Minnesota

The Southern Minnesota Home that No One Wanted, Even for Free

Published

2 years ago

January 5, 2024

The Southern Minnesota Home that No One Wanted, Even for Free

If you were given the opportunity to own a historic home for free, would you take it? With how expensive homes are you would think you would! But there’s a home in Jordan, Minnesota that was offered for free, and still, no one wanted it. But why?

The historic home was owned by the city of Jordan’s first female mayor Gail Andersen, according to the Star Tribune. It was eventually inherited by her granddaughter Barbara Kochlin. While the outside looks decent, Barbara says the inside is “‘godawful ugly’”.

Credit: Barbara Kochlin

In the spring of 2019, Barbara had been attempting to sell the property for the past year and even went as far as listing the home for free, but still, no one bought the house. Why? Because the home would have to be moved once it was purchased.

Credit: Barbara Kochlin

It needed to be moved because it was on a plot of land meant for commercial use. Barbara wanted to turn it into a triplex, according to the Star Tribune, but that required her to make a large enough parking lot, which wasn’t possible with the amount of land around it. She attempted to get the city to change the land to residential land so it could be used as a single-family home but they said no.

Credit: Barbara Kochlin

So long story short, this home needed to be moved by the buyers, which costs tons and tons of money to do. But if Barbara didn’t find a buyer, the city was going to demolish the home. That’s where Joshua Colonna, a developer with Red Brick LLC and Colonna Acquisitions, comes in.

Credit: Barbara Kochlin

SW News Media says that after he heard about the home in the spring of 2019, he decided he wanted to take on the project. Red Brick has “‘restored over 100 properties through Minnesota, West Virginia, Tennessee and Florida.’” So Barbara successfully found a buyer! Then there was another snag in the road, there were no lots in the area that the house could be moved to. Because of this, they came up with an agreement that would allow the house to stay where it is and bring it up to code.

Credit: Barbara Kochlin

I was able to find the home on Google Maps and it appears it’s still in the same spot. It also looks like there’s a for sale sign in front of the home as of September of 2021. I’m not sure what that’s all about because I can’t find an active listing for this home, but I’m just happy it wasn’t demolished!

Keep scrolling to take a look at a beautiful, historical castle you can stay in here in Minnesota.

Feel Like Royalty When Your Stay in this Historic Castle Just 75 Minutes from Rochester

You’re bound to feel like royalty when you stay at this bed and breakfast in La Crosse, Wisconsin called Castle La Crosse. It’s about 75 minutes from Rochester, Minnesota and it’s a historic castle that was built in 1892. It’s been owned by a few families and a church but in 2017 it was transformed into a beautiful bed and breakfast.

Gallery Credit: Carly Ross

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Minnesota

Minnesota lawmakers push to repeal César Chávez Day after allegations

Published

10 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

Minnesota lawmakers push to repeal César Chávez Day after allegations

DFL and Latine community leaders are pushing for the repeal of César Chávez Day in Minnesota after sexual abuse allegations against the late civil rights icon have surfaced.

The New York Times published a report on March 18 detailing several allegations of sexual abuse by Chávez, a farm labor activist, including the sexual abuse of two minor girls and the assault and rape of Dolores Huerta, who led the farmworkers’ movement of the 1960s and ’70s alongside Chávez.

“The farmworker movement has always been bigger and far more important than any one individual,” Huerta, now 95, said in a statement. “Cesar’s actions do not diminish the permanent improvements achieved for farmworkers with the help of thousands of people. We must continue to engage and support our community, which needs advocacy and activism now more than ever.”

State and local leaders have quickly responded, and an effort is underway at the state Capitol to repeal the quickly approaching March 31 “César Chávez Day.”

The House passed a repeal late Monday afternoon. The Senate still have to consider it. It’s not clear whether the state would eventually designate the day with another person’s name or another farmer union-related title.

Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega, DFL-St. Paul, how authored repeal legislation, said “it was gutting” to read the sexual abuse allegations.

“This legislation to repeal César Chávez Day out of the Minnesota Constitution marks one crucial step in a multi-faceted process. We acknowledge that this is merely the beginning. Constantly, we must advocate for numerous causes, recognizing that a movement transcends individual figures,” she said.

‘Drawing a clear line’

Emilia Gonzalez, executive director of Unidos Minnesota, said the repeal is about “drawing a clear line.”

“Repealing César Chávez Day is about drawing a clear line that no legacy, no matter how powerful, no matter how important, stands above the safety and dignity of our children and our community. We can honor farm workers, we can honor the movement, La Causa. We can honor the struggle of labor rights, but we don’t have to enshrine a single figure in a way that leaves no room for truth, complexity or accountability,” she said.

Rep. Liish Kozlowski, DFL-Duluth, said accountability starts with the repeal of César Chávez Day.

“Our community is showing the nation how to respond to sexual violence and violence in all of its forms,” they said. “We are showing what it means to listen and believe survivors when they break their silence. We believe them, we stand with them, and we hold individuals and institutions accountable.”

A street in St. Paul

Minnesota also has a street named after Chávez in St. Paul, as well as a charter school, Academia César Chávez.

St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, who was at the Capitol on Monday, didn’t provide a timeline for when the street name could be changed, but said she’s getting a group of stakeholders and residents together to discuss the issue.

Ramona Arreguín de Rosales, an activist who personally met Chávez and the co-founder of Academia César Chávez, said she has recommended that the Board of Academia César Chávez change the school’s name, but said she does not want to “diminish the good work that the movement has accomplished.”

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Minnesota

NCAA women’s tournament takeaways, Day 3: Minnesota drains buzzer-beater as LSU, Texas dominate again

Published

22 hours ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

NCAA women’s tournament takeaways, Day 3: Minnesota drains buzzer-beater as LSU, Texas dominate again

The Sweet 16 field is halfway filled as the first weekend of the NCAA tournament starts to wrap up. There weren’t a ton of surprises on Sunday for the start of the second round, but we did get our first buzzer-beater.

Minnesota reaches Sweet 16 on buzzer-beater

After a buzzer-beater was called off on Saturday, we finally got one.

Amaya Battle got her game-winner to fall on Sunday afternoon, which lifted Minnesota to what is its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2005. Battle, with less than a second left on the clock, drilled a contested jumper from the short corner to push the Gophers past Ole Miss 65-63. Naturally, that sparked a massive celebration on their home court.

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Minnesota

Minnesota United’s Drake Callender, Seattle’s Andrew Thomas duel to 0-0 draw

Published

1 day ago

March 22, 2026

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Minnesota United’s Drake Callender, Seattle’s Andrew Thomas duel to 0-0 draw

March 22, 2026 / 6:27 PM CDT
/ AP

Seattle’s Andrew Thomas finished with two saves and Drake Callender did likewise as the Sounders and Minnesota United played to a scoreless draw on Sunday.

It was the third straight and fourth shutout in five starts this season for Thomas. The 27-year-old took the starting reins from mainstay Stefan Frei — now in a backup role. He hasn’t allowed a goal since a 2-1 loss to Real Salt Lake in Seattle’s road opener. He also blanked the Colorado Rapids 2-0 in the season opener at home. Thomas had the lone save of the first half.

Callender notched his second clean sheet in his first season with Minnesota United. Callender and Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Claire switched teams in the offseason. Callender made 92 starts for Miami beginning in 2022, but only five last season.

Jordan Morris saw his first action for the Sounders (3-1-1) since he was injured in the season opener. Morris entered in the 65th minute along with Jesús Ferreira and 18-year old midfielder Snyder Brunell.

Seattle was coming off back-to-back 1-0 road victories over St. Louis City and the San Jose Earthquakes.

Minnesota United (1-2-2) came in after being outscored 9-1 in two straight road losses to Nashville SC and the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Minnesota swept Seattle during the regular season last year and then eliminated the Sounders in the best-of-three first round of the playoffs, winning twice at home on penalty kicks after 0-0 and 3-3 draws in regulation. Seattle posted a 4-2 victory at home in the middle match.