TJ Rhodes

6 days ago | bemidjipioneer.com | TJ Rhodes

BEMIDJI — On Wednesday, Northern Township hosted its second town hall in the last month and a crowd of roughly 300 filled the Beltrami County 4-H building with curiosity about the proposed wastewater treatment facility, the incorporation process and neighboring Bemidji's involvement. Northern Township Attorney Mike Couri and Administrator Chris Lahn presented before welcoming attendees to a microphone for a public comment period.

1 week ago | bemidjipioneer.com | TJ Rhodes

BEMIDJI — Beltrami County staff deemed it necessary to begin working on the upcoming fiscal year budget sooner than usual because of unprecedented economic pressure. Beltrami County Administrator Tom Barry provided a financial overview during Tuesday's County Board of Commissioners meeting to detail this pressure, which includes cut and altered funding streams, unfunded mandates, tariffs, inflation and uncontrollable increases to utilities and insurances.

1 week ago | bemidjipioneer.com | TJ Rhodes

BEMIDJI โ€” Wastewater treatment facility projects are becoming a hot-button topic of discussion each week in Beltrami County. And Bemidji is now on the verge of completing a final clarifier project at its wastewater treatment facility, located between Lake Irving and Lake Bemidji. The project was approved in January 2024, but has been in the works for much longer. "Essentially in 2018, 2019, the city was experiencing pretty expansive growth," explained City Engineer Sam Anderson.

1 week ago | bemidjipioneer.com | TJ Rhodes

BEMIDJI — Northern Township has announced it will not be reentering wastewater service negotiations with the city of Bemidji. The township has instead opted to follow the process to incorporate with the state. Northern Township cites financial commitment, an operational timeline, resident directive and "practical governance" as deciding factors in the decision.

1 week ago | bemidjipioneer.com | TJ Rhodes

BEMIDJI — Churches, libraries and academia are, in some respect, pillars of the community. These pillars once steered clear of politics, providing a much-needed political sanctuary. But, according to Braver Angels co-founder Bill Doherty, politics have progressively seeped into these pillars, garnering polarization and making connections harder than before. He says affective social polarization has been on the rise for more than 40 years — it is not a recent phenomenon.