Up North Report

Plus: State senators Grant Hauschild and Rob Farnsworth launched reelection campaigns; the Hibbing School District named a new acting superintendent; and the Rock Ridge High School will soon host the first high school hockey game broadcast in Ojibwe.

Plus: Mesabi Metallics is in the final steps of opening its long-planned mine in Nashwauk.

The KAXE News Team is breaking down your property tax statement, line by line. Finally, we cover refunds, timelines and how to get involved and learn more.

Plus: High flu rates reported across Northern Minnesota; and Hibbing Public Utilities will host a town hall meeting on elevated lead levels.

And: MDH will not follow CDC vaccination guidance changes; and Itasca, Beltrami sheriffs to seek 2nd terms, Wadena County sheriff to retire.

Plus: Environmental group CURE is asking the state to reassess the private equity sale of Minnesota Power, given new information about the utility’s data center plans.

Plus: Bridge to Health Survey seeks more Northland respondents to survey collecting anonymous health information; and local hospitals list top baby names of 2025.

And: Former Iron Range teacher sentenced to 18 years for criminal sexual conduct; 8 Northern MN housing projects awarded state funds; MN awarded $193 million in federal rural health dollars; and stoplight changed to signs in Chisholm.

Bemidji Area Reporter Larissa Donovan looks back on her work reporting for northwestern Minnesota in 2025 during her ninth year as a journalist.

Our No. 1 and No. 2 stories of year follow the wide-ranging local impacts of sometimes swift and surprising decisions in Washington, D.C., and a severe natural disaster changes the landscape in the Bemidji area. The Up North Report is a product of KAXE and can be found at https://www.kaxe.org/upnorthreport .

Our No. 3 and No. 4 stories of year examine the state’s wild rice sulfate standard as U.S. Steel seeks a variance from the MPCA, and the arrest and subsequent resignation of former state Sen. Justin Eichorn. The Up North Report is a product of KAXE and can be found at https://www.kaxe.org/upnorthreport .

Our No. 5 and No. 6 stories of year break down what it means for local sheriffs to help enforce immigration laws, and the impact of budget cuts to library systems across the region. The Up North Report is a product of KAXE and can be found at https://www.kaxe.org/upnorthreport .

Our No. 7 and No. 8 stories of year cover the proliferation of automatic license plate readers as a law enforcement tool in Northern MN, and spring wildfires that destroyed thousands of acres and hundreds of structures. The Up North Report is a product of KAXE and can be found at https://www.kaxe.org/upnorthreport .

Our No. 9 and No. 10 stories of year include an unusual strike over whether a wide range of Essentia Health providers can form a union and the controversial sale of an MN utility company. The Up North Report is a product of KAXE and can be found at https://www.kaxe.org/upnorthreport .

Staff and residents at Havenwood Care Center celebrate the holidays throughout December in Bemidji. The Up North Report is a product of KAXE and can be found at https://www.kaxe.org/upnorthreport .

It was a packed house for Misty Jarvi, Rhys Britt and their two daughters’ home dedication one week before Christmas 2025. The Up North Report is a product of KAXE and can be found at https://www.kaxe.org/upnorthreport .

Hockey teams from Slovakia, Czechia and Latvia competed in exhibition games at Bemidji’s Sanford Event Center Dec. 19-22, 2025. The Up North Report is a product of KAXE and can be found at https://www.kaxe.org/upnorthreport .

The KAXE News Team is breaking down your property tax statement, line by line. Next, credits, local government’s preliminary tax levies and how others’ value changes affect your taxes. The Up North Report is a product of KAXE and can be found at https://www.kaxe.org/upnorthreport .

Plus: More fraud uncovered in state-run Medicaid services, but total is disputed; and MPCA to study sulfate levels in Minnesota waters.