Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is hoping school districts and law enforcement agencies in the state have more clarity when it comes to a new law governing school discipline.
Ellison issued a supplemental legal opinion outlining the intent of the law, which sought to limit the use of prone restraints on students in disciplinary situations.
In the legal opinion, Ellison said school employees and school resource officers may use force to prevent bodily harm or death, but the force must be reasonable in those situations.
They also may make physical contact to address nonviolent behavior, as long as they avoid the restraints outlined in the new law, including chokeholds or other holds restricting breathing or communication.
Ellison said while the supplemental opinion does not draw new conclusions compared to the original, he noted good faith questions from law enforcement and school officials prompted him to issue the clarifying follow-up.
The school districts of Brainerd, Pequot Lakes, Virginia and others in the region saw school resource officer contracts canceled while officials grappled with conflicting interpretations of the law.
Some argued the law was too restrictive and exposed districts and police departments to liability issues.
Book challenge in Brainerd
A fantasy novel challenged by a community member in the Brainerd School District will remain in the high school library.
The Brainerd Dispatch reported a committee established for the purpose of reviewing the Sarah J. Maas novel Empire of Storms unanimously agreed the book should remain as choice reading material available to high school students.
The challenge raised concerns about sexual content in the book, which is the fifth in a series. Committee members were tasked with reading the book and walking through a series of questions about its value as a resource for students. Children's Book Review, the book publisher Bloomsbury and Common Sense Media all rated the book for ages 14 and up.
As part of the examination, district officials shared that the book has been checked out just three times in its history in the high school library.
The committee decided to apply its ruling to all of the books in Maas' "Throne of Glass" series, some of which are facing separate complaints.
Challenger Shirley Yeager has a right to appeal the committee's decision to the full school board. She told the Dispatch she doesn't know whether she'll appeal this decision, but said she intends to fight the recommendation about the rest of the series.
Read the full Brainerd Dispatch story for more.
IM Care-Lakeview contract woes
As the contract termination between Itasca County's public health insurance provider and Lakeview Behavioral Health will be effective at the end of this year, about 700 IM Care patients at Lakeview Behavioral will be affected.
Lakeview Behavioral Health issued a call-to-action regarding this contract termination decision by IM-Care, Itasca County's agency that handles insurance coverage for those who qualify for Medical Assistance or Minnesota Care.
In an interview with KAXE/KBXE, Itasca County Commissioner Terry Snyder said the contract termination is a legal issue, being contemplated by attorneys on both sides of the arrangement.
IM Care Director Sarah Anderson wrote in an email that the agency has a plan in place to make sure all enrollees have continuity of care with other providers, and enrollees are encouraged to contact IM Care Member Services for assistance.
Snyder acknowledged disparities in access to mental health care in Northern Minnesota and said the county is continuing to work toward improving that access.
Lakeview Behavioral Health offers out-patient mental health and substance abuse disorder services in their offices in Grand Rapids, Hibbing and Brainerd. Lakeview also operates Reflections Recovery Residences, an in-patient type of facility that promotes recovery with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
KAXE/KBXE News is following this story and will continue to provide updates.
Oak wilt treatment research
Trained tree climbers in the Superior National Forest are testing a new technique to improve forest health against oak wilt disease, one of the deadliest diseases to red oaks in the Eastern U.S.
Oak wilt can spread in two ways: above the ground through the movement of fungal spores by sap-feeding beetles to wounds in oak trees, or below ground through the grafted roots of neighboring oaks.
Treatments for oak wilt disease are often costly and damaging. They involve cutting and removing trees with the disease, including many nearby uninfected trees and disrupting the root systems using heavy equipment.
To test the oak wilt rapid response treatment, researchers need to infect oaks with the disease. To accomplish this, climbers drill into the branch and add the fungal disease to mimic a natural infection.
Following artificial infection, forest health managers girdle the trees at predetermined times to prevent the oak wilt infection from advancing down from the crown into the roots and spreading throughout the root systems to other trees.
Girdling is when bark and some wood materials are removed from a ring around the tree’s trunk.
It has been shown in recent testing to be an effective means in stopping the spread of oak wilt into the tree’s roots and protecting other trees in that area.
The project includes several state and federal partners and is in effect in Michigan's Huron-Manistee National Forest and Wisconsin's Octonto River Seed Orchard as well.
The group will conduct one more summer of treatment, then monitor the select trees for five years for effectiveness.
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And: Central Lakes College President Hara Charlier is leaving the school; and a new report is concerned with the DNR's plans for electronic licenses this spring. -
Volunteer Skywarn spotters help the agency deliver accurate and timely severe weather warnings. Training includes thunderstorm safety, the science of storms and cloud formation. -
Students from across Minnesota gathered at the Capitol to showcase their robotics skills and promote education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. -
Sweeney’s Saloon is offering a “Dine Across the Aisle” special to Minnesota lawmakers who grab a meal with a member of the other party. -
People of all backgrounds and ages visit the Minnesota State Capitol during the legislative session. -
Beltrami County and Bemidji are seeking a legislative fix to an “unintended loophole” that has local governments on the hook for $2.5 million in recovery costs from the June 2025 storm. -
Plus: Minnesota to select first youth poet laureate; Beltrami County seeks parks committee members; and Superior National Forest to begin prescribed fires.
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People who work with youth poets around the state want to give them a larger voice, as many are sharing their feelings through artistic expression. -
Kelly Lake made the announcement April 8, 2026. She's been with the sheriff's office for nearly four decades, two of those as sheriff. -
MnDOT is planning major road construction in Bemidji, Brainerd, Proctor, Ely, Warroad and Wadena, plus other projects across the Northland for summer 2026.
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Committee members will help develop a new plan for county parks over the next 18 months. Applications are open until April 10, 2026. -
And: Experts say AI could have a big impact on Minnesota's labor force.
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Labor experts monitoring artificial intelligence say the nation's workers are increasingly worried about being displaced, and key industries in Minnesota are vulnerable. -
In the past, The Bridge on 7th closed in the summer months. The Brainerd City Council approved a one-year permit for year-round operations April 6, 2026. -
Natalie Hudson was the state’s first Black chief justice. Gov. Tim Walz appointed her as chief justice in 2023. Walz’s office said details about who will succeed Hudson are forthcoming. -
Plus: The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission will accept comment on Minnesota Power's proposed transmission line project; and the Minnesota Department of Health updated its guidelines for eating fish from Arrowhead lakes.
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Residents can receive up to 70 free tree seedlings to reforest their properties starting May 2026, following a windstorm in June 2025 that felled an estimated 9 million trees in the area. -
New guidelines specific to St. Louis, Lake and Cook counties account for the fact that fish in the region generally have higher mercury concentrations. -
A demolition loan from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic will help clear the site of the former Itasca Farm Co-op. -
The meetings in Grand Rapids, Hermantown, Floodwood and online will cover Minnesota Power's proposed 67.5 miles of transmission line between Grand Rapids and Hermantown.
