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
Politics
Tolkkinen: Stauber, Emmer and Gazelka flap their feathers over Satanist phoenix display
Tom Emmer, Pete Stauber and Paul Gazelka call the Satanist display in the state Capitol an insult to Christians and Minnesotans. As a Christian, I disagree.
December 19, 2024
Greater Minnesota
Tolkkinen: I’ll check into your Minnesota conspiracy theory, but first you have to do something for me
People are often sure of what they know, until details come out.
December 17, 2024
Greater Minnesota
Tolkkinen: Why I took my 12-year-old's cellphone away
Just because you live in rural Minnesota doesn't mean that predators can't find your kid. They can, easily, online, even when you think they're safe at home. Kids have died because of it. It's a big reason I took my 12-year-old's cell phone away.
December 13, 2024
Greater Minnesota
Tolkkinen: Fatal wrecks shatter Battle Lake
Two fatal wrecks last week claimed the lives of two young Battle Lakes: a 27-year-old mother of five known for her made-from-scratch donut business, and an 18-year-old son who his parents hoped could one day look after his younger brother who has a rare genetic disorder.
December 12, 2024
Greater Minnesota
Tolkkinen: Readers offer candid, sometimes harsh opinions of greater Minnesota
Readers who aren't white or straight say greater Minnesota doesn't always greet them with open arms.
December 10, 2024
Elections
Tolkkinen: The November election was full of distractions. Now maybe we can work on real problems
Voters delivered gifts for everyone, so here’s to rural-urban friendship in 2025.
December 6, 2024
News & Politics![Herberger's at Southdale Mall has going out of business signs displayed. ] GLEN STUBBE ï glen.stubbe@startribune.com Friday, April 20, 2018 ORG XMIT: MIN1804201435140883](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/VQBPWN45XSWAWHZYXIYOH7TAY4.jpg?&w=252&ar=3:2&fit=crop)
Tolkkinen: The retail gap left by Herberger's closing remains
Herberger's department store began in Osakis in 1889 before expanding to Alexandria, then across the state and into other parts of the U.S. Its closure in 2018 left a significant gap in the retail industry in small-town Minnesota.
November 29, 2024
Greater Minnesota djoles@startr](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/CWA5H7BP77HEXFNMUA2DNGIZ6U.jpg?&w=252&ar=3:2&fit=crop)
Tolkkinen: Giving thanks for life in rural Minnesota
This Thanksgiving, here's a glimpse into why people live in greater Minnesota — and are thankful for it.
November 28, 2024
Greater Minnesota
Tolkkinen: Readers offer candid, sometimes harsh opinions of greater Minnesota
Readers who aren't white or straight say greater Minnesota doesn't always greet them with open arms.
December 10, 2024
Elections
Tolkkinen: The November election was full of distractions. Now maybe we can work on real problems
Voters delivered gifts for everyone, so here’s to rural-urban friendship in 2025.
December 6, 2024
News & Politics
Tolkkinen: The retail gap left by Herberger's closing remains
Herberger's department store began in Osakis in 1889 before expanding to Alexandria, then across the state and into other parts of the U.S. Its closure in 2018 left a significant gap in the retail industry in small-town Minnesota.
November 29, 2024
Greater Minnesota
Tolkkinen: Giving thanks for life in rural Minnesota
This Thanksgiving, here's a glimpse into why people live in greater Minnesota — and are thankful for it.
November 28, 2024