I wonder sometimes, what draws me and others to murder mysteries. Sometimes I worry even. I asked Brian Freeman that, and he thought that need for suspense has always been there. He recently talked with a group of kids and asked them what they liked to read and they shouted "scary stories!". The Virginia Public Library chose Brian's "Goodbye to the Dead" as their Queen City Reads selection. In it we continue the story of Duluth detective Jonathan Stride - this time we go back in time, before his

Senator Justin Eichorn (R) from District 5 of the Minnesota Senate is currently serving his first term in office. He stopped by KAXE studios to tell us what the experience is like and what bills he is currently working on in the MN Legislature .

MN author Alison McGhee is up for the MN Book Award for her new picture book for kids, "Tell Me A Tattoo Story". What do your tattoos mean? Email us or join our What We're Reading Community on facebook. Don't forget, picture books count for our Northern Community Reading Challenge in February. And Alison has written books for adults including Rainlight, Shadow Baby, Was It Beautiful and Falling Boy. Let us know what you are reading!

Some people call it poor man’s lobster, others just call it ugly. At any rate, it’s usually a catch that leaves fishermen talking. The burbot , commonly known as eelpout , is a bottom-feeder fish known for its potentially large size, its ability to coil itself around the arm of the person who catches it, and of course for its flavor. It is the reason behind the annual International Eelpout Festival that takes place every year on Leech Lake in Walker, MN. Thursday evening kicks off the 38 th

Abbie Schramm is an animal lover, so a couple years back she and her husband Luke searched for a bigger place to build a farm and raise the animals she loved. They found 80 acres of good property located between Pequot Lakes and Leader in northern Minnesota and named their farm B&B Farmco. B&B Farmco is located off the beaten path, so far into the woods that it would have cost Luke and Abbie Schramm a lot of money to bring in power. So Luke did some research, ordered some components

Andrew and Stephanie Downing talked with us about their new book. They will be talking Tuesday February 21st at the education meeting of the local NAMI chapter. The event is open to the public and at the Grand Rapids Area library.

John Latimer's Phenology Show is one way Northern Community Radio connects listeners with the northwoods in which we live. It's one way we connect listeners to each other, as well. Every Tuesday we hear from classrooms and regular folks reporting the subtle changes they notice in nature. This week, we heard from kids at North Shore Community School and Roosevelt Elementary School. From the Big Dipper in the clear night sky to snowshoe hare tracks in the snow and pink sunrises, these kids are

This week in the Phenology Report , resident phenologist John Latimer takes listeners on a bit of an adventure. In just a few minutes, we hear him imitate the call of a saw-whet owl, learn why it's troubling to see a bat at this time of year, listen to the cardinal's song, find out about porcupines in trees and coyotes' howls, and discover the subtle clues eagles and ravens have for us in terms of our season change. And that's just a sampling of this full report! All kinds of activity out in

Today's What's for Breakfast guest, Diane Borgert, invites us into her kitchen in Swanville to get to know her better. Diane became a new member one day before speaking with John and Heidi on The Morning Show . 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 Breakfast. All it takes is your membership and an email !

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 of Grand Rapids was at the