>>Minnesota DFL Chair Criticizes Federal Search of Ilhan Omar’s Home
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota DFL Party Chair Richard Carlbom is criticizing the federal search of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s Washington, D.C., home, accusing President Donald Trump of using the federal government against political opponents. In a statement released today, Carlbom said the search should concern Americans regardless of political affiliation. He expressed support for Omar and Minnesota’s Somali community and urged voters to participate in the November 3rd election. The Department of Justice has said the search was part of an ongoing federal criminal investigation but has not publicly provided further details.
>>Minnesota Seeks Public Input on State Financial Aid
(ST. PAUL, MN) — The Minnesota Office of Higher Education is asking students and families for feedback as it considers changes to how state financial aid is distributed. Officials say the goal is to better understand how students navigate the financial aid system and identify ways to make it easier to use. Current high school and college students, along with their parents and guardians, are encouraged to participate in an anonymous survey that takes about five to ten minutes to complete. The deadline to submit responses is October 23rd. More information can be found on their website.
>>Minnesota Military Members Urged to Claim $2022 Tax Credit Before Deadline
(St. Paul, MN) — Minnesota military service members have until October 15th to claim a refundable tax credit for service in a combat zone during 2022. The Minnesota Department of Revenue says eligible service members can receive $120 for each month, or partial month, they served in a qualifying combat zone.
More than 850 eligible service members have yet to claim the credit. The department says the average refund so far has been $612. To qualify, applicants must have been Minnesota residents during their service, served in a qualifying combat zone or hazardous duty area in 2022, and received combat pay exempt from income taxes. Eligible service members must claim the credit by October 15th, 2026, before it expires.
>>Fire Destroys Baler and Tractor
(Harvey Township, MN) — A baler was destroyed by fire Saturday evening in Harvey Township near Litchfield. The Meeker County Sheriff’s Office says the baler was fully engulfed in flames, and the fire spread into the field. The 70-year-old operator and landowner, Timothy Peterson, was not injured. The baler was a total loss, and the tractor pulling it was also damaged.
>>DigiKey plans $100 million expansion in Thief River Falls
(Thief River Falls, MN) — DigiKey plans to invest more than $100 million over the next 18 months to expand and automate its global distribution center in Thief River Falls. The project includes automated order retrieval, expanded picking capacity, upgraded packing systems and improvements to order management technology. The expansion comes as the electronics distributor projects revenue growth of more than 50% in 2026, adding an estimated $1.5 billion in revenue. DigiKey’s 2.2-million-square-foot facility opened in 2022 and serves more than one million customers worldwide.
>>Sauna Destroyed by Fire
(Dassel, MN) — A sauna was destroyed by fire Saturday night in Dassel Township, but firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to a nearby home. A neighbor alerted the homeowner, 39-year-old Johnathan Hohenstein, that the sauna was on fire. Investigators believe the fire started with the sauna’s wood-burning stove. No injuries were reported.
