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Plus: An Orr man was charged with two felonies for shooting a firefighting plane; and the Bemidji Chamber of Commerce recognized area businesses at its annual luncheon almost a year after the derecho. -
Contributed/Canva Pro graphicMark Smith, 66, died Thursday, May 21, 2026, after hitting a deer near Hill City in southern Itasca County while riding a dirt bike. -
Plus: Red Lake Nation residents cast ballots for the tribal council election; and bipartisan housing legislation made it across the finish line in the divided Legislature.
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Contributed/Max Nesterak / Minnesota ReformerFifteen people are charged with targeting over $90M across Medicaid programs aimed at helping the most vulnerable, including homeless people, children with autism and disabled people. -
As Bemidji Area Schools mediates with its bargaining units after a spring of budget cuts, Bemidji bus drivers and their supporters urged the Board for their support. -
Contributed/DSGW ArchitectureThe May 20, 2026, Tribal Council election resulted in four runoff elections set to take place in July and featured some very close contests in the sovereign nation. -
Ekaterina Bolovtsova via PexelsThe plea agreement for Cyndy Martin includes 364 days in jail, which is a downward departure from sentencing guidelines for the felony charge. -
Contributed/Nicole Neri | Minnesota ReformerAimee Bock, 41, was convicted for her role in the $242 million Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, which has so far led to 70 indictments and 60 convictions. -
Contributed/Crow Wing County Sheriff's Office Drone TeamThe Minnesota Incident Command Team turned over command of the fire to Crow Wing County authorities on May 21, 2026. -
Plus: Flanders Fire in Crow Wing County nearing 100% containment; and Pequot Lakes Patriotics are once again the robotics state champions.
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.
