Chelsey Perkins
News DirectorChelsey Perkins became the News Director in early 2023 and was tasked with building a new local newsroom at the station. She is based in Brainerd and leads a team of two reporters covering communities across Northern Minnesota from the KAXE studio in Grand Rapids and the KBXE studio in Bemidji.
The news team launched the Up North Report in August 2023 — a five-minute newscast airing daily on KAXE, WTIP and available as a podcast on Apple, Spotify and more. They also publish original stories at KAXE.org and make regular appearances on the KAXE Morning Show to dive deeper into their work.
In a short time, the team earned three second-place awards in the Public Media Journalism Association 2024 Awards in digital writing, daily newscast and interview podcast episode. In 2023, Chelsey was named a fellow of the Poynter Institute's Public Media Editorial Integrity and Leadership Initiative.
Chelsey grew up in Crosslake, Minnesota, where most of her family continues to live. She spent the first 15 years of her journalism career as a print journalist, primarily as a newspaper reporter and editor for the Brainerd Dispatch. There, she covered Crow Wing County government and served on the FCC Editorial Advisory Board.
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Plus: How to care for pets when wildfire smoke impacts air quality; and new signage marks Hwy 169 in honor of Sen. David Tomassoni. -
Plus: Grand Itasca will host a new physician residency program; Second Harvest to have public meeting about food bank closure; and fireworks galore across the Northland.
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The lawsuit against the MN DOC commissioner argues the law would take away discretion from local providers to determine what’s best for the inmates and the situation. -
And: Midco Bemidji services mostly restored, and Affinity Plus offering disaster loans; Great Tails Animal Rescue's Anttila wins volunteer of the year; and Superior NF advisory committee meets July 7.
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Plus: Second Harvest food bank shutters Grand Rapids warehouse but maintains food shelf will remain open.
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Plus: Water infrastructure funding covers $5M gap for Aurora water plant; and the Outdoor School for All grant program becomes law in Minnesota.
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Plus: Minnesotans will honor the Hortmans at the Capitol; and forests begin recovery after the Brimson Complex wildfires.
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Plus: Bois Forte seeks input on date change for state of the band address; Park Rapids brings home victory in final MSHSL spring tourney; and Fourth of July celebrations are upon us.
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Plus: A Guinness World Record was attempted in Grand Rapids Saturday.
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