With students on Christmas break currently, there is a good chance some will be heading out on the ice this ice fishing season. Be mindful that no ice is 100 percent safe. Minnesota DNR’s Lisa Dugan says if you’re going to venture out over this winter break:

Dugan says there should be at least four inches of new, clear ice if you’re walking on, at least five to seven inches of ice for an ATV or snowmobile, and for vehicles, there should be 12 inches or more of ice.

The president of Minnesota Farmers Union says while the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program is welcome, ag producers don’t want to rely on ad hoc payments from the government. Gary Wertish says farmers want their money from trade, not aid, and that the farmer mediation program helps producers with just that. By August or September, he says they already had more people filing for mediation in 2025 than all of 2023 and ’24 combined, helping producers dealing with difficult financial situations. 

Wertish calls the $12 billion dollars being distributed primarily to row crop farmers a band-aid in the midst of a financial crisis in agriculture.

2026 is a big year for the Red River Watershed Management. RRWMB Executive Director Rob Sip says they are celebrating their 50 year anniversary in the year 2026, and in celebration, are holding some special events throughout the year to celebrate. Sip tells us the latest

You can learn more about the Red River Watershed Management Board by going to their website at www.rrwmb.us.