Brian Arola

1 week ago | mankatofreepress.com | Brian Arola

LE CENTER — A man was charged for possession of an illegal automatic weapon after what started as a traffic stop in Le Sueur County on Saturday. Walter DTJ Green, 26, of Chaska, faces felonies for machine gun possession, ineligible possession of a firearm and fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance in Le Sueur County District Court. The charges stem from a Cleveland police officer noticing a vehicle speeding in the city, according to a criminal complaint.

1 week ago | mankatofreepress.com | Brian Arola

MANKATO — A man’s sentencing for sexually assaulting a minor in 2015 will proceed after a court-ordered review found he was competent to proceed. Lazarous Lazaro Thomas, 28, of Mankato, was found guilty on four felony counts for first-, second-, third- and fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor after a bench trial in June 2024.

1 week ago | mankatofreepress.com | Brian Arola

MANKATO — The federal government’s removal of information from its websites makes it harder to educate patients on critical health issues, said a local health center’s communications coordinator. Molly Gehrke’s job at Open Door Health Center includes coming up with weekly and monthly awareness campaigns. The goal is to give patients and the community a better understanding of health topics ranging from chronic disease prevention to immunizations to maternal health issues.

1 week ago | mankatofreepress.com | Brian Arola

MANKATO — After hospitalizing more Minnesotans than any season since at least 2011, data showed influenza infections are winding down in the state. The Minnesota Department of Health's latest weekly flu surveillance report had 47 known hospitalizations from the illness statewide, down from 72 in the prior week. At its peak early this year the state was seeing more than 800 weekly flu hospitalizations.

1 week ago | mankatofreepress.com | Brian Arola

MANKATO — As a student organizer of Saturday’s Mahkato Spring Round Dance, Winona Williams said bringing Native communities together in Mankato is meaningful to her. “A lot of people are hesitant to come down this way just because of the history that Mankato holds with Native communities,” said Williams, president of the Native American Student Association at Minnesota State University.