HACKENSACK, Minn. — October 10, 2026 (Minnesota Nice News)
Minnesota news from across nice region of Minnesota for the week of Saturday, Oct. 3, through Friday, Oct. 9, summarized and linked to the outlet that reported it. Pour a cup of coffee and grab a bar. This goes quick. Every story in the Memo links to its original source. Click through and give those reporters a little Minnesota nice.
From Minnesota Nice News
The Family Mask: A Veteran’s Book on Life After the Uniform
BRAINERD, Minn. — Oct. 5, 2026 (Minnesota Nice News) Army veteran and counselor Steve Hudgins of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, wrote “The Family Mask,” a book about the roles families take on to survive trauma and how veterans can heal after they leave the service. He pledged the first 24 hours of Kindle sales to four veterans organizations.
Statewide
Lilian Chebii sets a Twin Cities Marathon course record
Lilian Chebii of Kenya won the women’s race Oct. 4 in 2:25:26, breaking a course record that had stood since 2001, MPR News reports. Victor Shitsama won the men’s race in 2:12:20, and more than 30,000 runners signed up for the weekend’s races, a record for the event.
Source: MPR News
The Heights Theater turns 100
The Heights Theater in Columbia Heights marked 100 years Oct. 8 with a week of films that closed with “Babylon” on 70 mm film, MPR News reports. The Central Avenue movie house calls itself the Twin Cities’ longest-operating theater, and it just added a 4K laser projector and surround speakers.
Source: MPR News
Lakes Country
Fall color hits full peak up north
The whole North Shore, Cass County, Itasca State Park and Mille Lacs Kathio State Park reached full peak color, KNSI reports, citing the DNR’s fall color map. Highs in the 80s were in the forecast for the weekend of Oct. 10, MPR News reports, which makes for leaf peeping in shirtsleeves.
Source: KNSI
Walleyes head up the Rainy River
Walleyes kept moving out of Lake of the Woods and into the Rainy River, and the bite was building right along with them, Outdoor News reports. The fall river bite is open for business.
Source: Outdoor News
DNR picks its pheasant and turkey stamp artists
Heidi Haugen of Farmington won the DNR’s pheasant stamp contest and Stephen Hamrick of Lakeville won the turkey stamp contest, the DNR announced Oct. 5. John Barnard of Virginia placed second for the pheasant stamp; Haugen’s painting goes on the 2027 pheasant stamp and Hamrick’s on the 2028 turkey stamp.
Source: Minnesota DNR
Community
St. Cloud cuts the ribbon on a rebuilt Whitney Regional Park
St. Cloud set an Oct. 7 ribbon cutting for Whitney Regional Park, which now has eight pickleball courts, 12 soccer fields, new trails and a large all-abilities playground, KNSI reports. The roughly $5.6 million project grew out of a plan first drawn up in 2017, and Mayor Jake Anderson was set to hit the ceremonial first serve.
Source: KNSI
The William A. Irvin haunts Duluth again
The Duluth Haunted Ship opened its 31st season aboard the 610-foot William A. Irvin with a new theme, “Captain’s Curse,” Northern News Now reports. It runs Thursdays through Saturdays all October, and a new lights-on Not-So-Haunted Tour with no actors aboard runs select Saturday afternoons.
Source: Northern News Now
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