Voters will be faced with a new decision in next year’s gubernatorial race in Minnesota after Governor Tim Walz announced that he will not be seeking re-election next year. He had made the announcement on September 16 that he would run, but now amid fraud scandals and investigations, he has changed his mind.
“As I reflected on this moment with my family and my team over the holidays, I came to the conclusion that I can’t give a political campaign my all… so I’ve decided to step out of the race and let others worry about the election while I focus on the work.”
The Democrats will now scramble to find a candidate, while roughly a dozen Republicans have entered the field.
The Roseau School Board will have an organizational meeting, along with a work session, next Monday, January 12. At that time they will take nominations for chair, vice chair, clerk, and treasurer, along with other committee appointments.
During the work session they will begin to discuss options for the 2026–2027 school calendar and for class section assignments for the elementary.
The Roseau County Board of Commissioners meets today in regular session. We’ll have notes from that meeting this week.
Lil’ Chompers Childcare has opened up the bidding phase of that construction project. They’ll continue to accept those until unsealing bids on February 5th. They currently have land purchased for the project and will be located across the Greenbush ambulance garage. Alicia Bauman and Brittany Babcock have been integral in making the facility a reality. They describe what the finished project will look like… (Brittany audio)
The group of Minnesota mayors that are joining forces to call out fraud, failed economic policies, and lack of accountability has grown to an unprecedented number. 241 mayors are now part of that group that comes from the metro and Greater Minnesota and represents a population of nearly 1.1 million Minnesotans. Roseau Mayor Dan Fabian, Warroad Mayor Tom Goldsmith, and mayors from Thief River Falls, Kennedy, Stephen, and Argyle are among those who have signed that letter.
Arctic Cat is bringing back one of the most legendary figures in the company’s history to serve as a brand ambassador. Roger Skime will use that role to spread his knowledge and passion for snowmobiling, racing, and innovation. CEO Brad Darling said, “Roger embodies the Arctic Cat spirit perhaps more than anybody on Earth.”
The Department of Employment and Economic Development will provide an update tomorrow on the launch of the Minnesota Paid Leave program, which is now in its first week of existence. That program gives all Minnesotans who meet the requirements the ability to take time off for the care of children, family members, or for other health reasons.
A follow-up to a story from a few weeks back: it’s been disclosed that the former Macy’s store at Columbia Mall in Grand Forks has been purchased by Midtown Ventures, a combination of Crary Real Estate and the Haug family. The Haug family currently operates a chain of storage facilities. The property was listed for $1.9 million, and no plans have been announced for the property, but they may be looking to have it rezoned.
Last modified: 01/06/2026
