KMSU Community Stories

July 1, 2026 - KMSU Alumnus Doug Faust with Mankato Kiwanis stops by to chat about the 34th Kiwanis Thunder of Drums event happening Tuesday, July 7 at Blakeslee Stadium on the campus of Minnesota State University, Mankato.  Learn more and purchase tickets at the Thunder of Drums website.

June 17, 2026 - Maisie Johnson with the Living Earth Center stops in to chat about their Solstice event on Saturday June 20 from 6pm to 8pm.  Everyone is invited to stop by and enjoy music, yoga, and community at the LEC Community Gardens on Good Counsel Hill.

June 5, 2026 - Mankato Area Public Schools Adult Basic Education Coordinator Karen Wolters stops by and tells us all about the GED Bootcamp that starts June 15.  We lean what a General Educational Development diploma is, why it's needed, and how you can attend the bootcamp coming up soon.

April 22, 2026 - Superintendent Paul Peterson and Prairie Winds Middle School Teacher Brett Riss stop by to talk about sustainability in Mankato Area Public Schools.

April 20, 2026 - The Watonwan County Entertainment Association presents St. James area native Becky Buller, performing Saturday night at Armstrong Auditorium in St. James.  Learn more about Becky's roots and how playing the fiddle has been to key to her performing all over the world.  Learn more by following this link .

April 20, 2026 - Kate Hengy-Gertz and Alyssa Dieken stop by and let us know more about Project Community Connect happening Tuesday, April 21 at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center.  Listen to learn more about what types of resources and services are available at the event, which happens from 1pm to 4pm.

April 15, 2026 - Brian Gosewisch from Key City Bike joins Dwayne to chat about the Deep Valley Trash Cleanup event on Saturday, April 18, from 10am to 12pm.  Find out more at their website .

March 25, 20206 - In this week's Community Spotlight, Mankato Area Public Schools Superintendent Paul Peterson stops by to talk about legislative priorities, a super summer, and the need to support future students with lifestyle pathways.  

Sam Schirmers and Amy Phares from Mankato Area Public Schools stop by to talk all things Summer ACES, including registration, enrollment, and even employment opportunities.

Mankato Area Public Schools Superintendent Paul Peterson stops by to talk about how area schools are handling increased immigration enforcement in our area.  He also talks about student involvement in school board meetings and updates us on the ongoing discussion about what education might look like in the future.

January 07, 2026 - For this week's Community Spotlight, Dwayne chats with Katlyn McCourtney and Joan Morrison from Mankato Area Public School's Early Learning program.  Learn more about upcoming applications for Preschool and Early Childhood Family Education programs.

The broadcast begins with a preview of the performance with MSO Executive Director Bethel Balge and MSO Music Director and Conductor Ernesto Estigarribia-Mussi, followed by the December 20th performance at St. Peter High School.

Dec. 17, 2025 - KMSU's Karen Wright interviews author Frank Ginther exploring Dawn Manor, a grand estate that has stood the test of time in the heart of the Wisconsin Dells since 1855. The book is a historical exploration of the opulence, community gatherings, ghostly encounters and meticulous preservation efforts of this remarkable estate which is now a restaurant open to tourists.

December 10, 2025 - Jonathan Brandt, Executive and Artistic Director of Mankato's Merely Players discusses the group's latest production, Fruitcakes! a popular, heartwarming and humorous holiday play running two weekends, Dec. 10-12 and Dec. 19-21.

Dec. 3, 2025 - Resource and Donor Development Director Jill Cusick of the Mankato Area United Way provides an update on the fundraising efforts for the organizations and how you can contribute or volunteer.

Dec. 3, 2025 - Minnesota Morning Host, Karen Wright, is retiring this month from KMSU after 20 years of service. She has done thousands of interviews and will miss the many individuals she has had the honor of interacting with over those years. We are posting her favorite interview which she did on  April 3, 2019 with her musical idol, Olivia Newton-John. We wish her well!      *Note - songs have...

Dec. 2, 2025 - KMSU is a member of AMPERS, the Association of Minnesota Public Educational Radio Stations. Joel Glaser, President and CEO of AMPERS discusses the organization's first-ever fundraiser in light of federal cuts to all public media.

Nov. 19, 2025 - Mankato Area Public Schools Adult Basic Education Coordinator, Karen Wolters, says people often think of the program as just for those getting a G.E.D.  Wolters explained to "Minnesota Morning" host Karen Wright,  that Adult Basic Education has much more to offer, especially for those who want to increase their skills or prepare to go on to college, or upscale their careers. Many A...

November 5, 2025 - Barb Kaus of the Mankato Area United Way provides an update of the organization's fundraising efforts and highlights some of the programs served, and discusses some upcoming events.

October 28, 2025 - Everything You Wanted to Know about Indians but were Afraid to Ask is a book written by Anton Treuer, a professor of Ojibwe at Bemidji State University. The book was selected as a "community read" for Indigenous People's Day. A number of events have been held to discuss Treuer's writing, and he will be in Mankato as a keynote speaker on Nov. 14, 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. in the MSU Cente...

October 22, 2025 - Mankato Area Public Schools Superintendent Paul Peterson stops by to talk about student attendance.

October 15, 2025 - Mankato Area Public Schools has many programs to offer for all ages. Community Education Coordinator, Melanie Schmidt, and Enrichment Specialist, Kaitlin Carter discuss the many classes for youth to adults. They also talk about how you can find out what is coming up for Winter/Spring classes.

Oct. 9, 2025 - Greater Mankato is hosting an Ubuntu Festival to officially launch the "Spirit of Ubuntu," an ongoing movement to empower every generation to contribute to understanding, kindness, respect and harmony in their daily interactions. Greater Diversity Council Executive Director Mohamed Alsadig and Performing Artist Antoinette Rootsdawtah discuss the three-day event (Oct. 9 - 11) taking...

October 7, 2025 - Indigenous People's Day is Oct. 13 with numerous events to celebrate the day in Mankato. Diane Dobitz, a member of the Mahkato Indigenous People's Day committee discusses how the City of Mankato adopted a resolution in 2018 marking the second Monday in October as Indigenous People's Day which served as the next stop on the path of reconciliation between the Indigenous Dakota Nati...

Sept. 25, 2025 - President Trump announced actions his administration is taking to identify the causes of autism in children and potential treatment options. Trump also raised related concerns about the safety of medications containing acetaminophen. Dr. Brian Lee, a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at Drexel University, studies the effects medications have on pregnant women and their f...