News

Trackchair a finalist for 'Coolest Thing Made in Minnesota'

Local News October 1, 2026

MARSHALL — The Trackchair all-terrain wheelchair has made it to the final four in this year’s “Coolest Thing Made in Minnesota” contest. One final round of public voting remains before the winner is announced on Oct. 6 at the 2026 Manufacturer’s Summit in Minneapolis. ATZ Manufacturing’s Trackchair is one of four finalists, along with Teardrop Trailers, the Fire Boss aerial firefighting system, and the Bair Hugger, a warming blanket system used for regulating the temperature of surgery patients. This is the third year in a row that the Trackchair has advanced to the final ...

Average long-term US mortgage rate churns upward to its highest level in nearly 3 years at 7.28%

National News October 1, 2026

NEW YORK — The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate jumped this week to its highest level in nearly three years. The benchmark 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 7.28% from 7.03% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday, the biggest leap in four years. A year ago, the average rate was 6.34%. It is the sixth consecutive week that mortgage rates have increased. The average rate is now the highest it's been since Nov. 22, 2023, when it reached 7.29%, and it's not climbed this fast week-to-week since October 2022. Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, often ...

Crime

News of Record October 1, 2026

MARSHALL — A report is pending on an incident at 5:13 a.m. Thursday on the 2800 block of Lyon County Road 5, Marshall Police said. MARSHALL — A Marshall girl, 16, was cited for speeding at 10:28 p.m. Wednesday on the 300 block of East Main Street, Marshall Police said. MARSHALL — A Marshall man, 26, was cited for speeding at 10:26 p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of East Main Street and H Street, Marshall Police said. MARSHALL — A Marshall man, 19, was cited for an instruction permit violation in a traffic stop at 10:07 p.m. Wednesday at the intersection of East ...

US can deport the leader of Wisconsin's largest mosque on national security grounds, judge rules

National News October 1, 2026

CHICAGO — The U.S. can deport the leader of Wisconsin's largest mosque — an outspoken advocate of Palestinian rights — on the grounds that he is a threat to national security, an immigration judge ruled Wednesday. Salah Sarsour was detained in Milwaukee in March by U.S. Immigration ...

MN students’ standardized test scores continue to stagnate

Minnesota News October 1, 2026

Fewer than half of Minnesota students who take the state’s standardized test are able to read and do math at grade-level expectations, according to data released Wednesday by the state’s education department. Performance on the test, called the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments, declined drastically over the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which schools closed or held classes remotely. Proficiency rates continue to be over 10 percentage points lower than before the pandemic, when over half of students were proficient in math and reading. The exams are given in ...

Questions linger for future of construction landfill

Local News September 30, 2026

MARSHALL — Last year, Lyon County officials talked about filling up and closing down a disposal site for construction debris ahead of new state regulations. However, speakers at Wednesday’s annual landfill meeting said that would be a costly idea. “Attempting to fast-fill the site has revealed a gap in available staffing, and additional operation costs,” said Tonya Koller of engineering firm Burns & McDonnell. The Landfill Advisory Board held its annual meeting Wednesday in Marshall. Representatives of counties that use the Lyon County landfill met to hear updates on few ...