Picking favorites from a year is a tricky thing.
First of all, you have to remember everything that happened. That's where our on-air scheduling calendar comes in handy! I don't want to say that any conversation is forgettable, but sometimes in the radio business, life moves on to the next week pretty quickly.
Then, you have to actually make choices about what to include as a favorite.
Our Bright Spot segment on the KAXE Morning Show highlights the good happening in Northern Minnesota.
When looking at my list of Bright Spots, one thing was obvious: Each person we talked to was truly dedicated to making their community a better place. Whether they were focused on nature, health, kids or animals, these are people who want to make a difference.
We talked about events that build community, awareness and sometimes funds. We talked about tough subjects like aging or hunger issues. Other times, our topics were lighter, like when we talked about sledding in Deer River or tractors in Blackberry.
Here are a few of my favorite Bright Spot conversations from 2025.
Meet Miss Minnesota Emma Vreize of Osage
Emma Vrieze grew up in the Park Rapids area and is a nursing student at Minnesota State University Moorhead. She was crowned Miss Minnesota on June 20 and competed for Miss America on Sept. 7 in Orlando, Florida.
Vrieze stopped by KAXE's studios in Grand Rapids on her way to the Hoyt Lakes Water Carnival this July. Longtime KAXE volunteer Carolyn King, a Miss America pageant superfan, joined the conversation. King hasn't missed a single one since 1950.
Grand Rapidian rides over 2700 miles for men's mental health
Connor Stefan is not a cyclist. He wanted to make that clear.
But on Sept. 20, he rode his bike loaded with 70 pounds of gear into his hometown of Grand Rapids. He had spent 38 days pedaling over 2,700 miles from Seattle through mountains, plains and strong headwinds. He did it to raise awareness and funds for men's mental health.
"(Men) kind of bottle it all up," Stefan said on a recent Bright Spot segment on the KAXE Morning Show. "And what I've found over the years, because I've dealt with the same type of things ... [is] going out and doing something pretty hard — something that kind of puts you out of your comfort zone — makes all those daily stressors that you build up inside of you a lot easier. Just because you went out and did this crazy hard thing."
Shabby Tabby Cat Lounge offers playful, adoptable cats
A gray and white kitten sprints on a wheel like a hamster. A tuxedo kitten poses like a model atop the cat tower. Three nearly identical orange and white kittens do acrobatics as they fight over a bouncing cat wand.
The cats at the new Shabby Tabby Cat Lounge in Grand Rapids were full of energy when a crew from KAXE stopped by to play Thursday, Aug. 14.
Owners Jennifer Hendrickson and Amy Wirtanen have operated Bark and Beyond, a pet store in Central Square Mall in Grand Rapids, since 2023. They expanded their space to include the Shabby Tabby Cat Lounge.
The Shabby Tabby cats are fosters for Hero's Heart Animal Rescue. The goal of the cat lounge is to give the cats a familiar space to live before hopefully getting adopted.
A place to stay at The Door
Sometimes a coffeehouse can be more than just a coffeehouse.
The Door Coffeehouse in Laporte strives to help those in need while also being a gathering space for the community.
Joyce Day, one of the founders of The Door Coffeehouse, and her husband Kevin transformed a house built in 1906 into a beautiful space that not only serves breakfast, lunch and coffee, but can house up to seven people who need temporary housing.
Brainerd HS band plays with Hot 8 Brass Band in New Orleans
When Brainerd High School band director Chris Fogderud heard KAXE's Album of the Week on March 3, his ears perked up.
Hot 8 Brass Band's latest album Big Tuba, with its "vibrant sound and positive message," was the KAXE Music Team's pick for Mardi Gras week. But that wasn't what caught Fogderud's attention.
The BHS band was leaving for New Orleans in five days and would soon be participating in a workshop with the Hot 8 Brass Band.
Fogderud talked about the band's trip, along with one of the band's percussionists, Leo Justin.
"It was nuts to work with people that are at that level of musicianship and just, like, masters at what they do," Justin said.
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This year's Miss Minnesota, Emma Vrieze, hails from the Park Rapids area. She will compete in the Miss America pageant with a platform of "Swim with Safety: Water Knowledge." -
Grand Rapids resident Connor Stefan recently challenged himself to a bike ride — that took him over 2,700 miles — to raise awareness and funds for men's mental health. -
The lounge operates in Central Square Mall in Grand Rapids in conjunction with Hero's Heart Animal Rescue. Time slots are available for hanging out with cats — adoption optional. -
The Door Coffeehouse, a combination coffee shop and temporary housing facility in Laporte, Minnesota, is featured Jan. 27, 2025, on KAXE’s "Bright Spot" series. -
During the Brainerd High School band's visit to New Orleans in early March, students worked with the Hot 8 Brass Band, among other musical experiences.
