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Larissa Donovan/KAXEMax Hites had been with Lueken's Village Foods since the store's beginning. Employees and customers joined in celebrating Hites' 60-year career at an open house on May 1, 2026. -
Contributed/Karina Kafka / Report for MinnesotaThe bill’s proposed portal, accessible via the Internet, would provide contractors and subcontractors a place to submit payroll reports, which would be stored in a database for public or state use. -
Contributed/Minnesota Interagency Fire CenterAs "green-up" slowly makes its way north, Minnesota's firefighters remain alert to conditions where wildfires can easily spread due to available fuels and dry weather. -
Contributed/Michele Jokinen / Minnesota House of RepresentativesThe Permanent School Fund uses revenue from the sale of timber, minerals and land on 2.5 million acres of School Trust Lands to fund public school districts and charter schools around Minnesota. -
Heidi Holtan/KAXEWhen infectious and pathological waste is found in any unauthorized refuse center, the facility has to shut down and open an investigation. -
Scott Rodgerson/UnsplashThe cause of Michael James Azure's death remains under investigation. After a brief pursuit, deputies located an abandoned ATV, with Azure found unresponsive in the woods. -
This is the Up North Lookback, where we’re digging into the local news archives from 50 years ago — the year KAXE was born. It’s the week of May 11. -
Plus: PCA estimates 12-16 days of wildfire smoke this summer; and Lueken's Village Foods in Bemidji recently celebrated the retirement of its longest-serving employee.
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Lorie ShaullThe office would be able to investigate any public or private entity that receives public dollars. It would also expand information-sharing between agencies and implement best anti-fraud practices. -
Plus: The new conservation officer in Walker gives his predictions and tips for anglers ahead of his first-ever fishing season opener in the role.
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.
