Author: Alexandra Burnley

WI Governor Tony Evers Visits School In Hayward While Promoting Education Funding

HAYWARD, Wis. — Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers visited the Hayward Intermediate School to promote his budget proposal and funding for schools on Monday. One major theme of Evers’ proposed funding is taking care of school districts needs before they need to turn to the community and ask them to raise property taxes on themselves to fund aging buildings, staffing shortages,…

Memorial Blood Centers Asking For Donors To Step Forward During Critical Blood Emergency

MINNESOTA/WISCONSIN — Memorial Blood Centers, which has locations in Duluth, Hibbing, Virginia, and Superior, Superior, Hibbing, and Virginia, is declaring a blood emergency. Blood donations are used for patients with traumatic injuries, burns, chronic diseases such as cancer, and are key in many surgeries and organ transplants. One donation can save up to three lives. MBC says its hurting for…

Minnesota Legislature Making Progress On Bill To Discourage Catalytic Converter Thefts

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota is one of the top states for catalytic converter thefts, and after years of roadblocks, the state legislature is now making some progress on a bill that would discourage it. On Monday, the state House passed a bill that would make it illegal for scrap metal buyers to accept catalytic converters cut off of vehicles….

Politicians Confirm Cleveland-Cliffs Will Restart Operations In April

MINNESOTA — Two politicians representing Minnesota confirmed on Monday that mining company Cleveland-Cliffs plans to re-open its idling facilities in Babbitt and Silver Bay this April. Senator Amy Klobuchar (DFL-MN) and State Senator Grant Hauschild (DFL-03) sent press releases applauding the company for the announcement. The mine in Babbitt and the pellet plant in Silver Bay, both owned by Cleveland-Cliffs,…

Duluth Police Merge Two Units To Address Mental Health And Substance Use

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Police Department has merged its unit that focuses on mental health and the one it has that addresses substance use to form its new Behavioral Health Unit. The department acknowledged that the mental health and substance use make up a significant portion of emergency calls. “Substance use and mental health conditions often go hand-in-hand,” Lieutenant…

Coast Guard Pauses Search For Missing Man Who Fell Ice Climbing Around Pictured Rocks

PICTURED ROCKS NATIONAL LAKESHORE, Mich. — The Coast Guard is pausing its search for an ice climber who has been missing since Tuesday afternoon at the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan. The 31-year-old man fell off a cliff while ice climbing with a friend. The Coast Guard and county rescue crews went out along with the National Park Service…

UPDATE: Ashland County Inmate Likely Died Of Overdose

UPDATE: An inmate’s death at the Ashland County Jail was likely caused by a drug overdose. That’s according to the Bayfield County Sheriff’s Office, which is handling the investigation to avoid any conflict-of-interest with the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office. The overdose is information coming from the preliminary investigation. The full toxicology report is still pending. —————————————————————————————————– ASHLAND, Wis. — An…

Ashley Furniture Quietly Donates 20 Mattresses To Steve O’Neil Apartments For Homeless Families

DULUTH, Minn. — Some residents in the Steve O’Neil Apartments in Duluth are resting easier after a furniture company donated mattresses to them. CHUM posted on Twitter that it was Ashley Furniture that donated 20 mattresses and frames to the complex. CHUM, which operates the apartments that are designated housing for families facing homelessness, said that the Coast Guard helped…

Stauber Talks About U.S. Connection To Congo Child Labor For Mining After Order To Protect BWCAW

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Republican Representative Pete Stauber (MN-08) said on Thursday that the Biden administration’s decision to section off 350-square miles of the Superior National Forest from mining projects for 20 years means that the U.S. could rely on child labor overseas. The decision was made due to environmental concerns of potential mining near the Rainy River Watershed close to…

Superintendent Says Cherry School’s Noxious Smell Likely Fixed After Propane Leak

CHERRY, Minn. — After complaints of a noxious odor at the Cherry School, the superintendent says the issue is now hopefully fixed. Dr. Reggie Engebritson, the superintendent of St. Louis County Schools, said on Wednesday that the district “found a small leak on the roof and turned off the propane,” with contractors fixing the leak “immediately.” Dr. Engebritson added that…

Voting Underway For Top Pets Of Lake Superior Ice Festival

SUPERIOR, Wis. — The Lake Superior Ice Festival is coming up this weekend in Superior, which includes crowning the cutest local pets. The Humane Society of Douglas County gets involved with the festival by letting the community enter in their dogs, cats, and other pets to be crowned the “Canine King and Queen,” the “Felines Of The Festival,” and “Lord…

Car Rear-Ends Shuttle Going to Lutsen Mountains Resort With 14 People On-Board

LUTSEN TOWNSHIP, Minn. — A car rear-ended a shuttle with 14 people on-board heading to Lutsen Mountains on Sunday afternoon, according to Minnesota State Patrol. None of the people in the shuttle were injured. The accident happened on Highway 61 and Poplar River Road. The shuttle was turning left to go toward the Lutsen Mountains Resort when it was rear-ended…

Woman And Child Escape Camper That Caught On Fire In Esko

ESKO, Minn. — A 24-year-old woman and a toddler escaped a pull-behind camper that caught on fire on Saturday in Esko. It happened at the Knife Island Campground on Highway 61. Esko, Wrenshall, and Carlton firefighters all responded to the scene after receiving the call around 5 p.m. Neither the woman nor the two-year-old girl needed to be hospitalized after…

MNsure Hosts Health Insurance Sign-Up Sessions Before Open Enrollment Ends

DULUTH, Minn. — The deadline is approaching to enroll in a healthcare plan from the open marketplace, so on Thursday Minnesota residents could get personalized help in choosing what option works best for their budget and healthcare needs at the Duluth Public Library. The open market for health insurance is an option people can turn to when they can’t get…

East Range Police Find Explosives In Aurora Home

AURORA, Minn. — A man in his 30s was arrested in Aurora on Saturday after police say they recovered explosives in their home.  The East Range Police Department says it executed a search warrant for another issue at a home on the 300-block of South First Street East in Aurora.  Officers found explosives and a homemade incendiary device after searching…

CSB Releases Its Final Report On What Led To Husky Refinery Explosion In 2018

SUPERIOR, Wis. — A federal agency has released its final report on the 2018 Husky refinery explosion and fire in Superior, more than four-and-a-half years later. The United States Chemical Safety And Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) put out the 196-page report detailing what happened. The explosion that caused a fire went off on April 26th, 2018, during scheduled maintenance just…

USPS Addresses Mail And Delivery Delays In Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. — If you’ve been waiting weeks to receive your mail or packages, you’re not alone. A Minnesota-based spokesperson for the Post Office tells FOX21 that the Duluth postal management is aware of the delays. To tackle it, the post offices in Duluth are paying overtime to current employees while also bringing in more workers from other locations. The…

Spirit Mountain Opens Tubing Hill For Winter

DULUTH, Minn. — Spirit Mountain opened its tubing hills on Tuesday, just in time for kids on winter break from school. Tubing is open at the resort on weekdays for the holiday break, but will then switch over to only being open on the weekends afterward. If you go when the sun sets, Spirit Mountain turns on its colorful lights…

Outage Map Shows Power Restored To All Minnesota Power Customers After Snowstorm

MINNESOTA — Minnesota Power’s outage map showed that power has been restored to all of its customers, days after a snowstorm knocked down lines and toppled trees that left almost 20,000 people connected to the service in the dark. Amy Rutledge, the director of corporate communications with Minnesota Power, said in an email that “this has been a herculean effort…

Duluth Mayor Emily Larson Launches Re-Election Campaign

DULUTH, Minn. — Mayor Emily Larson launched her campaign for re-election Tuesday morning with the slogan “Building A Better Duluth.” She made the announcement on the Lake Walk in Canal Park. Larson talked about her time as mayor for the past seven years, and the affects the pandemic and George Floyd’s murder had on the community. She said some of…

Wildcat Sanctuary Founder Praises Congress Passing Bill That Protects Big Cats From Private Ownership And Exploitation

SANDSTONE, Minn. — The Wildcat Sanctuary in Sandstone is celebrating after a bill protecting big cats has now passed Congress and will head to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law. On Tuesday, the Senate voted in favor of the Big Cat Public Safety Act, and the House did earlier this year. It will restrict Americans from privately…

MNA Voting On The Possibility Of Going On Another Strike

DULUTH, Minn. — 15,000 nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association have been voting all throughout the day on Wednesday deciding if they want to go on a three-day strike again, as contract negotiations with hospitals continue to fall apart. The union says it would another “unfair labor practice strike.” If at least two-thirds of nurses vote in agreement to walk…

Vote Recounts For MN Districts 3A And 3B As Small Number Of Votes Separate Candidates

MINNESOTA — The Minnesota Secretary of State’s office has confirmed that two districts will have recounts next month. Districts 3A and 3B will see a recount of the votes for the state house seats. It includes St. Louis, Itasca, Koochiching, Cook, and Lake counties. In district 3A, Republican Roger Skraba leads incumbent Rob Ecklund with the DFL by 15 votes….

Essentia Health Says It’s Reached Agreement With MNA Nurses In Moose Lake

MOOSE LAKE, Minn. — Essentia Health released a statement on Monday night saying that it reached a tentative deal with union nurses in Moose Lake. A representative says the Minnesota Nurses Association has a negotiating committee that will vote to make the new contract official by December 9th, or possibly earlier. “Both parties worked hard at the bargaining table in…

Fundraising Underway For Senator David J. Tomassoni Bridge of Peace Memorial

CHISHOLM, Minn. — Fundraising is underway for a memorial that will honor late Minnesota State Senator David Tomassoni in Chisholm. It will be an archway and public plaza added to Chisholm’s Longyear Lake Causeway. Construction will begin next summer. Those leading the fundraising efforts say the arch will not only honor the state senator, but also serve as a tribute…

Thanksgiving Buffet At The DECC Details

DULUTH, Minn. — If you don’t have Thanksgiving plans, you can head over to the DECC and grab a free Thanksgiving meal on Thursday. This year, ham is on the menu instead of turkey. Organizers say this is because of the national turkey shortage. Plates will also include stuffing, mashed potatoes, dinner rolls, veggies, and dessert. Individuals going there in-person…

Duluth Shelter Sees Several Animals Abandoned Outside, Says Abuse And Neglect Of Pets Is Rising

DULUTH, Minn. — Animal Allies says it’s seeing a disturbing trend pick up: more abuse and neglect cases of Northland pets. The Duluth-based animal shelter made two posts on Facebook just this week about pets being abandoned. In the first post, they wrote that two puppies were discovered taped up in a dirty box on the side of the road….

School In Cloquet Recognized Nationally For Academic Improvement And Success

Cloquet, MINN. — The Churchill Elementary School in Cloquet held a celebration on Tuesday after it was recognized as one of the 2022 National Blue Ribbon Schools. It’s one of 297 in the country, and one of eight in Minnesota. The honor goes to schools that have made progress in narrowing the achievement gaps among their students, or have overall…

Open House Held For I-35 Corridor Feedback

DULUTH, Minn. — On Tuesday evening, Northland residents could share their input with officials who are designing plans for the I-35 Corridor at an open house. It was hosted by MNDOT and the Duluth-Superior Metropolitan Interstate Council. The open house shared project details while also letting the public contribute to how the interstate can be re-imagined. The area they’re focusing…

Duluth’s Snow Removal Volunteer Program Not Returning This Year

DULUTH, Minn. — The city of Duluth’s snow removal assistance volunteer program isn’t happening this year. It ran for three years, and helped up to 25 older adults and people with disabilities every winter. Duluth residents could sign up to shovel their front doors and sidewalks as a free service to those in need. The city says the grant money…

Man Gets Jail Time And Probation For Killing Woman In Drunken Driving Crash

VIRGINIA, Minn. — A Virginia man who pleaded guilty to criminal vehicular homicide after causing a crash that left a woman dead in the Embarrass Township was sentenced on Monday. Prosecutors say 40-year-old Michael Kenneth Miller had been out celebrating his birthday on August 12th, drinking at bars. He then got behind-the-wheel of his pickup truck and crossed over the…

Man Arrested, Accused Of Shooting Gun During Bar Closing Time In Downtown Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth Police have arrested a suspect who they say fired a gun during bar closing time in the downtown area early Sunday morning. Officers with the DPD were already in the area of the 100-block of West First Street when they heard someone shooting a gun just after 2 a.m., sending several people running. No injuries were…