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Storybook Theatre production on July 24

SHERBURN — Today is a busy day. A CREST Lunch and Learn program will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today, Wednesday, July 15, at the First Lutheran Church in Trimont. Ean Sinn will speak about cremation and answer other funeral questions. There will be lunch after the program. These educational ...

Objection over Lake Ave. assessment continues

FAIRMONT— The Fairmont City Council on Monday once again considered an objection from a property at 1300 Lake Avenue regarding its assessment from the 2025 improvement program. The 1300 Lake Avenue property, known as the Senne Farm and owned by DFP Limited Partnership, spans more than 73 acres and had an original proposed special assessment with a 5 percent interest of $395,237.05 over 15 years, or just a special assessment of $274,705.38, which is based on the city’s assessment policy. The public hearing on the 2025 improvement program was originally held on March 23, 2026 at ...

Filing opens for next city and school board leaders

MARTIN COUNTY — In the city elections across Martin County, mayoral, city council and school board seats are up for election and will be open for filing starting today. For Fairmont, Lee Baarts' four-year mayoral seat was last open in 2022, when he beat Charles Pearson 2,303-1,333. Wards one and three are also up for election. After losing to Deb Foster in 2022, Randy Lubenow won the Ward three seat in 2024 after filling in for Foster when she left. Ward one was last up for election in 2022, when Jay Maynard beat Jon Davis 615-533. The current Ceylon Mayor is Judith Perkins, who beat ...

HRA gets good marks on properties

FAIRMONT – The Fairmont Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) reviewed an inspection report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development during its meeting on Monday. For this inspection, done through the National Standards for the Physical Inspection of Real Estate, units in Friendship Village and North Park were examined. There were only two units to inspect at North Park, and of the 123 units at Friendship Village, 26 units were inspected. North Park received a 100 out of 100 score with no notes. Friendship Village received a 98 out of 100, which HRA Director ...

Planning for downtown improvements begins

FAIRMONT— This week a committee kicked off planning meetings for improvements to Downtown Plaza in Fairmont. “We’re going to be focusing on the downtown area, which is Main Street to Park Avenue and Blue Earth Avenue to 4th Street. That’s the area we’re looking at,” said Public ...

Long-term lake health survey shows low scores for area lakes

FAIRMONT – The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently released its 10-year fish monitoring report rating the health of Minnesota’s lakes, looking at over 900 lakes across 47 watersheds. The test works by examining fish community composition through types and numbers of fish present compared to those expected under healthy conditions, in a type of monitoring called fish-based index of biological integrity (IBI). “This is really looking at the overall health of the lake,” DNR Lake Biological and Monitoring Program Supervisor Jacquelyn Bacigalupi said. “It's ...