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.
-
Plus: FEMA disaster recovery centers open on Leech Lake Reservation; Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan makes campaign stop in Grand Rapids; and Northland teams see mixed results in state tourneys. -
Plus: the city of Walker is accepting applications to fill a vacancy on the Walker City Council, with applications due by noon on Nov. 26, 2025.
-
Crosby-Ironton saw its third attempt at an operating levy in as many years pass: a resounding 68.5% of the more than 3,500 people who voted said yes. -
And: Minnesota school districts unpack the results of Tuesday's special elections.
-
Plus: The Red Lake Nation issued a statement seeking to clarify the justifications for impounding a Roseau man's vintage aircraft following an emergency landing within the reservation on Oct. 15, 2025.
-
Repairing or replacing aging facilities, modernizing technology or simply adding more operating dollars to the bottom line were among the asks school districts put forth. -
And: BCA confirms accuracy of breath tests; Two Northlanders medal in cross-country; and Five Northern Minnesota volleyball and eight football teams earn state berths.
-
Uncertainty around SNAP benefits has brought a lot of attention to food insecurity. Nonprofits have to figure out how to meet growing needs, now and into the future.
-
Plus: Health coverage affordability is top of mind for many Minnesotans; new nonprofit sets sights on Grand Rapids downtown branding process; and KAXE compiled a food resources list.
-
Plus: A winter-hardy cover crop is being explored as a sustainable jet fuel source; and the Esko girls finished 4th place at the state soccer tournament.
