By Mani Souphom – R & J Broadcasting | August 12, 2025

WARROAD, Minn. — The Yellow Rose 5K and 10K races in Warroad, Minnesota, took place on Saturday, August 9, 2025. A virtual race was held for Fargo, North Dakota, on Friday, August 8, 2025.

Two hundred fifty-three participants finished this year’s Warroad race, marking the 21st year of the annual event hosted by local manufacturer Marvin Lumber and Cedar Company. Proceeds from registration for the Warroad Yellow Rose Race will be donated to the Warroad Childcare Center. In Fargo, proceeds from registration will benefit Youth Works across North Dakota.

According to Marvin’s Tour and Visitor Center team, the conception of the Yellow Rose Races can be traced back to Margaret “Peggy” Johnson, née Marvin, as early as 2002. Johnson reached out to the Road Runners Club of America to gather information on how to set up a 5K race or run, and the event was officially established in 2004 as part of Marvin’s Family Festival.

In the lead-up to the very first Yellow Rose 5K in 2004, Race Chairman Anthony Head urged the community to register, stating that if 100 people signed up, the 5K would become an annual event. The community responded enthusiastically, with over 1,500 attendees at the inaugural event, and Bill and Frank Marvin provided encouragement to participants at the water stand.

The Marvin “Family Festival” was held in 2004 to celebrate the centennial anniversary of George Marvin’s arrival in Warroad in 1904. The festival featured an all-employee picnic, games and food, the 5K race, and a fireworks display. While the festival was a one-time event, the 5K and all-employee picnic became annual traditions for the Marvin Company.

Proceeds from the very first Yellow Rose 5K were donated to the Warroad Food Shelf, with registrants receiving a commemorative T-shirt and small gifts provided by local businesses. The traditions of donating to charitable organizations and providing special souvenirs and tokens remain to this day.

Building on these strong community roots and decades of tradition, this year’s Yellow Rose races once again showcased impressive talent and spirit from runners across the region. Here are the 5K first-place results from the 2025 Warroad event by group:

Boys Age 7 and Under: Edison Harren
Boys Ages 8-12: Tanner Marcotte
Boys Ages 13-19: Tyson McKeever
Men’s Overall: Cameron Heppner

Girls Age 7 and Under: Emerson Harren
Girls Ages 8 -12: Brynn Knutson
Girls Ages 13-19: Audrey Hayden
Women’s Overall: Hannah Dumansky

The Yellow Rose Race continues to be a true family affair. This year, Cameron Heppner, grandson of Peggy Johnson, née Marvin, the race’s original visionary, took home the men’s overall title with an impressive 16:50.3 time. Meanwhile, brother and sister Emerson and Edison Harren claimed first place in the girls and boys 7-and-under divisions, respectively, showcasing the next generation of local talent. Their parents, Warroad native Gabriel Harren and his wife Katie Kalkman accompanied them throughout the race and to the finish line. With strong community ties and family legacies at its heart, the Yellow Rose Race remains a cherished tradition in Warroad and beyond.

To find the final race results, visit GSEtiming.com. We will continue to follow stories like this and bring updates from your community, here at your local homegrown radio station KQ92 at 92.5 FM and KRWB at 1410 AM and 102.9 FM.

Minnesota Department of Human Services Press Release | August 5, 2025

Minnesota – Minnesota’s Department of Human Services is taking swift and dramatic action to shut down a key housing program, and it could have serious consequences for rural Minnesotans, including those in Roseau and Lake of the Woods counties.

On Friday, July 31st, Minnesota DHS announced it is seeking federal approval to immediately terminate the Housing Stabilization Services program, which helps people on Medicaid find and keep stable housing. That includes people living with disabilities, mental illness, or those at risk of homelessness.

Temporary DHS Commissioner Shireen Gandhi said the program lacks sufficient guardrails to prevent fraud and that millions in taxpayer dollars may have been misused by providers who weren’t actually delivering care. So far, DHS has halted payments to 77 providers across the state due to credible allegations of fraud.

While the state says it plans to redesign and relaunch the benefit, this leaves many Minnesotans, particularly in smaller counties, in a tough spot. For residents in Roseau and Lake of the Woods Counties, where housing options and support services are already limited, the loss of this program could mean longer waitlists, less assistance, and increased housing instability for those who depend on these supports.

DHS says it’s notifying both providers and recipients, and will continue monitoring any services still operating during the shutdown process.

Local agencies are urging those impacted to reach out to their case managers or county human services offices to understand what options may still be available.

MINNESOTA Department of Health Press Release – Minnesota health officials are tracking an increase in tularemia (TOO-LAH-REE-MEE-UH) also known as Rabbit Fever cases across the state, including the Twin Cities metro. Tularemia is a potentially serious illness that affects both people and animals. It’s caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis, which is commonly found in wildlife—especially rabbits, squirrels, beavers, muskrats, and other rodents.

The Minnesota Department of Health, Department of Natural Resources, and Board of Animal Health say outdoor cats are especially at risk. Pets often get infected by hunting small animals or through tick and fly bites. Signs of tularemia in animals include high fever, weakness, loss of appetite, ulcers, and swollen lymph nodes.

So far in 2025, five human cases have been confirmed. Two people were infected by tick bites, one by a stray cat, and one likely through mowing over a contaminated area. A fifth case is still under investigation. Tularemia isn’t spread from person to person but can be passed from animals to humans through bites, scratches, or direct contact with infected wildlife.

To reduce the risk: Keep cats indoors and prevent them from hunting, use tick prevention for pets, apply insect repellent for yourself, avoid handling sick or dead wild animals and check for rabbit nests or animal remains before mowing the lawn.

Tularemia symptoms in people include sudden fever, swollen lymph nodes, skin ulcers, chills, and body aches—usually appearing 3 to 5 days after exposure.

If you’re bitten or scratched by a sick animal, call your doctor and the Minnesota Department of Health at 651-201-5414. For pet-related concerns, contact your vet or Dr. Steve Kivisto at 612-790-8140.

Warroad, MINN. – Road construction also continues in Warroad along Highway 11, with paving and bridge work picking up speed this week.

Traffic control transitions are underway, so motorists are asked to slow down and stay alert in work zones. Paving will be completed on the east, west, and south parts of the new roundabout. Crews are also installing turf and signage and preparing to shift traffic onto the roundabout soon. On the bridge side of the project, crews are finishing the sheeting, removing old piers and piles, and beginning work on the new foundation.

July 28 through August 1, traffic will transition onto the new roundabout, with Highway 11 open to east-west travel and Cedar Avenue re-opening to the south. However, Highway 313 will close Monday morning, cutting off north-south travel from Highway 11—drivers will need to follow the detour. The temporary bypass will be removed, and work on Highway 313 will begin. On the bridge, crews will begin constructing the west abutment and pier caps.

This is part of a long-term project by MnDOT, Roseau County, and the City of Warroad to reconstruct Highway 11 and Cedar Avenue between County Road 5 and Lake Street. Construction is scheduled through 2026, including pavement resurfacing, storm sewer replacement, landscaping, and bridge work. The bridge will remain open during the winter months, and overall improvements aim to address safety, access, and aging infrastructure.

To get updates or learn more, visit mndot.gov. For real-time travel info across Minnesota, visit 511mn.org or download the 511 app on your phone.

Roseau, MINN. – Construction continues in Roseau along Highway 11. From July 28 to August 1, traffic configuration stays the same. Work continues on sidewalks west of the bridge, and crews will begin grading and preparing the area for paving. The existing storm sewer crossings will be removed, and lighting installation will move to the west side of the bridge.

The Roseau Highway 11 project includes resurfacing the roadway, upgrading sidewalks, removing outdated signals, improving the bridge, and updating lighting and utilities. Drivers should continue using the detour via Center Street West.

Once finished, the upgrades will mean a safer road, improved intersections, better drainage, and enhanced access for pedestrians. The project is on track to wrap up in early September, weather permitting.

To get updates or learn more, visit mndot.gov. For real-time travel info across Minnesota, visit 511mn.org or download the 511 app on your phone.

By Mani Souphom – R & J Broadcasting | July 18, 2025

ROSEAU, Minn. – The Minnesota Canola Council hosted a field day on Magnusson Farms in Roseau on Wednesday July 16, 2025. We talked to University of Minnesota agronomist and farm manager at Magnusson Farms, Don Vellekson, to talk about some of the advantages of growing canola in Roseau County, and farming practices that helped farmers achieve and sustain high yields compared to other counties. Roseau County is part of Minnesota’s top-producing region for canola, with state averages around 2500 lbs per acre:

Minnesota is one of only two states increasing planted canola acreage this season, and we asked Vellekson how that trend manifested in Roseau County, as well as what may have motivated that decision this year:

Vellekson informed us that one of the more interesting trials being conducted by the Minnesota Canola Council had been one done on flea beatles:

More information can be found on the Minnesota Canola Council’s website MNCANOLA.ORG – This has been KQ92 and KRWB reporting live from your communities.

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Press Release | July 15, 2025

Roseau, MINN. – The 27-mile Wildlife Drive within the Roseau River Wildlife Management Area will not open as planned this July. The opening has been canceled due to the discovery of damages to a key dike on the route. The Wildlife Drive is closed to vehicles, but bicycle and foot traffic is welcome and encouraged.

The self-guided Wildlife Drive traverses wetland, woodland, brushland, grassland and farmland habitats, providing visitors ample opportunity for wildlife viewing at the Roseau River WMA, located 20 miles northwest of Roseau.

Updates about reopening the Wildlife Drive will be available on the Roseau River WMA webpage, emailing roseauriver.wildlife@state.mn.us, calling 218-452-7610, or stopping by the Roseau River WMA office at 27952 400th St., Roseau, MN 56751. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.