Whether it's nature, movies, phenology, local plays, wild rice, arts events, fashion or breakfast, these are some of our favorites of the year. What were yours?
Heidi's picks
FFA students from Grand Rapids recently received awards including the historic appointment of three students to the state officer board and the Forest Management and Products Proficiency Award.
Hibbing High School theater students had a surprise visit from Oscar-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet, who is preparing to play the role of Bob Dylan in an upcoming movie.
Caroline Paul said the messaging women receive as they age is mostly negative. Her new book, “Tough Broad,” spotlights women taking risks and thriving while aging.
Jennifer's picks
Corporal Norris Brenden served in the U.S. Marines in Vietnam. He died in February of 1968 and in doing so saved the lives of many fellow Marines.
Doris Mold has been an innovator in the dairy industry for decades and is this year's recipient of the Bruce Cottington Friend of Dairy Award.
Prom with a Purpose was a new event organized by student council members at Grand Rapids, Greenway, and Deer River High Schools for neurodivergent students in the area.
Specially trained dogs (and their human handlers) are attentive listeners for young people learning to read with the Bemidji Area Reading Canines program.
Charlie's picks
Since I'm rarely on air, I get to sit back and enjoy the Morning Show with the rest of you — laughing at the co-host antics, learning from our speakers, and being continually inspired by the diverse and compassionate community surrounding us at KAXE. Here are some of my highlights of the year:
Eleanor Spicer Rice’s new book is Your Pets’ Secret Lives: The Truth Behind Your Pets’ Wildest Behaviors. She is a senior science editor at Verdant Word and an award-winning author with a Ph.D. in entomology.
In a follow-up episode to the Decline of Native Pollinators Series, pollinator expert Jessica Peterson joined the KAXE Morning Show to focus on forest-dwelling pollinators. The Decline of Native Pollinator series is produced by Mark Jacobs.
Crystal N. Johnson, an environmental sciences professor at Louisiana State University, was on a quest to find a Great Grey Owl — and some peace and quiet. Her search brought her to the Sax-Zim Bog near Meadowlands, MN.
Pam Perry, our favorite retired non-game wildlife biologist, stops by each month to talk about Minnesota phenology with our staff phenologist, John Latimer. Pam is broadly knowledgeable about Minnesota's environment and particularly excited about birds, reptiles, and amphibians.
Of course, it's the quiet moments between co-hosts that warm my heart the most. I'm pretty fond of the delightful radio dorks I work with. Enjoy some "junkyard blather" courtesy of the August 20, 2024, Morning Show.
Junkyard blather: Aug. 20, 2024
Andrew's picks
The first full year of hosting and producing Area Voices has been an eye-opening and inspiring journey for me. I knew there was a lot of amazing art in our area happening because of my previous job at Lakeland PBS, but getting a chance to interview so many artists this year taught me more about what it means to be an artist.
What I really loved delving into was the spark that inspires someone to create. I got so many different responses this year, and I find that inspiring: Art can come out of someone at any time, and there’s no “right” way of starting. I hope hearing these interviews inspires others to create, even if it’s just one piece in a year.
Here are some of my favorite conversations on Area Voices in 2024.
Shayley Jordan joins “Area Voices” to discuss the excitement of being a part of the musical team in “Chicago” at the Armory Arts and Event Center in Park Rapids.
“Naytahwaush: Faces, Stories, and Artists Exhibition” opens at the Gizhiigin Arts Incubator in Mahnomen on Saturday, May 18. Curator Kent Estey joins Area Voices to discuss how the project came to be and what he hopes other communities will take away from it.
Multimedia artist Rory Wakemup’s exhibit “Smart Wars: Gaa-miinigoowiziyang" is featured at the Miikanan Gallery at the Watermark Art Center. The public will have a chance to meet the artist Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.
