By Mani Souphom – R & J Broadcasting | December 2, 2025

Hugo’s Family Marketplace will host Taste of the Holidays, an annual fundraiser on December 4th to support Warroad’s Backpack Program. The event runs from 3 to 6 p.m. Shoppers who donate $5 will receive a holiday plate and can sample treats throughout the store.

We sat down with Warroad Chamber president Steve Hagen to explain the event:

Warroad Backpack Program representative Glenda Phillipe explained the Backpack Program further:

Phillipe also explained the program’s monthly excursion run by volunteers and retired teachers:

Organizers hope the community will turn out to the Taste of the Holidays event, this Thursday at Hugo’s Family Marketplace in Warroad from 3PM to 6PM, and support the Backpack Program, which relies on volunteers to send food home weekly and organize monthly pickups—ensuring Warroad kids have consistent meals they can count on.

By Mani Souphom – R & J Broadcasting | December 2, 2025

Roseau, MINN. – The Roseau City Council met Monday night, and much of the meeting centered on a major 2026 runway and taxiway reconstruction at the Roseau Municipal Airport. Project engineers outlined a roughly $3.8 million dollar FAA-funded rebuild set to begin in early May, with the primary runway closed until mid-July.

Roseau Mayor Dan Fabian explained the importance of this project, including its impact on local businesses and pilots in Roseau and its surrounding area:

Officials say starting early will shorten the overall shutdown, but the closure is expected to significantly affect local crop-spray operators, who warned the interruption could create major economic losses for area farmers. Local spray operator Gary Slater said they were not informed early enough about the project, and told the council, “Nobody in the airport that operates was notified… I heard about it for the first time in September. There should’ve been some type of communication.”

Mayor Dan Fabian apologized, saying he should have done more outreach:

Mayor Fabian also expressed his desire to continue working with Slater and other operators, and continuing to look for solutions:

The city will continue asking the FAA whether limited taxiway use is possible, but engineers say the reconstruction is critical: the pavement is deteriorating, safety areas need grading, and the runway must be brought up to current FAA standards. This project seeks to keep the airport operational for another 30 to 40 years. Officials say completing the work now, and as quickly as possible, is essential to keeping the airport safe and operational for decades to come. KQ92 and KRWB will continue to follow and update on this story.

The Christmas tree season is officially underway in Minnesota. Austin Koons of Rum River Tree Farm says fresh snow on opening weekend helped bring more customers in. 

Christmas tree lot operators in Minnesota say it was a busy opening weekend. Koons is expecting strong sales this holiday season.

Koons expects strong sales this season and says prices are about the same as last year. There are around 60 Christmas tree farms in the state. There’s a list on the Minnesota Grown website.

Now that snow has officially arrived in the Red River Valley, it’s more important than ever for drivers to make sure they have a winter survival kit in their vehicle. Carma Hansen of Safe Kids Grand Forks says one item that you should have in your kit at all times is a shovel, but not for the reason you may think.

While protecting yourself from Carbon Monoxide Poisoning is important, it’s also important for you to stay warm when stranded in the ditch, and that’s why Tina Sanders of Safe Kids Grand Forks also recommends that you consistently keep your gas tank as full as possible.

More winter vehicle safety materials and information can be seen on the Safe Kids Grand Forks website at safekidsgf.com.