Culture & Community / Education

Unique Library Programs Show Evolution of Borrowing

Culture & Community / Regional Arts

Houston County Artist Diane Crane Finds Beauty in Everyday Life

Land & Water​ / Multimedia Stories / Policy & Government

Restoration Project Redirects Root River to Original Channel

Culture & Community / Land & Water​

Conservation Crew at La Crescent-Hokah Middle School Tackles Invasive Species

Land & Water

A drone view of machinery equipment working on the Root River rechanneling project.

Restoration Project Redirects Root River to Original Channel

A group of about a dozen children stand together on a wooded trail during a conservation cleanup project in spring. The kids, dressed in hoodies, caps, gloves, and outdoor clothes, proudly hold large black trash bags filled with pulled invasive plants. One child lounges playfully in front while others wave and smile. Buckets and cleanup supplies sit nearby, and fresh green leaves cover the trees and forest floor behind them.

Conservation Crew at La Crescent-Hokah Middle School Tackles Invasive Species

A glass of water being filled from kitchen tap.

Mississippi River Groups Tell Feds to Act on Nitrate Contamination

A group of about ten volunteers wearing bright yellow safety vests gather around a young tree in a grassy park. Several people kneel close to the base, gently loosening and spreading the tree’s roots before planting, while others stand nearby watching. A shovel is planted upright in the soil, and small clumps of dirt and grass surround the planting hole.

La Crescent Expands Tree Canopy with Free Boulevard Tree Program

A close-up, highly detailed image of a fuzzy black-and-yellow bumblebee collecting nectar from the center of a bright purple flower. The bee’s body is covered in fine hairs and dusted with pollen, especially around its legs and underside. The flower has long, thin purple petals radiating outward from a dense yellow center. The background is softly blurred green, making the bee and flower stand out sharply in focus.

Saying No to Neonicotinoids

People dressed in protective fire gear, holding long handled rakes and shovels walk through a sparse woods over greenish brown vegetation. Behind them is a like of smoke and a bright blue sky.

Local Group Connects Neighbors for Safe Use of Fire in Land Management

An older man with dark rimmed glasses and dark ball cap intently focuses on tying a trout fly under a bright light and magnifying glass. Another man on the right is speaking and showing him how to do the task.

Fly Tying Workshop Finishes Up its Fifth Year

Four pictures of soil erosion

In the News | Nitrate Risks in Karst Regions

Close-up view of melting river ice with bright sunlight reflecting off the water’s surface. The light creates sparkling starburst highlights across the rippling water, and a faint rainbow prism appears near the upper right where the sun hits the surface. Pale blue ice edges frame darker flowing water beneath, creating strong contrast between frozen and moving sections.

Photo Gallery | Winter on the Water

A wide stretch of river covered in drifted snow. Banks are lined with bare trees.

Root River Watershed Sees Gains, Sets Priorities for Next Decade

See all stories in Land & Water

Culture & Community

Wide view inside the Chatfield Public Library showing three clear plastic STEAM activity bins displayed on a long bookshelf table. One bin contains colorful craft and sensory materials, another holds wooden blocks, and a third contains building toys and supplies. A bright yellow sign in the center promotes Yoto Players available at the library for children’s educational audio stories and music. Rows of children’s books fill the shelves below and behind the display. Large windows along the left side bring natural light into the modern library space while a patron browses books in the background.

Unique Library Programs Show Evolution of Borrowing

An older woman sits outdoors on a grassy hillside beneath budding tree branches while sketching in a spiral bound notebook. She wears glasses, a navy hooded sweatshirt, tan pants, and patterned slip on shoes. Bright spring sunlight illuminates the green grass, scattered wild plants, and rocky landscaping around her as she concentrates on drawing in a peaceful natural setting.

Houston County Artist Diane Crane Finds Beauty in Everyday Life

A group of about a dozen children stand together on a wooded trail during a conservation cleanup project in spring. The kids, dressed in hoodies, caps, gloves, and outdoor clothes, proudly hold large black trash bags filled with pulled invasive plants. One child lounges playfully in front while others wave and smile. Buckets and cleanup supplies sit nearby, and fresh green leaves cover the trees and forest floor behind them.

Conservation Crew at La Crescent-Hokah Middle School Tackles Invasive Species

A man wearing a brown knit hat, navy winter coat, and headphones around his neck smiles while talking with a woman whose blonde hair is pulled back with a large cream-colored clip. They stand inside a modern community space with a colorful abstract mural hanging on the wall behind them. Another person in a tan jacket is partially visible at the edge of the photo.

Inside The Landing MN’s Lifeline for the Rochester-area’s Unhoused Community

Three older adults stand inside a restored historic railroad-themed museum space in Preston, Minnesota. Behind them is a rustic wooden wagon filled with antique farm and railroad items, including old milk cans, crates, and tools. A weathered wooden “PRESTON” sign hangs on the wall above them, while vintage sleds and historic artifacts decorate the bright cream-colored room with wood plank walls and large windows.

All Aboard for History: Preston Depot Museum and Riverfront Center Celebrates Grand Opening

A group of about ten volunteers wearing bright yellow safety vests gather around a young tree in a grassy park. Several people kneel close to the base, gently loosening and spreading the tree’s roots before planting, while others stand nearby watching. A shovel is planted upright in the soil, and small clumps of dirt and grass surround the planting hole.

La Crescent Expands Tree Canopy with Free Boulevard Tree Program

A yellowed, aged newspaper front page titled “Fillmore County Pioneer” fills the frame, printed in bold, decorative serif lettering across the top. Beneath the title, smaller text reads “Carimona, Fillmore County, Minnesota, Thursday, June 5, 1856,” along with volume and issue numbers. The page is densely packed with narrow columns of small black text, including sections labeled “Business Cards” and “Select Poetry.” Advertisements for goods and services appear along the left column, while poetry and articles fill the center and right columns. The paper shows visible wear and discoloration, emphasizing its historical age.

What Happened to Small Town Newspapers?

A woman stands in the middle of a wide field filled with bright yellow sunflowers stretching to the horizon. Only her upper body is visible above the flowers. She wears a dark visor and smiles, surrounded by dense blooms under a hazy sky. The landscape is flat and expansive, emphasizing the vast sea of yellow flowers.

Citizen Scientist MJ Hatfield Fights Insect Decline

Several adults standing, sitting and talking in a conference room in Rushford, MN.

Honoring the Past, Building the Future: SMIF Celebrates 40 Years

A sepia-toned historical photograph shows six adult men posed in front of a stone building with large rectangular blocks and two windows. Four men stand in the back row while two sit in wooden chairs in the foreground. The men wear late 19th-century clothing, including dark suits, vests, long coats, and wide-brimmed hats. One seated man on the left has a long, full beard reaching down to his chest, while another man in the center has a thick mustache and a dark overcoat, standing with one hand slightly raised. The group faces the camera with serious expressions, typical of formal portraits from that era. The setting suggests a courthouse or civic building.

Mower County Pioneer Judge Sanford Washburn Finally Laid to Rest

See all stories in Culture & Community

Health

A group of healthcare workers gather around a table in a care facility.

Public Health Delivers Vital Services for All

A close-up, highly detailed image of a fuzzy black-and-yellow bumblebee collecting nectar from the center of a bright purple flower. The bee’s body is covered in fine hairs and dusted with pollen, especially around its legs and underside. The flower has long, thin purple petals radiating outward from a dense yellow center. The background is softly blurred green, making the bee and flower stand out sharply in focus.

Saying No to Neonicotinoids

Woman with brown hair and blue eyes leans on her right hand. Behind her in the background is an enlarged photo of her book cover.

Local Story of Surviving Abuse Premieres Nationally on PBS

cross country skiers on a snowy trail

From Ski Trails to Hiking Paths, Heat is Reshaping Recreation and Our Attitudes

a thicket of white flowers

‘Highly toxic’ hemlock widespread in Upper Midwest

A group of people gather on a large, elevated, circle structure covered by a roof. Signs with writing and images are positioned around the entrance stairway to the gazebo.

Citizen Working Group Releases Nitrate Report

Ayoung woman in a navy blue shirt stands in an older home holding a blue real estate SOLD sign.

Angel’s House of Healing

An older woman stands in front of a mini-bus holding a bin of snacks and juices.

Area Public Health Officials Remain Vigilant at All Times

Two men, one older and one younger, play cribbage on a wood table in front of a red brick fireplace.

Neighbor Helping Neighbor

man at table with book and magazine covers

On His Own Terms: The Writing Life of Tom Driscoll

See all stories in Health

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Business & Work

collage of photos of people talking at the MN State Capitol rotunda.

Essay: Every Minnesotan Deserves to Know What’s Happening in their Backyard

A yellowed, aged newspaper front page titled “Fillmore County Pioneer” fills the frame, printed in bold, decorative serif lettering across the top. Beneath the title, smaller text reads “Carimona, Fillmore County, Minnesota, Thursday, June 5, 1856,” along with volume and issue numbers. The page is densely packed with narrow columns of small black text, including sections labeled “Business Cards” and “Select Poetry.” Advertisements for goods and services appear along the left column, while poetry and articles fill the center and right columns. The paper shows visible wear and discoloration, emphasizing its historical age.

What Happened to Small Town Newspapers?

Several adults standing, sitting and talking in a conference room in Rushford, MN.

Honoring the Past, Building the Future: SMIF Celebrates 40 Years

Outdoor patio at Sylvan Brewing in Lanesboro, Minnesota, filled with people enjoying drinks and live music beside the brewery building, with umbrellas, flowers, and scenic bluffs in the background.

How a Small-Town Brewery Became a Regional Destination

A low, modern brick building sits on a snow-covered slope under a bright blue sky. Large dark windows face outward, reflecting the light. Bare trees line the hillside behind the building, and a tall communications tower rises above the trees. An American flag stands on a pole near the right side of the building.

Coming Together to Keep the Branding Iron Open

Aerial view of container ships and cargo cranes at the Port of Santos in Brazil, a major global export hub handling a large share of South American soybean shipments.

How Tariffs and China’s Global Investments are Reshaping Farming

Leather artisan wearing a hat and scarf holds a brown handmade leather messenger bag at a market booth displaying wallets, purses and bags from Bluffland Leather Co.

Grand Meadow Artisan Creates Handmade, Permanent Leather Goods

Person wearing a knit hat and beige sweater stands on a snowy sidewalk in a small Minnesota downtown, with a local grocery store and historic brick buildings in the background.

Bluff Country Business Academy to Support Local Businesses

A slender woman in a green zip-up pullover, jeans, and teal stocking cap stands with her hands in her pockets in a snow-covered field beside a long plastic-covered high tunnel greenhouse, with rolling hills in the background on a winter day in southeastern Minnesota.

Featherstone Farm: Growing Organic Food Through Fair Labor

Wildlife rescuer wearing a brown jacket and yellow gloves carefully holds a large adult bald eagle inside a cluttered workshop, with shelves of tools, containers and equipment in the background. The eagle is looking back at the man.

Area Family Rescues Animals Year-Round

See all stories in Business & Work

Policy & Government

A drone view of machinery equipment working on the Root River rechanneling project.

Restoration Project Redirects Root River to Original Channel

A glass of water being filled from kitchen tap.

Mississippi River Groups Tell Feds to Act on Nitrate Contamination

A man wearing a brown knit hat, navy winter coat, and headphones around his neck smiles while talking with a woman whose blonde hair is pulled back with a large cream-colored clip. They stand inside a modern community space with a colorful abstract mural hanging on the wall behind them. Another person in a tan jacket is partially visible at the edge of the photo.

Inside The Landing MN’s Lifeline for the Rochester-area’s Unhoused Community

collage of photos of people talking at the MN State Capitol rotunda.

Essay: Every Minnesotan Deserves to Know What’s Happening in their Backyard

A group of healthcare workers gather around a table in a care facility.

Public Health Delivers Vital Services for All

A close-up, highly detailed image of a fuzzy black-and-yellow bumblebee collecting nectar from the center of a bright purple flower. The bee’s body is covered in fine hairs and dusted with pollen, especially around its legs and underside. The flower has long, thin purple petals radiating outward from a dense yellow center. The background is softly blurred green, making the bee and flower stand out sharply in focus.

Saying No to Neonicotinoids

An octagonal room with windows stretching all the way around and large screens hanging above them. At a desk in the middle with another array of screens sits a man in a sheriff's uniform.

Fillmore County Law Enforcement Settles Into Upgraded Facility

A man with graying hair wearing a white short sleeve shirt with brown pocket flaps, a flag emblem, and a sheriff's star sits at a clean desk and smiles at the camera.

Federal Immigration Enforcement Surge Bypasses Fillmore County

Four pictures of soil erosion

In the News | Nitrate Risks in Karst Regions

Aerial view of container ships and cargo cranes at the Port of Santos in Brazil, a major global export hub handling a large share of South American soybean shipments.

How Tariffs and China’s Global Investments are Reshaping Farming

See all stories in Policy & Government

Education

Wide view inside the Chatfield Public Library showing three clear plastic STEAM activity bins displayed on a long bookshelf table. One bin contains colorful craft and sensory materials, another holds wooden blocks, and a third contains building toys and supplies. A bright yellow sign in the center promotes Yoto Players available at the library for children’s educational audio stories and music. Rows of children’s books fill the shelves below and behind the display. Large windows along the left side bring natural light into the modern library space while a patron browses books in the background.

Unique Library Programs Show Evolution of Borrowing

A woman stands in the middle of a wide field filled with bright yellow sunflowers stretching to the horizon. Only her upper body is visible above the flowers. She wears a dark visor and smiles, surrounded by dense blooms under a hazy sky. The landscape is flat and expansive, emphasizing the vast sea of yellow flowers.

Citizen Scientist MJ Hatfield Fights Insect Decline

A close-up of an older woman with short, curly gray hair and glasses sitting at a table. She carefully pours seeds from a small packet into one of several small metal cups lined up in front of her. She wears a gray cardigan over a patterned blouse and focuses intently on her task. Papers, seed packets, and a plate sit on the table nearby.

Seed Library Aims to Grow Community in Spring Valley

picture of book cover

Returning the Sword: New Book Chronicles Local Man’s Gift to Japanese Family

A woman carrying a tall pole with a banner on it is followed by a large crowd of people through a path mown through tall grass.

Flourish at DreamAcres: 20 Years of Youth, Arts and Agriculture in Rural Minnesota

Young children lean on a table with crafts made from egg cartons and pipe cleaners.

Youth of All Ages Engage in Creative Summer Arts Programs

Students in black graduation gowns stand in front of an orange brick building and throw their black caps into the air.

Community Backs Students’ Educational Journey

A large group of people of all ages sit on benches in an outside grassy area with leafy trees behind them. All are facing the camera in a group photo setting.

Eagle Bluff Marks its 45th Year with Reunion

A large group of students stand and kneel for a group photo in a classroom with a large white screen behind them.

Earning a Different Kind of Varsity Letter

Four high school students, two in chest waders, stand knee deep in a trout stream.

High Schoolers Learning from Trout

See all stories in Education

Inside Root River Current

two men in front of audience

Folks Behind Our Stories

photo of a laptop with view of Root River Current homepage

Inside Root River Current | Three Years Strong – And Counting!

composite of Root River Current board of directors

Join a Visionary, Creative and Committed Board of Directors

A musician wearing glasses and a plaid shirt plays an acoustic guitar on stage inside a warm, wood-paneled venue. He faces an audience of older adults seated at small tables, listening closely under soft string lights.

Celebrating Creativity!

kids gathered at table with art supplies

Celebrating 2025 Regional Arts & Artists

A group of people standing in a line above a deep impression covered in vegetation look down at a man standing in the middle of the hole.

Inside Root River Current | A Visit to the Grand Meadow Chert Quarry

80+ people posing for group photo at Press Forward MN event

Inside Root River Current | Steps Forward

root river current logo and pictures of four people

Inside Root River Current | Community Leadership

tug boat going through lock and dam

Inside Root River Current | Our Ag & Water Connection

2024 RRC founding board of directors

Your Leadership Can Make a Difference in Root River Current’s Third Year

See all stories in Inside Root River Current

Community Voices

An older woman with short white hair stands in a cozy, well-used workshop or kitchen space, speaking with her hands slightly raised as if explaining something. She wears a light gray quilted jacket over a blue top. Behind her, shelves are filled with containers, tools and supplies, giving the space a creative, hands-on feel. Soft light comes from a window on the right.

Essay | Handmade Crafts Shape Artists and Build Community

A bearded man wearing a dark baseball cap and a brown button-up shirt stands at a worktable in an art studio. He carefully rolls a large sheet of white paper over a round cross section of a large tree trunk. The workspace is filled with colorful artwork, including a bright poster of a baseball player on the wall behind him. The lighting is warm, and the table shows paint marks and signs of frequent creative use.

Essay | How Craft Builds Connections from the Past Into the Future

A small red and white child’s bicycle lies on its side in patchy melting snow on a wooden porch. A thin layer of fresh snow coats the bike’s frame, seat, and tires. Behind it, a red tricycle and a larger red bicycle lean near the house’s light-colored exterior wall and a dark-framed door. The ground shows a mix of ice, slush, and exposed wood, suggesting a late winter thaw.

Essay | Fool’s Spring

photo of a laptop with view of Root River Current homepage

POETRY | Root River Current Tribute 

A stone statue of a woman stands at the center of a circular fountain, with water spraying outward from sculpted fish at the base. The statue is surrounded by trees with bright yellow and orange autumn leaves. Benches and a lawn are visible in the background, and sunlight illuminates the park setting.

Essay | The Death of a Beautiful Woman: Unpacking the Legends of Winona

Leafless tree branches stand in silhouette along a dark hillside beneath a vibrant winter sunset sky, with layered pink, coral and purple clouds glowing near the horizon.

Root River Winter Hues

Exterior of the St. Mane Theatre with a vintage marquee on a small-town main street, brick facade, bench and sidewalk in daylight.

Essay | Lanesboro’s State Theatre, From Silent Films to Center Stage

Six Canada geese glide across a calm river lined with autumn trees, their orange and gold foliage mirrored in the still water.

Essay | Summer, Spring, Winter and Fall, Water Calls to Us

A young girl wearing sunglasses, a pink hoodie, gloves, and colorful boots tosses a piece of firewood into a blue wood cart outdoors. She stands on a large pile of split logs next to evergreen trees, with bright sun shining behind her and a red barn in the background.

Essay | Putting Up Firewood: A Family Affair

Wide view of Stockholm’s waterfront with bridges, walkways, and historic buildings under a partly cloudy sky, with people walking and biking along the water’s edge.

Essay | The Pursuit of Happiness

See all in Community Voices

Regional Arts

An older woman sits outdoors on a grassy hillside beneath budding tree branches while sketching in a spiral bound notebook. She wears glasses, a navy hooded sweatshirt, tan pants, and patterned slip on shoes. Bright spring sunlight illuminates the green grass, scattered wild plants, and rocky landscaping around her as she concentrates on drawing in a peaceful natural setting.

Houston County Artist Diane Crane Finds Beauty in Everyday Life

Two women stand side by side smiling in a library, arms around each other, behind a small display table covered with books and decorative items. The table includes stacked books, a basket, and a small sign. Bookshelves filled with rows of books line the background, and another person browses at a table behind them.

A Wrinkle in Time Comes to Life on Stage in Lanesboro This Summer

An older woman with short white hair stands in a cozy, well-used workshop or kitchen space, speaking with her hands slightly raised as if explaining something. She wears a light gray quilted jacket over a blue top. Behind her, shelves are filled with containers, tools and supplies, giving the space a creative, hands-on feel. Soft light comes from a window on the right.

Essay | Handmade Crafts Shape Artists and Build Community

A bearded man wearing a dark baseball cap and a brown button-up shirt stands at a worktable in an art studio. He carefully rolls a large sheet of white paper over a round cross section of a large tree trunk. The workspace is filled with colorful artwork, including a bright poster of a baseball player on the wall behind him. The lighting is warm, and the table shows paint marks and signs of frequent creative use.

Essay | How Craft Builds Connections from the Past Into the Future

RRA title photo

Essay | The Root River Anthology: Five Years Later

sunshine streams through the clouds with an American flag on the left

Youth and Creativity: Watching Talent Grow

A musician wearing glasses and a plaid shirt plays an acoustic guitar on stage inside a warm, wood-paneled venue. He faces an audience of older adults seated at small tables, listening closely under soft string lights.

Celebrating Creativity!

photo montage of arts activities

Celebrating Regional Arts & Artists – Again!

woman and man on stage during theater production

Profile | John B. Nicol: Lanesboro’s “Jack of Arts”

An older woman with gray hair and glasses sits under a large tree on a sunny day, playing a nyckel harpa—a wooden instrument resembling a violin with keys and strings. She wears a blue T-shirt with a colorful abstract print and a Star of David necklace. The scene feels peaceful, with soft sunlight on green grass.

Houston Arts Resource Council Celebrates 27 Years of Creativity

See all stories in Regional Arts

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