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Contributed/Minnesota House Public Information ServicesThe order follows recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Capitol Area Security, which has met monthly since the assassination of Rep. Melissa Hortman. -
Chelsey Perkins/KAXESigns in the windows of the popular downtown Mexican place offered words of thanks for community support and announced the business’ indefinite closure. -
Maxim Tajer/UnsplashThe fire was reported shortly after 10 p.m. on Jan. 27, 2026. -
Ben Davis for House Facebook pageCass and Itasca counties say a recent legal opinion nullified past agreements to work with ICE, while Crow Wing County has no current plans to change course. -
The 20-year-old was dragged out of his aunt’s vehicle and detained by immigration agents in early January 2026. -
Contributed/Minnesota Humanities Center via Minnesota News ConnectionSchool libraries around the state are benefitting from a new book series that highlights the work of key tribal figures from around the region. -
And: Alleged Lutsen Lodge arsonist sues insurance company for denying claim; and a new book series helps schools elevate Native American teachings. -
Contributed/Brett Sayles via MinnPostPaul Bunyan Communications announced the completion of two of its three remaining 2025 expansion projects in January 2026. -
Lorie Shaull/KAXEHibbing Public Utilities aims to replace all lead service lines in the city in the next two to three years. That's well ahead of the state's 2033 goal. -
ICE arrests 4 in downtown Brainerd; Judge hears arguments to consider pause on Operation Metro SurgePlus: Prosecutors are declining to move forward with a case after alleging a federal officer was assaulted in Virginia; and hundreds gathered at a vigil Jan. 24, 2025, outside the Crow Wing County Jail.
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 two reporters covering communities across Northern Minnesota from the KAXE studio in Grand Rapids and the KBXE studio in Bemidji.
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.
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.
