Duluth business family to convert historic building with ties to Buffalo Bill Cody

[MUSIC PLAYING] VOCALIST: One, two, three, four.

CATHY WURZER: It's Minnesota Now. I'm Cathy Wurzer. Minnesota Republican Congressman Tom Emmer is closer than ever to becoming the Speaker of the House. In just the last hour, House Republicans have chosen Emmer as their nominee. Our correspondent Mark Zdechlik will join us live from Washington, DC, with what's next.

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We'll talk to a Minneapolis woman who is sharing her journey of full-time caregiving for her mom in India in a new memoir. Plus, a network of volunteers is helping make sure farmers in Minnesota don't get left behind when they hit hard times. Chris Farrell will take us to Duluth, where an old printing press is being turned into a spot where you can stay for vacation. A local director is giving us an inside look into this Somali dance tradition. Of course, we have the Minnesota Music and the Song of the Day. All of it comes your way right after the news.

LAKSHMI SINGH: Live from NPR News, I'm Lakshmi Singh. Minnesota Republican Congressman Tom Emmer has won the Republican nomination for Speaker of the House. He beat out eight other candidates to win the nomination but still faces a difficult path to win the speakership outright on the House floor. Here's NPR's Susan Davis.

SUSAN DAVIS: Emmer is the third Republican to win the party's nomination for Speaker since Kevin McCarthy was voted out three weeks ago. Emmer is the majority whip, the third-highest-ranking leader in the House. He's also the former chairman of the House Republicans' campaign committee and helped secure the majority in the 2022 midterms.

But party leadership status has not proven to be an asset so far in this fight. Majority Leader Steve Scalise also won the nomination but dropped out before going to the floor because he couldn't get the votes to win the gavel. Emmer will have to win over skeptics on the hard right, who are distrustful of establishment leaders and wary that Emmer is not considered a top ally of former President Donald Trump. Susan Davis, NPR News, Washington.

LAKSHMI SINGH: Former President Donald Trump's returned to court in New York City for his civil fraud trial, where his former attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen, is testifying against him.

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- This is not about Donald Trump versus Michael Cohen or Michael Cohen versus Donald Trump. This is about accountability, plain and simple, and we leave it up to Judge Engoron in order to make all the determinations on that.

[PLAYBACK ENDS]

LAKSHMI SINGH: Cohen speaking outside the courtroom before Trump's trial reconvened. Now to the Israel-Hamas war. NPR's Ari Daniel has the latest on humanitarian aid efforts in Gaza.

[ENGINE RUMBLING]

[TRUCK HONKING]

ARI DANIEL: In the last few days, the World Health Organization, which provided this audio, has managed to get desperately needed medicines, health supplies, and fuel to facilities in southern Gaza, though it's not nearly enough. The provisions were taken from the delivery trucks directly into operating rooms, says the WHO. The situation remains even more dire in northern Gaza. The WHO says it's calling for, quote, "an immediate humanitarian ceasefire so health supplies and fuel can be delivered safely throughout the Gaza Strip." Ari Daniel, NPR News.

LAKSHMI SINGH: The UAW strike's expanding. 5,000 workers at General Motors' truck plant in Arlington, Texas, are now on the picket lines. Here's NPR's Andrea Hsu.

ANDREA HSU: For the second day in a row, the UAW amped up the pressure on a Big Three automaker, this time calling on workers at GM's Arlington assembly plant to join the strike. The facility, GM's largest, makes some of its most profitable models, including the Chevy Tahoe, the Chevy Suburban, and the Cadillac Escalade. The Union says GM's offer lags behind Ford's in many areas, including its cost of living adjustment and its 401(k) contributions.

GM, in a statement, said what it's offered is substantial and historic. The strike expansion was announced just after GM reported third-quarter profits of $3.1 billion, a decline from last year. Before today's escalation, the company said the strike was costing GM $200 million a week.

LAKSHMI SINGH: That's Andrea Hsu reporting. It's NPR News.

SPEAKER 1: Support for NPR comes from NPR stations. Other contributors include Dataiku, a platform for everyday AI dedicated to helping teams move beyond the lab to build generative AI applications at enterprise scale. Dataiku.com.

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CATHY WURZER: Around Minnesota right now, skies are cloudy. There are some showers and storms moving through parts of the region right now. Rain is in the forecast. Highs today mid-40s to the mid-50s in the north, mid-60s in the south.

At noon in Red Wing, it's raining, and it's 61. It's cloudy and 44 in Bemidji. And outside Ed Barbo's Columbia Clothing store in downtown Duluth, it's sunny and 54. I'm Cathy Wurzer with Minnesota news headlines.

It's not a done deal, but Minnesota Congressman Tom Emmer is close to becoming the Speaker of the US House. We'll get more from NPR's Mark Zdechlik, who is in Washington watching the vote for Speaker in the Republican caucus.

In other news, it's the first full day on the job today for Minneapolis's new community safety commissioner, former Hennepin County Chief Judge Todd Barnett. Barnett was sworn in yesterday. He'll oversee fire, police, 911, and neighborhood safety programs. Barnett is inheriting a state court-enforced agreement and a likely federal consent decree after investigations into civil rights violations by Minneapolis police. Barnett says he will focus on making the office as transparent as possible.

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- It's important, just like in the courts, just to give the facts. For me, transparency is important. Being able to just give people facts will be important for me.

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CATHY WURZER: Barnett will be overseeing reforms in the understaffed police department. He said his other priorities include recruiting staff and finding the money to make required changes.

Much of southern Minnesota may see another round of thunderstorms this afternoon with the potential for hail and locally heavy rain. Then another storm system will move into the region from later tomorrow through Friday. MPR Meteorologist Sven Sundgaard says southern Minnesota will see mostly rain, but northwestern Minnesota and eastern North Dakota may see the rain change over to the first accumulating snow of the season.

SVEN SUNDGAARD: The Weather Service office up in Grand Forks is talking about the potential that they might need to issue a winter storm watch, so we'll keep an eye out for those northwesternmost counties. And it is going to be a cold weekend behind that. Highs in the 30s and 40s for most of us. Windchills-- we're going to have to talk about that-- could be in the single digits in northwestern Minnesota early Saturday, teens and 20s elsewhere.

CATHY WURZER: Sven says the Twin Cities may see a few snowflakes mixed in the precipitation later this week, but accumulation is not expected in the metro.

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So, as I mentioned at the top of the show, congressional Republicans have chosen Minnesota's Tom Emmer as their next nominee for House Speaker. It's not the final word. A floor vote awaits. But it's a significant development as the GOP House tries to end three weeks of deadlock over who will lead the chamber.

Emmer's next challenge is to win a majority in a public roll call vote that could happen yet today. NPR's Mark Zdechlik is on the scene in Washington. He joins us from Capitol Hill. Where are you right now, Mark?

MARK ZDECHLIK: Cathy, I'm in the Longworth House Office Building. This is where the Republican conference has been meeting since about 9 o'clock this morning, and it is where a whole bunch of reporters are camped out waiting to hopefully talk with Speaker nominee Emmer.

CATHY WURZER: It looks like you all are just nose to elbow. I mean, everyone's just packed into these hallways there. What's it like?

MARK ZDECHLIK: It's pretty tight. It's pretty crowded. There's a sense of optimism here among some of the members that are passing by. Not many are, but some have. And there's a sense that maybe they finally have something that they can bring across the finish line. That remains to be seen. But there's considerable optimism, I would say, that they're on the right track.

CATHY WURZER: How many rounds of voting, Mark, took place before the GOP conference decided that Tom Emmer should be the nominee?

MARK ZDECHLIK: You're going to catch me on this because I think it was five. I'm not absolutely certain about that. I'm just treading water here in a large group of people and don't have access to all those details. But I believe it was five.

CATHY WURZER: Yes, you are correct. Our producers are saying yes. In terms of what happens from here on out, will a vote be scheduled? Does Emmer have the 217 votes he needs to become Speaker?

MARK ZDECHLIK: Well, those are the key questions right now. Cathy, Republicans are clearly frustrated by their inability to elect a new leader. They don't want to risk more public embarrassment with floor votes that fall short. Even one member who supported removal of Kevin McCarthy says the next vote has to be successful. Here's Tennessee Representative Tim Burchett on that.

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- I do not think it will go to the floor until we have 217 committed.

- Are you guys going to have that vote in conference today, the 217 vote?

- I think so. I think we're very close.

- Do you think it will succeed?

- I mean, we're 6 or 7 away.

- You think it will succeed this time?

- Yes, ma'am. If we go to the floor, it will succeed.

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MARK ZDECHLIK: Cathy, there are some workarounds up to that 217. That's the threshold of votes needed if all sitting House members actually vote. If some sit out-- a possibility among Democrats-- that lowers the bar for Emmer to become the Speaker and move from a nominee to the speakership. Arkansas Representative Steve Womack told reporters that Emmer has his work cut out for him between now and the floor vote.

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- But that doesn't mean he can't get there. It may just be that some of these folks called a different name because they want to basically register a protest vote. I don't know. You'd have to ask--

- Was it more than--

- What are some of the--

- --each and every one of them.

- --20, or was it--

- --concerns was it?

- It is a--

- If you think of a number--

- --significant number that he is short of 217 right now based on that roll call.

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MARK ZDECHLIK: Yesterday, he said-- oh, sorry, Cathy. Go ahead.

CATHY WURZER: No, go ahead, absolutely.

MARK ZDECHLIK: You were going to ask me about--

CATHY WURZER: Yes, actually-- sorry about that. This is all live. Sorry about that.

MARK ZDECHLIK: Live radio.

CATHY WURZER: No, no, no, it's all good. So I was going to ask you about yesterday. You and I were talking yesterday, and you said that the congressman's Speaker candidacy could be affected by the opinion of former President Trump of Emmer. Reportedly, President Trump's not a fan of Tom Emmer. Have those two patched up things at all?

MARK ZDECHLIK: Well, they spoke over the weekend. And the former president, Trump, is saying that he's staying out of it, according to people with knowledge of the conversation. But that doesn't mean that his supporters are necessarily going to back Representative Emmer, who voted to certify the election. And that's not sitting well with some of them. It remains to be seen what, if anything, the former president will be doing here.

CATHY WURZER: Sure. Say, have you had a chance to talk to any Democrats?

MARK ZDECHLIK: Yes, I have. Arkansas Representative Steve Womack told-- I'm sorry, I'm in the wrong spot again here. I apologize.

CATHY WURZER: No, it's OK.

MARK ZDECHLIK: Steny Hoyer came out and talked a little bit. And he said that-- he's from Maryland, and he's a former majority leader. So he knows what he's talking about. He said he could envision scenarios where Democrats would let a GOP nominee through that might be not by voting, to staying away from the vote. But there are lines Democrats won't cross. Hoyer says Emmer's vote to certify the 2020 election makes him more palatable than other potential speakers.

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- Somebody who voted to not overturn the election, the will of the people. Emmer did that. Another, as you know, is the debt limit.

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MARK ZDECHLIK: Hoyer's referring, Cathy, at the end of the need to keep the government funded, raise the nation's debt limit as warranted. Those have produced prior standoffs between Democrats and Republicans. Ukraine aid is another flashpoint for the next speaker and the caucus.

CATHY WURZER: Right. Say, by the way, have we heard from Tom Emmer yet?

MARK ZDECHLIK: We have not. There's a large group here, as I said, waiting for him. Very recently-- there's always security everywhere around here, but a large contingent of Capitol Police arrived. And I'm wondering if they will be his security detail. So we're all waiting.

Emmer is busy, Cathy, though. He's got to get to the people that didn't support him-- more than a dozen, probably less than 20, and see if he can change some minds between now and a floor vote. So he might not even talk to the press, I suspect. But we'll have to just wait and see.

CATHY WURZER: Sure. I know you're up to your eyeballs with the Speaker sweepstakes. But there's a lot of buzz, as you know, on social media about a large bus painted red, white, and blue with "Dean" on the side and "Phillips for President" underneath it.

MARK ZDECHLIK: Yeah.

CATHY WURZER: Yeah. It was spotted in Ohio, presumably on its way east to New Hampshire for an announcement. What do you know about that?

MARK ZDECHLIK: Well, that's my next stop. Dean Phillips is the third district congressman from Minnesota. And he has for months been talking about President Biden being vulnerable when it comes to re-election.

And he says, well, for if he's going to run in New Hampshire, which most expect that he would play hard there even though it's not the first in the nation primary any longer for Democrats, he has to file the paperwork by Friday. And the social media picture of the bus answers the question, I think. We'll find out. I'll be there later this week to see what Representative Phillips has to say about a possible presidential campaign.

CATHY WURZER: I guess one of our colleagues texted Congressman Phillips and said, hey, what about this? And his comment was, that's a great-looking bus. So there you go. Yeah, you're going to be busy, Mark Zdechlik. I appreciate it. Thank you.

MARK ZDECHLIK: All right, be well.

CATHY WURZER: Take care.

MARK ZDECHLIK: Thank you.

CATHY WURZER: That's one of our political reporters, Mark Zdechlik, just to give you an idea. He is literally-- we've been watching the live feed from CNN, and he is in the midst of quite a scrum, as you can imagine, of other reporters in these narrow hallways in the Longworth Office Building. So that is why it's a little chaotic there. It's 12:14 here on Minnesota Now.

[RACHAEL KILGOUR, "HEART ON FIRE"]

(SINGING) Heart literally on fire. Close your eyes, love. Say goodbye, love, and let it burn.

CATHY WURZER: This is our Minnesota Music Minute. You're listening to Rachael Kilgour from Duluth. This is her song "Heart on Fire" from her newest album, My Father Loved Me.

(SINGING) --inside a house that you once built with wood and plaster, framing nails, and window glass. And I'm sure Mom will dust you off from time to time and try her best not to think too hard about the ending. And the heat of the funeral pyre. Your heart--

CATHY WURZER: This is Minnesota Now on MPR News. I'm Cathy Wurzer. It's a role most of us will likely take on at some point in our lives if you haven't already. I'm talking about being a caregiver for our parents. In the US, more than 40 million people are caregivers. A Minnesotan documented her experience and reflections on love and loss when taking care of her mother.

Savita Harjani left her job, her Minneapolis home, and her husband in 2016 to take care of her mother full time in India. She stayed until her mother died nearly five years later. During that time, she wrote down her emotions and thoughts and feelings. It's now in her debut memoir, Postcards from Within-- Random Ramblings from an Ordinary Human. Savita is on the line. Such a pleasure to have you on the program, Savita. Welcome.

SAVITA HARJANI: Thank you, Cathy, and good afternoon to you.

CATHY WURZER: Good afternoon.

SAVITA HARJANI: Thank you for having me.

CATHY WURZER: Absolutely. You moved to the US when you were 20 years old. And you write that you knew the day would come when you'd have to choose between your life here and your responsibilities toward your mom in India. What was that choice like when you had to make it?

SAVITA HARJANI: Like I said, I anticipated that day coming. And my husband and I often talked about it. But when the day came, it was a difficult choice but one that we made effortlessly because that's what we were going to do. And we were committed to doing that.

And it meant our lives changed drastically. I moved to India. My husband handled everything here, and we committed to it. And we were so lucky that we were able to do it.

CATHY WURZER: Was it a foregone conclusion that you would care for your mother at some point someday?

SAVITA HARJANI: In my mind, it was, Cathy. It absolutely was, unless she was so lucky that she wouldn't need caregiving, which turned out not to be the case. But, in my mind, I always knew that day would come.

CATHY WURZER: It's been said caregiving is the hardest job you'll have, and there's not much preparation for it. It's on-the-job training. Was that your experience?

SAVITA HARJANI: Yes. [LAUGHS] It truly was one of the most challenging times of my life. And the challenges were I never had to care for anyone who depended on me. I never had children. And so I never knew what that looked like.

And like you said, there is no manual on how to do caregiving. And when you are caring for somebody you love so much, to watch them suffer and not be able to lessen their suffering is a very difficult thing. And I had put everything on the line-- my relationship with my long-term husband, our family finances, and my career. It was physically, emotionally, and mentally challenging.

And I know I was committed to this, and I loved her very much. And my mother was a wonderful woman. Despite all of those factors, I experienced caregiver burnout, and it was a very difficult time.

CATHY WURZER: Well, we should say too you were dealing with a very medically complicated situation. Your mom had kidney disease that required in-home dialysis for like 16 hours at a time. She had cancer. I mean, my goodness, you had frustrations, to be sure. What was the most vexing for you?

SAVITA HARJANI: In terms of the medical conditions?

CATHY WURZER: Oh, yes, and everything you had to do.

SAVITA HARJANI: Sure. I think I never lived in India as an adult. And I went there nearly 40 years later. So learning to navigate India, it's a completely different skill set. That was a big challenge.

Learning about the medical conditions because I learned that you have to be an advocate for the one you're caring for, whether it's self or another. And there were times where had I not done my research or not had common sense or not asked the questions, inappropriate treatments might have occurred. So keeping that in mind.

And then, like I mentioned earlier, just watching somebody suffer, it's really hard. And then on top of that, we ended up with COVID, where we couldn't get to hospitals or doctors. And so, yeah, it was a-- but it was also a wonderful time, Cathy. I really do want to say that. It was very challenging, but it was also incredible.

CATHY WURZER: Well, you mentioned-- and you write beautifully in the book about during the dialysis sessions, which were grueling obviously, it was a bonding time for you though.

SAVITA HARJANI: Yes. It was typically an hour or longer, the afternoon session, and it was typically Mom and myself. And we would just have to wait for the dialysis fluids to drain. And we would just sit there and talk, and it was a bonding time. I learned so much about her, about the family I come from, about my father, about myself.

And we listened to music. She taught me a lot, and I learned family history. And I didn't realize that we had so much soap opera kind of family history. And it was just brilliant. And she tried to teach me and impart wisdom, some of which I, perhaps, imbibed, but maybe not. But, yeah, it was a great time.

CATHY WURZER: You write letters to yourself in the book and sign them, "gratefully yours, the ordinary human." Why that moniker?

SAVITA HARJANI: Because going through this journey, I was actually surprised and shocked at how many failings, limitations, and shortcomings I actually had. I was fairly ordinary. And coming face to face with that made me realize, yes, I am an ordinary human being.

But having said that, I think it was also very liberating to acknowledge one's limitations. And it allowed me to take life a little less seriously, laugh at myself. And I thought that that's who I was being when I was talking to life or writing to myself.

CATHY WURZER: Sounds like you learned a lot about yourself.

SAVITA HARJANI: Yes. It was an amazing journey of self-discovery. And I did come across all my vulnerabilities, failings, limitations, shortcomings. But also I discovered certain strengths that I didn't have.

I thought courage was always the domain of the heroic. But when I needed to draw upon it just because the stakes were so high-- it was Mom I was caring for-- I could draw upon that. And I found I had courage. I found I had stamina. And so those were also some pleasantly surprising discoveries that I made on this journey.

CATHY WURZER: You did this work for five years in India. As you say, it was difficult. What doesn't this country understand about caregiving, and what needs to be done to support caregivers?

SAVITA HARJANI: That's a very good question, Cathy, and I am thinking as I'm speaking with you about it. I think one of the big differences is that we have a very individualistic society here. And I'm not sure if we know how to support each other, whether it's through work or whether it's through community.

Whereas in India, even though those models are now changing, families support each other. And I think we need a lot more support and understanding of what really caregiving entails. It's a really tough thing.

And what is surprising is that everybody will need caregiving at some point. Everybody will be a caregiver in some way. Yet we don't have the infrastructure to support that.

CATHY WURZER: You know--

SAVITA HARJANI: But I-- sorry--

CATHY WURZER: Please go ahead.

SAVITA HARJANI: Please go ahead.

CATHY WURZER: Please go ahead. No, please.

SAVITA HARJANI: No, I was just saying that I've been listening to conversations. And now that I'm speaking about caregiving, I'm coming across people and organizations that are doing a lot to support this. So I'm really excited to see how all of that is going to blossom.

CATHY WURZER: You know, I may have mentioned this when you and I first met. But I have long thought that the dying are excellent teachers for the living if you're willing to listen. So what did your mother teach you? What were her final lessons for you?

SAVITA HARJANI: You know, Cathy, she was an amazing woman. She was one of those really, really optimistic, positive, good people. And she parented through actions. I saw how she interacted with people. She never said, be a good person. I saw her being a good person. I saw how she treated people with respect, how she treated people with love.

And then whenever I was not being a optimal, stellar human being, she would call me out on it. And I remember one time I was moaning and groaning about some sob story that I was peddling to her, and she cut me off. And she said, well, why did you do what you did if you're going to engage in accounting just in relationships. And so she was just amazing, and I just learned so much from her.

CATHY WURZER: I'm glad to hear that. I'm sure she's quite proud of you. And the book is beautiful, by the way. This is your first book. My gosh. I'm going to be curious to see what you come up with next.

SAVITA HARJANI: Oh, thank you, Cathy. Thank you so much for saying that. I don't know. But I think the postcards keep coming, and I just need to sort them. So let's see where it takes me.

CATHY WURZER: All right. Savita, thank you so very much. I appreciate your time.

SAVITA HARJANI: Thank you so much, Cathy.

CATHY WURZER: Best of luck.

SAVITA HARJANI: You have a great day.

CATHY WURZER: You too. Savita Harjani is the author of Postcards from Within-- Random Ramblings of an Ordinary Human.

SPEAKER 2: Programming is supported by Minnesota-based global humanitarian organization Alight, receiving a 100% score and 4 stars from Charity Navigator for 13 years running. Learn how Alight helps displaced families around the world rebuild meaningful lives at wearealight.org.

CATHY WURZER: Elena See is with us right now with a look at the news. Elena?

ELENA SEE: Thanks, Cathy. Well, as we heard earlier this hour, US House Republicans have picked Minnesota's Tom Emmer as their nominee for House Speaker, ending three weeks of stalemate in Washington. Emmer's nomination now goes to the full House, where he'll try to reach the necessary votes to secure the powerful position that leads the House. Of course, we'll keep you posted on any updates today and this week.

The Vikings beat the San Francisco 49ers last night 22 to 17 on Monday Night Football. Kirk Cousins completed 35 of 45 passes for a total of 378 yards and two touchdowns. The Vikings have improved to 3 and 4. They play the Packers in Green Bay on Sunday.

The health ministry in Gaza says hundreds of people were killed in the past day as a result of Israeli airstrikes. Israel has been striking Gaza since Hamas militants attacked southern Israeli towns on October 7. Israel said earlier today it had launched 400 airstrikes over the past day.

Crews worked through the night clearing the wreckage of more than 150 vehicles involved in a series of crashes on Interstate 55 near New Orleans. The devastating accidents were caused by a, quote, "super fog" of marsh fire smoke and dense fog. The accidents killed at least seven people and injured another 25. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards issued a call today for blood donors and asked for prayers for those hurt and killed.

And the United Auto Workers Union is turning up the heat on General Motors as 5,000 workers walked off their jobs at a profitable SUV factory in Arlington, Texas. The Texas strike brings the total of UAW members that have walked off their jobs to 46,000 in a series of strikes that's entering its sixth week.

Cloudy skies and rain likely across the state today. A chance of thunderstorms as well. Temperatures in the mid-40s to mid-60s north to south. Tomorrow, clouds again and highs in the mid-40s to mid-60s north to south. This is MPR News.

CATHY WURZER: Thank you. It's 12:28. You have probably heard, of course, that the number of farms in this country is slowly dropping, and farms are trending larger. That means farmers are often more separated from their neighbors. So if there's a health care crisis or a natural disaster, there are fewer people around to help.

This is one of the changes the founder of a nonprofit called Farm Rescue noticed when he decided to start the organization in North Dakota back in 2005. It has since expanded, dispatching volunteers and equipment to eight states including Minnesota. In this way, it helps farmers get through essential tasks like planting and harvesting.

Joining us right now is John Thomas, who farms and owns 600 acres in Dundas, Minnesota. He recently got help from Farm Rescue volunteers. Mike Youngblood is with us, a retired John Deere engineer from Ashby, Minnesota, who's been volunteering on other farms. Mike and John, thanks for joining us.

JOHN THOMAS: You're welcome.

MIKE YOUNGBLOOD: You're welcome.

CATHY WURZER: Hey, John-- or I should say, Mike, I'm going to start with you first. Where are you calling from?

MIKE YOUNGBLOOD: Stirum, North Dakota.

CATHY WURZER: Where is that? [LAUGHS]

MIKE YOUNGBLOOD: It's south of Valley City and straight west of Wahpeton about an hour.

CATHY WURZER: Wow. Because you're over there. OK, John, are you still in Dundas this morning?

JOHN THOMAS: Yes. Yes, I am.

CATHY WURZER: Tell me, John, you recently had some volunteers help with your harvest. Why did you need that help? What's going on?

JOHN THOMAS: In July, I had a surgery, an amputation. And my left leg was amputated. And so now I'm a double amputee. I had the right leg amputated about 11 years ago. So I was down and out on my luck and was going through some medical issues with my leg and needed a helping hand, and Farm Rescue came to the rescue.

CATHY WURZER: Because, of course, now, it's crunch time, right? I mean, this is the time when you really are working hard in the fields.

JOHN THOMAS: Yes. Yes, it is.

CATHY WURZER: And I'm curious here. Mike, paint a picture for folks who have not been part of something like this before. How do you work with somebody like John?

MIKE YOUNGBLOOD: Well, we show up and try to console them and be as helpful that way as we can. And then the next thing is we try to get their crops out in a timely manner or plant them as we do.

CATHY WURZER: That must be a ton of work, especially this time of the year.

MIKE YOUNGBLOOD: Yeah, it's regular farming. So if you've got it in your blood, I mean, it feels good.

CATHY WURZER: Say, John, curious here. So the crew from Farm Rescue arrives, and what do they start doing right away? Can you give us a picture as to the logistics and what was all going on?

JOHN THOMAS: Well, first of all, I met with Luke. He's in charge of putting everything all together. We drove around, looked at the fields, discussed some things, our operations. So he got used to our operation and what was going on.

And that was probably a couple of months ago. And then about two weeks ago, they showed up with a combine and a semi and sat down and talked with us and just asked what we needed done, what fields we wanted done first, and just got to know us. And, yeah, no, everything went very well.

CATHY WURZER: It must have been a big relief.

JOHN THOMAS: Yes, it was a big relief.

CATHY WURZER: Say, Mike, you're out in North Dakota right now. How long have you been doing this kind of volunteer work?

MIKE YOUNGBLOOD: Since about 2016.

CATHY WURZER: Wow. OK, so for a while here. So you obviously grew up on a farm before working for John Deere.

MIKE YOUNGBLOOD: Yep, in Indiana.

CATHY WURZER: OK. So why did you decide to volunteer for something like this? Do you have a personal reason?

MIKE YOUNGBLOOD: Yeah. Well, yeah, I had a friend fell off a grain bin in 2000. And I helped him. He worked at the same place I did, but he farmed quite a bit. So I went out and helped him. And so I basically helped combine most of his crops that fall.

And then when I retired, a lady had her-- her husband committed suicide and left her with about 3,000 acres and 4 kids. And my buddies-- I didn't know him, but they were nearby. But my buddies volunteered me to run her combine that fall, and so I combine harvested all their crops. And so I figured out, well, somebody's trying to tell me something.

CATHY WURZER: Wow. And so you've been helping ever since, obviously.

MIKE YOUNGBLOOD: Yeah, and, actually, one of my buddies at breakfast like a week or so after we were done said, if you like doing that stuff-- and he tipped me off to Farm Rescue. So I looked it up and volunteered, and the rest is history.

CATHY WURZER: Wow. Say, John, going back to you for just a moment here. So you got a little bit of short-term help, which is terrific, obviously. But what do you need to keep you farm going in the long term?

JOHN THOMAS: Well, probably about a month ago, I got fitted for my second prosthetic. And it's just going to take some time to get the balance down and just recovering health. I'm healthy otherwise. It's just I got the amputations.

But going forward, I think we should be fine. It's just mind over matter, and I got the theory that failure is not an option. So I'm just going to keep striding away and get things under control. And I can walk very well with a walker right now and anticipation with being able to walk without a walker in a month or so.

CATHY WURZER: Wow. Terrific. I'm glad you got that help, John. Again, it's got to be just a huge weight off of your shoulders because, again, this is a pretty busy time for farmers.

Say, Mike, final question for you. What would you recommend for folks who might know somebody-- because, of course, we're heard all around the upper Midwest-- knows somebody who might need a helping hand here? What would you recommend for them?

MIKE YOUNGBLOOD: Well, the best way to do it is go online to farmrescue.org. There is a section in there where if somebody needs assistance, you can fill out some stuff. And then somebody will get in contact with them. And that is the best, probably, way--

CATHY WURZER: And farmers are--

MIKE YOUNGBLOOD: --is just to go online. And it's there, so you need to use it. I mean, there's lots of volunteers. They've got lots of equipment. And we're willing to help, and it brings a lot of joy.

CATHY WURZER: Because, as you know, lot of farmers don't want to ask for the help.

MIKE YOUNGBLOOD: Nope. Yeah.

CATHY WURZER: Yep. It's tough.

MIKE YOUNGBLOOD: A lot of times it's a neighbor or a relative that does it. But that's easy to access online. And, I mean, you can get a phone number somewhere too. I mean, in a hurry, people call Luke right off the bat when it's immediate.

CATHY WURZER: Yeah. Well, Mike, I appreciate what you're doing. Thank you so much. I know you're pretty busy out there in North Dakota. Thank you for what you're doing. And, John Thomas, best of luck to you. Thank you.

JOHN THOMAS: Well, you're welcome. Thanks for having us on the program. And Farm Rescue is awesome. I mean, they really helped us out a lot. That's all I can say. They're super group of people.

CATHY WURZER: Well, I appreciate your time. Thank you much, both of you. John Thomas farms near Dundas, Minnesota. Mike Youngblood is from Ashby, Minnesota. He's been volunteering on other farms through the group Farm Rescue.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Hey, I think it's time for a little music. Marie Rock, you all know, is one of my favorites. She's the morning show host at KOJB The Eagle broadcasting from the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation. Every week, she picks a theme. Each day, she plays a favorite song on that theme. And she calls it songs to sing in the car.

MARIE ROCK: Boo, Cathy! [LAUGHS] Halloween is next week, so we're going to do our Halloween sing-in-the-car tune this week. Why not? Halloween is a month-long holiday in my book anyway.

So if you're out and about taking the kids to school, going shopping, errands, whatever you're doing, time to sing in the car. Our song this week comes from Ray Parker Jr. It's "Ghostbusters," your Halloween sing-in-the-car tune for today.

[RAY PARKER JR, "GHOSTBUSTERS"]

(SINGING) Ghostbusters! If there's something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! If there's something weird, and it don't look good, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! I ain't afraid of no ghost. I ain't afraid of no ghost.

If you're seeing things running through your head, who can you call? Ghostbusters! An invisible man sleeping in your bed. Oh! Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! I ain't afraid of no ghost. I ain't afraid of no ghost.

Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! If you're all alone, pick up the phone and call Ghostbusters! I ain't afraid of no ghost. Ooh, I hear it likes the girls. I ain't afraid of no ghost. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! Mm, if you have a dose of a freaky ghost, baby, you better call Ghostbusters! Ow! Let me tell you something. Busting makes me feel good. I ain't afraid of no ghost. I ain't afraid of no ghost.

CATHY WURZER: Oh, that one takes you back, doesn't it? Marie Rock is the morning show host at KOJB The Eagle, broadcasting from the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation.

SPEAKER 3: Programming is supported by UCare. Decomplicators are committed to making Medicare easier and helping you find the plan that fits your needs. You can review plan options and enroll online at ucare.org/medicare.

SPEAKER 4: Support comes from Comcast Business, working to provide small businesses with protection from big cyber threats with the help of advanced security from Comcast Business. Restrictions apply. Requires Comcast Business internet, leased router, and SecurityEdge.

CATHY WURZER: It's 12:42 here on Minnesota Now. If you've been to Duluth, odds are you've had pancakes at the Duluth Grill or maybe their wild rice burgers. Founder Tom Hanson and family now have six businesses in Duluth's Lincoln Park Craft District, including OMC Smokehouse and Corktown Deli & Brews.

Hanson's latest venture is transforming the historic Duluth Press Building into a vacation rental property. NPR's senior economics contributor, Chris Farrell, recently caught up with Tom to learn more about the project and the families of the businesses. Hey, welcome back.

CHRIS FARRELL: Hey, it's good to be here.

CATHY WURZER: I think the Duluth Press Building is kind of a cool thing. It's right next to the Smokehouse on Superior Street. And it has a really intriguing history to the building. Tell us about it.

CHRIS FARRELL: Well, you probably knew this, Cathy. But I didn't know that "Buffalo Bill" Cody had connections to Duluth, and he financed the building of the Duluth Press Building in 1893 for his younger sister. And she ran the Duluth Press for several years. And one publication I was looking at said she marketed itself as "The Women's Paper of the Great Northwest."

And Tom also found out today, Cathy, under the floorboards, there was dozens of different newspapers from all over the state and Wisconsin, including one from Ohio in an unusual German dialect. And I enjoy discoveries like that. But he emphasized how the renovation itself, boy, it turned out to be a major project with the long-neglected building.

[AUDIO PLAYBACK]

- We went in there, and it's a 130-year-old building. And when we peeled back some of the layers, we were seeing flooring structures that-- it was shocking that the building didn't collapse. 1893 technology, a lot of home handiwork in between. And there were some things that were done that were just-- the infrastructure of that building could have really suffered and actually collapsed.

But we caught it. We fixed it. Each floor is going to be brand new renovation. The only thing we're keeping is the exterior and the main entrance. And it really gives you the period of 1893 and the original construction of the building.

[END PLAYBACK]

CATHY WURZER: Lincoln Park, of course, is pretty cool. They've got these great historic buildings there, as you saw, Chris. But it seems to me that when you own and run a short-term rental, that's different from renting restaurants.

CHRIS FARRELL: Oh, it's really different. But that's by design, Cathy. You know, Tom and his family had these six businesses with some 300 employees. And they're in the neighborhood. And Tom can walk to each business, which he really enjoys. The vacation rental business is a way of diversifying away from their exposure to the food industry.

[AUDIO PLAYBACK]

- I think the pandemic led us to looking at things outside of only restaurant. We really felt that there was the need to diversify. And so we had all of our eggs in one basket with the food business, and when it shut down, it shut down hard. And it was kind of an awakening that maybe we do have to look at some other aspects if we're going to have this business model, balancing it just slowly and steadily with businesses that aren't related to strictly food.

[END PLAYBACK]

CHRIS FARRELL: And, Cathy, one of those-- obviously, there's the vacation rental. And then another one is Goat Hill Marketplace. It's in Lincoln Park, and it was started by his daughter. And it's a kitchen store.

CATHY WURZER: Wow, OK. This family, my gosh. Why did they decide to make the property a short-term rental business rather than, say-- you could have turned the Duluth Press Building into an apartment complex.

CHRIS FARRELL: That's right, and that was the initial idea. But the total cost of their investment is about $3 million. So to generate the kind of income they need to justify that investment, the better choice was creating a boutique vacation rental place.

And so it was going to be one, two-bedroom apartments, their own bathroom, kitchen, laundry. The lower level, Cathy, is really funky. It's got a lot of stone. But it is impractical as an apartment. But how about an art studio?

[AUDIO PLAYBACK]

- We have a gentleman that we have been talking to and working with and have gotten to know over the past year. And he's a local artist here, Jonathan Thunder, which we're proud to know him. He's a very prominent and creative person in the art world. And we've done our first deal with Jonathan as he painted us a painting. And we're going to give him the space as an art studio for one year.

[END PLAYBACK]

CATHY WURZER: Hmm, OK. So for folks who are familiar, of course, the family owns the Duluth Grill. And, oh my gosh, I'm still really surprised, as you said, that the daughter has one other business. I mean, this family is just really an entrepreneurial family.

CHRIS FARRELL: That's right. And his wife and his daughter, they're in the company. They're not fully invested in the partnership. His daughter-in-law works in the administrative office.

[AUDIO PLAYBACK]

- Then I have my son along with two partners that are long-term employees. And all three of them are vested into every aspect of our business. So they are vested into the properties. They're vested into the business. And the overall goal of this whole project is that I can set something up that's going to be substantial and then allow them to carry it on to the next generation, which I had no vision of doing when we first started.

[END PLAYBACK]

CATHY WURZER: Well, so, clearly, again, this is a family affair. But it sounds as though Tom is thinking about some succession planning.

CHRIS FARRELL: Right. And, of course, Cathy, because I'm interested in retirement, I had to ask him, is he thinking about retirement and succession planning? And he says that he is. Although his attorneys, they keep telling him, look, you're too young to do anything drastic. But the small business literature, it says, look. Succession planning is one of the most neglected aspects of ownership. But not with Tom.

[AUDIO PLAYBACK]

- I've given three partners 30% of the company, so they're all 10% owners. And my plan is that the entire company, I'll give it away to them. And I need to do this so that the debt load and the assets and everything are going to be a fair enough deal for them. So there's a lot of planning in what we're doing. But I have a couple of investments within the company that I'm holding on to, and that will become an income stream for me.

[END PLAYBACK]

CATHY WURZER: Ah. OK, so you mentioned that they're investing in the Duluth Press Building, right? And their other businesses have about what 300 employees. I mean, that's a lot of risk to take on.

CHRIS FARRELL: That's what I was thinking about, Cathy. I mean, we all love to celebrate entrepreneurial risk-taking, right? And Tom and his family and trusted associates, they've made a huge bet on Duluth and specifically the Lincoln Park Craft District. But we often forget how many people depend on that investment coming out right.

[AUDIO PLAYBACK]

- These are some heavy decisions, and there's a number of families that are riding on it. And we have 300 employees that are all counting on checks being cashed and relying on our ability to make those decisions. So these are big deals, and this is the biggest one we've ever entered into. But, at this point, we don't feel any remorse, so I think that's step one.

[END PLAYBACK]

CATHY WURZER: Wow. Chris, hey, I'm glad you got to visit with them.

CHRIS FARRELL: It was fun. And there's a lot of entrepreneurship in Duluth and throughout the state.

CATHY WURZER: Yeah, no kidding. I appreciate it. Talk to you later.

CHRIS FARRELL: Later.

CATHY WURZER: Thanks. That's Chris Farrell, MPR's senior economics contributor.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

A local photographer and director is highlighting her own community in her debut short film. Dhaanto follows a Minneapolis Somali dance troupe and their coach, who hold the knowledge of traditional dances and are passing it down to young, first-generation Somali Americans.

[AUDIO PLAYBACK]

- It all started with my father, who's a great storyteller. He was telling me stories about a period of time when performing arts such as folk dancing and theater was thriving in Somalia. So it was because of those stories that inspired the idea of developing this dance program that would help revive the Somali culture. After that, my dad instantly started traveling from one school to another to recruit students who would be interested in studying Somali traditional dances and later on performing them out for the community.

[END PLAYBACK]

CATHY WURZER: Ah. Joining us right now is the woman behind the camera, Yasmin Yassin. And she's with us right now. Yasmin, how are you?

YASMIN YASSIN: Good. How are you?

CATHY WURZER: Great. Hey, congratulations. How do you feel about this?

YASMIN YASSIN: Thank you so much. It feels really good to actually have it out in the world, so we're really excited.

CATHY WURZER: Good for you. Dhaanto, by the way, what does that mean?

YASMIN YASSIN: Yeah, Dhaanto is the name of a traditional Somali dance. It's a dance that mimics the movements of a camel. And so it's the most popular Somali traditional dance. Despite there being a lot of different other ones, this one's the most well known.

CATHY WURZER: Well, Yasmin, how did you decide that you wanted to do this film?

YASMIN YASSIN: Yeah, I've seen this dance troupe performing around the Twin Cities for quite a while now. And so I was at a local Minneapolis festival in the summer about a year and a half ago. And I spotted the dance troupe running around.

And I saw the coach trying to corral all these teens to dance. And I was curious about his story and seeing what happens behind the scenes of this dance troupe because I've seen them perform on stage. But I never really saw whatever happens before they even get onto the stage and get dressed. And so I wanted to get to know them more.

CATHY WURZER: And there's a lot of work, I bet.

YASMIN YASSIN: Oh, yeah. [LAUGHS] Oh, yeah.

CATHY WURZER: What were you hoping to capture with this short film?

YASMIN YASSIN: Yeah, I think kind of two-pronged. The first thing I really wanted to capture was just the passion of the coach, Mahmoud, and the fact that he-- and the second thing is that he's preserving our traditional dances, bringing them over to the diaspora.

And him and the Somali Museum of Minnesota, just with the sheer amount of passion that they have, they're really transferring all this cultural knowledge to waves of young Somali Americans and youth. And so I think just really wanted to capture the magnitude of what they're doing beyond just being a performance troupe. I think there are also just cultural barriers that are hidden in the background with the sheer amount of work that they're doing.

CATHY WURZER: Hmm. Well, you know what, though, you're joining them, right? I mean, you're preserving the tradition in a different way. You're documenting it.

YASMIN YASSIN: Yeah. I think I consider this kind of like a cross section of the present, like an archival piece for the future. I think I'm as excited about what they're doing, and they're doing it right now. But for me, it's just--