local

A crew from Landwehr Construction erects a new communications tower Wednesday behind the building at the Department of Transportation in Willmar. The new 180 foot tower is part of the...

Ten years ago, a newcomer might have thought Willmar’s downtown was going downhill. That may have been the right impression then, but a lot has changed. Through the work of...

Crop farmers in Minnesota had the best of both worlds in 2012, with good crop yields and good grain prices, driven by widespread drought conditions, but one west central Minnesota...

Sometimes consumers need a friendly reminder that food doesn’t really come from the grocery store. And, sometimes the farmers who produce that food need to see that informing and connecting...

It is safe to say that just about every student who graduates from the agriculture programs at Ridgewater College in Willmar gets a job in their chosen field. The three-year...

When friends Gina Lieser and Stacey Roberts chose to open an upscale boutique, it didn’t take them long to decide that their store, The Happy Sol, should be in downtown...

Aging is the dominant demographic trend in Minnesota and across the country. The number of Minnesotans over the age of 65 will more than double over the next 25 years...

Claire Juhnke’s family is spread out across the country. At times, they’re not even on the same continent. They stay in touch through the traditional phone calls and emails, but...

Chris and Angela Magnuson are young, creative and ambitious business owners with a popular product to sell and the guts to jump into an aggressive online marketing campaign. But the...

Access to good streets, utilities and a skilled workforce have always been vital components for the launch of a successful business, but as competition for a strong commercial base has...

Ask Kandiyohi County residents if homelessness is a problem in this area, and many would likely say no. But those who work directly with the community’s poorest citizens said that...

A bill is being debated in the Minnesota Legislature this year that could make it easier for counties to initiate action to appoint elected officials. Appointing, rather than electing a...

Younger generations want to be involved in local government. It’s just that they’d like to be asked to participate. “I think young people are like most people. They really want...

Public schools are always introducing new technology for their students. At one time, it meant film strips, then films, then televisions, then computers, then smart white boards, now iPads. It’s...