On the same day a St. Paul firefighter’s name was added to the national Fallen Fire Fighter Memorial, two fellow Minnesota firefighters were on a 150-mile, nine-day trek to raise awareness and funds for firefighter well-being.

St. Paul firefighters Larry Goodman, left, and Kyle Bode, second right, with singer and songwriter Ozzy Osbourne and his wife, Sharon Osbourne, right, at the Starkey Hearing Foundation gala in St. Paul in 2010. (Courtesy of Kyle Bode)

St. Paul Fire Capt. Kyle Bode was initially supposed to attend the ceremony in Colorado as his friend Larry Goodman was memorialized. Goodman was a longtime St. Paul firefighter who retired as a captain in October 2022 and died from brain cancer in January 2024 at age 57.

But when the Minnesota Firefighter Initiative’s executive director asked Bode if he’d take part in the walk for the nonprofit, he couldn’t say no.

“I thought it would be a good way to honor Larry and I think it’s important to try to take care of our firefighters that we have right now,” Bode said.

Bode and Excelsior firefighter Doug Foote ended their journey from Duluth at the Minnesota Fallen Firefighter Memorial on the Capitol grounds in St. Paul on Sunday.

The two men, trailed by a small crowd, arrived at the memorial with huge grins on their faces. Amid cheers and applause, they ended their walk by hugging one another.

Doug Foote (left) and Kyle Bode cross the finish line for the “Miles for MnFire” walk in St. Paul on Sept. 21, 2025. Foote and Bode walked 150 miles over the course of eight days in hopes of spreading awareness about firefighters’ health. (Claudia Staut / Pioneer Press)

Stopped at fire stations along the way

In 2021, Foote held the first Miles for MnFIRE, walking 200 miles from Marietta, Minn., to St. Paul. He raised awareness along the way and about $20,000 for MnFIRE.

This year, the second time for the walk, Bode joined Foote. He’s the St. Paul Fire Department’s health and wellness coordinator, and is also a peer supporter and trainer for MnFIRE.

Foote and Bode started at the Duluth Fire Department headquarters on Sept. 13 and walked south, passing through Moose Lake, Hinckley, North Branch, Forest Lake and more. They carried a firefighter flag and another flag for MnFire.

Kyle Bode’s nephew waves a flag in preparation for Bode and Doug Foote to show up in St. Paul on Sept. 21, 2025. (Claudia Staut / Pioneer Press)

“This has been a walk about hope and spreading hope,” Foote said on Sunday. “My desire is that people will feel uplifted from this walk. Firefighters don’t care about what your politics are, your creed, your religion, they just want to help you out. And hopefully people will be inspired by that and donate.”

They stopped at fire stations and they said their favorite part of the walk was meeting all the firefighters in small towns along the way. And some firefighters and families joined them along their route. They averaged about 20 miles a day, mostly walking 16-17 minute miles.

Both firefighters said the toughest part was Wednesday when temperatures soared and they left the trail to walk along Highway 61 in Hinckley in the heat, but that the people who came out to support them during those 24 miles helped “keep their spirits up,” Bode said.

It was Bode’s birthday on Thursday — he turned 43 — “and I was trying to keep it a secret,” he said, but word got out. During a gathering that day with firefighters and community members in Harris, Minn., they had a cake for him and sang “Happy Birthday.”

Along with getting together as friends, the two men also discussed the possibility of doing the walk again together in a few years, Bode said.

Bonded during the walk

The two firefighters had never met before they set out on a 156-mile walk. Nine days later, they had a unique and special bond.

“I think as a firefighter there are certain things you see that not everybody sees, and the intimacy that is created from those shared experiences and the real trauma that you go through … unless you’re a fellow firefighter” it’s hard to explain, Foote said.

The experiences they’ve both had and shared with each other on the road “bond us in a way that is very, very unique,” he said. “He’s an inspiration.”

Bode expressed similar feelings, saying the two men are going to get together again outside of the fundraiser.

“We walked 156 miles so we got to know each other quite a lot,” Bode said. “And I think we both care about the same things — about firefighter health and wellness and we’re both family men — so I think we just got along. We’ve both been firefighters for about the same length of time, so we just had a lot in common.”

Caring for firefighters

A signed flag blows in the wind in St. Paul on Sept. 21, 2025. (Claudia Staut / Pioneer Press)

MnFIRE says they educate firefighters about their higher risks for cardiac issues, emotional trauma and cancer. They provide information about preventative measures and resources for Minnesota firefighters.

The nonprofit advocated to increase state funding for firefighter health and the legislature passed the Hometown Heroes Assistance Program in 2021, which provides no-cost counseling and peer support; funds for medical expenses for cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder or a heart attack; and training around the state.

“MnFIRE is there to take care of the firefighters, so the firefighters can take care of the community and make it stronger and healthier for everyone,” Bode said.

Two Minnesota firefighters memorialized in Colorado

Two Minnesota firefighters were recognized at a Saturday ceremony at the International Association of Fire Fighters’ memorial in Colorado Springs, Colo. Etched in the memorial are names of firefighters who died in the line of duty.

Firefighter/Paramedic Adam Finseth (Courtesy of the City of Burnsville)

In addition to Goodman, Burnsville Firefighter/Paramedic Adam Finseth‘s name was also added to the memorial. He was fatally shot in an ambush that also killed two Burnsville police officers in February 2024.

This year’s ceremony recognized firefighters who died in 2024 or whose names were submitted last year.

To donate

Donations for Miles for MnFIRE are being accepted at charity.pledgeit.org/milesformnfire2025.

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Yes, there was plenty of music to be enjoyed at Farm Aid at Huntington Bank Stadium on Saturday, the first time in the organization’s 40-year history that Minnesota has played host.

But at its core, the festival is about building economic and political support for family farmers and sustainable, small-scale agriculture, and that goal was front and center at Farm Aid 40.

During an invitation-only panel discussion before the concert for the media, farmers, organizers and other guests, musicians and Minnesota farmers highlighted the importance of events like Farm Aid in supporting family farmers across the country.

“The face of agriculture is changing, and we have to be able to support everybody who wants to come and do this work, because it’s hard work,” Kelsey Zaavedra, who runs Heirloomista farm in Chisago County and advocates for other young farmers, said during the panel discussion.

Farmers were struggling in the ‘80s, which is what sparked musicians Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp to stage the first Farm Aid in 1985. And farmers are still struggling now, panelists said, with challenges ranging from climate change to global trade policy to corporate consolidation.

“I’ve been farming for a long time, and there’s never been an aspect of farming that wasn’t in crisis,” said southwest Minnesota farmer and Minnesota Department of Agriculture farm advocate Ruth Ann Karty. “We all work together, we belong together, we know what our heritage is and it’s not that we have to do this — it’s that we love to do this.”

The message that uplifting small, independent family farms is inherently and vitally anti-corporate was pervasive throughout the day: Neil Young specifically called out Minnesota-based Cargill during the pre-show panel discussion. Nathaniel Rateliff wore a stop-sign-red “Stop Factory Farms” T-shirt during his set.

Farmers seemed to agree. When it comes to sustainable or ‘regenerative’ agriculture, said Finlayson, Minn., farmer Hannah Bernhardt, “it does give us more power back. We’re not having to spend as much money with corporations. We’re not at their beck and call when we can do things on our own.”

To media and farm advocates assembled before the concert began, Young called for wealthy corporations and individuals to pay a “conscience tax” to support smaller farms, a proposal musician Dave Matthews quickly echoed.

“I’ve been very fortunate in this country to do what I love and be compensated — overcompensated — for doing what I love, so I’m very happy to pay my taxes,” Matthews added, in comments that were later re-broadcast over the loudspeakers to the whole crowd during a set change in the afternoon.

“And I would love my taxes to go to school lunches and after-school programs. I would love my taxes to help pay for the healthcare of people who need it. I would love my taxes to keep family farmers on the land, to help my family and planet stay healthy. I’m not happy to have my taxes pay for tax breaks for billionaires…and I’m not happy for my taxes to be used to bomb children and be complicit in terrible violence and genocide.”

Once the gates opened and the marathon concert began, food politics — and politicians — remained ever-present.

In an outdoor area dubbed the Homegrown Village, local food justice and sustainability organizations like North American Traditional Indigenous Food Systems, Dream of Wild Health and the Land Stewardship Project set up info booths and interactive projects to get attendees involved more long-term.

Early in the afternoon, Rep. Angie Craig of the state’s 2nd Congressional District — who’s the ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee — introduced country singer Wynonna Judd’s set. Later, Sen. Amy Klobuchar took the stage to introduce Margo Price and noted that Price was the final musician to perform on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” before the late-night show was pulled from the air last week in a decision that has sparked free-speech concerns.

(Price’s opening song on Saturday night, “Don’t Let the Bastards Get You Down,” felt similarly pointed.)

And Gov. Tim Walz made a surprise late-night appearance to introduce the show’s final performer, Willie Nelson, who had reportedly made a personal phone call to the governor earlier this month to help resolve a Teamsters strike that threatened to derail the concert.

Likely referencing that labor dispute, Walz called on the crowd to “give the union sisters and brothers in the stage production crew a big hand,” and he praised “the role of agriculture producers across this country who feed, fuel and clothe not just us in our nation but the world.”

Of Nelson, Walz said the 92-year-old country icon and Farm Aid organizer is “a man who truly embodies the American spirit: Fiercely independent, generous, kind, irreverent, decent and a bit of a hell-raiser.”

During the pre-show event, musician and inaugural Farm Aid performer John Mellencamp was even more explicit, literally and figuratively, about the continued impact Nelson and Farm Aid have on farmers.

“We wouldn’t have raised a (expletive) dime if it wasn’t for him,” Mellencamp said. “We know the Farm Bills they pass in Washington are not for family farms, we know they’re for large agriculture. And we were so naive when we started this, that we thought we’d do one show and they’d pay attention to us.”

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A woman is suspected of driving under the influence in a single vehicle rollover crash Saturday night in Maplewood that killed a small child, according to the state patrol.

The state patrol said they believed alcohol was involved in the 6:25 p.m. crash in which the driver, a 28-year-old St. Paul woman, lost control of a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe while taking the exit from eastbound Highway 36 to southbound Highway 61.

A state patrol report said the woman lost control of her vehicle while driving at a “high rate of speed.” The vehicle flipped and rolled into a ditch where it was submerged in one to two feet of water.

The child, believed to be one year old or younger, was extricated from under the overturned vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver, along with two other children, ages 5 and 6, and a 32-year-old Mounds View man were taken to Regions Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

 

 

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This is what it was supposed to look like for the Vikings: the offense functioning in a way where the ball came out on time and the unit as a whole avoided monumental mistakes, the defense pressuring the opposing quarterback with reckless abandon and forcing multiple turnovers.

Virtually all of that had been missing over the past couple of weeks. The Vikings looked a little bit off in all phases, whether it was in their Monday night victory at Chicago or in last week’s loss to Atlanta at home. But everything clicked for the Vikings in Sunday’s 48-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals victory at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Though the defensive touchdowns from cornerback Isaiah Rodgers were the story of the game, maybe more important was the fact that the Vikings as a whole got back on track, playing a brand of football conducive to long-term success.

Here are some takeaway from Sundays game:

Isaiah Rodgers was the star of the show

The conversation has to start with Rodgers. He basically won the game for the Vikings by himself, returning an interception for a touchdown, forcing and returning a fumble for a touchdown, and forcing a second fumble for good measure. It was the first time in NFL history that a player had recorded a pair of defensive touchdowns and a pair of forced fumbles in a game, and he did it all in one half. The next step for Rodgers is making sure this wasn’t a flash in the pan. This has to be the start of something more for him.

Carson Wentz proved to be a pro

Though the stat line for veteran quarterback Carson Wentz wasn’t spectacular — he completed 14 of 20 passes for 173 yards and a pair of touchdowns — he did everything the Vikings need him to do. He threw the ball on time. He made a few plays downfield. He did not turn the ball over. That’s going to be a recipe for success for Wentz moving forward. It’s not hard to envision him replicating that type of game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns the next two weeks. He seems to understand that he doesn’t need to be Superman, just a professional in the pocket. What does this all mean for young quarterback J.J. McCarthy (ankle) when he’s healthy? That remains to be seen.

Jordan Mason is a beast

The presence that running back Jordan Mason brings to the backfield can’t be overstated. Not only does he run with power at the point of attack, he has the shiftiness to make defenders miss — and has more speed than he gets credit for. All of that was plain to see against the Bengals as Mason finished with 16 carries for 116 yards and a pair of touchdowns, shouldering the load for the Vikings as they literally ran away with the game. It’s pretty clear that Mason should be the No. 1 backfield option for the Vikings ieven when veteran running back Aaron Jones returns from injured reserve.

T.J. Hockenson can be still an effective

After watching him make a minimal impact over the first two weeks, there were some people that seemed to think tight end T.J. Hockenson was past his prime. Maybe he simply needed more opportunities underneath. The production that Hockenson had against the Bengals — five catches for 49 yards and a touchdown — proved he’s still a matchup nightmare, too fast to be covered by linebackers and too big to be covered by safeties. That’s something the Vikings need to lean into because Hockenson can make life easier for whoever is throwing him the ball.

Will Reichard has insane range

If there were any doubts about kicker Will Reichard and his leg strength, he emphatically put that to rest by nailing a 62-yard field goal before halftime. It was a franchise record, and easily cleared the crossbar. It actually hit halfway up the netting behind the uprights, which suggests it would have been good from much longer. The Vikings can now operate like they’re approaching scoring position virtually whenever they cross the 50-yard line. That’s the luxury of having somebody like Reichard on the roster.

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