, 2011 by Elizabeth Baier (0 Comments)
Filed under: Government, Southeast Minnesota, Southwest Minnesota

U.S. Rep. Tim Walz will host a "Congress on your Corner" stop in Mankato on Friday, less than a week after a shooting rampage in Tuscon that killed six and injured 15, including Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.

Walz, a Democrat from Mankato, announced the stop as a way to show his office will continue to host open forums with public access, despite growing concern from lawmakers on security issues.

"Hearing the thoughts and ideas of southern Minnesotans is the cornerstone of our representative democracy," Walz said in a statement. "I am looking forward to the opportunity to hear from folks."

Since the shooting, the discussion over safety has re-emerged among politicians, who are struggling to balance their own safety concerns with an open democracy. Members of Congress were also briefed on security measures by the FBI and the Capitol Police.

Earlier this week, Walz told the Mankato Free Press he was shaken by the attack on his friend.

Walz's meeting will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at Mocol's Super Market, 1001 N Broad Street in Mankato.

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Some towns see big property tax hike

Posted at 4:55 PM on December 9, 2010 by Mark Steil (1 Comments)
Filed under: Government, Southwest Minnesota

This is a hectic time of year for mayors and city councils. They're making final decisions on what property taxes should be next year for homes and businesses. Many have already approved 2011 rates; others will soon.

It looks like most towns will see property levy increases of under five percent, some will see no increase, and a few will have a reduction. But a few towns will have to deal with sharp increases.

The southern Minnesota communities of Truman and Wanamingo are a couple of examples. The Truman levy will be 40 percent higher than last year. Wanamingo has not finalized taxes yet, but the working proposal is just over 39 percent.

Wanamingo City Administrator Michael Boulton says the sharp increase appears to be "the only option we have."

The hike will mean a $100 to $300 city property tax increase for most homeowners. Businesses, depending on their size, could easily see a boost of $1,000 or more.

Boulton says there are several trouble areas in the city budget. Some city backed economic development projects have not done as well financially as hoped, so Wanamingo is not getting the revenue from them it had planned on. Plus a city owned senior living center has lost money over the last several years.

Cuts in the city's share of state Local Government Aid (LGA) also hurt revenue.

In Truman, the main reasons for the sharp property tax hike are to pay for a fire hall addition and a police officer salary. The city also needs to pay off some of the bills it accumulated fighting flood waters last September. LGA cuts have also hurt the town.

Speaking of LGA, most Minnesota cities and towns have been told they'll get at least what they received last year and in some cases maybe a little more money in 2011. But how confident are city governments that the full amount promised will arrive?

Wanamingo City Administrator Boulton puts his expectation of seeing all the money at "zero." He says with the state facing a huge budget deficit, the promised LGA payments will almost certainly will be cut again next year.

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DNR seeks input on Parks and Trails Legacy Plan

Posted at 8:23 PM on November 26, 2010 by Tom Robertson (0 Comments)
Filed under: Arrowhead, Central Minnesota, Environment, Government, Northwest Minnesota, Southeast Minnesota, Southwest Minnesota, Sports & Recreation, Twin Cities

MPR Photo/Tom Robertson

You'll soon have a chance to weigh in on the DNR's draft plan to guide state and regional parks and trails Legacy Amendment funding for the next quarter century. The plan will be available for review and public comment starting early next month.

The plan is mandated by the Legislature and is designed to establish a 25-year vision for the parks and trails effort in Minnesota, especially as it pertains to funding generated by the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment passed by voters in 2008.

The amendment created a three-eighths percent sales tax increase for natural resources and the arts. Of the money generated, 14.25 percent goes toward state parks and trails projects.

Minnesota residents are asked to comment on recommendations on how parks and trails connect people with the outdoors and how the state takes care of existing recreational resources.

The DNR also wants feedback on their proposed strategy for land acquisition and on developing new parks and trails to meet future needs.

You can comment on the plan online, or attend one of several workshops around the state:

-- Thursday, Dec. 2, 7-9 p.m., Country Inn and Suites, 1900 Premier Dr., Mankato
-- Monday, Dec. 6, 7-9 p.m., Holiday Inn -- downtown waterfront, 200 W. First St., Duluth
-- Tuesday, Dec. 7, 7-9 p.m., Hampton Inn and Suites, 1019 Paul Bunyan Dr. S., Bemidji
-- Wednesday, Dec. 8, 7-9 p.m., University of Minnesota Continuing Education and Conference Center, 1890 Buford Ave., St. Paul.

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Respected soil scientist retires

Posted at 1:00 PM on November 19, 2010 by Mark Steil (1 Comments)
Filed under: Farms, Southwest Minnesota

A man who knows as much about Minnesota farm soils as anyone is retiring at the end of the year.

For almost 40 years, Gyles Randall has worked at the University of Minnesota's Southern Research and Outreach Center in Waseca. The professor's official title is soil scientist, but he's been much more than just an analyst of the different types of farmland Minnesota contains. He knows those soils minutely, and he can link that knowledge to the farming changes he's seen in Minnesota's countryside. And how those changes in turn affect rural society. So as Minnesota farms got bigger and more specialized, he could see how that change affected the volume and type of material being washed off agricultural land and into the state's waterways.

"Agriculture is changing, it's really changing," says Randall.

Randall says most of the worst soil practices by farmers have ended. When Randall started his career a farmer's goal in the fall was to 'plow it black'. In other words, to turn over the soil so that all the crop stubble was buried. Now Randall says farmers leave more crop residue on the surface than their parents and grandparents did. That helps protect the field from wind and water erosion.

"It's unbelievably better," says Randall.

Randall says there's been a gradual but steady shift in agriculture to less and less tillage. He says while that's helped reduce erosion, there is still plenty of room for improvement. His opinion on what sorts of changes are needed was best demonstrated in a commentary piece commentary piece he wrote in 2001. Randall began the piece with these words:

"Present-day corn and soybean production in southern Minnesota does not appear to be sustainable from economic, environmental, ecological and sociological perspectives."

Randall says farmers have continued to improve soil management since he wrote that piece. He says with those changes corn and soybean production may be sustainable on the mostly flatland areas of southern and western Minnesota. But he still sees problems in regions like southeast Minnesota. There, the hillier terrain means more water runoff and soil erosion. In many cases, that means soil is being lost faster than it can regenerate. It's part of a pattern of farm runoff nationwide that helps cause the 'dead zone' in the Gulf of Mexico.

"Nitrogen losses and phosphorus losses to the Gulf of Mexico have consequences," says Randall.

Randall has an idea how to reduce that farm runoff, even though he admits it may not be possible in the economics of modern day, 'get big or get out', agriculture. In his heart of hearts Randall would like to see the nation reverse the trend toward ever larger farms. He grew up on a small farm in southeast Minnesota. Those were the days when farmers raised a wide diversity of crops. Corn, sure...soybeans, maybe....but also small grains like wheat, oats, barley and pasture crops like alfalfa. Each farmer typically kept dairy cows, hogs, and chickens. Randall would like to see farming move back in that direction. He says in most ways, small farm diversity helps strengthen soils, because each crop adds something special to the land. Plus with small operations there's not as much economic pressure to use high-erosion, hilly terrain for crop production. It can be used instead as grassy pasture land for livestock.

In addition, Randall says smaller farms would reverse the steady population declines rural areas have seen over the span of his career. He says more people would help boost the small town businesses that depend on farms for much of their sales. Randall admits the days of two or three farms to the square mile may be gone forever but says they're worth considering. Studying small particles of soil have lead him to some big conclusions about the by-gone days of farming.

"It's tough to beat," says Randall. "There were tremendous communities, support for each other. Working together. Stronger schools. More local businesses. We lose some of those things when we get really large."

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Dispatch from southwest Minnesota

Posted at 11:00 AM on November 17, 2010 by David Cazares (0 Comments)
Filed under: Southwest Minnesota

Mark Steil, who covers Southwest Minnesota for Minnesota Public Radio News, talks about important stories on his beat during Morning Edition with Cathy Wurzer.

Mark talked about how the Prairie Correctional Facility in Appleton may reopen in more than a year now that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has announced plans to send inmates to Colorado and Minnesota. Here's some background on the prison, which shut down because of tough economic conditions.

He also discussed the state Agriculture Department's warnings to farms linked to illegal sales of raw milk. The raw milk issue surfaced in May when the state linked an E. coli outbreak to unpasteurized milk sold by the Michael Hartmann farm.

Mark also talked about a proposal for a new fiber optic system form homes in southern Minnesota that could wire every home in Sibley County.

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New MnDOT center open in Mankato

Posted at 10:45 AM on November 8, 2010 by Elizabeth Baier (0 Comments)
Filed under: Government, Southeast Minnesota, Southwest Minnesota

Photo courtesy of Minnesota Department of Transportation

Officials with the Minnesota Department of Transportation invite the public to see the new multi-transportation center in Mankato this week.

An open house is set for 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday. The building is located at 2151 Bassett Drive, east of Hwy 22 in Mankato.

The new multi-transportation facility houses the regional offices of the Minnesota Department of Transportation, the Minnesota State Patrol and Driver and Vehicle Services.

MnDOT started site work on the $24 million, 163,000 square-foot facility in 2008. It sits on 32-acre site adjacent to major highways.

Visitors will have a chance to:

- Tour any or all three state offices and visit with State Patrol officials;
- Watch a Minnesota Teen crash/driving 15-minute video (show times at 3:30 p.m., 4:15 p.m., 5:00 p.m. and 5:45 p.m.);
- Take a drivers license test;
- Visit a snowplow and heavy equipment display;
- Visit with experts in the laboratory for road material testing and learn about survey technology and highway designs.

The open house coincides with Winter Hazard Awareness Week, which runs from Nov. 8 - 12.

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Big piles of grain in farm country

Posted at 6:00 AM on October 19, 2010 by Mark Steil (3 Comments)
Filed under: Southwest Minnesota

This is the time of year when there's a new sight in the farming parts of the state. They're massive piles of grain, open to the air, open for everyone to see. Here's one in Slayton, at the Schmitz Grain company.

But the one is Slayton is just a start. It seems small-time when you travel 8 miles west on Highway 30 to the town of Lake Wilson. Schmitz Grain also owns an elevator here. The company's Lake Wilson corn pile on the east side of town is longer than a football field.

That's about one million bushels of corn. Total value, about five million dollars. Larry Sanow manages the Lake Wilson elevator, he says the corn eventually will be trucked to ethanol plants in the area. He pronounces the area's corn harvest as "excellent".

That's also true around the state. Some farmers are reporting corn yields of over two hundred bushels an acre, well above the state average of 175 bushels. Here's one last grain pile, this one is in Hadley.

These mountains of grain probably will get a little bigger as farmers continue their harvest. They're mostly finished with soybeans, but they've only got about half their corn crop harvested

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Dispatch from Southwest Minnesota

Posted at 12:58 PM on October 13, 2010 by David Cazares (0 Comments)
Filed under: Southwest Minnesota

Mark Steil, who covers Southwest Minnesota for Minnesota Public Radio News, talks about important stories on his beat during Morning Edition with Cathy Wurzer.

Mark discussed how state farmers have harvested most of their soybean crop and are making strong progress harvesting corn -- and how the value of crops has risen sharply this year.

He also talked about the sale of the Agri-Energy ethanol plant in Luverne to a Colorado company, and the addition of the Wood Lake Battle site on the National Register of Historic Places. That's the site of the last fight in the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862.

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Granite Falls dam, power plant to be taken down

Posted at 2:34 PM on October 1, 2010 by Mark Steil (0 Comments)
Filed under: Southwest Minnesota

We hear a lot about new energy projects. But in the Granite Falls area in southwest Minnesota the latest energy news is about Xcel Energy's plan to tear down a dam on the Minnesota River. The Twin Cities-based company also wants to remove an old coal fired power plant there.

But to do so, the company needs to win approval from government regulators -- and that could take a while. Lloyd Hilgart, Excel Energy's director of peaking and wind, says the company hopes the dam could be removed within three years, but it may be a decade before the power plant is completely gone.

Originally built to harness the river's current to generate electricity, the dam is about 16 feet high and located about one mile downstream of the power plant. It should not be confused with a much larger dam on the Minnesota River in downtown Granite Falls, which will remain.

Xcel officials say it will cost more than $2 million to remove the dam. Once it is gone, the river in that area should look much as did before the structure went up in 1904.

The spot in the river is actually called Minnesota Falls. But Hilgart says there never really was a waterfall there, more of a series of rapids. Those rapids will return once the dam is gone.

Hilgart says there are some environmental benefits from the dam removal, among them helping fish move freely through that stretch of river.

When you drive into Granite Falls from the south, the coal fired power plant is visible from Highway 23. It was last used seven years ago. When it was operating it generated about 50 megawatts of electricity, a relatively small amount for a coal facility.

Hilgart says taking down the plant is a work in progress. Right now what he calls a major asbestos removal project is underway.

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Latest crop estimate brings mixed news

Posted at 11:54 AM on September 13, 2010 by Mark Steil (2 Comments)
Filed under: Southwest Minnesota

The 'number' is just about all grain traders have been talking about for the last couple of weeks. Now they have it.

The number is the U.S. Agriculture Department's latest estimate of how big the nation's corn, soybean and other crops will be. For corn the number is 13.2 billion bushels, for soybeans 3.48 billion bushels.

Taken by themselves the numbers don't mean much. They take on importance, though, in the expectations game. The corn number is down slightly from last month, so that means less supply and higher prices for the grain. For soybeans the opposite will probably happen, the soybean outlook is improving so that tends to drive prices down.

Minnesota plays a big role in all of this.

It's the fourth largest corn producing state, behind Iowa, Illinois and Nebraska. It's the third largest soybean state, trailing Iowa and Illinois. The U.S. Agriculture Department estimates the Minnesota corn crop at 1.239 billion bushels.

If that's true, it will be just a little short of last year's record, 1.244 billion bushels.

The Minnesota soybean crop is estimated at 341 million bushels, topping the old record set in 2006 of 319 million bushels. Even though the corn estimate slipped a little, state farmers are still looking good.

Corn prices have risen to nearly four dollars a bushel at the local elevator and that is a profitable level. Soybeans are around ten dollars a bushel, still profitable, but it looks like they will slip a little as traders digest today's crop size.

For corn prices, strong foreign and domestic demand are driving things higher. The Russian drought means that country might buy more U.S. grain.

China announced a couple of months ago that it too expects to buy more foreign corn in the years ahead. Domestically, the ethanol industry has been using more and more corn -- roughly a third now of the U.S. corn harvest.

The industry could get another boost this fall, if the EPA goes along with requests to boost the allowable level of ethanol in gasoline.

Currently it's 10 percent, the ethanol industry wants that ramped up to 15 percent. If the EPA approves the hike, it likely means more ethanol will be made and that means more demand for corn.

One of the most interesting things about the latest numbers are the yields. Minnesota corn farmers are expecting to average 177 bushels per acre. That would be record. The old standard of 174 was set last year and in 2005.

Ten years ago farmers averaged 145. Twenty years ago it was about 120 bushels an acre.

Going even further back, let's say 50 years to 1960, the average corn yield was around 60 bushels an acre. And in the 1930's it was about 25 bushels an acre.

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Minnesota newspapers go deep

Posted at 10:59 AM on June 21, 2010 by Bob Ingrassia (0 Comments)
Filed under: Arrowhead, Central Minnesota, Southwest Minnesota

You hear about how newspapers are struggling. You don't always get to see the top-notch reporting they're still cranking out.

Several Minnesota newspapers put some good reporting and writing on display this weekend.

Mankato: A Baby's Short & Touching Life
The Mankato Free Press started a series called "13 Days: The Short Life of Hazel Heidelberger." The series looks at the life of a baby born with a rare heart ailment.

Part 1: The birth and baptism
Part 2: A young couple's dream becomes a nightmare

Hazel was a New Year's baby, and seemed healthy. She met her family, learned to nurse, had her diapers changed. But by this evening, test results showed signs of trouble. Nurses noticed that Hazel's heart was racing. Mom and dad noticed she was growing lethargic. No one could figure out why.

A short time later, they'd receive the kind of news every new parent fears: Something is wrong with their baby.

They don't know it yet, but Hazel was born with hypoplastic left-heart syndrome, which essentially means her heart was born with only three of its four chambers. If found early enough, and with world-class help, babies can pull through. But in Hazel's case, only a miracle could save her.

St. Cloud: Halted housing plagues central Minnesota
The St. Cloud Times details what happens when plans for big housing developments go bust. In some cases, cities get stuck with big unpaid IOUs from developers who were supposed to reimburse the public for streets and sewers.

Story: When developments stall, cities are left paying the bills

A single house stands in the middle of the vast development, marooned in a sea of empty cul-de-sacs, tall grass and winding roads that lead nowhere.

Eighty-eight homes had been planned for the first of seven phases.

The developer, Percheron Properties, is gone. None of the $6.4 million of assessments has been paid.

What Duluth Metals has found is nothing short of earth-shattering for geologists -- an estimated 900 million tons of copper, nickel, platinum and other valuable metals that are among the richest yet found in Minnesota.

"This is an exploratory success story that comes around once every couple of decades," said David Oliver, geologist and project manager of Duluth Metals. "I've been doing this for 35 years, and I've had a lot of success... but nothing like this before."

The finding, just a couple of miles outside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, may be three times bigger and twice as rich as the better known PolyMet project proposed about 30 miles to the southwest.

The debate starts when the value of those minerals, and the possibility of long-term water contamination from acidic mine runoff, is weighed against unspoiled wilderness, recreation and clean water. From ancient peoples to voyageurs to BWCAW campers, it's always been the water that has been most important here.

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