This week at Warroad High School, students are turning up the winter spirit with Frosty Week.
All week long, students and staff are celebrating school pride with themed dress-up days, fun competitions, and the Frosty Dance for all high school students caps everything off this Valentines Day. The dance is Saturday from 9pm until midnight and just 15 dollars for a ticket.
The school will only accept eligible guests to register in the school’s front office in order to attend.
Again, Frosty Week continues with a dodgeball game, USA day, and the Frosty Dance for all high schoolers this Saturday from 9pm to Midnight at the high school.
Communities in Lake of the Woods and Roseau counties, as well as across greater Minnesota, are invited to apply for Child Care Economic Development Grants through the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED).
A total of $1.425 million is available to help expand quality child care, support new providers, improve facilities, increase training, and address local shortages of child care services. Local governments and nonprofits may request up to $300,000. Applications are due by 4 p.m. Central Time on March 17, 2026.
The grants can be used for child care business startups or expansions, facility modifications, training, direct subsidies or incentives to retain employees, licensing improvements, and other regulatory requirements. Priority will be given to communities with documented shortages of child care providers, including rural areas, low-income communities, and populations such as Black, Indigenous and people of color individuals, persons with disabilities, veterans, and women. At least 50% of funds will be awarded to communities outside the seven-county metropolitan area.
DEED will host a virtual information session for prospective applicants on Wednesday, February 19, at 2:30 p.m. Central Time.
For more information, to view the request for proposals, and to register for the information session, visit the DEED Competitive Grants and Contracts page. Questions can be submitted by email to CCED.DEED@state.mn.us, or by phone at 651-259-7161.DEED is Minnesota’s principal economic development agency, supporting business growth, workforce development, international trade, and community development. Learn more at the DEED website or CareerForce.mn.gov.
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor candidate for governor, has been named Legislator of the Year by the Major County Sheriffs of America for her work on public safety legislation. Among the measures cited is the Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act, now signed into law, which expands the federal Public Safety Officer Benefits program so that firefighters and other first responders who die or become permanently disabled from service-related cancers are eligible for survivor and disability benefits previously unavailable under federal law.
Klobuchar has also championed efforts to modernize the nation’s emergency communications systems, including backing grant support and upgrades for Next Generation 9-1-1 infrastructure — an interoperable, internet-protocol based system intended to allow emergency call centers to receive not just calls but texts, photos and video during emergencies, increasing resilience and response capabilities nationwide.
Her campaign says the recognition reflects a long record of bipartisan work on behalf of first responders, public safety and community support.
On the Republican side, Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth has emerged as a leading GOP contender for governor, topping early straw polls and campaigning on issues such as fraud prevention and law enforcement partnerships. She has pledged to seek and abide by her party’s endorsement ahead of the state convention later this as she builds her campaign to challenge Klobuchar in the general election.
Warroad native Brock Nelson has been named to the United States men’s ice hockey team for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, marking a rare third-generation appearance for his family in the Games. Nelson, 34, is playing in his first Olympics while extending a rich American hockey lineage that includes his grandfather, Bill Christian, and great-uncle Roger Christian, members of the 1960 U.S. gold medal team, and his uncle Dave Christian, a member of the 1980 “Miracle on Ice” gold-medal squad.
Nelson played Warroad Hockey, then starred at the University of North Dakota before spending more than a decade with the New York Islanders, where he became one of the franchise’s most consistent scorers. Since joining the Colorado Avalanche this season, he’s continued that production, adding veteran leadership to one of the NHL’s top contenders.
NHL players return to the Olympic hockey tournament for the first time since 2014, with the U.S. hoping to end a decades-long gold-medal drought.
The U.S. men open their Olympic campaign against Latvia on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 2:10 p.m. Central Standard Time. The game will be televised live on USA Network and streamed on Peacock in the United States
The University of Minnesota Extension Office has several big events coming up in 2026, and Extension Educator and 4-H Youth Development leader Kelsey Berger was a guest on our Community Conversation program and she updated us on their meeting last week and what important topics she talked about with the children.
Berger also shared that the Marshall County extension educator reached out to her to spread the word about an ice fishing day camp the 4-H office is putting on. Berger explains
That was Kelsey Berger, 4-H Youth Development Coordinator for the University of Minnesota Extension in Roseau County.
The Badger School is celebrating a strong showing in FCCLA competition, with several students qualifying for the State Leadership Conference this March. Advancing to state are Emily Burkel, Adysen Gregerson, Avearah Hanson, Ava Warne, and Delyla Carpenter.
In total, 67 students competed for a chance to move on, with only those earning a score of 50 or higher advancing to the state level. The competition doesn’t stop there—top performers at state will have an even bigger opportunity ahead.
The top two competitors in each category will qualify for the FCCLA National Leadership Conference, set for July in Washington, D.C. Congratulations to all the Badger students who earned their place and best of luck at state.
