News

Court rules in favor of county attorney in salary dispute with commissioners

Oct 22, 2025

A court has ordered Wabasha County to raise the Wabasha County Attorney’s salary back to $130,900 for 2025 after finding fault with the county board’s decision-making process in reducing it for this year. In a ruling filed Oct. 14, Third District Court Judge Joseph A. Bueltel said commissioners “...

County board approves permits for retail cannabis operations in Wabasha

Oct 15, 2025

Wabasha County Commissioners on Oct. 7 approved Conditional Use Permits for Hunter Kapple and Brandon Van Asten, with conditions, to operate retail cannabis (marijuana) dispensaries in Wabasha. The County Planning and Zoning Commission voted 2-1 in recommending approval of each application. The...

Council deadlocks on Jewel lot split request

Oct 15, 2025

A request to split a lot in The Jewel development is on hold after a vote to deny it failed on a 3-3 tie vote of the Lake City City Council at its regular meeting on Oct. 13. Some on the council cited a perceived precedent created by eight previous approvals of lot combination requests that...

Goodhue County preliminary tax levy grows 6.5%

Oct 8, 2025

On Sept. 16, Goodhue County Commissioners voted to approve a preliminary property tax levy for 2026 of $48,261,504, which is $2,945,529 or 6.5% higher than the 2025 levy. Despite rising costs from federal and state cost shifts (including new SNAP work requirements), labor union contracts, and a 23...

Lake City man charged with felony criminal sexual conduct involving minor

Oct 1, 2025

A Lake City man was in Wabasha County jail Sept. 30 facing numerous charges related to alleged sexual abuse of a minor under the age of 14 that took place over the span of about six months. Chase Andrew Thurber, 35, is charged with seven felony counts of First Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct,...

Wabasha County approves $18.6M proposed tax levy

Oct 1, 2025

Wabasha County Supervisors on Sept. 16 approved a proposed 2026 property tax levy at $18,658,871, an increase of $889,036 (5.00) percent over the 2025 adopted levy. A Truth in Taxation meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2 in the County Board room in Wabasha. County Commissioners are...

Lake City man injured in motorcycle crash

Sep 24, 2025

A 50-year-old Lake City man was treated for non-life theatening injuries following a Sept. 17 motorcycle crash on Highway 61 in Goodhue County, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. The motorcycle was northbound on Hwy. 61 at mile marker 77 at around 6 a.m. when the driver lost control and...

Police using license plate readers to aid enforcement efforts

Sep 17, 2025

Sharp-eyed readers of the weekly police report in the Graphic might notice a new category of call identified as “FLOCK CAMERA.” According to Lake City Police Sgt. Bill Weist, it refers to “a new ALPR [automatic license plate reader] system that was installed a couple weeks ago. It helps alert us...

One killed, two injured in three Wabasha County motorcycle crashes

Sep 17, 2025

The Minnesota State Patrol reported three crashes involving motorcycles in Wabasha County between Sept. 11 and Sept. 14. One motorcycle rider was killed and two others were injured in the crashes. Fatal accident on Hwy. 60 and County Hwy. 13 Michael Lee Kotlarz, 47, of Arcadia, Wis., was killed...

One injured in Zumbro Township crash

Sep 10, 2025

One person was injured when two southbound vehicles collided on Hwy. 63 in Zumbro Township on Sept. 5, according to the State Patrol. A Buick Lacrosse and a Chevrolet Impala collided shortly before 9:30 a.m. near 605th Street, according to the report. The driver of the Impala, a 23-year-old Lake...