The Daily Agenda: MN Good

mn good | National Award for Patriotic Lesson

The Daily Agenda — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 18:31:27 GMT

Is your name Ryan? If so, you have an appointment at the Mall of America in July. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4vgbXDI

It wasn’t your imagination – those were bananas running through the streets of Duluth last weekend. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4x3Keb9

Minnesota is known for lakes – Minnesota Monthly makes the case for riverside destinations. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4x5HFFv

Subscribe now

Share the love of MNGood and encourage others to sign up.

Have a great week.

Blois

GRAND OLD DAY: Flint Hills Resources is thrilled to be this year’s sponsor of the Grand Old Day parade. Flint Hills employees, families and friends will be showing their Saint Paul pride as they hand out giveaways alongside one of the Pine Bend refinery’s fire trucks. New this year, Flint Hills Resources engineers will demonstrate how science is really fun (and tasty) at the Future Innovators Zone. Kids can learn how to make their very own ice cream at home. Be sure to stop by on June 7! LEARN MORE: Grand Old Day (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

SO MUCH GOOD

THIS WEEK: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “‘Beyond Walls,’ a massive public art project that has wowed visitors to the Eiffel Tower and Pyramids of Giza, lands in Minneapolis this week.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uJDC08

COURAGE: Via AP and MPR, VERBATIM: “The residents of the Twin Cities were honored Sunday with a John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award, for demonstrating ‘compassion and unwavering commitment to the ideals that sustain our democracy’ during the federal immigration enforcement surge. Kennedy’s only surviving child, Caroline Kennedy, presented the award to four Twin Cities community members at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library overlooking Boston Harbor.” READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4olw1CF

INDEPENDENCE: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Walk into Megan Thompson’s AP government class at Osseo High School and you will hear students passionately debating Supreme Court cases. It is exactly that kind of civic energy Thompson hoped to spark when teaching about the Declaration of Independence . . . Thompson submitted a proposal on how to bring the document to life as part of the Teaching America250 Award, a national competition. A $5,000 prize was at stake with one winner chosen from each state.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4efx03E

SAUK CENTRE: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “The Sauk Centre community is raising money to keep a Mexican restaurant in business after a fire left its fate uncertain. Earlier this month, the building housing El Mezcal restaurant in downtown Sauk Centre caught fire, damaging multiple businesses and residential units.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uac2I6

PINE CITY: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “On Thursday evening, residents gathered for a dedication ceremony for a historic marker issued to the town honoring a 2005 gathering in Voyageur Park. According to Don Quaintance, one of the founders of the East Central Men’s Circle, that first Pride was a picnic the group hosted on June 19, 2005. Over 70 people came and hamburgers and hot dogs were grilling, served by co-founder Randy Olson, and there were many, many desserts — including bars, their favorites.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4xiaSxc

DULUTH: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “On Sunday at Leif Erikson Park, hundreds of girls crossed the finish line on more than a 5K—this run marks the end of an eight-week Girls on the Run season focused on confidence, connection, and character. Ahead of the run Sunday morning, the energy was loud, the shoelaces were tight—and for these girls, the finish line was just part of the story.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/49AMoVB

MORE: Via KQDS-TV, VERBATIM: “Girls on the Run is a non-profit that helps girls between ages 8 and 13 build up their confidence and retain lasting friendships. This was the second Girls on the Run 5K in Duluth. 129 girls from 7 area schools took off down the Lakewalk from Leif Erikson Park with a support buddy. For one young runner, this wasn’t her first 5K. But it was her first time she ran with encouragement to truly be herself and not give up.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4dXRbBM

LUNCHES: Via WDIO-TV, VERBATIM: “Volunteers are needed to ensure United Way of Northeastern Minnesota (UWNEMN)’s free summer lunch program, Meet Up and Chow Down, can once again provide free summer lunches to all children ages starting on Monday. Meet Up and Chow Down lunches will be prepared by local schools, grocery stores, and restaurants.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4o74Dbh

MINNEAPOLIS: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “The City of Minneapolis has renamed a portion of Blaisdell Avenue to honor slain Officer Jamal Mitchell, who was ambushed and fatally shot in the line of duty two years ago. On Saturday, the city unveiled the renamed section of Blaisdell Avenue between West Franklin Avenue and West 22nd Street, which is now designated as ‘Jamal Mitchell Way.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vleYmj

ART: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “A local nonprofit is working to keep creativity accessible to teens when school is out for the summer. The Duluth Art Institute hosts a pay-what-you-can open studio exclusively for teens twice a week at their Lincoln Park location.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4uGsbpT

BRAINERD: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “On May 18, the Brainerd Lakes Area Women of Today recently hosted a local fundraiser at Dunmire’s Bar and Grill to support a new inclusive, accessible playground being built at Riverside Elementary School.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4vhBhcr

FLAG FOOTBALL: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “Kids from first to eighth grade took the field for the YMCA of the North’s Vikings flag football tournament, which focused on giving everyone a chance to play. Sunday morning saw nearly 3,000 children at TCO Stadium to compete for flag football championships in the all-city tournament.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3PQNEgK

100 YEARS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Nearly 200 people, most with Jewish ancestry, packed a north Minneapolis Pentecostal church on Sunday afternoon. The building, 100 years old this year, has significance to both Jewish and Black history in the area.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4o8QgU0

SPECIAL OLYMPICS: Via Huntington Bank, VERBATIM: “The Huntington National Bank, a top 10 commercial bank in the U.S., today announced its support of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, underscoring the bank’s commitment to supporting athletes and the communities that rally around them.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4g15zvA

Copyright © 2026 Fluence Media, All rights reserved.
You are receving this email because you opted in at our website.

Our mailing address is:

Fluence Media

PO Box 270031

Golden Valley, MN 55427

mn good | Courage Award for the Twin Cities

The Daily Agenda — Fri, 29 May 2026 18:31:11 GMT

What was it like to fight this month’s wildfire along the North Shore? An EMT’s photographs help tell the story. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4uwq7Rc

An Eden Prairie DJ is among 26 wedding-related businesses receiving assistance to grow from The Knot. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4dyidAQ

Subscribe now

Share the love of MNGood and encourage others to sign up.

Have a great weekend.

Blois

FLINT HILLS FAMILY FESTIVAL: Kick off the summer in downtown Saint Paul with the Flint Hills Family Festival May 29-30, one of the largest and longest-standing events of its kind. The Festival offers free fun for people of all ages in Rice Park and Landmark Plaza, with performances and activities that provide something for everyone, along with world-class shows inside the Ordway for just $8! Now in its 26th year, this year’s Festival lineup includes Cirque Mechanics: TILT!, NOOMA: an opera for babies, and Click Clack Moo! More than one million people have experienced the Festival, including hundreds of thousands of students who have visited on field trips during the Festival’s School Days. Join us this year! LEARN MORE: Flint Hills Family Festival (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

WEEKEND LOADING…

TODAY: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Wakaŋ Tipi Awaŋyaŋkapi, a nonprofit that oversees two Dakota sacred sites, celebrates the grand opening of a new building on Friday in St. Paul. The recently constructed Wakaŋ Tipi Center is located along the Mississippi River at Wakaŋ Tipi, a 27-acre sacred site formerly known as Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary, and will serve as an intergenerational gathering place honoring Dakota sacred sites.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4efInHR

NEXT MONTH: Grand Old Day returns Sunday, June 7^th. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4u7qdxN

NEXT MONTH: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Families can dance, explore and celebrate music together when Rock the Cradle returns to Minneapolis on June 14. Presented by The Current, the annual free event for kids (and their grownups) takes over the Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) and Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) with a full day of live music, hands-on activities and performances geared toward children.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dLeBdt

COURAGE: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Former presidents, politicians, civil rights leaders and other Americans who’ve made courageous decisions without regard for consequences have all won the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award. This year, the prestigious public service award will go collectively to the people of the Twin Cities ‘for risking their lives to protect their neighbors and immigrant community members’ as federal immigration agents flooded the region earlier this year.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4u3VCkC

TWINS: Via Twins, VERBATIM: “Continuing to deliver upon an organization-wide commitment to build a better tomorrow, from the Twin Cities to the Dominican Republic and beyond, the Minnesota Twins and the club’s six minor league affiliates today announced plans for the fifth annual ‘Minnesota Twins Week of Service.’ This year’s activities span a two-week timeframe, from May 27-June 9. During the Week of Service, coaches, clubhouse personnel and front office staff from the Twins and each of Minnesota’s minor league affiliates – including the organization’s Florida Complex and Dominican Republic Baseball Academy – will volunteer in their respective local communities with partners of their choosing; the Twins will also make a donation to a nonprofit of each affiliate’s choice.”

PRINCIPAL: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “As the school year winds down, one local educator is getting some well-deserved recognition. During a recent school pep rally, the staff at Maple Grove Senior High surprised their longtime leader, Principal Bart Becker, by announcing he has been named Principal of the Year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dRPyWs

SCULPTURES: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “At Como Park Zoo and Conservatory, a new art exhibition is on display now through Labor Day. The traveling exhibition Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea calls attention to overconsumption and ocean pollution impacting coastal and marine animals.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4u6I0VI

BOOK AWARD: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “People serving time in Minnesota prisons are helping choose this year’s Inside Literary Prize, a national book award determined by a jury of entirely incarcerated readers. The prize was first awarded in 2024 and was co-created by Freedom Reads, which aims to get more books in prisons.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/434fNDW

CAMP JIM: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Camp JIM, a Christian-based summer camp in Pillager, hosted its annual community day on May 17 to kick off the organization’s 94th season.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4wV0wCX

PLANT SALE: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “All the colors of springtime can be found at the Osseo Education Center plant sale — thanks to a special education program gardening class. The plants are all grown by students. The effort started a few years ago when an administrator suggested adding a greenhouse to one of the school properties. Teacher Russ Wilkinson thought OEC, a transitional school for students in need of special education, would be a great place to have it.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43C8IKY

GRANTS: Via Minneapolis-based Graco, VERBATIM: “In celebration of Graco’s 100th anniversary, the Graco Foundation announced a $1 million Centennial Impact Initiative to support 10 Minnesota nonprofit organizations advancing self-sufficiency, stability and workforce development, including technical training and career pathways aligned with Minnesota’s manufacturing and industrial workforce needs. Through the initiative, each nonprofit partner will receive a $100,000 grant to commemorate Graco’s centennial anniversary.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/433skaQ

HOUSING: Via ASI, VERBATIM: “Glenwood, MN-based distributor ASB (asi/120075) is giving back to the local community. At its annual Accelerate event, the Counselor Top 40 distributor raised $10,000 for Star of the North, a Minnesota nonprofit organization that provides transitional housing to pregnant women and mothers experiencing housing instability.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43B62gC

Copyright © 2026 Fluence Media, All rights reserved.
You are receving this email because you opted in at our website.

Our mailing address is:

Fluence Media

PO Box 270031

Golden Valley, MN 55427

mn good | Monsters Take Over Museum

The Daily Agenda — Tue, 26 May 2026 18:36:09 GMT

Minneapolis’ A Bar of Their Own is the best local sports bar in the country according to USA Today readers. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4x7ReUD

For WNBA veteran Nia Coffey, joining the Lynx also meant coming home. MSR: https://fluence-media.co/4dS7bWa

Subscribe now

Share the love of MNGood and encourage others to sign up.

Have a great week.

Blois

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

LOOKING BACK AND AHEAD

THIS SUMMER: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “This summer, friendly monsters are checking into the Minnesota Children’s Museum—and families are invited to join the fun. The museum’s all-new special exhibit, ‘Monsters on Vacation,’ opens this weekend on May 23, marking its world debut. Designed and developed by the museum, the hands-on experience blends imaginative play with opportunities for kids to build social-emotional skills.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49pjQhM

MEMORIAL DAY: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Thousands made their way to Ft. Snelling National Cemetery on Monday for Memorial Day, although some parts of the hallowed ground near MSP airport have more visitors. Jeannie Adams of West Lakeland had to make a long trek to the opposite side the cemetery, where her grandparents are interred.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4u1OWnd

MORE: Via Lakeland PBS, gatherings in Bemidji, WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3RuMacu and Brainerd, WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4dJ3eTp

MOOSE LAKE: Via KQDS-TV, VERBATIM: “A piece of history is getting a new life in Moose Lake in honor of Memorial Day. For the first time since 1920, a special flag is flying to honor those who have served. It’s located at the brand-new Veterans Memorial Park in the Moose Lake City Park.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/42XJs1y

REMEMBRANCE: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “People in Minneapolis took part in the Day of Remembrance to honor George Floyd on Friday, nearly six years after his death. ‘As elder Spike Moss said to me, one of our honorees, we were talking and he said, ‘Leslie, you’re not just doing a program, you are doing a mission,’’ said Leslie Redmond. Redmond, the founder of Win Back, says her nonprofit’s mission isn’t just to make sure people remember — it’s to drive accountability, healing and change.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/43sNeA6

RONDO: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “If you are between 16 and 24 years old and have a connection to the Rondo neighborhood, ReConnect Rondo wants you in the room. The ReConnect Rondo Youth Council is now accepting applications for its Youth Ambassador Initiative, a six-month paid cohort for young people who want to become organizers, storytellers, and ambassadors for Rondo’s future.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fab4b5

CHAMPLIN PARK: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Champlin Park High School recently hosted a first-of-its-kind event aimed at uniting an entire school district through sports and inclusion. Rebel Stadium came alive for its first-ever Unified Track and Field Day, drawing nearly 300 athletes and volunteers. The event brought together students with and without intellectual disabilities from across the Anoka-Hennepin District’s five high schools to compete side-by-side in various games.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3RsgAw0

SMALL BIZ: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Running a business in the Twin Cities is no walk in the park. ‘It’s hard to be a business owner. I mean it is really difficult,’ said Paul Edlund, owner of J. Benson Construction. Edlund is one of four business owners named a 2026 Entrepreneur Awardee from the Metropolitan Economic Development Association (MEDA), during its recent annual meeting.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3PHk3WY

TUJ LUB: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “A unique sport, thousands of years old, is played in areas across the United States, including in Minnesota. Tuj lub, pronounced ‘tuh-LOO,’ has strong ties to Hmong heritage. Now, players want to share the sport with more Minnesotans.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42SjSuZ

ST PAUL: Via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “This week’s grand opening of Wakaŋ Típi Center in St. Paul has been two decades in the making. Plans for a visitor center at the 27-acre Wakaŋ Típi nature sanctuary just east of Lowertown were first hatched when it opened to the public in 2005, reclaimed from the railroads by the community and rehabilitated after decades of abuse as an informal garbage dump.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wSRiqZ

DYLAN: Via WDIO-TV, VERBATIM: “On Sunday, the ‘Bob Dylan Porch Birthday Party’ brought fellow Duluthians and supporters alike to Dylan’s childhood home for a celebration.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vgFnlj

RED CROSS: Via KOTA-TV, VERBATIM: “The American Red Cross Minnesota and Dakota Region has appointed Richard Felix as the new executive director for Central and Western South Dakota. Felix brings more than 10 years of leadership experience across the military, nonprofit, and public safety sectors.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4v7HM1t

FOOD DRIVE: Via WDIO-TV, VERBATIM: “Summer means food insecurity for more kids, since they’re not in school. That’s why the Duluth Superior Transportation Association is proud to host their Fill-a-Truck Food and Fund Drive this time of year. You can support at your local Super One Food stores.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4f5ipJ3

Copyright © 2026 Fluence Media, All rights reserved.
You are receving this email because you opted in at our website.

Our mailing address is:

Fluence Media

PO Box 270031

Golden Valley, MN 55427

mn good | Book Club's Half Century of Good Deeds

The Daily Agenda — Fri, 22 May 2026 18:31:16 GMT

A new video game lets players explore St. Paul’s Rondo neighborhood before I-94 was paved through it – and experience what makes it so vibrant today. READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PeHUgA

Subscribe now

Share the love of MNGood and encourage others to sign up.

Have a great weekend.

Blois

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

LONG WEEKEND LOADING…

THIS SUMMER: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Teens are getting a little something extra from the YMCA this summer. Through its Get Summer program, the YMCA of the North is offering free memberships to teens entering grades 9 through 12.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dXwZB8

BOOK CLUB: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Since 1977, a group of 14 Edina women (plus two honorary out-of-state members) has been meeting every few weeks for discussions—and friendship—over novels, nonfiction, and everything in between. ‘We really felt encouraged to do something else for the community,’ says Sandy Hey, who joined the book club in 1978. They started collecting donations for Minneapolis Public Schools, things like backpacks and mittens for kids in need. Their reach grew; they raised donations for St. Joseph’s Home for Children and funds for various organizations that served kids in the Twin Cities.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nKXLjx

VETERANS: Via Detroit Lakes Tribune, VERBATIM: “The Brady Oberg Legacy Foundation made a full-day trek from Moorhead to Detroit Lakes on Thursday, May 21. It’s called ‘rucking,’ symbolizing the heavy emotions veterans face when they return home from service.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fAo7Td

ARTIVIST: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “Esther Callahan is a Minneapolis-based community cultural curator and ‘artivist.’ Art therapy helped her heal and find her purpose. Today, she consults for BIPOC and Black-led organizations and co-founded BLK Collectors—an initiative launched to help the Black diaspora buy, invest in, and celebrate Black art without the systemic rush of traditional art spaces.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dyl3EI

RESIDENCY: Via Boreal.org, VERBATIM: “Grand Portage National Monument in partnership with the Grand Marais Art Colony and the National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation, is pleased to announce the launch of its inaugural Artist-in-Residence program. This new initiative invites artists to pursue their creative work while immersed in the monument’s striking natural setting, extensive collections, and the rich cultural history of Gichi Onigaming (Grand Portage).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49fHn4I

TREES: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “The City of Bemidji has been awarded the 2026 DNR ReLeaf grant, which will fund a citywide tree inventory, stump removal, and the planting of up to 186 trees this year. Students from Saint Philips Catholic School got to plant the first tree at Library Park as a part of that grant.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4dnNoyJ

MEDIA: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “Sahan Journal’s past and present came together on Tuesday, May 19, at an awards ceremony in New York as Editorial Director Chao Xiong accepted the Columbia Journalism Award with founder Mukhtar Ibrahim and current Executive Director Vanan Murugesan in the audience.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PU2S4w

RETIRING: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Jane E. Kirtley is retiring May 25 as the Silha Professor of Media Ethics and Law at the University of Minnesota’s Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Her name should be familiar to anyone interested in media law. For decades, she’s been the go-to expert on First Amendment and freedom of information issues, interviewed by legacy media in the U.S. and abroad.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49bsznM

VOLUNTEERS: Via Lakeville-based Post, VERBATIM: “In honor of National Volunteer Month in April, Post Consumer Brands employees across the company’s 24 locations in the United States and Canada joined forces for its annual ‘Ingredients for Good’ volunteer initiative. This volunteer effort marks the fifth year of the employee-led initiative and a major milestone for Post Consumer Brands, which has now invested $1.2 million in food donations to local organizations across the communities it serves.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PeIvyQ

HEALTH CARE: Via Minnesota Hospital Association, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) recognized 60 hospital and health system teams and individuals from across the state this week for their work to strengthen patient care, communicate with patients and their communities, and support Minnesota’s health care workforce.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fypd1R

NEXTGEN: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “On the morning of May 5, a regular school day, nearly 1,000 Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota elementary school students gathered at the home of the St. Paul Saints, for an end-of-year recognition that included a parade on the outfield warning track. Almost a quarter of the fourth and fifth graders in attendance were children of color. All the grade schoolers participated in the Playworks Minnesota Youth Leadership Program, which serves more than 25,000 students.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4upPV1g

FLAG BOX: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Kian is a sophomore at Brainerd High School and has been with the Scouts since 2021. He originally made the flag box for the Brainerd Elks, and then Mayor Badeaux decided city hall could use one too.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4tJsSgJ

DONATIONS: Via KNSI-Radio, VERBATIM: “Two St. Cloud-area nonprofits are getting a financial boost after community members rallied behind them in Old National Bank’s annual Choose Your Charity campaign. The Central Minnesota Sexual Assault Center in St. Cloud and WACOSA in Waite Park each received $2,500 grants as winners in their communities. They were among 97 nonprofits across Minnesota, North Dakota and Western Wisconsin selected through the two-week voting drive, which drew more than 107,000 votes and distributed over $265,000 in total.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tPZLbE

GRANTS: Via Timberwolves & Lynx, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Fastbreak Foundation, the non-profit arm of the Timberwolves and Lynx, today announced two additional community response grants as part of the organization’s ongoing commitment to addressing urgent needs across the Twin Cities. These grants will be awarded to the Salt Cure Restaurant Recovery Fund and the Economic Response Fund. Each organization will receive $25,000 to distribute aid to the areas of our communities facing the greatest need.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49agxek

REPORT: Via Medina-based Polaris, VERBATIM: “Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII) today released its 2025 Geared For Good Report. The annual report highlights Polaris’ ongoing efforts to support its people, riders, communities and the outdoors while advancing toward its 2035 environmental goals.” NEWS RELEASE: https://fluence-media.co/4dEKrZk REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/4dXEGHx

Copyright © 2026 Fluence Media, All rights reserved.
You are receving this email because you opted in at our website.

Our mailing address is:

Fluence Media

PO Box 270031

Golden Valley, MN 55427

mn good | 1,000 Service Dogs & Counting

The Daily Agenda — Tue, 19 May 2026 18:31:18 GMT

In Duluth over the weekend: a smelt parade. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3RwCHkK

In Albert Lea on Saturday, it was all about patriotism. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4duyqWn

Subscribe now

Share the love of MNGood and encourage others to sign up.

Have a great week.

Blois

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

GOOD BY THE NUMBERS

TODAY: From Mercado Central via Facebook, VERBATIM: “Join us for a cash mob to gather as a community and support 35 small businesses in Mercado Central (1515 E Lake St) that need us. // Ven y apoya a tu negocio favorito en estos tiempos difíciles!” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/49bs8tt

THIS MONTH: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “Girls on the Run is a nonprofit working to create a world where every girl knows and activates her limitless potential. The group is gearing up for a celebratory 5K run this month that goes beyond just learning how to run.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dSqNub

1,000 DOGS: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “The New Hope nonprofit Can Do Canines is celebrating 1,000 assistance dog teams since it started its mission in 1989. The nonprofit raises and trains dogs to help people with a range of needs. It started with training hearing assist dogs, but has since expanded to assist people with mobility, diabetes, seizure and autism. Training assistance dogs can cost tens of thousands of dollars, but are provided to clients free of charge thanks to donors.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3RhrdSa

26.2 MILES: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “While the St. Paul Saints faced off against Columbus on Sunday, Seigo Masubuchi was running a marathon on the concourse inside CHS Field . . . This marathon was Masubuchi’s third inside CHS Field. Last year, he raised money for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. This year, he supported Special Olympics Minnesota.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4dPT7NQ

2,000 MILES: Via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “It’s doubtful that anyone has ever thought they should pedal a two-seat, four-wheel bicycle from St. Cloud, Minnesota, to a small burg near Des Moines, Iowa, known as Atlantic. And if they had, they certainly would not take the convoluted route that Nahla Summers is following by her own design. On a map, she is spelling out the word ‘kindness’ by pedaling a 2,000-mile route on bike trails and country roads between the two points. The 46-year-old woman from Teesside in northeast England began this latest challenge on May 1, with the goal of completing it in mid-July.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nABhBV

FIRE: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “As crews continue battling the Stewart Trail Fire, neighbors are coming together to help those displaced by the flames. Rustic Inn Cafe on Highway 61 is collecting donations and offering free meals to emergency response crews and families displaced by the fire. The restaurant sits next to where the highway has been closed to detour vehicles around the fire. Two Rustic Inn employees, Louann Johnson and her son Gavyn, lost their home to the flames on Friday.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3RgpTip

DISASTER PREP: Via Doosan Bobcat, VERBATIM: “Bobcat Company, a global equipment and worksite solutions brand, is expanding its partnership with The Salvation Army to further support disaster preparedness and relief efforts. Through this expanded commitment, Bobcat has donated an additional $465,000 in equipment—bringing total donations to more than $1.35 million since 2024 . . . Its latest donation, which includes portable generators and light towers, will support six Salvation Army locations across the United States—Alaska, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri and New York—strengthening the organization’s fleet across multiple territories.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RhNgYY

ART: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “Kprecia Ambers is a digital illustrator and commercial artist dedicated to creating relatable art for Black homeowners. Her work, characterized by faceless figures and symbolic nature, aims to provide identity and affirmation. From her studio at Rondo Exchange to major collaborations with Target, Ambers continues to expand her mission of global upliftment through home decor and stationery.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dwc46Z

CAMERAS: Via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Washington County resident Carl Wegener learned this spring that nearly 90 camera bags will fit into his Whirlpool Duet front-loader washing machine . . . The camera bags — and accompanying digital cameras — will be given to 150 students participating in nonprofit Urban Ventures programs this summer in Minneapolis. Another 20 cameras and bags will be given to students signed up for Wegener’s ‘Beginning Photography for Kids, Ages 9-14’ classes this summer at the Marine Mills Folk School in Marine on St. Croix.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uUpHnt

CEDAR-RIVERSIDE: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “A donation-based cafe inspired by the chaikhanas, or tea houses, of Afghanistan. A menu inspired by the cultures along the Silk Road. A seating space surrounded by a climbing cave. A brand new playground and outdoor seating space. Against all odds, the Afghan Cultural Society (ACS) is expanding its space in the heart of Cedar-Riverside, and giving it a facelift by the end of this fall.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ulMBEk

NEXTGEN: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “While many academic programs focus on students already at the top of their class, a local initiative is intentionally taking a different approach — targeting young men with a 2.0 GPA or lower to ensure they aren’t left behind. The nonprofit Improve Your Tomorrow recently hosted a Brotherhood Summit at North Hennepin Community College in Brooklyn Park. The event brought together more than 200 students from six local schools, offering them a unique opportunity to connect with mentors and prepare for life after graduation.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4tMQUaX

FOSSTON: Via Grand Forks Herald, VERBATIM: “A nonprofit in Fosston, Minnesota, is asking for the community’s help after a federal policy change is forcing it to partially repay funding. The Firefly Center for Art and Wellbeing offers mental health and wellness services, along with art classes and a variety of other community events for more than 54,000 people. Firefly can no longer use a portion of their funding as intended and now has to pay some of that money back despite having a signed contract in place. Their director says they hope to raise more than $230,000 to help keep the organization afloat.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dxSozw

AWARD: Via Minneapolis-based Ameriprise, VERBATIM “Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE: AMP) has been named a recipient of the 2026 Gold Halo Award for Best Direct Service Initiative by Engage for Good, recognizing the firm’s philanthropic partnership with Angel Foundation, a Minnesota-based nonprofit that provides relief to adults with cancer and their loved ones. The Halo Awards honor the most innovative and effective initiatives between companies and nonprofits that deliver measurable social impact. Ameriprise was recognized for its support of Angel Foundation’s Financial Care Program, which provides personalized financial education, planning and guidance designed to help individuals and families reduce the financial stress and uncertainty that often accompany cancer diagnosis.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/496R5Gt

PEACE: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Kenny Jary, the 84-year-old Navy veteran and social media personality known as ‘Patriotic Kenny,’ has died, according to an announcement posted to his social media accounts. Jary had built a combined following of more than 4 million people across Instagram and TikTok, where he was known for sharing positive messages and riding his electric scooter.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4dSy79b

Copyright © 2026 Fluence Media, All rights reserved.
You are receving this email because you opted in at our website.

Our mailing address is:

Fluence Media

PO Box 270031

Golden Valley, MN 55427

mn good | $4 Million for Mankato Museum

The Daily Agenda — Fri, 15 May 2026 18:31:19 GMT

An eagle-eyed St. Louis County worker helped rescue 11 ducklings that had fallen through a sewer grate. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4darjDF

KEYC-TV introduces us to the organist who knows when to play, and more importantly, when not to play for the fans at Twins games. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4uejkvq

We call on our state leaders to pass an infrastructure jobs bill with $100 million to replace lead drinking water pipes. Sponsored by LIUNA Minnesota and North Dakota. FIXMN.org (SPONSORED: LIUNA MN + ND)

Subscribe now

Share the love of MNGood and encourage others to sign up.

Have a great weekend.

Blois

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

GOOD ON THE HORIZON

NEXT MONTH: Via Special Olympics, VERBATIM: “Demi Lovato and Jon Batiste will perform during the Opening Ceremony of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games on June 20 at Huntington Bank Stadium, kicking off a weeklong competition that will bring nearly 3,000 athletes from all 50 states to Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PoXNAQ

THIS SUMMER: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “The Operation Sandwich program is set to return to the Brainerd Lakes Area this summer. Run through the non-profit organization Bridges of Hope, Operation Sandwich is a grassroots program with the goal of providing consistent food security for kids when school is not in session.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3Pnitcs

BABY SUPPLIES: Via Maple Grove-based TopLine, VERBATIM: “TopLine Financial Credit Union, a Twin Cities-based member-owned financial services cooperative, held their fifth annual Diaper and Wipe Drive during the month of April benefiting four local non-profits, Avenues for Youth, Hope 4 Youth, Karen Organization of Minnesota and YMCA of the North Youth and Family Services. TopLine members and employees generously donated diapers, wipes, and other baby care items to help bring comfort to families in need in our local communities.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/438gtbj

VIOLINS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “On a May evening in St. Paul, Israeli violinmaker Avshi Weinstein poses a question to the Jewish Community Center Symphony Orchestra before they begin rehearsal. ‘Do you have any idea how many labor camps, ghettos, concentration camps were in Europe during the war?’ Weinstein asked . . . Weinstein is in Minnesota for Violins of Hope, an internationally touring collection of 70 violins that survived the Holocaust. Weinstein also calls it a residency because, for two months, there will also be more than 50 events featuring the violins — exhibitions, lectures, special Shabbat services and concerts spanning the state and even reaching to Sioux Falls, S.D.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3R0TkVI

SIGN LANGUAGE: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “In a brightly painted classroom in Saint Paul last month, 17 adults gathered around long tables, signing with their hands, looking at illustrations of family trees on a screen overhead, watching their instructor closely and then practicing with each other. They were learning American Sign Language, how to share their name signs with each other, and the titles of their family members, signing for nieces and nephews . . . Many were born in the U.S. but grew up without ASL at home, while more than half are immigrants — some newcomers, and some who’ve lived here with their families for years.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eIO0Qw

CHIPS: Via KNSI-Radio, VERBATIM: “The Tri-County Humane Society has scheduled a series of low-cost microchip clinics around the area through September to help make sure little fur babies are able to find their way home.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RorUsQ

DONATION: Via KEYC-TV, VERBATIM: “The Children’s Museum of Southern Minnesota has received the largest donation in its history — a $4 million commitment that will help fund a major expansion of the beloved community institution. The gift was made by Mankato-area donor Heidi Boyum through a donor-advised fund at the Mankato Area Foundation. Museum officials say the contribution marks a transformational milestone in the organization’s mission to ignite the natural curiosity of every child through the power of play.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4uh0WlE

ROCHESTER: Via Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “A county land transfer is expected to open doors for up to 12 homeless veterans. The proposed transfer sits on the southeast corner of Fourth Avenue Southeast and Fifth Street and neighbors two privately owned lots available for purchase. ‘We were already looking at land in Rochester, when fate brought us together to look at these units,’ Jon Lovald, chief operations officer of the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans, told the Olmsted County Housing and Redevelopment Authority on Thursday.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nwIjYl

EXPO: Via The Bemidji Pioneer, VERBATIM: “This year’s Northern Minnesota Women’s Expo directly benefited unhoused Bemidji families, with 50% of the proceeds being donated to the Village of Hope, a nonprofit emergency shelter for families experiencing homelessness, especially those with children or pregnant women. The Sanford Center plans and hosts the expo each year near Mother’s Day, selecting a different nonprofit to feature and receive half of the $5 entrance fees from the day. The expo, which took place on Saturday, May 9, was buzzing.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42wk5no

INNOVATION: Via Bloomington-based Donaldson, VERBATIM: “Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:DCI), a leading worldwide manufacturer of innovative filtration products and solutions, announced its calendar year 2025 Patent Recipients and Inventor Award winners. The annual recognition celebrates employees whose ideas, inventions, and technical leadership strengthen Donaldson’s technology leadership and enduring culture of innovation. In 2025, 213 Donaldson employees were named on patents granted during the year, contributing to an intellectual property portfolio that includes more than 2,800 active U.S. and international patents, with over 120 patents awarded in the past year alone.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fmzy0P

Copyright © 2026 Fluence Media, All rights reserved.
You are receving this email because you opted in at our website.

Our mailing address is:

Fluence Media

PO Box 270031

Golden Valley, MN 55427

mn good | Lessons in Financial Literacy

The Daily Agenda — Tue, 12 May 2026 18:33:48 GMT

Participating in “no mow May”? A UofM researcher suggests “slow mow summer” instead. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4d9jZXu

Happy birthday to the oldest ocelot in human care – Rio, who calls Sandstone home, is 27. READ: https://fluence-media.co/3R3Ewpb

Subscribe now

Share the love of MNGood and encourage others to sign up.

Have a great week.

Blois

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

GOOD OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD

TOMORROW: Via St. Paul-based Books For Africa, VERBATIM: “Her Excellency Constância Adelina Gaspar, the African Union’s representative to the United States, will be the featured speaker at the annual fundraising breakfast and luncheon hosted by Books For Africa [this] week in Roseville.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uABF5q

NEXT MONTH: Via Minnesota Golf Association, VERBATIM: “The Ms. and Mr. Minnesota Golf Committee has announced the date for the 10th annual Ms. Minnesota Golf and Mr. Minnesota Golf Awards, to be held Sunday June 7, 2026, at Windsong Farm Golf Club in Independence, Minn . . . The annual awards recognize the top female and male high school senior golfers in Minnesota based on performance during the 2026 season.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Rg1Jo8

NEXTGEN: Via Insight News, VERBATIM: “They came in as students. They left as financial citizens. That is the compact Build Wealth MN makes with every young person who walks through the doors at 1256 Penn Ave N in North Minneapolis — and this spring, another cohort made good on that promise. Build Wealth MN announced the completion of its Spring Youth Stabilization Program cohort, celebrating the graduation of middle and high school students from a nine-week intensive curriculum anchored in financial literacy, personal development, and career exploration.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ttOzkM

OLYMPIAN: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Whether he’s catching air on a flip, speeding downhill, or filming one of his signature ‘Rope Tow Chats’ for social media, Kole Krier is a man at home in the cold . . . Since picking up a board in 2021, Krier’s progression has been meteoric. After only five years on the snow, he is preparing to take his talents to the global stage. Next winter, Krier will represent the United States in the Deaflympics, an international multi-sport event for elite deaf athletes.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4tvdDrJ

VOLUNTEERS: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “With spring in full swing ‘Friends of the Mississippi River’ is giving Twin Cities volunteers plenty of opportunities to get hands-on along river this month. The nonprofit is calling on local residents to help restore the metro’s 72 mile national park during over a dozen available shifts throughout the month of May.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4wnSQZH

MURALIST: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Maybe the only thing that surpasses Charles Caldwell’s artistic talent is his generosity. The North Minneapolis artist—who is behind the iconic ‘Welcome to Minneapolis’ mural that has welcomed visitors to West Broadway for more than a decade—takes his role as a community elder seriously. During the holidays, the 63-year-old can often be found around town in his red tracksuit—and combined with his long hair and full beard, the effect is decidedly North Pole.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4u7FgIB

ECOLAB: Via St. Paul-based Ecolab, VERBATIM: “The world is entering a period of historic growth, complexity and opportunity. As artificial intelligence reshapes industries and demand for energy, food and water accelerates, how companies grow next will matter as much as how fast they grow. In a rapidly changing world, Ecolab remains constant. Today, the company released its 2025 Growth & Impact Report highlighting how Ecolab continues to deliver strong business performance while deepening its impact on customers and communities in the areas that matter most.” NEWS RELEASE: https://fluence-media.co/4dFh4Y0 REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/4noZKty

Copyright © 2026 Fluence Media, All rights reserved.
You are receving this email because you opted in at our website.

Our mailing address is:

Fluence Media

PO Box 270031

Golden Valley, MN 55427

mn good | River Restoration Project Begins

The Daily Agenda — Fri, 08 May 2026 18:30:14 GMT

The TV show “Twin Peaks” may have been set in Washington State, but it almost took place in North Dakota and is heavily influenced by Minnesota. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4tYs60r

A pianist from Fairmont has been chosen to participate in an elite opera program in San Francisco. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4whTubg

Minnesota’s Teacher of the Year teaches music in St. Louis Park. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tpIgiq

Subscribe now

Share the love of MNGood and encourage others to sign up.

Have a great weekend.

Blois

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

A GOOD START TO THE WEEKEND

TOMORROW: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “If you’re hoping to create something personal for Mom, Duluth’s Whole Foods Co-op is hosting a DIY Mother’s Day Bouquet event on Saturday.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/42XuMzo

NEXT WEEK: Via Hearing Loss Association of America, VERBATIM: “The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), the leading voice of 50 million Americans with and at risk of hearing loss, launches its 2026 Walk4Hearing series on May 16. Since 2001, the Walk4Hearing has celebrated living well with hearing loss, providing public education about hearing health and raising funds for local hearing health programs. 18 cities will host this year’s Walks . . . The first 2026 event is the Twin Cities Walk4Hearing in St. Paul, Minnesota on May 16.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dho1NN

NEXT MONTH: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Groovin’ in the Garden is back for another summer of free concerts at the Como Zoo and Conservatory. This year’s installment will get underway on June 10, with concerts every Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. through July 29.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4f8YJDZ

THINKERS: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Four finalists have been chosen for this year’s Great American Think-Off in New York Mills. Now in its 33rd year, the Great American Think-Off is billed as a one-of-a-kind philosophy contest where ordinary people tackle extraordinary questions. The 2026 topic for the annual philosophy debate is, ‘Has the pursuit of happiness made Americans unhappy?’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tGtYtX

BOOKS: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “The 38th annual Minnesota Book Awards ceremony was held on Wednesday evening at the Ordway, hosted by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library. Out of 36 finalists this year, nine authors were awarded the top prize in local books.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nl8UYe

NEW BOOK: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Minnesota author V.T. Bidania is part of a new generation of children’s book authors who are making sure all young readers see themselves represented on the page. Bidania’s popular “Astrid and Apollo” chapter book series was the first to feature Hmong American main characters. Now, Bidania is back with a new middle-grade novel. ‘A Year Without Home,’ published in January by Penguin Random House, is written totally in verse.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eBgPyd

ENERGY: Via City of Bloomington, VERBATIM: “Bloomington nonprofits can now stretch their budgets further while reducing energy use. The City of Bloomington has partnered with EnerChange to launch a Nonprofit Energy Efficiency Rebate Program that rewards local organizations for making smart energy upgrades.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wzDqlx

K-9s: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “For the first time, people on the Iron Range got a chance to meet the region’s K-9 officers. The ‘Meet the Pack’ event was the Northland K-9 Foundation’s first major demonstration on the Range. People had a chance to meet the dogs and see law enforcement vehicles.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3P25DjT

FISH FRY: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Camp Confidence and the Camp Confidence Lions Club partnered with Let’s Go Fishing to host a walleye fish fry at the Confidence Learning Center in East Gull Lake. The event’s goal was to bring attention to the organizations and bring in new volunteers.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3PaWWnd

THE RIVER: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “After a decade of planning, fundraising and tribal engagement, a Dakota-led nonprofit will break ground this month on a five-acre restoration project at Owámniyomni — the place known as St. Anthony Falls — along the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis. Owámniyomni Okhódayapi announced the start of construction during a walking tour of the site Monday. The project will replace a parking lot, an unused restroom building and the upper floor of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers control station with native prairie, oak savanna and traditional Dakota medicines” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nkyQDl

MORE: Via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “Their goal is to create a new space where visitors and residents can come to enjoy nature and learn about Dakota heritage, and to heal the land along the Mississippi as a thank you to this life-giving water.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4uvx1pq

ART: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “In the shadow of grain elevators in Clarkfield, a southwestern Minnesota town of some 900 people, a bank built 116 years ago sits transformed. What once was one of the town’s first financial institutions is now a creative space that invests in the local community . . . Southwest Minnesota is dotted with these emerging multi-use art spaces that utilize older buildings — a growing trend seen in rural and small-town communities across the state — challenging a common misconception that vibrant art scenes only exist in big cities.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3PcfBPI

MORE ART: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Elizabeth Winslow admired Juxtaposition Arts long before she ever knew that one day she’d be running the place. The nationally recognized arts education center in north Minneapolis’s reputation, of course, precedes it in artistic circles like hers. JXTA, as it’s known, is one of the only centers in the country that operates with teens and youth staffing and learning in a design center, retail shop, gallery, and studio space, as well as apprenticing in creative fields from visual art literacy to graphic design to environmental design and more.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tmpKam

RAINCOATS: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Warrior Early Learning Center students are stepping into the outdoors with confidence this spring thanks to a new initiative providing rain gear for young learners across the school. The Brainerd Early Childhood Parent Teacher Organization partnered with Brainerd Public Schools to provide rain suits and boots for children attending Warrior Early Learning Center. The goal of the project is to ensure students can continue outdoor learning activities regardless of weather conditions.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/48QLUua

250 YEARS: Via CenterPoint, VERBATIM: “In celebration of the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States of America, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation is launching a new and unique grant opportunity to support nonprofit organizations that serve and focus on our U.S veterans in CenterPoint Energy’s four state service area in Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Texas. Through this special grant opportunity, the Foundation plans to invest up to $250,000 in the states the company serves, with individual grants ranging from $5,000 to $25,000.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4u4ZDpU

VENISON: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s Hunter-Harvested Venison Donation Program has been around since 2007, but it’s growing more popular. The idea is simple: Hunters donate deer to local processors, who prep it for food shelves and feeding programs. In 2025, the program saw a 50 percent jump in donations compared to the previous year, according to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. That’s roughly 14,000 pounds of venison in all.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3QVC0kN

TREES: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Students from Lincoln Elementary and Bemidji High School collaborated on a special project earlier today at the high school in response to the massive windstorm that swept through the Bemidji area last year. When over 100-mile-an-hour winds blew through the Bemidji area last summer, it not only knocked over an estimated 9 million trees but also left a mark on the students of Lincoln Elementary.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4eA382H

Copyright © 2026 Fluence Media, All rights reserved.
You are receving this email because you opted in at our website.

Our mailing address is:

Fluence Media

PO Box 270031

Golden Valley, MN 55427

mn good | Target Honors Teachers

The Daily Agenda — Tue, 05 May 2026 18:31:02 GMT

A UofM student about to graduate with two PhDs won a grand prize in a contest “that celebrates design, data, storytelling and cartography through the use of maps.” READ/SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4wcnftV

Subscribe now

Share the love of MNGood and encourage others to sign up.

Have a great week.

Blois

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

HONORING TEACHERS, ATHLETES & MORE

THIS WEEK: Via Target, VERBATIM: “Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) is recognizing teachers across the United States with a 10% storewide discount during Teacher Appreciation Week, in addition to year-round benefits and local efforts as part of its ongoing commitment to supporting communities and creating growth and opportunity for all.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4u2vhUE

NEXT MONTH: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Last year, when we sat down with the CEO of the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, Christy Sovereign. She made one thing perfectly clear: The 2026 Special Olympics USA Games were never just about a week of competition. They were about building something that would last—an experience rooted in inclusion, visibility, and lasting change. Now, as that vision moves closer to reality, the scale is coming into focus. There are certain events that arrive with spectacle—big crowds, national attention, the kind of momentum you can feel building months in advance. And then there are events that arrive with something quieter, but far more lasting: a shift in perspective.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49btpRc

GRANTS: Via Alexandria Echo Press, VERBATIM: “Alexandria and Brainerd nonprofits were recognized last month during a 2026 Special Olympics USA Games awards ceremony at Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union in Baxter. The ceremony by Special Olympics Minnesota and the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games took place to award grants to the three central Minnesota nonprofits through the statewide 26 Weeks of Giving campaign.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42j1Xx8

GRATITUDE: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “When Gustavo and Kate Romero, the husband-and-wife team that owns Oro by Nixta—their nixtamalized-corn-centric, James Beard Award–nominated (semifinalists again this year) Mexican restaurant on the corner of 2nd Street and 13th Avenue in Northeast Minneapolis—granted my interview request, their hospitality exceeded their reputation . . . They told me they’re grateful to be a story of resilience amongst so much loss, and especially grateful to have kept most of their 25-person staff intact. The entire Oro family, including their regulars, has pulled together to do whatever it takes—they’re providing rides to work for those that can keep coming in, helping those who can’t with groceries and rent. On the day of the general strike, a regular made a donation big enough to cover everybody’s missed wages.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4waICMm

NEW ULM: Via KEYC-TV, VERBATIM: “Captain Willibald ‘Bill’ Charles Bianchi was laid to rest in the Soldiers Rest section of New Ulm Cemetery on Saturday, after making the long journey home from Hawaii, where he was interred with fellow prisoners of war. Hundreds of people gathered in New Ulm to pay their respects to a local hero who died tragically after enduring so much in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, including the Bataan Death March.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4dtWTLJ

HORSES: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “On a rainy spring day, residents from Friendship Village of Bloomington, Minnesota, spent time brushing, walking and connecting with horses as part of an equine-assisted therapy experience at Hold Your Horses. The visit came ahead of Mental Health Awareness Month in May and focused on supporting emotional well-being through mindfulness, connection and hands-on interaction with animals.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4tdLCoi

Copyright © 2026 Fluence Media, All rights reserved.
You are receving this email because you opted in at our website.

Our mailing address is:

Fluence Media

PO Box 270031

Golden Valley, MN 55427

mn good | 10K Daffodils + 50,000 Tulips

The Daily Agenda — Fri, 01 May 2026 18:30:17 GMT

The City of Burnsville is among 14 public sector organizations around the country recognized for “delivering transformational results through technology.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uqoKDo

Another list of 14… a Plymouth man is one of 14 inductees into White Castle’s Cravers Hall of Fame. READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Pe2RrJ

Via Sahan Journal, profiles of Minnesotans who are preserving rare languages. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tCZlWS

Subscribe now

Share the love of MNGood and encourage others to sign up.

Have a great weekend.

Blois

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

DUCKS & FLOWERS & MORE

TOMORROW: Via Field Regina Northrop Neighborhood Group, VERBATIM: “The Duck Race is one of the most beloved spring events in South Minneapolis. Each year, hundreds of neighbors gather along Minnehaha Creek to cheer on thousands of bright yellow rubber ducks as they race downstream.” DETAILS: https://fluence-media.co/4mZIgUy

THIS MONTH: Via Special Olympics, VERBATIM: “Beginning May 29 at Soldier Field in Chicago, the birthplace of Special Olympics and home to the Eternal Flame of Hope, law enforcement officers and Special Olympics athletes will unite to carry the torch side-by-side across the nation, inspiring communities and shining a spotlight on inclusion, determination and the power of sport.” READ/MAP: https://fluence-media.co/4untMAp

NEXT MONTH: Via FMSC, VERBATIM: “Today, Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) opened registration for the 10th year of Pack at the Park, a two-day volunteer-driven event at Target Field on June 10-11 with a bold goal: provide 1 million lifesaving meals for children facing hunger worldwide. For a decade, Twin Cities volunteers have turned the stadium into a meal-packing site that feeds children across the globe, and now it’s the community’s turn to do it again.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3P2hVIO

10,000 DAFFODILS: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “For Warren Kapsner, planting flowers is a labor of love that has sprouted into something so much more at his Golden Valley home. In Minnesota, we have the Land of 10,000 Lakes. In Golden Valley, we have the Yard of 10,000 Daffodils.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/48zj5SQ

50,000 TULIPS: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Did you know that Minneapolis’ Lakewood Cemetery was founded as a ‘garden cemetery’ back in 1871? The peaceful landscape north of Lake Harriet has always been committed to preserving nature and beautifying the space; it’s even accredited as a Level 2 arboretum (the only one in Minneapolis). Since the 1950s, the cemetery’s grounds team has often planted tulip bulbs in the fall, leading to a burst of color in April and May. But over the past few years, during construction of the Lakewood welcome center, the tulip tradition was put on hold. This week, the tulips are back—and back in a big way.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4dmY4fV

DINING: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Minnesota restaurants will take part in a fundraiser Thursday to raise money for organizations providing HIV/AIDS services to the community. ‘Dining Out For Life’ is an annual, 24-hour fundraiser where over 120 participating restaurants in the state will donate between 25 to 100 percent of their sales to Aliveness Project.” QUOTE: “The more you eat at a restaurant, the more you’re helping people living with HIV,” said Sonya Bieza, development manager for Aliveness Project. “It’s like the easiest fundraiser for the general public because all you have to do is eat out.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4289AGA

4 DECADES: Via Initiative Foundation, VERBATIM: “We’re celebrating 40 years of investing in good ideas across our region—and we’d love to celebrate with you. As part of our anniversary celebration, we’re hosting a pre-reception for donors, partners and friends of the Foundation prior to the main gathering. It’s a time to connect with others who care deeply about strengthening our communities and to hear a few brief reflections from Foundation trustees and local leaders.”

MORE: The Events page on the foundation’s Facebook page has information about the four upcoming events. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4n2Y6Ol

FIELD ART: Via Graco, VERBATIM: “To celebrate its 100th anniversary, Graco has unveiled a large-scale land artwork by internationally recognized artist Saype, marking his first-ever installation in Minnesota and adding Graco’s campus in Dayton to the global list of locations where his work has appeared. Saype is widely recognized for pioneering large-scale, biodegradable land art designed to be viewed from the sky, creating striking, temporary frescoes on grass, sand, snow, and earth that are revealed most clearly from an aerial perspective.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4eTrswj

BOOK: Via Operation Elevation, VERBATIM: “Hall of Fame inductee Tony Sanneh today announced the July 2026 release of his first book, On the Assist: How Significance Finds Us When We Invest Ourselves in Others, alongside the launch of Operation Elevation SBC, a new Minnesota Public Benefit Corporation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4egA6VA

SUNOPTA: Via Eden Prairie-based SunOpta, VERBATIM: “SunOpta (Nasdaq:STKL) (TSX:SOY) – the company that delivers customized supply chain solutions and innovation for top brands, retailers and foodservice providers across a broad portfolio of beverages, broths and better-for-you snacks – is proud to release its 2025 Sustainability Report. This annual update outlines sustainability progress made in the 2025 fiscal year across four key areas: planet, product, people and governance.” NEWS RELEASE: https://fluence-media.co/4urigUN REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/4n2eYVa

LIFE TIME: Via Chanhassen-based Life Time, VERBATIM: “The Life Time Foundation is reaffirming its year‑round commitment to supporting a healthy planet through a cross‑country lineup of environmentally focused initiatives that restore local ecosystems and inspire people of all ages to care for the world around them. The Life Time Foundation’s work doesn’t start or end with Earth Month—it reflects year‑round action, long‑term investment, sustained partnerships and community-based initiatives that help people reconnect with nature and take meaningful action for generations to come.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4n2Wp3q

Copyright © 2026 Fluence Media, All rights reserved.
You are receving this email because you opted in at our website.

Our mailing address is:

Fluence Media

PO Box 270031

Golden Valley, MN 55427

mn good | Book Celebrates Trailblazing Architect

The Daily Agenda — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 18:30:53 GMT

A Congressional Medal of Honor recipient from New Ulm, who died while a POW in World War II, is finally home. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4t4a5fY

Hunger is increasing among UofM students – now the campus food pantry is expanding to meet demand. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cKQStu

Subscribe now

Share the love of MNGood and encourage others to sign up.

Have a great week.

Blois

HABITAT RESTORATION: Flint Hills Resources has earned Tandem Global WHC Gold Certification for habitat restoration at its Cottage Grove fuel terminal. The certification comes after two years of work in partnership with Friends of the Mississippi River to implement a restoration and monitoring plan to re-establish the 6.5-acre site’s natural prairie and savannah. Flint Hills has held gold certification for its work done with community partners over the past 25 years to restore more than 200 acres of the Pine Bend Bluffs, a critical natural area along the Mississippi River that is adjacent to Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery. This makes two Flint Hills gold certified sites in Minnesota and the first two gold-certified sites ever in the Twin Cities. LEARN MORE: Environmental Stewardship (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

ONE FOR THE BOOKS

NEXT MONTH: Via St. Paul-based Little Free Library, VERBATIM: “Little Free Library (LFL) today announced the launch of the inaugural National Little Free Library Day on May 17, marking the beginning of Little Free Library Week, May 17–23, 2026. Observed on the anniversary of Little Free Library becoming a nonprofit in 2012, May 17 highlights the organization’s mission to build community, inspire readers, and expand book access via its global network of more than 200,000 book-sharing boxes.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42BahZ6

BOOK: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “On a Minneapolis street, architectural historian Jane King Hession stands between a red-brick house and a boxy white one perched above Interstate 94. Each is a Minnesota architectural landmark. The brick Malcolm Willey House was designed in the 1930s by a giant of 20th century architecture, Frank Lloyd Wright . . . The Faulkner House was designed by a lesser known but quietly influential architect, Elizabeth ‘Lisl’ Scheu Close, who has been a muse for Hession for decades.” HESSION: “What I would like people to know about Elizabeth Close is that she was a trailblazing Modern architect.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tG0MUB

NEXTGEN: Via Hormel, VERBATIM: “Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL), a Fortune 500 global branded food company, is now accepting nominations for the 2026 class of 10 Under 20 Food Heroes. In its fifth year, the program spotlights the efforts of young people who are demonstrating a measurable commitment to a more sustainable food system and focused on food security and community resilience.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mWEZFD

CAMP: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “A Minnesota nonprofit that provides independence and confidence-building experiences to children and adults with disabilities, is opening something special. True Friends is a nonprofit organization that provides experiences designed to enhance independence and self-esteem for children and adults with disabilities.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4da56p7

CLAY: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “Sayge Carroll‘s work is an ‘apothecary of tools’ for self-soothing and expression. By combining her music education with professional ceramic work, she has created a unique niche in sound art. Her studio, Mudluk Pottery, serves as more than just a workshop; it is a safe haven and fosters a ‘chosen family’ among those often marginalized in traditional art spaces.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4txnVbH

WALK: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “The Northland came together Sunday to support the autism and neurodivergent community at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center. Sunday morning, community members were gearing up to participate in the first-ever Autism Walk Northland to help advocate for the local autistic and neurodivergent community.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4t18Xtp

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: Via WDIO-TV, VERBATIM: “Minnesotans are typically pretty proud of being from the Land of 10,000 lakes. But actually, it’s more like 12,000 lakes and 92,000 miles of streams. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is seeking volunteers to help monitor water clarity in these bodies of water this spring.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/48nyDZR

TOMORROW: Via MinneapoliMedia, VERBATIM: “Open Hands Midway will continue its weekly food distribution efforts with two free community meal events scheduled for Monday, April 27, and Wednesday, April 29, at its location in the Hamline Midway neighborhood.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42yDQKU

THIS WEEK: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “The Homegrown Music Festival kicked off Sunday—one full week of local artists taking over venues across the Twin Ports. Homegrown is celebrating local music all week long across dozens of stages.

This year’s kickoff started with a family-friendly series of events at the Lake Superior Zoo for the Children’s Showcase.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4d9N9XJ

HOME UPDATES: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “‘The simple things we take for granted mean a lot to our clients,’ said Tom Pfannenstiel Program Director at Rebuilding Together Minnesota. The non-profit provides free home repairs and safety modifications to low-income homeowners, particularly seniors, veterans, families with children, and people with disabilities. Rebuilding Together Minnesota will complete 170 projects this year alone.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4mSK7ug

TREES: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “After Reforest Bemidji’s free tree program saw an overwhelming community response earlier this month, First National Bank Bemidji is stepping forward to help make 5,000 additional free tree seedlings available to the public.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4vXrbyK

Copyright © 2026 Fluence Media, All rights reserved.
You are receving this email because you opted in at our website.

Our mailing address is:

Fluence Media

PO Box 270031

Golden Valley, MN 55427

mn good | 16th Century Mia Tapestry to be Preserved

The Daily Agenda — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 18:30:56 GMT

We celebrated Earth Day this week. MinnPost shines a light on local sustainable fashion options – specifically, workout wear. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4sLKF6t

ICYMI in morning take, good news from Gallup on kindness. POLL: https://fluence-media.co/4mSgmKb

Subscribe now

Share the love of MNGood and encourage others to sign up.

Have a great weekend.

Blois

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

A POSITIVE END TO THE WEEK

BEAR: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “A young black bear dubbed Stubby who had his front right leg amputated is back in the wild. The bear, spotted out of hibernation too early in Pequot Lakes, underwent surgery in late February when a doctor found a bullet in his leg. Recovery from the amputation took longer than expected, but recently the bear climbed a tree, to the surprise of animal rescue workers. They knew he could make it on his own. He was released Friday, April 17, deep within the Chippewa National Forest in northern Minnesota by the Department of Natural Resources.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4cDzvLa

HABITAT: The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports St. Paul-based wood products manufacturer Woodchuck USA bought 320 acres near Two Harbors for wildlife habitat restoration. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mPbXaF

VOLUNTEERS: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “It’s Volunteer Appreciation Week, but for some volunteers in Duluth’s medical district, this isn’t a one-week thing. They show up year-round—quietly, consistently—just to help make someone else’s day a little easier. In Duluth’s medical district, two volunteers pitch in in different ways—but with the same goal: helping patients and the people caring for them.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4cvjZlQ

ONE VOLUNTEER: Via My North News, a profile of one of many in the Twin Cities who supported their neighbors during Operation Metro Surge. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4u2xLCc

HOSPITALS: Via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s nonprofit hospitals contributed $6.5 billion in community benefit in 2025, according to the Minnesota Hospital Association‘s new Community Impact Report. That community benefit spending, across more than 120 hospitals and health systems, represents a 5% increase over the 2024 figure, the MHA said Thursday, April 23. But for Dr. Rahul Koranne, MHA’s president and CEO, that’s not the report’s main takeaway.” QUOTE: “So many of the hospitals are financially unstable,” Koranne said. “We are proving that they’re still pouring not just their dollars, but their soul, their heart and their minds into their communities ... despite the financially difficult state.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4u6U1eg

NEXT WEEK: Via Eden Prairie Local News, VERBATIM: “In Eden Prairie, we know that local news is critical to keeping our community connected and informed. That is why on Thursday, April 30, we are proud to join newsrooms across the state for the inaugural Minnesota Local News Giving Day. This fundraising effort marks the first time newsrooms across Minnesota have banded together with a single mission: to protect the future of local journalism.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sOuqWx

NORTHROP: Via University of Minnesota, VERBATIM: “The University of Minnesota has achieved a major sustainability milestone: Northrop, one of the university’s most iconic and historic buildings, is now Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) v4.1 Operations & Maintenance (O+M) Gold certified through the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). It is the first University facility to achieve LEED Gold under this rigorous standard for existing buildings.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mMLE53

EXHIBIT: Via North News, the story behind the Minneapolis Institute of Art’s Teen Perspectives show. VERBATIM: “Sponsored by MIA and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, the program supports high school students to explore community health through art. For this, its fifth year, Teen Perspectives invited the young artists to explore mental and behavioral health, identity, community care, and self-expression. The show, entitled ‘Yesterday and Today,’ will run through July.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48gaJzu

FUNDING: Via Bank of America, an announcement of grants to 18 institutions around the world, including the Minneapolis Institute of Art. VERBATIM: “The selected projects represent a wide range of artistic traditions and conservation needs, from fragile works on paper to paintings and objects requiring advanced preservation techniques.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42o4dTM

MORE: Via Mia, the work being funded. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4e8C6iz

TRAILS: Via Medina-based Polaris, VERBATIM: “Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII), the global leader in powersports, announced the recipients of its Spring 2026 TRAILS GRANTS, awarding more than $125,000 to 14 off‑road and snowmobile organizations to support riders and riding areas across the United States and Canada. In 2026, the TRAILS GRANTS program marks its 20th anniversary, a milestone year that coincides with Polaris surpassing $4 million in total giving since the program launched in 2006.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tz2kjd

Copyright © 2026 Fluence Media, All rights reserved.
You are receving this email because you opted in at our website.

Our mailing address is:

Fluence Media

PO Box 270031

Golden Valley, MN 55427

mn good | Minnesota's Most Charitable Companies

The Daily Agenda — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 18:30:13 GMT

Community support has helped vendors in Minneapolis’ Midtown Global Market survive the immigration crackdown. MSPBJ checks in to see how they’re doing. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vIADFW

Subscribe now

Share the love of MNGood and encourage others to sign up.

Have a great week.

Blois

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

MINNESOTANS SHINING BRIGHT

LIST: We count a dozen Minnesota-based companies on Newsweek’s list of America’s Most Charitable Companies. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4ezOAjo

PRINCE: On this tenth anniversary of his Prince’s death, MPR has a story about one of his former bodyguards – how Prince looked out for him, and how that job shaped his life and career. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mImrsn

DIGGINS: Via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “A hometown hero received a heartfelt farewell Sunday as thousands of people gathered at Allianz Field in St. Paul to celebrate the career of Jessie Diggins, the most decorated American cross-country skier in history. The Afton, Minnesota native, known for her grit, energy, and signature glitter sparkle, recently announced her retirement, bringing an end to one of the most influential careers the sport has ever seen.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3OBSWvU

NEXTGEN: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Some real mental gymnastics are taking place in room A440 at Wayzata High School. Students are being peppered with questions in six categories. ‘You have math, physics, biology, chemistry, earth and space science so a combination of earth science and astronomy and then there’s a subject called energy,’ said Kevin Qiu, a Wayzata senior and science bowl team member. Qiu is one of five quick-thinking students that make up Wayzata High School’s top performing science bowl team . . . After winning a regional competition, the team is headed to the national finals in Washington, D.C.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4cm2HaF

SHELTER: Via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “A Dakota County nonprofit organization has announced a $14.1 million campaign to build a new facility aimed at helping those living in situations of domestic and sexual violence, an effort that will double the capacity of current facilities available in the county. Multiservice nonprofit organization 360 Communities officially announced the public phase of its Lewis House Capital Campaign last week, building on its 50-year legacy of helping those facing domestic violence.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QdzCFR

THIS WEEK: Via KQDS-TV, VERBATIM: “Earth week has begun and Ecolibrium3 got in on the fun with their annual EcoFest at Clyde Iron Works. It was all about educating the community about sustainability. With the help of area businesses and groups geared to the mission. There was even a book-swap to help keep books out of the trash and into the hands of people.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/42kc84s

CLEANUP: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “Over 200 volunteers braved Saturday’s chilly weather to clean up Duluth’s Lincoln Park neighborhood as part of an annual spring event. Nonprofit Ecolibrium3 hosted the cleanup in honor of Earth Week, providing volunteers with bags, buckets and trash grabbers.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4tWXA6u

STORYTELLERS: Via Mesabi Tribune, VERBATIM: “The Arrowhead Library System is presenting We Are All Storytellers with author Margi Preus. These events are free and open to the public and will travel to participating ALS libraries and host locations now through May 9. Join Minnesota’s Preus for a dynamic and interactive presentation sure to inspire young writers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41N0Sxh

5 UNDER 40: Via St. Cloud Times, VERBATIM: “Five community leaders are this year’s 5 Under 40 St. Cloud Times/LocalIQ and Greater St. Cloud winners. All five enjoy volunteering and giving back to the community — each in their own way. Each year, the winners of this award are asked which nonprofit they would like the sponsors to donate to. But this year, the 20th Anniversary of this 5 Under 40 award, we have changed things up.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mJGh6K

Copyright © 2026 Fluence Media, All rights reserved.
You are receving this email because you opted in at our website.

Our mailing address is:

Fluence Media

PO Box 270031

Golden Valley, MN 55427

mn good | Carleton's Cookie House

The Daily Agenda — Fri, 17 Apr 2026 18:30:46 GMT

A stormy Friday is a great time to look back on some of the recent good news out of Minnesota.

Subscribe now

Share the love of MNGood and encourage others to sign up.

Have a great weekend.

Blois

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

STORMY FRIDAY…

COOKIES: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Carleton’s cookie house is not a frat house (Carleton doesn’t have any), a dorm, a dining hall or a student union. But it is a place where anyone from the campus, at nearly any hour, will find a pantry stocked with the ingredients for making chocolate-chip cookies. They can bring other provisions and bake whatever they want, but cookies are the thing that prospective Carleton applicants often hear of before they learn anything else about this small liberal-arts school, just over 40 miles south of Minneapolis in Northfield, Minn.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tVg4EB

RESCUE: Via Mankato Free Press, VERBATIM: “It was a mostly anonymous bit of heroism when it happened in the early morning hours the day after Christmas. News reports mentioned only that first responders made their way to a 52-year-old woman stranded on a precarious sheet of ice in the Minnesota River . . . The details, including the names and faces of the rescuers, were revealed this week when two Mankato firefighters were awarded Life Saving Medals by Public Safety Director Jeremy Clifton on behalf of the department’s awards committee.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ciPf7m

MONTEVIDEO: Via West Central Tribune, VERBATIM: “Prairie Five Community Action Council is optimistic that it soon will be able to open what it will call the Prairie Five Food Hub, possibly as early as June. Work is progressing on renovating a building along U.S. Highway 212 to serve as the Food Hub. The Food Hub is the result of four years of planning toward addressing the growing food insecurity problem in rural Minnesota, according to a news release from Prairie Five. It will serve as a central location for the Prairie Five Meals Program and the Prairie Five Food Shelf in Montevideo.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QL8PRa

MOA: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “A new partnership between the Mall of America and Minnesota-based nonprofit Fraser looks to expand the Mall’s accessibility and sensory inclusion with a number of visible and behind-the-scenes updates for guests with autism, neurodiverse conditions, sensory sensitivities, disabilities, and mental or behavioral health needs. Inclusivity and accessibility has long been a priority at MOA, with a focus over the past decade to make improvements.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41B0e67

CPR: Via Mankato Free Press, VERBATIM: “When a man collapsed with an apparent heart attack at Mankato’s YMCA in late January, multiple people bounced into action. The result of the efforts by a Y member, a Y employee and two firefighters was obvious when the unidentified recipient of the CPR, looking fit and healthy, joined them at an awards ceremony this week. The man’s condition was quite different on Jan. 30.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OGtc1r

I FALLS: Via Essentia, VERBATIM: “Essentia Health is proud to announce a $50,000 contribution to support the International Falls Community Wellness Center project. This contribution will support efforts to transform the high school’s outdated weight room into a modern Community Wellness Center designed to support mental and physical health, youth development and community wellness.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tSnvMT

(DISCLOSURE: Essentia is a Fluence sponsor)

ART COLLECTIVE: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Fifty years ago this month, 1,500 people flooded a new art gallery in downtown Minneapolis. It was 1976, and the air was filled with cigarette smoke and chatter from the shoulder-to-shoulder crowd. People who were in attendance say the atmosphere was buzzing, because something was different about this space: Every piece of artwork on display was made by a woman . . . This was the opening of the WARM: A Women’s Collective Art Space, a feminist gallery, in the Wyman Building.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4mDIW1N

BIKES: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Now that spring has sprung, you may have ventured into the garage and thought to yourself, ‘Oh, what a mess.’ Or, ‘I haven’t used those bikes in years.’ If it’s the latter, Trailhead Cycling has a solution for those bikes. The local business will collect those bikes, help refurbish them and donate them to kids in need.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4thamgi

GALA: Via WDIO-TV, VERBATIM: “The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Northland hosted its annual fundraising gala Thursday evening at the Greysolon Ballroom, bringing together community members to support youth programming across the Northland. The event marked the organization’s 17th year hosting the gala, its premier fundraising event dedicated to sustaining services for thousands of young people served through clubs in Duluth, Superior, Grand Rapids, and Hibbing.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4vBO6PO

CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY: Via General Mills, VERBATIM: “General Mills (NYSE: GIS) today released its 2026 Global Responsibility Report, detailing progress the company made across three priority areas — Food, Planet and People — during its 2025 fiscal year, May 27, 2024, through May 25, 2025. The report marks General Mills’ 56th year of reporting on its environmental and social impact, reinforces the company’s commitment to transparency, and features how General Mills is Standing for Good, a pillar of its Accelerate business strategy.” RELEASE: https://fluence-media.co/4thoc2b REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/3OtadqU

Fluence Media

PO Box 270031

Golden Valley, MN 55427

mn good | Nonprofit's Black Wellness Mission

The Daily Agenda — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 18:30:58 GMT

This month marks ten years since we lost Prince – The New York Times follows his trail through the Twin Cities. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4sxbI5C

Minneapolis’ The Food Group is among 50 nonprofits sharing $1 million in grants from The Campbell’s Foundation, SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4tDUcxe

A former Marine in Mankato has created a pop-up shelter for use in disasters. MSPBJ: https://fluence-media.co/4cJMnAw

Subscribe now

Share the love of MNGood and encourage others to sign up.

Have a great week.

Blois

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

BOOKS, TREES & BASKETBALL

THIS MONTH: Via Mesabi Tribune, VERBATIM: “The Hibbing Kiwanis Club is preparing for its annual pancake feed to support activities and events for youth in the community. This year’s feed is Wednesday, April 22, at the Hibbing Memorial Building.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dLXXMx

BLACK PARACHUTE: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “Josh Cobb wants Black men to have a soft landing place, and he is bringing that mission directly to the community through a series of pop-up events across the Twin Cities. Cobb is the founder of The Black Parachute, a Twin Cities-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to fostering healing, reflection, and community for Black men. Through journal distribution, pop-up activations, and access to mental wellness resources, the organization creates space for honest conversation and personal growth, partnering with organizations and supporters to expand access to tools that promote wellness and long-term impact.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vounDn

PICTURE BOOK: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “‘Stories live in a strong pull to create and a wish to share the observed, the imagined, the remembered, the unseen, the unknown.’ This line gets at the heart of ‘Where Do Stories Live?,’ a forthcoming picture book from St. Paul author and illustrator Meenal Patel. The protagonist, Avni, gets a new journal as a gift, and the book follows her as she explores during a summer day, deciding what to put in her own story.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OlvX84

TREES: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Reforest Bemidji, the initiative from Let’s Plant Trees that will bring 10,000 free native tree seedlings to the Bemidji area this spring, has announced that all of the seedlings on offer have been reserved through pre-orders.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3OlvDpS

BASKETBALL: Via Minneapolis-based Sezzle, VERBATIM: “Sezzle Inc. (NASDAQ:SEZL) // - As the Minnesota Timberwolves played their final regular-season home game on April 12th, official jersey patch partner Sezzle capped a season of community giving by turning the spotlight toward the next generation. The Minneapolis-based fintech leader hosted a VIP experience for Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities, inviting mentees and mentors to center court for an unforgettable night.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Q8neqE

MOVIE: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “A new film featured at the Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival is celebrating Indigenous dance. Meskwaki filmmaker Oogie Push is also making her feature directorial debut at the 45th Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival with ‘Why We Dance’ — a documentary rooted in the Twin Cities that pushes back against the way Indigenous stories have long been told on screen.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tOabJn

ESG REPORT: Via Minnetonka-based NOG, VERBATIM: “Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. (NYSE: NOG) announced today that it published its Environmental, Social and Governance Report for the year ended December 31, 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tKLwVR REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/4cFbIeW

SUSTAINABILITY REPORT: Via Bloomington-based Donaldson, VERBATIM: “Donaldson Company, Inc. (NYSE:DCI), a leading worldwide manufacturer of innovative filtration products and solutions, today published its fiscal 2025 Sustainability Report, detailing how the company is advancing its Filtration for a Thriving Future strategy while delivering meaningful environmental, social, and business results.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48KHIff

Fluence Media

PO Box 270031

Golden Valley, MN 55427

mn good | Donor Funds Pipe Organ Repair + Otter Birthday Party

The Daily Agenda — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 18:30:53 GMT

Remember Joybubbles? The late Minneapolis audio pioneer is the subject of a documentary. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4vlNRs0

Subscribe now

Share the love of MNGood and encourage others to sign up.

Have a great weekend.

Blois

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

OPPORTUNITIES FOR GOOD

THIS WEEKEND: Via R&J Broadcasting, VERBATIM: “Ogema Native and local music star Cathy Erickson will be inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame in New Ulm. R&J News had the opportunity to catch up with Erickson, who said she was shocked when she found out she was going to be inducted.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4vjgWnU

THIS WEEKEND: Via KQDS-TV, VERBATIM: “The Great Lakes Aquarium is getting ready for a special occasion this weekend as two beloved animals at the aquarium are celebrating another trip around the sun. Longtime residents Agate and Ore, two North American river otters, are turning 13 years old this year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cmok9B

NEXT MONTH: Via Susan G. Komen, VERBATIM: “Susan G. Komen, the world’s leading breast cancer organization, will bring together breast cancer survivors, those living with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) and supporters at the Minnesota Race for the Cure on Saturday, May 9, 2026.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48lJZxm

NEXT MONTH: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “The last time the fanfare of Minneapolis’ Glamorama event (formerly known as Fash Bash) filled the walls of the historic Dayton’s building, it was 2015. And yet, many Twin Citians still remember it like it was yesterday—the iconic designer brands, the celebrity appearances that included everyone from Bruno Mars to Robin Thicke, and of course, the $5.5 million its runway helped raise for Children’s Cancer Research Fund (CCRF), the longtime beneficiary of the event. Flash forward 11 years, and the legendary fashion fundraiser is getting a reboot.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47Uw7dn

CHURCH ORGAN: Via WDIO, VERBATIM: “A labor of love, and a lot of pipes. Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Hibbing is excited about the completion of their refurbished organ. Installed in the 50s when the church was built, the instrument was in need of repair. Thanks to an anonymous donor, the $400,000 project was covered.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3OvXvaY

5 BILLION MEALS: Via Coon Rapids-based Feed MY Starving Children, VERBATIM: “As global hunger continues to rise in many parts of the world, Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) has reached a major humanitarian milestone: 5 billion meals shipped to children in need across 112 countries. MannaPack meals are made possible by volunteers in communities across the United States and delivered through a trusted network of local partners serving some of the world’s most vulnerable populations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QdWYee

BEADS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Adrionna Otis first started making beadwork last year. The 16-year-old says her first project — a pair of earrings she made with her sister’s help — took about three hours from start to finish. ‘Immediately, it clicked for me,’ she said. Her latest pair of earrings emulates a blooming flower. She used white beads in a circular pattern with two rows of gold beads as the edging. Indigenous beadwork uses fine glass seed beads often sewn onto leather or cloth for jewelry, bags, clothing and other items. Otis says she mainly beads earrings, but sometimes she will venture into other projects, like a beaded phone strap.” LISTEN/PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/4e8nz6s

CLUES: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “At the height of Operation Metro Surge, the phone rang at CLUES, a Latino-led nonprofit headquartered in the Twin Cities. On the line was a father of a six-month-old child. The child’s mother had been detained by federal agents, he said, and to make matters more complicated, she’d been breastfeeding. What was he supposed to do? Calls like these were common for the last several months, said Liliana Letran-Garcia, president and CEO of CLUES (Comunidades Latinas Unidas en Servicio).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PX0ppK

FOOD DRIVE: Via Maple Grove-based TopLine, VERBATIM: “TopLine Financial Credit Union, a Twin Cities-based member-owned financial services cooperative, held a food drive during the month of March for the MN FoodShare March Campaign benefiting three local non-profits, Community Emergency Assistance Programs (CEAP), Hope 4 Youth and Keystone Community Services. TopLine members and employees generously donated non-perishable food items of canned vegetables, soups, rice, dry pasta, and more to help fight hunger in our local communities.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41X6TYd

GOLF: Via Bank of America, VERBATIM: “Continuing on its commitment to make golf more accessible and affordable for kids, Bank of America today announced the return of Golf with Us. Children, ages 6-18, are invited to enroll in Golf with Us to access tee times for $5 or less to thousands of courses across Bank of America’s 97 markets through a free one-year membership to Youth on Course.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4c2GMoT

THEATER: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Get ready to be swept back in time with the History Theatre’s upcoming 2026-2027 season. The seven-performance season will be the first under the new artistic director Laura Leffler, with shows that will dive into regional and national history.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vjWGT8

EXHIBITION: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “All My Relations Arts gallery in south Minneapolis presents a new solo exhibition by a Lakota artist. Denver-based artist Danielle SeeWalker says her exhibition, Uŋči Said So, was inspired by the uŋči, or grandmothers, and elders in her life, and their way of storytelling.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/48BJUFO

ELECTRIC: Via KQDS-TV, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Power is launching new rebates on electric equipment at the Arrowhead Home & Builders Show. The rebates are designed to lower upfront costs on electric equipment like chainsaws and cars, a switch that MN Power says can help reduce noise, emissions, and maintenance costs.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3NXq6G6

GRANT: Via CenterPoint, VERBATIM: “Local governmental agencies across CenterPoint Energy‘s service areas in Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Texas are invited to apply for the company’s annual Community Safety Grant Program. Grants support local safety equipment and safety‑related projects that aim to make a meaningful difference within the communities the company serves.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4chJ0PQ

JOB OPENING: Via Good Thinking, VERBATIM: “Good Thinking LLC. is pleased to partner with the Saint Paul Festival & Heritage Foundation (SPFHF/Foundation) in the search for its next President & CEO. This leadership transition comes at an exciting moment for the Foundation as it builds on a strong legacy while advancing a new strategic direction focused on growth, sustainability, and community impact.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tIZPdP

Fluence Media

PO Box 270031

Golden Valley, MN 55427

mn good | Students Launch Floral Nonprofit

The Daily Agenda — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 18:30:52 GMT

A UofM landscape architecture major and her aunt teamed up and won the Pioneer Press’ annual Peeps Diorama Contest. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3Q486KD

A pair of fourth graders recently served as Hibbing’s mayor. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4seiRYb

There’s more than just Paul Bunyan and the Jolly Green Giant – MplsStPaul travels the state in search of giant statues. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3QmBdJc

Subscribe now

Share the love of MNGood and encourage others to sign up.

Have a great week.

Blois

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

FOOD, FLOWERS, BOOKS & MORE

TODAY: Via GiGi’s Twin Cities, VERBATIM: “This Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., the Twin Cities chapter of Mustaches for Kids (M4KTC) is kicking off its 2026 campaign with a ‘clean shave’ event at Utepils Brewing—marking the official start of a month-long fundraising effort in support of GiGi’s Playhouse Twin Cities. Mustaches for Kids is exactly what it sounds like: a group of community members shaving clean and spending the next 30 days growing mustaches—just mustaches—to raise money for youth-focused charities. It’s equal parts absurd and impactful.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4bU4SSz

THURSDAY: Via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “Restaurants across the state are teaming up for the annual Dining Out For Life fundraiser for AIDS service organizations. On Thursday, April 30, 2026, 118 Minnesota restaurants will donate at least 25% of the day’s profits to the Aliveness Project.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bVPRzB

THIS MONTH: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “A local business known for budget-friendly home improvement is preparing to offer even deeper discounts this month. The Habitat for Humanity ReStore in Brooklyn Park has announced a week-long sale in honor of Earth Day, rewarding shoppers for keeping usable materials out of local landfills.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41dqqU9

HOME COOKING: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “Duluth’s 2026 Good Neighbor Award winner is spending this Easter the same way she spends most Sundays—cooking and delivering free home-cooked dinners to anyone who needs one in Morgan Park and beyond. Donvita Kennedy was recognized as Duluth’s 2026 recipient of the Good Neighbor Award during the State of the City address.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4bW1hDF

FOOD DESERT: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “Nearly 28 percent of the United States was considered a food desert in 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In metropolitan areas shaped by redlining and poverty, the disparities are even more pronounced, and the Twin Cities are no exception . . . Brightside Produce is among the Twin Cities organizations working toward sustainable solutions. The nonprofit delivers produce to 50 corner stores across the metro, with no minimum order requirement, allowing smaller stores to buy limited quantities at wholesale prices. A buyback program lets stores return unsold produce at the end of the week, eliminating financial risk.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4shjQ9Y

FLOWERS: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “At least a third of older adults in the U.S. experience loneliness, which is linked to a 50% higher dementia risk. With that in mind, two Minnesota high schoolers are launching a nonprofit called Blossom of Blessings. There’s a lot going on at Indulge & Bloom at Maple Grove Floral. It’s time for a special delivery and a special announcement to two special customers, Andrew Heiden and Hayden Sterling.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4tCtiGl

TREES: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “As part of an effort called Reforest Bemidji, the Let’s Plant Trees organization is bringing 10,000 free tree seedlings to Bemidji area residents this spring. The commitment from the organization was made to support local reforestation and make it easy for residents to plant trees and be a part of restoring tree canopies across the community. Following last year’s wind storm in the Bemidji area that toppled millions of trees, Let’s Plant Trees executives hope this can give residents a simple and meaningful way to replant and rebuild.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4snQl6H

BOOKS: Via St. Paul-based Little Free Library, VERBATIM: “Little Free Library nonprofit organization whose mission is to expand book access is teaming up with Dog Man and Captain Underpants creator Dav Pilkey and Scholastic to spark book joy and expand access to reading across the United States. The 100 custom-designed Little Free Libraries featuring Dav Pilkey’s beloved characters will be installed in schools, public libraries, and communities in book deserts, bringing books directly to children and families who need them most.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sYQte3

THEATER: Via CTC, VERBATIM: “Children’s Theatre Company (CTC) is thrilled to announce the 2026-2027 Season. The 2026-2027 Season will feature Pinocchio; two world premiere musicals, Twelve Kinds of Ice and Princess Kay of the Milky Way; the return of the beloved holiday tradition Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!; the playful adaptation Chicka Chicka Boom Boom: The Musical; and the Broadway smash hit School of Rock The Musical, based on the popular film.” SHOWS: https://fluence-media.co/4sfJ48L

ARTIFACTS: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “In February, a fire destroyed the Holdingford Mill, which had stood for more than 130 years in central Minnesota . . . But through this devastation came a discovery. The fire uncovered relics from the past that were just below the surface.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/41WseAY

EASTER: Via Northern News Now, from Saturday, VERBATIM: “Duluth’s St. Paul’s Episcopal Church hopes to raise $17,000 this Easter to help neighbors by addressing medical debt . . . The church is partnering with Undue Medical Deb, a national nonprofit that purchases medical debt in bulk. The nonprofit reports that every $10 donated can erase an average of $1,000 in medical debt for families in financial need.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4mgMKFV

MENTORS: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “Twin Cities CARES Mentoring Movement and Bolder Options hosted more than 40 Black men at Urban Touch Barbershop in South Minneapolis on March 29 for a wellness and mentor recruitment event that combined food, storytelling and community connection across four generations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48wkitU

Fluence Media

PO Box 270031

Golden Valley, MN 55427

mn good | MN Music Archive + Remembering Pudge

The Daily Agenda — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 18:30:10 GMT

A new Twin Cities PBS documentary explores the music that emerged from Minneapolis’ Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bTM4S0 TRAILER: https://fluence-media.co/4s7EfOL

How do you tend to 30,000 plants? The folks at the Mall of America know. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4s6gzdz

Subscribe now

Share the love of MNGood and encourage others to sign up.

Have a great weekend.

Blois

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

FRIDAY PLANNER

TOMORROW: Via Northern Gardener, VERBATIM: “Join Dream of Wild Health on Saturday, April 4, for a Seed Swap & Barter Event!” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4vgWrsf

THIS MONTH: From Minneapolis Foundation via Instagram, VERBATIM: “Big news for nonprofits supporting small businesses in the Twin Cities! Starting April 15, the Minneapolis Foundation will open applications for our 2026 Economic Mobility grants. This year’s funding will focus on nonprofit organizations that provide small business support and play a vital role in strengthening entrepreneurship and the local economy.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47DYhJx

APRIL 18: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “The Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD) announced the list of artists featured in The Auction, the school’s annual art auction. All proceeds go benefit student scholarships, helping cover financial support for the more than 97 percent of MCAD scholars receiving aid.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47FG6mN

NEXT MONTH: Via CMT, VERBATIM: “Local Twin Cities resident Lynn Anne Groebner is walking to end the rare, incurable disease she lives with every day. On May 2, Lynne will lead the CMTA Minneapolis Walk 4 CMT in Bloomington and invites the Twin Cities to join her. CMT is an inheritable, progressive neuromuscular disease that affects about 135,000 people in the United States, including an estimated 1,500 people in the Twin Cities and 2,300 across Minnesota.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4bQSS4m

MUSIC: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Diverse Emerging Music Organization (DEMO) has launched the Minnesota Music Archive, a digital collection of the state’s musical history across genres and generations. As of this week, more than 2,000 recordings are included in the online library, including everything from polka and Tejano to jazz and Indigenous music.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NTDmeN

MORE MUSIC: Via Mankato Free Press, VERBATIM: “Like many other nonprofits, the Southern Minnesota School of Music has found itself in a position where money coming in isn’t keeping up with the cost of services they provide to fulfill the mission set forward nearly 50 years ago. At a meeting Monday night, board President Kimberley Greenwood shared details with about 25 people with hopes they can raise money to cover operations in the short term while plans are put in place for permanent remedies. She also introduced Riley Kolstad, the new executive director.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cnKXur

LANGUAGE: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Liz Zoongwegiizhigook Zinsli led a field trip to Porky’s Sugarbush Camp, a camp west of Minneapolis that specializes in maple tapping and processing. She is a teacher at Wicoie Nandagikendan, an early childhood immersion program that teaches its curriculum in the Ojibwe and Dakota languages . . . According to the University of Minnesota and language advocates, it’s estimated that there are fewer than 1,000 fluent Ojibwe speakers in Minnesota and far fewer Dakota first language speakers. The decline of Indigenous languages came with the boarding school era, when speaking the languages was discouraged and often punished.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4m9KL69

NEXTGEN: Via JA, VERBATIM: “Junior Achievement North is officially launching the JA Dream Accelerator, a new experiential learning program designed to help high school students uncover who they are, what they love and how that connects to career paths. The interactive experience will open at Junior Achievement North’s St. Paul facility and is expected to serve up to 12,000 students annually.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QiqpvC

PETS: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Even though the majority of federal ICE and Border Patrol agents have left Minnesota, the fears of many in local immigrant communities remain. Many families are in hiding, afraid to go to work or the grocery store, worried they could be arrested and possibly deported. Photojournalist John Blake shows how the North Minneapolis Pet Resource Center has grown and evolved to meet the needs of families and their pets.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/47AIM51

FIRST RESPONDERS: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “Two of Duluth’s outstanding first responders were honored on Thursday. The Duluth Rotary Club held its annual Police Officer and Firefighter of the Year ceremony at the Kitchi Gammi Club.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4c4aDfj

PUDGE: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Walter Camp, the father of modern football, called him the ‘greatest football player of all time.’ On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of college football, Grantland Rice, the first celebrity sportswriter, echoed Camp’s sentiments and wrote some verse in his honor: ‘With frame of iron and steel, you’ve earned a nation’s cheers. You stand among the valiant few who’ve whipped the passing years, Pudge.’ The Pudge who merited Rice’s recitation was Minneapolis’ own William ‘Pudge’ Heffelfinger.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4c2RLxk

MEDIA: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Hubbard Broadcasting’s KB101, a country music station based in Bemidji, was recently named a recipient of the National Association of Broadcasters’ Crystal Award for its community service efforts.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4e2gvYZ

Fluence Media

PO Box 270031

Golden Valley, MN 55427

mn good | Donated Farmhouse Ready for Visitors

The Daily Agenda — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 18:30:13 GMT

Vietnam vets in the Brainerd area were honored with a dinner Friday. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/41zWBgv

Subscribe now

Share the love of MNGood and encourage others to sign up.

Have a great week.

Blois

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

GOOD RISES TO THE TOP

NEXT MONTH: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Exposing young people of color to the political process and preparing them for careers in policy making and public service is one of the key accomplishments of the Citizens League, through its Capitol Pathways program . . . When the Citizens League holds its upcoming annual premier gala, Civic Celebration 2026, on April 26, the evening will raise funds to support Capitol Pathways.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4sLjmdw

HOMECOMING: Via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “A fresh coating of snow has frosted the old brick mansion like gingerbread as a car pulls into the parking lot. A young woman with an inviting smile steps out. ‘Hi,’ she says, stepping onto the sugary snow. Life was not so sweet when Zarina Sementelli arrived here the first time . . . the 26-year-old newly minted lawyer walks into the Salvation Army’s Booth Brown House, a shelter for homeless youth – and Zarina’s former home.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/47xIWdm

EGGS: Via Mankato Free Press, VERBATIM: “Lori Mittelstaedt of Janesville wanted to do something special for a friend’s kids for Easter. What better way than to have plastic Easter eggs plopped on their lawn? The Egg My Yard event is the brainchild of Tiffany Brown, founder and president of nonprofit Tiny Baby Palace. The organization is a foster-based kitten and puppy rescue in Janesville. Brown has a $400 fundraising goal, with the hope of egging upward of 20 area yards. With the funds raised she’ll buy an additional incubator for in-need orphaned newborns.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sBR4C0

NEIGHBORS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Laura Zabel, executive director of Springboard for the Arts in St. Paul, knew something remarkable was happening in her community during the immigration enforcement surge when hundreds of neighbors spontaneously gathered on a frozen lake, toting homemade ice luminaria, as a brass band showed up and played ‘Down By the Riverside.’” ZABEL: “I was standing there on that lake listening to the music and being with neighbors and thinking about how people had really showed up to take care of people’s practical needs — delivering groceries and raising money for rent and driving people to work.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4139dNa

FOOD: Via WDIO-TV, VERBATIM: “More than 300 leaders and advocates will gather at the DECC this weekend. For the first time since 2019, Duluth is the site for the Minnesota Food Justice Summit. The event brings together people from nonprofit organizations and community movements across Minnesota’s food system.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/41GS23W

SABATHANI: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Taking care of the south Minneapolis community is something that runs deep for Sherri Green . . . Green is the director of critical services at Sabathani Community Center. Her work involves managing and implementing programs at the Sabathani Food Distribution. Her father, the first Black superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools, made sure she and her siblings were involved in their neighborhood, including going to programs at Sabathani when Green was a child.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4m4eCwT

POLAR PLUNGE: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “The biting winds of a chilly afternoon weren’t enough to stop nearly 200 students at Champlin Park High School from taking a very cold leap of faith. The school hosted its fifth annual Mobile Polar Plunge, an event dedicated to raising funds and awareness for the school’s Unified Club and Special Olympics Minnesota. According to Maia Miller, a teacher at Champlin Park and a key organizer of the event, the initiative has seen explosive growth since its inception five years ago.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PETjpD

TEACHERS: Via Miniapple International Montessori Schools, VERBATIM: “Cadence Education is celebrating a combined 65 years of excellence in early childhood education by honoring two of its longtime leaders in Minnesota. School Directors Deb Sack of Oakdale and Lisa Szulga of Roseville have both been recognized for their career-long dedication to the Montessori and early learning communities. As part of a national initiative to honor 45 team members reaching the 30-year milestone, Cadence Education is dedicating a school of each honoree’s choice in their name—a lasting tribute to their profound impact on the community.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4djLnE8

FARM TO TABLE: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Verna Kragnes believes that there’s more to fighting hunger than putting food in people’s mouths. There’s also a hunger of the soul. ‘With the new friends that have joined this community, each comes with a hunger for a certain kind of food that feels like it makes it home for them,’ she said. As executive director of the Prairie Rose Agricultural Institute for Research, Innovation and Education, she works to tackle both kinds. Through a program called New Roots, the organization helps immigrants become farmers, helps those farmers’ businesses get off the ground and puts the food they grow on the tables of people who are struggling.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NMgJZH

COTTAGE GROVE: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “More than a decade ago, the Dodge Nature Center, an environmental education organization with campuses around the Twin Cities, received an incredible gift: a white Colonial Revival 1920s farmhouse on 140 acres in Cottage Grove . . . The house, protected under a conservation easement, had been maintained well but wasn’t fully accessible, energy-efficient, or ready to be what Dodge needed. After a yearslong fundraising effort, the Dodge team collaborated with architects at RoehrSchmitt to transform the house into a sustainable and fully accessible property.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47sVYZK

WOODWORKING: Via Medina-based Rockler, VERBATIM: “As our homes and workspaces take on more roles — the office-guest room, workshop-dining room, or living room that doubles as a gym — people are getting creative about how to make the most of smaller spaces. To inspire DIYers and woodworkers to think creatively about small-space design, Rockler Woodworking & Hardware is introducing the Rockler Small Space Challenge, a national competition led by renowned YouTube Creator and woodworker Chris Salomone of Foureyes Furniture.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/47xaMGC

Fluence Media

PO Box 270031

Golden Valley, MN 55427

mn good | $75 Million Donated to Mayo Project

The Daily Agenda — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 18:30:53 GMT

Want to learn Ojibwe? There’s a video game for that. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4bQUIRy

Subscribe now

Share the love of MNGood and encourage others to sign up.

Have a great weekend.

Blois

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS

$75 MILLION: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic announces a gift of $75 million from the Thomas and Elizabeth Grainger family to support Bold. Forward. Unbound. in Rochester, Mayo Clinic’s $5 billion investment in its Rochester campus to transform healthcare through integrated digital and physical spaces.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Q4PIkI

12,000 POUNDS: Via Leeann Chin, VERBATIM: “Leeann Chin proudly partnered with Second Harvest Heartland food bank to donate nearly 12,000 pounds of lo mein noodles to help support families facing food insecurity across Minnesota. The contribution, totaling 396 cases of product, reflects the brand’s ongoing commitment to reducing food waste and giving back to the communities it serves.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bXP4x4

MINNEAPOLIS: Via North News, VERBATIM: “On March 6, about 200 people left the safety of isolation for an event at Colonial Market and Restaurant . . . There, they could sign up for rent assistance and receive a $25 voucher to shop at the store, where grocery aisles have been deserted since immigration enforcement operations began in December. Colonial Market teamed up with the Northside-based nonprofit Nuestra Lucha MN, which raised $81,000 to help families pay rent.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4c8arge

BARN: In Scandia, a historic tankhouse barn will be renovated for community use thanks to a grant from T-Mobile. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sBbEm7

MORE: Via Scandia Heritage, more on the barn and the project. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4sMmSEc

THINKERS: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “The deadline is approaching to submit an essay for this year’s Great American Think-Off, an amateur philosophy contest held in Minnesota. Every year, the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center releases its annual philosophy question that leads to one entrant being named America’s Greatest Thinker.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4bJWW6t

BOOKS: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “The Planting People Growing Justice Leadership Institute is calling on Black authors and illustrators nationwide to submit published picture books for consideration in its annual Children’s Book Awards. The Saint Paul-based nonprofit is accepting submissions through April 15 for works that uplift culture, identity and community — and reflect the richness of the African diaspora for young readers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bK41Ta

SAINTS: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “[John Wenzel] has never regretted his move to Minnesota, and the Saints are better off for it. Because when he relocated here, he became a Saints fan — and their team historian. ‘We’ve been the Saints, the Apostles, the Red Caps, the Blue Caps, a whole variety of names,’ Wenzel said. He gives his history lessons inside the City of Baseball Museum at CHS Field. It details the very first Saints team in the late 1800s, when Charles Comiskey was an owner.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4bCNvWo

PEPS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “In a gymnasium in Eden Valley-Watkins High School, the gym’s namesake Elvera Neuman practices her trick shot . . . As a famed alumna from Eden Valley-Watkins school district, she’s better known by her nickname ‘Peps.’ But more recently, she’s acquired another nickname — ‘The Blanket Lady’ — which has gone viral. At Minnesota Gophers games, she can be spotted just off the court hyping up fans with a maroon and gold blanket in hand. It has an old Goldy Gopher design, something you can’t buy in stores anymore.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bV58zD

TAXES: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “The IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program, or VITA, offers free tax help for qualifying people for assistance, preparing and filing state and federal taxes. Bemidji area residents can access the VITA program on the Bemidji State University campus with IRS and student volunteers.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4uRSJ7Y

Fluence Media

PO Box 270031

Golden Valley, MN 55427