Is the Fergus Falls State Hospital haunted?

For decades people have thought the Fergus Falls State Hospital was creepy. The Detroit Lakes Online has an account of a visit to the hospital in 1890 when the building was in use. The article, "Among the Lunatics," was written by a reporter at a local paper.

I was greeted at the entrance by a patient, who with a lordly wave of his arm announced: "The state welcomes you, sir." ...

The hospital's long-vacant buildings and lonely, sprawling grounds appear at once imposing and more than a little spooky, even with a late-autumn sun still high in the sky.

The hospital continues to feed a curiosity among locals.

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Making news on MN Today:

Mahdi Hassan Ali gets life sentence with no parole (MPR News)

Minnesota's new teacher-evaluation law among given high marks (MinnPost)

Minnesota marks uptick in job vacancies for October (MPR News)

The passing of Tom Keith (News Cut) And an interactive timeline with audio archive of the Morning Show.

What's the most important question for candidates running for congress in Minnesota's 8th congressional district? MPR News is hosting an online forum with four candidates seeking to get the DFL nomination. Submit and vote on questions now.

Minnesota's Best Governor? Arne Carlson, according to the Rochester Post Bulletin's Greg Sellnow:

The best -- Arne Carlson, Republican (1991-99) -- The man who first became governor almost by accident, after the Grunseth scandal, in my mind was the most effective chief executive officer of the past 50 years. The state was in sound financial shape during his tenure, our public schools system was consistently ranked among the best the country, and the state was nationally recognized for leading the way in areas such as health care reform and human rights.

Cities see profits rise with new liquor store

After studying numbers and taking time to debate the issue, the Detroit Lakes City Council voted last month to move forward with a new, larger liquor store (Rochester Post Bulletin).

Health care task force to address disparity

Department of Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson will chair the task force. Jesson said Minnesota is consistently one of the healthiest states but needs to do better."We've got serious gaps and disparities between our healthiest and least healthiest Minnesotans, and we need to close them," Jesson said (MPR News).

Smaller racks, fewer deer predicted by DNR

The 2011 firearms deer season is now a week away with hunters making last minute preparations. What awaits the orange-clad on Nov. 5? Fewer deer and bucks with smaller racks, thanks to a tough winter (Ely Echo).