MINNESOTA – In a 37-30 vote, the same-sex marriage bill was passed today by the Minnesota Senate after more than four hours of debate. District 22 Sen. Bill Weber voted against the bill. Gov. Mark Dayton has already vowed to sign the measure if it made it past both the House and Senate. The House passed the measure Thursday on a 75 to 59 vote.

Man-made chemicals, from cocaine to DEET to pharmaceuticals, are finding their way into Minnesota lakes in ways that no one understands, according to an analysis released today from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

Fifty lakes analyzed last year by state scientists contained at least some of 125 different chemicals. DEET, the insect repellent, was the most common, found in 76 percent of them.

Only three of the 50 lakes were chemical-free.

WORTHINGTON — The finishing touches are being put on the Worthington Event Center and by the Grand Opening Gala on Saturday, the center will finished, marking the end of a long process. The building is 14,153 square feet and will come in at a cost around $3.75 million.

WORTHINGTON - The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) has scheduled Public Assistance applicant briefings May 13-15 for the five counties designated as part of the presidential disaster declaration. FEMA’s Public Assistance program is not designed to assist individual residents. It is open to representatives from state and local governments and certain private, nonprofit organizations. The briefings are held to help those representatives apply for federal disaster assistance following the ice storm of April 9-11, 2013.

The Minnesota House has passed a measure to legalize same-sex marriage. The vote was 75 to 59.

The measure now goes to the Senate, which will take up the issue Monday.

Debate in the House got underway in the early afternoon, as thousands of supporters and opponents gathered outside the chamber. House Democratic leaders and the bill's supporters were confident it would pass. If it passes Monday in the Senate, Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton could be signing it into law by early next week and make Minnesota the 12th U.S. state to legalize gay marriage.

PIPESTONE - Celebrity chef and fiery reality TV personality Gordon Ramsey is bringing his series “Hotel Hell” to a historic resort in southwestern Minnesota later this month. Ramsay and his crew will be shooting at the Calumet Inn in Pipestone May 28 to June 1 for part of its second season.

The objective of the series is to whip struggling hotels back into shape under the direction of the painfully blunt Ramsay. People can try to book a room or a table for dinner — possibly prepared by Ramsay — by sending an email to hote...@gmail.com.

WORTHINGTON – At a request from Nobles County Public Works Director Steve Schnieder, the commissioners Tuesday voted unanimously not to charge the cities and townships in the county for the help received from the public works department in cleaning up debris from April’s ice storm.

Schnieder said his department has assisted with debris clean-up in eight communities without neglecting their usual tasks, because the wet weather has slowed them from getting to their normal spring routine. He didn’t feel it was fair that they offer help, then send the cities a bill.

DES MOINES, Iowa — Just days after signing a disaster declaration for five southwest Minnesota counties in the wake of an early April ice storm, President Barack Obama done the same for five Iowa counties damaged by severe weather.

The announcement Monday means the counties of Dickinson, Lyon, O’Brien, Osceola and Sioux will get federal funding under a public assistance program. Funding can be used for emergency repairs, essential government functions and grants for public schools.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The FBI believes authorities disrupted "a localized terror attack" in its planning stages when they arrested a man after converging on a western Minnesota mobile home that contained Molotov cocktails, suspected pipe bombs and firearms, the agency said Monday.

Buford Rogers, 24, of Montevideo, was arrested Friday and charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He remained in federal custody Monday and it was not clear if he had an attorney.

WORTHINGTON – People planning to attend the first-ever event at the new Worthington Event Center need to purchase tickets by Tuesday, May 14. Community members are invited to attend the WEC’s grand opening gala May 18 and enjoy music by three local bands – Starfire, Sideline and Tommy Gunn.