Tens of thousands of chickens are dead following a fire at a commercial egg production farm near Howard Lake on Monday morning. The Wright County Sheriff’s Office says seven fire departments were dispatched to Forsman Farms. The fire was contained to one of the five barns on the property. No injuries were reported. This same farm experienced a massive fire in May 2022, which resulted in the death of an estimated 200 thousand chickens.
The couple who were airlifted after being found unresponsive in a Yellow Medicine County hog barn have been released from hospital. The Yellow Medicine County Sheriff's Office has provided an update Tuesday following the Saturday emergency at a barn in rural Hazel Run, where Luke (32) and Melissa Stevens (30) were found unconscious at about 5:15 p.m. The 911 caller had helped pull the couple out of the barn, with responders carrying out lifesaving measures before they were airlifted to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. "Both have since been released from the hospital and are now recovering at home," the sheriff's office said, adding that both were in the process of cleaning the hog barn when the incident happened. The cause of the couple falling unresponsive hasn't been confirmed at this time. However, manure gas poses dangers to farmers due to potentially high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide and methane, which can paralyze respiratory systems resulting in asphyxiation.
A Stearns County judge has sentenced an Albany man for sexually abusing two girls last spring. The judge has sentenced 49-year-old Billy Wolbeck to a stayed sentence of four years in prison. He must serve six months in the county jail. Wolbeck was accused of abusing the girls who were younger than 14 years old. The criminal complaint describes how the girls visited Wolbeck in March and when they returned home told their mother about the assaults. One of the girls told a forensic investigator she didn't know why Wolbeck was doing those things to her and that Wolbeck told her to keep it a secret. Wolbeck pleaded guilty to two counts of 2nd-degree criminal sexual conduct with a child under 14-years-old.
Gas prices are rising with oil prices last week reaching their highest level since July. Diesel prices have also jumped, driven by cold weather that has boosted heating oil demand. Average gasoline prices in Minnesota have risen 9.0 cents per gallon, averaging $3.04. The national average price of gasoline has risen 6.5 cents per gallon, averaging $3.09. The national average price of diesel has increased 8.1 cents in the last week and stands at $3.60. Gas Buddy says with President Trump's inauguration this week, there could be price impacts depending on the executive orders he is preparing to sign. The threat of tariffs and possible retribution from Canada remain top of mind. The current increase in gas prices is not yet the traditional seasonal rise, which is also likely to push prices higher in a few weeks.
If your non-profit group or organization has an event coming up that you would like publicized, send the information to KEYL/KXDL PO Box 187 Long Prairie, MN 56347 or you can drop it off Monday thr...
If your non-profit group or organization has an event coming up that you would like publicized, send the information to KEYL/KXDL PO Box 187 Long Prairie, MN 56347 or you can drop it off Monday thr...