Ice Fishing is underway, and the State of Minnesota has implemented some new regulations that will be in effect for this ice fishing season. Minnesota DNR Fisheries Supervisor Nathan Olson says one regulation that changed is the use of certain kinds of hook setting devices.
Olson says the Minnesota DNR will likely be pursuing some regulation changes during the 2026 Legislative session, including a change to the statewide walleye bag limit.
More information about ice fishing regulations, and other ice fishing materials can be seen on the Minnesota DNR’s website.
The Koochiching County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that the loud boom and ground tremors reported by northern county residents yesterday morning were caused by a controlled blast at a quarry just north of Fort Frances, Ontario.
The blast occurred around 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, carried out by a construction company working at the site. Emergency Management officials have since been in contact with the company and will now receive advance notice before any additional quarry blasts take place.
County residents will be notified ahead of future scheduled blasts to prevent confusion or alarm.
Minnesota District 7 Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach updated that her office has been busy following Thanksgiving with the passing of several bills to address rising costs and social security issues for American families and seniors. Fischbach said they passed both the Claiming Age Clarity Act and the Social Security Child Protection Act, which in part recognizes the need to bring clarity to the Social Security Administration and protects children from identity fraud.
Fischbach also highlighted a major win for small businesses, with the House passing the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act and the DUMP Red Tape Act to eliminate certain burdensome regulations.
The Act prevents the SBA from issuing regulations that will increase costs for businesses, and creates a hotline for small business owners to report some federal regulations, empowering small businesses to hold federal agencies accountable.
Itasca State Park invites you to the park next weekend for their annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count event. Itasca State Park Lead Naturalist Connie Cox tells us more about the event, and its long history at Itasca.
Cox says this bird count is done each year for scientific purposes.
For more information about the Audubon Christmas Bird Count, or to locate a bird count near you, go to the Audubon website at www.audubon.org.
Now that we’ve had the biggest snowfall of the winter so far, people will be using their snow blowers for the first time this season. R&J Broadcasting’s Joe Lancello has some safety reminders.
The Minnesota DNR has completed one of its largest land acquisitions in decades — nearly 16,000 acres of forested land across ten northern Minnesota counties are now permanently protected.
The project preserves critical habitat, expands recreation access, and ensures the land remains forested for generations. It stems from years of collaboration between the DNR, The Conservation Fund, Northern Waters Land Trust, and multiple counties.
To help explain the scale of the purchase, I spoke with DNR Northeast Regional Communications Specialist Ingrid Johnson, who says mapping the land is challenging because of how spread out the parcels are.
She says the DNR’s GIS staff is already working to create a public-facing map of the tracts.
The acquisition includes over 10 thousand acres purchased with Outdoor Heritage Funds in counties such as Aitkin, Becker, Cass, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Itasca, Koochiching, and Wadena. These lands will expand wildlife management areas, scientific and natural areas, and state forests.
Another 51-hundred acres in St. Louis County were purchased with Reinvest in Minnesota dollars, helping consolidate state forestland and preserve large, continuous habitat blocks.
Johnson says the effort has been many years in the making.
DNR Northeast Regional Communications Specialist Ingrid Johnson.
Over a dozen robotics teams from across Northwest Minnesota will be participating in the Northern Minnesota Robotics Conference’s annual FIRST Lego League event later this week in Bemidji. NMRC representative Matt Wendland tells us more about the Event.
Wendland explains how Lego League differs from other NMRC leagues like FRC.
Again, the NMRC First Lego League event will get underway at 9:30 AM on Friday, December 12 at the Sanford Center Ballroom in Bemidji. The event runs all afternoon with the final matches concluding round 5:30.
By Graham Scher – R & J Broadcasting | December 8, 2025
Lake of the Woods, MINN. – Ice continues to form on Minnesota lakes and rivers. The DNR’s Lisa Dugan says if you’re going to venture out, keep in mind no ice is 100-percent safe. Officials recommend taking safety precautions, such as checking the ice depth, bringing ice picks, and wearing buoyant gear if walking or snowmobiling on ice.
With ice fishing now underway in most parts of the state and on Lake of the Woods, DNR Conservation Officer Coby Fontes provided more on the dangers of ice fishing throughout the season and where the safest areas will likely be.
Dugan added that 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 Animal Humane Society is reminding Pet owners to protect your pet from the cold this winter. Spokesperson Brittany Baumann says there is much colder air and subzero windchills in the forecast. She says the amount of time a dog or any pet can spend outside in the cold depends on their size, age, fur coat or not, and breed.
Temperatures in the single digits above and below zero can be dangerous for pets in Minnesota. She also says you should never leave a dog in an unoccupied vehicle when it’s cold.
The Marine’s Toys for Tots organization is in the midst of their holiday campaign, and they are encouraging residents across the country to consider making a donation for a child in need. Col Ted Silvester of the Marines Toys for Tots Foundation says if you want to make a donation, consider purchasing a gift for an older child, as they are often overlooked when it comes to donations.
Silvester also explains why he feels it’s important for people to make a gift donation to child in need during the holidays.
More information about the Toys for Tots Foundation can be seen on their website at www.toysfortots.org.
