Up North Report

Find more stories from KAXE News at kaxe.org/local-news.

Plus: MPCA’s draft Minntac permit at issue at information session.

Plus: Highway 71 has reopened between Turtle River and Tenstrike; and Lithium-ion battery safety highlighted during Fire Prevention Week.

Plus: Ron Schutz says he will invest his portfolio in a blind trust if elected MN AG; and the state's Housing office awarded $4.4M in Greater MN housing projects.

Plus: the Minnesota Medical Association names a Moose Lake doctor as its president; and KAXE's voter guide for the 2026 midterms is now available.

Plus: Zebra mussels found in more Northern Minnesota lakes; Stauber-Swanson to square off in debate; and the KAXE Election Guide is live.

And: Minnesota Election leaders clear the air amid confusion in the run-up to the midterms.

Plus: Minnesota Department of Agriculture awards Farm to Food Security Grants

Plus: Lost hunters rescued near Hibbing.

Plus: Superfund site in Hermantown to become FedEx distribution center; free well water testing kits available for Beltrami County residents.

The retired DNR forester gave a walking tour of his forest property as part of a Cass Soil and Water Conservation District forest management event.

Plus: Aitkin's 68-year-old water tower is demolished; Demuth, Klobuchar will debate in the Brainerd lakes area; and we're partnered with ICTV to host school board forums.

Plus: Demuth-affiliated political action committee receives $10 million infusion.

Plus: Businesses in drought disaster area eligible for fed assistance, Bemidji tells a tale of two homecomings.

And: An economist says census poverty data masks expected blows of Medicaid changes.

Plus: Early voting opened Sept. 18, 2026, for all eligible voters Minnesota; and Northern Minnesota tribes are among groups receiving Clean Water Legacy grants.

The Iron Range offers a window into communities reckoning with how their identities must change for the betterment of future generations as schools increasingly collaborate. This reporting is part of a collaboration with the Institute for Nonprofit News' Rural News Network and Big Local News at Stanford University, with data journalist Cherry Salazar’s analysis helping anchor the reporting. Six no...

Plus: Minnesota's archery deer season opens Sept. 19, 2026; and health experts caution that disease-carrying ticks surge in fall.

And: Mesabi Metallics eyes massive expansion as production of first pellets ramps up.

Plus: MN Court of Appeals to host oral arguments at Pequot Lakes High School.

Plus: Zebra mussels found at two lakes on the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation; Pollution Control Agency seeks participants for fish consumption survey.

Plus: DNR cancels mineral lease for Twin Metals; and ICE's immigration crackdown last winter may have ripple effects for farm labor during harvest season.

When active, Mesabi will bring jobs to the region and contribute to a productivity tax that returns money to communities. But Itasca County is in a housing shortage, and Mesabi Metallics is posed to uniquely hurt and help the region.

Plus: Industry-specific minimum wage goes into effect for Minnesota nursing home workers; lawmakers hear continuity of care concerns amid fraud battles.

Plus: Fosston Schools accept garden bounties to fill gap from lost program.