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Minnesota Court of Appeals judges Keala C. Ede, Elise L. Larson and Rachel Bond answer questions from Pequot Lakes students Sept. 22, 2026, in the high school auditorium.

Megan Buffington

KAXE

Pequot Lakes students witness justice system on home court

Megan Buffington

The Minnesota Court of Appeals heard oral arguments at Pequot Lakes High School on Sept. 22, 2026, in front of 300 upperclassmen.

A road winds up a forested hillside. Near the base of the hill, the trees are mostly green: at the top, they glow vivid orange, yellow, and red.

Contributed

Lorie Shaull

Science and Nature

Fall color vibrancy depends on moisture, temperature, and leaf chemistry

Charlie Mitchell, Heidi Holtan

Clouds in the blue sky and trees reflect on water

Contributed

Itasca Waters

Local News

Northern Minnesota sees new wave of clean water initiatives

Stella Mayerhoff, Report for America

Artwork for four albums and three singles displayed in black square frames over a blurry blue-green background. In the top row from left to right: A person carrying a marimba on their back with the sun setting behind them, a hazy blue-green tinted photo of a woman wearing a red bandana, two people holding an upright bass and acoustic guitar inside a gold frame with red around it. In the bottom row from left to right: A woman in a dress with her arms above her head, a woman in a dark room with sun coming through a window, a pot on a hot plate with steam rising from it, and hard to make out red and white image of an amp with foliage around it.

Malachy Koons

KAXE

Music

Fresh Picks: Just in time for Autumn, blues stew, marimba madness and MN blues-rock from '76

Kari Hedlund, Malachy Koons, Dan Gannon

Ask the Candidates!

ICTV and KAXE will host forums for candidates running for the Grand Rapids and Deer River school boards.

Here's where you come in: What do *you* want to know from those seeking to represent you?

Join us in person Wednesday, Sept. 30, in the Grand Rapids Board Room, 650 SW Seventh Ave. Grand Rapids will be at 6 p.m.; Deer River at 7:30 p.m.

Submit a Question Now

A blue tinged photograph of a woman wearing a bandana in her hair, looking towards the camera.

Album of the Week: "Believer" by Angela Autumn

Every once in a while a piece of music just hits different.

Something about it strikes a chord in your brain, scratches an itch you didn't know you had, sounds like something completely new to you.

I had that feeling earlier this year, when I first heard "Electric Lizard" by Angela Autumn. It's a song I missed when it first arrived and went viral in 2023, only making its way to my ears when it reappeared as an early taste of Autumn's new second album Believer, out now on Gar Hole Records.

For longtime fans of Autumn, whose western Pennsylvania roots and clawhammer banjo skills led to the nickname "The Rose of Appalachia," the fact that Believer is full of equally timeless songs will come as no surprise.

Autumn and co-producer Isaiah Beard have created a sound where the banjo is no longer front and center, a move away from the traditional sound of her early music to a hazy blend of psych, country, rock and folk that took countless hours in the studio to achieve.

The results are magic. Despite the increased complexity of the music and textures there is even more room for Autumn to stretch her biggest weapon. Her voice, full of Appalachian twang, stretches and compresses phrases and syllables as needed to best draw attention to her words.

Believer is a tremendous second album, and likely a first taste of Autumn's music for many. Just in time for Autumn, it's our Album of the Week at KAXE. -MK

Read the full review on our Fresh Picks page.

More New Music Here!

Latest Stories

State Sen. Justin Eichorn, R-Grand Rapids, in his mugshot after he was booked into the Hennepin County Adult Detention Center on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. Eichorn was arrested for soliciting prostitution with someone he believed to be younger than 18 years old.

Ex-legislator Eichorn gets 16 months in prison in underage solicitation case

Justin Eichorn’s sentencing comes a year-and-a-half after his arrest as part of an undercover law enforcement sting operation during the 2025 legislative session.

Brian Rohr leads a crew of his hot air balloon staffers and Bemidji State students to set up the 80-foot balloon on campus on Sept. 22, 2026.

Beaver, Lumberjack homecomings converge with old and new Bemidji traditions

Alumni and community members are welcome to join in as Bemidji High School and Bemidji State University celebrate overlapping homecomings through Sept. 27, 2026.

"The Setlist" and "Coleraine, Aitkin, Grand Rapids, Park Rapids" written over a crumpled paper background.

The Setlist: Where to hear live music Sept. 25-26, 2026

KAXE's weekly list of concerts near you features Jordan Messerole, Bruce Archer, Nathan Neuman, Knife Emoji, Tattletale, and Christopher David Hanson.

Furry black hair-like protrusions grow from a grey pile of dung on the forest floor.

A profusion of funky fungi intrigue student phenologists

During the week of Sept. 22, 2026, we enjoy reports of funky fungi, darting dragonflies and an abundance of migratory birds. Staff phenologist John Latimer responds.

A man wearing a plaid patter shirt measuring silver knives with a table with a pile of knives in front of him.

Area Voices: Knifemaker Curtis Olson keeps sharp

Bemidji knifemaker Curtis Olson joins "Area Voices" to discuss how he got into making knives and the process it takes to make them.

Man accused of shooting firefighting plane indicted; Court of Appeals visits Pequot Lakes school

And: An economist says census poverty data masks expected blows of Medicaid changes.

Following last year's passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, changes to federal food assistance work requirements have already taken effect. Starting in 2027 in most states, new Medicaid work requirements begin and there is concern enhanced reporting hurdles will result in lost coverage for many enrollees.

Economist: Census poverty data masks expected blows of Medicaid changes

Federal safety net program cuts are on the minds of economists with new data on last year's median incomes, official poverty rate and holistic poverty rate.

A "Vote Here" sign in Minneapolis on Nov. 3, 2020.

You can vote now in the 2026 midterm election. Here's what to know.

Early voting options in Minnesota began on Sept. 18, 2026. Those who aren't yet registered can do so now, or even on Election Day.

Beyond the Voice: Will Owens

Get to know the volunteers behind the mic on KAXE. This week we find out more from On The River host and volunteer, Will Owens.

1 found dead in fire near Bemidji; Governor candidates visit Northland

Plus: Early voting opened Sept. 18, 2026, for all eligible voters Minnesota; and Northern Minnesota tribes are among groups receiving Clean Water Legacy grants.

Bemidji firefighters battle a mobile home fire on Town Hall Road in Northern Township on Sept. 20, 2026.

1 person found dead in Northern mobile home fire, 1 other injured

The Bemidji Fire Department responded to a mobile home fire in Northern Township on Sept. 20, 2026. One occupant had escaped while another was unaccounted for at the time of the report.

Author Jill Swenson and cover of her book "The Land of Everlasting Sky:

New Minnesota memoir reflects on two family histories connected by land

Author Jill Swenson’s new book "The Land of Everlasting Sky" is a vivid and informative read, combining her family history with Warroad Ojibwe elder Kakaygeesick’s to show that we need to reconcile with the past in order to move forward.

Music