The Free Press, Mankato, MN

State, national news

State, national news
  • Meteorology company predicts active Atlantic hurricane season

    AccuWeather.com is predicting another active Atlantic hurricane season, particularly for the U.S. coastline.

    May 15, 2013

  • NW Wisconsin wildfire consumes 8,700 acres

    Firefighters are working to contain a smoky wildfire in northwestern Wisconsin.

    May 15, 2013

  • Ethanol prices fall vs. gasoline Ethanol weakened against gasoline on concern that the highest returns on making the biofuel from corn since 2011 will help raise production rates. The discount, or price difference, widened 3.18 cents to 18.18 cents a gallon at 10:45 a.m. New York ti

    May 15, 2013

  • MFP Farm Bill pic Farmers, food stamps face cuts WASHINGTON -- Lawmakers who last year failed to complete a rewrite of U.S. agricultural policy will restart their effort this week with pressure building for even bigger cuts for farmers and food-stamp recipients. Federal budget-cutting and criticism

    May 15, 2013 1 Photo

  • DFL lawmaker: Compromise reached on frac sand regulations The lawmaker who has pushed this year for tougher state regulation of the frac sand mining industry on Tuesday said DFL legislative leaders have reached a compromise on the legislation. Lawmakers have agreed to create a new Department of Natural Reso

    May 14, 2013

  • OJ THE PATH TO PRISON Co-counsel: Simpson was dependent on main attorney LAS VEGAS (AP) — O.J. Simpson became so dependent on his lawyer during his Las Vegas armed robbery trial that the former football star would have done anything Yale Galanter advised — including passing up the chance to testify, his co-counsel testifi

    May 14, 2013 6 Photos

  • AP Phone Records Subpoena Gov't probe obtains wide swath of AP phone records WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department secretly obtained two months of telephone records of reporters and editors for The Associated Press in what the news cooperative's top executive called a "massive and unprecedented intrusion" into how news org

    May 14, 2013 2 Photos

  • Sister Stabbed-3 APNewsBreak: Dad wants evidence in girl's stabbing Eds: Updates with news conference planned by father has been canceled. With AP Photos. AP Video. VALLEY SPRINGS, Calif. (AP) — The father of a 12-year-old boy accused of fatally stabbing his 8-year-old sister said Monday he will believe his son is i

    May 14, 2013 2 Photos

  • Minn. farmers finally start spring planting ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — After a cold and wet spring, Minnesota farmers finally have made significant progress in planting. According to the weekly crops and weather report for Minnesota, the U.S. Department of Agriculture says there were 3.6 days rat

    May 14, 2013

  • Man gets 20 years in Somali terror investigation MINNEAPOLIS -- A man who authorities say played a key role in funneling young men from Minnesota to a terrorist group in Somalia was sentenced Monday to 20 years in prison, while another man who was a foot soldier for al-Shabab received a 10-year sen

    May 14, 2013