Mandie Alto, executive director of Advocates for Family Peace, joins Heidi Holtan on the Morning Show. They talk about the services available to help people in situations of domestic violence during this time of social distancing. Many who experience violence in their home are normally isolated and now they may have restrictions for online usage and have an even harder time connecting with others. Advocates for Family Peace now offers a chat features at their website or you can call their 24

On our extended hour of the Morning Show Heidi Holtan talks to Dr. Diane Pittman from True North Health Care in Bemidji about COVID-19.

Heidi spoke with Cate Belleveau this morning about how Covid-19 has affected her and how she's coping with the new normal of social distancing. Cate recently spent a couple weeks in Florida and self-quarantined for 14 days after her return. In this interview, she gets real about concerns for her children as they face adverse affects Covid is having on their occupations, but she also has a positive outlook that, like Covid, is highly contagious! One of Cate's suggestions for passing the time

On our extended hour of the Morning Show Heidi talks with Annie Olson-Reiners, Principal at the Nashwauk-Keewatin Elementary School. Annie gives encouragement to parents and cargivers who are now thrust into the roll of being the teacher in these trying times. She also shares Shel Silverstein's poem "Helping" with us.

In February we gathered at the WeAre Clinic in Brainerd and hosted a conversation about objectification of women and women's bodies. Our Strong Women focus groups are led by facilitator Laura Connelly and supported by the MN Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Focus Group Topic, Exploring Objectification: Any Objections to Being Objectified? Objectification is the process of treating a person as a thing, an object. When one group of people is oppressed in society, part of what keeps oppression in

Did you known that there is not an Amendment in either the MN or the U.S. Constitution that states specifically that women and men have equal protection under the law? Polls show that 76% of our population think that we have an Equal Rights Amendment and 94% believe we should. Betty Folliard joined us For Making Sausage on KAXE/KBXE's Morning Show along with DFL commentator Colleen Nardone. Betty will be speaking about the history and the present of the ERA at Central Lakes College in Brainerd

I had the pleasure of a visit to Deer River High School last week to hear about the preparations and the meaning behind this Saturday's Picking Roses Round Dance and Fashion Show. Everyone is invited and welcome.

A couple of weeks ago I went to the movie Bombshell with Laura Connelly and Sarah Bignall. Th e movie is about the women at Fox News who set out to expose CEO Roger Ailes for sexual harassment. It was well done and brought up a lot of conversation after the movie about how women are treated in society and especially at work. Check out our other Strong Women conversations and coming soon is a focus group wrap up from our Brainerd listening session "Speak Up Lady: Objections to Objectification".

Twelve years ago, McIntosh, Minnesota's downtown was a row of shuttered storefronts on dilapidated buildings. Today it looks much different and it's all because of one woman with big ideas, the gumption to follow thru with them and the ability to inspire others to get on board with a new way of thinking. Andrea Stordahl moved to McIntosh when her husband's parents needed assistance on their organic dairy farm. They found themselves re-evaluating what they really wanted out of life and

The Women’s Leadership Fund, a non-profit and all-volunteer effort to support and accelerate the strengths and skills of women in organizational leadership positions, is now recruiting for its WELead peer advisory Cohorts that will begin in April 2020 in Brainerd/Little Falls region. Deadline to apply is February 1st. Each group is made of up to 10 women leaders who meet monthly and support and advise on each other’s personal and professional goals. Women who are directors or small business