Voucher waiting list opened

NORTH MANKATO — Effective June 6, the South Central MN Multi-County HRA, serving the counties of Martin, Nicollet, Sibley, Waseca and Watonwan, will accept applications for the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program waiting list.

Applicants will be placed on the waiting list on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to preference of living, working or a full-time college student in the HRA service area. Applications can be obtained by calling the HRA office at (507) 345-1977 or (800) 733-9564; visiting the HRA website at www.scmmchra.org or the HRA office at 422 Belgrade Ave., Suite 102, North Mankato, MN 56003.

The Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program is a federally funded rental assistance program that subsidizes rent for income-eligible tenants. The goal of the program is to serve the maximum number of clients in the HRA service area as funding permits.

Saxton, Melson win scholarships

FAIRMONT – The Agri-Business Committee of the Fairmont Area Chamber of Commerce and the Agriculture Future of America have announced the ag scholarship winners for 2018. Two $4,200 scholarships have been awarded this year to Camren Saxton and Emelia Melson.

Saxton will graduate from Fairmont Area Schools in June and attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in the fall.

Melson will graduate from Martin County West in June and attend the University of Minnesota-St. Paul in the fall.

Weather helps Minnesota farmers

ST. PAUL (AP) — Another week of favorable weather has helped Minnesota farmers make good planting progress.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says in its weekly crop progress and condition report for Minnesota that above-average temperatures last week aided crop development, while scattered showers had little impact on planting and hay-cutting. There were 5.5 days suitable for fieldwork.

Minnesota’s spring wheat is 93 percent planted, which is two days ahead of the five-year average. Corn is 93 percent planted, which is one day ahead of average. Soybeans are 80 percent planted, four days ahead of average.

Sixty-eight percent of the state’s spring wheat crop has emerged, as has 66 percent of the corn crop and 29 percent of the soybean crop.

Topsoil moisture supplies are rated 76 percent adequate and 7 percent surplus.