Greater Minnesota

Minnesota Jan. 6 defendant faces new felony charge
Authorities charged Daniel Eugene Johnson of Austin in June with four misdemeanors, including remaining in a restricted building. Now the 29-year-old is facing a new felony count of interfering with U.S. Capitol Police during the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Officials in Mankato have decided not to discipline two police officers accused of using excessive force when they took a college student to the ground outside his apartment six years ago.
The first renovated 'living building' in the world is here in MN
A lodge at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, Minn., is the first renovation project in the world to receive full Living Building Challenge certification. The executive director of Wolf Ridge told host Cathy Wurzer more about the unique, cutting-edge sustainability features of the building.
A Norwegian Christmas Eve tradition rings on in Renville County
At the center of Wang Township, you’ll find a small, white clapboard church called Vestre Sogn. It means “Western Parish” in Norwegian. For more than 50 years, a man named Robert Lerohl has walked over to the small, unpretentious church to ring in the Christmas holiday.
Feds investigate study pod access at MSU Mankato
The U.S. Department of Education is investigating a complaint alleging the university failed to provide accessible study booths for students with disabilities.
St. Cloud looks to curb spike in violent crime
The central Minnesota city has had 19 shootings in 2021 — more than double last year. Three of them were fatal. St. Cloud is addressing the surge by hiring more police officers and expanding a program that responds to mental health-related calls.
Reporter roundtable: The latest from Cook County News Herald, Brainerd Dispatch
To bring you the latest on greater Minnesota, we’re convening reporter roundtables on Minnesota Now. This time, Brian Larson, editor of the Cook County News Herald, and Theresa Bourke, staff writer at the Brainerd Dispatch, stopped by to tell host Cathy Wurzer about their top stories.
Appeals court to decide if Minnesota DNR can be sued in tribal court
A federal appeals court panel heard arguments Thursday in a wild rice case that tests whether the White Earth Band of Ojibwe can sue the state of Minnesota in tribal court.
Minnesota's newest agricultural specialty: Crickets?
Pat and Madeline Revier run Revier Family Farms in Moorhead, Minn., where they raise over a million crickets for human and animal consumption. They told host Cathy Wurzer about their story and the versatility and sustainability of crickets as a protein source, and they even shared a recipe for chocolate chip cookies — made with cricket flour.