GRAND RAPIDS / BEMIDJI — KAXE News has won seven Public Media Journalists Association awards.
Our News Team 2026 awards covered key categories in any newsroom: Breaking News, Continuing Coverage, Education, Health/Medical, Investigative Reporting, Science/Technology and Sports.
The Public Media Journalists Association Awards competition is a "celebration of excellence across a vast spectrum of journalistic endeavors." These awards affirm the vital role public media plays in a democratic society.
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Police arrested the 40-year-old Grand Rapids Republican on March 17, 2025, in Bloomington after he arrived to meet who he apparently believed was a 17-year-old sex worker. -
Some remained without power Monday afternoon, the BSU and NTC campuses are still closed and storm debris still blocks trails, roads and more as cleanup continues. -
Started by nonprofit Smart North, the tech hubs aim to provide digital equity to students, providing access to technology and food, hygiene products and a safe space. -
Mark Baez is an associate professor of clinical psychology, and the screening tool he developed to assess Native suicide risk in a culturally sensitive way is about to start its pilot study. -
Twelve new automatic license plate readers went up in Bemidji and other MN cities in May 2025. But the Flock Safety cameras raise concerns with privacy advocates. -
Seventy more stops, expanded hours and more vehicles in the fleet makes the free AV service available to more MN communities, including those on Leech Lake Reservation. -
Teams from Slovakia, Latvia and Czechia were featured in exhibition games at Bemidji's Sanford Center Dec. 19-22, 2025, ahead of the World Jr. Men's Hockey Tournament.
"The variety of subjects covered in our PMJA award-winning work this year shows the breadth of our coverage in a way that makes me so proud," said News Director Chelsey Perkins.
"It includes the great work of breaking news, investigative reporting and continuing coverage of the impacts of the Bemidji area derecho. But also, several of our stories highlight solutions: a tool to improve screening for Native suicide; the expansion of a free, rural (and autonomous!) transportation service; and safe learning spaces for students to explore technology.
"Plus, a fun story exploring the holiday traditions of international hockey players who descended on Bemidji rounded out a representative sample of what we try to accomplish with our local news coverage."
Sarah Bignall, General Manager and CEO of KAXE, notes, "These seven PMJA awards are a remarkable recognition of the KAXE News team's commitment to exceptional local journalism. Their work informs and amplifies the stories that matter most across Northern Minnesota. We are proud to see their reporting recognized on a national stage."
The PMJA Annual Awards Competition is designed to recognize the very best in public media work done by local public media outlets.
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KAXE partnered with ICTV to host candidate forums for Grand Rapids and Deer River school boards on Sept. 30, 2026. Videos of the forum are available at watchictv.org. -
Contributed/Mark KlabundeGet to know the volunteers behind the mic on KAXE. This week we find out more from On The River and After Dark DJ and volunteer, Mark Klabunde. -
Contributed/Lakeland PBSThe Bemidji Pioneer, Brainerd Dispatch and Park Rapids Enterprise are among the media partners participating in the Northern Minnesota candidate debate series. -
Contributed/Will OwensGet to know the volunteers behind the mic on KAXE. This week we find out more from On The River host and volunteer, Will Owens. -
Contributed/Michelle BedfordGet to know the volunteers behind the mic on KAXE. This week we find out more from On The River DJ and volunteer, Michelle Bedford. -
Contributed/Wild HorsesAttendees will get an exclusive first listen to the latest album from Wild Horses, "The In Between," and hear a band interview by Music Director Kari Hedlund in Grand Rapids, MN. -
Contributed/Ken McBrideGet to know the volunteers behind the mic on KAXE. This week we find out more from "On The River" and "KAXE After Dark" host and volunteer, Ken McBride, aka DJ Lake Poseidon. -
Contributed/Heather KiddGet to know the volunteers behind the mic on KAXE. This week we find out more from On The River host and volunteer, Heather Kidd. -
Lorie Shaull/KAXEKAXE did a LIVE broadcast from the Minnesota State Fair on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026. -
Contributed/Justine JacobsonGet to know the volunteers behind the mic on KAXE. This week we find out more from "Green Cheese" and "On The River" host and volunteer, Justine Jacobson.
