Residents of the small town of Oakridge, Minnesota, have spent the past two weeks trying to trace a mysterious radio signal that first appeared early this month. Found on frequency 550 AM, the broadcast is nothing more than a looping recording repeated over and over, day and night.
While the word is often garbled by static, many locals insist they have clearly heard the phrase "MaximizeMe" interspersed among the repetitions. MaximizeMe, a self-proclaimed self-help group, held a retreat just outside Oakridge in the first days of January, drawing further suspicion about the strange signal’s origin.
"It’s too much of a coincidence," said town council member Ruth Hagemeyer. "One day they show up, and suddenly there’s a weird broadcast nobody can trace? It doesn’t feel right."
Amateur radio enthusiasts in the region attempted to triangulate the source, but their efforts have so far been unsuccessful. "It behaves almost like it’s moving," said Brian Cotter, a local ham operator. "One minute you think it’s coming from the woods, the next it’s like it’s underground."
MaximizeMe representatives declined to comment when reached by phone. A short statement posted on the group’s website dismissed any connection, calling the rumors "an unfortunate distraction from our work of personal transformation."
Still, many in Oakridge remain uneasy. Some residents claim to have heard strange noises during the night near the retreat site, while others have reported brief interference on their home radios and televisions. As of this week, the broadcast continues without interruption, leaving more questions than answers.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been notified, but a spokesperson said investigations of this nature often take weeks or months to resolve, especially in rural areas with limited resources. For now, the strange signal remains a ghost on the airwaves — and on the minds of those who hear it.