Megan Buffington
North-Central Minnesota ReporterMegan Buffington covers North-Central Minnesota from the Brainerd lakes area. Originally from Pequot Lakes, she joined the KAXE newsroom in 2024. Megan previously covered the Arrowhead for KAXE.
She is passionate about amplifying Northern Minnesota voices and educating communities through local reporting. Her favorite topics are the environment, history, education and policy, and she loves to weave elements of each together, supported by data visualizations.
Megan is also a guest on the KAXE Morning Show's weekly segment "The Sports Page," where she gets to vent about the inevitable disappointments of being a Minnesota sports fan.
In her spare time, she enjoys reading, backpacking and gardening.
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Plus: Red Lake Nation boy wrongly listed as dead by feds; Rock Ridge, Pequot, Thief River Falls to compete in girls state tennis tournament. -
Rock Ridge and Pequot Lakes tennis players also qualified for the individual tournament, as did athletes from Staples-Motley and Crookston. -
Plus: Rural pathway studies show regional education retains young people in Northern MN.
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The candidates for governor were in the Brainerd lakes area Oct. 19, 2026, for a debate hosted by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. It was a rare opportunity for direct contrast. -
Plus: Cass County sheriff candidates issue video statements addressing a January 2026 complaint; and Minnesota's public defenders are struggling under heavy caseloads.
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The Census Bureau is proposing making significant changes to the 2030 census. Minnesotans for the American Community Survey is raising awareness of the potential impacts.
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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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Plus: Minnesota case underscores uphill climb for tribes adding clean energy.
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The agreement between the city and Pulsar Helium is the first step for the proposed facility that Pulsar says could kickstart a new advanced manufacturing industry in the state. -
Plus: Beltrami County officials tour the under-construction jail facility slated to open in May 2027.
