Greater Minnesota

From a basement lab to computers worldwide, Concordia College digitizes thousands of species
After languishing for decades — in some cases more than a century — in Minnesota museum collections, more than one million bugs, birds and other specimens are now being offered to a new audience.
1 million gallons of ash wastewater spilled from northern Minnesota coal plant
Duluth-based Minnesota Power says it is working closely with state and federal agencies after an estimated 1 million gallons of coal ash wastewater leaked from a pipeline at Boswell Energy Center in Cohasset into a nearby lake.
Single-wheel enthusiasts from around the globe descend on Bemidji for Unicon 21
Even fans will admit unicycle riding is a niche sport. However that hasn’t stopped more than 1,200 people from around the world from meeting in Bemidji for Unicon 21.
Father who lost son to suicide dedicated to outreach and destigmatizing mental health help
Scott Roeder lost his son Jackson to suicide in 2017. Since then, he’s worked to get the word out about suicide prevention, including awareness of 988 and destigmatizing mental health concerns and treatment in and around St. Cloud.
Art and memory in the Northwoods: The art of Madeleine Bialke
The Nemeth Art Center has unveiled “The Long View,” an exhibition by London-based artist Madeleine Bialke, featuring 10 vividly colored “treescapes” inspired by summers spent at her grandparents’ farm in Park Rapids.
SouthWest Transit will become the first in the metro to offer rides in autonomous vehicles
For almost four decades, SouthWest Transit has offered public transit options to riders in Eden Prairie, Chaska and Chanhassen and surrounding communities. SouthWest Transit will introduce riders in Eden Prairie to autonomous vehicles this fall.
Homelessness advocacy groups push back against Duluth proposal to ban camping on city land
A proposal earlier this week from Duluth officials to make sleeping on city land a misdemeanor crime is getting pushback from social service agencies that serve people experiencing homelessness in the city.
Red Lake Nation College mounts cultural exchange with Indigenous Brazilians 
Citizens from Red Lake and Leech Lake are now back in Minnesota after a first-of-its-kind cultural exchange to Brazil. The trip which involved students from Red Lake Nation College, the University of Minnesota and Bemidji State University was designed to encourage Indigenous communication internationally as well as within the U.S. and Brazil.
Art Hounds: North country expressionist landscapes
In this week’s Art Hounds: Art Project 605 showcases Jennie Ward’s abstract landscapes, Maithree performs a blend of Indian and Western classical music and the Minnesota Original Music Festival features the 48-Hour Band Challenge.