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A collage of seven artworks for albums and songs over a blurry blue background. In the middle the largest square has abstract orange people that resemble sun and moon hugging. In two smaller squares there is a man in a cowboy hat in water, only his head is above water. The other has four women dressed as clowns sitting on a train track. In four even smaller squares is a young child in pajamas, a white grid over a pink background, a dimly lit stage with instruments, and four images of the same women's face.
Malachy Koons
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KAXE
Music
The KAXE Music Team highlights new releases from Sotomayor, Big Richard, Boy Golden, Jesca Hoop, Baby Rose and Leon Thomas, Anna Calvi and Iggy Pop, and Cat Clyde.
MSHSL Section 8AA 2026 champions Bemidji Lumberjacks Girls Hockey team defeats Moorhead Spuds 4-3
Contributed
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Lainie Hiller/Lainie Hiller Photography via Bemidji High School Girls Hockey
Within the first minute of the new album, you know this is a vibe. Celebrating 10 years of being a band, the siblings are back with WABI SABI, blending Afro-Latin beats with electronic music. Raúl and Paulina Sotomayor wrote the album in their home of Mexico City before heading to Puerto Rico to record. WABI SABI is a Japanese philosophy that embraces imperfections and the impermanence of creation, similar to the kintsugi artform, a concept they have learned to adopt in music. - KH
Latest Stories
Meet the man who surprised Grand Rapids with a penguin
On "What's For Breakfast," we talked with KAXE member Jim Columbus about the secret penguin he placed by the Mississippi River and his dedication to making the world a better place.
Minnesota Legislature gavels in, honors Melissa Hortman
The first day of the new session on Feb. 17, 2026, was the first time in 20 years Rep. Melissa Hortman was absent. She, her husband and their dog were killed in June 2025.
MinnPost reporter Matthew Blake previews the MN Legislature
Lawmakers returned to St. Paul on Tuesday, Feb. 17. MinnPost senior government reporter Matthew Blake sets the tone for the session and shares the stories he's watching.
One found dead in Beltrami County house fire; Lawmakers start 2026 session remembering Rep. Hortman
Plus: Chip Rankin will be the next superintendent of Brainerd Public Schools; Polk and Mahnomen counties have new commissioners after special elections; and the latest updates for Northland winter athletes.
Nordic: Ely boys 3rd, Brainerd's Baird 4th at state
The Ely boys Nordic ski team finished third at the state meet Feb. 12, 2026, and Brainerd senior Annelise Baird took fourth.
Firefighters respond to fatal house fire in Beltrami County
The remains of one person were located inside the home once the blaze was extinguished on Feb. 16, 2026.
Winter storm to bring heavy snow, high winds to Northland
Winter storms will spread from North Dakota to the Arrowhead Feb. 17-19, 2026, bringing gusty winds and wet, heavy snow.
Will this be the most unproductive Minnesota legislative session ever?
Election year ambitions and heightened partisan vitriol are undermining hope for the bipartisan comity needed to pass anything in the closely divided Legislature.
Electric buses bring cleaner, quieter rides to students in rural MN
Minnesota now has just 19 electric school buses, but more than 20 districts are waiting on deliveries, some by the 2026-2027 school year.
Kao Kalia Yang's new picture book is rich in memories
In the new picture book “The Blue House I Loved” Minnesota author Kao Kalia Yang shares vivid memories of childhood and place. Illustrated by artist and architect Jen Shin.
Sheriff defends ICE using duplicate license plates in Brainerd area enforcement
Crow Wing County's Eric Klang said agents worked out of the sheriff's office while temporarily stationed in the lakes area, asking him for guidance on "what's off limits."
Longville community mourns death of local official; Hibbing, union work out labor dispute
Plus: Community members show up to Nevis council in support of Wild Tiger Skate Park; House 2A Rep. Bidal Duran announces reelection plans; and the latest for Northland winter athletes.
When our neighbors are in need of food, organizations and volunteers across Northern Minnesota step up. Food shelves, community meals and soup kitchens aim to the fill the gaps.
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Be like these folks: Support KAXE!
With The Setlist, KAXE's Music Team curates the best live music to catch each week across Northern Minnesota and beyond.
Chalk illustrations show box elder seeds, a striped skunk, a woodchuck, a Black-Backed Woodpecker, and frozen wood frogs.
Contributed
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Chad Kaddatz
During the week of Feb. 10, 2026, we enjoy reports of waddling skunks, warmer weather and hibernating woodchucks. Staff phenologist John Latimer responds.
A pair of adult Bald Eagles fly in tandem above Linden Hills on April 17, 2022.
Contributed
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iNaturalist user csledge (Chantel)
A pair of red foxes roam across a yard in Helga Township on Jan. 17, 2024.
Contributed
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Bonnie Lundorff via the KAXE - KBXE Season Watch Facebook group
Stay up to date on what's happening up north with KAXE/KBXE News, bringing you the top stories across Northern Minnesota.

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