Each October, cooperatives throughout the nation come together to celebrate National Co-op Month, a time-honored tradition dedicated to raising awareness of the cooperative business model and its pivotal role in building resilient, inclusive communities.

The 2025 celebration is centered around the theme “Cooperatives Build a Better World.” National Co-op Month has a rich history that dates back over half a century. The movement began in Minnesota, which became the first state to issue an official Co-op Month proclamation in 1948. This early recognition set the stage for a nationwide celebration, and in 1964, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Orville Freeman—himself a former governor of Minnesota—proclaimed October as National Co-op Month.

Marques Stricker, C.E.O. at Farmers Union Oil Company in Warroad says they are proud of what they are doing with the CO-OP Spirit as Stewards in the community.

Farmers Union Oil Company – Warroad will be celebrating their CO-OP Day October 29th with free food, prize giveaways, patronage checks and in-store specials.

This week, Governor Tim Walz signed a Tribal-state compact with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa to further expand cannabis sale and regulation.

It allows the Fond du Lac Band to provide adult-use cannabis products into the state’s cannabis tracking system and participate in the same supply and distribution networks as other licensed businesses.

There is a shortage of cannabis in the state’s new retail market because the licensed growers haven’t harvested their first crops yet.

Fond du Lac Band is the fourth Tribal compact signed. Others include The White Earth Nation, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, and Prairie Island Indian Community that also have Tribal-State cannabis compacts to help boost the supply.

A new tool helps Minnesotans track how federal education investments are supporting their local schools. The interactive site puts useful, easy-to-understand information at Minnesotans’ fingertips. 

Community members can see how much the federal government invests in their local school district, learn how their tax dollars are used to support learning, and share how federal cuts and uncertainty are impacting local students and classrooms. 

The Minnesota Department of Education developed the tool amid growing concerns with the federal government shutdown. More info can be found on the M-D-E website.

The Northern Minnesota Robotics Conference (NMRC) will be wrapping up their 2025 season this weekend, with their annual Conference Championship beginning tomorrow at the Brainerd High School. Brainerd Robotics Coach Brian Bordwell gives us a preview of Friday’s competition.

Bordwell also tells us more of what you can expect during Saturday’s competition.

Bordwell says any NMRC event is open to the public, and he has a message for those wanting to come enjoy the event.

The competition will start Friday morning and finish Saturday evening at Brainerd High School. For those interested in but not traveling, the full event will be broadcasted on the Your Live Event YouTube page.

It’s National School Bus Safety Week, and area agencies are promoting proper bus safety practices. R&J News talked with Tina Sanders of Safe Kids Grand Forks on safety items and reminders that you should go over with your children when it comes to waiting for the bus. Sanders tells us more.

Sanders says children aren’t the only ones who need to take school bus safety seriously.

More school bus safety materials can be seen online at safekidsgf.com.