Author: Dan Hanger

Former Duluth Police Chief Is Back, Might Run For St. Louis County Sheriff

DULUTH, Minn. – Former Duluth Police Chief Gordon Ramsay and his family have moved back to Duluth, and Ramsay, 49, is eyeing what’s next locally for his career, which could include a run for St. Louis County sheriff. For the last six years, Ramsay has been the top cop for Kansas’ largest police department in Wichita where he has managed…

Babbitt Man Dead After One-Vehicle Crash; ‘Slippery Road’ Contributing Factor

MORRIS TOWNSHIP, Minn. – A 74-year-old Babbitt man is dead after a one-vehicle accident Thursday in Morris Township, and authorities believe it was weather related. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office says the accident happened around 3:30 p.m. on the 1900 block of Highway 21 North. The driver, whose name was not released Thursday, died at the scene.   Nobody else…

Duluth Firefighters Use Unstable Ice, Open Waters For Rescue Training

DULUTH, Minn. – The unstable ice and open waters are creating great conditions for the Duluth Fire Department to train for possible rescues this winter. Firefighters hopped in their rescue suits Tuesday to take advantage of the dicey conditions in a slip in the Duluth Port. Officials said this type of training is crucial to react fast to emergencies on…

Minnesota Lake Ice Shrinking As Climate Change Warms Winters

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Officials from Minnesota’s natural resources and pollution control agencies detail the ways climate change is diminishing Minnesota winters, with 10 to 14 fewer days of lake ice over the past 50 years. It’s a change they say hurts local economies, the environment and the Minnesota way of life. Warmer lake waters are leading to more toxic algal…

Wisconsin Men Get Probation In U.S. Capitol Breach

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A federal judge has sentenced two Wisconsin men to probation for joining in the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The Wisconsin State Journal reports that 29-year-old Brandon Nelson of Madison and 24-year-old Abram Markofski of La Crosse pleaded guilty in September to a misdemeanor charge of parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building….

Bill Allows UW System To Negotiate Tuition Reciprocity

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A bipartisan bill introduced in the state Assembly would give the University of Wisconsin System authority over tuition reciprocity with Minnesota. The legislation would also let UW campuses keep additional revenue from students paying Minnesota tuition rates, revenue that is currently deposited into Wisconsin’s state budget. The reciprocity agreements between Wisconsin and Minnesota have been in…

St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office Joins MADD Candlelight Vigil

DULUTH, Minn. – The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office held its own candlelight vigil Thursday night to honor lives lost and injured survivors of drunken drivers. It was part of a state-wide vigil organized by Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, also known as MADD. “Today is a good reminder this still is a problem not only state wide but locally as…

COVID Concerns, Staffing Shortages Extend Winter Break For Duluth Public Schools

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth School Board approved an extended winter break of an additional two days during a special meeting Tuesday evening. The two days include Wednesday, Dec. 22 and Monday, Jan. 3, which is district-wide. District officials say the extended break will help deal with staffing shortages and student safety involving COVID. “With general staffing shortages, many unfilled…

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…