Features

Governor Walz announces $53 million to expand broadband to 8,900 Minnesota homes and businesses

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Governor Tim Walz this week announced over $50 million in grants to expand broadband access to an estimated 8,900 homes and businesses throughout Minnesota. “We’re investing in broadband infrastructure statewide to help thousands of Minnesotans connect to jobs, education, healthcare, and their communities,” said Governor Walz. “Helping more Minnesotans get online at high speeds is one of the ways we’re […]

New planning and zoning director named

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St. Louis County has named Ryan Logan as director of its new Planning and Zoning Department. Logan has worked for the county for 10 years in various roles, including land use and GIS divisions. Most recently, he served as the county’s onsite wastewater planning manager. He’s also been overseeing the county’s Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Prevention Program, and assisting the […]

JET welcomes career counselors to their Virginia and Hibbing offices

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Virginia/Hibbling: JET, which serves adults, dislocated workers, public assistance recipients, and youth ages 14 and older on career paths to employment in a seven-county area of northeast Minnesota, welcomes Jason Strukel. Strukel was hired to fill a role as a career counselor with a primary focus in the area of youth and young adults in JET’s Virginia office. As to […]

Minnesota North faculty members selected for Awards for Excellence

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ELY/GRAND RAPIDS – Two Minnesota North College faculty members have been selected to receive the Minnesota State Board of Trustees award. Ryan Miller of the Vermilion Campus in Ely, and Anna Francisco, of the Itasca Campus in Grand Rapids, were chosen for this year’s award. The Board of Trustees Awards for Excellence acknowledge and provide system-wide recognition for consistently superior […]

The Rainy Lake light towers

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Fifty years of keeping boaters safe


Ranger: There were originally four light towers that were installed on the western end of Rainy Lake, on the U.S. side. The light towers were placed in 1940, when Rainy Lake was determined by the U.S. Coast Guard to be a navigable international waterway. The towers were placed at the following locations (with coordinates noted): • Roberts Island Channel: 48.618899, […]

Celebrate Minnesota Day with waterways fun facts

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March 1 is Minnesota Day, the day that we get to celebrate everything that makes our state unique. The Minnesota Territory was established on March 3, 1849, and less than a decade later it would become a state on May 11, 1858. So, you are probably wondering why Minnesota Day is celebrated on March 1. This date was decided on […]

Digging up dirt on local foods

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Looking back at 100 GoTR columns

We at the Hometown Focus love a good local story. So it is with appreciation that we celebrate and acknowledge the 100th—and final—“Grown on the Range” column published this week by Marlise Riffel. For nearly five years now, Marlise has been exploring the nooks and crannies of the local food scene in northeastern Minnesota. Many people may not have known […]

Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox: A thorny legacy, but it’s fun folklore

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The giant lumberjack Paul Bunyan— bearded, ax in hand, clad in red flannel and work boots—has come to represent Minnesota’s Northwoods. Folklore credits him and his sidekick, Babe the Blue Ox, with creating the Mississippi River and the Grand Canyon. But his legacy is complicated. While Paul Bunyan myths celebrate Minnesota, they also leave out the facts of the state’s […]

Arrowhead Transit celebrates 50 years of connecting cities and towns of the Arrowhead Region

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ARROWHEAD REGION – Arrowhead Transit, the primary provider of public transportation in Minnesota’s Arrowhead Region, proudly commemorates its 50th anniversary of service to the community. Established in 1974, Arrowhead Transit has been an integral part of the region’s development, fostering connectivity and accessibility across 10 counties spanning over 20,000 square miles. The origins of Arrowhead Transit trace back to the […]

March 1 (National Minnesota Day):

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This day in Minnesota history

1856 The territorial legislature incorporates the St. Peter Company, which is authorized to engage in milling and waterpower work and to develop real estate. The company’s stockholders hope to move the state capital to St. Peter, but their efforts are thwarted by Joseph Rolette. James J. Hill purchased the company’s charter in 1901, hoping that its real estate powers would […]


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