Data included is taken from the Minnesota Department of Health Daily reports. Because all data is preliminary, the change in number of cumulative positive cases and deaths from one day to the next may not equal the newly reported cases or deaths.
Covid-19 Coverage Newsletter
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When Gov. Tim Walz ended the statewide mask mandate last May, the Le Sueur-Henderson School District terminated their masking requirements as well. But two months later, the delta variant has complicated Minnesota’s pandemic response.
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Minnesota continues to see COVID-19 cases edging higher, but the summer swing shows no signs yet of racing out of control.
Today is Wednesday, July 28, the 209th day of 2021. There are 156 days left in the year.
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A more contagious strain of the coronavirus is making waves across the nation and at home, and the unvaccinated population is most at risk.
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A more contagious strain of the coronavirus is making waves across the nation and at home, and the unvaccinated population is most at risk.
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A maskless start to the 2021-22 school year is a greater possibility than it was last year.
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Early last year, Faribault couple Julie and Del Spronk had high hopes for their latest assisted living venture in Le Center.
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Early last year, Faribault couple Julie and Del Spronk had high hopes for their latest assisted living venture in Le Center. After purchasing the property on 175 E. Derrynane St. in 2019, the building was transformed into Carriage House: a new assisted living home with a beauty shop, common …
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As we’ve endured some difficult times over the last year — locally, regionally and beyond — local food shelves have been a staple for many individuals and families. As we climb out of the COVID-19 period, those shelves are reassessing their circumstances and determining what’s to come.
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Though he is often the stoic politician of southern Minnesota, State Rep. John Petersburg, R-Waseca, felt the weight of the stories he was listening to as caregivers at an Owatonna memory care assisted living facility recounted what their last year has been like.
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Though he is often the stoic politician of southern Minnesota, State Rep. John Petersburg, R-Waseca, felt the weight of the stories he was listening to as caregivers at an Owatonna memory care assisted living facility recounted what their last year has been like.
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With the fair only six weeks away, organizers knew they needed to do something big for the community that missed out on being together during COVID-19.
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History is happening right now.
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Students were thrown into an unprecedented disruption last year as the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic pushed schools into distance learning models for the final spring semester. Despite the radical change, Minnesota’s high school seniors stuck it out and graduated at a historic high. On …
Students were thrown into an unprecedented disruptio…
Luis Valdez, Alex Briones, and Alondra Rodriguez all…
Luis Valdez, Alex Briones, and Alondra Rodriguez all…
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With more than half of all Minnesotans vaccinated, positive COVID-19 case rates are diminishing at a rapid pace. Statewide, new cases have fallen to their lowest point since June 2020. On June 6, Minnesota reported 258 new cases, a fraction of the 1,600 new cases reported just one month earlier.
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With more than half of all Minnesotans vaccinated, positive COVID-19 case rates are diminishing at a rapid pace. Statewide, new cases have fallen to their lowest point since June 2020. On June 6, Minnesota reported 258 new cases, a fraction of the 1,600 new cases reported just one month earlier.
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No matter the organization, business, individual or job, there is a good chance the COVID-19 pandemic has altered it in some way, shape or form.
Mayo Clinic Health System is offering walk-in COVID-…
Celebrating the ongoing ease of pandemic restriction…
For those who organize major events in southern Minn…
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For those who organize major events in southern Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz’s loosening of COVID-19 restrictions announced earlier this month was the green light and glimmer of hope they had been waiting for to move forward with their 2021 plans.
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After 14 months of battling the COVID-19 pandemic on a local level, Owatonna has officially ended its state of emergency for the city.
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Waseca County Public Health Director Sarah Berry said they’re continuing to educate residents about the COVID-19 vaccines.
Waseca County commissioners grappled with whether to…
Thursday evening brought on a mask-free sigh of reli…
Thursday evening brought on a mask-free sigh of reli…
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Businesses are open, and customers are at their doors, but in many places, a shortage of workers is limiting service and production.
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Businesses are open, and customers are at their doors, but in many places, a shortage of workers is limiting service and production.
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For those who organize major events in southern Minnesota, Gov. Tim Walz's loosening of COVID-19 restrictions announced last week was the green light and glimmer of hope they had been waiting for to move forward with their 2021 plans.
For those who organize major events in southern Minn…
For those who organize major events in southern Minn…
For those who organize major events in southern Minn…
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With the end of the school year and summer events/activities in mind, Minnesotans are waiting for life to return to “normal.”
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Since the January reopening of El Agave, Eber Noe Juarez has had trouble finding enough workers to operate his Mexican restaurants in St. Peter and Fairmont.
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Since the January reopening of El Agave, Eber Noe Juarez has had trouble finding enough workers to operate his Mexican restaurants in St. Peter and Fairmont.
Since the January reopening of El Agave, Eber Noe Ju…
Aid and assistance for those who have been directly …
Aid and assistance for those who have been directly …
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With COVID-19 case counts receding and vaccinations on the rise, Gov. Tim Walz announced last week that he would be easing pandemic restrictions in the coming days. For some local restaurateurs, those restrictions can’t be loosened soon enough.
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It is one of those businesses that many people take for granted, sometimes not even realizing when they are gone.
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The Le Sueur-Henderson baseball team will not be competing for the next two weeks due to COVID-19. At this time, only the baseball team's schedule has been impacted.
Just over a year ago, the abrupt onset of the COVID-…
Just over a year ago, the abrupt onset of the COVID-…
When Shattuck-St. Mary’s School sent students home a…
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Rolling up her sleeves, Natasha Anderson maintained a steady composure as the needle slid into her upper arm. Within moments, it was over.
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Rolling up her sleeves, Natasha Anderson maintained a steady composure as the needle slid into her upper arm. Within moments, it was over.
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After a year of virtual services and limited in-person attendance, success in distributing the COVID-19 vaccine locally helped to bring Christians back into area churches just in time for Easter.
After a year of virtual services and limited in-pers…
After a year of virtual services and limited in-pers…
It has been a long, abnormal year for the Owatonna P…
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It’s not a surprise that an entertainment venue like the Paradise Center for the Arts would see a decrease in revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Northfield High School is planning an outdoor graduation ceremony in June with limited attendance.
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Vaccination rates have reached a new high in Minnesota, including locally.
Despite the challenges pork producers faced in the l…
There’s no doubt that many struggled with food insec…
Three weeks before the big show, Tri-City United stu…
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Three weeks before the big show, Tri-City United students were memorizing their lines, practicing their pitch and working on their choreography in preparation for 2020’s upcoming fall performance of High School Musical. But suddenly, COVID-19 case rates spiked, students were back to distance…
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Not all heroes wear capes – some wear scrubs.
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Despite the challenges pork producers have faced in the last year, with processing plants facing temporary closures and decreased production due to COVID-19, one thing that Dave Preisler says has remained constant was the production of an affordable and safe source of protein for customers, …
Despite the challenges pork producers have faced in …
Despite the challenges pork producers have faced in …
Owatonna Hospital Emergency Department nurse Trisha …
Local leaders grabbed their shovels and planted them in the snowy ground in December 2019. They stood outside Maud Borup, Le Center’s own candy manufacturing company, to celebrate a historic expansion to the confectionery company. Construction was expected to build a new 50,000-square-foot w…
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In the middle of the night, alone in the guest bedroom, Brad Kubat ran through his list of things to take care of before he dies.
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In the middle of the night, alone in the guest bedroom, Brad Kubat ran through his list of things to take care of before he dies.
After a long year, things are looking brighter for C…
After an incredibly difficult year, COVID-19 vaccine…
After an incredibly difficult year, COVID-19 vaccine…
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It was one year ago when our community and our world was forever changed and a pandemic way of living became an unrelenting reality across the globe.
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It was one year ago when our community and our world was forever changed and a pandemic way of living became an unrelenting reality across the globe.
A Department of Health and Human Services employee holds a COVID-19 vaccine record card. The cards will be sent out as part of vaccination kits from Operation Warp Speed, which is an effort by several U.S. government components and public partnerships to facilitate the development, manufactu…
With the weather teasing spring earlier this month, …
According to a recent survey of Faribault Public Sch…
Steele County is moving forward with hiring a new em…
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After COVID-19 led to the first hiatus since 1947, Rice County Fair Manager John Dvorak is optimistic that the fair can and will make a strong comeback in 2021.
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Two weeks ago, Gov. Tim Walz vowed that any Minnesotan who wanted a vaccination could get one by the summer. Now it’s possible the state could be ready to offer a shot to every Minnesota adult by late April.
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Though Cathy Rossow didn't start giving blood until she was 40, she knows firsthand how important it is that there is blood available for those in need.
Though Cathy Rossow didn’t start giving blood until …
Nicollet County Health and Human Services expects to…
After COVID-19 led to the first hiatus since 1947, R…
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After COVID-19 led to the first hiatus since 1947, Rice County Fair Manager John Dvorak is optimistic that the fair can and will make a strong comeback in 2021.
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When Kristi Larson first saw the Zamboni building in downtown Owatonna, she knew she had hit the jackpot.
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Thirty-seven Waseca County businesses have received $185,000 from the state’s latest COVID-19 relief funds.
After a year of moving from distance learning to hyb…
The Waseca County Public Health Department has begun…
Educators, police officers and health care workers w…
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Two weeks after moving to full in-person learning, Tri-City United High School is back to hybrid learning after COVID protocols have forced more than 100 students to quarantine.
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Two weeks after moving to full in-person learning, Tri-City United High School is back to hybrid learning after COVID protocols have forced more than 100 students to quarantine.
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Expect Faribault Public Schools to transition middle and high school students back into the classroom soon, but so far, school leaders haven’t announced a definite date.
While the COVID-19 pandemic has had a crushing impac…
While the COVID-19 pandemic has had a crushing impac…
While the COVID-19 pandemic has had a crushing impac…
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While the COVID-19 pandemic has had a crushing impact on Minnesota’s healthcare system, one silver lining is perhaps the long overdue expansion of telemedicine.
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Of the $216 million in economic relief state legislators authorized to help businesses and organizations impacted by the pandemic, Steele County received $715,000. But that money won’t cover anywhere near what local business say they need to get back on their feet.
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Some changes are afoot at Mayo Clinic Health System Waseca.
For the second year in a row, the second largest eve…
The Waseca County Board has approved repairs and imp…
When enough doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are availa…
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Some changes are afoot at Mayo Clinic Health System Waseca.
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For the second year in a row, the second largest event to take place at the Steele County Fairgrounds has canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
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The Waseca County Board has approved repairs and improvements to a 101-year-old county ditch.
When enough doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are availa…
Kool & the Gang probably didn’t have vaccination…
Kool & the Gang probably didn’t have vaccination…
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Thursday’s COVID-19 data offers reasons to remain encouraged about the path of the pandemic and reasons for hope around the pace of vaccinations.
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Waseca Junior Senior High School’s Snow Week coronation was filled with smiles and laughter.
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The St. Peter City Council Feb. 8 took action to make development a little easier for at least one project in town.
Wednesday’s COVID-19 data continues to offer Minneso…
Minnesota’s COVID-19 numbers have settled into a goo…
In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo people shelter in t…
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The Tri-City United One Act season may have ended earlier than years prior, but Director Elise Lundeen is proud of the students for making it as far as they did.
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The Tri-City United One Act season may have ended earlier than years prior, but Director Elise Lundeen is proud of the students for making it as far as they did.
spotlight
Women in crisis situations have turned to Ruth’s House of Hope for shelter and resources, and with COVID-19 adding insult to injury, the nonprofit has accrued extra expenses to support its residents.
Minnesota’s latest COVID-19 data continues to show t…
Over the last two decades, things have continued to …
Though people are feeling optimistic about a possibl…
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Customers are starting to return to the Boat House Grill and Bar after it was closed for more than month.
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In an era when stage performances are far and few between, the Benson Family Singers can be found singing where it all began — in the kitchen.
spotlight
In an era when stage performances are far and few between, the Benson Family Singers can be found singing where it all began — in the kitchen.
The effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Minn…
Though they couldn’t be all together like in years p…
State health officials say they’re prepared to distr…
spotlight
Minnesota’s COVID-19 trend lines remain encouraging rolling into February. Hospitalizations, caseloads and daily death counts continue to improve, along with the pace of vaccinations.
spotlight
There wasn’t the usual mingling, speeches and comedian, but Lonsdale Annual Dinner-goers had the unique opportunity to take the party home with them this year.
spotlight
Minnesota’s COVID-19 trend lines continue to be mostly encouraging, and the pace of vaccinations is accelerating after a flat start.
St. Peter and Cleveland public schools are beginning…
Art instructor Kate Langlais has gotten the hang of …
January’s COVID-19 data continues to offer Minnesota…
spotlight
Tri-City United, Le Sueur-Henderson and Cleveland Public Schools are beginning in-person and hybrid learning this month after a stint of distance learning before winter break, but the COVID-19 response of the community determines if students can stay in school.
spotlight
The number of Minnesotans who’ve received at least the first dose of the two-shot COVID-19 vaccine is nearing a quarter-million.
spotlight
Waseca and Janesville have reopened their city facilities to the public again after closing them due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thursday’s COVID-19 data offered a mix of hopeful ne…
Kamala Harris is sworn in as vice president by Supre…
Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president of the U…
spotlight
Some changes are afoot at Mayo Clinic Health System Waseca.
spotlight
For the second year in a row, the second largest event to take place at the Steele County Fairgrounds has canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
spotlight
The Waseca County Board has approved repairs and improvements to a 101-year-old county ditch.
When enough doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are availa…
Kool & the Gang probably didn’t have vaccination…
Kool & the Gang probably didn’t have vaccination…
spotlight
Thursday’s COVID-19 data offers reasons to remain encouraged about the path of the pandemic and reasons for hope around the pace of vaccinations.
spotlight
Waseca Junior Senior High School’s Snow Week coronation was filled with smiles and laughter.
spotlight
The St. Peter City Council Feb. 8 took action to make development a little easier for at least one project in town.
Wednesday’s COVID-19 data continues to offer Minneso…
Minnesota’s COVID-19 numbers have settled into a goo…
In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo people shelter in t…
spotlight
The Tri-City United One Act season may have ended earlier than years prior, but Director Elise Lundeen is proud of the students for making it as far as they did.
spotlight
The Tri-City United One Act season may have ended earlier than years prior, but Director Elise Lundeen is proud of the students for making it as far as they did.
spotlight
Women in crisis situations have turned to Ruth’s House of Hope for shelter and resources, and with COVID-19 adding insult to injury, the nonprofit has accrued extra expenses to support its residents.
Minnesota’s latest COVID-19 data continues to show t…
Over the last two decades, things have continued to …
Though people are feeling optimistic about a possibl…
spotlight
Customers are starting to return to the Boat House Grill and Bar after it was closed for more than month.
spotlight
In an era when stage performances are far and few between, the Benson Family Singers can be found singing where it all began — in the kitchen.
spotlight
In an era when stage performances are far and few between, the Benson Family Singers can be found singing where it all began — in the kitchen.
The effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Minn…
Though they couldn’t be all together like in years p…
State health officials say they’re prepared to distr…
spotlight
Minnesota’s COVID-19 trend lines remain encouraging rolling into February. Hospitalizations, caseloads and daily death counts continue to improve, along with the pace of vaccinations.
spotlight
There wasn’t the usual mingling, speeches and comedian, but Lonsdale Annual Dinner-goers had the unique opportunity to take the party home with them this year.
spotlight
Minnesota’s COVID-19 trend lines continue to be mostly encouraging, and the pace of vaccinations is accelerating after a flat start.
St. Peter and Cleveland public schools are beginning…
Art instructor Kate Langlais has gotten the hang of …
January’s COVID-19 data continues to offer Minnesota…
spotlight
Tri-City United, Le Sueur-Henderson and Cleveland Public Schools are beginning in-person and hybrid learning this month after a stint of distance learning before winter break, but the COVID-19 response of the community determines if students can stay in school.
spotlight
The number of Minnesotans who’ve received at least the first dose of the two-shot COVID-19 vaccine is nearing a quarter-million.
spotlight
Waseca and Janesville have reopened their city facilities to the public again after closing them due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thursday’s COVID-19 data offered a mix of hopeful ne…
Kamala Harris is sworn in as vice president by Supre…
Joe Biden is sworn in as the 46th president of the U…