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Top Stories
Megan Buffington
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KAXE
The business would grow, manufacture and sell cannabis out of the building off Highway 2, though there are still moving parts as far as the sale of the warehouse.
KAXE News is preparing for the midterms, and we want your perspective.

We'll use the responses to this survey to help inform our coverage and what type of content we produce. All answers are anonymous and will not be shared outside our organization.
In her first release in nearly ten years, North Carolina singer-songwriter Tift Merritt picks up right where she left off with the sweetness of Sugar.

Working with producer Lawrence Rothman (Amanda Shires, Lucinda Williams, Margo Price), the album is an expansive exploration of love. Not through classic love songs, but by considering how searching for love, and receiving or not receiving it shapes our world.

Merritt approaches the subject with warmth, grace, and a naked honesty, like when she sings "I've got nothing urgent but your mouth" on the terrific opener "Finest Feelings" or the joy she finds in the "Everyday Singing" of mothers and daughters.

Rothman and a talented group of Nashville musicians like Erick Slick (Dr. Dog), McKenzie Smith (Midlake), Audley Freed (Allison Krauss) and Robert Ellis bring the songs to life with a freewheeling Americana sound that matches Merritt's questing songwriting.

In a press release the singer described the album like this. “Sugar is about the surprising sweetness of being unequipped for showing up every day but trying anyway.”

I don't know about you, but that sentiment hits so hard for me. -Malachy Koons
Latest Stories
Little Fevers bringing their indie rock sound to downtown Bemidji
Lucy Michelle from Little Fevers takes time to talk about the band and their upcoming show at the Beltrami Block Party on Saturday, June 27, 2026.
Summer campers explore bogs and state parks
During the week of June 23, 2026, we enjoy reports of pitcher plants, cotton grass and an American toad. Staff phenologist John Latimer responds.
The Setlist: Where to hear live music June 26-27, 2026
KAXE's weekly list of concerts near you features Elour, Ditty Wish, Sam Miltich, Tattletale, Sonny Johnson, Caige Jambor, Little Fevers, David Huckfelt, Erik Koskinen and more.
Rock Ridge passes 2026-27 budget, but 'getting lower and lower’ on cash
The School Board unanimously passed its budget, leaving a little more than $136,000 of cash flow available in its general fund.
KAXE Green Cheese T-shirt Art Contest
Submit Your Green Cheese Design Today! the KAXE T-shirt Art contest ends July 8, 2026.
Escapee gets prison time; Crow Wing ICE agreements draw ire, support
And: A cannabis business has been approved for Second Harvest's LaPrairie warehouse; and Rock Ridge has nearly depleted its reserves.
DNR extends deer feeding ban to 2 more Northern MN counties
The intent of the ban is to reduce the risk of chronic wasting disease spread, following detections of CWD in wild deer in new areas of the state last year.
Proposal would toughen cancellation policy for BWCAW quota permits
Late cancellations and no‑shows continue to climb, according to the U.S. Forest Service. In 2025, nearly 40% of January reservations were never used.
Authentic rural connections aim of concert tour with MN stop
Rural-centric organizations leading a music festival tour want more inclusivity and spaces for community bonding.
Escapee gets prison time for burglary, assault, violating no-contact order
Michael Hart escaped from a correctional facility and was later mistakenly released from jail. He was in custody for these charges when he escaped in 2025.
Beyond the Voice: Dennis Elj
Get to know the volunteers behind the mic on KAXE. This week we find out more from longtime "On the River" and "After Dark" host and volunteer, the Intrepid Dennis Elj.
Federal judge quashes subpoenas against Walz, Frey in DOJ criminal investigation
Schiltz said the incursion of 3,000 federal agents and the Trump administration’s statements show the subpoenas were issued for harassing political opponents and coercing them into action.
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With The Setlist, KAXE's Music Team curates the best live music to catch each week across Northern Minnesota and beyond.
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Debbie Russel via iNaturalist
Pam Perry, a retired non-game wildlife biologist, stopped by to talk about skinks, salamanders, swallows and more with our staff phenologist John Latimer.
Stay up to date on what's happening up north with KAXE/KBXE News, bringing you the top stories across Northern Minnesota.

KAXE/KBXE is the oldest rural community radio station in the U.S. and an independent NPR affiliate.
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