If caught early, starry stonewort is no longer considered a death sentence for lakes. Still, a decade after it was first discovered in Minnesota, it remains a costly problem with no permanent cure.

Native aquatic plants help keep lakes healthy, reduce erosion and are a safeguard against invasive species. Yet they get a bad rap as a nuisance, and property owners often remove them with chemicals o...

A new study from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency recommends the state take action to contain the underground contamination plume and keep it from spreading more. It’s still unclear who would pa...

Clay is widely used as a treatment method in other countries, but it hasn’t gotten much attention in the U.S. Researchers from the University of Minnesota and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are prop...

A massive expansion of the electricity grid through southern Minnesota has local landowners and conservationists worried about the impact on wildlife, ground water and the land. Utilities say the proj...

During his tenure so far, Mayor Jake Anderson has had to navigate the challenges of a budget deficit and a federal immigration enforcement operation.

The Trump administration plans to close two northern Minnesota U.S. Forest Service research facilities, including one in Grand Rapids that led globally recognized research on the impacts of climate ch...

Twin Cities CEO Doug Schieffer has been fighting with the city of East Gull Lake over whether he can take off, land and store his helicopter on his property. The city says that under its zoning ordina...

A proposed dairy expansion in the west-central city of Morris could create Minnesota’s largest livestock farm. Critics raise environmental and economic concerns.

The bill’s proponents say the practice of large industries piggybacking on a city’s water-use permit helps them avoid public scrutiny and puts the state’s groundwater supply at risk.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency report found that the costs of inaction, including health effects and damaged infrastructure, far exceed the cost of climate adaptation measures.

The DNR says Minnesota’s iconic state fish is not currently in crisis. But walleye are facing a number of complicating factors that could affect their long-term health – including climate change, inva...

Opponents of the massive projects say the measures the Legislature passed last year aren’t enough to protect communities, residents and the environment from potential negative impacts. They’re calling...

Electricity customers in 15 Midwest states, including Minnesota, might bear the costs of continuing to operate a Michigan coal plant. A week before it was scheduled to shut down, the U.S. Department o...

More than half a dozen Minnesota counties have signed agreements to assist ICE to varying degrees, from detaining people in county jails to helping federal agents find and arrest people suspected of i...

A few weeks into his new role, Gregory Tomso said he wants the university to be a more vibrant campus that’s more alluring to students and better connected to the larger community and workforce.

MPR News is tracking federal immigration actions across Minnesota — from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations and policy changes to community impact and your rights.

Environmental advocates say the proposal could lead to increased pollution and destruction of wetlands that provide valuable benefits, including flood protection and wildlife habitat.

Batteries can store electricity from solar and wind when it’s plentiful and cheap to produce, and release it when it’s in short supply. There's a growing consensus that batteries are critical to makin...

The lawsuit says the band's testing found "alarming" levels of PFAS in lake water, fish and deer on the Leech Lake Reservation. Tribal members depend on hunting, fishing and cultivating wild rice for ...

Starry stonewort, a fast-growing invasive algae, was discovered in the Rush Lake channel. The Whitefish Chain of Lakes Association mounted a counter-attack, including hand pulling, chemical treatment ...

Robert Slaybaugh, 57, was booked into the jail in February 2024 on suspicion of drunk driving. He was later found unresponsive in his cell. The lawsuit claims the county ignored red flags that he was ...

Minnesota was scheduled to receive an additional $12 million to $13 million in LIHEAP funds to help another 10,000 households. If that payment is delayed, the program could run out of money by mid-Apr...

For the past decade, Minnesota has distributed about $10 million a year to counties for aquatic invasive species prevention. Gov. Tim Walz’s proposed budget reduced that amount by 50 percent. Some lak...

Several organizations in St. Cloud led by people of color are working to address local housing needs. A recent study found the city will need 17,000 new housing units over the next decade and a half t...

A former nurse at the Beltrami County Jail is facing charges in the 2018 death of Hardel Sherrell, who was incarcerated at the time.

The COVID-19 pandemic upended life in Minnesota and across the country in March 2020. Schools and businesses closed. Hospitals nearly reached a breaking point as deaths and hospitalizations leaped. Fi...

Lake advocates say a recent state law is helping curb the problem of trash left on Minnesota’s frozen lakes. But they're hoping for more action, including passage of a bill requiring state agencies es...

Completed in 1961, the strikingly unique Abbey Church is the flagship of St. John’s, and a heralded example of modern architecture. It’s also the inspiration for “The Brutalist,” one of the favorites ...

After more than 15 years, the days of Northstar commuter rail service between Minneapolis and Big Lake may be numbered. MnDOT and the Met Council are considering replacing Northstar commuter trains th...

One of President Trump’s first actions after taking office was an executive order indefinitely suspending the U.S. refugee resettlement program. A family living in St. Cloud who fled Afghanistan a yea...

Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, said the signs detract from the state's natural scenic beauty and pose a safety concern for motorists. Billboard companies say the bill would hurt local businesses and ...

As it gets more expensive and costly to build traditional power plants and electric distribution systems, so-called “virtual power plants” could play an increasingly important role in meeting Minnesot...

A single large data center can use millions of gallons of water a day, as much as thousands of homes. But pinpointing exactly how many are being built and how much water they’ll use can be a challenge...

An uncommon owl “irruption” has brought large numbers of owls to northeast Minnesota, and also brought a ton of tourists and birders flocking to see them. Several owls have been killed and injured by ...

A central Minnesota dairy farmer is facing felony wage theft and racketeering charges over allegations that he underpaid and threatened his immigrant workers and subjected them to unsanitary living co...

Transportation remains the state’s largest source of greenhouse gases, contributing nearly 30 percent of emissions. It’s not clear whether Minnesota is on track to meet its goals of reducing greenhous...

The lawsuit alleges the agencies have failed to adopt regulations that are adequate to protect water resources from farm-related nitrate pollution. It also asks the agencies to reopen state rules that...

Minnesota Power and Great River Energy jointly plan to build the 180-mile project, which could cost upwards of $1 billion. The utilities say the new high-voltage line is needed to help maintain a reli...

Researchers at the University of Minnesota have been studying winter oilseed crops that can be turned into sustainable aviation fuel and provide other environmental benefits. Interest in SAF has been ...

Harmful chemicals in sewage sludge spread on pasture as fertilizer pose a risk to people who regularly consume milk, beef and other products from those farms, in some cases raising cancer risk “severa...

Researchers in the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine will work with wildlife rehabilitators, tribal biologists and other partners across the state to collect 9,000 samples from ...

Xcel has said continuing to operate its two Minnesota nuclear plants, at Prairie Island and Monticello, is critical to its transition to carbon-free electricity. But some critics have raised safety co...

From a submarine survival adventure during World War II to an exploration of the dark side of a Catholic convent on the Irish countryside, our staff has wide-ranging taste for their favorite book they...

The Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota, a nonprofit that advocates for utility customers, tracks reported shutoffs. It found utilities disconnected more than 85,000 residential households from either...

The U.S. Small Business Administration named Baby’s On Broadway Minnesota’s woman-owned small business of 2023 but the U.S. Attorney’s Office says she used a phony supplier and fake invoices to secure...

What do state flags, an heirloom rifle and Dragon Divas have in common? They’re all in stories our reporters recommend you revisit in a review of the news from 2024.

Six months after the Blue Earth River carved its way round the Rapidan Dam near Mankato, the surrounding community is still coming to terms with the damage and its longer term implications. Sediment l...