Author: KQDS Staff

Beargrease starting point moved to Two Harbors

MINN. — The John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon is moving its starting location from Billy’s in Duluth to Two Harbors, MN, due to unseasonably warm temperatures and snow loss. The race will now begin at the first checkpoint in Two Harbors, ensuring a safer trail for participants. Organizers are urging volunteers to step up and help with this last-minute change…

Duluth City Council evaluates the future of the skywalk system

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth City Council met on Monday and concluded that the city will conduct an evaluation into “the long-term future of the downtown skywalk system.” In a 9-0 vote, councilors approved a resolution that will direct the city administration to work with the council in evaluating the best future for the downtown skywalk. The skywalk, its businesses,…

Duluth Council Meeting Now Starts at 6 p.m.

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth City Council has a new start-time for it’s twice-a-month council meetings. Starting February 24th the council meeting will begin one hour earlier at 6 p.m. instead of the tradition 7 p.m. start time. Councilor Arik Forsman tells Fox 21 the earlier time is simply more convenient for councilors, city staff, and the public. Start earlier,…

WIAA Voted to Ban Transgender Student-Athletes from Girls’ Competition, Not Practices

WISCONSIN — The organization that oversees Wisconsin’s school sports voted on Wednesday to ban transgender girls from competing in girls’ competition. This repeals a 2013 policy that allowed children of all gender identities from competing in both WIAA boys’ and girls’ sports competitions. The new policy states that student-athletes assigned male at birth can still practice with girls’ sporting teams,…

Power Outage Left Northern Minnesotans in the Dark Early Tuesday Morning

COHESSET, Minn. — The extreme cold caused over one-thousand nine-hundred people on the north side of the iron range for several hours. The outage started around 3 Tuesday morning. Lake Country Power customers were left without power for nearly 6 hours. By 9 in the morning the power was resolved. Ely, Tower, Soudan, Embarrass, Babbitt, and surrounding areas were affected….

Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan planning to run for U.S. Senate

MINN. — Minnesota Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan says she plans to run for U.S. Senate, and will make a formal announcement later this month. In a statement on social media, Flanagan said she is talking with community, family and friends before making the formal announcement. She also commented on Senator Smith’s decision to not see re-election. “Smith has paved the…

Snow sculptures at the Ely Winter Festival

ELY, Minn. — The 2025 Ely Winter Festival snow sculptures are now complete. Snow sculptors from all over the world, including Quebec, Argentina, Germany, and England, joined Minnesota and Wisconsin natives in Ely. They were given only three days to make their best snowy creation. The Ely Winter Festival goes from Feb. 6th through 16th. For more on this event,…

Gunflint Mail Run Recap

  COOK COUNTY, Minn. — After a year hiatus, the Gunflint mail run continued after being postponed earlier this year. The race was made up of 11 different mushers who competed for the best time across two, 32.5 mile legs. In the past, the mail run held two races, a 12-dog and a 8-dog race. This year, the event switched…

Duluth Police Investigating After MCCU Card Skimming Incident

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Police Department is investigating after customers at Members Cooperative Credit Union have reported card fraud with the use of a skimmer. The credit union reports that less than 100 members were impacted by the incident. The DPD is encouraging any victims of the fraud to call the credit union to report it at 800-296-8871. A…

5th Annual Musical Bingo Raises Nearly $6,000 For Local Music

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Two hundred people came out to the annual Musical Bingo fundraiser at Barker’s Island to help support local artists and musicians. Superior City Councilor and local business owner Lindsey Graskey and FOX 21’s Dan Hanger hosted the fun with plenty of one-liners. Musical Bingo is a version of bingo. The band Mackie Brothers sings a short clip…

Human Remains Recovered After House Fire In St. Louis County

Courtesy: Northland Fire Wire LEIDING TOWNSHIP, Minn. – Authorities have recovered remains of a man who died in a house in northern St. Louis County. At 4:30 p.m. Friday, investigators located the remains at the fire scene believed to be 57-year-old Matthew Bisbee, of Orr, according to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office. The fire happened just before 7 a.m….

One Believed Dead After Leiding Township Fire

LEIDING TOWNSHIP, Minn. — One man is presumed dead after a house fire erupted in Leiding Township. Around 6:50 a.m. Thursday morning, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office and several fire departments were dispatched to a house fire at the 3500 Block of Highways 119. The caller reported the house to be on fire and was unable to locate her…

Students participate in annual winter walk to school day

DULUTH, Minn. — It was a frigid morning for those students participating in the annual winter walk to school day. On Feb. 5, schools across the state of Minnesota encouraged students to walk or bike to school if able, instead of their usual mode of transportation. Congdon Park Elementary was one such school, and had many families who lived close…

Cannabis Business License Set to Open for Minnesota

MINNESOTA — The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced it will be accepting applications for cannabis license starting this upcoming February 18, 2025. The application window will close by March 14, 2025. During this license cycle, OCM is accepting applications for both verified social equity applicants and any applicants looking for a general licensing. General licensing includes micro business,…

Anthony Edwards Headed to Third Straight NBA All-Star Game

Bucks guard Damian Lillard was also named as an all-star reserve.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards is headed to his third straight NBA All-Star Game. Edwards was named a reserve for the Western Conference All-Stars when the teams were announced Thursday night. He’s the second player in franchise history to be named an All-Star at least three straight times, joining Kevin Garnett, who was an All-Star eight straight seasons from…

Ashland bar owner found guilty in double homicide of two brothers

ASHLAND, Wis. — After just seven hours of deliberation, a jury found a bar owner guilty of double homicide outside his bar in 2023. 36-year-old Nathan Monkelien was convicted of 1st Degree and 2nd Degree Homicide for the 2023 shooting of two brothers, Manuel and Luis Garcia, outside his bar. The brothers were Mexican citizens visiting their family’s restaurant located…

American Airlines jet with 64 aboard collides with Army helicopter at Reagan Airport near DC

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — A jet with 60 passengers and four crew members aboard collided Wednesday with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River. UPDATE: The Kremlin has confirmed that Russian figure skaters, as well as other Russian nationals, were on the American Airlines plane that…

Charge: Duluth Man Stabbed Stepfather In The Back

DULUTH, Minn. — A Duluth man accused of stabbing his stepfather in West Duluth Jan. 24 is facing a serious charged for the crime. Nolan Shane-Peanuts Leeson, 25, of Duluth is charged with second-degree assault. The stabbing happened at his mother’s home on the 4800-hundred block of West 5th Street, according to authorities. The criminal complaint said Leeson’s mother told…

Minnesota Hunts Harvested More Deer in 2024

MINNESOTA – This last deer season was considered a successful one for northern Minnesota hunters. On Wednesday, the Minnesota DNR released the results from the 2024 hunting season. Hunters harvested more than 170,000 deer during the 2024 hunting season. That’s up 7% from last year’s season, and only 3% lower than a five year average. DNR officials say the weather…

Vikings, Kevin O’Connell Reach Agreement on Multi-Year Extension

O’Connell is 34-19 through three seasons as the Vikings’ head coach.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The Minnesota Vikings announced Tuesday they have agreed to terms on a multi-year contract extension for head coach Kevin O’Connell. O’Connell is 34-19 through three seasons as the Vikings’ head coach. Owner and President Mark Wilf released a statement on Tuesday. “Kevin is exactly who we believed him to be when we named him as our head coach…

Eveleth Hockey Legend Willard Ikola Dies at 92

As a player, Ikola helped Eveleth win three straight state championships.

EDINA, Minn. (FOX 9) – The Edina community is mourning the loss of a legend in Minnesota high school hockey. Former Edina High School boys hockey coach Willard Ikola has passed away at the age of 92. Remembering Willard Ikola What we know: In a statement, Edina Public Schools writes that Coach Ikola passed away on Monday evening. He served as Edina High School’s…

EMS Expo takes place at DECC

DULUTH, Minn. — One of the biggest emergency services expos took place last week at the DECC. The EMS Expo provided an opportunity to equip first responders with practical knowledge of management skills. It also aimed to help first responders deal with trauma that follows some calls. First responders from around the state attended various seminars, like how to aid…

Funding Secured to Better Railroad Crossings in Northern Minnesota

NORTHERN MINNESOTA — Significant funding will look to improve safety concerns around Northern Minnesota railroad crossing. On Monday, Senator Amy Klobuchar and Senator Tina Smith announced that they were able to secure $1.8 million for providing a long-term multimodal freight solution that aims to improve safety, reliability, and efficiency along the CN rail corridor and the Midway Road (CSAH 13)…

Terese Tomanek Elected Unanimously as Duluth City Council President

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth City Councilor Terese Tomanek was unanimously selected as the new Duluth City Council president by her fellow councilors Monday, January 13. Councilor Tomanek takes over the role from Councilor Roz Randorf. Tomanek has been serving on the council for five years. She said she’s looking forward to continue to serve the people of Duluth and continue…

Lake Superior College and College of Saint Scholastica Students Come Back for Spring Semester

DULUTH, Minn. — It was a chilly return to the books for many college students at both Lake Superior College (LSC) and College of Saint Scholastica (CSS). Students at Lake Superior College  kicked off their semester with crafts and an ice cream sundae bar as part of their Winter Welcome Week. Throughout this first week, students can participate in carnival…

Prince Estate Seeks To Block Netflix Documentary

An Oscar-winning filmmaker has made a nine-hour Netflix documentary on the late music legend Prince, but it may never be shown. Prince’s estate is in a legal battle with Netflix blocking the film’s release. The estate has reportedly demanded changes to the documentary. Two of the companies involved in the estate gave a joint statement to the Hollywood Reporter in…

Bob Dylan Memorabilia Up For Auction

A treasure-trove of Bob Dylan memorabilia is going up for auction. Julien’s Auctions says about 50 items and artifacts will be up for sale, including early handwritten drafts of Dylan’s first number one hit “Mr. Tambourine Man.” The items are from the personal collection of journalist Al Aronowitz, commonly known as the “godfather of rock journalism.” Among the items are…

Virtual Public Meeting Held For ALLETE Acquisition

MINNESOTA – A public hearing was held online Friday morning regarding the acquisition of ALLETE, Minnesota Power’s parent company. The acquisition aims to strengthen operational and financial foundations of the ALLETE. It looks to keep Minnesota Power as an investor-owned utility while getting extra support from the Canada Pension Plan and Global Infrastructure Partners. They hope to eventually upgrade and…

Fuel Oil Leak in Morse Township

MORSE TOWNSHIP, Minn. – Approximately 500-1000 gallons of fuel oil leaked from a fuel oil storage facility in Morse Township on Thursday. According to a press release, around 12:43 p.m. on Jan. 9, 2025, the Morse Township Fire Department responded to a report of a fuel leak on private property on the city limits of Ely. The fuel was contained…

MN and WI Volunteers Aid Wildfire Recovery

DULUTH, Minn. — Red Cross Volunteers from Minnesota and Wisconsin are helping recovery efforts in California from historic wildfires. Volunteers have been quick to respond to the recent wildfires that have decimated parts of Los Angeles County. The Northern Minnesota Red Cross announced that some of their volunteers are already on the ground in the effected areas. The Minnesota’s Director…

Renew Thrift Store Opens in Morgan Park

DULUTH, Minn. — The Renew Church is expanding its reach, now helping to renew some wardrobes in the Morgan Park neighborhood. The pastor of the church is the brains behind the new Renew Thrift Store which will offer a mix of items — including free non-perishable food and gently used clothing. “Eventually we want to open up a drop off…

Will the NFL Move the Vikings/Rams Playoff Game Due to L.A. Wildfires?

If SoFi Stadium cannot host the Vikings/Rams game, it will be moved to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The Minnesota Vikings are set to face the L.A. Rams next Monday night in the NFC Wild Card Playoffs. Mother Nature might have a say in that, and it could force the game to be moved. A massive wind storm hit the L.A. area early this week, with wildfires in the area making for dangerous conditions and creating poor air…

$11.2 Million in Federal Dollars for Lift Bridges Rehab

DULUTH, Minn. — $11.2 million in federal funding is on its way to Duluth to help rehabilitate the historic Aerial Lift Bridge. The grant is provided by the u-s department of transportation. The rehab work will include surface preparation and repainting, lead abatement, replacement of deteriorated sections, miscellaneous structural steel repairs, repairs to concrete, and replacement of the bridge sidewalks….

Essentia Health’s St. Mary’s Medical Center Top Baby Names For 2024

DULUTH, Minn. — Essentia Health’s St. Mary’s Medical Center released the top names Northland parents chose for their newborns in 2024. According to the office of vital records at the Minnesota Department of Health had Theo, or Theodore, be the most popular name for boys and Evelyn for girls. For the boys, Henry, Oliver, Asher, Jack, and William were popular…

Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center Welcomes First Baby Of The Year

DULUTH, Minn. — Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center welcomed to the world their first baby of 2025 just an hour after midnight. Karsyn Jones and Jacob Walker of Duluth are the proud parents of baby boy they named Jett. Jett was born at 1:07 a.m., on Wednesday morning, and weighed in at 6 pounds and 7 ounces and was measured…

Two Arrested in Connection of a Shooting on LCO Reservation

LAC COURTE OREILLIES RESVERSATION, Wis. –Two arrests have been made after a shooting on the Lac Courte Oreilles Reservation in Sawyer County. On Sunday, Dec. 29, the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Police Department responded to a shooting in the area of Poppletown Road. There LCO Tribal Police found a victim with gunshot wounds who later was transported for medical attention….

Former Hermantown PTO Treasurer Sentenced After Stealing Over $100,000

HERMANTOWN, Minn. — A Hermantown woman has been sentenced after stealing over $100,000 from the Hermantown Parent Teachers Organization (PTO). Trista Swanson, 44, was sentenced to three years of probation on four counts of felony theft. Swanson must also pay back the $103,017.41 that she stole from the PTO. She plead guilty to these charges in October. Swanson was the…

Miller Hill Mall Hosts Annual Hanukkah Evet

DULUTH, Minn. – Christmas may have passed on the calendar, but the holiday season was far from over at the Miller Hill Mall Sunday as they hosted a Hanukkah celebration! There was fun, food, and festive spirit; all celebrating the 8-day long Jewish holiday also known as Hanukkah. “So you know, tonight is the fifth night of Hanukkah, and we’ve…