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Sherry Couture carries water and walks with other participants during a water ceremony and walk in McGregor on July 25, 2026.

Lorie Shaull

KAXE

Indigenous-led Water Walk offers prayers near proposed copper-nickel mine

The walk on July 25, 2026, spanned 13 miles from Big Sandy Lake in McGregor to Tamarack, with women taking turns carrying a bucket of water.

A woman wearing red with a blond wig standing above a circle of women in dance outfits.

Contributed

Northern Light Opera Company

Art

Area Voices: Park Rapids says ‘Willkommen’ to ‘Cabaret’ production

Andrew Dziengel

"The Setlist" and "Grand Rapids, Ely, Coleraine, Virginia, Chisholm, Brainerd, Park Rapids, Hibbing, Walker, Biwabik, Warba, Crosby, Birchdale, Bemidji, Aitkin, Your town?" written over a crumpled paper background.

Maria Hileman

KAXE

Minnesota Music

The Setlist: Where to hear live music July 27-Aug. 2, 2026

Malachy Koons

KAXE

Inside KAXE

KAXE celebrates 50 years of handpicked music during the 2026 summer member drive

Heather Johnson

KAXE's 2026 Primary Election Guide

A bearded man stands next to a body of water in a black and white image.

Album of the Week: 'The Great Unknowing' by John R. Miller

West Virginia singer-songwriter John R. Miller returns with The Great Unknowing, his third album recorded in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Over 16 songs, Miller shows off a broader breadth of songwriting, moving from twangy Americana and roots rock to graceful waltzes and introspective folk songs.

One of the moments in the album that keeps sticking with me is in "Think I'll Start Over," a duet with Erin Rae that definitely brings to mind the beauty of John Prine and Iris DeMent.

Stout in storytelling, The Great Unknowing secures Miller as one of Americana's premier songwriters today. -KH

More New Music Here!

Overrepresented, Undercounted: Indigenous experiences with incarceration

This is a multi-part series on the impacts of incarceration — specifically the disproportionate rates of incarceration Native people face in the state, especially in Northern Minnesota.

KAXE's Larissa Donovan explored the underlying issues of the statistics through survey outreach, extensive research and in-person interviews.

Read and Listen

Latest Stories

Dense smoke from wildfires in the Boundary Waters and Ontario creates haze on Big Sandy Lake in McGregor on July 16, 2026. Smoke has created unhealthy air quality across the region with levels in the most hazardous maroon category.

Trump, Musk cut funding for wildfire mitigation — and then the Northland started burning

The delayed Forest Service grants would have supported prescribed burns and other fuel-reduction efforts on thousands of acres near the Echo Trail, which has borne the brunt of this year’s fires.

Woman dies after crash into lake; Crosslake Post Office moves operations

Plus: Mine proposal formerly known as Polymet sees changes to plan; and Grand Rapids City Council approves a TIF district for a new 99-unit apartment building.

36-year-old Mahnomen woman dies after crashing into lake

Responders used a winch line on a fire truck to pull the car from the water and found the woman later identified as Kaylee Smith inside.

Photos show damage to the exterior of the Crosslake Post Office on July 28, 2026, after a vehicle crashed into the building. Retail and P.O. Box operations were moved to Pine River until further notice.

Crosslake Post Office's operations move to Pine River after crash into building

The building sustained significant damage near its front entry. U.S. Postal Service officials designated a temporary location for operations until further notice.

A "Boundary Waters, Ours to Protect" sign is featured along the Echo Trail near Ely, as evacuations continue near and in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness on July 14, 2026.

Additional Boundary Waters entry points to open for day use Friday

The Superior National Forest announced the July 31, 2026, openings as Phase 3 of its reopening of the BWCAW, as well as the opening of recreation sites in the western forest.

Campfire restrictions ease; Bemidji considers in-house Sanford Center management

Plus: Indigenous-led walk carries water 13 miles for Mississippi watershed amid mine discussion

A U.S. Forest Service property boundary sign marks the transition onto Superior National Forest land in Northern Minnesota.

Superior National Forest lifts campfire ban at designated campgrounds

Campfires are now allowed in designated fire rings at Superior National Forest campgrounds, but not at backcountry sites, after updates to fire restrictions July 29, 2026.

The Sanford Center on Bemidji's South Shore.

Bemidji considers in-house management of Sanford Center

Nearly 20 years have passed since Bemidji voters approved financing the construction of the Sanford Center. After years of deficits, the Council is considering taking over management.

A rendering of the interior design of the planned Grand Rapids municipal dispensary.

Grand Rapids aims to open municipal cannabis dispensary by July 2027

The dispensary will be built off Highway 2. The city projects it would make at least $500,000 annually, and it comes in the middle of a stretch of hard budget years.

BWCAW partially reopens Thursday; DOGE delays Superior Forest fire prevention

Plus: Federal judge stops MN law banning prediction markets; Municipal cannabis dispensary moves forward in GR; and the filing period closed Tuesday for many elected positions

A dancer dressed in regalia looks into the arena at the Gii-Ishkonigewag Pow Wow.

Gii-Ishkonigewag Pow Wow draws talent, visitors from around the country

The event was the 11th Gii-Ishkonigewag Pow Wow put on annually by the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.

Minnesota was the first state to outlaw prediction markets, but the ban was halted for now.

Judge halts Minnesota ban on prediction markets

A Minnesota law banning prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi was paused from going into effect by a federal judge. The law is the first of its kind in the nation.

Music