Author: Site Staff

HealthPartners to Close All Retail Pharmacies in 2020, Eliminating 300 Employees

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (FOX 9) – HealthPartners announced it is closing all of its Minnesota and western Wisconsin retail pharmacies in 2020. The Bloomington-based business said it will shutter 30 retail pharmacies located within HealthPartners, Park Nicollet, Central Minnesota and Stillwater Medical Group clinics. The organization’s mail-order pharmacy operations will also cease. About 300 positions will be eliminated as a result of the…

Man Dies After Crashing Into Light Pole on Mesaba Avenue

The Crash is Under Investigation

DULUTH, Minn. – A 24-year-old male died early Thursday morning after the vehicle he was driving crashed into a light pole. Authorities say the crash happened around 4:38 a.m. Thursday on Mesaba Avenue at West 5th Street. Preliminary investigations indicate the male was traveling down Mesaba Avenue and the driver was unable to a curve and crashed into the pole….

Ambulance Crew Injured in Central Entrance Crash

DULUTH, Minn. – According to the Duluth Police Department, officers responded to a crash involving an ambulance Wednesday morning near the intersection of Central Entrance and Blackman Avenue. Authorities say the ambulance was traveling up Central Entrance with lights and sirens on when it was hit by a vehicle driven by a 19-year-old that ran a stop sign. The driver…

UPDATE: Another Warrant Issued for Duluth Man Who Started Synagogue Fire

Amiot Fled the Beth Port on November 4

Update: DULUTH, Minn. – According to authorities, Matthew Amiot, 36, was located and arrested Tuesday night. Police say Amiot was arrested around 7:50 p.m. on Tuesday and was admitted to a local hospital. It is unknown at this time why he was brought to hospital, but authorities confirm he will be transported to jail after he is released from the…

Duluth Police Officer on Administrative Leave for Alleged Impaired Driving

An Internal Investigation is Underway

DULUTH, Minn. – A Duluth Police officer has been placed on administrative leave after he was arrested for impaired driving last month. Authorities say off-duty officer Daryl Diver, 48, was stopped by Duluth Police on October 28 around 10:00 p.m. for ‘driving conduct consistent with signs of impairment.’ According to a recent press release, the officer immediately contacted the Minnesota…

Northland General Election Results

Below are the up to date results to the key races in Tuesday’s Northland General Elections Duluth Mayor Emily Larson (I) – 13,340  63.3% David Nolle – 7,509  35.8% Duluth Council Member at Large (Elect 2) Arik Forsman (I) – 8,972  25.8% Noah Hobbs (I) – 8,717  25.0% Mike Mayou – 7,869 22.6% Derek Medved – 9,068  26.2% Duluth Council…

WE Fest Taking Hiatus in 2020, Will Return in 2021

The Festival Will be Back in 2021

DETROIT LAKES, Minn. (FOX 9) – WE Fest, the popular country music festival in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, is taking a hiatus in 2020. Live Nation acquired WE Fest from Townsquare Media shortly before the 2019 festival. In a message posted on WE Fest’s social media pages, organizers said 2020 will be a planning year so they can “bring an even…

One Killed in Vehicle Crash at Minorca Mine in Virginia

VIRGINIA, Minn.-The Virginia Fire Department has confirmed that a male employee of Minorca Mine has been killed after crashing their vehicle on a road at the mine. It all happened at about 9:40 a.m. when authorities responded to the scene of a single-vehicle crash where they found a service truck flipped on its side. The cause of the crash is…

Former Counselor Pleads Guilty to Juvenile Sex Crimes

His Sentencing is Scheduled for January 27

Mark Painter DULUTH, Minn. – A former The Hills Family and Youth Services youth counselor has pleaded guilty to all five counts of third degree criminal sexual conduct. 29-year-old Mark Painter of Hermantown amended his plea on Monday. Court documents say Painter allegedly engaged in sex acts with five boys between the ages of 13 and 17 at the residential…

Vandals Strike Bentleyville Again

(courtesy: Facebook/Bentleyville USA) DULUTH, Minn. – After being struck by vandals, yet again, Bentleyville USA says they are looking for volunteers to help prevent future incidents. In a recent Facebook post, Bentleyville organizers posted a photo of what appears to be graffiti spray painted on a semi-trailer at Bayfront park. In December of last year Bentleyville was the target of…

Boy Fatally Struck While Riding Bike Near Eagan Middle School

The Boy Was a Seventh Grade Student at the School

(courtesy: Fox 9) EAGAN, Minn. (FOX 9) – A 13-year-old boy died after he was hit by a car while riding his bike on Diffley Road in Eagan, Minnesota Friday morning. The crash occurred at 7:20 a.m. near Dakota Hills Middle School, where the victim was a seventh grade student. According to the Eagan Police Department, when officers arrived, they found…

County Board Proposes Changes to Warming Shelters

In Two Weeks the Board Will Consider the Resolution

DULUTH, Minn. – In two weeks the Saint Louis County Board will consider approving a resolution that would increase funding for warming shelters in the county to more than $75,000. It is proposed that these funds would allow the CHUM drop-in center to stay open 24/7 during the winter and would provide mats for people to rest. The City of…

State Seizes Illegal Alcohol Vaping Machine from Minnesota Bar

The Bar Owner Was Fined

(courtesy: Fox 9/Minnesota Department of Public Safety ) ST. PAUL, Minn. (Fox 9) – A Dakota County bar owner is hoping to educate others after an illegal alcohol vaping machine was seized from his bar, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. According to Minnesota law, businesses are prohibited from using alcoholic vapor devices. The bar owner, who had…

Driver in Fatal West Duluth Hit-and-Run Pleads Guilty

DULUTH, Minn. – A Duluth man accused of fatally hitting and killing 30-year-old Peter Seppanen with his Jeep earlier this year pleaded guilty in court on Tuesday. According to court records, 30-year-old Stanley Brown pleaded guilty to criminal vehicular homicide and test refusal in the second degree. Authorities say Brown admitted in July to being the driver of the Jeep…

Level 3 Predatory Offender Moving to Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Police Department is releasing information to the public regarding a Level 3 predatory offender moving to Duluth. Authorities say Willie James Vaughn-Bey, 57, is moving to the vicinity of the 1700 Block of East Superior Street on November 15. According to reports, Vaughn-Bey has a history of sexual contact with a known minor female and…

Burglary Suspect Arrested Again

Carl Was Arrested Earlier This Month in Connection to a Burglary at Duluth Cider

DULUTH, Minn. – A Duluth man has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of burglary after being released as he awaits trial for previous burglary arrests at multiple businesses in Lincoln Park. Police conducted a search warrant at 25-year-old Kyle Carl’s residence last week on the 2000 Block of West Second Street in response to other burglaries. While there,…

Iron Range Murder Suspect Sentenced to Life in Prison

HIBBING, Minn. – A suspect who pleaded guilty to the January murder of 33-year-old Joshua LaValley has been sentenced. Today, 19-year-old Deshon Bonnell was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years. LaValley’s body was found on the Mesabi Trail near Kerr on January 6. According to the Medical Examiner’s Office LaValley died from two…

Duluth Man Sentenced for Synagogue Fire

DULUTH, Minn. – The homeless man charged with starting the fire that destroyed the historic downtown Adas Israel Synagogue last month was sentenced in court Friday morning. 36-year-old Matthew Amiot was sentenced to four years supervised probation, 90 days in county jail and 192 hours of community service. Amiot had already served 36 days in jail which was credited from…

Culver Township Church Damaged by Gunshots

CULVER TOWNSHIP, Minn. – The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office is investigating what appears to be gunshot damage to the Faith Lutheran Church in Culver Township. Authorities say they received a report from the church, located on the 5700 Block of Highway 7, that windows as well as siding and the church sign were damaged. Investigators found the damage to…

Former UMD Coach Files Lawsuits Against University of Minnesota Board of Regents

DULUTH, Minn. – Former UMD Cross Country Track and Field Head Coach, Joanna Warmington, filed two lawsuits against the University Of Minnesota Board Of Regents earlier this week claiming the University “violated Warmington’s due process” and defamed her character and reputation. Warmington announced her resignation in August 2018 alleging a “variety of NCAA violations at UMD.” According to court records,…

Authorities Investigating Damage to South Ridge School, Believed to be Gunshot

NEW INDEPENDENCE TWP., Minn. – The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office says they are investigating damage at South Ridge School when it was found that a window had been shot at. Deputies were dispatched to the school gymnasium just before 1:00 p.m. Wednesday for a complaint of criminal damage to property. Authorities found that damage to a window was the…

76-Year-Old Minnesota Man Survives Home Explosion

(courtesy: Stearns County Sheriff’s Office) PAYNESVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) – Officials are investigating a home explosion in Paynesville, Minnesota that – amazingly – left a man with only minor injuries. According to the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office, at about 8:43 a.m. Tuesday, Paynesville police received a report of an explosion at a home in the 500 block of Morningside Ave. When officers arrived, they…

County Building Re-Opened in Virginia Following Reports of Potential Gas Leak

There Were no Reported Injuries

(courtesy: Mesabi Daily News) VIRGINIA, Minn. – The St. Louis County Government Services Center building in Virginia has re-opened following an evacuation Wednesday morning due to a possible gas leak. In a recent press release officials said a transformer was damaged during the demolition of the Northland Office Building which caused a power outage in the downtown area as well…

Police: Duluth Window and Door Business Under Investigation

DULUTH, Minn. – A Duluth business is under investigation by local law enforcement after receiving reports from customers who allege they paid the business for work that was never completed. According to the Duluth Police Department and St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, they have received multiple reports from customers who say Hicks Window and Door was paid thousands of dollars…

Park Point Closed to Non-Residents

Duluth Police Are Checking Identification

DULUTH, Minn. – The City of Duluth has called for more street closures due to continued storms. According to the city, access has been closed to Park Point for non-residents. Duluth Police are checking identification before the Aerial Lift Bridge, but say residents are able to get home and leave Park Point if they choose. Additional street closures: 131st Avenue…

Portion of Canal Park Closed Due to Flooding

DULUTH, Minn.-The city of Duluth has closed a portion of Canal Park Drive due to standing water. The city has also closed Buchanan and Morse Street for precautionary purposes. Brighton Beach has been closed to traffic and pedestrians and will remain closed until further notice. The city of Duluth is asking residents to stay away from the area around the…

Power Pole, Tree Crash Onto Truck

The Man Was Uninjured in the Incident

DULUTH, Minn. – A man escaped injury Monday afternoon after a tree and a power line crashed onto his truck. Strong winds across the Northland caused the power line and tree to fall near the Myers Wilkins Elementary school in the Central Hillside neighborhood. Officials on the scene said the man was in the truck when the pole fell but…

Twin Ports Coastal Advisory in Effect

The Coastal Flood Advisory is in Effect Until 10:00 p.m.

(photo: duluthharborcam.com) DULUTH, Minn. – The City of Duluth says they are taking precautions as heavy rains and high winds are predicted to continue through the evening. According to the National Weather Service, wind gusts are expected between 20 to 30 miles per hour, with the potential to reach as high as 50 miles per hour. A coastal flood advisory…

Fond du Lac Shooting Suspect Formally Charged

CLOQUET, Minn. – The 28-year-old Minneapolis man arrested for shooting another man in the head during a funeral on the Fond du Lac reservation last week has been formally charged. According to court records, Shelby Gene Boswell, has been charged with second degree assault with a dangerous weapon, fifth degree marijuana possession, felon convicted crime of violence firearm violation, first…

One Man Shot, Suspect in Custody After Fond du Lac Shooting

The School has Been on Lockdown Since 10:00 a.m. Friday

UPDATE: CLOQUET, Minn. (AP) – One man was shot and a suspect was arrested after a shooting on a northern Minnesota Indian reservation. Police and tribal officials say the shooting happened around 10 a.m. at a community center gymnasium on the Fond du Lac Band reservation, where a funeral was taking place. Interim Cloquet Police Chief Derek Randall said the…

Man Shot While Attending Funeral in Fond du Lac Reservation, Suspect in Custody

CLOQUET, Minn.- A shooting on the Fond–Du–Lac Reservation leaves a man hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the head. The 45–year old victim was allegedly shot at a funeral in a head–start facility gym. Authorities responded to the facility off Big Lake Road just before 10 a.m. to find a chaotic scene where funeral goers subdued a 28-year-old male suspect…

Spooner Man Charged With Homicide

(photo courtesy: drydenwire.com) SPOONER, Wis. – A Spooner man has been charged in connection to a suspicious death of a male in his Spooner residence earlier this year. 31-year-old Joseph Rogers is charged with first degree intentional homicide for the death of 52-yearold Troy Sweep. Police discovered Sweep’s body at the Park West Mobile Home Park on July 16. Investigators…

Minntac Production Line to be Shut Down for Maintenance

MT. IRON, Minn. – A Minntac production line is being shut down for maintenance, according to a company spokesperson. The company released a statement Thursday saying, “In order to reflect changing market conditions and the need to adjust our raw materials accordingly, we plan to take advantage of this situation by performing additional maintenance on our 5 Minntac agglomerators for…

Two Charged Following Duluth Heroin Bust

DULUTH, Minn. – Two men were arrested on drug charges earlier this month following a drug bust by the Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. According to the Duluth Police Department, a search warrant was conducted at an apartment on the 900 Block of East Fourth Street on October 2. Police found heroin and drug packaging materials in…

Ashland Burger King Franchisee to Pay $400K for Sexual Harassment

Two Former Employees Allege They Were Sexually Harassed by the Store's General Manager

ASHLAND, Wis. – A District Judge has ordered the owners of the Burger King in Ashland to pay two former employees over $400,000 in damages and fines for alleged ongoing sexual harassment by the store’s general manager. According to court documents, the two female employees were hired in 2017 and say the general manager began making “regular sexual advances and…

Body Found in Aitkin County Believed to be Missing Woman

More Information Will be Available Following Family Notification

AITKIN COUNTY, Minn. – Investigators in Aitkin County say a body was found on a private property near Swatara Tuesday afternoon. The Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office believes the deceased woman is Michelle Mae of Outing who has been missing since October 3. The body was taken to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsy and formal identification. Authorities say…

Irvin Could Come Back to Slip This Week

Tours and the Haunted Ship Will Remain Closed for 2019

DULUTH, Minn. – Fraser Shipyards has begun reflooding its dry dock as crews finalize work on the William A. Irvin. Officials from the DECC say the ship could return to the Minnesota Slip as early as this week depending on the weather and water conditions. Historic tours and the Haunted Ship however will remain closed for the 2019 season. Categories:…

Minnesota Cold Weather Rule Takes Effect Today

The Rule Takes Effect From October 15 Through April 15

DULUTH, Minn. – Minnesota Power is reminding its residential customers that may have difficulty paying their energy bills that help is available to them. The Minnesota Cold Weather Rule takes effect today which will protect eligible customers from having their service disconnected during the winter as long as they take steps to ensure that protection. Under the statute, eligible customers…

Lakewalk to Close Temporarily to Repave Path

The Work is Epxected to be Completed by Friday

DULUTH, Minn. – The Lakewalk will close temporarily starting today and lasting through Friday. The area impacted is from Leif Erickson Park to the Endion Station. The pathway which had been damaged in past storms will be repaved as a part of Phase II work. The work is scheduled to be completed by Friday weather permitting. Categories: Minnesota, News, News…

One Dead, Two Injured in Cass County Weekend Crash

The Crash Remains Under Investigation

CASS COUNTY, Minn. – A Sunday morning crash on County Road 8 south of Federal Dam has left one person dead and two others injured. According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a motor vehicle crash on County Road 8 at the intersection with County Road 63 around 10:57 a.m. When deputies arrived on scene they learned…

Cub Foods Stops E-Cigarette Sales, Asks Customers to not Carry Firearms in Stores

Please see the below statement from CUB regarding recent policy changes in our stores: pic.twitter.com/vKT1WVWLva — Cub (@cubfoods) October 11, 2019 (FOX 9) – Cub Foods announced it will no longer sell e-cigarettes and is asking its customers to no longer openly carry firearms in its stores after reconsidering its policies. In a release, the Minnesota-based grocer said a review of its…

Charges: Eagan Woman Smashed Vehicle With Hatchet While Wearing Joker Mask

The Incident Occured in a Transit Ramp in Eagan

EAGAN, Minn. (FOX 9) – An Eagan, Minnesota woman was charged earlier this week for smashing the windows of a car while wearing a joker mask. Tazara Oliver, 19, is charged with one count of criminal damage to property, a felony. The incident occurred on Friday, Oct. 4 in a transit ramp in Eagan. According to the charges, the victim…