Author: Dan Hanger

DTA Driver Charged In Death Of Pedestrian At Miller Hill Mall

Charge: Criminal Vehicular Homicide - Operate Motor Vehicle in Grossly Negligent Manner

DULUTH, Minn. – The DTA bus driver who hit and killed a man at the Miller Hill Mall in Sept. 10 is now charged with criminal vehicular homicide. According to the criminal complaint, Crystal Veronica Ball, 36, of Duluth was “grossly negligent” and “distracted” when she ran over David Weston, 64, just before 10 a.m. while going 6 mph during…

1 Injured In School Bus Crash In Grand Lake Township

Courtesy: St. Louis County Rescue Squad GRAND LAKE TOWNSHIP, Minn. – The Minnesota State Patrol is investigating a school bus accident near Hermantown. The accident happened around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the intersection of Highway 53 and Caribou Lake Road in Grand Lake Township. The incident report said the 62-year-old man driving the school bus failed to yield while crossing…

Walgreens Addresses Bare Shelves At Duluth Store

DULUTH, Minn. – Supply chain delays from manufacturers and suppliers have some shelves in Duluth looking pretty bare. One of those spots is Walgreens at 1131 East Superior Street where shelves have looked bare for weeks now, like in the hair product section. A Walgreens spokesperson released the following statement to FOX 21 Monday: “Similar to what other retailers in…

Hotel Fire Prompts Reminder To Have A Plan At Unfamiliar Public Places

DULUTH, Minn. – Friday’s restaurant fire at Pier B Resort in Duluth has fire officials reminding all of us to have a plan when staying at unfamiliar places like a hotel. The grease fire at Silos Restaurant happened Friday evening in the kitchen The fire was contained to the protected duct work in the ventilation system. Nobody was injured. But…

Twin Ports Political Leaders, Activists Come Together For Native American Lives

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Native American Heritage Month is throughout November, and this weekend political leaders from the Twin Ports came together with proclamations and cultural awareness. The event was held at the Richard I. Bong Veterans Center in Superior to raise awareness around Native American lives, and some of the serious struggles they are facing like missing and murdered Indigenous…

Tribal Liaison Dives Into Lutsen Mountains Ski Area Expansion Talks

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) – The Superior National Forest’s first full-time tribal liaison says he wants to work with the federal government on proposed expansion of the Lutsen Mountains Ski Area. Juan Martinez started his new role in January, but he didn’t move to Minnesota until July. He coordinates communication between the national forest and the three Ojibwe bands in northeastern…

Remains Of Missing Wisconsin Mother Found Saturday

(FOX 9) – The remains of the missing 33-year-old Wisconsin mother of four were found Saturday morning after more than two months of searching, according to the family. Christian Aid Ministries volunteers and family members found the remains of Ashley Miller Carlson during their search efforts around 9 a.m. Saturday near the area where authorities found her car in Graces Lake after…

Suspect, 24, Arrested After Burglary Prowl In Duluth’s Lakeside Neighborhood

DULUTH, Minn. – There’s another reminder to keep your doors locked and keep your properties lit. This comes after a 24-year-old Duluth man was arrested early Saturday after a report of a burglary on the 5300 block of Colorado Street in the city’s Lakeside neighborhood around 4:20 a.m. A police spokesperson told FOX 21 the suspect is accused of prowling…

OId-Fashioned Candy Making Returns To Depot’s Train Museum

DULUTH, Minn. – Old-fashioned candy making was alive and well Saturday at the train museum in the Duluth Depot. The equipment heated up for this yearly one-time event was donated to the North Shore Scenic Railroad Museum in the 1970s from the Grambsch family who operated a candy story for years in Loyal, Wisconsin. One of the former owner’s grandchildren…

Great Lakes’ Warming Has Wintertime Domino Effect

CHICAGO (AP) – Winter is just around the corner, but experts say the Great Lakes haven’t gotten the message. The Chicago Tribune reports that summer and fall evenings failed to cool down sufficiently. So Great Lakes surface temperatures are trending above average. It’s an example of climate change. Record- or near-record warm spells in Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York and Illinois…

Reviving Ojibwe Spiritual Traditions, One Pet At A Time

CASS LAKE, Minnesota (AP) – Several members of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe in northern Minnesota are working to address animal neglect on their tribal lands – and in doing so bringing their community closer to its spiritual roots. Kids are helping their elders in animal rescues, pet food and supplies are routinely distributed in the community and the…

Police Investigating Thefts At Twin Cities Best Buy Stores

BURNSVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) – Police are investigating after large groups of people stole from two Twin Cities Best Buy stores on Black Friday. According to Burnsville police, at about 8 p.m., a group of 20-30 people ran into the Best Buy store and stole several items. Police say no force was used and no weapons were displayed. The suspects were gone…

Evacuation Lifted, Restaurant Closed After Major Kitchen Fire At Pier B Resort

DULUTH, Minn. – Black Friday turned into black smoke for Pier B Resort Hotel in Duluth around 5 p.m., which caused the whole place to evacuate as hundreds of people at Bentleyville Tour of Lights across the slip watched on. According to the Duluth Fire Department, the fire started in the hood of the kitchen at Silo’s Restaurant. Pier B…

Big Inflatable Animals Take Over Lake Superior Zoo

DULUTH, Minn. – Friday was opening night for the Lake Superior Zoo’s first-ever “Larger than Life Lights” event. The grounds are decked out with holiday lights, including a half-dozen giant inflatable animals lit up bright for great photo ops. But on top of that, guests can still check out the real animals at night, too. “There’s so many great things…

Tall Ships Will Bypass Duluth For Two Harbors In 2022

TWO HARBORS, Minn. – The Tall Ships are going to bypass Duluth next summer and dock in Two Harbors for the annual Festival of Sail event. Two Harbors scored the massively popular four-day event because of construction planned next summer along Duluth’s waterfront. Tall Ships will take over the waterfront 28 miles up the shore in Two Harbors Aug. 4-7….

Canada Bans Foreigners Who Have Traveled In Southern Africa

TORONTO (AP) – Canada says it’s banning the entry of foreign nationals who have traveled through southern Africa in the last 14 days. That’s due to discovery of the new omicron variant of the coronavirus that has stoked worldwide fears. Government ministers also said Friday that all Canadians who have travelled to southern Africa in the last 14 days will…

Many Give Thanks To Minnesota For Producing The Most Turkeys

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Based on the numbers, there is a good chance that a Thanksgiving turkey came from Minnesota. Minnesota farmers grow about 45 million turkeys a year on more than 500 farms, or nearly 18% of the country’s turkey supply, according to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. The U.S. Department of Agriculture says Americans should eat about 46 million…

Lake Superior Zoo To Light Up ‘Larger Than Life’ Starting Friday

DULUTH, Minn. – The Lake Superior Zoo is getting brighter and bigger with a new nighttime holiday experience starting this weekend. It’s called “Larger Than Life Lights.” You’ll get to see six giant animal inflatables throughout the zoo’s outside area at night, along with a bunch of lights and photos ops, among other festivities. “We’re really excited to be able…

Minnesota COVID-19 Hospitalizations Top 1,400 Amid Surge

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The number of Minnesota patients hospitalized with COVID-19 has surpassed 1,400 for the first time since last December, before vaccines became available. According to state health department statistics released Friday, Minnesota hospitals were caring for 1,414 patients with complications of the coronavirus, including 340 patients in intensive care. Only 2% of adult intensive care unit…

Expect To Pay More For Christmas Trees, Experts Say

HUNTINGTON, N.Y. (AP) – Add Christmas trees to the list of items facing shortages and higher prices this year. Several factors are driving the trend, Newsday reported. These include over-the-top sales last year during the first Christmas during the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain issues this year. Experts said tree buyers should expect to pay between 10% and 30% more…

Researchers Assessing Restoration On Minnesota Trout Streams

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A team of northern Minnesota researchers is evaluating the results of millions of dollars of major restoration work on dozens of trout streams across the state in the last decade. In addition to finding out whether the trout have returned, the state needs to know if realigning creeks has upset their natural connection with groundwater or if…

Superior Man Now Federally Charged In Twin Ports Day-Long Crime Spree

Federal charges have now been filed against a Superior man who is accused of a wild and dangerous crime spree through the Twin Ports. Cody Walker-Nelson, 30, is federally charged with attempted bank robbery and multiple gun crimes. The indictment says, in part, that Walker-Nelson attempted to rob the Associated Bank in Superior on Oct. 1 while brandishing a firearm…

COVID Outbreak Among Cast, Crew Cancels ‘The Octette Bridge Club’ Performances

"It's tough. It's heartbreaking,” said Merry Renn Vaughan, the production's director.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Cases of COVID-19 have shut down a theatre production in Superior after just one live performance and weeks of rehearsals. In a story on FOX 21 last week, the cast and crew were excited about the all-alumni production of “The Octette Bridge Club” at UW-Superior Theatre. They got to perform opening night Friday, Nov. 19, but one…

Snow, Ice Cited In St. Louis Co. Crash That Killed 2

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) – Wintry weather carrying strong winds, snow and icy conditions may have contributed to a highway crash in northeastern Minnesota that killed a woman and an 11-year-old boy. The Minnesota State Patrol cited snow and icy roads in a fatal crash Thursday afternoon on Highway 135 in St. Louis County. A Toyota Corolla carrying four people was…

Virus Surge Sends Minnesota Hospitals Scrambling For Room

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota hospitals are scrambling to make room for patients as patients needing medical care for COVID-19 have hit a high for the year. Hospitals have delayed non-essential procedures, diverted less serious cases to outpatient clinics, and treated emergency room patients in hallways and ambulance bays that have been converted to urgent care centers, the St. Paul Pioneer…

Duluth Police Complete Investigation Into DTA Crash That Killed Pedestrian

The St. Louis County Attorney's Office is now reviewing the police department's report.

DULUTH, Minn. – FOX 21 learned Thursday that the Duluth Police Department has completed its investigation involving a DTA driver who struck and killed a pedestrian at the Miller Hill Mall in September. A spokesperson for the department said the investigation is now in the hands of the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office for possible charges. David Weston, 64, died…

Walz Takes To Field For Deer Opener; Visits CWD Testing Site

PINE CITY, Minn. (AP) – Gov. Tim Walz was among the thousands of hunters who took to the field for Minnesota’s firearms deer hunting season opener. Walz hunted on private property in Pine County on Saturday.   Here’s a video message from his stand. The owners permanently protected the land by donating a conservation easement to the Minnesota Land Trust. The…

COVID-19 Wave Overwhelms Rural Hospitals Short On ICU Beds

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The case of a rural Minnesota man who waited two days for an ICU bed and later died is among several examples that have frustrated officials in rural hospitals whose facilities are overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients. Bob Cameron spent two days in his hometown hospital in Hallock, Minnesota, where caregivers searched nonstop for space in a larger…

Fire Damages House For Homeless In Virginia, 7 Displaced

Courtesy: Northland FireWire VIRGINIA, Minn. – Seven residents of a house for people who are homeless were displaced by fire Saturday in Virginia. The flames broke out around 4 p.m. at Bill’s House on the 200-block of 3rd Street North, according to the Northland FireWire. Courtesy: Northland FireWire When firefighters arrived, they found a mattress on fire.  One bedroom was…

Small Plane Crashes into Wisconsin Home, Kills 2 Onboard

MARENGO, Wis. (AP) – Authorities say two people died when a single-engine plane crashed into a home in northwestern Wisconsin. The Ashland County Sheriff’s Office received numerous 911 calls about 2:40 p.m. Saturday with reports of the crash in the town of Marengo. No one on the ground was hurt. The sheriff’s department says the victims are a 29-year-old man…