Minnesota’s State Park offers an excellent opportunity to take in Minnesota’s fall colors, and Lake Bemidji State Park has miles of trails that allow you to see all forms of these colors. Lake Bemidji State Park Assistant Park Manager Shannon Bungart says if you want to see these colors, this week is the time to do it, as she expects the park to be at full peak later this week. 

If you plan on visiting to see these fall colors, Bungart recommends that you take a walk on the Rocky Point Trail. 

More information about other park programs and services can be seen on the Lake Bemidji State Park webpage on the Minnesota DNR website.

American Crystal Sugar officially kicked off their Fall Campaign on Monday night. Joe Hastings of American Crystal Sugar says the campaign is kicking off later than they originally expected. 

Hastings says it’s not just air temperatures that American Crystal Sugar is closely monitoring. 

R&J News will continue to provide updates on this year’s sugarbeet harvest.

Michelle Fischbach Congresswoman District 7 including Roseau County released a statement regarding how the government shutdown might affect Minnesotans including Social Security Administration, Veterans’ Administration, and Farm Service Agency.

The Continuing Resolution or CR that the U.S. House passed would have kept the government open. The CR is now sitting in the Senate and 60 votes are needed in the Senate to pass this bill. Fischbach states that this is the same CR that Democrats voted for thirteen times under the last administration. Fischbach is insistent that this will be taken care of and back to normal government.

The Canada Border Services Agency has announced an update regarding the Remote Area Border Crossing permit program, an essential travel document for those navigating remote border areas such as Minnesota’s Northwest Angle and parts of Ontario and Manitoba. While the news is positive for those who already have an RABC permit issued after September 1, 2023, it still leaves many travelers, cabin owners, and resort operators waiting for further action.

All RABC permits issued after September 1, 2023, will remain valid until December 31, 2025, while the CBSA continues its administrative review of the program. However, new applications are still on hold, leaving many without a way to conveniently enter Canada in remote areas where there is no official CBSA port of entry.

This permit benefits:
– U.S. citizens and permanent residents traveling to remote parts of Canada.
– Seasonal cabin owners in areas like the Northwest Angle who need frequent, hassle-free access.
– Resort owners and their guests who rely on tourism across the international border.
– Outdoor enthusiasts such as hunters, anglers, and campers who cross into Canada for recreational purposes.

The RABC permit is a special authorization that allows eligible travelers to cross into designated remote areas of Canada without needing to report to an official port of entry. The CBSA has not provided a timeline for when new RABC applications will be processed.