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Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Program (RMCEP), the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and other workforce development professionals in northwest Minnesota serve thousands of job seekers every year, giving them insight into the current job search environment and how it has shifted over time.Of the 51 RMCEP staff,...
Sept. 16, 2024 saw the beginning of an inconvenience for the residents of Royalton, as well as the many people who travel through the city, as that is when the Holiday Gas Station and Convenience Store (or as Holiday calls it, the “Stationstore”) closed for construction.Ten months later, however, the...
After years of preparation, Little Falls has taken another significant step toward beginning construction of a roundabout in the city.As discussed during the Monday, Aug. 18 Little Falls City Council work session, the city has secured a $1.9 million grant from the Minnesota Department of Transportation. This is on top...
Barista Coffee Bar preps to open in Little Falls
Aug 17 2025Barista Coffee Bar prepares to open in Little FallsThe Barista Coffee Bar will soon open its doors to drive-thru and walk-in customers, with a soft opening planned for late August.Located in the former U.S. Bank drive-thru at 119 Second St. NE in Little Falls, the coffee shop will serve handcrafted,...
A historic Central Minnesota landmark has gone viral thanks to an enterprising intern. A TikTok video on a wedding at Linden Hill has over 877,000 views and is still growing. Administrative Intern Maddy Ploof says she set up Linden Hill on TikTok earlier in the summer and had done a...
The Pierz Area Commercial Club (PACC) announced in a letter to its members that Freedom Fest, its long-running fundraising event, will continue under new management in 2026, thanks to a partnership with a professional financial backer.The announcement follows what organizers called a highly successful 2025 Freedom Fest, held at the...
This year, over 650 Walmart stores across the country are undergoing transformations to provide a better shopping experience for customers. Of those stores, 22 are in Minnesota. Of those 22 stores, only one is in Morrison County: the Walmart in Little Falls.“It’s a massive investment,” said Director of Global Communication...
A new Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum is literally rising from the ground near Camp Ripley.Executive Director Randall Dietrich says the finishing touches are being put on a reconstructed submarine that traveled the seven seas under the banner of the Twin Cities. “Next time you make that trip, you’re going...
The 44th Annual Farm Picnic, set for Sunday, Aug. 31 at 1 p.m. in Pierz Park, will feature a keynote address by Dr. Ken Engelhart of Health Care for All Minnesota on potential state-level responses to a recent $1 trillion federal cut to Medicaid.Engelhart, a retired physician and former section...
You can have some fun and learn more about how to go green in Little Falls on Wednesday. The Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls are hosting their annual Green Fair Folk Festival. The fair will have local artisans, trade items, free face painting, and food. There will also be tours...
Upsala celebrating community
Aug 3 2025The folks in Upsala welcome all to join them in celebrating this year’s Heritage Day, with the theme of “Farms, Fields & Family.”The event is kicked off the Monday before, when the medallion hunt begins Monday, Aug. 4. Clues will be posted on the Upsala city website at www.cityofupsala.com and...
At Morrison County parades, few things draw bigger cheers — or louder squeals — than the towering fire truck from Camp Ripley that sprays arcs of water into the hot summer air.The 2010 Oshkosh Striker 1500 is no ordinary fire rig.Equipped with a 1,500-gallon water tank, 210 gallons of firefighting...
The River Connects Us
Aug 3 2025The River Connects Us is the title of a temporary exhibit currently on display at the Charles A. Weyerhaeuser Memorial Museum in Little Falls. The photographic exhibit highlights life and culture along the Mississippi River, from the headwaters at Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico. It will remain on...
A railroad crossing at Fifth Street Northeast in Little Falls will be permanently closed in 2026 as part of a grant-funded project aimed at improving other crossings in the city.City Engineer and Public Works Director Greg Kimman said the closure is a requirement of a grant agreement that funds upgrades...
The American Legion Park in Pierz, also colloquially known as the Blue Park or Lions Park, has received a number of renovations to keep visitors of all ages coming to the park for years to come.The park features an open hut perfect for picnics or for parents to rest while...
While summer break brings excitement for students, for some it also means food insecurity — the lack of consistent access to nutritious and affordable food.The increased cost of feeding children who normally receive free school meals can place additional financial strain on families. To help bridge the gap, Oasis Central...
One thing Barrett Petfood Innovations prides itself on is producing high-quality, super-premium pet food. In fact, one simple promise the company was founded on, according to its website, is that if they wouldn’t feed it to their own pets, it won’t be found in any of their products.During the Minnesota...
Once upon an August, not a December, the Little Falls Theatre Company will bring the story of “Anastasia” to life.“I do think the show is very funny, but it has those moments like ‘Stay, I Pray You,’ which is very hard-hitting,” said Director Emma Ahlin. “There are definitely emotional moments...
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has awarded $1,755,623 in grant funding to 42 Minnesota businesses through its Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Value-Added Grant and Meat, Poultry, Egg, and Milk Processing (MPEM) Grant. Both programs provide funding for Minnesota-based businesses to invest in equipment and physical improvement projects...
Janelle Kendall's Perfect Storm headlines Platte River Days concert July 26: Parade at 11 a.m.
Jul 22 2025Royalton welcomes everyone to enjoy the fun and games at Platte River Day, Saturday, July 26. Platte River Day is sponsored by the Royalton Lions Club and runs from 8:30 a.m. until midnight.The event kicks off with the annual Platte River 5K Run/Walk at 8:30 a.m.Get ready to see the...
Stunning classic cars, such as a 1929 Ford Model A, a 1980 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais, a 1980 Ford Shay and more, lined First Street Southeast during the fifth annual Americana event in historic downtown Little Falls, Saturday, July 12. The cars belonged to members of the Lone Eagle Auto Club. Besides...
MSCA Summer Beef Tour a success
Jul 20 2025The annual Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association (MSCA) Summer Beef Tour in Morrison County, Tuesday, July 15, brought more than 520 visitors. It was a whole lot more people than the Mississippi Valley Cattlemen’s Association (MVCA), which hosted the event, and the MSCA anticipated as last year’s tour had a crowd...
I Corps and II Corps (Bemidji) of the In Country Motorcycle Club-Vietnam donated $2,500 to the construction of the new Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum at Camp Ripley.The 40,000-square-foot building is currently under construction off Highway 371, just outside of the Minnesota State Cemetery at Camp Ripley. The museum is...
There were a few holes in the City of Pierz’s plans for its golf course — nine of them, to be exact.After purchasing a plot of land in December 2016, the Pierz City Council ultimately voted to use the land to create the new nine holes at the Pierz Golf...