Current   Itasca County Sheriff Joe Dasovich announced that he is seeking re-election, citing measurable progress made over the past term and a continued commitment to serving the residents of Itasca County with integrity, accountability, and a focus on public safety.   “Serving the people of Itasca County  has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Dasovich said. “Over the past 3 years, we’ve focused on practical solutions, responsible leadership, and strong partnershi

Governor Walz announced on Monday that he would no longer seek to be re-elected as Minnesota’s governor.  Below are a few responses and reactions from local leaders.   Rep. Cal Warwas (R): “Governor Tim Walz gave a speech today, confirming that he will not seek re-election, after all. His words were disappointing, but unsurprising. My thoughts? Walz has no regrets, blames Republicans, blames Donald Trump, and blames fraudsters for the need to step aside and focus on his job.

Internal Promotions have been announced for the leadership team of Grand Rapids State Bank, according to Noah W. Wilcox, President and CEO of Grand Rapids State Bank.   Nate Lloyd has been promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer of Grand Rapids State Bank. Nate started at the bank in February of 2015 and has been with the bank for 10 years. He has worked in various roles during his banking career, starting as a Credit Analyst before being promoted to Com

At approximately 5AM on Thursday a St. Louis county plow truck slid off the slippery road into the ditch on Hwy 44 in Northstar Township.  There were no injuries resulting from this incident.  The Sheriff's Office would like to use this as a reminder to pay extra attention to the road conditions during our winter months. Courtesy of St. Louis County

The Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) Stroke Program honored Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital for their commitment to continuous quality improvement across the stroke continuum of care.   Each year, the MDH Stroke Program accepts applications for the Stroke Quality Improvement Awards, which highlight successful, stroke-focused quality improvement projects across Minnesota. Award recipients demonstrate innovative and collaborative approaches that strengthen stroke systems o

On December 6, 2025, at approximately 5:50AM Travis Timothy White DOB 10/1/1983 was detained by members of Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force during a traffic stop in the City of Hibbing. The vehicle White was driving was towed to the Sheriff’s Office in Hibbing pending the execution of a search warrant.   During the execution of the search warrant on White’s vehicle, approximately three pounds of methamphetamine, a digital scale and plastic baggies were located. White

In recognition of its commitment to patient safety and quality, Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital earned an A grade from The Leapfrog Group, the highest rating awarded by the independent nonprofit that sets national standards for hospital safety. The grade reflects the organization’s strong performance in preventing medical errors, accidents, injuries, and infections. Grand Itasca is one of only eight hospitals in Minnesota to receive an A rating.   “This achievement is a direct

Grand Rapids own Mike Miller sat down with Dan-O on this episode of the Kozy Kafe, hear where and when Mike found his love for music and how he made it a career. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vwfm7RtJHBRJ0Vx3z2nHW4DbPw9sMVuj/view?usp=drive_link

On November 26th, 2025, a jury found Michael Alvin Wesala, 43, guilty of two counts of Criminal Sexual Conduct in the Second Degree, announced St. Louis County Attorney Kim Maki. During trial, it was proven that Wesala sexually touched a 14-year-old minor child on multiple occasions in his Buhl home between September 2016 and January of 2017. The verdict was delivered following a jury trial before the Honorable Bhupesh Pattni.   The sexual assaults were first reported to the

Rolo, the missing horse from Deer River has been found safe and sound after being missing for over a week. The horse went missing around 4:30pm on Saturday, November 15th and was last seen north of Schoolcraft State Park the same day. The owners are thankful for everyone who assisted in finding Rolo, as this story comes to a happy close. Original Post: The horse went missing around 4:30 pm on Saturday afternoon, and was last sighted Saturday evening in rural Deer River area

PotlatchDeltic, a leading timberland owner and a top 10 manufacturer of lumber in the United States, received multiple complaints of sexual harassment and other human rights violations but failed to take meaningful action.  At least four separate cases involving women at the Bemidji lumber mill were ignored, including reports of physical, verbal, and electronic sexual harassment.   An anonymous complaint was later filed with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), prompting an

The horse went missing around 4:30 pm on Saturday afternoon, and was last sighted Saturday evening in rural Deer River area at around 5:00 pm near Days High Landing, north of Schoolcraft State Park.  He is a male gelding paint horse, brown with white spots. The horses name is Rolo, any help is appreciated with locating Rolo.  Please contact Jennifer with any information about sightings or locations at 612-280-6834.

Congressman Pete Stauber (MN-08), in partnership with U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, today announced $20 million in federal funding for the construction of a new air traffic control tower at the Duluth International Airport.  This critical investment closely follows a recent visit by Congressman Stauber and Secretary Duffy to the Duluth Airport , home to the nation’s third-oldest operational air traffic control tower. During the visit, both officials

Early Friday morning, at approximately 1:19 a.m., the Virginia Police Department responded to a report of a domestic disturbance at 600 N. 3rd Avenue in the City of Virginia.  Upon arrival, officers determined that the incident had escalated into a stabbing between individuals known to each other. A 29-year-old male sustained a stab wound to the lower back, allegedly inflicted by his 19-year-old girlfriend. The victim was treated for non-life-threatening injuries at Essentia

Two of Minnesota’s top college teams will square off in the annual U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Museum Women’s Face-Off Classic,  Saturday , Jan .  31 , 4 p.m. CST, at the  Yanmar Arena in Grand Rapids , Minn.   Eighteenth ranked Minnesota State University (6-5-1) will take on Bemidji State University (3-6-1)  in the annual benefit game, which raises awareness for the m useum located in Eveleth, Minn. The game also showcases NCAA Division I women’s college hockey to the fans,

General Waste & Recycling, LLC proposes to convert two cells of its existing landfill to accept less than 100,000 cubic yards of municipal solid waste per year. The landfill is currently permitted to accept industrial solid waste and construction and demolition debris. The Project will not increase the footprint of the existing permitted facility.  On April 24, 2023, the MPCA received a solid waste permit reissuance application that was subsequently superseded by a major perm

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Chapter of the Grand Rapids Area is hosting a Hope for Recovery Workshop, this Sunday, November 16 th from 10:00 – 4:00 at the Woodland Bank Community Room.  I had a chance to talk with Jessyca Bardzel about their organization and the event itself, you can catch that interview here: https://static.wixstatic.com/mp3/91d09c_1bff238bc0254f3ea755f540570a97e0.mp3 Join NAMI Grand Rapids to learn about anxiety disorders, bipolar disord

Earlier this morning, the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office was dispatched to several vehicles on fire located at Holmes Recycling Services in Clinton Township. It was reported that several vehicles were on fire at the property.  Deputies and several local Fire Departments arrived on scene where they located an active fire. It was found that a car was being compacted which caused an explosion. It is believed that a battery inside the car may have caused the explosion, though

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is asking hunters and other recreationists spending time outdoors this fall to report the locations of bear dens they encounter in and around the Brainerd, Grand Rapids and Duluth areas. Bear researchers with the DNR and University of Minnesota Duluth hope to fit additional bears with GPS tracking collars this winter. “Getting a few bears collared in winter would really help these studies,” said Andrew Tri, Minnesota DNR bear proj

At this week's St. Louis County Commissioner's meeting, the Hermantown data center was still a focus of conversation.  The public comment period began with opposition to the data center, with citizens commenting on how they still feel betrayed by County Commissioners who signed non-disclosure agreements on the project.    Once the regular Board meeting began, Commissioner Grimm was quick to bring up the previous County Board meeting, which ended with many members of the publi