So what are lake service providers? These are the area businesses that rent trailers and lake equipment, put in docks and boats and are for hire at area lakes. There equipment, unless handled by certified providers, could carry Aquatic Invasives from lake to lake. Itasca County has a new program - the Five Star Program . FiveStar providers are DNR-certified, sign a contract agreeing to apply additional specified AIS best-practices and safeguards when moving from one lake or river to another, and

Executive Director of Visit Grand Rapids Megan Christianson was back with us today to talk about the impact of tourism on our local communities. For instance in Itasca County's gross sales from Minnesota's leisure industry was over $75 million dollars. Crow Wing over $233 million, Beltrami over $102 million and Hubbard over $36 million. She also reminded us that there are lots of things to do in neighboring towns - trails, restaurants, events, lakes, fish - all pretty close to home. Take a

Each week Heidi and Scott pull up a chair to one of our member’s kitchen tables and get to know them a little bit better. This week’s caller, Molly Macgregor from Grand Rapids shared her breakfast of just the absolute correctly created English muffin with peanut butter and butter, yogurt with applesauce from trees last year Hear the whole conversation by clicking below. Thanks to our sponsor Homestead Mills for their support of this program! Let us know if you want to be our guest on What's For

Area Voices producer Katie Carter shares arts happenings in a variety of communities every first Friday of the month. This May several venues will feature work created by local high school and elementary students, Ten Thousand Things theater company will tour the northland and fresh exhibits by local, established artists are popping up in Brainerd, Bemidji, and Virginia. Artists receptions are taking place at the Edge Center for the Arts in Bigfork, the Crossing Arts Alliance in Brainerd, the

Betty Firth, program director for the Ely Folk School connects with us on the first Friday of every month to tell us about the upcoming classes and happenings the folk school is involved with. The month of May is full of intriguing options for learning. A soil clinic, a beaded necklace class, embroidery workshop, pine needle basketry class and even instruction on making pasties and preparing wild spring edibles are all offered! Check out the folk school website for information!

On the first Friday of every month, we check in with Katie Marshall, the executive director of the MacRostie Art Center in Grand Rapids. She fills us in on all the awesome First Friday arts happenings going on around town. Rustic Furniture at Frame Up, a stellar jazz band at the VFW, Poetry readings at Central Square Mall, a pop-up book store and pop-up thrift store and much much more at Central School are just a few of options for folks in Grand Rapids, MN this afternoon. At the MacRostie this

This week Timberjay editor and publisher Marshall Helmberger keeps us up to date on the state-wide story he broke on the IRRR and hiring practices , we also hear about t he State of the Band address by Bois Forte tribal chair Cathy Chavers. He also brings us news of a body found in the BWCA and lake conditions in NE MN. Do you appreciate the Border News Roundup? Support KAXE/KBXE that brings you local stories. Call us 800-662-5799 or join us online !

Michael Fitch of Grand Rapids produced the first Youth in Radio Podcast for KAXE/KBXE which will be aired Thursday mornings around 8:10 during the Morning Show. Fitch explores the relationship between music and arts education in young children. Hear the whole conversation below. The Youth in Radio Podcast is also available on kaxe.org and through iTunes. If you know someone who might want to make a podcast, send an email to [email protected] . Youth in Radio Podcast is funded by the Arts &

Today marked the beginning of KAXE/KBXE’s Youth in Radio Podcast which will be aired Thursday mornings around 8:10 during the Morning Show. This morning, Heidi Holtan talked with Youth in Radio Coordinator Shannon Fitch who has been working with groups of students to create short pieces about the subject of their choosing. Hear the whole conversation below. The Youth in Radio Podcast is also available on kaxe.org and through iTunes. If you know someone who might want to make a podcast, send an

Craft breweries in Bemidji, Grand Rapids, Aitkin, Brainerd and five other breweries in the Mississippi Headwaters basin are spreading the word about the connection between healthy forests and clean water. It’s called the “Forest Friendly Brewery” project. Water from the forests of the 5-million acre Mississippi Headwaters basin is the primary ingredient in their beer. Each brewery will display a poster identifying “forest friendly” breweries along the Mississippi. Staff at each brewery will be