WORTHINGTON – A fire reported at 1:40 p.m. this afternoon had the Worthington Fire Department out.

All clients were evacuated immediately from the building.at the The Achievement Center for two hours fighting a blaze in the duct work of the woodshop. The fire department used their aerial truck to get water down inside the venting of the building.

SLAYTON – More than seven thousand solar panels began producing power Friday in Slayton after being connected to Xcel Energy’s distribution system, according to renewable power developer Ecos Energy. The solar array is the largest in the state, with 2 megawatts of output, the equivalent of the power used by 250 homes.

The project has 32 rows of solar panels covering an area the size of 7 1/2 football fields on what once was a cornfield.

With the Slayton site up and running, the solar array atop the Ikea store in Bloomington slips into the number two spot with 1 megawatt of output.

It's this weekend: the 2013 Worthington Winterfest! Stay tuned for details on a variety of events, such as the YMCA Healthy Heart Walk/Run, the Deep Freeze Dip, and 3-on-3 Pond Hockey Tournament!

In conunction with Winterfest comes your Winterfest Medallion Hunt! UPDATE: THE MEDALLION HAS BEEN FOUND! Anyone planning on doing some Winterfest Medallion searching today will be searching in vain – the medallion was found Thursday morning by Worthington resident Angela Clausen.

Congratulations to Estee Cregeen and Kham Muonkhot of Jackson. They are the parents of the first baby of 2013 at Sanford Worthington Medical Center.

Kaizen Tien was born at 6:32 a.m. Tuesday, and he came in a hurry, according to his mom. She arrived at the hospital at 6:06 a.m. and was a new mommy less than half an hour later. Estee hadn’t anticipated having a New Years baby - Kaizen wasn’t due until January 6.

The Buffalo Ridge Drug Task Force executed six search warrants, in the city of Fulda, two on Friday, December 7, 2012 and four on Tuesday December 11, 2012. As a result of the investigations, the BRDTF arrested thirteen adults, placed two children in protective custody, and seized methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, drug paraphernalia, cash, and other miscellaneous items. Several consent searches were also conducted as a result of the search warrant activities. All of the activities were part of ongoing investigations.

Main Article Image: 

WORTHINGTON – Two people killed in a head-on collision this morning are identified by Nobles County Sheriff Kent Wilkening as Daniel Niel Kunkel, 66, of Round Lake, and Jose Manuel Martinez, 23, of Worthington. The crash happened at approximately 7:40 a.m. on Nobles County Road 25 between Worthington and Reading. Both victims were transported to Sanford Medical Center by ambulance, and both died at the hospital. There were no other passengers in the vehicles. The accident remains under investigation.

A 23-year-old Pipestone man who died after falling into a smokestack in Chicago, Ill. has been identified as Nicholas Wieme, an aspiring comedian who graduated in 2011 from the University of Minnesota Moorhead.

Police and fire crews responded to the InterContinental Hotel at on North Michigan Avenue at 1:09 a.m. and found a person had fallen into a smokestack while attempting to take photos on the roof of the hotel, Fire Media Affairs said. The person was in an area above a 42nd-floor balcony that is closed off from the general public.

RISE Ministries, the organization behind RiseFest, has announced that RiseFest 2013’s headlining is one of Christian music’s most decorated bands, MercyMe.

Looking for part time hours? Radio Works is in need of Part Time Board ops. Hours vary and training is paid. You will assist in running the board for our local sports broadcasts and live remotes. No on air speaking is required. Computer knowledge and skill is a plus. Grab an application today at our offices located just West of Worthington on County Highway 35! We’re always looking for creative, hard working, and focused people to join our team. A career in radio broadcasting can give you unlimited earning potential.

Main Article Image: 

PIPESTONE – A large fire broke out today at Priester Bus Service in Pipestone, closing Highway 75 to traffic as hoses from the Pipestone Fire Department pulled water from across the street. Along with the Pipestone department, mutual aid firefighters and equipment from the Holland and Jasper departments were on hand to fight the blaze. While strong winds blew across the area, explosions could be heard coming from the building. The call reporting the fire came in at 1:27 p.m.

(Photo from Pipestone County Star)