>>Two More Boundary Waters Entry Points to Reopen
(Ely, MN) — More of the Boundary Waters will reopen tomorrow as firefighters continue making progress on northeastern Minnesota wildfires. The Superior National Forest says the Little Indian Sioux River South and South Hegman Lake entry points along the Echo Trail will reopen August 25th. More than 1,600 of the wilderness area’s roughly 2,000 campsites are already available. The July Lightning fires have burned more than 76,000 acres. The Camp Fire is 97% contained, the Sioux Fire 76%, and the Bear Trap and Thumb fires are each 55% contained.
>>Willmar Man Killed in Crash with Semi Near Hawick
(Hawick MN) — A Willmar man is dead following a collision between an SUV and a semi in Kandiyohi County. The sheriff’s office says 44-year-old Guillermo Ontoniel Castillo Blandon was driving Saturday afternoon when his SUV collided with a semi traveling in Roseville Township. Emergency crews extricated Castillo Blandon and attempted lifesaving measures, but he died at the scene. The 67-year-old semi driver was treated and released. The crash remains under investigation.
>>Two Motorcyclists Critically Injured After Striking Deer Near Windom
(Windom, MN) — Two motorcyclists from Fairmont suffered life-threatening injuries after striking a deer in southwestern Minnesota Sunday morning. The State Patrol says 56-year-old Donna Johnson and 62-year-old Trent Johnson were riding near Windom when their motorcycles struck the deer and crashed shortly before 11 a.m. Both were taken to Sanford Hospital in Sioux Falls with critical injuries.
>>Broadcast Legend Paul Stagg Passes Away at Age 83
(Undated) – Local broadcast legend Paul Stagg passed away Sunday. Stagg, whose real name was Paul Steigerwald, was a Vietnam-era veteran and died at the Montevideo Veterans Home at the age of 83. Stagg was inducted into the Minnesota Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame in 2017. Stagg moved from KWLM to WDAY in Fargo before he moved to the Twin Cities market in 1969. He worked at WWTC and then moved to WCCO Radio and Television for 18 years. Stagg also worked at KLBB in St. Paul before he made his return to KWLM in 2007 as the host of Live At 5 with Paul Stagg. After six decades in Minnesota’s broadcast industry, Paul Stagg wrapped up his career at the same station where he started, with his final Live At 5 broadcast on KWLM on Friday, March 29, 2019. Arrangements for Paul Stagg are pending.
>>Taconite Producer Fined for Pollution Violation
(Undated) – The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has fined United Taconite more than $22,000 for an air permit violation at the company’s facility in Forbes. MPCA investigators found that the facility had failed to perform emissions testing within the time period required by its air permit. In addition to paying the fine, United Taconite has submitted a plan detailing when testing will occur and how the facility will remain in accordance with the air permit moving forward.
>>Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association Honored for Expanding E15 Access
(Burnsville, MN) — The Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association is receiving national recognition for helping expand access to E15 fuel, also known as Unleaded 88. The American Coalition for Ethanol presented the group with its 2026 Paul Dana Marketing Vision Award during a conference in Minneapolis. Minnesota has grown from 84 E15 retailers in 2015 to more than 550 stations today. Sales reached a record 144.5 million gallons last year. The association credits partnerships with retailers, consumer education and infrastructure investments for helping drive the growth.
>>Something Fishy Is Happening at the Minnesota State Fair
(Falcon Heights, MN) — The Minnesota State Fair is almost here, and the fish are moving in. The DNR will stock its popular outdoor fishpond Tuesday, adding about 40 different species of fish ahead of the Great Minnesota Get-Together. Fairgoers will be able to spot everything from familiar sunfish to much larger lake sturgeon swimming in the pond outside the DNR building. The fishpond has long been a State Fair tradition, giving visitors an up-close look at the wide variety of fish found in Minnesota waters.
>>University of Minnesota Introduces North Star Apple Crisp Ice Cream
(Minneapolis) – Move over chocolate and vanilla. The University of Minnesota is offering a new flavor of ice cream to celebrate its 175 years. The new ice cream flavor is North Star Apple Crisp, which combines the sweet crunchy taste of apple crisp with a swirl of aronia berry. Developers say the ice cream recognizes Minnesota’s dairy industry while paying homage to the university’s world-renowned apple breeding program. It was created through the university’s College of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resource Sciences Department. North Star Apple Crisp will be available for purchase starting Wednesday on the St. Paul campus and soon at Goldy’s Gameroom, the Gopher Spot and Minnesota Landscape Arboretum.
