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Highway 71 Crews are wrapping up work on Hwy. 29. This week, they’ll shift gears to Hwy. 71 between Aldrich Ave. and Franklin Ave. Work in this area will run into early September, at which time both Hwy. 29 and Hwy. 71 will be resurfaced and finished. Improvements include: storm sewer upgrades, new sidewalks and pedestrian ramps, replacing the signal at Hwy. 29 and adding pedestrian signals at Aldrich Ave. and Bryant Ave. What to expect: one lane of traffic open in each di

The Minnesota Department of Transportation will convert the rural two-way stop intersection in Hewitt into an all-way stop intersection in July to improve safety and reduce severe crashes. Work is scheduled for Highway 71 at Highway 210 in Hewitt, Todd County, around July 14. Traffic will be flagged while crews install new signs, which may result in brief delays. Message boards will be placed at each location one week before work begins to alert drivers to the upcoming traf

by Trinity Gruenberg trinity@inhnews.com The Wadena County Commissioners held their regular meeting on July 14. Capital Projects County Administrator Colleen Winter discussed upcoming county building projects over the next five years. Some of the items on the agenda included: approved ADA ramps at the courthouse, modernizing the courthouse elevator to meet state code by around 2028, upgrading the long-delayed courthouse bathrooms, especially the downstairs ones that don’t

Stoplight to be removed at Hwy. 71 and Bryant Ave. On Wednesday, June 22, crews will take down the signal at the intersection of Hwy. 71 (Jefferson St.) and Bryant Ave. Stop signs will be placed on Bryant Ave. to allow for right turns only onto Hwy. 71 until work is completed. Bicyclists to be in town Expect lots of bicyclists in town July 28-29. Just a heads-up that Wadena will be an overnight stop for the MS TRAM ride on July 28-29. That means there will be a lot of bicyc

by Trinity Gruenberg trinity@inhnews.com The Verndale School Board held their regular meeting on July 6. Playground Construction Update School Board Member Chris Youngbauer gave an update on the new playground. The old playground equipment and mulch have been removed, leaving only the anchor points for the previous basketball hoops, which will be removed using an excavator. Clean sand has been brought in to form the subgrade, with plans to place fabric over it and then add

by Trinity Gruenberg trinity@inhnews.com The Wadena County Commissioners held their regular meeting on Tuesday, July 7. Commissioner Murlyn Kreklau was absent. ADA Entrance Project The county board approved a modified design for an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)–compliant entrance on the north side of the courthouse, choosing to keep an existing pine tree and drop a previously discussed connection to the annex. The project will add the new entrance ramp on the north

by Trinity Gruenberg trinity@inhnews.com The Verndale Area Christian Academy (VACA) has begun a major expansion that will create more classrooms, which will include kindergarten through seventh grade. The approximate 14,000 square foot addition to the existing facility will create additional storage and maintenance areas. As VACA grew, they began planning the building project in 2023, with the assistance of the Verndale Family Life Church. The initial ceremonial groundbre

by Trinity Gruenberg trinity@inhnews.com The Wadena County Commissioners held their regular meeting on Tuesday, June 9. Bent Paddle Solar Project Tim Clement of Invenergy explained that the Verndale solar project remains at 110 megawatts of solar generation, with the possibility of adding battery storage in the future. One of the major changes since the company’s last visit is how the project will connect to the electric grid. Originally, Invenergy planned to connect by ta

by Trinity Gruenberg trinity@inhnews.com The Verndale School Board held their regular meeting on Monday, June 1. Board Member Chuck Dick was absent. Playground Removed Superintendent Jeannie Mayer gave an update on the playground project. She explained that the existing playground equipment was removed over the weekend. Mayer explained the current financial picture for the new playground. Community donations to date total $51,701.67. The school has contributed $92,001.88 f

We want to share an important reminder that Hwy. 10 is currently closed to through traffic between Co. Rd. 4 and Oink Joint Rd./140th St. through early July while crews replace the Whiskey Creek box culvert and complete critical underground work. Weather permitting, we’re on track to reopen before the Fourth of July weekend. Many motorists have been driving past the “Road Closed Ahead” signs in Verndale and continuing on Hwy. 10 instead of using the marked detour. When they