This Thursday evening at 6:30pm at the Blandin Foundation J. Drake Hamilton, an expert in climate and energy policies at the state and national levels, will be speaking on the benefits of renewable energies. It is sponsored by Earth Circle and The Itasca Clean Energy Team . J. Drake Hamilton joined us on the Monday Morning Show.

Program 24: Anselm Bossard A radio series produced by historian Don Boese. Don is the author of eight books dealing with local history in Itasca County, including "John C. Greenway and the Opening of the Western Mesabi", and the main source for this series, "Papermakers: the Blandin Paper Company and Grand Rapids, Minnesota". The series begins with the arrival of the first Euro-Americans to the forested wilderness of Itasca County in the 1870s. In those early days the site that became the town

Rep. Erin Murphy is a DFL legislator from St. Paul (64A). She was the first person to announce she is running for MN Governor in 2018 and this week, while she was on a tour in northern MN, she joined us in the studio for Making Sausage. You can read Patrick Condon's piece from the Star Tribune here.

This year's cool summer has been great for growing rhubarb, a versatile plant that is taking a starring role this week at the Grand Rapids Farmers' Market. The idea came Patti and Arnold Schmidt from Schmidt Family Farm . Arnie and Patti are known for growing monster rhubarb, and they've challenged other farmers, gardeners and market customers to a "biggest rhubarb leaf" contest. The whole market has joined in. This week vendors are offering rhubarb-based baked goods, crumbles, crisps, brats,

Wendy Greenberg has been contra dancing most of her life. It's an art form she learned from her folk dancing parents and something she's sought out and thoroughly enjoyed throughout her adult life. Greenberg received a grant through the Region 2 Arts Council to share contra dance with the Bemidji area via a dance series she orchestrated... Contra dance bands from Grand Forks and Duluth will travel to Bemidji, host musician workshops at Headwaters School of Music and the Arts and accompany a

Mathew Schum grew up in Minnesota and went on to become an art curator and professor of art history at Cal State Bakersfield. He curated the Nemeth Art Center 's 40th Anniversary exhibit that will be up thru July 15th . The multi-media, multi-artist show includes work from contemporary artists Joan Bemel Iron Moccasin, Kelly Sena , Aaron Spangler , Damien Davis and Jon Gomez alongside classic works of European old master paintings, the Nemeth's collection of African arts and craft works and

Thursday mornings at 7:20 is Making Sausage where we take a look at how government and politics work. This week Heidi Holtan and DFL commentator Colleen Nardone talked with former MN House Speaker (DFL) Paul Thissen who announced his bid for governor. Who do you think should run for governor? Email us!

Program 23: The Growth of the Paper Industry in the U.S. 1870 - 1900 A radio series produced by historian Don Boese. Don is the author of eight books dealing with local history in Itasca County, including "John C. Greenway and the Opening of the Western Mesabi", and the main source for this series, "Papermakers: the Blandin Paper Company and Grand Rapids, Minnesota". The series begins with the arrival of the first Euro-Americans to the forested wilderness of Itasca County in the 1870s. In those

Host Grant Frashier talks with Doug Workman and Becky Peterson about the Vermilion Cultural Center project and their Seasons of Broadway fundraiser which will be held Saturday, June 17th in Tower, MN.

Headwaters School of Music and the Arts hosts its annual Fiddle Camp this week in Bemidji. Kids ranging from 7-16 years old learned dozens of fiddling songs, experimented with contra dancing, studied clans of Scotland and Ireland, and got to experience the Celtic band Caleigh ! Click on the link to hear this Area Voices segment featuring Fiddle Camp Director Ginna Watson and some of the kids in attendance. Their final show is today (Friday, June 16) at 4pm at Headwaters School of Music and the