WoMen’s Rural Advocacy Programs last week received a $25,000 gift from First Interstate Bank and the First Interstate BancSystem Foundation as part of their inaugural Believe in Local grant campaign. These funds will be deployed to provide support to any victim of domestic violence.

The Labor Day Weekend is behind us now, and things are back to “normal” as the kids headed back to school this week, and for many of us, a more typical routine is with us once again. We had a nice weekend to close out the summer season. Temperatures were very pleasant on Saturday. We had sunshine with highs generally in the lower 70s for much of the state of Minnesota. Temperatures did warm-up a bit on Sunday with highs in the mid to upper 70s.

Well-known local musician and songwriter Jerry Ostensoe passed away on August 29th, at his home near Hawk Creek just outside of Granite Falls. Ostensoe, a lifetime resident of southwestern Minnesota, has been involved in music for many years, writing and performing songs about the local area, nature and trains.

On Friday, September 2nd, the Granite Falls Police Department issued a press release with the news that an arrest had been made in connection with the ongoing investigation into multiple incidents of arson at a Granite Falls apartment building. Brenda Lynn Stang, age 56, of Granite Falls was arrested last Thursday in connection to the series of arson fires at a six-story apartment building in Granite Falls that occurred on four separate dates in July. The press release states, “These fires were all started in common areas within the first floor of the building, with one fire being started inside the only elevator. Thankfully no one was physically injured as a result of any of these fires.”