By Mani Souphom – R & J Broadcasting, Inc. | Tuesday, September 29, 2026

WARROAD, Minn. — The Warroad City Council met in regular session on Monday, and approved a 10.2% preliminary property tax levy increase for 2027. The council had previously discussed a roughly 10% increase during a pre-budget workshop. Council members ultimately approved the 10.2% figure.

Councilman Kevin Thompson spoke about how the increase will help determine what the city can fund in next year’s budget:

City Administrator Kathy Lovelace says the preliminary levy can still be reduced as the budget process continues, but it cannot be increased above the 10.2% figure:

The city’s Truth in Taxation hearing is scheduled for December 14th at 6 p.m., following the council’s regular 5:30 meeting. KQ92 and KRWB will continue to cover Warroad city council meetings.

The farm bill negotiations are hung up in part over new federal requirements that shift more of the cost of SNAP onto states. Beginning next year, states will have to cover a larger share of SNAP administrative costs, while a separate cost-sharing requirement for food benefits takes effect in 2027 and will be tied to each state’s payment error rate. Minnesota officials estimate the benefit cost shift alone could mean roughly 97 million dollars a year in new costs for the state based on its recent error rate. 

President of the Minnesota Farmers Union, Gary Wertish, speaks about how Minnesota DFLers are responding to the cost shift in SNAP benefits: 

Wertish warns new federal SNAP cost-sharing requirements could eventually mean higher property taxes in rural Minnesota. He says there’s hope Farm Bill negotiators can agree to a two-year delay, giving states more time to prepare: 

The Senate Agriculture Committee advanced its version of the farm bill earlier this month, but a full Senate vote is not expected until after the November elections. The House passed its version in April, leaving negotiators to work toward a compromise before a final bill can reach the president’s desk.

A University of Wisconsin psychologist says reading struggles are a national problem, and Minnesota is seeing it, too. Dr. Mark Seidenberg says the problem predates COVID. In 2024, Minnesota fourth-graders matched the national reading average, but the state’s score has fallen from 219 in 1998 to 214 today.

Seidenberg says screens, including parents’ screen habits, can affect literacy development, while reading and regular conversation remain important.

Minnesota’s READ Act is expanding screening and support for students who aren’t reading at grade level. More information is available from the Minnesota Department of Education’s READ Act website.

The Warroad Food Pantry is looking for two to three more friendly volunteers to lend a hand. 

The pantry needs help Thursday mornings from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., and Friday evenings from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. No special experience is needed, and volunteers can choose tasks that work for them. Opportunities include greeting guests, helping people find food, stocking shelves, packing bags, light cleaning, or moving groceries. 

The pantry says even two hours can make a difference. For more information or to volunteer, contact the Warroad Food Pantry.

Parents and caregivers of young children are invited to a free weekly play program at Ross L. Gray School this fall.

“Come and Visit… Stay to Play” begins October 6 and runs every Tuesday through December 8, from 9:30 to 11:30 in the school library. The program is open to babies and children up to age five, accompanied by a parent or caregiver.

Organizers say the event will follow the school calendar, so sessions will be canceled if the school is closed. For more information, contact Ross L. Gray School or the Healthy Child Coalition.

Gubernatorial candidates Republican Lisa Demuth, and DFLer Amy Klobuchar have said they would ask President Donald Trump to end the war in Iran. Rising fuel and grocery prices have emerged as a major issue in the governor’s race, with both candidates pointing to the conflict as a factor driving up costs for Minnesota families.

With the Trump administration now seeking another $70 billion for the conflict, Klobuchar said the war with Iran is taking a growing financial toll on American taxpayers. Speaking on the Senate floor, Klobuchar cited a Pentagon estimate of what the conflict has cost so far:

Demuth said she recognizes the financial impact of the war in Iran on Minnesotans. She said rising prices tied to the conflict are putting additional pressure on people across the state:

The cost of the conflict is likely to remain a key issue in the governor’s race as candidates debate its impact on Minnesota families and taxpayers.

September is Prostate Cancer Awareness Month. Dr. Elizabeth Heath, chair of the Oncology Department at Mayo Clinic, says prostate cancer rates have increased by 3%. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men.

Despite effective treatments, prostate cancer remains the fourth-leading cause of cancer death among men in the U.S. Heath says treatment is most effective when the disease is caught early, and she discussed when men should talk with their doctors about screening.

For more information about prostate cancer, risk factors and screening, visit the American Cancer Society at cancer.org, or talk with your health care provider about whether screening is right for you.

Greenbush Public Library is sponsoring an afternoon of Scandinavian music at LifeCare Manor on Friday, October 2, beginning at 1 p.m.

The program will feature Project Constellation, a violin and guitar duo from Grand Forks, made up of Santiago and Christina Silva. Santiago Silva was raised in Sweden and performs Scandinavian classics with his wife.

They’ll be joined by Finnish musician Steven Solkela, who is known in the Scandinavian music scene.

The event is open to the public at LifeCare Manor in Greenbush.