TOWER— The Gunder-sen Endowment Fund awarded its first set of grants Tuesday, dividing $13,675 among the five grant applications received. This is the first time money has been awarded from the …

BABBITT — When Billie Rouse sits down to eat these days, she thinks about her neighbors who can’t. “I’ve been a poor kid, and I know what not eating means,” said Rouse. …

REGIONAL — Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan earned a major endorsement in her bid for the U.S. Senate this week with the announcement that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) has given her effort his blessing. …

Lloyd V. Staab Lloyd V. Staab, 92, of East Moline, Ill., passed away peacefully at his home on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15 at Divine Mercy …

FIELD TWP — North Woods School marked Veterans Day this year with the hum of conversations and the aroma of coffee in the commons area. Fourteen veterans joined students for the school’s …

ELY — It was a message that took both customers and staff by surprise. On Oct. 29, the Pebble Spa Facebook account posted a notice that the business would soon be closing all of their …

REGIONAL — Even before the latest change in federal visa policy, rural Minnesota clinics were fighting an uphill battle to find and keep doctors. Now, with the Trump administration increasing …

TOWER — For staff and students at Vermilion Country School, flexibility and a sense of community in this very small school has proven to be the key to success. By building a program designed …

TOWER — The city council on Monday rejected the four bids it had received for new infrastructure and soil mitigation needed for both the planned harbor development and the ongoing work at the …

TOWER — The city council here gave the greenlight to issue a $100,000 general obligation bond to cover the bulk of the purchase of a new city dump truck. The approval was given through …

TOWER — An Ely woman suffered life-threatening injuries in a two-vehicle crash at the Y-Store corner on Highway 169 Monday afternoon. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, a 2016 Ford Escape …

REGIONAL— Thousands of Minnesotans who depended on state assistance to find or keep a place to live are facing new uncertainty after the state Department of Human Services shut down the Housing …

REGIONAL—When director Crystal Poppler chose Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella” for this year’s school production, she was coming full circle. …

TOWER — The Howard Wagoner Trails Club is gearing up for a busy year. The club held its fall meeting earlier this fall. The main focus of the meeting was a discussion of the upcoming trail …

Austin Wagner Austin Wagner, 25, of Montana, formerly of Tower, was born on Jan. 12, 2000, in Kearney, Neb. His life was tragically cut short on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, by an accident at his home, …

REGIONAL— A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate calls for the dismantling of key elements of the Wilderness Act ostensibly in the name of conservation. The measure, known as the Border Lands …

REGIONAL — A new report released Tuesday by the Office of the Legislative Auditor says the Office of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor continues to struggle with basic financial oversight, …

ELY — An Ely home was damaged by fire early Monday morning. The fire department responded to the structure fire at 1033 E. Harvey St.and the fire “was quickly extinguished and additional …

REGIONAL — Voyageurs National Park is weathering the federal government shutdown during a quieter stretch of the year, with boat tours finished for the season and visitation already reduced. …

ELY — Minnesota Department of Transportation officials announced plans to test four-way stops at two downtown Ely intersections this winter, as the city’s aging traffic signals could fail …

ELY — The room at the Grand Ely Lodge was packed on Tuesday, but rather than the usual program of guest speakers and thoughtful discussion, people came for something more bittersweet: a …

GREENWOOD TWP — Two Greenwood firefighters got a little more training than expected on Oct. 25, when a planned fire at a vacant house in Angora, used as part of firefighter training overseen by …

REGIONAL — A federal jury trial date has been set for March 16 in the case involving the December 2024 hit-and-run that killed 38-year-old Amanda Boshey near Fortune Bay Resort Casino. Eric …

TOWER- The city council here was set to hold a special meeting on Oct. 30, in part to establish a hiring committee to select the city’s new clerk-treasurer. Current clerk-treasurer Michael …

SOUDAN — With the retirement of longtime campground managers Susie and Jerry Chiabotti, the Breitung Town Board has been studying the McKinley Park campground management contract and deciding …