Greater Minnesota

On Cross Lake, loons make the case for protecting Minnesota's wild shores
Environmental advocates are tapping into Minnesotans’ passion for loons to focus attention on how lake health and natural shorelines are vital for the survival of Minnesota’s beloved state bird.
Reports of violent crime were down across Twin Cities, Minnesota in 2023
The seven-county metro area experienced an 8.2 percent decrease in violent crime including murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Greater Minnesota saw a 3.4 percent drop in violence compared to 2022.
Wildfire smoke returns to Minnesota this weekend
Canadian wildfire smoke will bring unhealthy air quality to parts of Minnesota this weekend. But the state has so far avoided the repeated air quality alerts of last summer.
Duluth’s iconic Chester Bowl on cusp of expanding its historic ski chalet
A community-run downhill ski area in the center of the city of Duluth that once trained generations of Olympic ski jumpers may soon begin a $3.8 million renovation and expansion of its chalet.
In NW Wisconsin, a county finds paying homeowners to keep shorelines natural pays off
Advocates concerned about Minnesota’s vanishing wild shorelines often cite Burnett County’s success with a program that sends a check each year to property owners who follow its lakeshore rules. At Warner Lake, it’s helping keep the water clean.
Four killed in construction-zone crash in northeast Minnesota
Four people — including two children — died Wednesday when a semi crashed into stopped vehicles in a construction zone along a northeast Minnesota highway.
‘Quit mowing’: Turning Minnesota lake homeowners into shoreline stewards, one lawn at a time
A program born in the Brainerd Lakes Area to protect natural shorelines and curb pollution also wants to reset Minnesota’s lake culture. It’s led by property owners, including some who helped create the current environmental problems.
Unchecked development, lax regulation push Minnesota lakeshores to the edge
Development has destroyed nearly half the natural shorelines that help protect Minnesota lakes from erosion and pollution. Reversing that means convincing people that their vision of beauty is killing the thing they love.