Elk River leaders are moving to keep Minnesota’s retired state flag flying in the city after residents backed the idea in a survey.

The Elk River City Council voted 5-0 on Monday night to draft a resolution to display the old flag instead of the new design adopted two years ago.

The move came after more than 1,000 residents responded to an online survey posted by the city. In that survey, the city says almost 75% supported displaying the old flag.

A final council vote is expected at its next meeting on the 20th.

Minnesotans hold onto old habits when buying a state flag

Other cities across the state have taken similar steps to fly the retired flag, including Champlin and Zumbrota.

The flag design turned into a political dispute when planning for a new design first began. Two years later, debates continue, with some believing the old flag celebrated the displacement of Native Americans and others embracing it due to its history.

Lawmakers, commission member discuss new legislation for state flag, seal designs

Morgan Luebbering, a senior in early childhood education at Missouri S&T, has earned the Missouri Teacher Leaders of Tomorrow Award from the Missouri Milken Educators in partnership with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Luebbering was a student-teacher at Mark Twain Elementary School in Rolla, Missouri, in the fall 2025 semester.

Missouri Teacher Leaders of Tomorrow celebrates educators who have demonstrated high potential and aims to empower recipients by pairing them with another award-winning educator who will encourage them to pursue excellence during their first year as a teacher.

Only 15 students in Missouri earn the award each year, and this is the third year in a row that a Missouri S&T education student or graduate has earned the award.

“Morgan was nominated by the university’s education department because she is an exceptional student who will make a big difference in students’ lives in the future,” says Dr. Mary Gillis, associate teaching professor of education at Missouri S&T. “The faculty have been impressed by her efforts during her student-teaching experience and her dedication to improving in the classroom. I know she will inspire generations of students, especially those who want to learn science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the future.”

Luebbering, originally from St. Thomas, Missouri, will graduate from S&T this May and is already scheduled to start teaching full time in the fall at Thorpe Gordon STEM Academy in Jefferson City, Missouri.

About Missouri S&T

Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T) is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to the Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu. 

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