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Lorie Shaull/KAXEA proposal to restrict city employees from serving on the council was postponed until after the election, which returned an affected incumbent and saw a leading proponent lose his mayoral bid. -
Lorie Shaull/KAXEThe Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy is appealing the second city-conducted environmental review for Google's proposed Hermantown data center. -
The Department of Natural Resources will join partners in the area to celebrate Gov. Tim Walz's opener on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026. -
Lorie Shaull/KAXEThe 0.01% difference between candidates easily meets the criteria for a publicly funded recount. -
Contributed/Nicole Neri / Minnesota ReformerVoters elected at least 10 new Democratic senators, already the largest incoming class of elected first-time Democratic senators in 40 years, with results from Alaska and Mississippi still outstanding. -
Contributed/Nicole Neri / Minnesota ReformerKlobuchar will have 60 days before her January inauguration to staff her office, draft a two-year budget and turn her campaign talking points into legislation. -
Plus: Walz to open administration's final deer season in Grand Rapids. -
Lorie Shaull/KAXEHermantown City Council incumbent Andy Hjelle lost the 2026 election to Emma Richtman and Candi Mock. Newcomers Kris Eilers and Timothy Mattson won in their districts for St. Louis County Board of Commissioners. -
Colleen Bakken, Jenny Frenzel and Carol L. Johnson were the top three candidates in the Bemidji School Board election on Nov. 3, 2026. -
Graphic/KAXEVoters across Clearwater County cast ballots for the next Clearwater County Sheriff and Auditor-Treasurer.
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 four reporters covering communities across Northern Minnesota from the KAXE studio in Grand Rapids and the KBXE studio in Bemidji.
Megan Buffington covers North-Central Minnesota from the Brainerd lakes area. Originally from Pequot Lakes, she joined the KAXE newsroom in 2024. Megan previously covered the Arrowhead for KAXE. She is passionate about amplifying Northern Minnesota voices and educating 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.
