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Mystery Cave believed to be the largest in Minnesota with 13 miles of passages, underground lakes

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Mystery Cave believed to be the largest in Minnesota with 13 miles of passages, underground lakes


FILLMORE COUNTY, Minn. — The Fillmore County countryside contains thousands of acres of green, lush farmland, but some people here believe what’s below the surface is just as beautiful.

“There are actually over 400 caves in this county. This just happens to be the largest of the caves,” said Greg Anderson, Assistant Cave Manager.

It was discovered by a man named Joe Pettey in 1937 and he may very well have been the first human to set foot inside. It got its name years later when a man named Clarence accidentally spilled a wheelbarrow full of debris while working at the cave. 

“And he turned to his co-workers and said it’s a mystery as to why anybody would want to work in a cave all day,” said Anderson.

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That’s how the name Mystery Cave was born. But there are reasons why Anderson enjoys working here all day.

“This is one of the great features in our cave known as Turquoise Lake,” said Anderson.

Turquoise Lake’s deepest point is 10 feet. Calcite crystals in the water give it its beautiful blue color.

Millions of years ago, the entire cave was underwater. Fossils are proof of that.

“It’s called a cephalopod. It’s an ancient relative of a squid or an octopus,” said Anderson while pointing at a fossil in the rock.

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But that’s not even close to the oldest thing you’ll find here.

The rock inside the cave is 450 million years old. To put into perspective how old that is, dinosaurs were here 65 million years ago.

It’s dark and damp in these corridors, but even still, bats, insects and one other little creature call the cave home.

“If you look at the surface of this pool, you’ll see what looks like little white specs of dust. Each one of those is alive,” said Anderson.

They’re called springtails and they feed off organic material in the water.

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“They are blind, colorless, invertebrates and they can move by flipping their tails,” said Anderson.

These days, visitors of all ages can visit a place that’s defied age. Even after millions of years, there’s always something new to discover.

“It was amazing. Great tour. Very cool to see. It’s unbelievable that we are in Minnesota, and we have this cave down here,” said Lucinda Rose, a visitor.

It’s also estimated that Fillmore County has about 10,000 sinkholes.

On Aug. 9 and 10, Mystery Cave will hold a dark sky festival where astronomy clubs from across the state will gather with their telescopes. For more information, you can check out the cave’s website.

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Minnesota

Minnesota staff drops in on 2026 ATH Roman Voss

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Minnesota staff drops in on 2026 ATH Roman Voss


The Minnesota coaching staff was on the road on Monday dropping in on top in-state prospects. Among those that the Gophers spent time with is elite in-state prospect Roman Voss.

The four-star prospect is ranked as the top prospect within Minnesota and a top-15 athlete nationally. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound Voss does a little bit of everything for Jackson County Central, playing quarterback, tight end, linebacker, and safety.

At the next level, many programs are looking at Voss as a likely tight end or linebacker where his 4.6 speed would be best utizilzed. The Gophers are among those teams and currently view him as a tight end.

Voss is among the Gophers’ top targets in the 2026 recruiting cycle and has already amassed a strong offer sheet with offers from Cal, Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas State, Wisconsin, and of course the Gophers.

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Minnesota high school sports: Scores and results for Monday, Jan. 6

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Minnesota high school sports: Scores and results for Monday, Jan. 6


• Orono 218.5, Benilde-St. Margaret’s 189, Bloomington 147.5. Medalist: Bennett Erickson, Benilde-St. Margaret’s, 49.71.

• Benilde-St. Margaret’s 190, St. Louis Park 170, Bloomington 169. Medalist: Ava Krueger, St. Louis Park, 50.28.

EASTERN MINNESOTA ATHLETIC

• Avail Acad. 68, Twin Cities Acad. 55

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Minnesota task force recommends decriminalization of magic mushrooms

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Minnesota task force recommends decriminalization of magic mushrooms


MINNEAPOLIS — A task force is recommending the decriminalization of magic mushrooms.

A nearly 200-page report from the Minnesota Psychedelic Medicine Task Force said psilocybin mushrooms show evidence they may improve mental health.

Logan Fleischman co-owns Wonderland Mushroom Dispensary in St. Paul, a shop specializing in mushroom-infused gummies and drinks that tout supposed real-life health benefits.

“We’re not saying that this certainly will give you energy or will give you focus, but for some people, it does help,” Fleischman said.

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Fleischman does not sell “magic mushrooms,” also known as psilocybin mushrooms, that cause hallucinations and are still illegal.
However, news of a state task force report that lays out potential health benefits, gives Fleischman hope.

“Really helping combat things like depression, anxiety, PTSD,” Fleischman said.

By a two-thirds supermajority, members of the Psychedelic Medicine Task Force are recommending the Minnesota Legislature create a state-regulated clinical program for the therapeutic administration of psilocybin-containing mushrooms, while removing criminal penalties for their use, and allocating for more funding for research on psychedelics, like psilocybin mushrooms.

The task force also looked at a clinical program for synthetic drugs like MDMA and LSD, but that didn’t garner enough support. There also was not enough support for a recreational market for magic mushrooms.

“The report itself is meant to be a long-term resource for the state,” said Jessica Nielson, chair of the task force. “We do need someone in the legislature to actually introduce the bill and move it through the system.”

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Minnesota Sen. Mark Koran, R-North Branch, a member of the task force, is optimistic.

“If we can get a true environment to have some research done and find an effective way to administer it, and we have the resources to do it here, then I would be all for moving it forward,” Koran said. 

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