Up North Report

Plus: Blackduck City Council passes an amended ordinance to pave way for cannabis business; and Lakewood Health System will host an open house for its new cancer center.

Plus: Attorney General Keith Ellison will be in Bemidji Tuesday, Oct. 7, for a community forum; Bemidji State University Alumni & Foundation is launching a fundraising campaign to replant the campus after the June 2025 wind storm; and the Cuyuna Regional Medical Center announces changes to its healthcare delivery services in the Brainerd Lakes area.

Mark Baez is an associate professor of clinical psychology at Bemidji State. A member of the Tap Pilam Coahuiltecan tribe and of Pawnee and Mohawk descent, he is about to begin a pilot study for a new suicide screening tool uniquely developed to identify risk and protective factors for Indigenous people.

Plus: Last Blackduck cannabis ordinance hearing set for Monday, Oct. 6; and Bemidji's Great River Rescue has a new play area for dogs.

Plus: A new report examines trends in the incarceration of women across the globe, including Minnesota; and an event at Minnesota North-Itasca will recognize banned books.

Plus: The Minnesota Department of Agriculture announced it has $11 million to expand its innovative irrigation program; MnDOT staff will host an open house in Cloquet ahead of a planned 2028 project Thursday, Oct. 2; and Kootasca Community Action is gathering gently used costumes for Grand Rapids and I-Falls trick-or-treaters.

Plus: Donations are being accepted for area coat drives; MnDOT plans resurfacing in Cohasset; and the DNR seedling sale begins.

Plus: Weeks of hearings begin for Bemidji and Northern Township over wastewater issue; State and federal agencies are partnering to address emerald ash borer in the Chippewa National Forest; and work began Monday on Highway 64 between Laporte and Akeley.

Minnesota's wild rice sulfate standard has been in place since the 1970s but has been lightly enforced. With that changing, Rangers are worried about the potential economic consequences.

Plus: Leech Lake Tribal Council members and Itasca County Commissioners entered into a new memorandum of understanding after breaking ground on a new community and wellness center in Ball Club.