Arts facilities receive funding

FAIRMONT — Two Martin County organizations have received arts grants totaling $14,000 from the Prairie Lakes Regional Arts Council.

Fairmont Opera House received $7,000 and will purchase and install a compliance hearing assistance system, two stage foggers, cabling and a haze machine.

Martin County Preservation Association/Red Rock Center for the Arts received $7,000 and will sponsor its 2019-20 season of arts programming, including the “Lunch with the Arts” series; art education classes for children and adults; and musical performances. Funds will be used for artist fees, salaries and publicity.

The Arts Council has announced that grants of $163,500 from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund have been awarded to 25 arts organizations, community groups and schools in the region. This fund was created by the people of Minnesota to support the arts and preserve our heritage.

Man sentenced in child porn case

ST. PAUL (AP) — A Minnesota man has been sentenced to 28 years in federal prison for producing and distributing child pornography.

Thirty-seven-year-old Nicholas Campbell, of Otsego, was also given 25 years of supervised released during sentencing last week in federal court in St. Paul.

Prosecutors say FBI agents seized a large volume of electronic evidence from Campbell’s home showing that he had produced sexually explicit images and videos of two children.

The Star Tribune report Campbell then used a peer-to-peer file-sharing platform to digitally distribute the images.

Fort Snelling State Park reopening

ST. PAUL (AP) — Fort Snelling State Park is finally reopening after a long shutdown for repairing damage caused by flooding this spring.

The park sits at the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers near Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and is normally one of Minnesota’s busiest state parks. It reopens at 8 a.m. Tuesday after having been closed since March.

While the park is subject to frequent flooding, it had never before been closed to the public for so long due to flood damage.

Rising rivers from a hefty winter snowpack and heavy spring rains caused substantial damage to buildings, roads, and the main water supply line at the park. Extensive road improvements have been completed and the drinking water supply has been restored.