Minnesota News

LIVE: Baby Red Panda Progress

They're tiny, but tough -- and they're the future of an endangered species.

After an eight-year-long break, the folks at the Red River Zoo are doing it all over again: the sleepless nights, the worry, the fussing over how much is eaten and how much weight is gained, the long hours spent staring at the little ones asleep. There is a bumper crop of brand-new red panda babies born through the zoo’s world-famous…

Fully vaccinated Americans may enter Canada as of mid-August

TORONTO – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada could start allowing fully vaccinated Americans into Canada as of mid-August for non-essential travel and should be in a position to welcome fully vaccinated travelers from all countries by early September. Trudeau spoke with leaders of Canada’s provinces and his office released a readout of the call. He noted that if Canada’s…

New restrictions in BWCA due to Canadian wildfires

Delta Lake Fire near Ely ELY, Minn. – The Forest Service has announced new temporary travel restrictions in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area over concerns that large wildfires burning in Canada could spread across the border. The new closures include travel, campsites and portages along and near Iron and Crooked lakes along the border north of Ely, as well as…

Kvalvogs file civil rights lawsuit against State Patrol & Park Christian

Lawsuit allegations claim Minnesota State Patrol and Park Christian School covered up facts in the crash that killed their two teenage sons.

MOORHEAD, Minn. (KVRR) — The parents of Zachary and Connor Kvalvog, who died in a pickup crash on I-94 in 2015, are talking about their lawsuit allegations against Minnesota State Patrol and Park Christian School. “Zach’s not here… and they know the truth, the people on the other side… they’re pure evil,” Raymond Kvalvog said. Emotions run high as Katherine…

Walz signs order banning conversion therapy for minors

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Gov. Tim Walz has signed an executive order aimed at banning conversion therapy.  Walz says it’s just a start and called on the Legislature Thursday to make it permanent. Minnesota is now one of about 24 states that restrict mental health professionals from seeking to change a person’s sexual orientation. Eleven Minnesota cities already have bans, including…

Line 3 pipeline opponents appeal to Minnesota Supreme Court

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Tribal and environmental groups opposed to Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 oil pipeline have asked the Minnesota Supreme Court to overturn a lower court decision affirming the approvals of the project. The state Commerce Department, which was part of the earlier appeal, is not joining in the appeal this time. The legal move comes as protests continue…

Giant goldfish recently found in Minnesota lake causing concerns

MINNESOTA & NORTH DAKOTA (KVRR) – “From parakeets to rabbits to goldfish,” recalled North Dakota Game and Fish Biologist Doug Leier; we’re hearing more and more these days about unwanted pets ending up on the streets. Well, unwanted pet goldfish are ending up in public lakes. That’s a problem because, “We get concerned about the potential for viruses, the potential…

Those without health conditions still at risk during high air quality alert

"In Fargo, Moorhead and Grand Forks we're forecasting red air quality which is unhealthy for all individuals."

NORTH DAKOTA & MINNESOTA (KVRR) — Air conditions are on high alert as wildfires in parts of the U.S and Canada are pushing smoke through the upper Midwest. With several large fires burning across Montana, Wyoming and Canada, officials from the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality are warning people on how the hazy and smoky conditions may affect them….

Minnesota Auditor Found No Evidence of Overpaying For Saliva Testing

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Office of the Legislative Auditor says it found no evidence that Minnesota overpaid two companies it hired to conduct COVID-19 saliva testing. Instead, the auditor found that managed care organizations, acting on behalf of the state, scrutinized the claims and paid just a fraction of the amounts originally billed. Minnesota Department of Health signed an…