Good morning, Mankato.

In Mankato, a man was charged with felony drug sale when officers stopped his car on Aug.

21 and a K9 unit alerted them, leading to a search that found packaged cocaine weighing about 9.1 grams & drug paraphernalia.

A Wells man, Roel Gallardo, 49, was convicted of felony meth possession in Faribault County District Court after five bags of suspected meth weighing 7.1 ounces were found in July — his three-year prison term is stayed for five years while he serves supervised probation.

Sarah Schmidt from New Ulm and her three daughters left just after midnight on Wednesday to drive to the State Fair with their prized pigs and cattle, a family tradition passed down through four generations—she said the experience shows the value of teamwork on the farm.

Minnesota State University will hold the grand opening of the Maverick Innovation Gateway on Wednesday at 9 a.m.—the free event will showcase a new hub for entrepreneurship funded partly by a $2 million pledge from Nidec.

Mankato Area Public Schools students outperformed the state in the 2025 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments with 55% in math and 54.4% in reading compared to state averages of 45.2% and 49.6%—district attendance also improved from 68.9% to 72.17% of students attending at least 90% of school days.

Mankato officials announced that Adams Street resurfacing, which includes replacing curb, gutter and sidewalk segments, will begin Tuesday with Phase 1 finishing early October and Phase 2 completing mid October—traffic will be diverted during construction with detour routes posted.

Blue Earth County is finalizing its 2026-2030 construction plans that include repairs on Riverfront Drive near Summit Avenue, improvements to highway 169, and several bridge replacements over the Blue Earth River — county officials are seeking public feedback until Sept 24 ahead of the Oct 7 County Board meeting.

Flags will fly at half-staff at all state buildings on Sunday, August 31 to honor Officer Haugen, who died on August 18 after more than 16 years of service—organizations and businesses are asked to lower their flags in his memory.

The Mankato Clinic Foundation announced $53,200 in grants to eight local organizations to boost health and wellness programs in the third quarter — the awards fund services such as day support for individuals with disabilities, athletic leagues, school supplies, daycare, falls prevention, mentoring, diabetes camps, and CPR classes for foster families.

KEYC published a new edition of Sports Extra that detailed fall week one football matchups—listing games such as Mankato East vs. Owatonna along with matchups involving teams like Waseca, St. Peter, and others from the region.

Minot State Beavers vs. Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks Football

1-2:30 p.m. — Blakeslee Stadium — Ticket prices vary — Cheer on the Beavers as they take on the Mavericks in this exciting college football matchup.

53rd Annual Traditional Mahkato Wacipi

7 p.m., 1 p.m. — Land of Memories Park — $8 general admission, free for children and seniors — Celebrate Dakota culture with dance, music, and traditional festivities at this vibrant powwow.

Sioux Falls Cougars vs. Minnesota State Mankato Mavericks Football

2:00 – 3:30 p.m. — Blakeslee Stadium — Ticket prices vary — Watch as the Cougars and Mavericks clash in a thrilling college football matchup.