Author: Dan Hanger

Clean Water Advocates Applaud Halt of Key PolyMet Permits For Copper-Nickel Mine

DULUTH, Minn. – Environmentalists and advocates of clean water gathered in Duluth Monday to celebrate the Minnesota Court of Appeals’ ruling to put a halt on two crucial permits for PolyMet’s proposed copper-nickel mine near Hoyt Lakes. Leaders from WaterLegacy, the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and even Duluth City Councilor Joel Sipress were among those praising…

Social Media Threat Against Superior Middle School Resolved By Police

School Will Begin Monday As Normal

SUPERIOR, Wis. –  The following statements were released by the Superior School District and the Superior Police Department after a video surfaced on social media with someone saying they planned to shoot up the middle school on Monday.   That threat has since been investigated and dealt with by the Superior Police Department.  School will go on as usual on Monday…

Drunken Driver Who Killed 2 In Duluth In 2012 Charged With DWI — Again; Victims’ Family Speaks Out

DULUTH, Minn. – A Duluth family is outraged after learning the man who killed their teenage son and his grandmother in a drunken-driving crash in 2012 has been charged for driving while impaired — again. Hawk Edwards The suspect, 27-year-old Hawk Edwards of Superior posted $75,000 bail Tuesday after police say he was driving 55 mph in a 30 mph…

Man Who Killed Duluth Woman, Grandson In Drunken Driving Crash Arrested Again For DWI

Hawk Edwards Completed His Prison Sentence, Probation In 2018 For Vehicular Homicide

DULUTH, Minn. – A drunken driver who killed a Duluth woman and her grandson in a 2012 crash has been arrested again on suspicion of driving while impaired. Hawk Edwards, 27, is accused of driving nearly twice the legal limit (0.13) around 1:30 Sunday morning. Duluth police say he was going 60 mph in a 30 mph zone. Everett Bergren…

Updated: Closings and Delays for Monday, Dec. 2, 2019

Closings and Delays Received by FOX 21 Local News as of Monday, December 2, 2019

CLOSED DEC. 2: -AEOA Senior Dining Program (Morgan Park, Evergreen, & Portman) -Ashland School District -Bay Side Recycling (Duluth) -Carlton School District -Cheer America Practice in Duluth – Cancelled -Cloquet School District -College of St. Scholastica -Cornerstone Preschool and Child Care Center -Damiano Center -Duluth School District -Duluth Bethel -Duluth Parks & Recreation Community Centers, Programs -Esko School District -Fond…

Fired Duluth Police Officer Can Get Job Back After Supreme Court Denies City’s Appeal

DULUTH, Minn. – A fired Duluth police officer is officially allowed to get his job back after a use-of-force incident.  That’s the world from the Minnesota Supreme Court. Officer Adam Huot was terminated after a 2017 incident where he’s seen on police body camera video dragging a defiant hand-cuffed man through the Skywalk before the man hit his head on…

Northland Top Cops Talk Importance of Armored Vehicles to Face Active Shooters, Save Lives

Five Law Enforcement Agencies in the Northland Have Some Type of Armored Vehicle

From schools and workplaces to concerts and nightclubs, innocent lives are being taken away in America by heavily armed suspects in active shooter situations, which is why more law enforcement agencies across the country and right here in the Northland are investing in armored vehicles that can withstand the worst of the worst.  FOX 21’s Dan Hanger reports. The city…

House Fire Displaces Family of Four in West Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. – A family of four can’t return home after their house caught fire in West Duluth Sunday. The fire broke out around 1:30 p.m. in a home on the 200 block of South 70th Avenue West. Three people and a dog inside the home safely escaped. The fire started in the kitchen. Damage is estimated at $35,000. The…

Study Recommends Part-Time Mayor, Full-Time Administrator For City of Superior

Mayor Jim Paine: Recommendation Holds No Weight, More Pressing Issues To Focus On Like Software Investments

SUPERIOR, Wis. — A new study has been released about the city of Superior’s operations at city hall and how it can improve to be more efficient and effective. The study was initiated by Mayor Jim Paine and the city council, and conducted by RW Management Group, Inc. The consultant group assessed things like current staffing, workflow, workloads and management…

Sheraton Duluth Undergoing $7 Million In Renovations

DULUTH, Minn. – The Sheraton Hotel in downtown Duluth is undergoing a multi-million dollar transformation. It’s the first time the hotel is going through such a renovation since opening in 2007 that’ll strip down every piece of what the public sees, as FOX 21’s Dan Hanger reports. The final phase of the $31 million Superior Street reconstruction project is well…

Suspect in Fatal Downtown Duluth Shooting Found Guilty of Murder

Jamal Jackson is Being Held Without Bail

DULUTH, Minn. – The suspect accused of shooting and killing a Duluth man outside of a downtown bar in 2018 has been found guilty of murder. On Tuesday afternoon, a jury of six men and six women found 27-year-old Jamal Jackson guilty of second-degree intentional murder for the fatal shooting of 31-year-old Scott Pennington. St. Louis County prosecutor Jon Holets…

Missing Indiana Man’s Pickup Truck Found Near Two Harbors

Public Asked To Keep An Eye Out For James Runkle And His Missing Kayak

LAKE COUNTY, Minn. – Authorities are asking for the public’s help after a missing Indiana man’s truck was found just north of Two Harbors. James Runkle, 56, went missing from North Judson, Indiana, Sept. 20. He told his wife he planned to go fishing locally before going to a doctor’s appointment and then coming home. Lake County Sheriff Carey Johnson…

United Healthcare Confirms Layoffs In Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. – United Healthcare in Duluth has laid off some of its workers, but the company would not confirm how many employees are affected. United Healthcare released the following statement Thursday: “UnitedHealthcare works every day to help make health care more affordable, while ensuring the business remains well-positioned for continued growth. As part of that commitment, we regularly review…

Duluth Man Facing 4 Burglary Charges Arrested On Suspicion of 5th

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth police have made what they are calling a “significant” burglary arrest of a Duluth man already charged with four other burglaries from earlier this year. Kyle Carl, 25, was arrested Wednesday for one of three September burglaries at Duluth Cider brewery on West Superior Street in Lincoln Park. This comes as Duluth police continue investigating burglaries…

Police Investigate Fatal Shooting In West Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth police are investigating the shooting death of a man in West Duluth. The call for help came in around 1:47 a.m. Sunday to the 300 block of North 62nd Avenue West on a report of shots fired. When police arrived, they located a 33-year-old male inside a vehicle with a gunshot would to “his midsection,” according…

Court Suspends Two Polymet Permits

On Wednesday afternoon, the Minnesota Court of Appeals suspended Polymet’s permit to mine and dam safety permits for its proposed $1 billion copper-nickel mine near Babbitt. The permits will be discussed at an Oct. 23 hearing.  That’s when the “DNR shall be prepared to advise the court on the status of post-permit developments, including its evaluation of the Brumadinho dam…

Letter Details District’s Reasons For Firing Former Duluth Denfeld Principal

DULUTH, Minn. – Through a data request with the Duluth School District at a cost of 75 cents to obtain, FOX 21 was given the termination letter Wednesday of now-former Denfeld High School Principal Tonya Sconiers. It’s the first time we’re getting a sense of the reasons the school board fired Sconiers after 19 years with the district. A summary…

Man Accidentally Shot While Bird Hunting in Wisconsin

TOWN OF RED CEDAR, Wis. (AP) – Authorities in western Wisconsin say a 60-year-old man was accidentally shot while bird hunting with family members at a game farm. Dunn County sheriff’s authorities say the four family members were hunting together in the Town of Red Cedar on Sunday morning when one member set a shotgun down against some brush to…

Police: Man Falls Into Creek Running From Attempted Robbery

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth police are investigating an attempted robbery that left a man seriously injured. Police say the 26-year-old victim fell into the creek near the 500 block of Lincoln Park Drive while running away from the suspects. Investigators believe the suspects are known to the victim. No arrests had been made Sunday. The victim’s injuries are not life…

Train Collides With Car; Authorities Blame Driver, Believe Alcohol A Factor

Driver Sustained 'Substantial' Injuries. Passengers, Crew Not Injured.

DULUTH, Minn. – Alcohol is believed to be a factor in a crash involving a vehicle and a train with the North Shore Scenic Railroad. It happened around 7 p.m. on McQuade Road just outside of Duluth in Lakewood Township. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office says the driver, Kurt Vanhala, 67, of Duluth failed to yield to all warning…

Essentia Health, Minn. Nurses Assoc. Reach Tentative Agreement

St. Luke's Nurses Remain Without An Agreement

DULUTH, Minn. — One day after Essentia Health and St. Luke’s nurses hit the streets of Duluth for an informational picket over failed contract negotiations that call for “safe” staffing levels, Essentia announced a tentative agreement late Wednesday with the Minnesota Nurses Association. Below is the statement from Essentia: Essentia Health and the Minnesota Nurses Association have reached a tentative…

Cloquet Police Chief Resigns After 4-Month Voluntary Leave; City Admin. To Exit In Sept.

CLOQUET, Minn. – It’s over and out for Cloquet Police Chief Jeff Palmer who has chosen to leave the department – making him the third chief to do just that since Wade Lamirande in 2014. Cloquet City Administrator Aaron Reeves said Palmer was not being investigated for any complaints while he was on leave for the past four months leading…

Douglas Co. Dist. Atty. Reviewing Auto Theft Case Against Ashland Police Officer

ASHLAND, Wis. – The case against a longtime Ashland police officer accused of auto theft is now in the hands of Douglas County District Attorney Mark Fruehauf for possible charges. The 18-year veteran of the Ashland Police Department retired in May – the same month Ashland Police Chief Jim Gregoire sent out a press release about the allegations against the…

Father Accidentally Runs Over, Kills Son On Wisconsin Farm

TOWN OF DANE, Wis. (AP) – Authorities say a man accidentally ran over and killed his 8-year-old son on a farm in south-central Wisconsin. Dane County sheriff’s authorities say the accident happened late Friday in the Town of Dane. The initial report was that the boy apparently had been trampled to death by a cow, but authorities determined the boy’s…

Police: 50-Plus Complaints Against Hermantown Lumber Co. Totaling $290K In Unfulfilled Work

HERMANTOWN, Minn. (Press Release) – The Hermantown Police Department has received numerous calls from victims who have ordered products such as windows or lumber packages from the Hermantown Lumber Company, which was located at 3707 Lavaque Road, Hermantown, Minn. The Hermantown Lumber Company ceased operations on June 28, 2019, and many orders that were fully or partially paid have gone…