Local News Wednesday, February 11, 2026

Meredith Cornett with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources met with the Roseau County Board this week to discuss the Winter Road Lake Peatland Scientific and Natural Area project. SNA stands for Scientific and Natural Area. The project involves Joint Judicial Ditch 62, located mostly in Lake of the Woods County, which drains into the Warroad River. The state-funded project could reduce peak water flows by 50 to 75 percent during a ten-year rain event.

A broad coalition of agricultural groups is urging leaders of the United States, Canada, and Mexico to renew and strengthen the trilateral trade agreement as it enters its formal review period.

The Agricultural Coalition for the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement, made up of 40 farm and ag organizations, launched February fifth. During a February tenth news conference, the group released an economic analysis showing significant growth in U.S. agricultural exports to Canada and Mexico since the agreement took effect.

According to the coalition, Minnesota has gained more than $2.1 billion in export value due to the USMCA, North Dakota more than $1.4 billion, and South Dakota more than $945 million.

The Four Seasons Center in Roseau will host a Valentine’s Gala tomorrow as a fundraiser for the facility. Tickets sold quickly and the event is now at capacity.

Center leaders say community involvement remains vital. One important service provided is senior meals, but participation has declined, and they hope to see more residents take part. (audio clip)

A regional meeting later this month will help shape suicide prevention efforts in Minnesota. The Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Unit of the Minnesota Department of Health, in collaboration with the Minnesota Suicide Prevention Task Force, is inviting community members to a listening session in Bemidji on February 24 from 10 a.m. to noon at Sanford Health.

They welcome participation from community leaders, public health and healthcare workers, educators, faith communities, youth program leaders, and individuals with lived experience related to mental health challenges or suicide.

To register, contact Kelly Felton with the Suicide Prevention Task Force by email at kelly.felton@state.mn.us.

Roseau County 4-H is reminding members that all market beef must be owned, tagged, and identified in their 4-H Online account by February seventeenth. Tags and taggers are available at the Roseau County Extension Office in the courthouse. Call ahead at 218-463-1052 to have them ready for pickup. More information is available on the Roseau County 4-H webpage.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced enrollment periods for the Conservation Reserve Program. USDA’s Farm Service Agency is accepting offers for Continuous CRP from February twelfth through March twentieth. Enrollment for General CRP will run March ninth through April seventeenth. Dates for Grassland CRP signup will be announced later.

Hugo’s Family Marketplace CEO and President Kristi Magnuson-Nelson has been honored by the National Grocers Association with the 2026 Thomas K. Zaucha Entrepreneurial Excellence Award.

The award recognizes outstanding leadership, innovation, and commitment to independent grocers. Magnuson-Nelson of Grand Forks credited her team for the company’s success. She has led the business since 2007 and previously received the Women Grocers of America Woman of the Year award in 2018 and the Minnesota Grocers Association Outstanding Grocer Award in 2019.

The State of Minnesota reports more than 38,000 people have applied for Paid Leave benefits, while numerous fraud cases have been prevented.

To protect program integrity, the Department of Employment and Economic Development investigates cases involving false identities, misrepresented circumstances, or fraudulent documents. Nearly half of applications are for family leave, about 40 percent for medical leave, with the remainder for safety, caregiving, and military family leave. The majority of applicants so far are women.

And finally, a story some will enjoy: Happy Harry’s Bottle Shop on 32nd Avenue in Grand Forks has built a “Mountain of Busch” in hopes of winning a $10,000 prize in an Anheuser-Busch promotion.

The display covers more than 240 square feet and took staff eight to ten hours to build. Partnering with Throttle Addiction in Grand Forks, the store incorporated an ATV and dirt bike into its “Camping in the Mountains” theme. The store has won the competition before, with this year’s winner to be decided at the end of the month.

Last modified: 02/13/2026