March 2025

CURE Seeks Reconsideration of CO2 Pipeline Permit in MN

Last week, CURE, a rural advocacy organization based out of Montevideo, filed an appeal to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) arguing that the decision to grant Summit Carbon Solutions, LLC a permit for 28-miles of CO2 pipeline in Otter Tail and Wilkin Counties is “inconsistent with [Minnesota’s] pipeline routing statutes and rules.” CURE’s petition to the PUC highlights that Summit’s project faces major questions about its path forward, and that Minnesotans need answers from regulators before allowing any further approvals in the state.

This Happened Here: Duluth Blood…

[Welcome to the words of our first guest columnist! Johanna Luetmer, a writer, musician, and child development expert who currently lives in St. Paul, has graciously agreed to share this tale of a cozy Minnesota afternoon turned harrowing. Enjoy.]

Chippewa County members earn Bruce Miller award

Two Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) members received the Bruce Miller award at the 123rd anniversary National Farmers Union (NFU) Convention held earlier this month in Oklahoma City.

CURE brings local residents to Washington DC

Delegates from Minnesota return from Washington, D.C. after a week of Congressional meetings pushing to roll back the 45Q tax credit that subsidizes the development of carbon pipelines. Dan and Jolene Henriksen (Vesta), Pam Jensen (Lamberton), and Peg Furshong (Renville) met with officials from Rep. Finstad, Rep. Fischbach, Sen. Klobuchar, Rep. Omar, and Sen. Smith’s offices. In addition to state meetings, the delegation met with the Senate Committee on Finance, House Committee on Ways and Means as well as with the Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) as a follow-up to a letter sent on February 10th on wasteful and dangerous carbon capture subsidies.

KOLT foundation gala exceeds fundraising goal

On Saturday evening, the first annual KOLT Foundation Gala was held at The Rock: Dining and Events. The evening featured food, auctions, and entertainment with a black and white attire theme.

Band students attend Minnesota Orchestra

last week, Montevideo School’s seventh and eighth grade band students were able to enjoy a trip to the Minnesota Orchestra. The program featured music to represent multiple emotions and also featured another young musician, Jane Story a 17 year old violin concerto competition winner.

Housing study open to collect local data

Over the next few months, the City of Montevideo is working with Chippewa County and Clara City to study the communities’ housing needs and priorities. This study will provide insight into the communities’ current housing stock from both a data analysis and community input perspective. The desired outcome is an easy-to-use plan that identifies and prioritizes housing needs and provides an implementation matrix with action steps, a timeline, a responsible party, and resources.