Minnesota
Rainfall swamps southwest Minnesota, closes highways
Residents in southwest Minnesota awoke to flooded yards and closed roads Saturday after heavy rains overnight.
Approximately 3 to 4 inches of rain fell in parts of southwest Minnesota starting late Friday night, Scott Morgan, a MnDOT assistant maintenance engineer based in Mankato, said in a phone call Saturday.
“They had some really intense rains,” said Morgan, who on Friday said the region saw as much as 7 inches of rain in some parts.
A portion of Interstate 90 briefly closed Saturday morning to set up cones where the rain damaged the highway’s shoulder, Morgan said.
Near the South Dakota border, Hwy. 14 east of Lake Benton closed Saturday in both directions due to flooding.
“Nearly every road in VERDI Township AND LAKE BENTON Township is currently under water in spots, especially the low areas,” a post by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department said.
Other roads in southwest Minnesota, including Hwy. 60 from Worthington to Windom, remained closed Saturday morning. Near Mankato, Hwy. 30 near Mapleton and Hwy. 14 near Eagle Lake closed Saturday morning.
Hwy. 99 near St. Peter and Hwy. 19 near Henderson, both which closed earlier this week, remain restricted.
Residents in Windom, where heavy rains have caused the Des Moines River and Perkins Creek to overflow, said they woke up to water flowing into their basements.
“All of us are pretty wet,” said Warren Winkel of Windom in a phone call Saturday morning. He said he has about 4 feet of water in his basement.
The rain began with an intense shower around 8:30 p.m. on Friday that tapered off, but continued to fall until 4 a.m. Saturday, Winkel said.
The 85-year-old retired construction manager said he has owned his home near Perkins Creek since the 1970s and is used to the creek flooding. He built a brick patio to contain the water, and seemed confident about his prospects when asked Friday night.
On Saturday morning, however, he said he couldn’t believe how fast the water rose. “This is by far the worst that I’ve seen,” he said of this year’s flood.
His neighbor Joe Fischenich, who lives next to Perkins Creek, said that he’s lived in Windom all his life but that this year’s flooding also surprised him.
“I’ve never seen it like this,” he said of the creek, which he said last year was almost dry.
In this week’s edition of The Scoop, Darren “Doogie” Wolfson has notes on the Timberwolves, Wild, and Vikings.
****Click the video box for The Scoop***
Minnesota
School bus company’s inspection history in question after kids hurt in Hamline University crash
Data from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety shows the company that owns the school bus that crashed into a building Tuesday at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, has failed the majority of its inspections over the last three years.
Three students from the St. Paul charter school Higher Ground Academy and their bus driver suffered minor injuries when the vehicle crashed into the Robbins Science Center on Tuesday afternoon, according to the St. Paul Police Department. All four have since been released from the hospital. About a dozen students were on board at the time.
Police say the driver “did not exhibit any signs of intoxication or impairment.” Patrick Boyle, the attorney representing the St. Paul-based bus company Pride Transportation, says the crash was due to operator error, noting the driver — who was in the midst of their first week on the job — had accidentally stepped on the gas pedal instead of the break.
State records show vehicles owned by the company, also known as PTB Services, failed most of their recent inspections:
- 2024: 52 passed, 55 failed
- 2025: 40 passed, 47 failed
- 2026: 1 passed, 6 failed
Boyle insists those failures are often corrected and reinspected on the same day.
“We also want to clarify that the inspection statistics referenced in publicly available reports do not represent the entirety of our operating fleet nor do they indicate that vehicles remained in service after failing inspections,” Boyle said. “All buses currently transporting students for PTB Services possess the required inspection certification and comply with applicable state requirements.”
Police are still investigating the crash.
-
News5 minutes agoTrump, Netanyahu at odds / Elusive Iran deal : Sources & Methods
-
Los Angeles, Ca1 hour ago'Top Gun: Maverick' actor identified as victim stabbed to death in Tarzana
-
Detroit, MI2 hours agoStorm chances return, which could impact Motor City Pride, graduations this weekend across Metro Detroit
-
San Francisco, CA2 hours agoHilton campaigns in San Francisco as California primary votes still being counted
-
Dallas, TX2 hours agoCrews cover up AT&T branding as stadium becomes
-
Miami, FL2 hours agoMiami leaders gather for FIFA World Cup Host Committee Gala
-
Boston, MA2 hours agoPackage fire outside Boston’s Museum of African American History under investigation
-
Denver, CO2 hours agoRockies beat reporter Patrick Saunders to leave Denver Post
