Author: Dan Hanger

‘Little Neetchers’ To Close In Duluth’s Lincoln Park Neighborhood

Owner Joy Herbert said rent in the Enger Lofts building will double in 2025.

  DULUTH, Minn. — A longtime Duluth store and play space for toddlers has announced it’s closing next month. Little Neetchers is located in the Enger Lofts building on West Superior Street in Lincoln Park. The business has been around for 14 years. It moved to its current location in October 2021. Owner Joy Herbert posted on social media Sunday…

BCA Search For Clues At Cloquet Home Involving Disappearance Of Peter Martin

BCA photo CLOQUET, Minn. — The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has provided an update on the disappearance of Peter Martin, a member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Peter Martin The BCA posted photos on social meeting Friday that showed crime scene investigators at a house in Cloquet as part of their efforts to…

City Of Duluth To Host Public Meetings On Lead Water Service Line Replacements

DULUTH, Minn. – The city of Duluth is hosting two public meetings this week involving lead water service lines and upcoming projects to replace them in the lower Lincoln Park and Gary neighborhoods. The first meeting is happening Monday at 6 p.m. at the Harrison Community Center The second meeting is Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the GND Rec Center….

Minnesota Power ‘Disappointed’ With Superior City Council’s Denial Of NTEC Public Hearing

SUPERIOR, Wis. — Minnesota Power is “disappointed” with the city of Superior after the council voted down the opportunity for a public hearing on the proposed Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC). On Wednesday night, five of the nine city councilors voted to hold a public hearing. But the motion to approve needed six votes. This comes after the Superior Plan…

Fitger’s Bockfest Kicks Off With Blessing Of The Bock

DULUTH, Minn. — The annual Fitger’s Bockfest kicked off Thursday evening with the blessing of the bock. It’s a traditional German-styled celebration of spring, and the fun goes all the way through Saturday evening in the Fitger’s Courtyard. On Friday beginning at 5 p.m., there’s a beer tent, entertainment and campfires. Then on Saturday, it’s the main event beginning at…

40 Additional Staff Laid Off Amid Superior School District’s $4M Budget Deficit

SUPERIOR, Wis. — More employees of the Superior School district have been let go as the district tackles a $4 million deficit for the next school year. Forty support staff members, mostly paraprofessionals, were notified this week about the layoffs, according to a district spokesperson. This comes after 25 teachers were told last month that their positions were being eliminated….

Ashland Woman Hit, Killed By Vehicle

ASHLAND, Wis. — An Ashland woman has died after being hit by a vehicle. The victim is identified as 68-year-old Rose Kozeneski. The accident happened around 8 p.m. Wednesday on State Highway 13 and 7th Street. Police said the victim was struck while walking diagonally into a lane of traffic from the median. Police said the driver never saw the…

Feds: Chicago Drug Operation Preying On Duluth Area Busted

DULUTH, Minn. – A Chicago-based drug trafficking ring that’s been targeting the Duluth area has been broken up with eight members indicted by the feds, according to the United States Attorney’s Office District of Minnesota. The announcement was made Tuesday in Duluth by U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger. Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa, St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay and County…

Hibbing Drug Bust Ends With 3 Charged

HIBBING, Minn. — A drug bust in Hibbing has ended with three people charged. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office said Jennifer Schostag, 48, of Anoka; Michael Peterson, 51, of Hibbing; and David Hoskins, 60, of Sandstone are charged with various first-degree sale and possession charges for methamphetamine and cocaine. The Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force conducted the investigation…

Duluth Man Convicted Of Manslaughter, Domestic Assaults Arrested Again

DULUTH, Minn. — A Duluth man convicted of second-degree manslaughter and two cases of domestic assault within 10 years is back in jail facing three new serious charges. Police said Kyham Lavon Dunn, 30, was arrested Friday as he entered the porch of a home where a Domestic Abuse No Contact Order was in place. According to court documents, Dunn…

‘Twin Ports Trailer Trash’ Hosting Canal Park/Lakewalk Cleanup Monday

DULUTH, Minn. – Twin Ports Trailer Trash is calling on volunteers to give back Monday by cleaning up Canal Park. The event is happening at 11 a.m.  Volunteers are asked to meet at the parking lot by Canal Park Drive and Morse Street, which is across from Grandma’s Restaurant. The goal is to also clean up the Lakewalk. For every…

Mayor Wants “Authentic Duluth” After City’s Tourism Marketing Contract Ends With Twin Cities Firm

DULUTH, Minn. — The city of Duluth’s multi-million dollar tourism marketing contract with a Twin Cities-based firm will expire at the end of the year.  And now, newly elected Mayor Roger Reinert says he believes the contract should come back home. “I fundamentally believe as a Duluthian that we have the creative talents in our community to tell our own…

30 Years Later: Musical Event To Honor Victims Of Duluth Triple Murder

The public event happens Thursday, March 28 at Zeigeist's Teatro Theatre

DULUTH, Minn. – Thursday, March 28, marks 30 years since a triple murder took the lives of three young men during a house party in Duluth’s Central Hillside neighborhood. And Thursday evening, a live public musical storytelling will happen at Zeitgeist’s Teatro Theatre to talk about the history, the music, the lives, the loss and the healing since that 1994…

Duluth City Councilors, Residents Express Raw Emotion Over Gaza Resolution Debate

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth city councilors faced a full house at Monday night’s council meeting, with raw emotions pouring out from elected officials and residents for nearly three hours. At issue, was whether to pass a resolution supporting a quote “permanent ceasefire to prevent loss of human life in the Middle East.” Some councilors felt strongly to pass the resolution,…

“Duluth Cheerio Challenge” Launches, Mayor Gets Cheeky After Kathy Cargill’s Insults On City

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluthians, including Mayor Roger Reinert, are responding in creative and humorous ways to billionaire Kathy Cargill, who told the Wall Street Journal over the weekend that Duluth is a “small-minded community” and that Mayor Reinert “peed in his cheerios” when he sent her a letter wanting to know her plans for 20 properties she recently purchased on…

Billionaire Kathy Cargill Calls Duluth ‘Small-Minded Community’ In WSJ Report

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth is a “small-minded community.” That’s what billionaire Kathy Cargill told the Wall Street Journal this weekend, and she went on to say Mayor Roger Reinert “peed in his cheerios” when he sent a letter to her asking what her plans are for 20 properties she recently purchased on Park Point. Cargill told the WSJ she still…

6:45 P.M. Winter Storm Update From City Of Duluth

6:45 P.M. Update: Due to snow conditions, some City of Duluth facilities will be closed to the public tomorrow, March 25, 2024.  Duluth Workforce Development Center will be closed tomorrow, with staff working remotely during the storm Monday. All Duluth Public Library facilities will be closed tomorrow. Duluth City Hall, however, will be open to the public, but with some…

Demolition Begins For Condemned Superior Bar, Apartments After Fire

SUPERIOR, Wis. — An apartment building and bar in Superior is being torn down after a Thanksgiving fire condemned the building in November. Crews were seen demolishing the former Viking Lounge and apartments on Superior north end. The fire broke out around 10 a.m. Nov. 23 on the 1500-block of North 5th Street near the Hammond Steakhouse. By the time…

Superior Approves $120K Marketing Partnership With Comedian Charlie Berens

The contract will be paid through hotel-motel tax revenue.

SUPERIOR, Wis. — The Superior City Council has approved a $120,000 deal with Wisconsin comedian Charlie Berens to help boost tourism in the area. The council’s approval comes after an approval by the Tourism Development Commission. Hotel-motel tax revenue will pay for the production of 10 types of content created by Berens, including photos and videos on social media. The…

Maurices Building In Downtown Duluth Hits The Market

Maurices CAO Sue Ross says there will be no impact because the company is in a "long-term lease."

DULUTH, Minn. — A downtown Duluth building that houses the headquarters of clothing retailer Maurices is up for sale again. The news comes just three years after ASNA PropCo purchased the 11-story building for $15 million in 2021. The building, which includes a public parking ramp, is located on the 400 block of West Superior Street. It was built in…

Downtown Duluth Eatery Closes After 5 Months; New Eatery Eyeing Location

DULUTH, Minn. – Blue Rock Grill in the heart of downtown Duluth has closed after five months in business. Owner Rick Lampton tells FOX 21 the business closed on March 9. “We definitely didn’t get the volume we were expecting,” said Lampton. Blue Rock Grill moved into the former 7 West Taphouse in early October of 2023. 7 West Taphouse,…

Juvenile Questioned After Potential Gun Threat At Proctor High School

PROCTOR, Minn.  — A juvenile male is being questioned after Proctor High School went on lockdown Wednesday afternoon after a potential threat involving a weapon in the school’s Media Center, according to Proctor Police Chief Kent Gaidis. Authorities say 911 dispatch began getting calls around 4:30 p.m. about a “potential gun or weapon” at the school. Multiple agencies responded, including…

Family Freedom Center: Suspicious Person ‘Brandished’ Firearm To Teen

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth police are investigating after a person “brandished” a firearm near a playground of an after-school program. The Family Freedom Center said a “suspicious” person approached one of its teens with the firearm while outside with the Center’s dog. The incident happened around 2:45 p.m. March 7 on the 300-block of N. First Avenue West.  That address…

Potential Of Duluth’s ‘Lot D’ Unveiled In ‘Initial Concepts’ Renderings

Architecture Advantage, LLC DULUTH, Minn. – The future of Lot D along the waterfront in Duluth has become clearer with “initial concepts for the revitalization of redevelopment of Lot D” being released by a Duluth architecture firm. Architecture Advantage, LLC posted on its LinkedIn account Friday showing renderings of what the prime real estate could look like next to Pier…

MPCA Investigating 1,400-Gallon Gasoline Leak At Duluth Short Stop

DULUTH, Minn. — FOX 21 learned Thursday evening that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is investigating a significant gasoline leak at a Duluth gas station. The spill occurred Wednesday at the Short Stop at 5402 E. Superior Street in Duluth. “There was a 1,400 gallon release reported by C & B Distributing from one of their fuel pumps to soil,”…

Teacher Layoffs Announced At Superior School Dist. Amid Budget Cuts

25 teachers are being laid off, and an unknown number of support staff will follow.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Twenty-five teachers at the Superior School District have been notified their positions are being eliminated, as the district deals with a significant budget deficit for the 2024-2025 school year. “It is never easy to make cuts in education. Any cut that we need to make has a direct impact on our students and our families. And so,…

Father Of Daughter Killed In Cloquet Hotel Shooting: ‘It’s Just The Randomness Of It’

CLOQUET, Minn. — The father of a young Cloquet hotel clerk, Shellby Trettel, 22, reacted Monday to a final investigative report involving the shooting death of his daughter and a guest at the Super 8 hotel this past January. Trettel’s father, Tim, spoke with FOX 21 Monday afternoon – not only about the final report, but how his family is…

7-Year-Old Duluth Girl On Waiting List: ‘Daddy, I Got A Heart!’

DULUTH, Minn. – A 7-year-old Duluth girl is recovering after what she calls a pinch-me moment. That’s because she received a heart transplant Thursday morning at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. “There’s no way to dream up how we feel. I was getting an oil change yesterday in Duluth, and Roya called me and started yelling, ‘Daddy, I got a…

Duluth Police Remember K-9 Luna Three Years Since Being Shot, Killed

DULUTH, Minn. – Three years ago Sunday, Duluth Police K-9 Luna was killed while responding to a domestic disturbance call. The suspect, 37-year-old David Conwell, was hiding in a bedroom closet. K-9 Luna attempted to apprehend Conwell when he began shooting a shotgun at officers and fatally struck Luna. St. Louis County deputies would later shoot and kill Conwell after…

Superior Police Investigate Hit-And-Run

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Superior police are investigating a hit-and-run incident. Chief Paul Winterscheidt told FOX 21 officers responded around 8 p.m. Friday at 22nd avenue East and E Second Street, which is near the Super One plaza. Winterscheidt said the 38-year-old male driver from Duluth rear-ended an occupied vehicle before fleeing the scene, crashing through a residential fence and finally…

Firefighter Recruits Train With Flames In Moose Lake

MOOSE LAKE, Minn. – Northland firefighter recruits faced raging flames this weekend during a training event in Moose Lake. The Moose Lake Area Fire District hosted the training, which included how to handle a chimney fire. Blue Fire Training is behind the program, which dedicates to supporting fire, EMS and law agencies be their very best. Moose Lake will host…

Twin Ports Donation Drive To Help ‘Hundreds Of Lives’

The community came out in a big way this weekend with piles of donations for local community outreach organizations. Donations including clothing, hygiene supplies, back packs and toys for children. Lenroot Maetzold and Downs-Lesage funeral homes organized the drive. All of the donations will help a list of local community outreach organizations like CHUM, CASDA, Ruth House, Harbor House, Salvation…

Comedian Maria Bamford Talks Duluth Comedy Festival, Book Signing

Bamford performs at the NorShor Theatre Saturday before holding a book signing at Zenith Bookstore on Sunday

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth-raised comedian Maria Bamford is headlining the Duluth Comedy Festival at the NorShor Theatre this weekend.  She’s also holding a book signing at Zenith Bookstore. FOX 21’s Dan Hanger talked with Bamford about her upcoming visit.  And, well, she was her usual authentic self, of course. “I am a mess Dan hanger. I will, I will guarantee…

Emotions Erupt At Solon Springs School Board Meeting Over Recent ‘Threat Complaint’

SOLON SPRINGS, Wis. – Emotions hit a breaking point Tuesday night at a special Solon Springs School District board meeting involving safety and security procedures within the district. Officials at the district said the meeting was about providing facts and dispelling rumors around what parents said was a gun threat by a student that wasn’t handled properly. The meeting started…

Snow-Making Machines Save 50th American Birkebeiner, But With Changes

CABLE, Wis. – Officials with the 50th Annual American Birkebeiner announced Monday evening that the races will go on next week in one form or another. The Birkie won’t be taking its traditional path from Cable to Hayward and will instead take place on a 10 kilometer loop in Cable. Races that go beyond 10 kilometers will do loops. Organizers…

Duluth Firefighter Injured In Hit-And-Run Incident To Get ‘Advanced Physical Therapy’

Raymond Skoglund DULUTH, Minn. — A Duluth firefighter who was seriously injured in a hit-and-run incident last month will soon be getting specialized care at a hospital in Colorado. Ray Skoglund, 24, will fly out of Monaco Air around 11:45 a.m. Monday to head to Craig Hospital in Denver to receive advanced physical therapy, according to the city of Duluth….

Iron Range Firefighters Tackle 3 Weekend Structure Fires

Gilbert fire, courtesy of Northland Fire Wire Firefighters were busy this weekend fighting three separate structure fires on the Iron Range. The latest fire happened Saturday evening in downtown Gilbert in an apartment building. Gilbert fire, courtesy of Northland Fire Wire Multiple agencies assisted in this fire. One tenant was treated on scene for minor burns, according to the Northland…

Vanilla Bean To Close Duluth Location

DULUTH, Minn. — Vanilla Bean Duluth is closing in two weeks at its Mt. Royal location after six years in business. Owners Jason Vincent and Jeff Anderson made the announcement on social media. The last day of business will be Feb. 25. The post said two young entrepreneurs looking for restaurant space will take over the location. There was no…

Superior’s NTEC Supporters Hold Rally As Mayor Paine Responds

SUPERIOR, Wis. – At least 100 people rallied outside Superior’s City Hall Tuesday evening in support of the proposed Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC). The natural gas-powered electrical plant had unanimous support by the city council and Mayor Jim Paine in 2019, but over the last year, Mayor Paine and some council members have been working to stop the project….