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County considers merits of wheelage tax

Local News

FAIRMONT— The Martin County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday heard information from County Engineer Kevin Peyman to discuss whether or not the county wants to continue to collect wheelage tax. Martin County has been collecting wheelage tax on each vehicle in the county since July of 2013. Peyman shared that 55 out of 87 counties in the state are collecting wheelage tax.Twenty-six of them are collecting $20, four are collecting $15 and 25, including Martin County, are collecting $10. The discussion comes as, a year ago, the county implemented a half cent transportation sales and use ...

CER is on the move

Local News

FAIRMONT – After having left five years ago, Fairmont Community Education and Recreation (CER) is returning to the Fairmont Elementary School this week. CER had most recently been in the south side of the elementary school, where the orchestra program currently uses space. When their needs ...

EDA mulls over potential trail project

Local News

FAIRMONT – A potential trail project that would extend between Alpha, Jackson, Sherburn, Welcome and Fairmont was brought up for the first time at Monday’s Martin County Economic Development Authority (EDA) meeting. The spark for this project comes from a MnDOT grant Alpha has received to do a Rails to Trails program. This would mean taking partially abandoned or little-used railroads and transforming them into trails that can be used for walking, biking and snowmobiling. The corridor that would be used is part of the former Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern (DM&E) railroad, which is ...

Police

Police

FAIRMONT Monday, Aug. 3 11:26 a.m. — Police investigated a fraud/counterfeiting complaint in the 300 block of South State Street. 11:46 a.m. to 5:24 p.m. — (4) animal complaints/bites were reported in Fairmont. A verbal warning was issued to one of the calls. 12:24 p.m. — Police investigated a harassment complaint in the 200 block of Downtown Plaza. 12:50 p.m. — A disabled/abandoned motor vehicle was reported at 4th Street and Fairview Avenue. Assistance was rendered. 1:35 p.m. — A suspicious circumstance was reported in the 900 block of Day Street. 1:49 ...

Intern learns the ropes of police, sheriff’s department

Local News

FAIRMONT – For the 16th year, the Fairmont Police Department and Martin County Sheriff’s Department welcomed an intern to learn the ins and outs. The program was started in 2010. It is open to students interested in criminal justice, and is currently led by Parker Stevens of the Fairmont ...

EDA ponders SMIF economic development report

Local News

FAIRMONT – At Monday's Martin County Economic Development Authority (EDA) meeting, CEDA shared a report recently released on the area's economic development prospects. CEDA Specialist Amber Patten, who was interviewed for the report, shared the Southern Minnesota Initiative Foundation's (SMIF) findings for the area, which found that economic development in Martin County is constrained. This is not from a lack of ideas for the area, but a lack of capacity, funding access and infrastructure. To fix this, SMIF pitched seven different ideas to strengthen economic development in this ...