DULUTH, Minn. – Two more assisted living centers in Duluth now have confirmed COVID-19 cases. The Benedictine Living Center on Kenwood Avenue confirmed on its Facebook page that two of its residents have tested positive for COVID-19. The center says those individuals have been isolated and staff has been dedicated to care for them. Meanwhile, Ecumen Lakeshore on London Road…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Northland is celebrating Juneteenth, the day the last slaves in the southern U.S. were freed. At the same time, groups are also rallying against police brutality. Hundreds of protesters marched over I-35 from Bayfront Park to Duluth City Hall demanding justice for black lives and the de-funding of Duluth Police Department. “Collectively we as a people…
DULUTH, Minn.-Hundreds are attending a Juneteenth rally in Duluth tonight at City Hall. Marchers came from two different locations for the event including Bayfront Festival Park and the Clayton-Jackson-McGhie Memorial. Those at the event are celebrating the abolishment of slavery in the U.S., which occurred on June 19, 1865. The event also serves as a rally against police brutality. We’ll…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Great Lakes Aquarium has reopened for the first time since March. “Everybody that I’ve seen come in this building, it just brings a big smile to my face,” said executive director Jay Walker. “It just feels like getting back to some level of normalcy.” Guests are asked to ‘follow the flow’ and give themselves around the…
DULUTH, Minn. – According to the Minnesota Department of Health, more ticks that carry Lyme disease and other illnesses are being found across the state. 30-40 percent of adult deer or black-legged ticks have Lyme disease. Health experts are more concerned with that species than the larger and more common wood or dog tick. Ticks can only transmit disease if…
DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth officially has a new city councilor. Terese Tomanek was sworn into the council Thursday. She’s replacing Barb Russ, who recently resigned for medical reasons. Tomanek lives in the Congdon neighborhood and works as an on-call chaplain at Essentia Health. Prior to that, Tomanek was a chiropractor for 27 years and served as a campus minister at…
GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. – Downtown Grand Rapids is bustling with summer in full swing. “Outdoor recreation is not closed and, in Grand Rapids, we are a mecca for outdoor recreation,” said Megan Christianson, Executive Director of Visit Grand Rapids. With a million acres of public forest and more than a thousand area lakes, tourism is the heart of the local…
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Minn. – The St. Louis County Rescue Squad responds to wilderness, water, and first aid rescues across the region. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the squad has responded to less vehicle accidents than normal, but woodland and water rescues are happening a little more frequently. Every year, there are about 7.5 water deaths in St. Louis County. The…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Fire Department has issued a red flag warning because of dangerous swimming conditions on Park Point beaches. The warning is effective until 10:00 a.m. Sunday. The warning means that wind and wave conditions can support rip currents, which are life-threatening to anyone entering the water. The fire department is telling swimmers to stay out of…
DULUTH, Minn. – Volunteer groups are assembling face shields for frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandmeic. The Heritage Center in Duluth’s Lincoln Park neighborhood has been filled with people making more than 30,000 face shields for Essentia Health. The volunteer drive is being organized by Ecolibrium3 and materials have been provided by Frost River Trading. The Duluth Woman’s Club is…
DULUTH, Minn. – Local breweries are gearing-up to reopens as safely as possible. Hoops Brewing in Canal Park is opening an outdoor beer garden Friday. The brewery will serve eight to 10 of its beers out of a tent in the back parking lot Wednesday through Saturday with food trucks occasionally stopping by. Hoops is also planning to reopen its…
DULUTH, Minn. – Restaurants, bars, and theaters are reopening across Minnesota, and there’s one well-known local organization that has all that and more. The Zeitgeist Arts Building in Downtown Duluth is entering the recovery process after being hit hard by the shutdown. The non-profit is getting ready for a limited opening soon. Friday and Saturday night, Zeitgeist will open a…
DULUTH, Minn. – Animal Allies in Duluth recently took in 24 dogs from St. Louis County. Now, the humane society is raising money to care for the animals and is looking to find them homes. Animal Allies took in the two dozen dogs on Memorial Day. As far as staff are aware, this is the largest group of animals the…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Superior Public Museums are opening their doors again for the first time since the COVID-19 shutdown began. Fairlawn Mansion has been offering tours since June 1st. We’re told the experience is almost the same as normal, with only the servants are closed off for guests because it’s where the staff offices are located. Guests are encouraged to…
DULUTH, Minn. – Customers are excited to be back in bars and restaurants in Minnesota. On Wednesday, they opened for dine-in service for the first time since mid-March. “To me it’s always nice to have a pint of beer in a bar and it’s been so long,” said Ben Cullen, a customer at Dubh Linn Restaurant and Irish Brew Pub…
SCANLON, Minn., and ESKO, Minn. – Restaurants across Minnesota can open at 50 percent capacity for dine-in service starting Wednesday, June 10. Local restaurants have been without a big portion of their business during the COVID-19 shutdown. Restaurant owners call it a “learning experience” but say they’re excited to return a little close to normal. “We miss our family, we…
Photo courtesy: Friends of the Northland FireWire GREENWOOD TOWNSHIP, Minn. – A Saturday morning cabin fire left one person injured. According to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, the fire happened on the 4200 block of Nelson Road in Greenway Township. Emergency personnel responded to the fire at about 7:48 a.m. Six people were in the cabin when it caught…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – More than a hundred people protested at Superior’s first major rally in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis. Protesters are demanding an end to police violence and racism everywhere, including Superior. “We have had police brutality here on African American people,” said protester Taylor Whitaker. “Just because they haven’t been murdered doesn’t mean it won’t…
DULUTH, Minn., and SUPERIOR, Wis. – Some businesses across the Northland are showing support for the protests happening in the Twin Cities, and some are turning heads with that support. Pizza Luce is one company that drew a lot of attention with a social media post made Tuesday night. The Minnesota-based pizza chain announced on Facebook it is suspending police…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center is back open after being closed since March because of the pandemic. The museum reopened Monday. We’re told it’s been slower than usual, but staff are excited to have guests back in the building learning about veterans and military history in the Northland. “To allow people to learn some of…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – People were enjoying the warm temperatures on Wisconsin Point in Superior. Families spent the day swimming and building sandcastles out on the beach. “We don’t get it very often so, when we do, I like to take advantage of it,” said beachgoer Karen Sislo. “It doesn’t matter if it’s humid or really, really hot, I just like…
DULUTH, Minn. – The City of Duluth is instituting a curfew beginning at 10:00 p.m. Saturday, May 30. The curfew will be imposed from 10:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. The City will again issue a curfew on Sunday, May 31, from 9:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. Mayor Emily Larson said Saturday night that the curfew will give law enforcement another…
MINNEAPOLIS — The governor of Minnesota says he plans to fully mobilize the state’s National Guard and promised a massive show of force to help quell civil unrest following days of protests over the police killing of George Floyd. Gov. Tim Walz says he also spoke with Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen….
DULUTH, Minn. – Park Point beaches were filled with people enjoying the warm temperatures and beautiful sunshine along the shores of Lake Superior. “We got the guys, chilling with the boys, the females walking around, we got these guys, Seth, all them, it’s crazy,” said one beach-goer. “We’ve got everyone here. It’s just insane.” Insane is how some people might…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Thirsty Pagan Brewing in Superior took advantage of the nice weather for some live music and social distancing. The Fractals played the music while Thirsty Pagan staff served pizza and beer to people attending the free tailgate party. Owner Steve Knauss tells us live music has always been a big part of the Thirsty Pagan, so he’s…
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Minn. – The St. Louis County Board has unanimously approved a resolution that will speed up the process for bars and restaurants wanting to apply for outdoor seating, which they will need to be able to serve customers starting June 1. It usually takes 45 days for the county to approve applications, but the process will now…
PROCTOR, Minn. – Minnesota bar owners are speaking out against the state not allowing them to open for indoor service. Many Minnesota bars have been closed for more than two months to comply with the state’s Stay-at-Home and Stay Safe MN orders. While bars can reopen outdoors on June 1, the owners are frustrated as they have no idea as…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth branch NAACP president calls it a “recurring nightmare.” Duluth protesters say deadly use of force incidents can happen anywhere, so people in every community need to take a stand against it. “Silence is compliance and we cannot stand for actions like this,” said protester Kathryne Ford. She and others organized a small protest at the…
DULUTH, Minn. – Duluthians have a chance to buy everything left in the old Wendy’s location on London Road before it becomes Duluth’s newest Burger King. Chairs, light fixtures, fryers, the giant Wendy’s sign, and more are all available for sale. People have reportedly had a lot of interest in the frosty machines. Two of them are available for $400…
DULUTH, Minn. – The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted more than just businesses across the Northland. Non-profit organizations have also been hit hard. Audiences can’t fill theatre seats. That means organizations like the Duluth Playhouse haven’t had their primary revenue source for the last two months. “When we had projected $1.2 million in ticket sales, it’s apparent that’s about $600,000 in…
MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers announced $100 million in state funding will go to emergency medical services, community based services, and long-term care providers across the state. The money will come out of the $2 billion in federal funding Wisconsin got from the federal CARES Act. The program will happen in two parts. The first will support immediate…
SOLON SPRINGS, Wis. – Solon Springs hit 81 degrees Wednesday. Those summer-like conditions brought a lot of families 30 miles south from Superior, where it stayed 20 degrees cooler. “We’re just chasing the warm weather,” said beach-goer Nikole Honness. It looked and felt more like mid-July than mid-May on the beach at Lucius Woods County Park. “It was 57 when…
SOLON SPRINGS, Wis. – Douglas County public campgrounds are gearing up to open Friday, May 22. Parks and recreation staff tell us they expect a full weekend at the county’s three public campgrounds. Those are located at Lucius Woods County Park in Solon Springs, and at Gordon Dam and Mooney Dam County Parks in Gordon. Staff have been working hard…
DULUTH, Minn. – The fire station in Gary-New Duluth turned 92 years old on May 19. Fire Station 10 was built in 1928. It used to be a police station, community center, and fire hall. Firefighters tell us they can still see some features from the old days like holding cells and a shooting range for police officers. Even though…
DULUTH, Minn. – Churches across the Northland haven’t gathered for traditional services since the shutdown began. Religious schools have also been shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic. A May Crowning traditionally happens as part of a catholic church service during the month of May in honor of the Virgin Mary. Because in-person services are not allowed right now, Duluth’s Stella…
SPOONER, Wis. – Comedian Charlie Berens gave a shoutout to the 2020 seniors at Spooner High School. Berens is a Wisconsin native known for hosting the online show, the Manitowoc Minute. According to the Spooner School District’s Facebook page, the teachers enlisted the help of Berens to help spread humor and positivity during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can watch and…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Some Wisconsin bars and restaurants are legally back open for business for the first time in nearly two months after the state supreme court threw out Gov. Evers’ Safer at Home Order. Superior bars and restaurants were gearing up to open on May 26th, when Safer at Home was set to expire. But many of them opened…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has announced the state’s stay-at-home order will end May 18th. The governor also announced many non-essential businesses can reopen to the public June 1st with some restrictions. Walz says many restrictions will remain in place as the fight against COVID-19 rages on. “The Stay at Home Order is expiring and the dials…
DULUTH, Minn. – Despite the ongoing pandemic, the Duluth Farmers Market has opened for the season. Local growers and shoppers filled the farmers market building on East Third Street. Sellers tell us customers did a good job social distancing and wearing masks while shopping for locally-grown produce and other products. “This COVID thing has really made people get local food…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A bonding bill has made it through committee in the Minnesota House of Representatives, and a lot of Northland projects are included in the proposal. The $2.5 billion bonding bill would provide $13.5 million in funding for Duluth’s seawall restoration project. It would also fund an $8 million renovation project at the Duluth Depot, and a…
DULUTH, Minn. – Businesses have struggled across the Northland during the pandemic. Some businesses have been closed for nearly two months under Minnesota’s Stay at Home Order. Other shops have remained opened during the pandemic. While some of those stores have seen an increase in business, for others it’s been much slower. Triple J Service Center has struggled during the…
BAYFIELD, Wis. – A 64-year-old man is dead after a shooting in Bayfield on Friday. The victim, Michael Kinney, was from the Township of Bayfield. The Bayfield County Sheriff’s Office tells us they received a report of a person being shot in the Township of Bayfield at about 10:00 p.m. on Friday, May 8th. Deputies determined a 64-year-old man was…
ASHLAND, Wis. – Temporary coronavirus testing sites are popping up in northern Wisconsin. As of May 7th, more than 9,200 people have tested positive for COVID-19 across Wisconsin. But in Ashland, Bayfield, and Iron Counties combined, there have been only seven positive test results. Now, the National Guard is bringing testing sites to that region to get an accurate look…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Minnesota Department of Health reports that nearly 500 people tested positive for COVID-19, putting the state over 6,000 cases. Officials say 21 of the 24 deaths in Saturday’s report occurred in long-term care facilities, including one Clay County resident who was at least 100 years old. The state also reported the death of a Hennepin County…
DULUTH, Minn. – Retail and other non-essential businesses in Minnesota can reopen for curbside pickup and delivery starting May 4th if they take certain precautions. Many Minnesota businesses have been closed for more than a month under the state’s Stay at Home Order. While those shops still can’t open their doors to customers for at least two more weeks, they’re…
NORTHERN MINNESOTA – It’s spring wildfire season in the Northland and, even though much of the region has gotten rain over the past couple days, the fire danger is still high. Dry, exposed grass and a lack of green plants makes fire danger high this time of year. One fire could be seen Saturday just off County Highway 100 near…
CARLTON, Minn. – The Carlton County Sheriff’s Office will soon buy body cameras for all 25 officers in the department. The body cameras are made by the company, WatchGuard, and cost $1,000 a piece. A Carlton County deputy tells us the cameras will bring more transparency to the sheriff’s office and will help law enforcement build better cases against defendants….
SUPERIOR, Wis. – The annual UWS Summer Theatre Camp will be offered online this year. Students will rehearse and perform a mystery comedy play while working together on Zoom. The kids will play all the parts and make their own sound effects for the production. Even though the camp can’t meet in person this year, theatre professor Cathy Fank says…
GORDON, Wis. – Gordon Good Neighbor Days will not happen in 2020. The July celebration brings in at least 8,000-9,000 people every year to the Northern Wisconsin town of 600. Event chairperson, Joy Rogers, tells us it was canceled to keep volunteers and the community as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic. She says the decision to cancel was…
HOYT LAKES, Minn. – Fire danger is high across much of the Northland. Fire departments have responded to a lot of grass and wildlands fires this spring. On Saturday, April 25th, a grass fire could be seen from County Highway 100 near Hoyt Lakes. Dry grass and a lack of green plants has made fires spread fast in the last…
