Much of the snow will melt in the afternoon sun. But don’t worry… there’s more on the way. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4bASCWS
A Lake Elmo cross-country skier won gold in the Paralympics. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4lnoCRD
USA Today wants to know which recreational trails are the best. Northeast Minnesota’s Gitchi-Gami State Trail is up for consideration. VOTE: https://fluence-media.co/4b3m9Iz
The State Fair is auctioning off items from its history. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3P5M8qc
Follow the 2026 Minnesota election’s up close with the Fluence ElectionTracker. FluenceElectionTracker.com
Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4biIX66
Sunday Take discussed the state of Minnesota’s workforce with MN Chamber’s Sean O’Neil and Doug Loon, UMN Pres. Rebecca Cunningham, MSU Chancellor Scott Olson and UST Pres. Rob Vischer. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4bxGdmo
Blois
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THE WEDNESDAY FEED
GAS PRICES: The average price of a gallon of gas in Minnesota is up 14.8% from a week ago and up 23% from a month ago, according to data from AAA. READ: https://fluence-media.co/47upfTF
FED FUNDING: Via The Center Square, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s top financial officer says uncertainty in federal funding and the economic ripple effects of Operation Metro Surge are already affecting local governments across the state. Julie Blaha, the state auditor, told The Center Square in an exclusive interview that federal policy changes and the recent surge of immigration enforcement agents in the state could create financial challenges for cities . . . The report showed total governmental fund revenues for Minnesota cities reached $7.9 billion in 2023, a 13.9% increase from 2022, while expenditures rose to $8.3 billion, up 7%. Blaha warned that stability in local budgets could be threatened if federal funding becomes less predictable.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dfz8s2
POT: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Six years ago, Gabriel Hanson began his hemp extraction business with the dream of one day producing Minnesota’s first recreational cannabis products. That day came last Tuesday, when Hanson sent out 7,000 cannabis vapes to eight Twin Cities dispensaries out of his small manufacturing facility in Isanti. He’s a microbusiness cannabis extractor and owner of Loon Labs. Hanson says his ‘d’Ope cannabis’ vape is the first independently manufactured cannabis product to hit Minnesota’s adult-use market.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bAWZRD
ZONING: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Could this be the year Minnesota finally takes a chunk out of its housing affordability problem? A proposed state bill that’s aiming to rewrite rules to make it easier to build homes and improve supply-driven affordability might finally be able to make it through the Minnesota legislature. According to insiders at the Capitol, a zoning compromise driven by a bipartisan group of younger legislators is picking up steam this legislative session, and it could deliver thousands of new homes across the state.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4umzjb9
ROCHESTER: Via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “A state lawmaker has introduced a bill to modify how the city of Rochester can use local sales tax funds. Sen. Liz Boldon (DFL-Rochester) is seeking to streamline the financing and use of sales tax revenue for the city’s development plans, which includes the voter-approved regional sports complex. The proposed $65 million project was approved by the community in 2023. Since then, the costs have nearly doubled for the completion of the indoor and outdoor facilities. That’s led to some opposition to the complex.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4lxITnB
SCHOOLS: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Representatives from the Bemidji School District were among those boarding the bus down to St. Paul last Thursday for Bemidji’s 19th Annual Day at the Capitol. Some of the Bemidji School Board’s legislative priorities included maintaining stable funding from the state and asking for some help to pay for currently unfunded mandates. Bemidji Area Schools superintendent Jeremy Olson said that if you were to ask him how many mandates have been placed on the school district by the state, he would claim to have lost count.” OLSON: “It’s quite a bit, and when we talk about the economic impact, it’s over $1.3 million of new expenses.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cHaOiy
BROADBAND: Comcast is rewriting the broadband playbook in the Twin Cities. From neighborhood networks to next-gen tech, we’re delivering community-first internet connectivity with no contracts, no surprises. The new Xfinity package means unlimited data, blazing-fast, reliable speeds and a 5-year price guarantee, plus free mobile for a year. It’s not the old Comcast — it’s a bold new era of connection. Let’s power the future, together. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/Comcast2025-1 (SPONSORED: Comcast)
THE LOCALS
TRANSIT: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Metro Transit finished 2025 with ridership about 3% below the previous year. Why it matters: It’s a troubling trend for an agency that is making big investments in service but is still struggling to gain rider buy-in after years of public safety concerns. It also came at a time when transit ridership nationally was on pace to increase by nearly 7% in 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bgMTEi
LIFT BRIDGE: Via WDIO-TV, VERBATIM: “After the Duluth City Council approved the acceptance of a $11 million dollar grant from the US Department of Transportation, the city says over $23 million has been raised to rehabilitate Duluth’s iconic lift bridge.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4lo9kvN
ROBBINSDALE: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “Robbinsdale Area Schools are facing new challenges amid a $20 million accounting error. The district has seen layoffs and school closures, and now there are concerns about teacher contract negotiations. The teacher’s union is currently in mediation with the district over contracts, with no raises planned this year, and just 1% next year, along with no health insurance contributions or PTO days. This is happening while the district is seeking hundreds of millions from taxpayers for school renovations.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4bp0Pwd
PARKING METERS: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “If you’re digging for loose change every time you park in Duluth, that routine is about to change. The city is saying goodbye to coin-operated meters as they transition into a system that will focus on digital payments instead of physical ones. Over the next few weeks, Duluth Parking Services will start pulling out aging single-stall meters and replacing them with new Park Duluth zone signs, something they expect will save the city 2 million dollars compared to replacing the meters.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4lqQRyS
CLEAN | RELIABLE | AFFORDABLE: Via Xcel Energy, VERBATIM: “We’re powering the Upper Midwest with clean, reliable, and affordable nuclear energy. For more than 50 years, our Prairie Island Nuclear Plant, located near Red Wing, MN, has been a workhorse of reliable, carbon-free energy. With two pressurized water reactors producing about 1,100 megawatts, Prairie Island generates enough electricity to power 1.5 million homes across the Upper Midwest. Unlike sources that depend on weather, nuclear energy delivers 24/7 reliability—providing the power we need today while protecting the environment for tomorrow.” LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4oCHdK9 (SPONSORED: Xcel Energy)
EXCLUSION & SECLUSION
COURTHOUSES: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Natalie Hudson has officially denied a request to block federal agents from conducting operations within state courthouses. While she affirmed that judges maintain control over their specific courtrooms, she noted there is no clear authority to restrict federal activity in other public areas of the building. This ruling follows ‘Operation Metro Surge,’ a period of heightened immigration enforcement that prompted legal challenges from advocates.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4uluNto
SECLUSION ROOMS: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “More than 50 Minnesota school districts continue to use so-called seclusion rooms, according to data obtained by the Minnesota Disability Law Center. Districts use seclusion rooms for children with a disability and who are at risk of harming themselves or others. This practice is banned or extremely limited in 21 states. The 50 school districts maintain 194 registered seclusion rooms across 100 school buildings across the state, according to the records. For the first time, the Minnesota Disability Law Center set out to document the state’s seclusion rooms, photographing more than 80 of them and documenting their locations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3P28Uzg
MORE: Via Minnesota Disability Law Center, the report. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3MUksnG
U OF M: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The University of Minnesota is refusing to release either individual or team-by-team details about how it’s directly paying student athletes. Citing privacy and trade secrets, university officials refused repeated data requests from the Minnesota Star Tribune that aimed to understand how the school is compensating athletes after the historic House v. NCAA settlement, which lets schools pay $20.5 million to its athletes this year. The school cited student privacy when refusing to release data on individual athletes, and also refused to release payment breakdown by program because the school considers it commercially valuable information.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NiTV3t
ATV TRAILS SUPPORT LOCAL ECONOMIES ACROSS GREATER MINNESOTA: Minnesota’s ATV system connects riders to rural communities — supporting local lodging, restaurants, fuel stations, and small businesses. Trail investment is not just recreation policy — it’s economic development. Watch how riders describe the economic impact of responsible trail access. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4kZDS70 (SPONSORED: ATV Minnesota)
GREATER MINNESOTA
POWER LINES: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “A high-tech device about the size of a bowling ball, that latches on to electric transmission lines and looks like Pac-Man, could provide a much-needed jolt to efforts to deliver more wind and solar energy to the power grid. And two Minnesota utilities are leading the charge. Known colloquially as ‘smart sensors’ — or ‘magic balls’ — the devices collect real-time data from transmission lines, such as air temperature, wind speed and current voltage. Those are all factors that impact how much electricity can safely travel through a power line.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40u7CQ2
LUTSEN: Via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “More than two years after a massive fire destroyed one of the state’s oldest and most iconic lodges, a major question remains unresolved in the tiny, tourism-driven community of Lutsen. What will come of the picturesque site along Lake Superior where Lutsen Resort had operated since the 1880s? ‘This is the most prime piece of undeveloped real estate on the North Shore, bar none,’ said Grand Marais attorney Tyson Smith. ‘You can’t find another one that can be developed like this.’ While ‘developers are circling,’ he said, it appears the property could remain in limbo for years to come as a criminal case and a pair of lawsuits work their way through the courts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3P1uyDL
LAKE ICE: The Cass County Sheriff’s Office posted this photo Tuesday:
CONTEXT: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “The Cass County Sheriff’s Office is warning the public of deteriorating and dangerous ice on area lakes. The Sheriff’s Office reports that numerous large holes have developed on area lakes, especially on Leech Lake. Unseasonably warm temperatures have led to the changing ice conditions.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4rp6urW
WILD ABOUT READING: Join more than 800 Minnesota classrooms and 30,000 students participating in the “Wild About Reading” program, a partnership with Flint Hills Resources which encourages students to read more using Minnesota Wild-branded posters, reading logs, and bookmarks. Teachers set weekly reading goals and give certificates to students who complete the four-week program. Fun program incentives include classroom visits from the Wild’s mascot, Nordy – and the team dog, Paulie; a pair of tickets to a Wild home game, player signed pucks and photos; and a pizza party for a classroom. LEARN MORE: Wild About Reading (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)
COMMERCE
TARIFFS: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “MedSource Labs is one of at least a dozen Minnesota businesses that has filed for refunds since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that those tariffs are illegal. Thousands of businesses nationwide have filed in trade court for relief . . . The company’s total tariff bill was seven times more expensive last year than in 2024. Hormel, Arctic Cat, Mischief Toy Store and Normark, which sells Rapala fishing lures, all have filed complaints in the U.S. Court of International Trade, suing the federal government for a refund.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sc5zfS
CANDLES: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “Kobi Co., a Black-owned candle and wellness business in downtown Minneapolis, began as a fundraising idea by high school student Kobi Gregory. Co-founded with her mother, Tasha Harris, the brand now offers handcrafted candles, self-care products and candle-making experiences while supporting scholarships for BIPOC women.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46UDktv
RETAIL: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “A fresh dose of design inspiration has arrived on the west side. Minneapolis-based boutique interiors firm Vivid Home has officially opened the doors to its second location at the Galleria—marking the brand’s second Minnesota outpost following its original storefront in the North Loop.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sEms2v
DULUTH: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “All-day Irish music and made-from-scratch food are on tap as Dubh Linn Irish Brew Pub celebrates St. Patrick’s Day and its 20th birthday. Located in Downtown Duluth, the business has grown into a community staple.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3NgZUpi
AI: Via Eden Prairie-based C.H. Robinson, VERBATIM: “C.H. Robinson, the leader in Lean AI supply chains, has expanded its artificial intelligence capabilities with an advantage that can’t be replicated: the largest and richest set of real‑world logistics data in the industry. With over 100 trillion proprietary data points generated across decades of global operations – and growing with every shipment executed – the company has built an AI engine that is reasoning, deciding and acting in complex supply chains.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sCJRRR
NEW CEO: Via Aeon, VERBATIM: “The Aeon Board of Directors has named Rachel Robinson, the current deputy commissioner of Minnesota Housing, as the organization’s next president and CEO.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cCsbkD
WHAT’S NEXT?
FRIDAY: Via Rochester-based World Sleep Society, VERBATIM: “Communities in more than 70 countries will unite on March 13 for World Sleep Day 2026, a global call to action led by World Sleep Society to elevate healthy sleep as essential to health and well-being at every stage of life.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Ns8oKt
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
MOA: Via Eater, VERBATIM: “Just a stone’s throw from the airport, it’s a popular spot for tourists — and a long day of shopping, of course, calls for a solid meal. Here are 10 places to grab a bite in the MOA.” LIST/MAP: https://fluence-media.co/4bDgity
BDAYS: MN Pork’s Jill Resler, Heart health advocate Paul Weirtz, Rep. Issac Schultz, MSP Mag’s Steve Marsh, City of Mpls’s Margaret Anderson Keliher, Rock activist Lars Leafblad
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