Karen Tolkkinen
Columnist
Greater MinnesotaKaren Tolkkinen is the Minnesota Star Tribune's greater Minnesota columnist. She has more than three decades of experience in local journalism, most recently serving as a reporter, copy editor, and columnist at the Echo Press in Alexandria, Minn. She lives with her husband and son in Otter Tail County, in a farmhouse built by her husband's great-great grandparents in the early 1920s.
Latest from Karen Tolkkinen
Tolkkinen: At 27 below, Brainerd diver helped rescue lost cable in Lake of the Woods
Bill Matthies, 90, died this month, leaving behind a legacy of exploits and the love of scuba diving.
December 26, 2025
Tolkkinen: Without funding, state’s new child protection law will land hard on rural counties
The law, which seeks to keep intact Black families and others who are overrepresented in the system, has been halted in the metro.
December 16, 2025
Tolkkinen: You gotta respect western Minnesota snowstorms
Tuesday’s blizzard sent semitrucks and other vehicles into ditches and into each other.
November 29, 2025
Tolkkinen: Young Arne Carlson and the great turkey surprise
It was one of the weirdest things that ever happened to the former Minnesota governor.
November 27, 2025
Tolkkinen: Rural diabetic prisoner was in ‘agony’ over uncontrolled blood sugar
Care for diabetic inmates is problematic nationwide.
November 22, 2025
Tolkkinen: For Minnesota hunters, a run to get butter for breakfast lasted 36 hours, and over a decade
The incident in the northwest corner of the state sparked a tradition and bonding that goes beyond hunting.
November 19, 2025
Tolkkinen: In praise of a refrigerator, still chugging after 75 years
What made the International Harvester refrigerator last so long? Was it just built better?
November 13, 2025
Tolkkinen: Renters are getting restless and more powerful
Duluth renters won a key vote on Election Day. Tenants across the country are also pushing for more.
November 9, 2025
Tolkkinen: Why worry about traffickers destroying Boundary Waters when Stauber is willing to do it himself?
A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate would allow spy equipment, motorized vehicles in the BWCAW and Voyageurs National Park.
November 5, 2025
Tolkkinen: Don’t fly above Red Lake. Tribe impounds plane that made emergency landing.
It might seem like a win for Red Lake, but could it hurt the tribe in the long run?
October 30, 2025
Tolkkinen: Let me tell you what it’s like asking for help to buy food
The government shutdown threatens food aid, bringing the “Get a job” crowd out of the woodwork.
October 25, 2025
Tolkkinen: Amid the burning down of government, don’t forget hungry people
Christian conservatives often say charity should come from the church, not the state. They may be getting their wish.
October 23, 2025
