MINNESOTA — In this episode of the Echo Press News Minute, reporter Lisa Johnson talks about the first-ever SNOfest Winter Carnival, the demise of the paperback novel, a shooting death in Alexandria, community support for a Miltona couple who lost their home in a fire just after Christmas, and the ancient prayer practice that has returned to an Alexandria church.

Those stories and more, this week on the Echo Press News Minute.

Check out the top headlines from January 21 and January 23 below:

Jan. 21, 2026:

Temps were cold, winds were high but the sun was shining at first-ever SNOfest Winter Carnival in Alexandria

10 years later, Brandon man recalls painting Minneapolis' Foshay Tower

The books that 'democratized America' are no more

Brandon-Evansville School Board holds reorganizational meeting

Discovery Middle School students showcase projects about global goals, concerns

Boys Swim and Dive: Alexandria edges Elk River to take Section 8AA true team championship

Jan. 23, 2026:

Man dead after shooting in Alexandria on Jan. 20

Miltona couple 'beyond blessed' by support and generosity after fire destroyed their home

Osakis City Council: Earlier meeting times, and the water leak mystery continues

'This is exactly what my dad envisioned'

Alexandria girls hockey player Quinn Hills named Shannon O'Hara scholarship recipient

Opinion