Dave TerSteeg spoke with Erin Stojan Ruccolo, director of electricity markets for Fresh Energy, about various aspects of generating solar energy in Minnesota, including community solar, setting an actual monetary value for solar, and the solar array that Great River Energy has proposed for the Arrowhead Cooperative site in Lutsen. You can learn more about solar and other renewables here.

Bob Carter & Dick Swanson welcomed local musician Pete Kavanaugh to Studio A Aug. 15 for fun conversation and great tunes. You can learn more about Pete and his music here.

Dick talked with Dr. Miriam Tatzel, a psychologist at Empire State College in New York, about why true happiness involves personally fulfilling activities and social relationships more than the pursuit of money and possessions...and how this happens to be better for the environment,  too. You can read more about positive psychology and the pursuit of happiness here.

Ann Possis & Roger Linehan hosted The Sweet Papa Dave Band in studio Aug. 8 for high-energy, original music that will get you out of your chair. The band, David Hart on guitar, Keith Manske on bass, Randy Mickelberg on guitar, and John Tetrault on drums, was in town to play at Grand Portage Lodge & Casino the next evening. 

Grammy Award-winning songwriter Jerry Vandiver stopped by The Roadhouse Aug. 8 with his guitar to chat and play a few tunes, including what he calls paddling music. His new CD, "Every Scratch Tells a Story," features one he wrote about our town, "In Grand Marais." He was in the area for his 20th straight annual Boundary Waters canoe trip. You can learn more about Jerry and his delightful music here. 

Ann chatted Aug. 8 with Mary Relindes Ellis, author of "The Bohemian Flats,"a novel set in a vibrant immigrant enclave in Minneapolis in the early 20th century. The book is rich in historical detail as well as a fascinating story of a family who moves from Germany to America. You can learn more about the author and the book here.

Dick & Ann welcomed the band Floydian Slip (Scott McCafferty, bass; Olaf Kirsten, guitar; Andy Noyes, guitar; and Jeff Kriner, drums)  to Studio A Aug. 1 for fun conversation and great original music & covers. They were in town to play two shows at the Gun Flint Tavern. You can learn more about them and where they play next here.

The U of MN Solar Vehicle Project is an organization of undergraduate engineering students who research, design and construct a solar vehicle every two years. Jake Herbers, a student leader with the team, joined Dick Aug. 1 to talk about some of the challenges involved in constructing and racing a solar car. You can learn more about the project here. 

"By Way of Water: Our History with Lake Superior" is a new exhibit at the Cook County Historical Museum in Grand Marais. It shares  stories of how the Lake shaped the people and communities of our region. Director of the museum Carrie McHugh joined Ann Aug. 1 to talk about all the cool items and displays in the exhibit, and what people will learn about when they visit.

Buck & Ann welcomed local singer-songwriter Maria Nickolay to The Roadhouse July 25 for fun conversation and beautiful music. She's playing at several venues around the county this summer.