Blizzard warnings in Northwest Minnesota, winter weather advisories across the state

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

The Isabella River winds its way west toward Bald Eagle Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. (MPR File Photo/Nathaniel Minor)

A five day trial beginning this week in Hennepin County will determine if AT&T can build a cell phone tower visible from many locations within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. AT&T argues local residents ought to be able to get better service and that service would increase public safety within the wilderness. Environmentalists counter that the tower would put birds at risk and spoil the rare wilderness experience.

 the proposed tower, like the wilderness area, is huge.

A slight echo of a ring-tone across a lake that took days to reach with your own strength would no doubt annoy fishing and outdoor enthusiasts. The visual pollution could cheapen the wonder of the northern lights, but it would provide residents and potentially stranded canoeists a more reliable connection to the outside world.

For years, travelers in the BWCA are finding cell service growing, but without the intrusion of a tower of this size. The signal isn't reliable enough for you to leave your first aid kit at home.

The tower has found support by some locals who say the wilderness isn't as wild as opponents suggest. The 

Communication into the deep woods has been a challenge for years, but creative measures have circumvented the challenge. Broadcasters at WELY continue to aid the transmissions of messages via their 

 which allows people to send coded messages over the FM airwaves to their colleges, friends and family.

The issue of cell towers encroaching on wilderness areas and experiences is also playing out further south of the Boundary Waters. A similar AT&T tower will be erected along the banks of the St. Croix River, a National Scenic Waterway, much to the 

4:15 AM: Red River Stage at Fargo, ND is 38.43 feet and continuing to fall slowly.

Strong storms including possible tornadoes cause damage as they move across Wis., Minn.

Strong thunderstorms storms swept across Minnesota and Wisconsin on Sunday, bringing strong winds, hail and reports of tornadoes and damaging homes, barns, power lines and trees.No deaths or injuries were immediately reported from Sunday's storms (

Gov. Dalrymple says flood damage to roads could cost millions

Much of the flood damage being caused in Cass County is related to roadways, North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple said this afternoon in Fargo."It doesn't take long to add up to millions in damages," Dalrymple said, referring to the approximately 60 miles of Cass County roadways made impassable by flooding (

In sulfate debate, future of Iron Range mining projects hangs in balance

The state currently upholds the 10 parts-per-million standard as the litmus test for industrial runoff into wild rice waters. But a battle over how much sulfate is too much for wild rice rages among Minnesota lawmakers, the courts, state and federal regulators (

A Stillwater bridge that doesn't destroy scenic value

With Sen. Al Franken yet to weigh in, there's still a chance to adjust the calculations and get a bridge that satisfies all parties (

Big city mayors say funding cuts tied to politics

The Democratic mayors of Minneapolis, St. Paul and Duluth accuse the new Republican majorities in the Minnesota Legislature of targeting their cities for financial attacks (

Recorded after Low's time off, C'mon sounds lush and beautiful in its simplicity, just like the Low that fans love (

Be Kerri Miller (or your favorite interviewer) - Ask a question you wish someone would ask

There's been an idea I've wanted to spring on you for a few weeks. It comes from someone in our community - @khatti.

In a post, Khatti told us that he had been listening to a program on perceived bias in public broadcasting, (this was when 

NPR was at the center of a controversy after being part of a conservative sting

That talk about the media got Khatti thinking about the sins of interviewers. They are often, he said, sins of omission.

"(T)he reporters and interviewers don't ask the question because the question genuinely doesn't occur to them," he wrote. It's understandable. There are only so many minutes in an hour, and only so many questions someone can ask.

But it prompted Khatti to think about a new 

What a great way to think of subjects we might want to tackle.

Imagine for a moment you are Kerri Miller, or Gary Eichten, or Charlie Rose.... heck it could be Barbara Walters or Ted Koppel.

You have a broadcast interview program. It could be national (think NPR), it could be statewide (MPR). But you are going to do it your way.

What's one question you always wished would have been asked of one interview subject. It could be someone likely to be on these kinds of programs (the president, the governor), but it might also be someone who 

wouldn't be thought of as a typical guest

. Khatti, for example, wanted to ask the 

what it was like for him to have been dumped by her for a career

Now remember, this is an "open mic" thread, where you can play off of the ideas of others... just be kind of free-flowing with your ideas.

So take the chair in the studio and become the host of a broadcast interview program. 

What question would you ask that you've always wanted to hear on MPR or NPR? Who would be the person to field that question? And explain why?

Environmental News

Minnesota News

Statewide Blog

Michael Olson

Author

A five day trial beginning this week in Hennepin County will determine if AT&T can build a cell phone tower visible from many locations within the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. AT&T argues local residents ought to be able to get better service and that service would increase public safety within the wilderness. Environmentalists counter that the tower would put birds at risk and spoil the rare wilderness experience.


New BWCA checklist: a paddle, fishing pole and a cell phone

Go Deeper.

Like this?