A Minnesotan’s Etsy shop has gone viral – TikTokers can’t seem to get enough of her art – maybe because it’s created by rats. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3ZolaMX
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70 YEARS OF STRONG JOBS AND ECONOMIC IMPACT: The Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery is Minnesota’s largest and most active work site, driving economic impact for local communities. The refinery is busy with plumbers and pipefitters, carpenters and electricians, engineers and environmental scientists, software and IT specialists — there are more than 1,000 full-time employees and, at times, more than 3,000 contractors working on-site on any given day. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3ZQQsMp (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:
SKATEBOARDS: Via KAAL-TV, VERBATIM: “Ashon Evenson rolled around in the Austin skatepark on his brand new skateboard Friday. He’s a bit of a young daredevil, asking his mom to skate down the steep ramps and try out different tricks. The sun was out Friday and Ashon was joined by members of his family and one man who provided him with the board. Joe Engelhart said he lives in the area and collects skateboards. He posted a photo on Facebook telling people he put some skateboards out at the park and they were free for the taking. That’s when Ashon’s mother, Aleia Evenson, grabbed one for her son.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/447T0Z5
MORE: Via City of Skate, VERBATIM: “After more than seven years of dedicated advocacy and collaboration, City of Skate is proud to announce the awarding of eight public skatepark grants totaling $4 million across the State of Minnesota. This historic investment, made possible through state funding, marks a major milestone in expanding access to high-quality, community-driven skateparks. Skateboarding continues to grow in popularity, particularly among youth and underserved communities. Yet, despite its rise, quality public skateparks remain in critically short supply. These grants will help fill that gap by supporting the construction and improvement of safe, inclusive skate spaces in cities across Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3HNN7aK
COLLECTION: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “The Givens Collection of African American Literature and Life marks its 40th anniversary this month in 2025 with a sweeping exhibit and a renewed call to community: to remember, reclaim, and reimagine the power of Black cultural memory in Minnesota. Housed in the Elmer L. Andersen Library at the University of Minnesota, the Givens Collection is one of the most comprehensive archives of African American literature and cultural history in the Upper Midwest, spanning more than 250 years. To honor this legacy, the university will unveil a major exhibit on Oct. 23 titled ‘The Circle Unbroken,’ celebrating 40 years of community stewardship and the Givens Collection.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jEzQPj
SCHOLARSHIPS: Via Blaze, VERBATIM: “Blaze Credit Union has continued its longstanding commitment to support the educational aspirations of students in the communities it serves by awarding $100,000 in scholarships to 40 deserving individuals. The Blaze Credit Union Foundation Board selected the 2025 scholarship recipients based on academic performance, community involvement, volunteering, school activities, need, and other accomplishments, with consideration for first-generation college students.”
CAMP FIRE: Via news release from Camp Fire Minnesota, VERBATIM: “Camp Fire Minnesota is excited to announce the opening of its restored waterfront on Lake Minnewashta in Excelsior, Minn. Through a $100,000 grant from the CenterPoint Energy Foundation, Camp Fire Minnesota has implemented sustainable design practices for shoreline restoration, while creating opportunities for more young people to participate in science education and outdoor activities.”
SOLAR: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “When twin sisters Mauren and Zoe Pierson and their friend Kate Yapel walked across the stage last week in Duluth to receive their high school diplomas, they were celebrating much more than a graduation. They were also marking the end of a journey they began as pint-sized sixth graders, when they first began pushing the Duluth school district to install solar panels on the roof of their school. To them, it seemed like a no-brainer, an easy-to-fulfill request that made sense for the planet and the school. That’s when they learned their first hard lesson: Getting adults to listen to reason isn’t easy.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3SKVruq
TEACHERS: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “It’s no surprise Mikisha Nation was recently named a Women in Business 2025 Honoree by the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal. She is beyond passionate about the work she does as executive director of Teach For America Twin Cities (TFA Twin Cities). ‘We can do hard things and we can collaborate and we can make change happen for our students and our babies,’ Nation said. The public will have an opportunity to collaborate with TFA Twin Cities at the organization’s 15th Anniversary Celebration and fundraiser on Saturday, June 14, at Children’s Theatre Company in Minneapolis.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45MdcAX
BWCA: Via The Bemidji Pioneer, VERBATIM: “Students at Voyageurs Expeditionary High School got a taste of the wilderness earlier this week, as Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness visited Bemidji to prepare students for their upcoming trip to the Boundary Waters in July. Students signed up for the trip in the fall, when FBWW first visited the charter school to give students general outdoor education through their No Boundaries to the Boundary Waters program. Now that the trip is right around the corner, Rachel Hedlund of FBWW gave students a refresher during her visit on Monday.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SKUn9N
FOOTBALL: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Minnesota's second annual high school girls flag football state championship at TCO Stadium is showcasing top teams like undefeated Mahtomedi, Anoka, and Minnetonka. This year's event highlights the huge growth of the sport, with 51 schools now playing. It's testament to the sport's rapid rise and the Vikings' key support that's removing financial hurdles for players like those on the Burnsville Blaze.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3HNHjhu
HOCKEY: Via Minnesota News Network, VERBATIM: “Hockey fans across Minnesota are invited to submit their favorite hockey photo and a brief comment about the game’s impact on their lives for a massive virtual mosaic that will celebrate the sport’s rich legacy across Minnesota. The project is the latest element of ‘Assist26,’ a 12-month community-centered initiative creating lasting impact across the State of Hockey ahead of the 50th International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship in December.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kT9ISh
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)
ARTS: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “Fifty years after the first wave of Southeast Asian migration to the United States, a new art exhibit at Xia Gallery in St. Paul asks what it means to call this country home — and how queerness, memory and cultural survival shape that experience. Just a few miles away, more than 100 artists will fill Swede Hollow Park for the annual ‘Art in the Hollow’ festival, featuring live music and dance. And in Minneapolis, Ponca artist Julie Buffalohead honors her tribal heritage through rawhide sculptures and paintings that draw on personal family stories and ancestral memory.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jOMOtR
GRANTS: Via news release from St. Louis Park-based Bridgewater Bank, VERBATIM: “Bridgewater Bank, in partnership with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (FHLB Des Moines), has awarded $800,000 to 23 local nonprofit organizations through the 2025 Member Impact Fund, a matching grant initiative focused on strengthening affordable housing and community development efforts. The Member Impact Fund provides members with up to $3 in matching funds for every $1 contributed to eligible nonprofits. Beyond its previously planned 2025 charitable giving, Bridgewater Bank committed an additional $100,000, resulting in a significantly larger pool of support for nonprofit partners serving Minnesota communities.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dQ3EXG
GRANTS: Via Worthington Globe, VERBATIM: “Minnwest Bank, in partnership with Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, has awarded two Slayton nonprofit organizations with grants through the Member Impact Fund. Each recipient organization was nominated by local Minnwest Bank staff, with Minnwest Bank submitting a donation and FHLB Des Moines matching the donation three-fold. In total, Minnwest Bank donated $245,100 to 50 Minnesota nonprofit organizations, with FHLB Des Moines contributing $735,300, for a total award of $980,400.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jJOncy
SCHOLARSHIPS: Via KQDS-TV, VERBATIM: “Local 101 in Duluth is once again opening up their Ernest Butler and Pamela Wutz Scholarship to those looking to explore a career in fighting fires. The scholarship, which has been given out each year since 2021, is funded by the Local 101 Firefighters Union, as they hope to give a helping hand to prospective members of their organization.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3HAm1nB
TONIGHT: Via KNSI-Radio, VERBATIM: “The nerves are real, the sequins are shining, and the stakes couldn’t be higher as six community figures prepare to trade their day jobs for dance shoes at Tuesday’s Women’s Fund Presents: Dancing with Our Stars Live. The ninth annual fundraising event gives community leaders a chance to samba and waltz their way to $15,000 for the nonprofit of their choice. The competition will tango from 5:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the College of Saint Benedict, and tickets are still available.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3FHhQ8Y
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