Shows / Up North Report
Up North Report
Stay up-to-date on what's happening up north with KAXE News, bringing you the top stories across Northern Minnesota. KAXE is the oldest rural community radio station in the U.S. and an independent NPR member station.
Episodes
- Up North Report
Helium plant planned for Two Harbors; MN State considers money transfer to struggling colleges
Plus: Minnesota case underscores uphill climb for tribes adding clean energy.
- Up North Report
Cranberry enthusiasts watch harvest, fulfill dreams at only cranberry farm in MN
Family memories, farming education and Minnesota’s first “crannonball” make for a fruitful day at the Minnesota Cranberry Co.’s harvest.
- Up North Report
School fund constitutional amendment unites advocates across regional, party differences
Minnesotans across the state will have a constitutional amendment on their ballots asking to increase the yearly allotment from the Permanent School Fund. For…
- Up North Report
M State to close DL campus; DNR to review changes to Babbitt mine plan
Plus: Beltrami County officials tour the under-construction jail facility slated to open in May 2027.
- Up North Report
Complaint accuses Cass sheriff of sharing nude images; Nevis man sentenced for social services fraud
Find more stories from KAXE News at kaxe.org/local-news.
- Up North Report
Witnesses urged to come forward in Cass Lake homicide; GR Police investigate shooting prank
Plus: MPCA’s draft Minntac permit at issue at information session.
- Up North Report
Hauschild-Zupancich rematch draws nearly $1.3 million; Inflation weighs heavily on voters' minds
Plus: Highway 71 has reopened between Turtle River and Tenstrike; and lithium-ion battery safety highlighted during Fire Prevention Week.
- Up North Report
Baxter man dies in Hwy 210 crash; Iowa lawmakers pass tax incentives for Mesabi
Plus: Ron Schutz says he will invest his portfolio in a blind trust if elected MN AG; and the state's housing office awarded $4.4M in Greater MN housing…
- Up North Report
MN leaders tout grid updates; St. Louis County launches fraud alerts
Plus: the Minnesota Medical Association names a Moose Lake doctor as its president; and KAXE's voter guide for the 2026 midterms is now available.
- Up North Report
Beltrami sheriff warns of scams; Many Medicare Advantage plans ending
Plus: Zebra mussels found in more Northern Minnesota lakes; Stauber-Swanson to square off in debate; and the KAXE Election Guide is live.
- Up North Report
Renee Good's family sues federal government; Red Lake school gathers for Orange Shirt Day
And: Minnesota Election leaders clear the air amid confusion in the run-up to the midterms.
- Up North Report
Corrections officer charged with sexual assault; Candidate’s stocks present potential conflicts
Plus: Minnesota Department of Agriculture awards Farm to Food Security Grants
- Up North Report
Essentia Health announces merger; Detroit Lakes school board introduces 'viewpoint neutrality' policy
Plus: Lost hunters rescued near Hibbing.
- Up North Report
Mesabi Metallics announces Iowa steel mill, Rabbits in Lake of the Woods County suffer disease outbreaks
Plus: Superfund site in Hermantown to become FedEx distribution center; free well water testing kits available for Beltrami County residents.
- Up North Report
Forest management in the footsteps of Gary Anderson
The retired DNR forester gave a walking tour of his forest property as part of a Cass Soil and Water Conservation District forest management event.
- Up North Report
Minnesota State may close campuses; Foreign beef impacts MN dairy producers
Plus: Aitkin's 68-year-old water tower is demolished; Demuth, Klobuchar will debate in the Brainerd lakes area; and we're partnered with ICTV to host school…
- Up North Report
BCA announces sexual assault investigation guide; New trial granted for Brainerd murder
Plus: Demuth-affiliated political action committee receives $10 million infusion.
- Up North Report
Eichorn get 16 months in prison, ACLU sues Detroit Lakes over 'rainbow ban'
Plus: Businesses in drought disaster area eligible for fed assistance, Bemidji tells a tale of two homecomings.
- Up North Report
Man accused of shooting firefighting plane indicted; Court of Appeals visits Pequot Lakes school
And: An economist says census poverty data masks expected blows of Medicaid changes.
- Up North Report
1 found dead in fire near Bemidji; Governor candidates visit Northland
Plus: Early voting opened Sept. 18, 2026, for all eligible voters Minnesota; and Northern Minnesota tribes are among groups receiving Clean Water Legacy grants.
- Up North Report
When rural districts combine, wins for budgets and students come with identity loss
The Iron Range offers a window into communities reckoning with how their identities must change for the betterment of future generations as schools…
- Up North Report
Eichorn defense argues for no prison time; Feds award Mesabi Metallics $770M loan
Plus: Minnesota's archery deer season opens Sept. 19, 2026; and health experts caution that disease-carrying ticks surge in fall.
- Up North Report
Family seeks answers in Walker teen's homicide; MN cannabis sales hit $150M
And: Mesabi Metallics eyes massive expansion as production of first pellets ramps up.
- Up North Report
Itasca County removes Flock Safety cameras; New weather radar installed in Brainerd
Plus: MN Court of Appeals to host oral arguments at Pequot Lakes High School.
- Up North Report
Bemidji adopts data center moratorium; Grand Rapids ends Yanmar Arena sales tax
Plus: Zebra mussels found at two lakes on the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation; Pollution Control Agency seeks participants for fish consumption survey.
- Up North Report
Death investigation in Cass Lake; BIA resumes management of Red Lake programs
Plus: DNR cancels mineral lease for Twin Metals; and ICE's immigration crackdown last winter may have ripple effects for farm labor during harvest season.
- Up North Report
Amid Itasca County housing shortages, Mesabi Metallics could be a boon — or a burden
When active, Mesabi will bring jobs to the region and contribute to a productivity tax that returns money to communities. But Itasca County is in a housing…
- Up North Report
Fed officers raid Red Lake building; Commission approves natural gas for Boswell
Plus: Industry-specific minimum wage goes into effect for Minnesota nursing home workers; lawmakers hear continuity of care concerns amid fraud battles.
- Up North Report
Hibbing School Board considers offer on closed school; 3 million trees planted in Northern MN
Plus: Fosston Schools accept garden bounties to fill gap from lost program.
- Up North Report
Bemidji to self-manage Sanford Center; MN State to pilot tech to combat financial aid fraud
And: Questions about investigation go unanswered at Cass County sheriff candidate forum.
- Up North Report
Wadena County investigates fatal fire; Red Lake police respond to 'incident' at Ponemah powwow
Plus: Essentia Health, nurses' union reach labor agreement for Deer River hospital; DNR finds "gaps" in review for Hermantown data center; and the fall color…
- Up North Report
School trust fund could offer budget relief; Rural areas at a greater risk for Alzheimer’s
Plus: The Mesabi Trail is complete after 30 years
- Up North Report
Range labor union leader talks growth, politics, workforce challenges
Emma Krab interviewed LiUNA Local 1097 business manager Shawn Braford about the state of labor in 2026.
- Up North Report
Man shoots himself unloading gun; Prosecutors seek 5 years in prison for Eichorn
Plus: Marble getes funds to install water filters for manganese and iron; ag department accepts comments on socioeconomic impacts of large dairies, and it's a…
- Up North Report
U.S. Forest Service keeps Grand Rapids office open, Mesabi Metallics offers reward for bomb threat info
Plus: District judges in Crow Wing County request deputy presence at hearings, highway construction project moves forward in Bemidji
- Up North Report
Man dies in apparent drowning near Eveleth; Congress delays hemp ban by 4 weeks
Plus: Wildfire-affected areas in and around the Boundary Waters continue to reopen; lake associations are seeing impacts from new boating laws; and Grand…
- Up North Report
Koochiching County declared disaster area; DNR accepting comments on trail system
Plus: 4-H competitors show animals at Minnesota State Fair
- Up North Report
Itasca sheriff IDs woman who died in jail; MN Supreme Court rejects recount request
Plus: Sanford Health and North Memorial Health sign 10-year agreement with state AG for a merger; and the Beargrease sled dog race returns to "out-and-back"…
- Up North Report
'The place where it grows:' Red Lake school unveils new outdoor space
Endazhi-Nitaawiging, a charter school on the Red Lake Nation, partnered with the Trust for Public Land for a new natural playground as part of a revamped…
- Up North Report
Woman dies in Itasca County Jail; Woman also charged in fatal Grand Rapids crash
And: Bemidji data center moratorium clears first step; and Flock cameras coming down in St. Louis County.
- Up North Report
2 charged for 2025 Remer fire; Demuth plans $1 billion budget cut
Plus: Wild rice season shows promise despite shaky start
- Up North Report
Brainerd man killed in crash with train; Carlton County enacts 1-year data center ban
Plus: A paved trail wrapping Gull Lake is one small section away from completion; and Leech Lake celebrates a new family-oriented homeless shelter in Bena.
- Up North Report
1 found dead in St. Louis County fire; Man charged with murder in fatal crash
Plus: Lindell files recount lawsuit against secretary of state's office; United Taconite received emission testing fine; Detroit Lakes sticker policy in limbo…
- Up North Report
1 killed, 1 arrested after crash in Grand Rapids; Forest Service lifts BWCA fire ban
Plus: High fish kills were reported this summer after prolonged heat and drought; and an iron reclamation project is underway at an abandoned Calumet mine.
- Up North Report
'Too good to be true': School districts going for referendums to reduce taxes
A new state aid covers part of the operating levy for school districts that have lots of cabins. Some districts say they'll offset the levy if voters approve…
- Up North Report
1 killed in crash with semi near Walker; Walz issues assistance to 6 MN counties
Plus: Bemidji is closer to being the next home of a YMCA after a ceremonial groundbreaking; and local governments receive assistance to replace emerald ash…
- Up North Report
Brainerd biz must pay $115k for employee firing; NewRange permit open for comment
Plus: Changes to 'roadless rule' could open areas of Superior National Forest to logging; and researchers consider climate change's impacts on pathogen spread.
- Up North Report
Lindell to fund GOP governor recount; Stauber leads presser opposing Walz mining order
Plus: The FBI launches a new "Voices Not Forgotten" initiative to raise awareness of cold cases in tribal nations.
- Up North Report
Walz issues Boundary Waters mining ban; Hermantown officials apologize for resident comments
Plus: Meat processing facility in Staples opens
- Up North Report
FBI investigating 2 deaths in Red Lake Nation; Judge tosses DOJ lawsuit seeking MN voter rolls
And: Glen's Army Navy in Grand Rapids to close after 80 years.
- Up North Report
No one is running for county attorney in 3 Northern MN counties. Here's why
Red Lake and four other Northern Minnesota counties are classified as legal deserts, with fewer than one practicing attorney per 1,000 residents.
- Up North Report
Red Lake Tribal Police involved in fatal shooting; St. Louis County IDs inmate who died
And: The DNR confirmed zebra mussels in LaRue Mine Pit and Kabekona Lake; and Fulton Brewing will acquire Bemidji Brewing.
- Up North Report
Lake County lifting most fire evacuations; E. coli at Bena Beach
Plus: Itasca County Board results; Bemidji contemplating data center moratorium
- Up North Report
Voter turnout sets record, Swanson and Stauber set for congressional race
Plus: Wiener overtakes Utke in Senate District 5 race, public hearings on property tax
- Up North Report
Flanagan beats Craig, will face Tafoya; Demuth wins Republican primary for governor
And: DFLer Trina Swanson to face Republican Rep. Stauber; a multigenerational election duo in Wadena; a Bagley pollworker's thoughts on election security; and…
- Up North Report
Person dies in St. Louis County jail; Outside groups spend $20M in MN's Senate primary
Plus: More than 200 million early ballots for the primary have been received by local election officials; and the DNR reminds harvesters about the state's…
- Up North Report
One Native couple's experiences with addiction and incarceration
This is the final part of KAXE's "Overrepresented, undercounted" series exploring the impacts of incarceration for Indigenous Minnesotans.
- Up North Report
Voters to decide Democratic 8th Congressional District candidate; Wildfire evacuations lifted
Plus: Minnesota faces storage drought; Forest tent caterpillars cause tree damage
- Up North Report
Mountain Iron solar panel factory lays off 93; Walz calls for no wildfire special session
Plus: MN DNR took comments on Tamarack Mining Project; and proposed lodging denied by Nashwauk City Council
- Up North Report
Canoe outfitter on Boundary Waters ; Backus approves recovery center
Plus: Leech lake fisheries seeks public input, youths tackle aquatic invasive species issue