BEMIDJI & GRAND RAPIDS — An estimated 300 people gathered Friday at a Bemidji vigil for the Minneapolis woman who was shot and killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Wednesday, Jan. 7.
The vigil at the Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statues downtown included music, poetry and a lantern ceremony on frozen Lake Bemidji.
It was one of many gatherings that took place over the weekend in rural Minnesota.
A rally in Grand Rapids on Saturday featured an estimated 350 people holding signs for Good as well as encouraging ICE to leave the state. An indoor gathering in Brainerd on Sunday included a candlelight vigil and connection event.
Lorie Shaull
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KAXE
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— People hold signs along Northwest Fourth Street and Pokegama Avenue at an Ice Out For Good rally on January 10, 2026 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.jpg
People hold signs along NW Fourth Street and Pokegama Avenue at an "Ice Out For Good" rally on Jan. 10, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— People attend an "ICE Out For Good" on January 10, 2026 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.jpg
Attendees hold signs and U.S. flags at an "ICE Out For Good" on Jan. 10, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— A woman protests along Pokegama Avenue at an Ice Out For Good rally on January 10, 2026 in Grand Rapids.
A woman protests along Pokegama Avenue at an "Ice Out For Good" rally on Jan. 10, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— 03 People hold signs along NW Fourth Street during a ICE Out For Good rally on January 10, 2026 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.jpg
People hold signs along Northwest Fourth Street during a "ICE Out For Good" rally on Jan. 10, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— 02 People line NW Fourth Street on January 10, 2026 during a ICE Out For Good rally on January 10, 2026 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.jpg
People line Northwest Fourth Street on Jan. 10, 2026, during a "ICE Out For Good" rally in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— 02 People hold signs along NW Fourth Street during a ICE Out For Good rally on January 10, 2026 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.jpg
People hold signs along Northwest Fourth Street during an "ICE Out For Good" rally on Jan. 10, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— A woman holds a 'CowardIce' sign at an ICE Out For Good rally on January 10, 2026 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.jpg
A woman holds a protest sign at an "ICE Out For Good" rally on Jan. 10, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— People hold signs along NW Fourth Street during a ICE Out For Good rally on January 10, 2026 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.jpg
People hold signs along Northwest Fourth Street during an "ICE Out For Good" rally on Jan. 10, 2026 in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— People stand along NW Fourth Street during a ICE Out For Good rally on January 10, 2026 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.jpg
People stand along Northwest Fourth Street during an "ICE Out For Good" rally on Jan. 10, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Judy Sobolik of Grand Rapids holds a "Remember Renee" sign at an "ICE Out For Good" rally on January 10, 2026 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.jpg
Judy Sobolik of Grand Rapids holds a "Remember Renee" sign at an "ICE Out For Good" rally on Jan. 10, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
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— People line NW Fourth Street at a ICE Out For Good rally in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.jpg
People line Northwest Fourth Street at an "ICE Out For Good" rally on Jan. 10, 2026, in Grand Rapids.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
“It's our hope that we can provide a bit of space to grieve for Renee Nicole Good, to honor her life, and make visible the human cost of ICE's actions throughout our country,” said Indivisible Bemidji organizer Sherry Kloha. “And hopefully, a bit of space to heal, knowing full well that this fight is not over.”
The lantern ceremony, explained by local artist Cate Belleveau, was in two parts: one for Good, and the other for the country.
"The lanterns are to send up our prayers, our wishes, our thoughts, our energy for our republic, which is trying to get to its 250th birthday,” Belleveau said. “It's trying. And we're the generation who are responsible to get it to its 250th birthday.”
Lorie Shaull
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KAXE
Sarah Larson of Cass Lake volunteers with two Indivisible groups, one in Bemidji and the other in Hubbard County.
“We need to speak up," Larson said when asked why it was important to attend the vigils. “And if we don't speak up, it's just going to keep going and going and going.”
Indivisible Bemidji is one of thousands of Indivisible groups across the country, which prioritizes grassroots organizing for a progressive democracy.
Lorie Shaull
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KAXE
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— A community member holds a Justice For Renee Nicole Good sign during a candlelight vigil for Good at Paul Bunyan Park on January 9, 2026 in Bemidji, Minnesota.jpg
A community member holds a Justice For Renee Nicole Good sign during a candlelight vigil at Paul Bunyan Park on Jan. 9, 2026, in Bemidji.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Community members participate in a candlelight vigil for Renee Good at Paul Bunyan Park on January 9, 2026 in Bemidji, Minnesota .jpg
Community members participate in a candlelight vigil for Renee Good at Paul Bunyan Park on Jan. 9, 2026, in Bemidji.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— 02 Participants in a vigil for Renee Good launch a sky lantern on January 9, 2026 from Lake Bemidji in Bemidji, Minnesota.jpg
Participants of a candlelight vigil for Renee Good launch a sky lantern on Jan. 9, 2026, from the frozen surface of Lake Bemidji.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Participants in a vigil for Renee Good launch a sky lantern on January 9, 2026 from Lake Bemidji in Bemidji, Minnesota.jpg
Participants in a candlelight vigil for Renee Good launch a sky lantern on Jan. 9, 2026, from the frozen surface of Lake Bemidji.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Participants in a candlelight vigil for Renee Good walk towards Lake Bemidji on January 9, 2026 in Bemidji, Minnesota.jpg
Participants in a candlelight vigil for Renee Good walk toward Lake Bemidji on Jan. 9, 2026, in Bemidji.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— A sign with Renee Good's photo is displayed during a candlelight vigil on January 9, 2026 at Paul Bunyan Park in Bemidji, Minnesota.jpg
A sign with Renee Good's photo is displayed during a candlelight vigil on Jan. 9, 2026, at Paul Bunyan Park in Bemidji.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Community members gather at a candlelight vigil for Renee Good on January 9, 2026 at Paul Bunyan Park in Bemidji, Minnesota .jpg
Community members gather at a candlelight vigil for Renee Good on Jan. 9, 2026, at Paul Bunyan Park in Bemidji.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— A sign honoring Renee Good sits beneath the Paul Bunyan and Babe statues during a candle light vigil held in Paul Bunyan Park on January 9, 2026 in Bemidji, Minnesota.jpg
A sign honoring Renee Good sits beneath the Paul and Babe statues during a candlelight vigil held at Paul Bunyan Park on Jan. 9, 2026, in Bemidji.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Community members walk by an Ice Out sign in Paul Bunyan Park during a candlelight vigil for Renee Good on January 9, 2026 in Bemidji, Minnesota.jpg
Community members walk by an "ICE Out" sign in Paul Bunyan Park during a candlelight vigil for Renee Good on Jan. 9, 2026, in Bemidji.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— A participant in a candlelight vigil for Renee Good holds a sign at Paul Bunyan Park on January 9, 2026 in Bemidji, Minnesota .jpg
A participant in a candlelight vigil for Renee Good holds a sign on Jan. 9, 2026, at Paul Bunyan Park in Bemidji.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— A participant in a candlelight vigil for Renee Good shields the wind from the flame of her candle at Paul Bunyan Park on January 9, 2026 in Bemidji, Minnesota.jpg
A participant in a candlelight vigil for Renee Good shields the flame of her candle from wind at Paul Bunyan Park on Jan. 9, 2026, in Bemidji.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— Cate Belleveau reads Amanda Gorman's poem, %22For Renee Nicole Good Killed by I.C.E. on January 7, 2026%22 at the beginning of a candlelight vigil for Good at Paul Bunyan Park on January 9, 2026 in Bemidji, Minnesota.jpg
Cate Belleveau reads Amanda Gorman's poem, "For Renee Nicole Good, Killed by I.C.E. on January 7, 2026," at the beginning of a candlelight vigil for Good on Jan. 9, 2026, at Paul Bunyan Park in Bemidji.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— A participant holds a candle in Paul Bunyan Park during a candlelight vigil for Renee Good on January 9, 2026 in Bemidji, Minnesota.jpg
A community member holds a candle during a candlelight vigil for Renee Good in Paul Bunyan Park on Jan. 9, 2026, in Bemidji.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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— 02 Community members gather at a candlelight vigil for Renee Good on January 9, 2026 at Paul Bunyan Park in Bemidji, Minnesota .jpg
Community members gather at a candlelight vigil for Renee Good on Jan. 9, 2026, at Paul Bunyan Park in Bemidji.
Lorie Shaull / KAXE
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Plus: State lawmakers are considering bills to address Greater Minnesota housing needs; MnDOT has several road construction projects planned in the Northland; and the Minnesota Public Facilities Authority awarded grants to five Northland communities. -
Contributed/Karina Kafka / Report for MinnesotaAn 8-1 U.S. Supreme Court decision is likely to put a conversion therapy ban in Minnesota in jeopardy, and bills are aiming to keep it in place without restricting speech. -
The bill would require state-funded programs including Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare to cover the costs of infertility health care, such as in vitro fertilization. -
Ammonia is the key to nitrogen fertilizer, and almost all ammonia in Minnesota, nearly 1 million tons per year, is imported from Gulf Coast states and internationally. -
Contributed/St. Louis County Sheriff's OfficeThe St. Louis County Sheriff's Office states Clayton Leroy Nukala Jr. was last seen walking toward the woods in a white bathrobe on April 12, 2026. -
Scott Rodgerson/UnsplashOfficers from the Hibbing Police Department responded to a report of a woman threatening to set herself on fire. -
The bill seeks to integrate wild rice waters into the ag department's pesticide management plan, developing better practices to monitor pesticide distribution, use and disposal. -
Contributed/Karina Kafka / Report for MinnesotaTwo bills aim to expand housing-related infrastructure, including sewers and water lines, and support workforce housing through grants to cities and tribal nations. -
Their schedules are booked solid, and graduation is only a few weeks away, but seniors Maddy and Abby Koivisto are engaged in class every day and always willing to lend a hand.
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And: Minnesota-based nonprofit says Big Tech fight reminiscent of Big Tobacco crackdown; and National Weather Service offering free weather spotter classes.
