WADENA, MINN (KWAD) As summer vacation winds down, Minnesota families are shifting their focus to school preparations—and experts say mental health check-ins should be part of that back-to-school routine. While many parents are scheduling immunizations and sports physicals, mental health professionals encourage them to also assess how their children are coping emotionally with the return to…
FRAZEE, Minn. (KWAD) – Brandon Olson, a volunteer assistant coach of the Frazee High School football and baseball teams, has been honored as a Minnesota Positive Coach of the Year by Positive Athlete, a national nonprofit dedicated to transforming youth sports into a positive and character-building experience. The award recognizes coaches who not only teach…
WADENA, Minn. (KWAD) — On Thursday, July 31, 2025, Dairy Queen fans in Wadena and across the country can turn their sweet tooth into a force for good during Miracle Treat Day. For every Blizzard Treat purchased at participating DQ® locations, $1 or more will be donated to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, directly supporting local…
MINOT, N.D. (KWAD)— Country artist Zach Top has been announced as the first headline act for the 2026 North Dakota State Fair, joining the Grandstand lineup on Thursday, July 23, 2026. The State Fair will run from July 17 to July 25, 2026. The announcement comes on the heels of record-breaking attendance at the 2025…
FERGUS FALLS, Minn. (KWAD) — The City of Fergus Falls Public Arts Commission is now accepting submissions for the 2026 Fergus Falls Sculpture Walk, a year-long outdoor exhibition set to transform the city’s downtown into a vibrant public art experience. Artists from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Wisconsin are encouraged to apply by…
STAPLES, Minn. (KWAD) — For more than five decades, Glen Hasselberg didn’t just coach golf—he built a culture. The 76-year-old Staples resident recently announced his retirement after 51 years as head coach of the Staples-Motley girls’ golf team and 26 years leading the boys’ program. He’s the only girls’ coach the school has ever had….
As another school year approaches, many of Minnesota’s smaller school districts are bracing to do more with less. For educators like Joe Gould, a high school social studies teacher in Cass Lake, the ongoing funding challenges have become not only routine but increasingly unpredictable. This week, Gould is in Washington, D.C., attending conferences hosted by…
STAPLES, Minn. (KWAD) — A local music legend will soon be honored with one of the highest recognitions in the Staples-Motley community. Longtime choir director Stan Carlson has been named the first-ever inductee into the Staples-Motley High School Artistic Hall of Fame, recognizing his decades of musical excellence, education, and deep-rooted community impact. The official…
GRAND FORKS, N.D (KWAD). — The University of North Dakota men’s hockey program is turning the page on its jersey design—ushering in a new era with classic nods to the past and a notable change up front. UND revealed four new hockey jerseys on Thursday for the 2025-26 season, made by new manufacturer CCM, which…
WADENA, Minn. (KWAD) — A thick band of wildfire smoke drifting south from Canada is once again blanketing much of Minnesota in a hazy, unhealthy cloud. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MNPCA) issued an air quality alert Wednesday afternoon that remains in effect through 11 p.m. Friday for nearly the entire state. The alert comes…