MPR News shares most memorable stories from 2025
As 2025 closes out, we asked reporters and producers to share their favorite articles from this year. Here are the stories and their reflections.‘Burn ‘em!’: The deafening roar of drag racing returns to Minnesota’s oldest strip Before runs drivers do burnouts to heat up their tires leading to improved friction and traction for a better launch on May 3 in Glyndon.Mathew Holding Eagle III | MPR NewsTo be on hand for the reopening of Minnesota’s oldest drag strip was like witnessing history literally roar back to life. While this was a story about drag racing, at its core it was about something bigger … family. Chuck and Kyle Rolie were the driving force behind the track’s grand reopening. And part of the brothers’ motivation was to reclaim a family legacy that started with their grandfather — a former racer. Ultimately, the goal was to watch him do one final run down the strip — recapturing some of his former glory. While that didn’t happen this summer Chuck Rolie said his grandfather has been working on a vehicle for next season. So, stay tuned. — Mathew Holding Eagle III, reporter Listen to Mathew’s story hereMinneapolis’ first all-Native American fire crew is redefining what public safety looks likeFrefighter Johnny Crow, Capt. Michael Graves, firefighter Bobby Headbird and fire motor operator Jesse Strong pose for a portrait at Minneapolis Fire Station 6 on Nov. 21 in Minneapolis.Kerem Yücel | MPR NewsReporting on Engine 10’s A-shift at Minneapolis Fire Station 6 reminded me why I love being a journalist. This story was about more than observing fires and emergency calls — it was about spending time with Capt. Michael Graves, Jesse Strong, Johnny Crow, and Bobby Heardbird over multiple days and seeing the full scope of their work. My colleague Kerem Yücel and I joined them on shift, and I also followed them into the community while they were off the clock, including a visit to Anishinabe Academy where they mentored students, inspired future firefighters and built connections beyond the station. Being there in those moments revealed the depth of their commitment, showing how their shared Native heritage informs not only how they respond to emergencies, but how they actively foster trust and representation in a community that has long lacked both. Witnessing that firsthand made it clear why this story mattered: it wasn’t just about firefighting, it was about leadership, visibility, and the persistent work of making a difference every day. — Sarah Thamer, reporter Listen to Sarah’s story hereMinnesota baseball lovers make a pitch to honor bygone ballpark, 2 historic St. Paul teamsThe 1909 St. Paul Colored Gophers pose in front of the scoreboard.Courtesy of the National Baseball Hall of Fame LibraryI grew up a die-hard Twins fan. The ’87 and ’91 World Series highlights and subsequent parades are forever etched into my mind. Over the years, I’ve become less obsessed with baseball, though a good friend has me doing the Immaculate Grid every morning now. But that love of baseball came sweeping back when I read that there used to be a stadium on the Capitol grounds — a short-lived stadium that was home to the St. Paul Saints and the St. Paul Colored Gophers — a Black baseball team that in four years won more than 80 percent of its games. Old photos show the Pillbox stadium, built on about as tiny a parcel of land as you could put a field on, with the dome of the Capitol in the background. Local baseball historian Stew Thornley began a campaign last year to put a marker up to commemorate the stadium — an involved process that must clear many steps through the Capitol Area Architectural and Planning Board. It has since cleared many of those steps and could be approved in the coming months. “The chance to tell the story, the story of baseball, the story of the ballpark, but especially with the hidden history of Black baseball … many people here in Minnesota have been digging that history out and telling those stories,” Thornley said. “And this is one more way to do that.” How can you not be romantic about baseball? — Peter Cox, reporter Listen to Peter’s story hereAs milk prices dropped, these Minnesota farmers put their cows out to cuddleQuinci Schmidt and her brother, Caleb Scherber, pose in front of their calf cuddling business in Corcoran on Oct. 17.Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval | MPR NewsThis story really showed me how a joyous business, like cow cuddling can really hide a larger, sadder story. The farmers I had the pleasure of spending time with showed me how this side business of calf-cuddling helped them grow their income. But it was born out of a need to survive. Low dairy prices were affecting their regular business, so they needed an extra way to generate revenue. This story was an example of taking one farmer’s story and examining a broader issue affecting others. And beyond just sticking to the doom and gloom, this story evolved into an opportunity to share with people who maybe haven’t been to a farm, what their struggles are like. It’s just another piece of what makes Minnesota’s agriculture industry so interesting. Even if I produce one feature a week, it’ll take me years to fully understand the scope of our ag landscape. — Tadeo Ruiz Sandoval, reporter Listen to Tadeo’s story hereIn new U study, questions resurface over wakesurfing’s impact on Minnesota lakesZoe Zylstra, who has been wakeboarding since she was six years old, surfs behind a boat specially designed for wake sports on St. Albans Bay near Excelsior on July 22.Ben Hovland | MPR NewsOne of the best parts about living in Minnesota is spending time on the lake in the summer, and I try to get out as often as I can. With the popularity of wakesurfing on the rise, I’ve noticed boats are getting larger and more powerful. As an environmental reporter, I wondered how the large waves those boats create are affecting the lake’s health. When I learned that the University of Minnesota’s St. Anthony Falls Laboratory soon would release a long-awaited study of how wakesurfing boats affect lake bottoms, we decided it was a good time to take a deep dive on the issue.The story didn’t try to resolve the controversy over the sport, but sheds light on the impacts of powerful boat waves, and how boat users can be better stewards of the lake. — Kirsti Marohn, reporterListen to Kirsti’s story hereAt Welch Village, people living with disability learn courage through skiingKyle Gaffaney, left, and Dave Munson, right, volunteers with the Courage Kenny Alpine Ski & Snowboard Adaptive Program, set up Lonzo McHenry’s bi ski before going down a run at Welch Village on Feb. 9.Tom Baker for MPR NewsThis is my most memorable story of 2025 because the idea for it originated while I was doing something I love doing, and do a lot of in the winter: downhill skiing. One Saturday I was at Welch Village where I ski almost every weekend in the winter and I noticed a team of instructors wearing special vests that indicated they were teaching adaptive skiing. As it turns out, the adaptive skiing program at Welch is the oldest in the state, serving hundreds of people living with disabilities who might not otherwise experience the joy of skiing. It was a reminder to me that good stories are everywhere if you look closely enough — and that stories that delight and enlighten can be a great antidote to the tragedy, fear and loss that tend to dominate the headlines. — Catharine Richert, reporter Listen to Catharine’s story here‘Stop Killing Black People’: How a Minneapolis designer branded a movementDesigner and educator Terresa Hardaway shows off the original design for the Stop Killing Black People project inside Blackbird Revolt’s studio in Minneapolis on May 7.Ben Hovland | MPR NewsSince 2020, I had seen the chunky, offbeat vibrant typeface pop up around the country on protest signs, pins and other activist gear for years. There was something so alive about it; each letter has its own personality and jumps off the page. When I found out that it was created by a Minneapolis designer, Terresa Hardaway, and that it had a name — Stop Killing Black People — I had to know more. These are my favorite kind of stories to tell: Finding the people and meaning behind everyday things we take for granted, or passively engage with, like a typeface. It shows the quiet power of design, of the shape of letters, and how it can have a huge impact on spurring on movements. This is also a story about how an artist used their craft to process something horrific like the police murder of George Floyd and others, using it as a healing tool. One of my favorite things I learned from Hardaway is that the literal design itself is an act of resistance. SKBP is non-linear, so it breaks the dominant Western grid of design. Some of the typeface is on display for an exhibition Hardaway co-curated: “Resist & Reclaim: Exploring the Intersections of Black Liberation and Indigenous Sovereignty” on view through Feb. 28 at the Goldstein Museum of Design at the University of Minnesota. — Alex V. Cipolle, reporter Listen to Alex’s story hereTeacher showed ‘predatory grooming behaviors’ with Eagan High girls, police detective concludedThis story stood out to me this year first because of the immense courage it took for Hannah and Sophie to share their experiences and the thoughtfulness with which they examined systemic issues that not only affected them but had the potential to affect other students. This story was also memorable because of the reaction readers and listeners had to it. We’ve received so many stories from students who say they had similar experiences in other districts with other educators. We’ve also had educators and policy makers respond with questions and a desire to make changes to things like licensing processes and training in Minnesota. This is something we plan to continue reporting. — Elizabeth Shockman, reporter Listen to Elizabeth’s story hereAt Annunciation Church, lessons in grief, resiliency and the spiritual lives of childrenPeople embrace during a service outside Annunciation Church in Minneapolis on Sept. 27.Carly Danek for MPR NewsI wanted to tell a story that did its due diligence to the Catholic community impacted by the shooting at Annunciation church. I thought it would be important to tell a story about faith, religion and healing as a community reels from something violent and targeted. It took time to gain the trust of the clergy at Annunciation Church and to explain how I wanted to approach this story with care and respect. This story is memorable to me because I am proud of the conversation this story created about spirituality, children and healing through the lens of Catholicism. — Kyra Miles, reporter Listen to Kyra’s story hereDavis Moturi reflects on failed pleas to Minneapolis police that led to him being shot in his own yardDavis Moturi stands in the front yard of his home on March 24 in Minneapolis.Kerem Yücel | MPR NewsFor more than a year, Davis Moturi sought the help of the Minneapolis Police Department as he faced escalating harassment from his neighbor, including racial slurs and death threats. Ultimately, Moturi was shot and it took the police nearly five days to arrest the neighbor after that. The City Auditor’s office has not yet completed a review of the department’s response and has criticized the police department for being uncooperative and slowing down the review. I sat across from Moturi for about seven hours as he shared his story with me. There was so much more that we discussed about Moturi’s life experiences beyond being, as Police Chief Brian O’Hara put it, “failed” by MPD, that was not included in this story. But all of the conversation moved me and has stuck with me since. — Cari Spencer, reporter Listen to Cari’s story here20 years later, lives affected by the school shooting in Red Lake will be memorializedTwenty years of remembrance shirts and sweatshirts are distributed at Red Lake High School on Red Lake Reservation on March 19.Erica Dischino for MPR NewsMy editor Leah and I had talked about working in a ‘moment of silence’ in the reporting on how people from Red Lake are memorializing the school shooting that took place there more than two decades ago. We didn’t know how that would work, we just held that out as an aspiration. I was interviewing one of the principal organizers of this work at the site on Lower Red Lake where the memorial will be installed when a bald eagle came into view and circled overheard. And right away, the person I was interviewing paused to acknowledge what was happening. They simply said that it was a ‘good sign.’ For my interviewee, it affirmed their work on the project. I’ve witnessed similar moments, but never during the course of an interview. So, that felt really good. And it also presented my editor and me with an opportunity to observe a moment of silence in the audio version of the story. I hope people enjoy reading it and enjoy listening back. — Melissa Olson, reporter Listen to Melissa’s story hereA traditional gift: Mother and daughter share a bond through crafting star quiltsCarrie Minkel-Johnson (left) holds up a large handmade star quilt with her mother, Ruby Leith-Minkel in the quilting studio at the Lower Sioux Indian Community May 29.Ben Hovland | MPR NewsThis mother and daughter duo from the Lower Sioux Indian Community in southwest Minnesota share a bond through the act of crafting a traditional gift in Indigenous communities, star quilts. Daughter Carrie Minkel-Johnson said it was one of the last things her mother, Ruby Leith Minkel, needed to teach her. Through the passing of knowledge and sewing together, they say star quilts brought them closer together. To me, their story showcases how traditional knowledge is passed down from generation to generation. — Chandra Colvin, reporter Listen to Chandra’s story hereRed tape, rising costs slow efforts to rebuild businesses burned after Floyd’s murderLeeta Song poses for a portrait on May 19 in Minneapolis.Kerem Yücel | MPR NewsFive years after the 2020 civil unrest that followed George Floyd’s murder, there are still a handful of empty lots and buildings dotting the Twin Cities that were destroyed or damaged. I wanted to know why rebuilding was taking several years. This story was a fun, thorough journalism project. I started by driving to every lot in the Twin Cities that was damaged or destroyed in the unrest and calling up property owners to ask what they planned to do with their land — and why they hadn’t done it yet. I met neighbors who are deeply invested in their city, and working hard to build something cool for their community. So many people had really fascinating insight into what it takes to rebuild, and why there are unique barriers in this case. I was lucky to work on such a detailed reporting project and talk to so many people in these neighborhoods. I still hear references in national media to a burned-out city here; you’d think buildings were still up in smoke, to hear some people tell it. It felt important to dig into what the real challenges are — and the rebuilding success stories, too. — Estelle Timar-Wilcox, reporter Listen to Estelle’s story here‘Tinted windows and out-of-state plates’: How ICE watchers look for agents in their neighborhoodsLucia Webb keeps watch for federal agent vehicles outside a school in Minneapolis on Dec. 5.Ben Hovland | MPR NewsA professor I spoke to the other day told me we haven’t seen an immigration crackdown in the U.S. as extensive as the current administration’s for 75 years, if ever. But the federal government is releasing very little information about exactly what they’re doing or to whom. We pursued this story in the first days of ICE’s immigration enforcement crackdown in Minnesota as a way to show the public what was happening on the ground. What does it look like when federal law enforcement comes into our cities? What are the implications for rights we take for granted? How will residents respond? To me, this piece is a snapshot of the chaos and uncertainty in the early days of the immigration enforcement surge in Minnesota.— Jon Collins, reporter Listen to Jon’s story hereTiny houses provide a home for those struggling with housing instabilityThe Beary family — from left Avia, her parents Mischa and James — stand in front of their tiny home at Prince of Peace Church in Roseville on May 23.Regina Medina | MPR NewsI love hearing people’s stories, and this story was a highlight of the year for me for that reason. I loved touring people’s tiny homes, seeing how they used the space and getting a glimpse into their lives and what brought them to the community in the church parking lot. It’s a story about how to be a neighbor. The people in this tiny home community share a bathroom and a kitchen and they have to work together to make life comfortable. There is no running water in the tiny homes, so gathering water from the communal space is a physically demanding task, and neighbors and family members will help each other to complete it. It’s a lesson in what it means to be a good neighbor and build community. — Regina Medina, reporter Listen to Regina’s story here‘Motherpuckers’ teach women’s hockey with joy and inclusion, and a little irreverenceDuluth Motherpuckers co-founder Liesa Klyn watches the action and cheers on her fellow Motherpuckers during a scrimmage on Jan. 12 at the Glen Avon Hockey Club in Duluth.Derek Montgomery for MPR NewsThis has been a tough year to be a journalist in Minnesota — and a news consumer. There have been some incredibly traumatic and emotional events. Those stories are vitally important to grapple with.But a year like 2025 also highlights why it is really important to share stories of joy and inspiration and wonder that are all around us but are sometimes easy to ignore. And there’s perhaps no better story that captures those qualities than a story I told last winter of the “Motherpuckers,” a joyful, welcoming, supportive and sometimes irreverent group of beginner hockey players. Liesa Klyn, who helped start the team in Duluth, summed up the ethos of the group better than I ever could. “I love that at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter, I can fall down and I can fail, and I can get back up,” said Klyn. “It’s just pure joy. I think I laugh more here than at any other space in my life.” — Dan Kraker, reporter Listen to Dan’s story hereThe odd-looking, prehistoric paddlefish is making a comeback in Minnesota riversTony Sindt, left, and Hannah Anema, both river fishery specialists with the Department of Natural Resources, boat up the Minnesota River near St. Peter to collect data from a remote fish tracker on May 7.Jackson Forderer for MPR NewsA strange prehistoric fish made a comeback in Minnesota’s waters. I loved getting a chance to hop onto a boat and learn from scientists about the behaviors of paddlefish. It was such a memorable assignment — the wind in your face, the water splashing against the hull of the boat, and hearing birds in the distance. I learned so much about the comeback paddlefish are making in our state, and what the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ scientists are doing to track this. Any chance to make it out onto our state’s rivers is always a win.— Hannah Yang, reporter Listen to Hannah’s story hereMinnesota judges find joy in jamming, and a break from the stress of the benchThe Reasonable Doubts practice nearly every weekend in St. Cloud. The band, pictured on Aug. 24, is made up of current and retired judges and justices see the band as a stress reliever from their work.Aleesa Kuznetsov | MPR NewsWhen you think about judges, you picture someone very buttoned-up and professional. They wear a black robe and have a gavel. So, when I discovered a group of Minnesota judges and Minnesota Supreme Court justices had a band, it felt like a great opportunity to showcase a professional group doing something many people wouldn’t expect. The band named the Reasonable Doubts, invited me to their two-hour practice. Which was so much fun! And it made for a great radio story, to be able to weave the sound in of their greatest hits. The band plays a lot of classic rock covers and pop hits from artists like Beyoncé and Chappell Roan. Judges are public servants, but we don’t often get to see them as humans — outside of their profession. And many of them were vulnerable with me about the difficult demands of their jobs and how the band is a stress reliever. It was a unique opportunity to get to know the band members and share a side of them our audience may not get to see otherwise. — Aleesa Kuznetzov, producer Listen to Aleesa’s story hereInspection shortfalls, political pressures leave low-income renters vulnerable in greater MinnesotaIn June, the Bemidji City Council unanimously approved Red Pine Estates’ owner, Tom Schuett tax increment financing to tear down the current building to develop a new affordable housing unit. This Dec. 11, 2024, photo shows access points into the building have been boarded up for now.Mathew Holding Eagle III | MPR NewsIn 2023, my colleague Mathew Holding Eagle III covered an apartment closure in Bemidji. There had been an emergency evacuation at Red Pine Estates, where many low income residents lived, because inspectors had discovered the building was structurally unsound. I started to wonder, “How did this building fall into such a state of disrepair without anyone noticing?” The answer to that question was much more complex than I could have thought. Through my journey reporting on this over two years, I found that small cities have few resources to shut down apartment buildings, especially those that provide affordable housing. Because of this, rental properties can have serious problems that go unrepaired for long periods of time. The severe housing shortage across the state made it difficult for city leaders to hold landlords accountable. We uncovered a broken system that can leave low income renters vulnerable in smaller cities in Greater Minnesota. The story prompted lawmakers to begin rethinking how to equip cities with more resources to handle inspections and how to best keep low income renters safe. — Ellie Roth, producer Listen to Ellie’s story here‘I love it’: How a ‘Log-Off Lunch’ helps high schoolers break away from phonesA stack of cell phones, headphones, and airpods are stacked on a table of students at Two Rivers High School on March 19.Judy Griesedieck | MPR NewsThis story made me question my own relationship with my phone. The world has been quick to embrace technology, but rarely stops to question its harmful impacts. Young people are now doing that and making efforts to take back control of their digital lives.My reporting took me to Two Rivers High School in Mendota Heights, where a group of high schoolers were asking important questions: Why do I use my phone? How does it make me feel? Is it getting in the way of my relationships and experience of the world? What can I do to have a healthier balance with social media?It was inspiring to watch young people think critically about their screen use and even create a challenge to get their peers off their phones during the lunch period. The story is a reminder that we should examine how technology affects our lives and push ourselves to build better digital habits that protect our mental health.— Nicole Ki, reporter Listen to Nicole’s story here‘Our way of life’: State Fair traditions keep a Minnesota farm family close across generationsKate (from left), Britta and Aubree Schmidt walk to the barn with Sam the spaniel and Jet the corgi on their family’s farm near New Ulm on July 16.Ben Hovland | MPR NewsMy mom grew up on a farm in west-central Minnesota and camped at the Minnesota State Fair with her family every year. Because of her, I also love the fair. I knew attending the event was different for farm kids, and my conversations with the Schmidt family proved that. I met the Schmidt’s my first summer at MPR News when I wrote a story about their family having three Princess Kay of the Milky Way butterhead sculptures. I connected with them again when I was searching for a farming family to follow. I spent several interviews speaking with each generation of the family, going to the farm, visiting them at the county fair and watching them show cattle. The Schmidt’s welcomed me with open arms into their Little Women-esque world. The three sisters I shadowed left me in awe. Balancing school, friendships, family and being a teenager — they dominated the showmen world. I learned so much about what it means to be a young woman in that sport and how rich 4-H kids make our state. — Sam Stroozas, digital producerListen to Sam’s story hereRain or shine, they keep strumming at the Silver Creek International Ukulele CarnivalTwo Harbors Ukulele Group member Roger Fransene at the Ukulele Garage Sale at the Silver Creek International Ukulele Carnival on Aug. 16.Anika Besst | MPR News I first learned of Two Harbors Ukulele Group, or T.H.U.G., from arts editor Max Sparber. I snatched up his pitch and I’m glad I did. T.H.U.G. is a ukulele group with a name to remember, but, more comprehensively, it’s a community of joy and music-making.I had the opportunity to visit for a rehearsal in March and kept hearing about their annual Silver Creek International Ukulele Carnival that draws folks from across the nation and beyond. I couldn’t help but head back for the fest. It was there I was able to officially meet the group’s most senior member Roger Fransene. He spent the afternoon sharing his sheet music with me, an incredibly green ukulele player, and I was able to steal wisdom from Francene beyond strum technique. I learned never reject the opportunity to take up a new hobby, embrace community whenever given the opportunity and an outfit is always better with uke socks.— Anika Besst, digital producerListen to Anika’s story hereTwo ‘Love is Blind’ participants spill tea ahead of Minneapolis season debutThis is from my month or so covering the Minneapolis season of “Love is Blind” earlier this year. I’m not a big reality TV show fan, but it was fun. I am admittedly a romantic. With this story, I enjoyed chatting about a different approach to finding love. I was surprised to hear people would recommend the reality TV route.Overall, it was fascinating to explore all the ways a show could have a local impact. Beyond matchmaking, “Love is Blind” contributed nearly $2 million to the Twin Cities economy and sparked conversations about politics and representation. I got to share behind-the-scenes insights about the season and hopefully helped humanize show participants.— Feven Gerezgiher, reporterMPR News Reverb team members Anne Guttridge (left) and Feven Gerezgiher (center right) interview “Love is Blind” participants Kylie Schuelke and Vanessa Boreland on the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis on Feb. 12.Ben Hovland | MPR NewsThis Minnesotan’s crop art is in the Smithsonian American Art MuseumWalking into Liz Schreiber’s Minneapolis home, I felt like I was about to meet a rockstar. Shreiber is the reigning queen of crop art at the Minnesota State Fair. She has entered every year since 2004 and she created the commemorative art for the fair in 2023. Earlier this year, she was commissioned by the Smithsonian American Art Museum to create a promotional image for their state fair exhibition.I met Schreiber when my colleague, arts reporter Alex V. Cipolle, interviewed her for a story about the commissioned work. Over the next hour, I listened as they chatted and I couldn’t help but scan my eyes throughout Schreiber’s studio. As an aspiring crop artist, it was surreal to sit in the room where it all happens. Hearing her talk about her creative process and the dedication it takes to create these detailed pieces was inspiring. I could still feel the creative energy of the artist and her space as I edited the video.— Anne Guttridge, producer
Publicado: 2025-12-22 10:00:00
fonte: www.mprnews.org
