Local News Friday, June 5, 2026

IMPACTS ON A COUPLE OF AREA ROAD CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WILL BE SEEN ON MONDAY.

IN ROSEAU, ON THE PROJECT FOR CENTER STREET AND 2^ND AVE SE THEY WILL START WITH CURB AND GUTTER REPLACEMENT ON THE 8^TH WITH THE MILL AND OVERLAY PORTION BEGINNING JUNE 15.

IN WARROAD, WORK ON THE BRIDGE OVER THE WARROAD RIVER WILL RESUME ON MONDAY. THAT WILL BRING BACK SINGLE LANE TRAFFIC OVER THE BRIDGE WITH TEMPORARY TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND A TRUCK DETOUR USING COUNTY ROAD 9 AND 12. WORK IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY NOVEMBER.

THE MINNESOTA DNR CONTINUES THROUGH A PAUSE IN FISHING LICENSE SALES, SO IF YOU FIND YOURSELF WITHOUT ONE, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO FISH THROUGH MIDNIGHT OF MONDAY NIGHT. THIS IS ALSO TAKE A KID FISHING WEEKEND, SO FISHING WITHOUT A LICENSE ALSO WOULD HAVE BEEN ALLOWED FOR THAT REASON. NEXT SATURDAY IS A FREE PARK DAY WITH THE DNR, WITH NO PERMITS NEEDED TO VISIT STATE PARKS AND RECREATION AREAS.

MINNESOTANS WITH AN ALL-TERRAIN VEHICLE REGISTERED FOR PRIVATE OR AGRICULTURAL USE WON’T NEED TO PAY THE ADDITIONAL REGISTRATION FEE ($60 FOR THREE YEARS) TO RIDE THE STATE’S PUBLIC ATV TRAILS JUNE 13-14. OUT-OF-STATE RIDERS CAN EXPLORE MINNESOTA’S ATV TRAILS THIS WEEKEND AS WELL WITHOUT THE NEED FOR A NONRESIDENT ATV TRAIL PASS ($31 FOR ONE YEAR).

THIS ANNUAL NO REGISTRATION WEEKEND GIVES RIDERS ACCESS TO MORE THAN 3,000 MILES OF STATE FOREST AND GRANT-IN-AID TRAILS.

TWO PEOPLE HAVE FILED TO RUN FOR ROSEAU COUNTY SHERIFF. THE INCUMBENT
SHERIFF, STEVE GUST, HAS A CHALLENGER FOR THE NOVEMBER ELECTION; HE’S
ADAM KASPROWICZ.
COUNTY ATTORNEY KRISTI KJOS HAS NO OPPONENT AT THIS POINT.
THERE ARE THREE COUNTY COMMISSIONER SEATS ON THE FALL BALLOT. LAURA
PHILLIPE LARSON HAS FILED FOR WHAT IS AN OPEN SEAT IN DISTRICT ONE,
WHERE GLENDA PHILLIPE IS RETIRING. SHANE HORNER HAS ALSO FILED FOR THAT DISTRICT ONE SEAT. INCUMBENT LEVI NOVACEK HAS FILED FOR
A SECOND TERM IN DISTRICT THREE, AND CURRENT COMMISSIONER DARYL WICKLUND
IS THE ONLY CANDIDATE IN DISTRICT FIVE.

THE MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES FINISHED A COMPREHENSIVE TOP-TO-BOTTOM REVIEW OF NEARLY 5,600 HIGH-RISK MEDICAID PROVIDERS ON TIME ON MAY 31. COMPLETING THE EFFORT IS A KEY PART OF MINNESOTA’S PLAN TO STOP THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FROM WITHHOLDING UP TO $2 BILLION FROM ITS MEDICAID PROGRAM.

OF THE 5,583 HIGH-RISK PROVIDERS REQUIRED TO REVALIDATE:

2,061 WERE REVALIDATED AND ARE CONTINUING TO PROVIDE MEDICAID SERVICES WITHOUT INTERRUPTION, WHILE 3,411 WERE NOTIFIED THEY WILL BE DISENROLLED:

FARMERS ENROLLED IN THE MINNESOTA AGRICULTURAL WATER QUALITY CERTIFICATION PROGRAM (MAWQCP) CONTINUE TO SHOW STRONGER AND MORE RELIABLE PROFITABILITY THAN NON‑CERTIFIED FARMS, NOW FOR SEVEN STRAIGHT YEARS, ACCORDING TO NEW DATA FROM THE MINNESOTA STATE AGRICULTURAL CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE.

“SEVEN YEARS OF DATA MAKE ONE THING UNMISTAKABLY CLEAR: CONSERVATION IS A LONG‑TERM PROFITABILITY STRATEGY. CERTIFIED FARMS AREN’T JUST SEEING BETTER RESULTS IN GOOD YEARS — THEY’RE HOLDING STRONG IN THE TOUGH ONES, TOO,” SAID MDA COMMISSIONER THOM PETERSEN.

IN 2025, CERTIFIED FARMS EARNED AN AVERAGE NET INCOME OF JUST MORE THAN $197,500, COMPARED TO $129,400 FOR NON‑CERTIFIED FARMS. MEDIAN NET INCOME FOLLOWED THE SAME PATTERN.

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE’S FARM SERVICE AGENCY (FSA) IS EXPANDING PAYMENT LIMITATION AND PAYMENT ELIGIBILITY PROVISIONS THAT AFFECT PROGRAM PAYMENTS INCLUDING ALLOWING FOR THE EQUITABLE TREATMENT OF BUSINESS ENTITIES. ADDITIONALLY, PRODUCERS WILL BENEFIT FROM AN INCREASED PAYMENT LIMITATION FOR CERTAIN PROGRAMS, AND A BROADER DEFINITION OF FARMING INCOME THAT WILL RESULT IN MORE EXCEPTIONS TO INCOME LIMITATIONS.

“THE 2026 PROGRAM YEAR WILL BE A MONUMENTAL CHANGE FOR FARMERS AND RANCHERS WHO CAN NOW STRUCTURE THEIR FARM ENTITIES TO BENEFIT FROM THE LEGAL PROTECTIONS OF CERTAIN BUSINESS STRUCTURES WITHOUT LIMITING THEIR ACCESS TO THE FARM SAFETY NET,” SAID BILL BEAM, FSA ADMINISTRATOR.

ROSEAU MUNICIPAL LIQUOR STORE MANAGER NIKKI JOHNSON TOLD THE ROSEAU CITY
COUNCIL THAT BEER SALES AT THE STORE HAVE BEEN DOWN THIS YEAR, WHILE
WINE AND LIQUOR SALES ARE UP.  SHE SAID THAT IS SIMILAR TO A STATE AND
NATIONWIDE TREND AT LIQUOR STORES.

THE ROSEAU CITY COUNCIL HAS APPOINTED COUNCIL MEMBERS OLIVER ULLMAN AND
PAT NOVACEK, CITY ATTORNEY MICHELLE MOREN AND POLICE CHIEF MARC HODGE TO
A WORKING GROUP TASKED WITH MAKING A RECOMMENDATION ON A GOLF CART
ORDINANCE.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR TODD PETERSON TOLD THE CITY COUNCIL
THAT A RECENT TOUR OF THE CITY BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION REVEALED SOME
TROUBLED PROPERTIES, SOME OF WHICH HAVE BEEN ON THE CITY’S LIST FOR MORE
THAN THIRTY YEARS.  A MEETING WITH THE CITY’S BUILDING INSPECTOR WILL
DETERMINE WHETHER SEVERAL FIRE-DAMAGED PROPERTIES ARE STILL HABITABLE, AND SOME COULD BE FACED WITH DEMOLITION OF PUBLIC HEARINGS.

ROSEAU POLICE CHIEF MARC HODGE HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL TO
SERVE ON A MOTOROLA RECORDS MANAGEMENT SYTEM USERS GROUP.  THAT NATIONAL
GROUP MEETS MONTHLY VIA TECHNOLOGY.  HODGE WILL REPRESENT THE STATE OF
MINNESOTA.

ROSEAU FIRE CHIEF LEON HUOT SAID HIS VOLUNTEERS HAVE A TRAINING BURN
LATER THIS MONTH AT A SITE SOUTHWEST OF ROSEAU.

Last modified: 06/05/2026