Author: Dan Hanger

Historic Civic Center’s Fountain Broken, Could Be Dry All Summer

The city says work on the fountain will take at least 12 weeks

DULUTH, Minn. — One of Duluth’s oldest fountains in one of Duluth’s most historic places is still shut down from the winter, and it’s likely going to stay that way for the rest of the summer. We’re talking about the decades-old Priley Fountain in the Civic Center.  The 1970 structure usually has multiple sources of water shooting into the air,…

Teen Identified In BWCAW Drowning

BWCA, MINN. — Authorities have released the name of a teen that drowned in the Boundary Waters (BWCAW). Lester Hochstetler, 18, of Clear Lake, Wisconsin drowned Wednesday evening in Gillis Lake. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office said the victim was in a canoe with other fishermen when it overturned. Hochstetler was not wearing a personal flotation device, according to the…

Lutsen’s Papa Charlie’s Ruled A Total Loss After Fire

LUTSEN, Minn. – Papa Charlie’s at Lutsen Mountains is considered a total loss after fire ripped through the beloved restaurant and bar over the weekend. The call for help came in around 6 a.m. Saturday. The Lutsen Fire Department and mutual aid from departments in Cook County responded. Fire officials said suppression efforts were at a high level but the…

Fire Destroys Restaurant At Lutsen Mountains Ahead Of Busy ‘Lutsen 99er’

LUTSEN, Minn. — A fire has destroyed Papa Charlie’s restaurant at Lutsen Mountains. Courtesy: Matthias Orfield The fire broke out sometime before 5 a.m. Saturday, according to a time stamp on a Lutsen camera. This fire comes on the same day of the start of a busy weekend with the Lutsen 99er Gravel Bike Race. “A fire at Papa Charlie’s…

Uninsured Home In Solway Township Destroyed By Fire

SOLWAY TOWNSHIP, Minn. — A home in Solway Township was destroyed by fire Friday afternoon. The call for help came in around 4:15 p.m. for a structure fire on the 3900 block of Crosby Road. “The structure was a complete loss with estimated value of $100,000 for the structure and $70,000 for contents,” according to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s…

Dolce Vita Restaurant To Close After 2 Years In Superior

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Dolce Vita Restaurant announced Saturday that it will close Thursday, June 29 after two years of business in Superior. “As many other establishments in America at this time, market conditions and staffing issues are making it tough for us to remain open,” owner Zudi Maksutoski said in a statement. “We have not come to this decision lightly; and…

Canoeist, 18, Presumed Dead After Capsizing In BWCAW Lake

An 18-year-old canoeist is presumed dead after capsizing on Gillis Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The accident happened Wednesday evening. Gillis Lake is located about four miles west of Round Lake and Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters in Cook County, according to WTIP Radio. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office got a report around 6:45 p.m. that fishermen…

FOX 21’s Rusty Mehlberg Welcomes New Baby Boy

FOX 21 Chief Meteorologist Rusty Mehlberg and his wife, Jacque, welcomed a new addition to their family Wednesday morning. Micah Lee was born at 9:08 a.m. weighing in at 7 pounds, 6 ounces and 20 inches. Rusty said mom and daughter, Molly, are doing great. Molly is two years old now.  And get this! She was born weighing 7 pounds,…

Littlefork Lumberyard Catches On Fire; Nearby Forest Not Affected

LITTLEFORK, Minn. — A fire broke out Wednesday at a longtime lumberyard in Littlfork. According to The Littlefork Times, piles of wood and woodchips caught fire around 1 p.m. at Green Forest Wood Products off Highway 71. The Littlefork Times Fire Chief Dan Wendt told the Times Wednesday evening that the flames stayed away from the nearby woods, according to…

Investigators Believe Human Caused BWCAW Wildfire

  Fire investigators believe a human caused a large wildfire within the Boundary Waters. The Spice Lake Wildfire is currently 22 acres and 65 percent contained. Spice Lake is located southwest of Seagull Lake, about 10 miles west of the Gunflint Trail. Sunday’s update showed fire activity “creeping and smoldering” in mixed timber and brush. Crews continue to fight the…

I-35 Construction: 27th Ave. West Southbound Off Ramp To Close

  DULUTH, Minn. – A busy exit ramp on southbound I-35 in Duluth is closing Monday. Minnesota Department of Transportation crews will be working to remove and reconstruct the 27th Avenue West southbound ramp. Work is expected to last 30 days. Crews will also be paving the southbound lanes adjacent to the ramp. Drivers needing to detour will follow southbound…

Minnesota’s Attorney General Warns Taylor Swift Fans Of Scammers

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is warning Taylor Swift fans in Minnesota of various ticket scams related to swift’s “Eras” tour, which comes to U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Friday and Saturday Ellison said buying second-hand tickets online is risky. Scammers can easily screenshots of tickets that don’t exist. He said it’s best to buy tickets through a trustworthy…

Homeowner Burned After Lawnmower Catches Fire

Courtesy: St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office A northern Minnesota homeowner was hospitalized Saturday night after their lawnmower caught on fire inside a garage. It happened around 11 p.m. on the 8900 block of Highway 73, southwest of Cook. The homeowner’s burns to their arms are not believed to be life-threatening, according to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office. Categories: Minnesota,…

Closures Begin As Wildfire Burns In BWCAW

The Superior National Forest said a 20 to 30 acre wildfire continues to burn in the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness Thursday. The fire broke out this week near Pike Lake about 10 miles away from the end of the Gunflint Trail No buildings have been damaged. However, officials have issued an emergency forest order by closing all trails, portages,…

KornerStores Gets OK To Purchase Old Gary Telephone Exchange Building

DULUTH, Minn. – Gary-based KornerStores company has received the OK to purchase the former Northwestern Bell Telephone exchange building in Gary. The Duluth Planning Commission unanimously approved the special-use permit Tuesday. It allows KornerStores to house its business office on the first floor and a rental up top. Owner Derek Medved told FOX 21 last week that it’s important to…

Suspicious Death Investigation In Deer River

DEER RIVER, Minn. – A suspicious death investigation is underway in the city of Deer River. The Itasca County Sheriff’s Office released information about the case Wednesday evening. Authorities say deputies responded to a home in the 500 block of 4th Street SE early Tuesday morning in response to a citizen’s call requesting a welfare check. Upon arrival, deputies discovered…

Lester Park Golf Course Loses Last Chance To Reopen; Costs, Failing Infrastructure To Blame

Enger Park Golf Course will partially open in 2024 while significant upgrades get underway

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth city councilors voted unanimously Monday night against reopening Lester Park Golf Course for one last time next year. This comes after projected operating losses for 2024 more than doubled to at least $1.2 million. The original plan was to reopen Lester next season so the city’s other municipal golf course at Enger Park could close down…

Chemical Safety Board Releases New Video Of 2018 Superior Refinery Explosion, Fire

SUPERIOR, Wis. – A new 20-minute video has been released by the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board involving the 2018 Husky refinery explosion and fire in Superior. The goal of the board is to “drive chemical safety change through independent investigations to protect people and the environment.” The 2018 incident injured 36 workers, caused roughly $550 million in damage…

Duluth Central H.S. Memorabilia Exhibit Opens At Depot Monday

DULUTH, Minn. — A nostalgic exhibit opens Monday at the Duluth Depot full of rare Duluth Central High School artifacts. The Duluth Central Alumni Association has compiled more than 150 artifacts ranging from band uniforms and cheerleader sweaters to the Trojan head from the gym floor and yearbooks. DCAA Central High School opened in 1892 in the Minnesota brownstone building…

‘The Beach’ Opens Monday At Cloquet’s Pinehurst Park

CLOQUET, Minn. — One of the area’s most unique beaches opens Monday in Cloquet. We’re talking about The Beach at Pinehurst Park. It’s a filters, chlorinated pool with a sandy bottom. The beach officially opens at 11 a.m. It’s located just off Highway 33. If you’ve never been, there are lifeguards on duty, changing rooms and concessions. Categories: Community, Minnesota,…

Duluth’s ‘Anchors End Tattoo’ To Anchor In Former Electric Fetus Building

DULUTH, Minn. – It’s been two years since the Electric Fetus closed in downtown Duluth after serving the music community for 33 years. And now, the space is getting a new tenant with a decades-long history in the city itself. Anchors End Tattoo & Piercing is moving into the prime real estate on the corner of Lake Avenue and East…

KornerStores, Inc. Eyes Historic Telephone Exchange Building In Gary

GARY, Minn. — A historic telephone exchange building in the heart of Duluth’s Gary neighborhood could soon be the new home of a Gary-based company that’s looking to grow beyond the Northland but keep its roots where they are for years to come. The building is the former Northwestern Bell Telephone Company located at 1202 101st Ave. West.  The company…

KQDS-TV, Forum Communications Pending Purchase Dissolves

(FOX 21) – We have an update involving the pending purchase of our television station, KQDS-TV, and our sister station, KVRR-TV in Fargo. After 18 months, the proposed agreement with Forum Communications has fallen through. Our parent company, Red River Broadcasting, and Forum, which owns the Duluth News Tribune, had not received approval on the deal from the Federal Communications…

Army Corps Pulls Key Permit For Copper-Nickel Mine Near Hoyt Lakes

A key permit for a proposed copper-nickel mine near Hoyt Lakes, known as the NorthMet Project, has been revoked by the Army Corps of Engineers. The announcement was made Tuesday in a 27-page report. The Army Corps said the proposed mine “does not ensure compliance with water quality requirements of the Fond du Lac band of Lake Superior Chippewa.” NewRange…

Inside ‘The Njord’ – A New Duluth Luxury Vacation Rental With A Nordic View

DULUTH, Minn. — One of Duluth’s oldest buildings has been restored and remodeled into one of the city’s newest luxury vacation rentals.  And Lake Superior is front and center from every window on every floor. “This is The Njord. The Njord is the Nordic God of water and seafaring. And so I think, fittingly, we named the building that because…

‘Girls On The Run Minnesota’ Hosts 5K In Duluth

Courtesy: Girls On The Run DULUTH, Minn. – The weather was perfect for a 5K in Duluth Sunday with Girls On The Run Minnesota. The race along the Lakewalk caps off a 10-week program for girls from Lowe Elementary, Myers-Wilkins Elementary, Laura MacArthur Elementary, Bayview in Proctor and Great Expectations in Grand Marais. Girls On The Run Minnesota is all…

‘Crêpes Amour’ Stationary Food Truck Opens Outside North Shore Scenic Railroad

DULUTH, Minn. — European flavors are now frying up inside a new food truck that’s on wheels but isn’t on the move. It’s stationed behind the Duluth Depot, but with a broken engine. Other than that, it’s in mint condition. The North Shore Scenic Railroad purchased the truck as a walk-up eatery for train riders and locals, like downtown workers….

Post Waukesha Parade Tragedy, Superior P.D. Looks To Purchase High-Tech Barriers

SUPERIOR, Wis. — Keeping citizens safe is one of the biggest jobs of a police department. And Superior Police Chief Nicholas Alexander says that especially means events with large crowds, like a parade. It was in 2021 when six people were killed and dozens more injured when a vehicle plowed through a parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Alexander said that parade…

Suspect’s Gun Discharges During Stolen Vehicle Call In Hermantown

HERMANTOWN, Minn. — Hermantown police are investigating an incident in which a gun was fired. It happened around 10 p.m. Tuesday in the parking lot of Walmart. Officers located a stolen vehicle there. Police said a 42-year-old man from Silver Bay left Walmart and got inside the vehicle. As police approached, a single round from a firearm discharged inside the…

Worker Randomly Attacked In Railyard Of Duluth Depot

DULUTH, Minn. — A manager at the North Shore Scenic Railroad received multiple bruises after he was randomly attacked outside the Duluth Depot. The crime happened Tuesday around 2 p.m. in the Depot’s railyard. The Duluth Police Department’s public information officer told FOX 21 a 26-year-old Duluth man who is known to police assaulted the 70-year-old employee. The official said…

Ground Broken On Mixed-Income Housing Development In Duluth

The development is on the corner of 6th Avenue East and 4th Street

DULUTH, Minn. – Fifty-two new mixed-income apartment units are officially underway in Duluth’s East Hillside neighborhood with a partial focus on serving young adults with a history of homelessness. The property is located on the corner of 6th Avenue East and 4th Street. One Roof Housing and Three Rivers Community Action are developing the property. It used to be a…

$10K Reward Offered In I-Falls Arson Investigation

INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Minn. – An arson investigation is underway in I-Falls, and police are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect or suspects responsible. The fire happened in an apartment unit on the 300 block of 5th Street during the early morning hours Friday, according to I-Falls police on Tuesday. The call…

Duluth Councilor Arik Forsman Changes Mind, Wants To Keep At-Large Seat

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth City Councilor Arik Forsman said he wants to keep his council seat in November after saying in February that he was ready to spend more time with family. Forsman made the announcement to run for re-election Thursday outside City Hall. He said labor leaders, business leaders and co-workers — Republican and Democrat — ultimately convinced him…

Sen. Grant Hauschild Talks Historic Successes Of Minnesota’s Legislative Session

DULUTH, Minn. – Minnesota Sen. Grant Hauschild is celebrating the end of the legislative session with what he calls the “largest tax relief package in the history of the state.” Hauschild said the package includes social security tax relief to 85 percent of seniors and child tax credit to families that’s expected to reduce child poverty by 33 percent. His…

DEDA Terminates $2.35M TIF Agreement With Lincoln Park Flats, Company Responds

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Economic Development Authority, or DEDA, voted unanimously Tuesday to terminate its multi-million dollar agreement with the owners of the newly built Lincoln Park Flats. This means roughly $2.3 million in Tax Increment Financing (TIF) through 2048 is no more. The move comes after the property’s owner, P&R Companies, said it was forced to make plans…

Charges: Billy Joel’s ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’ Blared From Apartment Landlord Set On Fire

DULUTH, Minn. (FOX 9/FOX 21) – A Duluth landlord is accused of intentionally setting his apartment on fire while other tenants were inside the building. Travis Carlson, 37, faces a felony charge of first-degree arson for allegedly starting his apartment on fire early in the morning on May 18. According to court records, officers were called to a building on…

Duluth’s Street Outreach Worker Of Nearly 30 Years Talks Housing, Homeless Crisis

DULUTH, Minn. – Homeless advocates in Duluth say the struggle to get the homeless off the streets and into stable housing is at its worst. But at the same time, those advocates say the communication and weekly mission to tackle the problem is stronger than ever between advocates, the city, county, police, and the list goes on. More than 600…

Blue Sky, Music, Beer Attract Thousands To Bent Paddle’s 10th-Annual Festiversary

DULUTH, Minn. – The weather was perfect Saturday for Bent Paddle Brewing Company’s 10-year anniversary celebration with its Festiversary block party. The music was flowing and, of course, so was the craft beer. The all-ages family friendly event had plenty of neighboring Lincoln Park businesses on hand – from food trucks to local eateries. Big Wave Dave and the Ripples…

‘Northern Lights Express’ Lands Full Funding In Final MN Transportation Bill

The reality of a passenger rail line between the Twin Ports and Minneapolis is closer than ever with full funding in the state’s final transportation budget bill. The amount is roughly $194 million, which is the state’s 20-percent share of the project. The remaining 80-percent would come from the Federal Infrastructure Law, which Amtrak has officially endorsed. The train would…