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In New York Mills, the Great American Think-Off finalists debate to understand, not to win

In New York Mills, the Great American Think-Off finalists debate to understand, not to win

For more than 30 years, the northwest Minnesota town of New York Mills has hosted the Great American Think-Off, a debate of big ideas between ordinary people. Contestants say it’s a model for civic discourse in polarized times.
by Catharine Richert

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Rochester police refer 4 teens for possible charges over racial slur on bridge

Rochester police refer 4 teens for possible charges over racial slur on bridge

The slur was spotted and immediately removed by a Minnesota state trooper from the bridge over East Circle Drive in April. Photos of the slur circulated online, though, prompting community meetings and rallies in response.
by MPR News Staff

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Lawsuit claims negligence, medical malpractice in Stearns County jail inmate’s 2022 death

Lawsuit claims negligence, medical malpractice in Stearns County jail inmate’s 2022 death

Nickolas Norberg, 37, died in October 2022, about five hours after he was taken to the Stearns County Jail. The final hours of Norberg’s life, the lawsuit claims, were spent “slowly spiraling towards an agonizing yet avoidable death.”
by Kirsti Marohn

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One year since HyLife closure, Windom still waits for answers about its future

One year since HyLife closure, Windom still waits for answers about its future

It’s been one year since the former HyLife plant in southwest Minnesota shut down. More than a thousand people lost their jobs when the pork processor closed. Twelve months on, Windom shows signs of recovery, but there’s still a lot in limbo.
by Hannah Yang

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For more than 20 years Micronesians have made Milan their home

For more than 20 years Micronesians have made Milan their home

The Micronesian community in Minnesota has boosted Milan’s once declining population and brought a new energy to town. Their presence has boosted the economy and infused youth into an aging populace. 
by Regina Medina

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State agency approves loan for tribal cannabis facility over board's recommendation

State agency approves loan for tribal cannabis facility over board's recommendation

The Minnesota Department of Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation has approved a $2.5 million loan to a subsidiary of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa to build a cannabis growing facility in Brookston, despite its advisory board’s vote against it.
by Dan Kraker

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Laugh it out: Can humor ease tension in polarizing times?

Laugh it out: Can humor ease tension in polarizing times?

This summer, the Minnesota Humanities Center is sponsoring a series of improv shows around the state with the hope of helping communities work together on the issues that divide them.
by Catharine Richert

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Minnesota lawmakers assert protections for public waters

Minnesota lawmakers assert protections for public waters

Legislators passed language clarifying that a waterway that meets the legal definition is a public water, even if it’s not on a decades-old state inventory. Its passage followed a lengthy legal dispute over Limbo Creek, the last free-flowing stream in heavily-farmed Renville County.
by Kirsti Marohn

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Fishing with wolves: New exhibit explores what the predators eat in summer

Fishing with wolves: New exhibit explores what the predators eat in summer

Wolves in northern Minnesota usually hunt deer and beaver. But in summer months, they also eat berries and fish. A new exhibit at the International Wolf Center in Ely explores how the animals survive during the summer months.
by Todd Melby

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