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Lorie Shaull/KAXEThe fire, which began May 16, 2026, burned around 1,666 acres in Crow Wing County. The DNR asks residents and others in the area with information to contact them. -
Lorie Shaull/KAXEAbout a half-inch of rain fell across the area overnight into Tuesday, and crews are expected to return to work on securing and improving the fire lines again. -
And: A rural Orr man was arrested for allegedly shooting a firefighting plane; the Legislature passed a bonding bill; and filings open for public office Tuesday. -
Lorie Shaull/KAXEIn their final hours before the session ended, lawmakers passed a county hospital bailout, an infrastructure bill and small cuts to car tab fees and property taxes. -
Contributed/Ellen Schmidt / MinnPost / CatchLight Local / Report for AmericaHere’s what made it into the Legislature's infrastructure package and what lawmakers and others had to say about it May 17, 2026. -
Contributed/St. Louis County Sheriff's OfficeFirefighters responded to a wildland fire between Orr and Crane Lake on Friday, May 15, 2026. After returning to the airport, it was learned a bullet appeared to have struck one of the planes. -
Lorie Shaull/KAXEEvacuated homeowners will be able to return to their properties for the day, Monday, May 18, 2026. Crow Wing County declared a local emergency, the first step toward state disaster aid. -
This is the Up North Lookback, where we’re digging into the local news archives from 50 years ago — the year KAXE was born. It’s the week of May 18.
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As next steps for a proposed data center are considered, Liz Schwab from Google addresses some of the concerns raised at a recent Hermantown City Council meeting.
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Contributed/Doug MitchellWildland firefighters are working on containment and mopping up hot spots for a wildfire that began Saturday afternoon, May 16, 2026, southeast of Crosslake.
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.
