Search results for

It's starting to feel like spring once again, and there's no shortage of area activities during the first weekend of April. KAXE Producer Jennifer Barr has rounded up some fun things to check out in Bagley, Bemidji, Brainerd, Grand Rapids, and Virginia.

Plus: Minnesota State's board of trustees names new interim president for Central Lakes College; Gov. Tim Walz appoints Theodora Gaitas as next Supreme Court Chief Justice; and the U of M Extension is offering free well test kits in the Brainerd area.

The auction is online starting 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 5, and ending 5 p.m. July 30. Proceeds for the auction will be split between Crossing Arts Kids for Creativity Kits and Lakes Area Skatepark Association to help fund a skate park in Brainerd.

The film, "The Parish of the Pines," is based on the true story of an outlaw and a preacher who visited logging camps in the Grand Rapids area in the early 1900s. The movie is at the Reif Center in Grand Rapids at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 24, and Thursday, Aug. 31.

She turns her attention to her voice in an interview and studio performance with Marian McPartland on Piano Jazz.

Plus a body is found in an Aitkin County wooded area, Crow Wing County IDs the woman who died in jail, local legislators solicit feedback on a potential cannabis growing operation in Grand Rapids, and a deadline approaches for businesses selling low-potency hemp derived products.

Plus: The National Association of Letter Carriers' "Stamp Out Hunger" campaign to benefit area food shelves is May 10, 2025; and 32 students from Northern Minnesota will display their art at the Minnesota State High School League's Visual Art State Festival in Golden Valley.

Plus: Gov. Tim Walz and legislative leaders appear to agree on a one-day special session for June 9, 2025; and the Minnesota Incident Command System wrapped up a week of wildfire training in Grand Rapids this week.

Plus: The Minnesota Department of Agriculture announced it has $11 million to expand its innovative irrigation program; MnDOT staff will host an open house in Cloquet ahead of a planned 2028 project Thursday, Oct. 2; and Kootasca Community Action is gathering gently used costumes for Grand Rapids and I-Falls trick-or-treaters.

Commentator Andrew Lam talks about the housing crunch caused by the digital gold rush in the San Francisco Bay area. Scarce apartments are going to the highest bidder. Some people are renting the right to sleep in someone's dining area or walk-in closet. And the dream of home ownership Lam's family and other immigrants had has faded.

And: A Twin Metals subsidiary gets the go-ahead on mineral exploration near Babbitt; the community is rallying around the family of hometown hockey player Adam Johnson; Beltrami County won't appeal redistricting redo; and the state approves disaster relief for area counties damaged by spring flooding.

And: a propane explosion sends a woman and child to the hospital; zebra mussels are confirmed in three Itasca County lakes; Cass County expected to switch its jail housing contract from Crow Wing to Itasca; and a program supporting Fond du Lac Reservation area farmers gets a funding boost.

And: what began as a traffic stop turned into a baby's hurried arrival in a parking lot near Lake Winnibigoshish, the United Way of Bemidji Area is encouraging businesses and groups to participate in 'A Week of Caring,' and St. Louis County is seeking volunteer applicants for its Health and Human Services Advisory Committee.

Music critic Christian Bordal reviews Joe Henry's latest CD, Tiny Voices.

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith joined the KAXE Morning Show with Heidi Holtan and Jennifer Barr, responding to the inspection audit of the Bemidji Post Office. Plus, Bemidji Area Reporter Larissa Donovan joins her colleagues for further dives into her stories, such as the Bemidji Post Office, Mahnomen Health Center and more.

And: State Sen. Mary Kunesh shares her thoughts on why bills proposing the transfer of land to the White Earth and Red Lake nations faced stark opposition; and rural areas within the state are assessing recent high-profile law changes and program funding with Gov. Tim Walz on the national political spotlight.

Plus: With the entire staff that administers the Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program laid off, state advocates are concerned what that could mean for MN utility payers; and the Brainerd Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce will host a Republican candidate forum April 8 ahead of the special Senate District 6 primary election.

Plus: Attorney General Keith Ellison will be in Bemidji Tuesday, Oct. 7, for a community forum; Bemidji State University Alumni & Foundation is launching a fundraising campaign to replant the campus after the June 2025 wind storm; and the Cuyuna Regional Medical Center announces changes to its healthcare delivery services in the Brainerd Lakes area.

We usually associate twangy voices with our favorite country singers. Now researchers from Indiana University found that twangy voices do project better over noise.

NPR's Arun Rath talks with Yuval Ben-Itzhak of AVG about the vulnerabilities of the voice-activated personal assistants — like Apple's Siri — on smart phones and the possibility of voice hacking.