The Minnesota Department of Transportation recently announced $76.2 million in grants to support projects that improve freight options, travel time and economic development.
Two projects in Northern Minnesota will receive some of this funding.
The city of Two Harbors will receive $4.9 million from the Transportation Economic Development Program to reconstruct Highway 61 from Scenic Drive to Park Road. The project will also include two new roundabouts and other intersection enhancements to extend the life of the corridor.
MnDOT will invest $1.9 million from the Minnesota Highway Freight Program that will go toward intermodal and railroad improvements at the Cloquet Terminal. The project is expected to better accommodate stacking and cargo at the Sappi Paper Cloquet Mill, according to MnDOT.
Seven other projects were awarded grant funding in southern and central Greater Minnesota, with eight more in the Twin Cities metro area.
“Infrastructure investments in Minnesota help people get where they need to go safely, help businesses grow and make local communities attractive to companies looking to relocate or expand,” stated MnDOT Commissioner Nancy Daubenberger in a Jan. 6 news release.
“Safety is always a guiding principle of our funding decisions, and these transportation projects will help us better serve our state for decades to come.”
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Chelsey Perkins/KAXEMany were answering the call June 23, 2026, of the MN branch of the American Civil Liberties Union to pack the room in light of recent enforcement activity in the region. -
Contributed/Rock Ridge Public Schools via FacebookThe School Board unanimously passed its budget, leaving a little more than $136,000 of cash flow available in its general fund. -
And: A cannabis business has been approved for Second Harvest's LaPrairie warehouse; and Rock Ridge has nearly depleted its reserves. -
Contributed/Minnesota Department of Natural ResourcesThe 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. -
Contributed/USDA Forest Service - Superior National ForestLate cancellations and no‑shows continue to climb, according to the U.S. Forest Service. In 2025, nearly 40% of January reservations were never used. -
Megan Buffington/KAXEThe 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. -
Megan Buffington/KAXEMichael 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. -
Contributed/Office of the Governor via Minnesota ReformerSchiltz 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. -
Plus: Changes are in the wings to the BWCAW permit cancellation policy; and the DNR is expanding a deer feeding and attractant ban in two Northern MN counties.
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Contributed/City of HermantownHermantown and Google jointly agreed to the updated study with current information allowing for greater specificity, the city reported.
