Keep up with Region 5

If you want to stay abreast of the good news in our growing communities, you’ve come to the right place. Members of the media can enter our Media Center for useful information, and everyone can sign up for our newsletter at the form below. Need something you don’t see here?

Reach out—we’re ready to chat.

Local Design Firm Thrives in Region 5

Monday, February 11, 2019

Rural towns have struggled for years with “brain drain,” the phenomenon where young people move away for college and job opportunities and don’t come back. But lately, some towns are experiencing a return migration of young people attracted by small town quality of life. They’re bringing their skills, energy and experience back home with them. Some young entrepreneurs are returning to start their own businesses, which provides a nice boost for local economies. A prime example of this is Digital Ink Design & Graphics in Baxter. Josh Goble grew up in Brainerd and started working for a local company in the sign...

Support Small Businesses on Nov. 24 and Beyond

Sunday, November 18, 2018

November 24 is Small Business Saturday, a shopping holiday that urges consumers to patronize small and independent businesses rather than online retailers or big box stores. American Express was behind the first Small Business Saturday, which started in 2010. The initial goal was to counter the negative effects of the recession on small businesses and local economies. The holiday quickly caught on. In 2011, the Senate passed a resolution in support of Small Business Saturday. Consumers have now spent an estimated $85 billion at independent retailers and restaurants over the eight Small Business Saturdays since its inception. Small Businesses Make a Significant Economic...

Lakes Area Supports Premiere Classical Music Festival

Monday, October 29, 2018

In the summer of 2009, Scott Lykins and a few of his colleagues from the Eastman School of Music organized some informal classical music concerts in the Brainerd area. They never anticipated their actions would help launch the premiere classical music festival in the Midwest. Lykins, a cellist who grew up in Brainerd, had returned for the summer with his friends to wait tables and enjoy the area’s lakes. The concerts were a practical way for them to keep up their performance skills before returning to school in the fall. “We didn’t know if anyone was going to show up to those...

Young Entrepreneur Saves Local Coffee Shop

Tuesday, September 04, 2018

Since 1972, the number of women-owned businesses in the U.S. has risen 3,000 percent. It’s an impressive statistic, especially considering the fact that women were required to have a male co-signer to get a loan until 1988. About a year ago, Lindsey Hirschey followed her dream of becoming a business owner when she took over the Stomping Grounds coffee shop in Staples. She says it took a “leap of faith” to make that transition into entrepreneurism. But her investment and hard work are paying off. Stomping Grounds has been a fixture in the small town for about 15 years. When Hirschey learned...