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A Stearns County judge has dismissed one felony stalking charge against Father Aaron John Kuhn, while allowing several felony criminal sexual conduct charges to continue. The stalking charge was dismissed because the court found the three-year statute of limitations had expired. The dismissal was not opposed by prosecutors Kuhn was a pastor at Mary, Mother of the Church Area Catholic Community, a collection of parishes in central Minnesota. They include St. Joseph in Bertha

by Trinity Gruenberg trinity@inhnews.com Colleen Winter has stepped into her new role as Wadena County’s county administrator, bringing with her a wealth of experience and a passion for community. Having moved to the area with her husband over a year ago, she felt that applying for the position was the perfect opportunity at the right time. “We’ve always wanted to live here because it’s such a beautiful area,” Winter shared. “When the opening came up, it felt like a great

by Trinity Gruenberg trinity@inhnews.com The Todd County Commissioners held their regular meeting on Tuesday, August 4. TWCC Update The Todd County Commissioners received an update on Todd-Wadena Community Corrections (TWCC) from Interim Director Michael Schommer. He shared that the agency has hired a consultant to evaluate TWCC’s effectiveness and to help plan for its future. The consultant is focusing on three main areas: how well the agency is performing and where it can

Primary election results are in for local, state and federal races following the August 11 election. In the Wadena County sheriff’s race, Bryan Savaloja led the field with 1,333 votes or 43.32 percent. Milo Scott received 560 votes or 18.20 percent, followed by Troy Wangsness with 471 votes which is 15.31 percent. Cory Carr received 437 votes, 14.20 percent, and Aaron Schiller received 276 votes, 8.97 percent. In the Republican primary for State Senate District 5, Mike Wien

by Trinity Gruenberg trinity@inhnews.com The Wadena County Commissioners held their regular meeting on Tuesday, August 4. Groundwater Monitoring at Wadena County Landfill Alex Puetz from Barr Engineering presented to commissioners information about groundwater monitoring at the Wadena County demolition landfill where he has worked for about six years. Groundwater is essential for drinking water and flows underground from areas of higher elevation to lower elevation. Becaus

Filing for municipal and school board candidacy was held Tuesday, July 14 through Tuesday, July 28. The general election will be held on November 3. The following are filings for cities, townships and school boards in Wadena County. Aldrich Mayor: Vanessa Waldahl. Council Member: Faye Baugh. Special Election for City Clerk: No candidates filed. City Treasurer: No candidates filed. Bluffton Mayor: No candidates filed. Council Member (Elect 2): No candidates filed. Dee

by Trinity Gruenberg trinity@inhnews.com The Wadena County Commissioners held their regular meeting on Tuesday, July 21. Initiative Foundation Celebrates 40 Years in Wadena County Vice President Carl Newbanks mentioned that since 1986 the Initiative Foundation has provided 80 loans totaling $3.3 million. These loans have helped create or keep 959 jobs. The foundation steps in to help fund projects when banks can’t cover everything. In 2025, they gave out 33 grants worth ab

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

United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that five defendants were collectively sentenced to over 500 months of imprisonment for their roles in a large-scale drug trafficking case out of Wadena County. The following individuals were sentenced: Robert Joseph Anderson, 40, of Wadena, 132 months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine; Aaron Thomas Heifort, 30, of Clitherall, 122 months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine; Bill J

Recent detections of the North Central skunk variant of the rabies virus in cattle from Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota, have prompted this notification. Rabies cases in livestock are relatively infrequent. However, they serve as indicators of active rabies virus transmission between skunk reservoirs and livestock within agricultural communities. This indicates ongoing circulation of the North Central skunk variant across the Upper Midwest. While rabid cattle have been de