HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Former longtime Duluth city attorney Gunnar Johnson is now going to work in that same role with the city of Hermantown. The city council voted unanimously Monday night to hire Johnson, who will start in January. He is replacing Steve Overom who held the city attorney position for 42 years. Overom is scaling back duties with the…
CHISHOLM, Minn. – An “increasing” number of COVID cases is forcing some elementary grades in the Chisholm School District to learn from home for at least the next two weeks. The changes are affecting K-3rd graders at Vaughan Steffensrud Elementary School, according to Adrian Norman, the district’s superintendent. Norman confirms St. Louis County health officials raised the alarm about the…
ISABELLA, Minn. — There was good news for the Greenwood Fire on Sunday as officials said the fire was 67 percent contained and was not expected to have any new growth. Cooler air in the 60s, lighter winds and an increase in humidity have all contributed to the positive improvements with the fire, which started by lightning nearly a month…
DULUTH, Minn. – Live theater is returning to the Spirit of the North Theater inside the Fitger’s Complex this weekend with a brand new production. The original 1979 screenplay version of “On Golden Pond” will take center stage. It’s a romantic, funny and family oriented show. The production will run for two weekends starting this Friday at 7 p.m. The…
BARNUM, Minn. — A shortage of bus drivers with the Barnum School District is causing “very real concerns” about not being able to transport student athletes to their games, according to a letter from the district to parents and students Wednesday (see below). Parents are being asked to get ready to figure out how to get their own athletes to…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – The president and CEO of Superior’s visitor’s bureau, known as Travel Superior, is speaking out against Mayor Jim Paine’s proposal to create a tourism commission to handle 100 percent of the city’s tourism tax revenue. Taylor Pedersen believes the process to potentially do away with Travel Superior has been rushed and he doesn’t believe a six-person commission…
The Greenwood Fire’s devastating destruction became very real Wednesday evening as officials released how many structures were damaged or destroyed in the McDougal Lake area. According to the Superior National Forest Service, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office has counted 12 cabins and homes destroyed by fire and nearly 60 outbuildings, like sheds, also destroyed. Three other primary structures, like cabins…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth School District confirmed its back-to-school plans Tuesday evening that include students learning in-person five days a week and students 2 and older wearing masks. The mask requirement also includes all school employees and guests. The confirmation came as district officials updated the ISD 709 Safe Learning Plan. Supt. John Magas said he’s following the guidance…
BWCAW – The Cook County Sheriff’s Office and Gunflint fire personnel are alerting people along a northern portion of the Gunflint Trail to “get ready” for potential evacuations because of growing wildfires in the BWCAW. The pre-evacuation alert is for property owners from Seagull Lake to the south end of Loon Lake. Sheriff Pat Eliasen posted on social media Monday…
DULUTH, Minn. – Kids and families got a chance to check out a backpack giveaway in Duluth Thursday. The American Indian Movement of the Twin Ports was behind the event. More than two dozen backpacks, a whole lot of supplies and even a half-dozen new pairs of shoes were all given out. “It’s really important to me because I was…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – The city of Superior is looking into whether the city should be home to the area’s next convention center. A feasibility study is underway right now by a company out of the Twin Cities. The city’s planning director, Jason Serck, said the convention center wouldn’t be as big as the DECC in Duluth, but a size that…
Greenwood Fire/USDA Forest Service GREENWOOD LAKE, Minn. — A large wildfire ignited around 3 p.m. Sunday near Greenwood Lake — about 15 miles southwest of Isabella, Minn. Courtesy: Karl Kaufmann The USDA Forest Service did not immediately have the current size of the fire, other than it being estimated at a couple hundred acres and moving quickly. “The Forest Service…
Karl Hess MANITOWOC, Wis. (AP) – A man convicted of killing a father and his teenage daughter at the victims’ Manitowoc home has been sent to prison for life. Karl Hess continues to maintain his innocence in the fatal shooting of 51-year-old Richard Miller and 19-year-old Jocelyn Miller. The 38-year-old Appleton man was found guilty in June of two counts…
DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Mayor Emily Larson addressed city councilors at Thursday night’s agenda meeting — three days after announcing her plan to outsource the city’s 2022 marketing contract and no longer use Visit Duluth. It’s a bold move Larson acknowledges, and one that’s fueled a lot of pushback from the local creative community. As FOX 21’s Dan Hanger reports,…
Councilors, Thank you for your service and dedication to Duluth. CAO Schuchman and I will be in attendance tonight at agenda session to answer questions on the tourisms action before you and we will be with Bellmont Partners on Monday to present as a Committee of the Whole. Because this is new terrain it has understandably created a significant response….
DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth city councilors are getting an earful and raising questions — one day after Mayor Emily Larson boldly announced plans to pass up longtime Visit Duluth for the city’s next tourism marketing contract worth nearly $2 million and instead choose Minneapolis-based Bellmont Partners and its partner, Lawrence & Schiller. Mayor Larson told FOX 21 she stands by…
DULUTH, Minn. – After 85 years as Duluth’s main tourism marketing arm, Visit Duluth will no longer have that title come 2022 — pending council’s approval — as Mayor Emily Larson continues to scrutinize how millions of dollars in tourism tax revenue is handed out every year. Larson made the big announcement Tuesday by saying her team has chosen Minneapolis-based…
DULUTH, Minn. – After 85 years as Duluth’s main tourism marketing arm, Visit Duluth will no longer have that title come 2022, as Mayor Emily Larson continues to scrutinize how millions of dollars in tourism tax revenue is used every year. Mayor Larson made the announcement Tuesday saying her team has chosen Minneapolis-based Bellmont Partners and its partner, Lawrence &…
(Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Gov. Tony Evers has signed a bill that establishes a uniform use-of-force policy for police across Wisconsin. Evers announced he signed the bill on Friday. Under the bill, police can use force based on a situation’s circumstances and whether a suspect is fleeing or resisting arrest. Deadly force is…
DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth’s police union is calling the struggle to hire qualified officers a “crisis” for the police department and the city. In a post on Local 807’s Facebook page, the union said they recently were not able to fill all open police officer positions because there weren’t enough qualified candidates interested in working for the Duluth Police Department….
LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) – Authorities have identified the victims of a triple homicide in far western Wisconsin. The La Crosse County Sheriff’s Office says the bodies of 24-year-old Peng Lor, 24-year-old Nemo Yang and 23-year-old Trevor Maloney were discovered shortly before 5 a.m. Friday by two workers of the Milestone Quarry. The quarry is located near West Salem, about…
Credit: Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Nearly three dozen athletes with ties to Wisconsin will be going for the gold as the Olympics get underway in Tokyo. The Badger State athletes will represent Team USA in competition that includes trap shooting, track and field, rowing and sailing. Alie Rusher, from West Bend, will be participating in the quadruple sculls…
DULUTH, Minn. – The city of Duluth’s main tourism marketing arm since 1935, known as Visit Duluth, is a finalist for next year’s one-year contract, as Mayor Emily Larson looks to possibly go a different direction with a mission to “elevate the brand of Duluth,” according to the Request for Qualifications document put out by the city. The Mayor’s Office…
DULUTH, Minn. – An ammonia leak forced an evacuation Tuesday evening at the DECC, according to Duluth Fire Chief Shawn Krizay. The fire department got the call for help around 7 p.m. Tuesday for the leak at the Curling Club. Crews confirmed the leak and began evacuating the Curling Club, DECC and Pioneer Hall. Hazmat crews were called in to…
SUPERIOR, Wis. — There were heavy hearts in Superior Monday after learning a Douglas County employee was killed while working in the Government Center over the weekend. The employee worked with the “Buildings and Grounds” crew. The work-related accident happened sometime Sunday in the Government Center building on the corner of Hammond Avenue and 14th Street. The name of the…
BABBITT, Minn. – Police in Babbitt have arrested two men after a woman was stabbed multiple times Saturday evening inside a local business. Police Chief Mike McGregor says the call for help came in around 7:45 p.m. Saturday. While officers were responding to the scene, a shooting was reported in the same area. McGregor said nobody was shot and both…
VIRGINIA, Minn. – A man is under arrest after a “shots fired” incident in the city of Virginia over the weekend. The shooting was reported around 4:20 p.m. Saturday on the 1200 block of 5th Avenue North. When officers arrives, they were informed by witnesses that the shooter left the scene and went into a residence on the 500 block…
HIBBING, Minn. (FOX 9) – Chase, a police K9 from Hibbing, Minnesota is one of 16 Police K9s selected to compete in this season of A&E’s competition show “America’s Top Dog.” Chase was selected out of thousands of dogs after his handler, Hibbing Police Officer Joey Burns, put in an application after watching an episode of the show. “I was sitting there…
DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Entertainment Convention Center’s newly hired executive director, Dan Hartman, says he’s ready to rebrand the venue inside and out to become truly the central hub of Duluth. Hartman say his leadership team at the DECC is mostly made up of 20-plus-year employees. They’ve been brainstorming on ways to bring new life to the DECC, like creating…
Delta Fire ELY, Minn. (AP) – Forest Service officials have temporarily banned campfires in the Superior National Forest, including the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and closed some lakes and access points because of four wildfires burning in the area. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is reporting high or very high wildfire danger across most of northern Minnesota. The…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota is planning to close all but one of its COVID-19 mass vaccination sites by Aug. 7. A statement from Gov. Tim Walz says the state will focus on the several hundred smaller vaccination sites around the state, at pharmacies and health care providers. The state’s COVID-19 vaccination rate has been stagnant in recent weeks, at about…
DULUTH, Minn. – Excitement is building at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center as its new executive director of just a few weeks is already brainstorming ways to bring new energy to spaces within the DECC – and especially outside. Hartman, who most recently had a successful eight-year run rethinking the experience at Glensheen Mansion, says the level of opportunities at…
DULUTH, Minn. – A woman was hospitalized Wednesday evening after being pulled under the waters of Lake Superior by a rip current off Park Point. The call for help came in around 7 p.m. near the Beach House at the end of the point. When crews arrived, a 20-year-old woman from St. Paul was found on the shoreline after bystanders…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – It’s a no-go for this year’s Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival, and we’ve learned timing and the closure at the Canadian border are partly to blame. The popular festival on Barker’s Island in Superior was set for the end of August, but committee members felt there wasn’t enough time to get boat teams of 20 together to…
Courtesy: Katy Haus EVELETH, Minn. – The fireworks show in Eveleth got a little out of control Saturday night. According to Fire Chief Guy Spurlin, fireworks ignited dry grass of an old mine dump hill on the south edge of town. The Eveleth Fire Department was already on scene ready to respond during the show. “Due to safety reasons, we…
DULUTH, Minn. – Visit Duluth, the city’s main tourism marketing arm since 1935, could be no more when its contract is up with the city at the end of the year. This comes after Mayor Emily Larson and her administration opened the job up through a new application process for a one-year contract through 2022. The “request for qualifications,” as…
DULUTH, Minn. – A 4th of July weekend staple at Bayfront Park in Duluth is coming back this Saturday bigger than ever. We’re talking about one of the — if not the — most popular cover rock bands in the country known as Hairball. FOX 21’s Dan Hanger talked with bassist Brian “HBK” Hollenbeck Tuesday from his home in the…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota authorities are bracing for an extended wildfire season, saying the typical summer reprieve is looking more and more unlikely. Wildfires are typically at their worst in the spring and fall, slowing down in the summer when trees and plants are fully green and rain increases. But more than half of the state is experiencing drought conditions…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota’s top Democratic and Republican lawmakers have reached agreement on the highlights of a public safety bill after a contentious debate over police accountability. The deal was reached a day after former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison the death of George Floyd. Some details have yet to…
DULUTH, Minn. — A very important connection between Canal Park and the DECC has been temporarily shut down because of mechanical issues. We’re talking about the Minnesota Slip Bridge, which is also known to many locals as the “little blue bridge.” A city spokesperson says a brake on the bridge is not releasing properly. The bridge was pinned up Sunday….
Duluth police on scene of the shooting Sunday night. DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth police are investigating a shooting that injured one person in downtown Duluth Sunday night. The report of the shooting came in around 9:15 p.m. on the 100 block of East 3rd Street. One male was shot and taken to a local hospital with unknown injuries. At last…
ST. CLOUD, Minn. (AP) – St. Cloud police say a 45-year-old Duluth man is accused of shooting another man to death in an apparent random act. Police received a report at 6:16 a.m. Sunday that a man was shot while standing inside the door of a St. Cloud residence on the 2600 block of Island View Drive. The man…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Police say five people were shot late Friday in the Dinkytown neighborhood near the University of Minnesota. Just before midnight Friday, police responded to a call of shots fired. Officers found three men and two women had suffered noncritical gunshot wounds. Police spokesman John Elder says the five victims were taken by ambulance to local hospitals. Elder…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Legal experts say it’s unlikely that the four men convicted and ordered to pay for setting fire to a Minneapolis police station during protests over the death of George Floyd will meet their financial obligations. Four defendants have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in starting the fire. They were also ordered to collectively pay…
A GoFundMe account has been set up to support the family of a teen who was killed in an ambulance crash in Itasca County earlier this week. The family of Joseph Latimer, 17, of Grand Rapids was in the MED-1 ambulance for a seizure when a dump truck t-boned the emergency vehicle around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the intersection of…
DULUTH, Minn. – A man was rescued by Duluth firefighters Monday after falling into Chester Creek. Officials say the 21-year-old man fell 35 feet into the creek after a branch he was leaning on snapped. The incident happened around 7 p.m. “Fire crews had to use a basket to reach the man and pull him out of the ravine,” according…
DULUTH, Minn. – Bentleyville Tour of Lights will return this winter with its traditional walk-thru experience, and a big announcement is expected Tuesday. This comes after last winter’s first-ever drive-thru Bentleyville experience. As for the big announcement, owner Nathan Bentley says he will be “announcing a partnership project with LHB Engineering, Ironworkers Local 512, and Braun Intertec Corporation on a…
DULUTH, Minn. – Vandals have struck again at the Gary New Duluth Recreation Center, as a new skate park development is underway there. The vandalism this time came in the form of piles of mud being tossed all over the sport court, along with flipped benches and damage to the electrical outlets. This latest incident adds to the frustration of…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth city council voted Monday to forgive $900,000 of Spirt Mountain’s $1.2 million line of credit after tabling the vote weeks ago. Councilors Derek Medved and Joel Sipress voted against the resolution. Mayor Emily Larson has previously said she agrees with the outside consultant’s recommendation to forgive most of Spirit Mountain’s debt to really move forward…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth city council unanimously voted Monday to officially end the city’s mask mandate. Councilor Terese Tomanek was absent. The vote comes after Gov. Tim Walz announced earlier this month the statewide mandate was lifted per guidance from the CDC. The city of Duluth followed up by saying it would not enforce the ordinance any longer. Councilors…
