Gevo subsidiary announces agreement with Minnesota Soybean Processors to track and verify sustainable agriculture attributes

Melissa Hortman’s Loss a Blow to Minnesota Energy Policy, Shared Values

Democratic speaker, legislator, and public servant Melissa Hortman’s murder on June 14, 2025—at the hands of a political assassin—shook Minnesotans to their core. Just hours after the news broke, tens of thousands of people went ahead with a...

As Hortmans lie in state, thousands of Minnesotans line up to pay respects

A woman prays before the caskets as Melissa and Mark Hortman lie in state, along with their dog Gilbert Friday, June 27, 2025 at the Minnesota State Capitol. (Photo by Nicole Neri/Minnesota Reformer) Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman on Friday was...

'Outdoor School for All' grant program becomes law in Minnesota

Gov. Tim Walz signed the Minnesota Outdoor School For All act into law, establishing a statewide grant program to expand access to overnight outdoor education for students in fourth through 12th grades. The law allocates $848,000 to support...

Top California Winery Releases Cool Climate Chardonnay And Pinot Noir Wines

Hawaii getty As the sun glistened off the crystalline, turquoise-colored water, it consumed the young man with its sheer exquisite transparency, knocking the wind out of him as he couldn't fully imagine its effect on him, as the pictures couldn't...

Only 30% of Minneapolis parks are considered fully accessible. Advocates want that to improve.

And next year, the Park Board is scheduled to launch an ambitious, public database listing ADA amenities at every park, so users can plan their trips before they go. The goal is to meet the new “digital accessibility” rule of the ADA, which looks...

Q&A: NEON’s Warren McLean on investments in north Minneapolis

The African American Leadership Forum and its community partners are hitting the ground running with an ambitious plan to bring $1.5 billion worth of investment to north Minneapolis over the next 10 years. The Northside Forward plan, introduced...

Killed ex-Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman lies in state alongside husband and dog

Melissa and Mark Hortman, and their dog Gilbert, lay in state in the Minnesota state capitol rotunda on Friday. Their wooden caskets, and Gilbert’s golden urn with pawprints on it, were surrounded by trees and ferns, a nod to the greenery Melissa,...

Killed Minnesota lawmaker Melissa Hortman’s beloved dog, Gilbert, lays in state with her and her spouse

Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our...

Toxic blue-green algae blooms are sprouting up in Minnesota lakes

A number of Minnesota cities have reported blue-green algae blooms this summer, causing the temporary closing of some beaches. Blue-green algae is bacteria that can be toxic for both humans and pets. "We have a lot packed into this park so on a...

Reader's View: Protect Minnesota resources from data centers

Hermantown officials seem to be stonewalling residents over an issue that could affect citizens around the region. The Star Tribune reported on May 21 that residents have been trying to get information about a proposed development in the...

Why Is BlackRock Gunning to Take Over a Minnesota Electric Utility?

Honest, paywall-free news is rare. Please support our boldly independent journalism with a donation of any size. Who will own our energy future? There’s a battle playing out in northern Minnesota with major ramifications for this question. It...

Local environmental steward Dune Lankard honored with James Beard award 

Dune Lankard, founder of the Native Conservancy, received the James Beard Impact Award in ceremonies in Chicago on June 15 – an honor accorded to individuals who make significant strides toward building equitable, sustainable food systems. His...

Trump’s plan to strip protections from federal forests affects 62K acres in Minnesota

However, most types of timber found in Minnesota’s roadless areas are “not extremely valuable, since they tend to be low-productivity sites near the BWCAW, growing on rocky terrain and swamps,” said Frelich.Timber in these areas are also largely...

Why Is BlackRock Gunning to Take Over a Minnesota Electric Utility?

Honest, paywall-free news is rare. Please support our boldly independent journalism with a donation of any size. Who will own our energy future? There’s a battle playing out in northern Minnesota with major ramifications for this question. It...

EPA Ignores Climate Dangers

Fossil fuel-fired power plants are one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gasses in the United States. Above, a coal-fired plant in central Wyoming. (Photo: Greg Goebel, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0) This June the US Environmental Protection...

Steve Costello's Wildlife: Whooping it up

‘What are you seeing?” I asked two women standing along the edge of a swamp, binoculars pointed into the distance. Beside a lot of water, grasses, and trees, I didn’t see a thing. “Baby herons!” one of the women exclaimed. “We’ve counted six nests...

Arkansas legislators reflect on polarization, safety after murder of Minnesota lawmaker

Share This Article Arkansas’ political leaders have described feelings of concern and a heightened attention to safety following the murder of a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband earlier this month. Former Minnesota House Speaker Rep....

OPINION: What Minnesota assassinations reveal about the right

Earlier this month, it didn’t take long for many Republicans to blame Democrats for the assassinations of Minnesota political couple Mark and Melissa Hortman. Several Republican politicians, including Vice President J. D. Vance, South Carolina...

Judge says Trump cuts to environmental grants were illegal, restores funding to Minneapolis Foundation

Stay informed. Sign up for Sahan Sunday, our weekly newsletter with Minnesota news you need to know. This story is provided to you free of charge. We’re glad you're here! If fair, free journalism matters to you, please support us! President Donald...