“I don’t want any caregiver ever to go through what I have,” says Waseca resident Erin Childs, 44. “These agencies failed to do accurate investigations and really never listened to Joe or me.”. Childs (formerly known as Erin Tate) feels investigators were prejudiced when they looked into...

MANKATO, Minn. — Mankato police are hoping a reward will help them solve the year-old murder of a 27-year-old man.In a video posted to YouTube on Monday, Cmdr. Chris Baukol says someone shot and killed Buay Juk on Balcerzak Drive just after midnight on Oct. 28, 2023.At the time, a witness told police they saw a man running away from the scene after gunshots were fired.Detectives shared a surveillance video showing the man they say is a person of interest in this case.  Juk's family says he was "a father, a son, a brother and uncle," and his killing turned their lives "upside down."Police are offering a $15,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.  Anyone with information is asked to contact the Mankato Police Department at 507-387-8565.

Waseca Public Schools appears to be on a strong track with growing academic achievement and solid staff retention, according to select data compiled for its 2024 Fall Vision Card, but room for improvement in certain areas remains apparent. Superintendent Eric Hudspith presented recently compiled data to the board at its Oct. 24 meeting showing strong growth in areas such as student self-perceptions of security and reading proficiency, though the latter figure still only hovers around 60% across grades K-8. ...

Editor’s note: “Just Sold” is a Finance & Commerce feature based on the newest certificates of real estate value filed with the Minnesota Department of Revenue for commercial sales throughout Minn...

30 years after starting out as a financial planner and 25 after bringing his business to Waseca, hometown money guru Brad Connors and the financial management firm iWealth are celebrating their successes, including particularly rapid growth in recent years. Connors and iWealth welcomed several hundred community members and satisfied clients to the Starfire Event Center for an event celebrating the occasion earlier this month, with clients coming from across Southern Minnesota and the south metro. ...

One hundred years ago, on Friday the 13th in July 1924, a 2-year-old girl disappeared from a cottage along Roberds Lake, never to be seen again — at least, most of her.

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - The Greater Mankato Area United Way is encouraging the community to give back to local organizations fighting hunger and homelessness. by kicking off its annual Grateful Giving Calendar, November 1st. The Greater Mankato Grateful Giving Calendar is meant to bring awareness to basic things that are sometimes taken for granted.

MANKATO, Minn. — The parents of Madeline Kingsbury took the witness stand in Mankato on Tuesday in the trial of 30-year-old Adam Fravel, the southwestern Minnesota man accused of killing Kingsbury last year.Kingsbury, 26, went missing in March 2023 after driving her two children to daycare in Winona. Her body was found two months later in a field by property owned by Fravel's family near the Minnesota-Iowa border.Fravel, Kingsbury's ex-boyfriend and the father of her young children, was arrested two days later and charged with first- and second-degree murder.   Fravel has a documented history of domestic violence against Kingsbury, including an incident where he struck her while she was on a...

As the start of the holiday shopping season approaches, many people will be looking outside traditional retail establishments to find the perfect item for their loved ones. Owatonna shoppers seeking handmade, local goods will have plenty of options to choose from, as this weekend marks the start of arts and craft sales season in town. Eight sales, many of them institutions that have returned year after year, are set to take place over the next week. ...

A Waterville resident has been left with a $13,000 FEMA check they don't know what to do with after supposedly being denied reimbursement for repairs.

Years after she left Texas for Minnesota, Lisa Martinez is bringing the flavors of her native state to Owatonna. After working a full-time job during the week, she wakes up at 4 a.m. on weekends and gets cooking. She’s been serving Tex-Mex cuisine out of her new food truck Cocina Tejana since September. Accompanied by her family, she serves a rotating menu featuring tacos, quesadillas, burritos and Mexican soups menudo and pozole. ...

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) - A post in a Facebook group is going viral for a push to get the popular grocery store Trader Joe’s to build a store in Mankato. The group, Mankato Area Moms, has 7600 members and a member recently posted a link to a form on Trader Joe’s website to request a store in your city. The post is generating dozens of comments and reactions on the social media platform.

GAME: No. 1 Owatonna vs No. 2 Rochester John Marshall, 7 p.m., Friday, Federated Field at Owatonna Stadium RECENT RESULTS: In the Section 1AAAAA semi-finals, Owatonna won 14-7 at home against No. 4 New Prague and John Marshall won 47-27 at home against No. 3 Northfield. LAST MATCHUP: The Huskies defeated the Rockets 32-22 in Rochester on Oct. 11. ...

Three people were injured in a two vehicle accident late Saturday afternoon, south of Mapleton. According to the Blue Earth County Sheriff’s Office, at approximately 5:18pm, a 1994 Ford Ranger, driven by 40 year old Corey Matthew Jaeger of rural Mapleton, was northbound on 584th Avenue and a 2005 Buick Le Sabre driven by 25 year old Freeborn Lewis Milks of Wells, was westbound on Blue Earth County Road 29, when they collided in the intersection.

The Steele County Attorney’s Office has declined to pursue charges in a case where a Blooming Prairie football coach grabbed the facemask of a player from the opposing team and the encounter was caught on camera by parents. Steele County Attorney Robert Jarrett said in a written statement Monday afternoon that there is “insufficient evidence that a reasonable jury would find proof beyond a reasonable doubt” that an assault took place, and that no criminal charges will be pursued. With that decision, he said the...

MANKATO, Minn. (KEYC) -With just one week to go before election day, time is running out to cast your ballot. Election offices recommend at least a week of time if sending a ballot by mail, so election offices want absentee ballots delivered by hand from here on out. Early voting...

Every good cause needs a champion. Tricia Buhrow has found her good cause. The Owatonnan is one of nine candidates competing in a statewide fundraising campaign for Best Buddies International, a nonprofit dedicated to ending the isolation of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The candidate who raises the most will be declared the Best Buddies Champion of the Year at the organization’s Nov. 15 gala. Best Buddies’ school-based...

10/30/2024: Rain is likely overnight with areas of snow possible by morning. Rain will end just in time for a calm, chilly Halloween.

After winning a great back-and-forth match against the Triton Cobras last Thursday, the Medford volleyball team was awarded with a trip to the Rochester Mayo Civic Center for the Section 1AA quarterfinals for the second straight year. The No. 8 seeded Tigers had their work cut out for them, though, as they had to face the No. 1 seed in the section: the Chatfield Gophers. This was the second straight year the Tigers faced the top-ranked Gophers in the quarterfinals, losing in three sets in...

After failing once by just five votes, the Crown, Cork & Seal contract was approved a few weeks ago. It granted annual wage increases ranging from $6 to 12% over the next three years, among other wins for the workers. The workers at Crown, Cork & Seal in Faribault are represented by Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation (SMART) Local Union 480, which also represents the workers at the local Daikin plants. Union Business Manager Donavan Vierling said the new contract was mostly housekeeping, but...