DULUTH, Minn. – Some businesses in Duluth are celebrating Fat Tuesday the New Orleans way. A crawfish boil and Mardi Gras praty brought dozens out to Carmody Irish Pub on East Superior Street. The owner tells us it’s his way of celebrating cultures like the French Creole and welcoming a new season to Duluth. “It’s just like hey, we’re done…
DULUTH, Minn. – A new indigenous market is in the works for the site of the former 4th Street Market in Duluth. The American Indian Community Housing Organization, or AICHO, recently got a $50,000 donation from Essentia Health to start renovating the building. The market will feature locally sourced traditional native food and will bring a food store back to…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Superior City Council voted to approve the addition of three firefighter positions. Fire Chief Steve Panger tells us his department will now be fully staffed for the first time in more than a year. With these additions, Superior will now have a total of forty firefighters. That will bring staffing back to the way it was…
DULUTH, Minn. – The historic NorShor Theatre has now been open for a year. It was even busier in its first 365 days than the Duluth Playhouse expected and more could be offered this year. Christine Gradl Seitz is the Executive and Artistic Director of the Duluth Playhouse. She says the six-hundred seat venue has given even more people a…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Healthcare cost the City of Superior nearly $6 million in 2018. Now, the city is looking at some new ways to contain those costs, including adding a medical tourism option to their employee health plan. Superior City Councilor Craig Sutherland traveled to Mexico last month for a stem cell procedure to treat his MS. “It was great,…
DULUTH, Minn. – Music filled the Marshall Performing Arts Center at UMD during the annual middle school honor band festival. More than three-hundred students from about fifty schools statewide attended the festival. Faculty say it’s a great opportunity for kids to meet students with similar interests and grow their love of music. “There’s some smaller schools that are in rural…
DULUTH, Minn. – A residential center helping homeless pregnant women and their babies will soon open in Duluth. The ‘Star of the North’ maternity home can house four women and their babies at a time. Staff will help the women find education, work, and independent housing after the babies are born. “Any woman who is single and has a baby…
DULUTH, Minn. – An art display at UMD is celebrating diversity through creative work. The “We All Belong” art show was created by students. It includes 3D art, drawings, and graphic design pieces. It was all made to create an inclusive, welcoming environment at the university. “This just adds another layer to what we can learn from other people’s experiences…
DULUTH, Minn. – Local employers in the building and construction trades are eager to hire more workers. Students and adults looking for careers could experience some in-demand trades hands on at the annual construction career night. Fourteen affiliated unions like carpenters, iron workers, roofers, and brick layers filled the DECCÂ arena with interactive displays. Prospective workers could ask the professionals…
DULUTH, Minn. – A custom-built electric bike was created by UMD engineering students for their final design project. The pedal bike was turned into an electric-powered one using lithium-ion batteries, a hub motor, motor controller, and a throttle. The students also created an app that records the bike’s total distance, average speed, and ride duration. “In Duluth it’s kind of…
HERMANTOWN, Minn. – A fourth candidate has entered the race for the open seat on the St. Louis County Board. Kal Randa is a 22-year-old college student from Hermantown. He’s expecting to graduate soon from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with a major in political science. He is president of the group, Minnesota Students for Liberty. Randa joins candidates Keith…
DULUTH, Minn. – Deconstruction is set to begin Monday, February 25th, for the old Carter Hotel in Downtown Duluth. The building is located between the Fond du Luth Casino and the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial at 17 N. 2nd Avenue East. The Fond du Lac Band owns the property. They tell us a new parking lot will replace the old…
DULUTH, Minn. – For people dreaming of warm days and tropical sunshine, an event at Ursa Minor Brewing in Duluth helped them get there. The Cabin Fever Painting fundraiser taught guests how to paint beach scenes while raising money for the MS Society before their MS 150 bike ride in June. “Being we got so much snow lately, we thought…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – A new tobacco and vapor store opens Friday on Hammond Avenue at the site of the former “Chicken Spur.” The specialty shop will sell cigars, vapor products, pipes and Wisconsin-licensed CBD products. Ignite Vapor and Tobacco already has two locations: One in Spooner and one in Hayward. They’re excited to open their new Superior store. “I know…
MOOSE LAKE, Minn. – The Minnesota State Correctional Facility in Moose Lake opened its doors, giving a look inside the walls of the medium-security prison. More than a thousand offenders– the majority of whom are convicted for sex offenses– are housed in the Moose Lake Correctional Facility. We were given a rare tour through the building to see first-hand what…
DULUTH, Minn. – Young people interested in social justice met with local organizations trying to improve the Twin Ports area. The “Social Justice Forum” at Duluth Cider was organized by the Duluth branch NAACP. It included groups like Men as Peacemakers, the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial, and many more. The event aims to help people under forty get active in…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Mariner Mall in Superior is no longer a mall but a retail and business center. As stores to continue to close across the country and in the Twin Ports, the one-time shopping center is making the transition into an office and manufacturing space. The Mariner Retail and Business Center has been moving in a new direction…
DULUTH, Minn. – A performance at the Underground is a reenactment of a real life break-up letter written by an anonymous Duluthian. Jonathan Manchester performs the one-man show with music played by his former roommate. While the two lived together, they found a notebook outside their house with a twenty page break-up letter inside. Manchester turned the letter, misspellings and…
DULUTH, Minn. – Instead of roses this Valentine’s Day, the University of Minnesota-Duluth is celebrating with orchids. Staff at the university’s greenhouse and herbarium invited the public to take a look at the orchids in bloom and learn more about the forty-eight varieties in Minnesota. They also showed off the herbarium, which is a museum filled with more than fifty-thousand…
DULUTH, Minn. – The City of Duluth wants residents and businesses to know they feel your frustrations with the mounting snow throughout the city. But they also say this wild winter has been tough on equipment and operators. They’re tackling streets, sidewalks, and alleys the best they can with the resources available. City crews have three tiers for removing snow…
DULUTH, Minn. – As the snow keeps coming, the piles grow and grow across the Northland. In West Duluth, business owners are now upset about the five foot tall snow banks between their storefronts and the street. One of those business owners is getting creative with how he gets the city’s attention. “They’re over five feet tall,” said Susan Coen,…
HERMANTOWN, Minn. – With all the recent winter storms, plow drivers across the Northland have been working long shifts, clearing snow from roadways. “It’s just a constant go, go, go. Not really an end in sight,” said St. Louis County equipment operator, Jason Carlson, on his plow route. 2018-19 is Carlson’s fourth winter driving a St. Louis County snow plow….
IRON COUNTY, Wis. – A 43-year-old woman is dead after a snowmobile crash in Iron County. Just before 3 p.m. Friday, the Hartland, Wisconsin woman crashed her snowmobile into a semi truck. The operator of the semi was traveling at a safe speed when the crash occurred and was uninjured in the crash. According to the Iron County Sheriff’s Office,…
DULUTH, Minn. – In the bitter cold and snow, many in the Duluth community are making donations to help people experiencing homelessness. Thursday night, good samaritans took food donations to the West Duluth warming center to help their homeless neighbors. “We love the generosity, we’d love it to keep on coming, it’s been inspiring every night, it’s like Santa Claus,…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Vaping is now illegal for minors in Superior. The city council voted Tuesday night to extend their tobacco ordinance to include vaping. It had already been illegal to use tobacco as a minor or sell to a minor. Now vaping is treated the same way as tobacco products in Superior. Public school policy already banned vaping in…
CLOQUET, Minn. – Cloquet officials have a new short-term plan to help with the city’s stray animal problem. This comes after the shocking news last summer that the Friends of Animals shelter was to shut down, leaving Cloquet with no long-term plan for animal control. Cloquet officials hope to work with Carlton County and the Fond du Lac Band to…
DULUTH, Minn. – Wednesday is National Sami Day, a celebration of the indigenous people of Finland, Norway, Sweden, and part of Russia. On Tuesday, their culture was honored with an open house at the Sami Cultural Center in Duluth. People could stop in at the open house, make crafts, eat cake, and learn about all things Sami. “It’s just another…
DULUTH, Minn. – With the recent sub-zero temperatures, many drivers have been forced to buy vehicle batteries and ditch their old ones. In the last three weeks, the staff at Advance Auto Parts in West Duluth have filled three palettes with sixty to seventy old batteries each. They tell us it’s important to properly dispose of batteries to protect the…
FINLAYSON, Minn. – Republican candidate, Jason Rarick, won the special election to represent Minnesota’s 11th District in the State Senate. When the final results were counted on Tuesday night, Rarick had 8,127 votes compared to DFL candidate Stu Lourey’s 7,171. Rarick is a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives where he has served since 2015. He and his supporters…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Blackwoods Blizzard Tour has wrapped up for 2019. The annual snowmobile fundraiser raises money for the ALS foundation. In its twentieth year, the tour raised $1.2 million to help families living with ALS. 240 riders set out on the three day snowmobile ride through the frozen Northland. “As you know the weather was a little chilly…
DULUTH, Minn. – 125 to 200 people spend each night outdoors in Duluth, according to the Homeless Person’s Bill of Rights Coalition. Part of the group’s bill has been passed by the Duluth City Council, but they’re fighting for more to protect everybody’s right to rest and food. The coalition is asking for a twenty-four hour hygiene facility to be…
GRAND PORTAGE, Minn.-Through historically cold temperatures the mushers in the 2019 John Beargrease marathon are starting to get close to the finish line in Grand Portage. Some issues with the tracking devices are making it hard to get official results. At last look it was Blake Freking ahead of last year’s winner Ryan Redington by about 15 miles – Redington…
HILL CITY, Minn. (AP)Â –Â Â A state investigation concludes that a 58-year-old man with dementia living in a northern Minnesota care center died from bleeding in the brain several weeks after he was repeatedly punched in the face by one staff member while another staff member held him down in his wheelchair. The Star Tribune reports that investigators accuse managers at…
FINLAND, Minn. – Blake and Jennifer Freking opened Manitou Crossing Kennels in 2003. It’s now home to dozens of Siberian Huskies who all race competitively throughout North America. “I would say I am living the dream,” said Blake Freking. “As a kid this is kind of what I was dreaming of and I didn’t think it was actually going to…
HURLEY, Wis. – Hurley sports teams have been known as “midgets” for years, but on their school building, their athletic fields, and their uniforms, the controversial mascot name can’t be found. Now, the school board has unanimously to officially change the mascot saying: “In a school district that prides itself on inclusion and making all students and families feel a…
UPSON, Wis. – A major fire broke out Friday evening at a ski resort in Iron County. The fire was at the Whitecap Mountain Ski Resort in Upson. According to the Iron County Sheriff’s Department, a major firefighter presence was in the area just after 6 p.m. At that time, they were telling drivers to avoid County Road E and…
DULUTH, Minn. – Ruby’s Pantry in Duluth is providing meals for government employees affected by the partial shutdown. For only $10, or half the usual cost, government workers and their families could participate in the pantry. Coordinators say it made sense to offer the special while workers continue to work without pay. “I find that somewhat interesting to expect people…
DULUTH, Minn. – An organization hosted a discussion in Duluth engaging men in the subject of sexual violence. The Men and Masculine Folks Network of Minnesota held the discussion at Men as Peacemakers in Downtown Duluth. Their coordinator says it’s important to change the way men and boys are taught about sex and to focus on ending sexual violence in…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Music filled Superior Middle School for a sixth grade band performance. The middle schoolers played twelve songs in front of their families and friends. The music ranged from Christmas songs to American classics like “Skip to My Lou.” Some of the sixth graders have already been playing music for a few years. “When I was in fourth…
DULUTH, Minn. – Type-2 diabetes is a huge problem nationwide, but the disease can be prevented. At the Duluth YMCA, a yearlong program is helping people at risk for diabetes avoid the disease. The goal of the class is to lower participant’s body weight by seven percent and gradually increase their physical activity to one-hundred-fifty minutes per week. The facilitator…
DULUTH, Minn. – All over the Northland people are working outside in the bitter cold. Letter carriers have to be prepared for all weather conditions, but one USPS employee says extreme cold is her least favorite. She tells us they key to staying warm is being prepared and wearing plenty of layers. “I have three pairs of pants on, I…
DULUTH, Minn. – Brand new HD golf simulators are now ready to be played at the Caddy Shack in Duluth’s Lincoln Park Craft District. The community space on West Superior Street tells us they have something fun for everybody with drinks, games, and indoor golf. Golfers can virtually play the eighteenth hole at Pebble Beach or other world renowned courses…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – The City of Superior revealed their comprehensive outdoor recreation plan to the public on Wednesday. City officials are asking for public input on the plan that includes the direction of the city’s parks, trails and playgrounds. “The more people who love and recreate and really get engaged with the outdoor space, the more value to our community…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth School District has reached a $55,000 settlement with former school board member, Art Johnston. Johnston made data requests with the district that were not responded to after several months. In settling the lawsuit, the Duluth School District does not admit any wrongdoing. Johnston filed four data requests with Duluth Public Schools in March 2018. He…
DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Police Chief Mike Tusken spoke with park point residents in the aftermath of the January 2nd burglary and homicide there, which was the first homicide of the year in Duluth. Chief Tusken’s appearance at the Park Point Community Club was to answer questions about the recent crime that killed 70-year-old Larry Watczak and ease community fears….
BARRON COUNTY, Wis. – The defendant in the Jayme Closs kidnapping case has been moved out of Barron County to another jail. The defendant, 21-year-old Jake Patterson of Gordon, has been moved from the Barron County Jail to the Polk County Jail in Balsam Lake. Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald confirmed one of Jayme Closs’s relatives works at the Barron…
DULUTH, Minn. – Models strutted their stuff on the catwalk at the annual Duluth Wedding Show at the DECC. Couples could plan their whole wedding in one day with dozens of businesses, venues, and planners at the show. One bride tells us it helped her a lot to sample everything in one place. “It’s totally helping me plan,” said Sarah…
DULUTH, Minn. – Larry Watczak, the 70-year-old man assaulted in his Park Point home during January 2nd burglary, has died. Watczak died in Essentia Health early Saturday morning. Duluth Police Chief Mike Tusken says his death will count as the first Duluth homicide of 2019 because it was caused by another person while committing a burglary. A suspect, Darrell Darryl…
GORDON, Wis. – Jayme Closs’ disappearance and her parents’ murder have become international headlines. Many in her community have been feeling pain for the missing teen and her family. Jayme Closs escaped from captivity herself but was helped by good neighbors in Gordon, Wisconsin. “It has been 88 days of hope for her safe return, 88 days of prayers for…
DULUTH, Minn. – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (DFL) and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan (DFL) were at the University of Minnesota Duluth Thursday sharing their vision for moving Minnesota forward. Days after their inauguration, the Minnesota state executives spoke to students, supporters, and community members in Duluth. “We have a charge and we have an opportunity to find common ground and…
