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Scott Rodgerson/UnsplashOfficers from multiple agencies converged in Breezy Point Tuesday afternoon, May 19, 2026, but police said they've found no evidence of a crime. -
Megan Buffington/KAXEThe Itasca County Board of Commissioners decided May 19, 2026, to fly both the 2023 and 1983 versions of the Minnesota state flag outside the government center in Grand Rapids. -
Contributed/Ellen Schmidt / MinnPost / CatchLight Local / Report for AmericaState lawmakers and experts said the Minnesota affordable housing bill will save thousands from eviction but also isn’t enough. -
Contributed/City of HermantownHermantown officials are considering a tax abatement agreement with Google as more details emerge and debate surrounds a proposed data center development. -
Lorie Shaull/KAXECandidates running for state office, U.S. Senate or House, the state Legislature, county office and in some cities and school districts have until June 2, 2026, to file. -
Chelsey Perkins/KAXECounty Attorney Ben Lindstrom says Deputy Aaron Ammerman violated policy and engaged in "unbecoming conduct," but Ammerman says Lindstrom is tampering with the election. -
Plus: the DNR has identified the origin point and people of interest in the Flanders Fire; Bemidji bus drivers advocate for better pay before School Board; and Itasca County votes to fly two different state flags. -
Contributed/Wesley Tingey via UnsplashJordan Zempel, 35, of Apple Valley, faces a third-degree criminal sexual conduct charge for sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl. -
Megan Buffington/KAXEDaniel Dale of Hoyt Lakes made his first court appearance May 19, 2026, on the upgraded felony charge. He remains in custody in the St. Louis County Jail. -
Contributed/Minnesota Incident Command SystemAccurate mapping of the fire perimeter led to the fire size increasing to 356 acres. The wildfire destroyed 34 structures and was caused by a power line.
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.
