INTERNATIONAL FALLS — Two Northern Minnesota school districts and a city passed ballot questions in the Aug. 13 primary election.
A Sunday liquor license question passed by just three votes in Newfolden. The City Council can now issue licenses for retail liquor sales on Sundays.
International Falls School District voters passed two ballot questions. The first question was approved by 57% of voters, allowing the district to issue $13.95 million in bonds for school facility improvements, including a new career and technical education classroom, a new main office at the elementary school and upgrading pre-kindergarten classrooms to include physical therapy and special education spaces.
The second ballot question asked voters to approve $5 million in bonds to upgrade the football stadium and add locker rooms and storage space to the Bronco Ice Arena. It passed by 55 votes, with 51% of voters saying yes.
The Greenbush-Middle River School District passed an operating referendum, increasing the district’s levy by $925 per student for 10 years starting in 2025. The measure easily passed, with 63% of voters approving it.
Greenbush-based newspaper The Tribune reported the levy would increase revenue by $200,265. The district faces a $106,000 budget deficit, lowered from $534,000 following budget cuts.
Greenbush-Middle River will have three operating levies once the newest goes into effect, as an existing $506.05 per pupil levy was renewed for six years in 2021 and an additional six-year, $700 per pupil levy was passed during the same election.
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Plus: National Weather Service provides winter outlook.
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Chairman Darrell Seki Sr. said Oct. 16, 2026, he is not retiring or stepping down after shocking allegations came to light in Red Lake Nation’s child welfare program.
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The 2026-27 winter is likely to see the strongest El Niño since the 1950s, but its day-to-day impacts are yet to be determined.
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In this contributed essay, Majority in the Middle Executive Director Shannon Watson explores political divides, after the election season.
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Charlie Mitchell listens to Sandhill Cranes, ponders Bald Eagle courtship, and learns about cold hardiness in plants.Send us a voice memo through SpeakPipe!
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Bee’n Happy Farms is among the awardees of a Minnesota Department of Agriculture grant that helps beginner farming businesses grow.
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Plus: Brainerd Schools working on bullying action plan after independent review; and Google ditches tax abatement in Hermantown.
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The proposed data center in Hermantown would pay over $240 million over the next 20 years. The City Council will consider some project agreements on Oct. 26, 2026.
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The Minnesota Department of Health is encouraging people to get vaccinated to prevent measles, which is highly contagious and can create serious health complications, including death.
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Funding for public schools comprises nearly 40% of the state budget and is the single biggest line item. It accounts for about two-thirds of all spending on public schools in Minnesota.