CLOQUET, Minn. — The Cloquet middle school and high school were evacuated on Wednesday after a bomb threat was called into the high school over the phone, and both buildings have now been given the all-clear by police. Cloquet police say the bomb threat seemed to be the exact same one that was called into Esko High School last month,…
MINNESOTA — The Minnesota Supreme Court will hear the appeal for PolyMet’s water permit. The high court of the state will review the Minnesota Court of Appeals decision on the case that it made back in January. Environmental advocates and the Fond du Lac Band Of Lake Superior Chippewa petitioned the state Supreme Court to review it. They say their…
DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth International Airport will no longer require masks on its property after a federal judge ended the requirement nationally on Monday. “Since the beginning of pandemic, the Duluth International Airport has instituted reasonable mitigation measures that promote public health, including increased disinfection and air exchange inside the airport terminal,” Tom Werner, the executive director of DIA,…
HIBBING, Minn. –The kitchen inside of the Hibbing Memorial Building’s curling club caught fire on Saturday night, according to the Northland FireWire. The fire was called in just before 9:30 p.m. Firefighters found that the flames from a stove were put out quickly by the appliance’s own fire suppression system. However, the fire still damaged the walls and cabinets around…
ST. LOUIS CO., Minn. — Fifteen people were recognized at St. Louis County’s 911 Lifesaver Awards ceremony on Tuesday morning. The honorees ranged from everyday people, to first responders and law enforcement, along with 911 dispatchers. Some of the stories include four men working for a power company who noticed a car was overturned in a ditch filled with water…
Looking down at your phone for just five seconds while behind-the-wheel at 55 mph is like driving the length of a football field while blindfolded. April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and during a virtual conference on Monday about the devastating consequences of not paying attention on the road, a Maryland woman spoke about a tragedy that she caused. Investigators…
CARLTON CO., Minn. — An SUV rolled over on Saturday night with five adults inside in the Twin Lakes Township, according to the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office. It happened just after 10 p.m. Investigators say the man who was driving left the roadway on the 1400-block of County Road 4 and hit a driveway approach, flipping his SUV over. Everyone…
DULUTH, Minn. — Even though our spring weather is still feeling more like winter, that didn’t stop some paddleboarders from enjoying time on Lake Superior around Duluth on Sunday. The owner of SUPerior Paddle Academy, a local business that organizes paddleboarding excursions, took a group out on the water. He says the experience is still comfortable in chillier temperatures, even…
MINNESOTA/UKRAINE — A nonprofit ministry in Ukraine has had its world turned upside-down after Russia invaded the country, but it is still receiving a lot of support through the turmoil, including from its longtime board members in Minnesota. Max Festisov and his wife Amanda lead the True Hope Ministry, which helps orphans and also teens who are aging out of…
DULUTH, Minn. — A man experiencing a mental health crisis jumped off the guard rail area on the Lake Avenue ramp on Sunday morning, according to Duluth Police. Police say they were called out to the area after reports that he had been jumping into traffic around 8:15 a.m. When officers found him, he was standing on the Lake Avenue…
MT. IRON, Minn.- A 19-year-old man has been arrested in connection to the midnight bar fight that left two victims with stab wounds on Wednesday, according to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office. The teen was arrested at his home in Virginia hours later, around 9:30 a.m., and booked into jail on preliminary charges of second-degree assault. FOX21 cannot name…
DULUTH, Minn. — Zeitgeist is getting ready to host its first international film festival next month. The North by North International Film Festival will kick off the performing arts season at the venue, while featuring the work of budding filmmakers. The festival will also have $18k to support local filmmakers work in a pitch competition. It will run from April…
POLAND — A member of the Duluth Skyline Rotary Club has packed his bags and flown over to Poland to help as Ukranian refugees pour over the border to escape the war. Bob Sherman says he has just arrived there, and plans to help with starting online classes for Ukranian students now living in Poland. He will also help with…
ESKO, Minn. — The March 17th anonymous call that claimed an explosive device was inside an Esko Public Schools classroom and caused the entire campus to evacuate came from someone who didn’t even live in North America, according to the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office. A lieutenant tells FOX21 that the call originated from Africa, but it is unclear which country…
MINNESOTA — The Minnesota DNR has some exciting news for fans of its EagleCam: two eggs in an eagle nest high up in a forest have now hatched. The first eaglet was born on March 22nd, with the second popping out two days later. The DNR says that the mom and dad eagles have been working hard to keep their…
UPDATE: The city of Duluth plans to roll out the “blight reports” part of the tool by the end of 2022. It is not currently featured on the website. DULUTH, Minn. — The city of Duluth is rolling out a new tool on its website that streamlines the process of reporting issues like blight, potholes, and more. You can go…
HERMANTOWN, Minn. — Hermantown city councilor Grant Hauschild launched his campaign for the Minnesota State Senate District 3 seat at the city’s Iron Workers Local 512 union hall Wednesday afternoon. He said that as a city councilor elected in 2020, he has worked to bring state funding to the area, and hopes to continue that in St. Paul by bringing…
DULUTH, Minn. — March is Minnesota FoodShare Month, a campaign through the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches. From now until April 10th, donations made to food banks will be reported to the GMCC FoodShare program, which will turn around and match a portion of what they raised. The Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank in Duluth not only has its…
BABBITT, Minn. — The mayor of Babbitt is launching her campaign for the District 3 Minnesota State Senate seat. Andrea Zupancich, who has served as Babbitt’s mayor since 2014, is running as a Republican. She also held a seat on Babbitt’s city council for two years before becoming mayor. Her announcement comes on the heels of State Senator Tom Bakk…
LAKE VERMILLION, Minn. — Minnesota State Senator Tom Bakk, an independent from the Iron Range, revealed on Thursday that he’s not running for another term. The District 3 State Senator says he’ll retire at the end of the year, saying in a press release that quote, “representing the people of the arrowhead region has been one of the greatest rewards…
UPDATE – ESKO, Minn. –The evacuation on Thursday afternoon at Esko Public Schools was due to a bomb threat that was made by an anonymous caller, according to the school administration. The school district says that Carlton County 911 dispatchers received a call from an unknown person claiming that an explosive device was spotted inside one of the high school’s…
VIRGINIA, Minn. — Essentia Health is teaming up with Rock Ridge Public Schools in Virginia to create what they call “education-to-employment student scholarships.” Essentia is setting aside $300,000 for scholarships for students who pursue education after high school for certain career opportunities in healthcare. Those jobs range from respiratory therapists to radiology, surgical, and medical lab technicians, and more. The…
DULUTH, Minn. — The Catalyst Story Institute has hired the former president and CEO of Visit Duluth, Anna Tanski, as the new Head of Festivals And Events for its organizations. It also hired four other women for leadership roles in New York and Los Angeles. The Institute’s headquarters are in Duluth, and is known for holding its Catalyst Content Festival…
MINNESOTA — The University of Minnesota system is loosening its mask requirements for all campuses as COVID case rates drop. The university president wrote in a statement last Friday that the school system always aligned its mask policies with CDC recommendations. Starting on March 21st, the restrictions are loosening but not going away entirely yet. Anyone on campus will no…
DULUTH, Minn. — A veteran and two city councilors spoke with FOX21 about reaching a deal last Friday to keep the Memorial Day parade in West Duluth. The Memorial Day parade has been a long-standing tradition in the city, but there was a chance this year that it would move to Proctor or Rice Lake. This, after the veterans who…
DULUTH, Minn. — The Memorial Day parade will stay in Duluth this year after a fee disagreement was settled. The organizers and veterans behind the parade said the city quoted them a price to put on the event at around $4,000, which included services like having police there for security. The parade has been held in the city since the…
DULUTH, Minn. — The city of Duluth has secured federal CARES Act funding to begin construction on the seawall later this year. For the $8 million project, $5 million from the federal CARES Act will go toward replacing the aging seawall. The rest of the money will mostly be covered from the capital support that Minnesota sent Duluth in 2020….
DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth city councilor Renee Van Nett launched her campaign on Monday for the Minnesota 8th district state senate seat as a DFL candidate. Van Nett, who served as the council’s first-ever indigenous city council president last year, is a member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. She said that she…
DULUTH, Minn. — Essentia Health is getting ready to open its new outpatient surgery center at the Miller Hill Mall this summer. The Miller Hill Surgery Center will take over the empty building that sears left behind. The 41,000 square-foot building will have 12 operating rooms. The goal is to offer a place where patients can go home in less…
SUPERIOR, Wis. — The Yellowjacket Union welcomed President Joe Biden on Wednesday afternoon, along with a number of politicians, students, and supporters who were ecstatic that the commander-in-chief chose Superior as his first stop the day after the State of the Union address. “It’s not too often you get an email saying the president of the United States is coming…
SUPERIOR, Wis. — Mayor Jim Paine says it’s an honor that President Joe Biden is choosing Superior as his first stop after the State of the Union speech. It’s a common tradition for presidents to go on a tour around the country for a week or more after their State of the Union address. It’s a way to promote past…
SUPERIOR, Wis. — The Superior YMCA is helping residents of the Royalton Manor who have been affected by a hot water outage there. Those residents are welcome to stop in and use free passes to hot showers for the next few days until the hot water issue at Royalton Manor is completely fixed. Typically, a shower pass is $3/day. “We…
DULUTH, Minn. — Some veterans and community members are concerned that they are losing some city funding for the annual Memorial Day parade. Organizers say the city of Duluth used to cover the costs of the Memorial Day parade for free. Then from 2008 on, there was a “gentleman’s agreement” that the vets would pay $400 for it every year….
SUPERIOR, Wis. — Next time you’re in the grocery store, check out the produce section and see if you spot some vegetables with the “Bay Produce” stickers on them. It turns out, there’s a whole mission behind those vegetables that is helping adults with disabilities learn job skills. Bay Produce in Superior is part of the Challenge Center, which supports…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) (AP Photo/Evan Vucci) SUPERIOR, Wis. — President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden will head to Superior next Wednesday to promote the bipartisan Infrastructure Law, according to a press release from the White House. Mr. Biden plans to highlight how the law “delivers for the American people by rebuilding roads and bridges and creating good-paying, union…
DULUTH, Minn. — A Duluth man who went down to Florida to participate in the “Sick Week” drag-and-drive races ended up doing very well. Michael Janousek brought his 1988 Mazda RX-7 convertible down south earlier this month. It wasn’t an easy 36-hour trip, as he hit a massive snowstorm while traveling through Illinois with the race car in a trailer….
SUPERIOR, Wis. — A family that traveled to Superior for a funeral of a loved one last weekend saw their painful experience become even more tragic, after a thief stole items from the service out of their car. Gerald “Jerry” Zowin was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather who passed away on February 5th at age 81. His funeral was…
DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth police say they responded to a call of a suspect robbing the CVS on East Superior Street while armed with a knife on Monday evening. The call came in around 6:30 p.m. that an individual had robbed the store of cash after demanding employees hand it over. It’s unclear how much money was stolen, but fortunately…
ST. LOUIS CO., Minn. — A man died on Saturday afternoon after he collided with an ambulance while driving his snowmobile. According to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, 61-year-old Jeffrey Joe of Thief River Falls was riding on the Arrowhead snowmobile trail when he tried to cross the road to continue onto the Ash River Trail in the area…
HIBBING, Minn. — The Hibbing Police Department has a name for its new K-9 who will work in electronic detection. Meet Dottie, the chosen name for this beautiful 2-year-old black lab who is completing K-9 training in Indiana. The winning name was picked out of more than 400 ideas sent in by the community. The police department says the meaning…
GOOSEBERRY FALLS, Minn. — While it’s only Monday, people are flocking to Gooseberry Falls to take in all of its winter beauty. We caught some people strapping on their cross-country skis, snowshoes, and more. The fresh snow was also a big draw for two friends who were picking up their state park passes and then going for a walk in…
PROCTOR, Minn. — The Black Woods Blizzard Tour just raised more than $1.5 million to support the needs of those diagnosed with ALS. The three-day snowmobiling ride ran from this past Thursday through Saturday. Riders go up to Lake Vermillion, then over to Two Harbors and Proctor. Participants must raise or donate the money, and they clearly have a lot…
DULUTH, Minn. — The John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon is just a few days away, but the event that spans over multiple cities in the Northland is still looking for more volunteers. Beargrease averages about 400 volunteers every year who help out in a multitude of ways, but COVID has been taking some of them out with quarantine. Right now,…
DULUTH, Minn. — The national staffing shortage in schools is also being felt locally, with even the Duluth schools superintendent filling in in the classroom. Superintendent John Magas says he’s stepped in as both a paraprofessional and a substitute teacher, adding that he’s never seen staffing shortages so severe in the education field before. Even the number of bus drivers…
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Tina Smith is teaming up with another Democrat and two Republicans to push legislation that would encourage more people to stay in the public health industry. The lawmakers say that more people are leaving certain sectors of the field, causing a shortage of much-needed employees. The director of the CDC says America is short about 80,000…
DULUTH, Minn. –At the Frosty Ridge Alpaca Farm in Duluth, the owners tell us that the challenge to keep their alpacas warm isn’t the subzero temperatures in the winter, but actually keeping them comfortable with the humidity level. Alpacas are native to the Andes Mountains in South America, where it’s actually far less humid than Minnesota, even in the winter….
DULUTH, Minn. — The North Star Academy of the Duluth Edison Charter Schools is having some of its grades switch to virtual learning for a few weeks. It’s happening for two reasons: one, COVID has caused staffing issues and teacher shortages, and two, the number of COVID cases within the schools doubled between the first and second week of January…
DULUTH, Minn. — A fire destroyed a home in West Duluth on Wednesday, leaving a family displaced. It happened around 3:30 p.m. on the 600-block of South 65th Avenue West. The Duluth Fire Department says the fire started in the basement after a bed caught fire. Fortunately, all the people and pets inside the home were able to get out…
ST. LOUIS CO., Minn. — A juvenile-aged girl allegedly shot her mother on Sunday afternoon in the Cook area, according to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities were sent over after a 911 call was made while the 40-year-old mother was brought to the hospital around 4:30 p.m. While law enforcement was on the way, the daughter got into…
EVELETH, Minn. – The 100th anniversary of the Hippodrome opening in Eveleth will be celebrated this weekend. For the past century, it’s been the venue where quite a few famous hockey stars have graced the ice, and it’s now somewhat of a mecca for Iron Range hockey history. It was also home to many basketball games, fundraisers, and even concerts…
