Grygla Public Schools has filed an election notice for three board seats in northern Minnesota’s Independent School District 447. The filing period runs July 14th through July 28th at 5 p.m., with the general election set for November 3rd. 

Candidates must be at least 21, district residents for 30 days, and pay a two-dollar filing fee. Winners will serve four-year terms. Affidavits of Candidacy are available from the School District Clerk at 114 Fiddland Avenue in Grygla.

Six months after launch, Minnesota’s Paid Leave program has approved benefits for 75,000 residents, paying out nearly 600 million dollars. The program, signed into law by Governor Walz in 2023, provides paid time off and job protection for workers bonding with a child, addressing their own health needs, or caring for family members. 

DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek says the program is operating smoothly and delivering on its promise. The average weekly benefit is one thousand eighty-three dollars. Officials say participants are broadly representative of the state’s workforce. More information is available at the Minnesota Paid Leave website.

By Mani Souphom – R & J Broadcasting, Inc. | Tuesday, July 7, 2026

ROSEAU, Minn. — A quarter-century vision is finally becoming a reality as construction on the new Roseau River pedestrian bridge enters its final week, with city officials announcing a July 8 ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the project’s completion.

The highly anticipated $1.6 million project, which is 99% complete according to Monday’s City Council meeting, establishes a critical walking and cycling link for the north side of the city, transforming local recreation and daily commuting. The ceremony is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. this Wednesday, with Community Development Coordinator Todd Peterson describing it as a “special event” requiring special notice.

Though not yet officially open, the bridge has already seen some unauthorized use. “Golf carts are already going over pedestrian bridge,” Peterson noted, while reminding residents that the structure is intended as a “non-motorized vehicle bridge.”

The roots of this project trace back to a 1999 State Transportation planning study, where community stakeholders identified an urgent need for a dedicated, non-motorized trail network. Decades ago, a pedestrian bridge crossed the Roseau Dam at this exact location, but it was low, disrupted river flow, and suffered frequent flood damage. The city spent the next 25 years building permanent flood protections to ensure a new bridge structure could be safely constructed at this location.

Funding for the $1.6 million structure was successfully secured through four separate State and Federal grants following the city’s initial application in 2020. Due to funding constraints, the city split the project into two distinct phases.

The upcoming July opening marks the completion of Phase One, which delivers the main bridge structure alongside new non-motorized trail connections to Main Avenue North and 3rd Avenue Northeast. Phase Two, scheduled for completion within the next two to three years, will extend the path directly to 4th Avenue Northeast and the Roseau Community School Campus. This final phase will also introduce specialized trail lighting to ensure maximum safety for evening commuters, students, and families.

Minnesota is moving forward with a new initiative to provide behavioral health services to people before they’re released from jail or prison. Pending federal approval, eligible inmates at eight pilot sites, including the Red Lake Detention Center in northwest Minnesota, could receive Medicaid-covered mental health, substance use, and chronic health care services during the 60 days before release beginning in 2028. 

State officials say the program aims to reduce overdose deaths, improve public safety, and help people successfully transition back into their communities. Minnesota plans to expand the program statewide after evaluating the pilot.

The Warroad Fourth of July Celebration is still looking for volunteers ahead of this week’s festivities. Organizers say 38 volunteer shifts remain open for July 3rd and 4th. Students needing community service hours, local groups, businesses, and individual volunteers are all encouraged to sign up. 

Opportunities include staffing the information booth and monitoring inflatables at The Point, with a variety of shifts available. Some volunteer positions may also include paid opportunities, with details listed on the registration form. For more information or to sign up, visit the This is Warroad Facebook page.

Parents and students planning to participate in Roseau High School fall activities are invited to an informational meeting next month. The Roseau Activities Fall Meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 10th at 5:30 p.m. in the Roseau High School Theatre. Organizers say everyone will meet together before breaking out into meetings with individual fall activity coaches.

The meeting is open to parents and students interested in any fall activity. School officials also remind families that Minnesota State High School League fall activities are scheduled to begin Monday, August 17th. Contact the Roseau High School Activities Office for additional information.

Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig is promoting a proposal she says would strengthen Social Security while putting more money back into seniors’ pockets. Craig says she’s spent the past three years developing the plan, which would eliminate federal taxes on Social Security benefits and require higher-income earners to pay more into the system. She says the goal is to help seniors struggling with everyday costs.

Craig says the proposal would also improve the program’s long-term finances.

Craig says the plan would extend the Social Security trust fund by 34 years while generating additional federal revenue over the next 75 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. More information on Craig’s “You Earned It, You Keep It Act” is available on her congressional website, and general Social Security information can be found at SSA dot gov.

As many Minnesotans prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks, doctors are urging families to put safety first. The Minnesota Medical Association says thousands of fireworks-related injuries happen every year, with adults making up a large share of those treated in emergency rooms.

Doctors say the safest option is to leave fireworks to the professionals. They also remind people that backyard fireworks can have unintended impacts on others, including military veterans living with PTSD.

The association says loud fireworks can also frighten pets and encourages people to attend community displays instead. More Fourth of July safety tips are available from the Minnesota Medical Association and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.