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Wander & Wonder

NASCAR on ice? Cars, community drive Minnesota’s frozen lake racers

NASCAR on ice? Cars, community drive Minnesota’s frozen lake racers

Cars traveling at high speeds on glare ice might sound like a disaster in the making. But for dozens of drivers in Otter Tail County, it’s a recipe for winter fun. Meet the Bass Lake racers.
by Dan Gunderson

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Duluth’s one-man newsroom embraces ‘bare-knuckles’ journalism

Duluth’s one-man newsroom embraces ‘bare-knuckles’ journalism

John Ramos started the Duluth Monitor in 2019 with an aggressive approach to reporting local news. His reporting has upset some local officials but he says readers appreciate his muckraking style.
by Dan Gunderson

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Longtime Minnesota hockey referee trains next generation to make the calls

Longtime Minnesota hockey referee trains next generation to make the calls

Alicia Hanrahan has worked hockey games from youth leagues to the Olympics for more than 20 years. She’s ready to put away her whistle, but not her skates. She’s working now to mentor the next generation of officials as demand climbs.
by Dan Gunderson

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New tools, old ways help Duluth violin builder create an ancient sound

New tools, old ways help Duluth violin builder create an ancient sound

From a modest workshop, Dan Larson turned his love of music, history and woodworking into a life building violins, lutes and and other stringed instruments. He’s known internationally for creating sounds that reach back to the 16th century.
by Dan Gunderson

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Red River Valley woman helps immigrants chase the American dream

Red River Valley woman helps immigrants chase the American dream

Fowzia Adde knows inspiration can come from the darkest times. Seven years spent in a refugee camp in Kenya as a teenager fuels her drive to help immigrants succeed in Fargo-Moorhead. 
by Dan Gunderson

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‘High off the sound’: Fergus Falls engineer is a guitar amp hero

‘High off the sound’: Fergus Falls engineer is a guitar amp hero

From his “one-man shop out in the woods” in Otter Tail County, throwback musician Maurice Skogen builds old-school vacuum tube amplifiers that generate a “spiritual sound.“
by Dan Gunderson

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In western Minnesota, a writer rooted in two worlds seeks common ground

In western Minnesota, a writer rooted in two worlds seeks common ground

Columnist, county commissioner and former farmer Brent Olson is a “bleeding-heart liberal” in the middle of rural Minnesota Trump country. He tries to bridge that political and social gap in his national writing and through his local community work.
by Dan Gunderson

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For this Minnesota living history teacher, the past is never dead

For this Minnesota living history teacher, the past is never dead

Arn Kind turned his passion for the past into a second career making history entertaining and educational in school classrooms and small town libraries across Minnesota. From Vikings to the voyageurs to Vietnam, he delivers lessons like few others.
by Dan Gunderson

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Old machines, new traditions fuel Rollag’s ‘Ladies of Steam’

Old machines, new traditions fuel Rollag’s ‘Ladies of Steam’

Nicole Wallace’s love of steam powered engines began as a hobby. Today, she leads a global sisterhood of women with a passion for the vintage machines.
by Dan Gunderson

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In Wabasha, a collector puts his passion for all things eagles on full display

In Wabasha, a collector puts his passion for all things eagles on full display

Preston Cook spent decades collecting tens of thousands of items bearing bald eagle imagery. The longtime California real estate developer donated the collection to the National Eagle Center in Wabasha and then moved to town.
by Dan Gunderson

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