Wirt, MN Events and More

Bemidji’s Ron Johnson Looks Back at 24 Years on City Council

The Bemidji City Council will have a new look in January as for the first time since 2001, it will no loner include longtime Council Member Ron Johnson. After serving six consecutive four-year terms representing Ward 3, Bemidji’s redistricting moved Johnson into Ward 1, where he was not elected. Ahead of his final meeting as a councilman on Monday, Johnson looked back on some of the biggest things that have happened in Bemidji during his 24 years in the position.

Bemidji, MN · 2d

Mesabi Tribune

Section 7A Swimming, Diving finals are today: Swimmers looking for state-meet berths

HIBBING—Wiith only four seniors, Julia Plombon, Gianna Fatticci, Lizzy Haupt and Naomi Ronning, Hibbing High School girls swimming coach Mike Veneziano wasn’t sure how things would pan out for his young team. As it turned out, those four did an outstanding job leading a group of juniors and a lot of sophomores throughout the season. That group of seniors and underclassmen showed out well at the Section 7A Preliminary Meet held Thursday at the Hibbing High School Pool. The top 16 in each event advanced to the Section 7A finals, which will be held today, beginning at 3 p.m., at the high school pool. The diving preliminary meet begins at 9 a.m. Veneziano credited his seniors for the growth of this team. “They’ve done a great job with leadership, and being really good mentors,” Veneziano said. “I also got some decent things. out of the juniors. “I don’t think we had a single swim that didn’t go faster. Everybody swam their best times of the season. A bulk of the team is 10th-graders. They’ve really come around this year. They’ve done a great job, but they’re still 10th-graders. They’ve grown so much throughout the year, but it’s still a nerve

Hibbing, MN · 1d

Mesabi Tribune

Penny pinching seniors need your help

HIBBING—The Hibbing Tourist/Senior Center is in need of pennies for its “Penny Pincher” machine and is asking for the public’s help. Donations of pennies dated 1982 and older are needed to make pressed pennies. “Pennies made in 1982 or older are easier to press through the machine,” Abby King, Tourist Center Director explained. King went on to say that the earlier pennies are made of 95% copper and are easier to flatten. Newer pennies are of a mixed metal, including zinc and are subject to cracking when pressed, she noted. For a 25 cent donation, one can get a penny that’s been “pinched” as a souvenir. The minimal proceeds go toward supporting senior programming at the center. The Penny Pincher machine was recently moved from its previous location at the Hibbing Tourist Center on Howard Street to the Mineview. King said she’s unsure exactly how old the machine is, but it’s quite popular. People continue to mail quarters to the center, requesting pressed pennies in return, she said. Donations of 1982 or older pennies can be dropped of at the Hibbing/Tourist Senior Center between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. For questions or more information, you can call

Hibbing, MN · 19h

Mesabi Tribune

Remembering Hibbing, Chisholm World War II centenarians

HIBBING/CHISHOLM—On this Veterans Day 2026, thoughts turn to World War II, which ended 81 years ago. About 16.4 million Americans served in the armed forces during World War II. Fewer than 0.2% of those original service members—approximately 30,607 American World War II veterans—are still living. Six years ago, it was my distinct privilege to interview then-99-year-old Joseph Berklich at his home in Hibbing. He lived to age 101, and his Chisholm friend William Loushine lived to age 102. — William “Bill” Loushine was born on February 3, 1921, and died on February 26, 2023, in Chisholm. He was 102. Joseph “Joe” Berklich was born on February 24, 1921, and died on May 31, 2022, at his home in Hibbing. He was 101. — In 2023, someone shared these heartfelt words on the Rupp Funeral Home website: “God bless you, Mr. Loushine! You were a great person.” The words were in tribute to William “Bill” Loushine, age 102, lifelong resident of Chisholm, who died February 26, 2023. Mr. Loushine had lived more than a century, and his mind remained active until God called him home. A year earlier, another shared these words on the Dougherty Funeral Home website in tribute to

Hibbing, MN · 2d

bemidjinow.com

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AUDIO: Three Bemidji High School Seniors Ink College Commitments On National Signing Day

A trio of Bemidji High School senior student-athletes made their college sports commitments official with a National Signing Day ceremony on Wednesday morning at Bemidji High School. Ahead of the Section 8AA Girls Swimming/Diving Championships this Saturday, Bemidji senior Elle Wille signed her National Letter of Intent to swim for...

Bemidji, MN · 2d

Grand Rapids Herald Review

City Council finalizes local election

GRAND RAPIDS — To open its meeting on Monday, Nov. 9, the Grand Rapids City Council adopted a resolution finalizing the municipal races held during last Tuesday’s midterm elections. The resolution canvasses and declares the results from the election, which determined Grand Rapids Mayor Tasha Connelly was reelected as mayor with 3,599 total votes. Dale Adams (2,899), and Tom Sutherland (2,770) were both elected to council seats. The city council adopted the resolution declaring the election results in a unanimous roll call vote. During Positive Happenings, Mayor Connelly highlighted the Grand Rapids High School football team, who just won the Section 7AAAA Championship and will play in the state quarterfinals this Friday in Brainerd. Connelly also said that Rob Mattei of the economic development authority (GREDA) notified the city council that the city of Grand Rapids received several large census tracts as federal Qualified Opportunity Zones in southern Grand Rapids, designated by the U.S. Department of Treasury. The hope is that the designation draws interest with lucrative economic opportunities and tax incentives to spur development and redevelopment for two areas inside Grand Rapids, effective Jan. 1, 2027, through 2036. COUNCIL REPORTS Molly MacGregor went as an alternate to the Grand

Grand Rapids, MN · 2d

Mesabi Tribune

Bluestreaks sweep Tigers, advance to consolation finals

ST. PAUL—The Chisholm volleyball team turned things around following their stat quarterfinal loss with a win in the consolation semifinals on Friday as the Bluestreaks took down Pine River-Backus 3-0 (25-18, 25-10, 25-21). The win puts Chisholm into Saturday’s consolation championship round where they’ll take on Mayer Lutheran. The Bluestreaks looked sluggish out of the gate Friday against the Tigers, but turned things around to play solid volleyball for the remainder of the three sets. Chisholm fell down 9-5 in the early moments of the match with PR-B’s Margaret Crimmins and Maren Lundquist scoring kills for the opposition while the Bluestreaks had already piled up a trio of attacking errors. Chisholm managed to tie things up at 11 thanks to some work in the front row by Annaka Gams and Kenzie Pender, putting them level with the Tigers with plenty more to go. A Sloen Worlie ace gave Chisholm their first lead of the set and Ashley Panichi grew the lead with a solid kill from the outside. The two teams tied again at 14, 15 and finally 18 before Chisholm took the lead for good with the Bluestreaks ending the set on a 7-0 run with Makayla Paine, Gams,

Chisholm, MN · 7h

kaxe.org

Rain and frost hit Northern Minnesota

“Hi, I'm Maisie, I'm Eo, and I'm Inez from Aurora Wassakone Community of Learners. Today's date is Nov. 4, 2026. “Over the last week, we have experienced damp weather and cloudy days. Because of that, we've noticed mushrooms growing, worms coming out of the ground and one student even saw a salamander.

Bemidji, MN · 1d

bsubeavers.com

Beavers kickoff 2026-2027 season at Hillyard Tipoff Classic

BEMIDJI, Minn. — Bemidji State University Men's Basketball starts the 2026-2027 campaign Friday as the Beavers travel to St. Joseph, Mo. for pair of games at the Hillyard Tipoff Classic, hosted by Missouri Western State University. The Beavers will start the season with the Northwest Missouri State University Bearcats Friday at 3 p.m. followed by the Emporia State University Hornets at 2 p.m. Saturday.

Bemidji, MN · 1d

northernnewsnow.com

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City by City: Cook, Carlton

COOK, Minn.- The Chamber of Commerce is hosting the 4th annual Fall into Christmas Shopping Day. That will be hosted on Saturday, Nov. 14. Businesses in the community will be hosting a variety of sales and giveaways for people to participate in. Participating businesses include Northern Comfort Company, River Street Vendor Boutique, Mel’s Bistro and more. No pre-registration is required and the shopping day is open to anyone.

Carlton, MN · 2d

Grand Rapids Herald Review

Declining kindergarten enrollment, sub pay top agenda at Grand Rapids School Board meeting

GRAND RAPIDS — Declining kindergarten numbers and a push to raise substitute teacher pay topped the agenda as the Grand Rapids Area School Board met for its regular meeting on Monday, Nov. 10. Director of Business Services Alex Kaczor and Superintendent Matt Grose opened with an Enrollment Indicator Report detailing current district trends. Total enrollment across ISD 318 stands at 3,874 students. While total headcounts match figures from two decades ago, district leaders pointed to a sharp drop in incoming kindergarteners as a growing concern, with this year's class sitting at just 198 students. Grose noted that smaller incoming classes bring financial and staffing consequences that the district will begin navigating as early as this spring. Demographics across Minnesota show families having fewer children, though nearby districts are reporting similar drops. ISD 318 has scaled back from 73 elementary sections in 2022 to 60 this year. Kaczor also pointed to the district’s massive geography—the third largest in Minnesota—as a unique factor alongside state funding rules, which set basic funding at $7,863 per pupil for FY27. Debate over substitute teacher pay The board also took up a proposal from Kacie Maeder to increase pay for substitute teachers to stay competitive with

Grand Rapids, MN · 3d

Mesabi Tribune

Chisholm volleyball falls 3-0 in state quarterfinals

ST. PAUL—The Chisholm volleyball team couldn’t find their footing in their Class A State Tournament opener on Thursday as the No. 5 Bluestreaks fell to No. 4 Sacred Heart 3-0 (25-13, 25-21, 26-24). With the loss, Chisholm falls to the consolation bracket where they’ll take on Pine River-Backus on Friday in St. Paul. The Bluestreaks trailed early in the first set and never truly found a way to cut into the Eagles lead. Sacred Heart opened the set with back-to-back kills from Lydia Riskey and Bryn Stevens while Chisholm benefited from some early hitting errors, not scoring their own kill until setter Hennessy Temple got one over to make it a 5-3 game in favor of the Eagles. A kill from Stevens and back-to-back aces from Stevens stifled any Chisholm potential and Sacred Heart continued to score at a two-to-one clip until Bluestreaks coach Pam Pioske took her first timeout with her team trailing 10-5. That scoring ratio never let up for the rest of the set as the Eagles hit at a .278 hitting percentage on their way to the 25-13 win. Riskey and fellow hitter Alexis Lawrence secured four kills apiece for Sacred Heart. Chisholm came out much

Mesabi Tribune

Bluestreaks open state tourney looking for revenge against Eagles

ST. PAUL—Ending a 19-year state tournament drought, the Chisholm volleyball team is ready to step onto the biggest stage today when they meet Sacred Heart in a Class A State Tournament quarterfinal. For the fifth-seeded Bluestreaks, seeing the fourth-seeded Eagles may bring a sense of comfortability, as the two teams met back on September 26 at the Class A Showcase with Sacred Heart edging out a 2-0 (25-17, 25-22) victory over Chisholm. Seeing how the bracket was laid out this past weekend, ‘Streaks coach Pam Pioske said it was what she expected and what she had hoped for when it came to a round one opponent. “I was glad to see five because I really felt strongly that that’s where we should’ve been,” Pioske said. “I felt like Sacred Heart should’ve been four so I really liked how things came out. I thought it was spot on. We did play them earlier and lost to them in a close match but our main hitters had a really off couple of days at that tournament. Now, we’re on and we’re at our peak. If we play like we did in the playoffs, we should beat them.” Asked about the Eagles’ strengths,

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WDIO News Duluth-Superior

Student leaders from across the Range come together for service learning

Students from schools across the region came together in Chisholm for a service learning project, with support from the United Way of Northeastern Minnesota.

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Travel Pug

27 Small Towns Near Affordable Community Colleges

A four-year degree does not have to begin with a mountain of debt, and it does not have to begin in a big city. Community colleges in small towns can offer lower tuition than four-year schools, smaller classes, and a front-row seat to places most travelers never see. Plenty of students use them as a ... Read more

Hibbing, MN · 1d

bsubeavers.com

Softball adds seven during early signing period

BEMIDJI, Minn. – Bemidji State University Softball Head Coach Jordan Petersen announced the signing of seven high school seniors to join the team in 2027-28. "We are extremely excited to welcome Ava, Paige, Daly, Abby, Gracie, Ari, and Kaylee to the Bemidji State softball family," said Coach Petersen. "This group brings in a tremendous amount of versatility and athleticism, and we believe each of them can make a big impact on our program. Beyond what they bring on the field, we are excited about the people they are and the energy, competitiveness, and work ethic they will add to our team. We look forward to helping them grow as student-athletes, watching them develop, and seeing what they accomplish in a Beaver uniform. This is a special group, and we can't wait to get them on campus and get to work as we continue to build Beaver Softball."

Bemidji, MN · 1d

kaxe.org

Events Up North Nov. 16-22: 'How the Birds Got Their Songs' at regional libraries, 'Brain Train' in Chisholm

November keeps humming in Northern Minnesota. Here's what you can do this week:. How the Birds Got Their Songs presentation - 3:30 p.m. at Park Rapids Area Library. Author Travis Zimmerman and illustrator Sam Zimmerman will talk about their book. Coconut pike delight is the Early Bird Fishing Guide's 'Recipe...

Mesabi Tribune

Chisholm Council hears concerns during working session

CHISHOLM—An estimated 60 people, including some members of the fire department and ambulance service, gathered at the Chisholm Senior Center this past Tuesday for a working session of the Chisholm City Council. “I would anticipate a few recommendations from staff at our next meeting,” City Administrator Ryan Pervenanze wrote in an email on Wednesday. “I think there are many areas of agreement with the council with most the important being their commitment to public safety as a whole.” “Over the next week or so I’ll work with our EMS Director and Fire Chief as well as the council to develop a path forward,” he added. The meeting was called at the October 28 regular council meeting, when the council tabled three potential resolutions to address a recommendation from McGrath Consulting that would prohibit any city employee, including part-time, volunteer to serve as an elected official. McGrath, in its report, categorized the adoption of such an ordinance as a Priority 1 recommendation, and identifies concerns regarding council oversight, supervision, perceived favoritism, and unconscious bias. Much of the discussion on Tuesday wasn’t centered around that recommendation, although feedback from those who directly addressed it appeared to question the logic behind the recommendation.

Chisholm, MN · 15h

Mesabi Tribune