Minnesota
Bait and Tackle Shops Busy for Minnesota Fishing Opener – Fox21Online
FREDENBURG, Minn. –In the Land of 10,000 Lakes, the fishing opener is like an unofficial holiday for Minnesotans.
“It’s more than just a date on the calendar. It’s a tradition. It’s really kind of the kickoff to summer, it’s an essential part of being a Minnesotan,” Emily Manning, Fredenberg Minno-ette Inc. Store Manger said.
Across the state, boaters hit the water looking for some of Minnesota’s most popular fish including walleye, bass, and northern pike. But first, they hit the bait and tackle stores, including the Fredenburg Minno-ette just north of Duluth.
“I know it was good for our store, as well as all the bars and resorts around here. It’s a huge boost after a long winter for this area,” Manning said.
At the Minno-ette, live bait and lures were the hot ticket items. The shop was also stocked up with snacks, rods, nets and gas.
“We are a sporting goods store, a bait store, gas, general. We kind of have a little bit of everything, since we’re, located on the outskirts of town,” Manning said.
Anglers got an early morning start on Saturday as many lined up at four in the morning to pick up some last minute items, and it sounds like it was a successful opening weekend out there on the water.
“Sounds like people were doing really well. Some of the people that got here right at 4am actually came back around 9 because they had gone through all their bait. They were killing them out on Fish Lake for walleye, from what I’ve heard,” Manning said.
With the warm temps this year, anglers were ready to get their gear and bait and reel in big one.
“They’re always crazy busy for us. Thankfully, there was no, you know, horrible rain or wind or anything like that. So it’s, it’s been pretty on par with past seasons,” Manning said.
With Fredenburg being such a tight knit community, many of the opening day anglers make their stop at the Minno-ette an annual thing.
“This time of year, we get to see a lot of familiar faces, like the snow bird people who are coming back up to their cabins. And that’s always nice to just kind of rekindle that connection as well,” Manning said.
With the opener in the books, the season ahead looks to promise many early mornings and big catches.
Minnesota
Inver Grove Heights chosen as official location of Minnesota Hockey Hall of Fame
The future location of the Minnesota Hockey Hall of Fame (MNHHOF) will be in the city of Inver Grove Heights.
The future location of the Minnesota Hockey Hall of Fame (MNHHOF) will be in the city of Inver Grove Heights.
In the announcement made on Wednesday, the MNHHOF said the new site will be a 120,000-plus-square-foot, multi-purpose facility located adjacent to Interstate 494 and just east of Vikings Lakes and the Minnesota Vikings training complex.
“Since announcing this legacy project in August, the outpouring of support from players past and present, Minnesota-based companies, and hockey fans statewide has been overwhelming,” said MNHHOF CEO Natalie Darwitz. “We’re truly excited to build our permanent home in Inver Grove Heights, honoring the past and inspiring the future of Minnesota hockey.”
The current plans for the facility are to build it on a 40-acre section of land, featuring an ice rink, a 20,000-square-foot performance venue, a 30,000-square-foot museum, a hockey-themed restaurant and taproom and multiple event and community spaces.
“The City is thrilled that the Minnesota Hockey Hall of Fame has selected Inver Grove Heights as its home, and we look forward to welcoming them to our community,” said Inver Grove Heights Mayor Brenda Dietrich. “The site is in our Northwest Area, which has long been envisioned for major development, and the Hall of Fame offers the opportunity for new amenities and attractions that will benefit Inver Grove Heights for years to come.”
MNHHOF plans to break ground in 2026, with a planned opening in late 2028.
Minnesota
KSTP/SurveyUSA poll results: Trump, Walz both below 50% approval in Minnesota
KSTP/SurveyUSA poll results: Trump, Walz both below 50% approval in Minnesota
The political feud between President Donald Trump and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is frequently documented.
While both try to score political points with their criticism of each other, neither has much in the way of bragging rights when it comes to approval ratings in Minnesota.
According to our exclusive KSTP/SurveyUSA poll, the president has a 42% approval rating in Minnesota with 55% disapproval. That 13-point difference is six points worse than our last survey three months ago.
Trump retains the approval of 89% of Republicans but just 35% of independents.
“Trump is always running a bit below the national average in job approval in Minnesota and that is the case here,” says Carleton College political analyst Steven Schier. However, the newest Associated Press/Reuters poll showed the president with a 39% approval rating and 59% disapproval, slightly better than his Minnesota results.
The president’s approval is bogged down by a 43% approval of his handling of the economy.
Gov. Walz doesn’t fare much better in our survey. For the second survey in a row, Walz is at 48% approval and 48% disapproval. Those ratings are his lowest in the 20 times we’ve surveyed his approval in the past four years. He’s seeking an unprecedented third four-year term as governor of Minnesota.
“Gov. Walz’s approval puts him in sort of a flashing yellow light zone,” says Schier. “There’s some danger ahead. He’s below 50% approval.”
The Walz approval numbers are weighed down by just 14% who say he’s done enough to stop state government fraud.
Our survey included 35% Democrats, 31% Republicans and 29% independents.
SurveyUSA interviewed 650 adults from the state of Minnesota 12/09/25 through 12/12/25. Of the adults, 578 were identified as being registered to vote and were asked the questions which follow. This research was conducted online, using nonprobability sample of online adult panelists chosen randomly by Cint USA. The combined pool of survey respondents was weighted to US Census ACS targets for gender, age, race, education, and home ownership.
Minnesota
Red Lake Nation signs cannabis cooperative agreement with state of Minnesota
ST. PAUL – The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management and
Gov. Tim Walz
recently announced the signing of a cannabis cooperative agreement with
Red Lake Nation.
According to a release, the agreement outlines how the state of Minnesota and Red Lake Nation will protect the public health, safety and well-being of all Minnesotans regarding adult-use cannabis and supports Red Lake Nation’s tribal sovereignty, cultural identity and heritage.
“This partnership opens a new outlet for state-licensed cannabis businesses to access and sell legal cannabis and honors the independence of the members of the Red Lake Band,” OCM Executive Director Eric Taubel said in the release. “We look forward to their cooperation in bringing more cannabis supply to the state and seeing their cannabis operations develop and thrive while respecting the Red Lake Band’s autonomy.”
In Minnesota’s cannabis law, the legislature directed Walz to negotiate intergovernmental agreements with tribal nations sharing territory with Minnesota to strengthen public health and safety, secure an equitable and well-regulated cannabis market, and provide financial benefits to both the state and tribal nations.
Red Lake’s NativeCare dispensary
was the first in the state to sell legal, adult-use cannabis after the law legalizing cannabis took effect in August 2023. With this agreement in place, Red Lake is able to collaborate with state-licensed cannabis businesses and create partnerships.
“Our goal from the beginning has been to produce the highest quality cannabis products that are free of all toxins and impurities. Consistent testing has verified that we have reached our goal,” Red Lake Nation Chair Darrell Seki Sr. said in the release. “Now that our cooperative agreement with the state has been finalized, we are looking forward to sharing our top-shelf products with the Minnesota market.”
Compact negotiations continue between the state and tribal nations sharing territory with the state of Minnesota. To date, the state has signed compacts with White Earth Nation, Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Prairie Island Indian Community, Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe.
The state expects to announce additional tribal-state cannabis agreements soon.
Copies of signed, executed tribal-state cannabis compacts and cooperative agreements can be found on
OCM’s website.
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