Chop & Brew: Another spring, another hop crop gets underway. In this episode of Chop & Brew, we look at the basic steps to planting hop rhizomes in containers and in the yard. Ted and Paul help new hop-growers with tip and techniques for the start of the growing season. Chop & Brew will do several episodes over the coming months on maintenance, harvesting, drying and of course a fresh-hop brew day episode.

Threatening Sky: Skies darken as rain & thunder approach Target Field. twitter.com/MPRweather/sta…

— MPR Weather (@MPRweather) May 19, 2013

Boats ready to go for the morning! #scrapaddle twitter.com/stcroix360/sta…

— St. Croix 360 (@stcroix360) May 18, 2013

Over the weekend a large group of paddlers set off to paddle 92 miles of the Namekagon River.

The Namekagon is a Wisconsin tributary of the St Croix River.

92 miles to go! #scrapaddle twitter.com/stcroix360/sta…

— St. Croix 360 (@stcroix360) May 19, 2013

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Flying Lotus will play First Ave on May 19. Thundercat opens.

“Flying Lotus’ albums are events. They’re not issued with a mechanic regularity and they don’t subscribe to recognized formulae. For those prone to astral traveling and metaphysical introspection they are another piece of the puzzle. For those, let’s say more ‘conventional’ listeners, the records are grand and ghostly sweeping movements – the sort of which are rarely undertaken at present. For being such a potent strain of future-thinking music, the scope of Flying Lotus’ full-lengths recall the ambition and vision of many older masters while at the same time look unflinchingly towards the beyond,” via Warp Records.

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If you listen to The Current in the afternoon, this may ring a bell.

Wind energy companies not being held accountable for killing eagles and other protected birds.
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No criminal charges will be filed.

The largest wildfire in Wisconsin since 1980 was started by logging equipment Tuesday afternoon, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources confirmed Thursday.

via Duluth News Tribune.

The Pioneer Press and the Duluth News Tribune find prescription drug abuse a growing problem in Minnesota.

Narcotic prescriptions used to combat pain nearly doubled from 2005 to 2011, when there was enough oxycodone and hydrocodone distributed in Minnesota to provide 18 pills for every man, woman and child. That’s up from two pills per person in 1997.

via Pioneer Press/Duluth News Tribune .