Tune in for our weekly conversation about the news in northern MN with Marshall Helmberger from the Timberjay newspaper.

SPRING HAS SPRUNG and we've got the phenological evidence to prove it! Phenology is the biological nature of events as they relate to climate. Every Tuesday morning, our resident Phenologist John Latimer gathers his phenological data and reports his findings in the weekly Phenology Report. This week John discusses average blooms and animal sightings according to his 30+ years of collecting data. He also talks about things he's already seen this year... eagles, trumpeter swans, and wood ducks are

Every first Friday of the month, our Area Voices producer Katie Carter digs around to find out what kinds of things are going on in the region. Today she told us about new exhibits at the Jaques Art Center in Aitkin, the Edge Center for the Arts in Bigfork, the Crossing Arts Alliance in Brainerd, what would be on this month's first Friday art walk in Bemidji, what's happening at the Watermark Art Center and she tipped us off to a story telling workshop in Bagley. So much happening! Listen for

We check in with the Ely Folk School every First Friday to find out what kinds of arts and cultural events are happening up there. This morning Betty Firth filled us in on a variety of events including pine needle basketry classes happening this weekend and some special classes taking place at the end of the month. Teh folk school will host a series of events about the night sky and the dark sky movement. Introductions to photographic software, taking pictures of the northern lights, a night

On the first Friday of the month we check in with Katie Marshall, Executive Director of the MacRostie Art Center i n Grand Rapids. Katie tells us all about the new exhibits at the MacRostie as well as the many other cool arts events happening around town. At the MacRostie this month is the annual exhibition, Six McKnight Artists, featuring new work by 2017 McKnight Artist Fellowship for Ceramic Artists recipients Xilam Balam Ybarra (St. Paul, Minnesota) and Mic Stowell (Minneapolis, Minnesota),

Senator Tina Smith told us about some of the bills she's working on that affect rural Minnesotans. Coop Tax Fix Bill: Sen. Smith has been contacted by several Minnesota cooperatives that are at risk of losing their tax-exempt status due to an error in the 2017 tax law. The error is making it difficult for coops to accept grants to expand broadband access, and it’s putting the coops that do accept grants, including those who accept emergency relief grants, at risk of losing their tax-exempt

Scott Lykins is a professional cellist who grew up in the Brainerd area, left to pursue educational and career goals, and returned with some big ideas. In 2009 he co-founded the Lakes Area Music Festival (LAMF). LAMF started as six free orchestral concert experiences and has grown into year round orchestral experiences with a burst of opportunities in late summer. The concerts aren’t the only opportunities LAMF bring to the Brainerd lakes region. Childrens’ camps, opportunities for high school

Today we called and woke up hometown goalie star Hunter Shepherd from the UMD Bulldogs. The Bulldogs are the defending national champions and are in the NCAA semi-fianls. Hunter is a junior at UMD from Cohasset and he started in all 40 games this year with a 27-11-2 record with an amazing 1.82 GAA. The next game is April 11th at 4pm against the Providence Friars. In the midst of his college career we caught up with Hunter today. Here's a fun game to try: when exactly does Hunter wake up in this

Life Coach Bonnie Henrickson and Crucial Conversations participant Berniece Reader joined us today to talk about Crucial Conversations for Aging. They posed the question - what is your legacy? What do you want your legacy to be? How will people remember you. Retirement doesn't have to mean social isolation, it might mean your life is just beginning to be understood. The information meeting is at the GR Area Library tonight, April 4th at 6pm.

Today we talked with University of MN student Meg Foster. She's speaking today at Central Lakes College about her study abroad to Russia where she did research on the first woman in space. Her talk at noon today at the Chalberg Theater is "Soviet Space Race Propaganda: The Role of Women in Space and Science". If you can't make the free event, you can watch it on Central Lakes College's youtube channel .