By Mani Souphom – R & J Broadcasting, Inc. | Tuesday, February 3, 2026

ROSEAU, Minn. – The Roseau City Council voted unanimously Monday Feb. 3 during their regular meeting to terminate the city’s contract with Equity Builders on the Memorial Arena roof project, after determining the contractor was in breach of contract and unable to continue work.

City officials said Equity Builders notified the city it could not perform under the contract due to financial and compliance issues, including failure to pay subcontractors and lapses in required insurance and licensing. City Attorney Michelle Moran said the city received confirmation Jan. 30 that the contractor’s insurance had been canceled, prompting the city to issue a cease-and-desist order.

Moran told council members the contractor was in substantial default and legally prohibited from continuing work. She advised against a proposal to reassign the project to another roofing company tied to similar ownership, citing increased liability and legal risk to the city. “I’ve never seen anything quite like this,” Moran said during the meeting.

The city has withheld $100,000 in payment under the contract and has not paid more than the amount covered by the performance bond. City officials confirmed at least one subcontractor has filed a claim against the payment bond. Because the project involves a public facility, the law does not allow subcontractors to place a lien on the building.

City Development Coordinator Todd Peterson told council members the city has not received a finalized roof warranty from Equity Builders and has no record that required fees related to the roofing system were paid. The project was expected to include a one-year construction warranty, followed by a longer-term manufacturer’s warranty, pending inspection.

Concerns were also raised regarding the status of an inspection conducted in November 2025 by the manufacturer, Mule-Hide. City officials said a formal inspection report has not been provided to the city and may have been sent only to the contractor.

Todd Peterson said the city is now moving forward with a claim on the project’s performance bond, which is intended to cover the cost of completing the roof and addressing all contract requirements:

Council members expressed concern about whether the manufacturer’s warranty can still be secured and what steps would be required to obtain it. Peterson said the city is working to determine what documentation or corrective work may be needed to satisfy warranty requirements:

Peterson said the performance bond will leave the city whole and cover all obligations under the contract, including warranties. The council approved a resolution authorizing staff to formally sever ties with Equity Builders, pursue the performance bond and investigate how the project reached its current state.

The bonding company on the project is Old Republic, with Kraus-Anderson listed as the liability holder. City officials said they will continue to provide updates as the process moves forward. KQ92 and KRWB will continue to follow Roseau City Council meetings and updates.

Roseau’s Winterfest took place this past week in Roseau County and School Superintendent Tom Jerome shared his story of the coolest event that he experienced over the weekend.

Jerome also talked about why the kids involved had a great time with the basketball game.

That was Roseau School Superintendent Tom Jerome, as we continue to follow Roseau school news.

The Lake of the Woods Knowledge Bowl team participated in the all-school competition last week in Thief River Falls. The Bears team consists of Will Castle, Will Tange, Jacob Sopkowiak, and Vincent Quo. The gentlemen fluctuated between 7th and 13th place most of the day, and ended up finishing in 11th place for the competition.

Castle was asked what he enjoys most about being a part of the team and he said, “we are able to have fun while still performing and do well at the meets.” 

Tange is confident that the team will place in the top ten at each meet for the remainder of the season.

The team now has a week off from meets, but will be preparing for their next meet in Bemidji where they will be competing against some new teams. The Knowledge Bowl senior high team is coached by Liz Tange.

New federal data shows Minnesota’s Medicaid program has a significantly lower improper payment rate than the national average.

A review by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services found Minnesota’s error rate at just over 2.1% compared to a national average of 6.1%.

State officials say the data was compiled before the Department of Human Services rolled out new anti-fraud measures last year, including audits of high-risk services and tighter oversight of providers.

Temporary Human Services Commissioner Shireen Gandhi says no level of error is acceptable, but the review shows Minnesota has strong internal controls that continue to improve.

The report comes as federal officials consider withholding up to $2 billion a year in Medicaid program integrity funding.

More information is available on the Minnesota Department of Human Services website.

Minnesota exports declined in the third quarter of 2025, with the impact falling heavily on northern Minnesota.

The Department of Employment and Economic Development reports exports of agricultural, mining, and manufactured goods totaled 5.7 billion dollars — down 14% from a year ago.

Much of the decline came from sharply lower mineral fuel and oil sales to Canada, Minnesota’s largest trading partner and a critical market for northern Minnesota’s mining, refining, and transportation sectors.

Machinery and vehicle exports — both tied to regional manufacturing jobs — also fell, while exports to Mexico and China dropped by more than twenty percent each.

State officials say tariffs and trade uncertainty continue to weigh on export-dependent regions.

More information is available on DEED’s website in the Export and Trade Statistics section.

By: Graham Scher – R&J Broadcasting Inc. February 2nd, 2026

Baudette, Minn – Mental health continues to be a tough obstacle that millions in our world today deal with in their own way. Lake of the Woods School provides some awareness about the importance of mental health and Brian Sather of Lake of the Woods school tells us about their annual Stick-it-to-Stigma hockey game that is all about mental health awareness.

Sather also talked about how important it is to students to have such a night focusing on a great cause.

Again, the annual Stick-it-to-Stigma mental health awareness hockey game is coming up February 12th at Lake of the Woods High School in Baudette.

Lake of the Woods Brewing Company has announced it will be closing its Warroad location on Lake Street in downtown Warroad after nine years in the community.

In a statement, the company said it is grateful for the memories made and thanked its employees, the Warroad community, and the distributors, businesses, and patrons who supported the Lake of the Woods Brewing Company brand across Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Montana, and Wyoming.

The Warroad taproom will remain open through Saturday, February 7th. While the Warroad location is closing, Lake of the Woods Brewing Company says its handcrafted brews will continue to be available at its Kenora and Winnipeg taprooms.

The company also hinted at what’s next, saying it’s excited for a future endeavor planned for the iconic space at 104 Main Avenue, with more details to be announced.

Warroad Chamber of Commerce is hosting a stand-up comedy and dinner night coming up Friday, February 20th at the Warroad American Legion on Lake Street downtown Warroad.

Tickets are available online for 35 dollars for a dinner and comedy show featuring K-Von, a comedian who has made appearances on NETFLIX, NBC’s ‘Last Comic Standing’, and his popular TED Talk showcases.

You can check out K-Von’s website at k-voncomedy.com

A Chamber of Commerce Comedy Night Event at the Warroad American Legion Friday February 20th. Dinner begins at 7pm with the comedy show starting at 8pm. Tickets are available online and on the Warroad Chamber’s facebook page.

On a vote of 10-0, the Red Lake Tribal Council passed a resolution on Jan. 13 preventing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers from entering Red Lake Nation without a court order.

The resolution notes that  the tribal council has “observed that ICE officers are moving north,” and that council members were recently informed that ICE officers apprehended a Leech Lake Tribal member in the Walker area.

According to the resolution, any ICE officer or other federal officer assisting ICE enforcement with a proper order signed by a judge is required to first meet with the Director of the Red Lake Department of Public Safety and provide the court order.

The resolution reads, “Be it further resolved, that no ICE officer or other federal officer may be present on the Red Lake Nation without the presence of a Red Lake Officer, and the federal officers may be present for only so long as it takes to serve the order.”