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Megan Buffington/KAXEThe second round of severe thunderstorms on June 29, 2026, knocked out power for even more people than the first round did, with strong winds, large hail and heavy rain. -
The National Weather Service in Duluth issued an upgraded alert of a "destructive" thunderstorm June 29, 2026, but the storm passed through much calmer than expected. -
Plus: A allegedly intoxicated driver lands an SUV onto a building with a resident inside in Naytahwaush -
Contributed/Mahnomen County Sheriff's OfficeThe sheriff’s office reported the 36-year-old driver from Moorhead was later apprehended after a short foot pursuit. -
Scott Rodgerson/UnsplashA portion of the highway was shut down and traffic diverted on June 28, 2026, following a two-vehicle collision in which both drivers died. -
Contributed/Bemidji High School Trap Team via FacebookThe Lumberjacks won their first state title in their eighth-straight tournament appearance. Proctor sophomore Laine Graves won the individual championship. -
Larissa Donovan/KAXEReports of funnel clouds, strong wind, large hail and power outages accompanied the well-defined “bow echo,” a storm system that often produces straight-line wind events. -
Students in Deer River are tending to a "pizza garden" this summer, with the hopes of hosting a pizza party using ingredients from the garden in September 2026.
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Plus: Tourism-based businesses brace for slower summer amid high gas prices and consumer costs; Little Fork River watershed plan open for comment; and fireworks galore in the Northland.
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Contributed/Leech Lake Tribal College Facebook PageErin Stresow will start the position July 7, 2026. She comes from her position as senior director of diversity, equity and inclusion at Colorado State University Pueblo.
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.
Erin Bowman studies journalism and political science at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Originally from East Grand Forks, she enjoys providing understandable and accessible information to communities.
