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40 YEARS OF PARTNERSHIP: Flint Hills Resources and Ducks Unlimited (DU) are celebrating 40 years of partnership, a longevity landmark that makes Flint Hills one of DU’s longest-standing corporate partners. Working together over the past four decades, Flint Hills and DU have contributed to conserving more than 250,000 acres of wildlife habitat and natural areas in Minnesota and over 900,000 acres across North America. LEARN MORE: Flint Hills Resources and Ducks Unlimited Celebrate 40 Years of Partnership (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)
All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:
KNITTING: Via KMSP-TV, VERBATIM: “A 91-year-old woman is using her knitting skills to help those in need stay warm during the winter months. Martha Swenson‘s creative spirit shines through her apartment, filled with fall decorations, blankets, sweaters, and even handmade slippers. Swenson, who learned to knit, crochet, and cross-stitch as a young girl in Germany during World War II, continues to keep her hands busy by crafting items for others . . . Swenson donates unique sets of hats and mittens each week to Hats and Mittens, a nonprofit organization.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3J9Hbdi
OUTDOORS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s parks and trails are a big part of what makes living here so special. But not everyone has an easy path into those outdoor spaces. A local organization is aiming to change that. Luisana Méndez has taken it upon herself to be a bridge between recent Latino immigrants like herself and the Twin Cities’ park systems. She’s the founder and executive director of Huellas Latinas, a nonprofit that helps Latino families connect with nature, with each other, and with their home here in Minnesota.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4oeaavl
FIRE TOOLS: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Police in Crystal now have a set of new tools designed to fight fires and help save lives. Members of the Crystal-based Plymouth Masonic Lodge No. 160 donated four fire suppression tools to the Crystal Police Department on Monday, Oct. 6. Police can use the devices to knock down flames and reduce the temperature in a burning room by about 1,000° F. The devices release a non-toxic aerosol.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3WD5seQ
EMS: Via Compeer, VERBATIM: “Fifty-three emergency response departments supporting rural communities across Minnesota received up to $4,000, for a total of $200,447, to fund much needed equipment and technology upgrades. Through its Fund for Rural America, Compeer Financial awarded a total of 160 Emergency Response Equipment Grants accounting for more than $600,000 to departments across Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. The grants are intended to help volunteer fire, rescue and ambulance departments improve their operational efficiency, safety and response times.”
(DISCLOSURE: Compeer is a Fluence sponsor)
STAGNATION: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “New charities formed with laudable purposes, generous donors and motivated organizers often suffer from the same early funding problem as many great startups. They call it the ‘stagnation chasm.’ It happens when charities find early success but get stuck in a middle ground without the funds or time to achieve ongoing momentum for their charitable aim. Andrew Dayton, son of a former governor and a descendant of the Dayton and Rockefeller business fortunes, started a foundation seven years ago that aims to help donors find effective charities in Minnesota to donate to, including those that may be facing this kind of chasm.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42CMV5U
TOWNS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “There are thousands of towns across Minnesota that time forgot. Many are little more than faded buildings, remnants of lost hopes and dreams. They are unincorporated communities, places that have no local government.
Laura Grisamore loves them all. She lives in one — Huntersville in Wadena County — and about three years ago, she started photographing the faded buildings around her. It lit a fire under her. She decided then to make it her mission to preserve the memories of other towns in their twilight.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4n3gZPC
MARATHONER: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Every year, the Twin Cities Marathon is filled with inspiring stories. This year, one of those stories includes a Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Center athlete. Joe Dailey competed in the first Twin Cities Marathon open to all mobility devices. Dailey has done four marathons in his life. Three were on foot, but this is his first competing using a hand cycle.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4om6ckD
FOOD DRIVE: Via KAAL-TV, VERBATIM: “As temperatures drop and needs rise, The Landing MN, a nonprofit supporting those experiencing homelessness, asked the community to come together to help feed Rochester’s hungry on Saturday, October 11. The ‘Feed the Hungry, Fill the Truck’ food drive at Zumbro Lutheran Church collected meals and snacks for those in need without donors ever having to leave their cars.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4hdtNS6
SKIERS: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “The Duluth Cross Country Ski Club kicked off its ski trail maintenance series this year at Hartley Nature Center. It was all hands on deck as the group cleared the trails by cutting down buckthorn that had overtaken the trail. They made their way through the five-mile ski trail to make sure everything was cleared once the snow hit the ground. Even if you aren’t a fan of skiing, volunteers say the maintenance is a great opportunity to take care of the trails that Northlanders cherish.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3KNJD9Z
FRESH15: The latest season of Fresh15 includes interviews with new Minnesota House members. So far, five new members have shared their goals, background and fun facts before they take office in a historic session this January.
Rep. Kari Rehrauer
Rep. Wayne Johnson
Rep. Julie Greene
Rep. Keith Allen
Rep. Peter Johnson
Follow on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.TheDailyAgenda.com/Podcasts. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Telecom Alliance)
LAND: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “The Nature Conservancy purchased more than 12,000 acres of forest, rivers and wetlands between Two Harbors and Ely in northeast Minnesota that the conservation organization plans to restore and make accessible to the public. The land features more than eight miles of shoreline, including part of the headwaters of the Rainy River, which flows north into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Voyageurs National Park, and the St. Louis River, which drains into Lake Superior. It also includes several thousand acres that were burned in the Greenwood Fire near Isabella, Minn., in 2021.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qrHwJp
AWARDS: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “Leaders across business, public service, the arts, and youth development were honored Thursday evening Oct. 2 as Northern Star Scouting presented its 2025 Community Builder Award and Spurgeon Awards at the InterContinental St. Paul Riverfront. The gala brought together civic leaders, business executives, and nonprofit advocates to celebrate service, mentorship, and community impact. Proceeds from the event benefit Northern Star’s Exploring program, which gives young people ages 14–21 hands-on experiences in career fields from public safety to business and the arts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4n1vFhS
BIRTHDAYS: Via KVRR-TV, VERBATIM: “A recently formed nonprofit organization held a fundraiser to try and provide underprivileged children with happier birthdays. ‘Spread Your Sunshine’ held the ‘Sunshine and Sprinkles’ event at the Trinity Lutheran Church on Saturday. The organization focuses on providing birthday celebrations for the underprivileged and the unhoused, making sure children in tough situations still feel special on their special day.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48XBqde
FOOTBALL: Via EPLN, VERBATIM: “Eden Prairie High School’s annual Powderpuff charity flag football game drew a crowd to Aerie Stadium on Sept. 29, bringing together students, athletes and volunteers for a night of friendly competition – and a good cause.
This year’s event, led by the school’s DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) chapter, raised about $5,000 for True Friends, a Minnesota-based nonprofit that provides camps and travel experiences for children and adults with disabilities.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3W5M7Tv
LYM: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Stepping back into the fold after selling the company he co-founded in 2012, Zachary Quinn is charting the next ambitious chapter for Love Your Melon. I caught up with Zach while his team races toward the grand opening of their new Mall of America retail space, including a ‘Build Your Own Beanie’ experience opening later this month. Now returning to the helm with all heart, Zach is a little older, a little wiser, and fueled by the perspectives gained as a husband and dad.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48uOx5C
MEDICA: Via North Shore Journal, VERBATIM: “The Medica Foundation in Minnetonka, MN, has awarded $1.6 million in early childhood health grants to 16 nonprofit organizations across Minnesota. Sawtooth Mountain Clinic (SMC) in Grand Marais is one of the recipients, receiving $100,000 to help fund its Cook County Oral Health Task Force (OHTF). Established in 1992, the Medica Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable grant-making organization dedicated to supporting community-based health programs and services. It is the charitable giving arm of Medica, a Minnesota-based health insurance business.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hhWRIg
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