Author: Andrew Kirov

No Decision Yet on Effort to Save Kozy Building from Demolition

Legal challenges ask for more time to come up with $50,000 bond, and question who really owns crumbling building

DULUTH, Minn. – One day after the Duluth City Council signed off on the demolition of the condemned Kozy Building, the former owner has launched a last-ditch effort to save the building from destruction. The case is now being considered by a St. Louis County judge. Former building owner, Eric Ringsred, has to post a $50,000 bond to save the…

Kids Enjoy ‘Marshmallow Madness’ at West Duluth Library

DULUTH, Minn. – Kids in Duluth spent the evening learning science with marshmallows. The ‘Marshmallow Madness’ event at the West Duluth Public Library gave students a chance to make catapults, build towers, and make marshmallow art. “Including engineering, some basic science with torque, it’s including some of those really interesting hands-on things, but we’re less emphasizing the different elements that…

New Light Fixtures Being Installed Along Duluth Lakewalk

New LED lights are more efficient than previous ones

DULUTH, Minn. – New, more efficient LED light fixtures are being installed along the Duluth Lakewalk. A portion of the Lakewalk is now closed from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to Leif Erickson Park while city employees work to remove sixty-eight light poles and replace them with new ones. The new light fixtures are black and have a more storm-proof design….

Superior Mayor Proposes Cuts to Capital Improvement Program Budget

City takes in less than projected from Oil Pipeline Terminal Tax

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The city of Superior is making cuts to its capital improvement program budget. The cuts are proposed after the city took in less money than expected from the Oil Pipeline Terminal Tax, which brings in millions of dollars in revenue every year from Enbridge. According to Mayor Jim Paine, for the first time in ten years, there…

Ground Broken on New Senior Care Facility in Duluth

$8.2 million project will provide 36 new housing units for assisted living and memory care residents

DULUTH, Minn. – Ground has been broken on a new senior care facility coming to Duluth. The Bluffs of Duluth on Coffee Creek Boulevard is an $8.2 million project. It will provide thirty-six new housing units for assisted living and memory care residents. The developer tells us there’s a big demand for that kind of housing in Duluth. “Duluth is…

City of Duluth Hires Full-Time Sustainability Officer

Mindy Granley will start serving the city in February

DULUTH, Minn. – Mayor Emily Larson has announced the hiring of Duluth’s first-ever full-time sustainability officer. Mindy Granley will start serving the city next month. She spent the last twelve years as the sustainability director at UMD. Granley tells us she’s excited for the opportunity to make Duluth more sustainable by reducing waste, adding solar resources, and working with partners…

Winter Tourism in Full Swing Along North Shore

Snowmobile trails reportedly in good condition

TWO HARBORS, Minn. – Winter tourism is in full swing along the North Shore. Snowmobile and cross country ski trails are in great condition according to the Lake County Chamber of Commerce. They tell us it’s been a busy winter so far because of how much snow fell early in the season. “It’s really nice when you drive by and…

Meat Raffle Raises Money for Douglas County Historical Society

Raffle was held at Birds Bar in South Superior

SUPERIOR, Wis. – A meat raffle in Superior raised money for the Douglas County Historical Society. The raffle was held at Birds Bar, a historic building that’s been in South Superior for more than a hundred years. Guests bought raffle tickets for a dollar and were entered to win prizes like hamburger meat, chicken breasts, bacon, and gift certificates to…

Lake Superior Ice Festival Happening January 24-26

Ice Festival is on Barker's Island in Superior

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Lake Superior Ice Festival is expected to fill Barker’s Island with hundreds of people having winter fun. New this year, the Souptown Showdown three-on-three hockey tournament will be played at the Superior Amateur Hockey Association. Plus, a kubb tournament and disc golf course will be added this year. If the ice is thick enough, organizers say…

North Pack Run Club Meets Monthly for Fun Runs on Lakewalk

DULUTH, Minn. – The North Pack Run Club meets about once per month at Duluth Coffee Company for a run along the lakewalk. The group encourages anybody to run with them at their own pace and distance. The group’s founder tells us an unspoken connection is formed when people run together. “Even if you’re at a pace where you can’t…

St. Louis County Plow Drivers’ Union Files Intent to Strike

Strike could happen as early as January 14th. Both sides continue to negotiate.

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Minn. – The Teamsters Local 320 Union has filed an intent to strike. This comes after the labor agreement between St. Louis County and the union expired January 1st. About 180 St. Louis County Public Works employees are teamsters. They are plow operators, mechanics, bridge crew members, maintenance workers, and more. Those employees are now set to…

Parents Work 24 Hours to get Duluth Rink Ready for Tournament

Volunteer parents cleared inches of water from the top of the ice

DULUTH, Minn. – Youth hockey parent worked for twenty-four straight hours getting the Rip Williams Memorial Ice Rink in Duluth ready for a weekend tournament. Warm weather caused ice to melt at outdoor Duluth rinks, so volunteers moved several inches of water from the top of the ice to get the rink in good shape for the kids to enjoy….

Auto Repair Shops Busy This Winter

Wayne's Automotive in Grand Rapids tells us they have been replacing a lot of tires

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. – Car repair shops have been busy this season replacing tires and doing suspension and steering work. The foreman at Wayne’s Automotive in Grand Rapids tells us it’s very important to get vehicles checked this time of year, when the weather is the most extreme. “Along with the snow comes the cold of course and the fluid…

Gov. Walz Announces Initiative to Give Homeless Population Shelter This Winter

Nearly $5 million has already been raised for Winter Homeless Initiative

VIRGINIA, Minn. – Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (DFL) has launched a new initiative to help Minnesota’s homeless population find a warm place to stay this winter. On a given night, more than 1,600 Minnesotans sleep outside, including 300 children. According to the Governor’s office, that number has doubled since 2015. The Winter Homeless Initiative is a public and private partnership…

Local Musician Sells Hand-Painted Ornaments at Pop-up Shop

Ingeborg von Agassiz creates ornaments with improvisational process

DULUTH, Minn. – A local musician is selling original ornaments at a holiday pop-up shop. Ornaments and paintings filled a table inside Duluth Cider. Each hand painted creation is unique and made using an improvisational process. “I just take glass bulbs that you can buy at Michael’s or Walmart or Target and I take acrylic paints and I paint blobs…

Holiday Wreaths Made at Glensheen Mansion

Event is a fundraiser for Boulder Lake Environmental Learning Center

DULUTH, Minn. – Dozens of wreaths were created at Glensheen Mansion in Duluth. They were made with balsam fir that was sustainably cut from the Boulder Lake Environmental Learning Center. The event has sold out every time for the past three years. “It’s just this pre-holiday community family friend event that they’re able to get together and there’s just something…

One Year After Globe Grain Elevator Fire, Owner Hasn’t Been Paid for Damages

Owner Gordon Oftedahl tells us the 130-year-old grain elevator was valued at $10 million

SUPERIOR, Wis. – It’s been one year since the Globe Grain Elevator was destroyed by fire. The structure was the largest wooden grain elevator in the world at one time, and it was made of rare, expensive wood. The elevator’s owner tells us he has still not been paid for the millions of dollars in damages caused by the fire….

$1.6 Million Lottery Ticket Sold in Hermantown

Gopher 5 jackpot ticket sold at Hermantown General Store

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Someone who bought a lottery ticket in Hermantown is now a millionaire after winning the $1.6 million Gopher 5 jackpot. The winning ticket was sold at the Hermantown General Store on Morris Thomas Road. The store gets a $5,000 bonus for selling the ticket. Employees tell us they’ve been selling a lot more lottery tickets than usual…