Post-Bulletin · Waseca, MN
APPLE VALLEY — As the final whistle blew and the clock struck zero, Darin Raasch did his best to take it all in. With tears in his eyes, the Zumbrota-Mazeppa football coach then embraced each one of his 14 seniors. At times he offered words of encouragement; at others, he gave bear hugs as they melted into his arms. After an incredible three months, the ride that had been 30 years in the making had officially come to an end for the Cougars with a 19-16 loss to Waseca in the Class 3A football state quarterfinals on Saturday at Apple Valley High School. "I just feel gratitude. Gratitude for the opportunity to work with these kids," Raasch said. "I'm thankful that they have all developed into the young men that they are, and they're going to be. I'm excited for what they can accomplish, seeing what they did accomplish by working together. They will always be great kids. I just won't have the opportunity to work with them anymore.
The Bemidji Pioneer · Mankato, MN
Nearby: Mankato, MNBEMIDJI — In sports, there are fast starts. And then there’s what Minnesota State did to the Bemidji State men’s hockey team on Friday night to open the weekend series at the Sanford Center. Thirty-four seconds into the game, Moorhead native and 2025 Minnesota Mr. Hockey winner Mason Kraft gave the Mavericks a 1-0 lead. When the clock showed there were eight minutes left on the bench, the Mavericks led 3-0 on just six shots on goal, chasing BSU starting goaltender Max Hildebrand out of the game. While the Beavers stopped the bleeding, it ultimately didn’t matter as Minnesota State rolled to a 4-1 win. “First off, hats off to Mankato,” BSU coach Tom Serratore said. “Hell of a road win — hell of a road period in the first period. Obviously, we stubbed our toe early — gave up a goal early. We were chasing the game in the first and they took advantage of it.
The Bemidji Pioneer · Mankato, MN
Nearby: Mankato, MNBEMIDJI — After the Bemidji State women’s soccer team lost in the NSIC Tournament championship game against top-seeded Minnesota State, the Beavers looked to be the last team in an at-large postseason position. However, after the final calculations in the National Power Index (NPI), the Beavers fell to 10th and were knocked out of the Central Region Tournament, revealed on Monday during the NCAA Division II Selection Show. In Sunday’s NSIC final, seventh-seeded BSU lost to Minnesota State 1-0 at The Pitch in Mankato. A win would’ve secured an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. At-large teams are decided by the NPI rankings. The winners of the NSIC, Great American Conference and Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association receive automatic bids, while the next five teams from those three conferences with the highest NPI rankings earn at-large bids.
Post-Bulletin · Kasson, MN
Nearby: Kasson, MNKASSON — The final score wasn’t at all what the Southland football team wanted: Springfield 44, Southland 8. That came Friday night in the state Class 1A quarterfinals at KMTelecom Stadium in Kasson. Springfield entered unbeaten (now 11-0) and ranked No. 2 in the state. Southland, ranked 10th, was at state for the first time since 1990 and finished its season 9-2. Still, the Rebels found satisfaction and peace when the contest was done. Southland coach JJ Galle was left with that after what one of the referees said to him at game’s end. “He came up to me and said our team was a class act,” Galle said. “That meant a lot.” It’s been quite a season for the Rebels, stepping into territory that forever had been untouched by them. Again, this was the school’s first state appearance in 36 years. Southland had a special group led by a devoted, tight-knit group of seniors. “It was a really fun season,” Southland all-around star athlete and quarterback Henry Wiste said. “Our guys were great.
Post-Bulletin · Kasson, MN
Nearby: Kasson, MNSouthland and Springfield faced off in a Class 1A State quarterfinal football match on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, in Kasson. Find all local high school results at postbulletin.com/sports/prep. ]]>
Post-Bulletin · Austin, MN
Nearby: Austin, MNAUSTIN — The Austin Bruins suffered a weekend sweep on their home ice, at the hands of the Aberdeen Wings. Aberdeen’s specialty teams scored twice in the game’s first 14 minutes, 2 seconds, and never trailed en route to a 4-1 win against the Bruins at Riverside Arena on Saturday night. That came on the heels of a 3-2 Wings win on Friday in Austin. The Bruins have dropped seven of their past eight, six of those by one goal. The Wings took a 2-0 lead in the first period on a short-handed goal by Payne Riffey 11:12 into the game, followed by a power-play goal from Melker Hof at the 14:02 mark of the first period. Austin got on the board, though, before the end of the first period, as Viktor Ohlin scored his third goal of the season with 4:12 to go in the first, with assists from Andrew Leung and Elliot Bast-Wiklund. The score remained 2-1 for the Wings after one. Aberdeen extended its lead in the second, when Caeden Heins scored an unassisted goal 2:30 into the period, making it 3-1.
Post-Bulletin · Lakeville, MN
Nearby: Lakeville, MNLAKEVILLE — John Marshall High School's Abi Tri and Mayo High School's Elise Weingarten each had nights to remember at the Section 1, Class 2A swim and dive championships on Friday in Lakeville. Tri will head to her third consecutive state meet, qualifying in three events, while Weingarten qualified in two. Tri defended her 50-yard freestyle title, placing first with a time of 24.02 seconds. She then finished second in the 100 breaststroke (1:07.35) and was a part of the state-qualifying Rockets' 200 medley relay team, joining forces with sophomores Kayla Mingo, Madilyn Keller and Janet Njeru for a state-qualifying time of 1:51.98. The top two individuals and top two relays in each event, along with the top four divers, earn automatic state berths. Any swimmer or relay who meets a pre-set time standard in each event will also qualify for the state meet.
MinnPost · Farmington, MN
Nearby: Farmington, MNRunning for City Council in Farmington this year, Ben Blomgren said voters asked him about data centers more than anything else. “This was the issue that everyone wanted to talk about,” he said. “When I went door to door, it was about the data center.” Blomgren had a clear position on the proposed Farmington Technology Park hyperscale data center project. He opposed it, and, if elected, would vote against it at every turn. On Election Day, the candidate earned the most votes out of six people running for two open seats. When he takes office in January, he’ll be one of a host of newly elected leaders in Minnesota bringing skeptical stances against data centers to local governments. A spike in voter turnout in Farmington and other cities linked to data centers helped these candidates win, according to data from the Minnesota Secretary of State. The data center effect Data centers became a new election issue in Minnesota this year.
Pine and Lakes Echo Journal · Pine Island, MN
Nearby: Pine Island, MNPINE ISLAND, Minn. — The lady called heads. The coin came up heads. A coin toss Thursday, Nov. 12, determined which of two candidates would sit on the Pine Island City Council for the next four years. With two open seats on the Pine Island City Council on Nov. 3, and four candidates on the ballot, Tosca Wohl was the clear winner of one of the two City Council seats. However, incumbent council member Delana Weis and one of the challengers, Dominick Pahl, tied for the second spot. To determine the winner, a coin toss was held during the special City Council meeting to certify the city's election results. Mayor Brandi Veith Staloch read the results, stating that Mark E. Lang had won the mayoral race, and Wohl had earned one of two spots on the council. She then said two candidates tied for the second spot.
Post-Bulletin · Pine Island, MN
Nearby: Pine Island, MNPINE ISLAND, Minn. — The lady called heads. The coin came up heads. A coin toss Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026, determined which one of two candidates would sit on the Pine Island City Council for the next four years. With two open seats on the Pine Island City Council on the Nov. 3, general election and four candidates on the ballot, Tosca Wohl was the clear winner of one of the two City Council seats. However, incumbent council member Delana Weis and one of the challengers, Dominick Pahl, tied for the second spot. To determine the winner, a coin toss was held during the special City Council meeting to certify the city's election results. Current Mayor Brandi Veith Staloch read the results, stating that Mark E. Lang had won the mayoral race, and Wohl had earned one of two spots on the council. She then said two candidates tied for the second spot.
Grand Forks Herald · Shakopee, MN
Nearby: Shakopee, MNROCHESTER — When Mike Wanchic played at the Mystic Lake Amphitheater in Shakopee in July, he had come a long way since his last visit to Minnesota. Wanchic had been dealing with declining mobility when he visited Mayo Clinic about 80 miles away. Whether he would walk again let alone join his longtime collaborator and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer John Mellencamp on stage for the 2026 tour were in question. Mayo Clinic shared the touching story of getting Wanchic back on his feet and onto the stage. Wanchic, who lives in Indiana, was initially treated for an inflammatory disorder involving his spinal cord. He was 10 months into declining motor function and was in a wheelchair by the time he visited Mayo Clinic. Brandy Welvaert describes how Mayo Clinic neurologist Samantha Banks picked up on “red flags” of Wanchic’s previous diagnosis and how his symptoms didn’t match what he was being treated for.