In June, severe weather in Bemidji left nearly every home and business without electricity and some without running water. The storm hit early Saturday morning on June 21. And on that day, Bluebelle Event Venue in Bemidji had a wedding. Amy and Levi Chandler were expecting 265 guests.

The fallout from the storm made it seem almost impossible to pull off the big day. The caterers had no electricity or water to cook with. The florist was trapped at her house behind fallen trees in the driveway. And the wedding venue itself had no power or water.

In our series Thank You, Stranger, we talked to Jessa Solheim, an owner of Bluebelle Event Venue, and the bride, Amy, about how the community came together to make sure the Chandlers could tie the knot.

On July 4, 1976 the United States was celebrating its bicentennial, or 200 years. Next year will be the Untied States semiquincentennial, or 250 years.

Back in 1976, there was a series of celebrations and observances that paid tribute to U.S. Independence. That year at MPR News, we aired a special program hosted by former MPR News host Gary Eichten that looked at how Minnesotans across the state observed the milestone.

If you have plans to a see a fireworks show this weekend, it’s likely you’ll see the work of RES Pyro. It’s a pyrotechnics company out of Belle Plaine that puts on fireworks displays across Minnesota and also manufactures pyrotechnics for shows internationally.

Joining Minnesota Now with an inside look at the fireworks industry is the president and CEO of RES Pyro, Will Wallus.

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives are on track to pass the big tax and spending bill by their deadline of July 4. The bill extends tax breaks from President Donald Trump’s first term and eliminates taxes on tips. It also cuts federal funding for Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.

In Minnesota and 10 other states, county governments manage these programs. St. Louis County estimates that the cost shift to St. Louis County will be more than $10 million for SNAP and $6.4 million for Medicaid.

St. Louis County Board of Commissioners Chair Annie Harala joined Minnesota Now host Nina Moini to talk about the impact.

After three years of violence during the Fourth of July in Minneapolis, law enforcement is putting in place additional safety measures during the holiday weekend.

And it may rain on your Fourth of July parade. We get a detailed forecast from MPR meteorologist Sven Sundgaard.

Plus, we check in with Iranian Minnesotans, who are concerned about the safety of loved ones back home.

A legal battle is unfolding in federal court that could impact the future of electric vehicle infrastructure in our state.

And we go “Out to Lunch” to a Twins game at Target Field with sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson!

Most Mondays on Minnesota Now, MPR News listeners hear the voices of sports contributors Wally Langfellow and Eric Nelson. Each week they walk us through the winning streaks, slumps and near-misses of Minnesota teams.

In this installment of our series Out to Lunch, we go out to the ballgame with these two longtime broadcasters to find out what drives their passion for sports.

MPR News host Nina Moini meets up with Wally and Eric at a recent Twins game against the Seattle Mariners.

June flew by and July has brought some seriously summery weather so far. MPR News meteorologist Sven Sundgaard joins Minnesota Now with the forecast for the upcoming Fourth of July weekend.

There’s a special kind of dread that comes from driving a car that is about to run out of gas or power. That may be why electric vehicle advocates say highways need to have more EV charging stations for people who make the switch to electric. Those advocates had a recent win. A federal judge ordered the Trump Administration to unfreeze funding for EV infrastructure. But Minnesota's funding is still in limbo.

Minnesota was one of 16 states plus the District of Columbia that sued over the funding freeze. But the court order only applied to 14 states, not including Minnesota.

Great Plains Institute Senior EV Policy Specialist Moaz Uddin Mian joins MPR News host Nina Moini to explain.

Public safety measures are ramping up in Minneapolis ahead of the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Law enforcement leaders from the city of Minneapolis, Hennepin County and the state of Minnesota held a press conference Wednesday morning at Boom Island Park in Minneapolis to talk about additional safety measures that will be in place this weekend.

MPR News reporter Matt Sepic attended the press conference joins Minnesota Now with details.

A new 15 percent tax on recreational marijuana products goes into effect July 1. It’s one of the highest taxes on such products in the US. We heard from a business owner and a lawyer on how this could impact the budding industry.

The state’s newest budget lowers funding for Minnesota’s disability waivers system. We learned more about the program and how the measure could impact people with disabilities.

A new Supreme Court ruling allows parents to pull their children from a classroom when public schools use LGBTQ+ plus themed books in lessons. An advocate joined the show to explain.

We heard a conversation with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver on his partnership with the Minnesota Lynx to promote gender equity.