Author: Jadie Jones

Update on the New Soo Lock Progress

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. — An update to the construction progress on the New Lock at the Soo. At the time of completion, the Lock will be the first new one in 61 years. The New lock took over space of former Sabin and Davis locks, which were decommissioned in 2010. Demolition on the former locks finished in July. The…

MN DNR’s Fall Color Forecast is Live!

DULUTH, Minn. — Fall Color Lovers, it’s your time of year again! The Minnesota DNR has released its fall colors forecast. Late September to mid-October is the general peak across the Northland. Patterns of temperature, precipitation, wind and the timing of hard freezes can impact when fall colors peak and how long they last. These weather changes can make exact…

Dual Training Pipeline Offers New Opportunities to Employers

HERMANTOWN, Minn. — Hermantown employers got together at the Chamber of Commerce to learn about the Minnesota Dual Training pipeline. This program helps employees to get on the job training while getting formal instruction to grow within the industry. Employers participating can apply for a grant to aid with related costs. The industries this program focuses on are high-growth industries,…

Bridge to Health Survey Looks at Health of Northland

DULUTH, Minn. — Bridge to Health launched its survey to find out how healthy the Northland is. Households will be chosen at random to receive a survey asking about physical, mental, and cultural health in their area. Over 40 organizations across nine northern Minnesota counties and Douglas county in Wisconsin have joined to conduct the survey. “This year, we’re adding…

MN Republicans Release School Safety Agenda

Representative Cal Warwas ST. PAUL, Minn. — House Republicans released their proposed school safety agenda yesterday. The proposal outlines how they plan to protect students in the classroom. They intend to get more school resource officers in school and look at security systems in place and upgrading them as needed through the SHIELD Act. “When you have security at schools,…

Annual UMD Volunteer Fair Offers Students Opportunities

DULUTH, Minn. — The Kirby Ballroom was full of local organizations for a Volunteer Fair. Put on by University Honors Student Association, UMD Engage, and the United Way, this fair helps students learn more about our community and make connections. Students could meet with dozens of organizations to find the right volunteer opportunities for them. “The whole point is to…

September 3rd is officially Workforce Development Day

Duluth City Council President Therese Tomanek handing the proclamation to Workforce Center Director Elena Foshay Mayor Roger Reinert officially proclaimed Sept. 3rd as Workforce Development Day in the City of Duluth. This day was chosen as a way to kick off Workforce Development month across Minnesota. The proclamation highlights the efforts of the Duluth Workforce Center also known as CareerForce….

Duluth East Class of 1955’s 70th Reunion

DULUTH, Minn. — A very special high school reunion was held at Blackwoods today, This group graduated together from Duluth East back in 1955 and 70 years later, they’re still partying. They started out meeting every five years. At their 60th reunion they saw they were losing people and decided to meet every year. Today’s party started off with lunch,…

UWS unveils new branding and announces new sports complex

SUPERIOR, Wisc. — The University of Wisconsin – Superior launched its new look. A new logo, looking like an Anchor with an ‘S’ has been unveiled. The design was made to be more representative of Superior. in addition to the logo, they announced the new brand campaign called “Arrive with Grit, Leave with Greatness.” Designed to capture the “determination, transformation…

Todd Johnson Named Executive Director for Northern Lights Foundation

DULUTH, Minn. — The Northern Lights Foundation has announced its new Executive Director, Todd Johnson. Johnson has nearly 3 decades of experience in non-profit leadership. He previously served as Chief executive Officer of the Boys and Girls Club of the Northland. The Northern Lights Foundation helps support families with children facing life-threatening illnesses. With the announcement, Johnson said “The Foundation’s…

Duluth Figure Skating Club Member Becomes USFS Double Gold Medalist

2025 Minnesota L’etoile du Nord Senior Women’s State Champion, Madeline Manion DULUTH, Minn. — Madeline Manion from the Duluth Figure Skating Club has officially become a United States Figure skating Double Gold Medalist. Manion earned that achievement after passing the USFS Gold Singles Test at Skate St. Paul over the weekend. Fewer than 3 percent of figure skaters nationwide earn…

The 7th Annual Natasha Lukacs Memorial Motorcycle Ride Kicks Off

Image courtesy of Natasha’s Ride Facebook Event BRAHAM, Minn. — Starting with a celebration of community and connection, attendees GET to enjoy live music food, and camping at the Braham Moose Lodge. The ride rolls off at 10:30 in the morning August 22nd. You don’t need a motorcycle to take part, cars and trucks can follow the route, too. They’ll…

Historic White Coat Ceremony at UMD Medical School

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth campus of the University of Minnesota Medical School held their annual White Coat Ceremony for the class of 20-29 August 22nd. The White Coat Ceremony is a rite of passage that welcomes new medical students to the profession 65 Students received their first white coat in front of family and friends, medical school administration and…

2025 Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival starts the party, and raises money for 23rd Veteran

SUPERIOR, Wisc. — The 2025 Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival (LSDBF) is here! Kicking off with an opening ceremony and 5k tonight, this family friendly event is an iconic tradition in the twin ports. This year’s charitable partner, 23rd Veteran, helps veterans adjust to civilian life after serving. The Boat Races begin at 8am Saturday August 22nd. Teams of 22…

Gov. Walz Tours Mesabi Metallics Project

Gov. Walz cutting the ribbon of the new concentrator line NASHWAUK, Minn. — Governer Tim Walz visited Mesabi Metallics for a tour of the construction progress. The project will be the first mine and pellet plant in Minnesota in 50 years. The focus is on creating ‘Green Steel’, using environmentally friendly mining practices and de-carbonizing steel making. While on site,…

MN Office of Cannabis Management Announces Recipients of CanRenew Grant

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced the recipients of $1 million in grant funding. The CanRenew grant funding goes towards projects designed to restore communities negatively affected by cannabis prohibition. Roughly 150 organizations applied for the grant, requesting over $22 million in funding across Minnesota. 11 Projects were chosen to receive the $1 million available….

Minnesota DNR Urges Hunters Not to Shoot Tagged Bears

DULUTH, Minn. — With the Bear season opener September 1st, comes a reminder to hunters not to shoot tagged, radio collared bears. The Minnesota DNR are monitoring 50 radio-collared black bears across the state. These bears provide important data to inform management decisions. Their coat often hides the collar, but they also have large colorful ear tags for identification (3…

MN Attorney General Ellison Sues TikTok Over Predatory Features

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is suing TikTok for preying on young people with addictive algorithms and exploitative features. The lawsuit, filed August 19th, claims that TikTok has violated Minnesota Consumer Protection laws. It further explains how TikTok gets time, data, and money out of users by using predatory features like analyzing user data to serve…

Local leaders talk housing amid potential cuts

  DULUTH, Minn. — Local housing leaders and advocates got together to discuss housing and the impact potential federal budget cuts could have in Minnesota. There are two proposals for the Federal Housing and Urban Development budget for 2026. The U.S. House proposal includes cutting the budget by $939 million, which would further strain systems already struggling to meet the…

Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over Campaign Begins Again in Wisconsin

  SUPERIOR, Wisc. — Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over: Wisconsin State Patrol is reminding drivers to make responsible choices as their annual campaign for sober driving kicks off again in late August 2025. Intoxication isn’t just alcohol, THC can still impair your ability to drive. Plan a sober ride. Either through public transit, taxi, rideshare, or a sober friend….

August 12th Primary Election Results

DULUTH, Minn. & TWO HARBORS, Minn. — August 13ths primaries narrowed the pools of candidates for seats on City Councils and School boards. For the Duluth Council Member At Large (Elect 2): Terese Tomanek had the most votes at 3,192 (34.25%) Jordon Johnson came next with 2,468 (26.48%) Derek Medved fell a fairly close third with 2,129 (22.84%) Asher Estrin-Haire…

2 Dead after House Fire in Cass County

OUTING, Minn. — Shortly before 3am on August 13th, Cass County sheriffs office received reports of a structure fire on Shady Lane NE, in Outing Minnesota. Responders arrived to find the home engulfed in flames. While working to extinguish the fire they found the remains of two deceased victims. Their identities have not been released. Autopsies will be scheduled with…

Fairview Range designated a Level 4 Trauma Center

Trauma Team at Fairview Range medical center HIBBING, Minn. — Fairview Range Medical Center is now a level 4 trauma center. The designation was earned after an intensive process to become part of the Statewide Trauma system. That process included an outside review of the hospital’s resources and capabilities. In joining the trauma system, Fairview Range can decrease the time…

4 Northland communities awarded contamination clean up grants

DULUTH, Minn. — 8 Minnesotan communities have been awarded grants for contamination clean-up. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development announced over 1.6 million in grant money to tackle contaminated sites. The grants will support the investigation and clean up of over 184 acres of contaminated land. Many of the individual projects will support the creation of jobs and…

WisDOT Warning Residents About Text and Email Scams

SUPERIOR, Wisc. — The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is warning residents of text and email scams. These scams are aiming to get money and personal information from their targets. Some of the ways to identify the scams include: out of state area codes, Identifying as Department of Motor Vehicles, instead of Wisconsin Department of Transportation’s official Division of Motor Vehicles…

Haley Hedstrom Announced as Visit Duluth’s New Executive Director

Haley Hedstrom DULUTH, Minn. — Visit Duluth has announced their new Executive Director. Haley Hedstrom, Executive Director for the Lake Superior Zoo, has been chosen to lead the tourism organization. Her achievements at the zoo demonstrated her strong dedication to Duluths tourism and economy. She will lead the effort to grow tourism while overseeing the strategy, culture, and operations of…

Septic system tank manufacturer fined $75K for potential sealing issue

WRENSHALL, Minn. — A Wrenshall Septic Tank manufacturer has been fined for septic tanks that may contain weep holes. The Minnesota Pollution Control agency fined Del Zotto Products $75,000 for the issue. Weep holes were drilled near the bottom of tanks to drain rainwater from the tanks while they are stored. While the holes were sealed before installation, it was…

St. Louis County Expands Public Land Ownership

DULUTH, Minn. — More of Northern Minnesota’s forests are now protected and publicly owned. Map of New Forest Land Managed by St. Louis County St. Louis County has acquired over 4 and a half thousand acres of timberlands. Originally owned by a timber company, The Conservation Fund purchased the forests to be incorporated into public land. The county will manage…

The Nature Conservancy Plants 2.5 Million Trees in Minnesota in 2025

DULUTH, Minn. — 2.5 million seedlings were planted across six counties, including Cook, Lake, Saint Louis, Itasca, Cass and Carlton County. A TNC employee plants a tree in the area affected by wildfire. © Derek Montgomery It’s the second year they’ve planted more than 2 million seedlings and a record number for the organization. Over 5,000 of those trees were…

Xcel Energy Announces Ashland-Ironwood Transmission Rebuild Project

ASHLAND, Wisc. — Xcel Energy announced the start of construction on the Ashland-Ironwood Transmission Rebuild Project Over the course of a few years’ crews will be rebuilding two power transmission lines previously built in the 50’s and 70’s. The project will improve reliability and long-term growth across northern Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The three main phases will be prepping…

Juvenile in Custody After Pursuit

COOK, Minn. — A 17-year-old male is in custody after a pursuit in Cook Aug. 2nd. Around 7:45am, deputies received reports of a man passed out in a driver’s seat of a parked car. The juvenile woke up and sped off when Cook ambulance arrived on the scene. A pursuit took place but the male did eventually stop on his…

Carl Crawford Appointed to Governers Council on MLK Jr. Holiday

Carl Crawford DULUTH, Minn. — A former Human Rights Officer for Duluth has been appointed to the Governor’s Council on the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. Governer Walz appointed Carl Crawford on Aug. 1st. Crawford currently serves as the Senior Accessibility & Engagement Coordinator for St. Louis County. The Council on the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday helps plan celebrations…

Two New Members and Officers Announced on Northland Foundation Board of Trustees

DULUTH, Minn. – The Northland Foundation’s Board of Trustees has two new members and announced its Board Officers for the coming year. The new Trustees are Rachel Hedlund of Ely and Dr. Rick Revoir of Duluth. Hedlund works for Friends of the Boundary Waters as the Ely Education and Outreach Manager. Rachel Hedlund She has spent a decade working for…

Minnesota’s Task Force 1 Returns from Texas

Minnesota Task Force 1 ST. PAUL, Min. – Minnesota’s Task force 1 has returned from their deployment to Texas. They were sent to assist with search and rescue efforts following the deadly flooding on July Fourth. Minnesota Task Force 1 is one of the state’s two urban search and rescue teams. A team of five rescuers and two K-9s, Red and…

Tree Falls on Boy While Camping, Boy Uninjured

Buhl, MN. via Bing Maps © 2025 Microsoft BUHL, Minn. — A child is unharmed after a tree fell on him during a camping trip on Sunday. Emergency responders were dispatched to the Stubler Beach Campground in Buhl following a report of a 7-year-old child trapped beneath a tree. Strong thunderstorms and high winds that swept through the area early…

The ‘Federal Budget Bill’ impacts on SNAP in Minnesota

Who Currently Receives Benefits MINNESOTA — The Federal Budget Bill also called Trumps “Big, Beautiful Bill” has significant changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 440,000 Minnesotans currently participate in SNAP in an average month. Most of those utilizing SNAP are children, adults with children, seniors, and those with a disability. The Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families…

Bridge Repairs on I-35, Traffic Reducing to One Lane

Courtesy of MnDOT Website DULUTH, Minn. — Crews are starting road is starting on a section of I-35. The northbound lane of I-35 between 40th and 26th avenues west will close for bridge repairs. Traffic will be crossed over into the southbound lanes once the crossovers are created. Motorists can expect single lane head-to-head traffic until the repairs are completed….

Gov. Evers Grants 204 Pardons, for a total of more than 1,600 Pardons as Governer

WISCONSIN — Governer Evers granted 204 pardons today, July 25th, bringing his total pardons during his tenure to 1,640. The pardons are described as an act of forgiveness. Individuals pardoned have completed their sentence at least five years ago and have no pending criminal charges. Most of those pardoned did the crime in their late teens and 20s, and these…

Katie Sandstrom 2nd woman Promoted to Captain in Duluth Fire History

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Fire Department has promoted Katie Sandstrom to Captain. She is the second female to be promoted to captain in DFD history. She has been with the Department for over 8 years, recently serving as a fire fighter on Tower 1 out of Headquarters. Captain Sandstrom receiving her Red Helmet, Courtesy of Duluth Fire Department Facebook…