Homeowners with private wells in flooded counties have an opportunity to get their well water tested.
Wells are at risk from flooding or heavy rainfall when contaminants such as waste, dirt and nutrients like nitrogen seep into the wells.
The Minnesota Department of Health advises that if flood water reached your well or covered the top of your well casing, it is safe to assume the well is contaminated. In this case, testing should be completed after the well is cleaned and disinfected.
If floodwaters came within 50 feet of the well, testing should be done as a precaution. In this instance, homeowners do not need to disinfect their wells before submitting a sample.
While the test itself is free, residents are responsible for the cost of shipping the samples. Public health departments in storm impacted counties like Crow Wing and St. Louis offer these testing kits, and financial assistance may be available for the overnight shipping costs.
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And: A new bill in the Minnesota Legislature would allow small school districts to shrink their school board size. -
Contributed/Beltrami CountyIn a Thursday, March 12, 2026, order, Judge Jeanine Brand said the attorney general’s office showed sufficient probable cause for the case against Michelle R. Skroch to move forward. -
Contributed/US House Clerk YouTube screenshotThe legislation was previously introduced in the Senate and aims to prevent fraud in the child care assistance program. The Council on American-Islamic Relations Minnesota condemned the bill's name. -
Contributed/Minnesota Senate Media Services via YouTubeDistricts with fewer than a thousand students could ask voters to approve reducing board membership from six to five. Small districts often struggle to fill out their boards. -
Contributed/Ely Film FestivalWith the Oscars ceremony March 15, 2026, we want to hear about your moviegoing experiences this week! What are your early memories? What are your favorite snacks? -
Events this week include a senior citizens' lunch in Pengilly, a choir concert in Baxter and a maple syrup talk at Lake Bemidji State Park. -
Contributed/Lorie Shaull via FlickrThe North Shore saw snowfall totals closer to 8-12 inches. Another system this weekend could drop similar amounts on the areas that were missed March 12-13, 2026. -
Plus: Some aquatic invasive species prevention efforts to prepare for the impending open water season in Minnesota are already taking place.
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In this episode, hosts Charlie Mitchell and Chelsey Perkins revisit dinosaur songs and discuss inadvertent scientific discoveries.Send us a voice memo through Speak Pipe!Charlie recommends the book An Immense World by Ed Yong. -
Contributed/University of Minnesota ExtensionGetting an earlier start on targeted removal gives them a stronger chance to effectively manage invasive weeds over the course of an open-water season, professionals say.
