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Google is trying to smooth over some ruffled feathers in two small Minnesota towns where the tech giant hopes to build a couple of massive data centers.

Wednesday evening, Google hosted what it called a community celebration in Pine Island, about 20 minutes northwest of Rochester, with free food, live music and family activities.

That same night in Hermantown, outside of Duluth, the company held an open house to answer questions from area residents about the hyperscale data center it wants to build there.

MPR News Rochester-based reporter Molly Castle Work and Duluth-based reporter Dan Kraker gave us a look inside the events.

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Molly Castle Work

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Dan Kraker

The events were intended to smooth over some ruffled feathers over the tech giant’s data center proposals in Pine Island and Hermantown. 

Google hosts events to woo residents in two MN towns where it wants to build data centers

A group holds signs while standing near a highway.

A tale of two data centers: Google hosts events in to woo residents of Hermantown and Pine Island

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