Author: Dan Hanger

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…

Armed Driver Takes Authorities On Dangerous Pursuit On Hwy 61

A 32-year-old man armed with a shotgun took authorities on a wild pursuit on Highway 61 Thursday. According to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect discharged the shotgun into the door of a family friend’s garage, which lead to the pursuit with authorities. The driver drove back and forth in the wrong direction on the Highway 61 while…

State Of City: Superior Mayor Jim Paine ‘Not Satisfied,’ Expects More

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Superior Mayor Jim Paine held his State of the City address Thursday evening at the Richard I. Bong Veteran’s Historical Center. Mayor Paine called the past year possibly the best ever for Superior, but he said he’s not satisfied. After six years as mayor, he said the next four will be all about raising the stakes and…

Mark W. Barker, Newest Great Lakes Ship Since 1983, Runs Aground

The Barker hit the water in the summer of 2022 and made its first visit to Duluth in September

The Mark W. Barker, the first U.S. ship built last year on the Great Lakes since 1983, ran soft aground early Wednesday in the Detroit River after the freighter lost propulsion. The 639-foot vessel, which was built to navigate tight ends, suffered an “electronics malfunction” near Belle Isle around 8 a.m., according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Nobody was injured….

Suspect Arrested In Duluth Shooting That Hit Bystander With Stray Bullet

DULUTH, Minn. — The man accused of a shooting last weekend near downtown Duluth that struck an innocent bystander with a stray bullet was arrested Tuesday evening in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, according to the Duluth Police Department. The 36-year-old suspect was taken into custody without incident around 6:15 p.m. “on an arrest warrant for 2nd Degree Assault, Felon in Possession…

Critical Wildfire Conditions Move Into Northland

Warmer air, dry fuels, low humidity and wind are creating a high danger for wildfires in the Northland through Monday evening. A wildfire ignited Saturday near Adolph in St. Louis County. The Grand Lake Volunteer Fire Department said the flames spread quickly. Multiple agencies assisted in successfully extinguishing the flames, including a DNR helicopter with a 210-gallon bucket to drop…

10-Year Anniversary Of The Historic Germann Road Wildfire

The critical fire conditions in the Northland Sunday come on the 10-year anniversary of the Germann Road Wildfire in Douglas County. The fire, which is one of the largest in Wisconsin state history, consumed more than 7,400 acres and destroyed 104 structures in the towns of Gordon, Highland and Barnes. Twenty-three of the structures destroyed were residences. The DNR said…

Calling All Musicians! You’re Needed For Superior’s ‘Make Music Day’

SUPERIOR, Wis. — Calling all artists!  Make Music Day is returning to Superior June 21, and talented musicians are wanted. Make Music Day is a global music celebration that happens on the summer solstice each year to bring people of all ages and skill levels together to make music. This is the second year the event is being organized in…

Duluth Airport Ready For Summer Travel, Growing Great Lakes Cruises

DULUTH, Minn. — The busiest season for air travel at the Duluth International Airport is about to take off. And there’s a new excitement with airport management involving cruises. Executive Director Tom Werner told FOX 21 the growing Great Lakes cruises in and out of the Duluth Port are providing growing demand from airlines at the airport. Werner said United…

Ashland Art Teacher/LGBTQ Advisor Back On Job After Community Rally, Board Decision

Bob Graf said he's grateful for the support and being offered a contract for the next school year

ASHLAND, Wis. — Around 70 students, parents and some teachers within the Ashland School District spoke out in protest Wednesday evening in support of an art teacher and LGBTQ co-advisor who was recently put on paid administrative leave and faced non-renewal of his contract after unsubstantiated allegations of being a “pedophile” and a “groomer.” During the eight o’clock hour, that…

Docks In Place, Charter Boats Arrive In Duluth’s Minnesota Slip

DULUTH, Minn. – Capt. Riley Leslie of Happy Hooker Charters, one of Duluth’s premiere charter fishing companies, is back in the water for the season in the Minnesota Slip. Crews got the docks loaded down into the slip Wednesday morning. Some of the spots are rented for personal boats, but most are for charter businesses. Happy Hooker has been serving…

Duluth-Based Maurices Makes Cuts To Staffing Amid Economic Downturn

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth-based Maurices recently laid off two dozen employees. The 24 employees were let go April 18 within corporate offices and field positions. Company officials told FOX 21 the reduction in staffing was needed to deal with the current economic downturn and challenging market conditions. The employees received severance packages. The women’s apparel retailer has been operating for…

Man Accused Of Attacking MSOP Counselor Charged With Attempted Murder

MOOSE LAKE, Minn. – Attempted murder and assault charges have been filed against a man accused of attacking a staff member Monday at the Moose Lake Sex Offender Program. Nicolas Ladell Aron-Jones, 29, has been committed at MSOP as a “sexually dangerous person” since 2015, according to the criminal complaint. Court documents say a 53-year-old male security counselor entered a…

Duluth Mayoral Race: Reinert No On Party Endorsements; Larson Says ‘Show Up’

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth mayoral candidate Roger Reinert, who has been endorsed by the DFL party in previous political elections, is bypassing any political party endorsements for his run for mayor. Reinert made the announcement Monday through a video release. He said the office of mayor should be non-partisan and open to all political views. Reinert said he’s had nearly…

‘Unprovoked Attack’ At Moose Lake Sex Offender Program Leaves Staff Member Seriously Injured

MOOSE LAKE, Minn. – An “unprovoked attack” by a man committed to the Minnesota Sex Offender Program (MSOP) in Moose Lake on Monday left a staff member “seriously injured,” according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services. The call for help came in around 1:20 p.m. Carlton County sheriff’s deputies, Essentia Health Ambulance and Moose Lake fire personnel responded. The…