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Larissa Donovan/KAXEThe Bemidji Planning Commission, a largely citizen body, passed off the interim use permit to the board without recommendations after months of discussion. It passed Feb. 9, 2026, on a 5-1 vote. -
And: Republican Dr. Scott Jensen suspends his campaign for governor to run for state auditor; Rep. Spencer Igo is running for reelection; the Public Utilities Commission delays transmission line meetings; and ICE being watched for sharing health information. -
Contributed/Polk County Sheriff's Office/Emergency ManagementThe Polk County Sheriff's Office said 7-year-old K-9 Rex recently became very ill and had failing kidneys. -
Contributed/Grand Forks Emergency ManagementCounties are required to update hazard mitigation plans every five years to maintain eligibility for FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Assistance grant programs. -
Contributed/Minnesota Bureau of Criminal ApprehensionMark Rood, 66, was last seen in International Falls on Jan. 19, 2026. -
Contributed/Pixabay via PexelsIf selected, the project partnership would connect community ideas with University of Minnesota resources. Applications are due Feb. 14, 2026. -
Contributed/MnDOTParticipants can vote once and select up to eight winning names through noon Feb. 13, 2026. The agency selected 30 finalist names from more than 6,700 submissions. -
The number of four-day school week school districts in Northern Minnesota and across the country keeps growing. Communities are fiercely loyal, but researchers say there are still lots of unknowns.
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Plus: the Minnesota State Patrol recently honored troopers and citizens for their heroic actions; and high school Nordic skiiers will soon compete in Biwabik.
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Contributed/Ben Davis for HouseDavis, of Crow Wing County's Mission Township, was first elected to the state Legislature in 2022.
Chelsey 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.
Megan Buffington joined the KAXE newsroom in 2024 after graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Originally from Pequot Lakes, she is passionate about educating and empowering communities through local reporting.
Larissa Donovan has been in the Bemidji area's local news scene since 2016, joining the KAXE newsroom in 2023 after several years as the News Director for the stations of Paul Bunyan Broadcasting.
