Karen Tolkkinen

Columnist

Greater Minnesota

Karen Tolkkinen is the 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.

Karen Tolkkinen is the 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.

Contact

Karen.Tolkkinen@startribune.com

612 673 4007

Latest from Karen Tolkkinen

News & Politics

Tolkkinen: MAGA? DFL? No matter, this group just wants women to lead

There’s a shortage of people able and willing to serve in local office, and in Minnesota’s rural areas, women are an untapped group.

September 9, 2024

News & Politics

Tolkkinen: Good luck finding a handyman in greater Minnesota these days

Residents unable to find help with home maintenance and repair say it feels like nobody wants to tackle small projects.

September 6, 2024

Greater Minnesota

Tolkkinen: Into the Boundary Waters with self-made gear made from natural materials

Ozzie Reif of Ely wanted to plunge into the wilderness on non-commercial terms.

September 1, 2024

Greater Minnesota

Tolkkinen: Growing food for fuel isn’t working. It’s time to rethink ethanol.

Does society really need to spend $8.9B to capture ethanol carbon emissions?

September 1, 2024