Author: Nathaniel LeCapitaine

Large group of community members attend ICE out of Duluth Sit-in at City Hall

DULUTH, Minn.–Bright and early on a freezing Friday morning, a large group of community members, gathered in solidarity to protest against ICE escalations. “I was very impressed with the turnout. Our car didn’t start, so I didn’t know if it was going to be a little bit lower of a turnout, but everyone did definitely turn out,” said Kaylee Spencer,…

Free Wisconsin nonprofit’s reentry housing plan meets resistance

ASHLAND, Wis.– In Ashland, one resident has been making a difference in his community by giving back to released incarcerated individuals through his nonprofit. And now, he’s looking to expand his services. “We’re a newer nonprofit that actually works with criminal justice impacted people. We try and support them and meet them where they’re at. So, we focus on a…

Twin Ports reflect on public reading of the Constitution

DULUTH, Minn. — People gathered for a public reading of the United States Constitution at Northern Waters Smoke House. Everyone was handed pocket-sized copies of the Constitution, allowing people to follow along as it was read aloud. With the event taking place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, it gave the community a chance to reflect on the Constitution, honor…

Brimson Strong nonprofit featured in Castle Danger Brewing’s Pints for a Cause

TWO HARBORS, Minn.– After the massive Brimson Complex fire took out a large portion of northern St Louis County, efforts are still strong to help towns such as Brimson rebuild. Since then, a nonprofit called “Brimson Strong” lead by founder Mikala Schliep has dedicated time and effort to help her community. The fire also affected Schliep, as it took the…

Northern Waters Smokehaus appears on “Triple D Nation”

DULUTH, Minn. — Grab your popcorn, grab your snacks, and hunker down in front of the TV, because this local eatery is featured on a popular Food Network Show. In 2010, Northern Waters Smokehaus appeared on “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives,” hosted by food personality star, Guy Fieri. Recently, the restaurant returned for the spin-off series “Triple D Nation.” The show…

UMD unveils $25M main production kitchen renovation

DULUTH, Minn. — People gathered at the University of Minnesota Duluth for the unveiling of its new Main Production Kitchen, a $25 million renovation designed to feed thousands of Bulldog students and faculty every day. Originally built in 1971, the Main Production Kitchen served around 800 students. After decades of use and an increase in student enrollment, it has been…

U.S. Coast Guard SPAR reaches tail end of ice breaking season

DULUTH, Minn.– With Minnesota experiencing a seemingly normal winter season this year, it’s been a busy stretch of time for the members aboard the SPAR. “We started to hear what how much trouble boats were having coming in and out of Duluth and the Great Lakes district, our Coast Guard headquarters had us turn around and get right back up…

“The Iron Exchange at 400” Hibbing housing development officially underway

HIBBING, Minn.– Since 2018, the city of Hibbing has been navigating new changes for a potential housing development downtown. And finally, they’re starting to see those plans come into fruition. The historic 400 block on Howard Street has seen quite a bit over the years. Developed in the 1920s, singer Bob Dylan once lived there, and a fire broke out…

Senator Amy Klobuchar speaks on potential hemp ban

DULUTH, Minn.– Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar visited Wild State Cider in Duluth Tuesday to discuss the impacts of a potential hemp ban across the state. In less than a year, breweries and cideries could look a lot different. Many of them are currently selling drinks and gummies with THC and CBD and at the end of this year, things could…

Minnesota DVS opens final vehicle inspection location

DULUTH, Minn. — The Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Driver and Vehicle Services division has opened its eighth vehicle inspection site. The new facility, located along Carlton St. in Duluth, signals the end of the DVS’s expansion, which began in 2021. The Duluth location, along with the 7 others scattered around Minnesota, are put in place to help protect the…

UMD Graphic design students painting a mural at Lake Superior Hall

Since 2019, graphic design students at UMD have been making student housing walls more colorful. And this year’s group includes Greta Feist, Albert Edumndson, Maria Owens, Autumn Gilligan and Maddie Larson, won a contest in class to give them this opportunity. For five UMD students, graphic design has been their passion. The semester long project is translating their digital experience,…

Farmer Doug’s Tree Farm gaining statewide attention

DULUTH, Minn.– Tis the season for trees, and many of the local tree farms are now in full swing. Some of the customers are traveling hours to make the trek for their perfect tree. Farmer Doug said, it’s been a slow fall season. Now, pumpkins are done, and winter has finally shown itself. They’re fully stocked with their supply of…

Indigenous winter market kicks off holiday shopping season

CLOQUET, Minn. — An indigenous winter craft market at the Cloquet Community Center helped kick off the local holiday shopping season. The market showcased pieces from a number of the area’s indigenous artists, each showing off their creations from blankets to bead work. According to one of the event’s organizers, markets like these help local artists get a headstart on…

Local Law Enforcement Holds Multi-Jurisdictional Training Exercise At UW-Superior

SUPERIOR, Wis. — Police departments met on the University of Wisconsin-Superior campus to conduct a training exercise. They warned students and community members ahead of time that there would be a large police presence on site, as they simulated a hostage situation at the school. The exercise involved multiple agencies across Northwestern Wisconsin and Minesota working together in a controlled…

Musician Todd Eckart Killed in Head-On Crash, Music Community Mourns

DULUTH, Minn.– The Duluth community is grieving after the unexpected passing of local musician Todd Eckart. Wednesday afternoon, Eckart was killed in a wrong way head on collision in Hawthorne Township. Channeling the soul, and tunes of the era of Buddy Holly, his voice and impact was heard around the Twin Ports. “He played the music that they kind of…

First Indigenous Coast Guard Unit Inducted in Grand Portage

GRAND PORTAGE, Minn.– A ceremony on Wednesday in Grand Portage celebrated a new beginning for the reservation and surrounding areas. They’ve been hard at work to bring in additional support for marine safety, patrol, and rescue. The first ever Indigenous Coast Guard unit was officially inducted in Grand Portage. After the Grand Marais coast guard unit discontinued back in 2022,…

Topics Of Transparency, NDAs Take Over St. Louis County Board Meeting

DULUTH, Minn.– The topic of transparency boiled over Tuesday at the St. Louis County Board meeting in Duluth. What was supposed to be public comment about banning commissioners from signing non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) turned into residents feeling silenced. The St. Louis County board meeting included a motion by Commissioner Ashley Grimm to prohibit commissioners from signing non-disclosure agreements going forward,…

Trail Access Restricted Due to Crosby Fire

FINLAND, Minn.– When the Crosby Fire began last week, the DNR and Superior Hiking Trail officials wasted no time implementing safety measures. “We just got word of the fire, kind of beginning yesterday, kind of coordinated with the DNR. We didn’t hear until about 5:30 kind of in the evening, about looking to close a section of the Superior Hiking…

Ashland School District Impacted by Northland College’s Closure

ASHLAND, Wis.– The Ashland community is coming to terms with what they’re calling a significant loss after the Northland College closed its doors last spring. “We are definitely nervous about what it will do to our staffing and our entire community. About 15% of our staff is Northland College graduates, and over 20% of our staff is related to Northland…

50th Grandma’s Marathon Anticipation Shatters Registration Record

DULUTH, Minn.–Registrations have hit an all-time high as anticipation builds for the 50th Grandma’s Marathon. For a process that normally takes around a month, last night alone over 19,000 people have signed up to cross this very start line. “To think that at seven o’clock our time yesterday, there were 10s of 1000s of people from around the world sitting…

Superior resident receives thousands of Social Security Numbers from Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office

  SUPERIOR, Wis. — The Wisconsin State Public Defender’s Office has allegedly revealed thousands of Social Security Numbers of Wisconsin residents, sending the information via e-mail to a client. According to the client, identified as Joe Eischens of Superior, he made a public records request on a matter regarding his own case. The Wisconsin Office of Public Defender responded by…

Lutsen Fall Colors Experiencing Two Peaks This Year

LUTSEN, Minn.– Lutsen mountains is open year-round with different seasons bringing in different opportunities. But while the leaves are turning it’s the biggest turn out the resort has all year. “Last year, on our busiest day, we had a record day. We had 4,600 people here. We have a lot of people that come up from the cities. We’ll have…

Man Suffers Life-Altering Injuries After Rock Attack Near Canal Park; Teen Charged

DULUTH, Minn.– Milton Michael Myschack, 61, of Duluth was randomly attacked with a large rock while walking under an overpass bordering Canal Park, according to his brother, Philip Myschack. The entire altercation was recorded on a cell phone where you can see a group of teens cornering Myschack before being knocked to the ground with the rock. “I really believe…

Victim Speaks Out After Enduring Random Stabbing Attack

DULUTH, Minn.– Tasha Hoskins of Duluth says, she was casually strolling the streets between Central and Grand Avenue on the night of September 1st. When out of nowhere, she was randomly attacked. She claims she was approached by 37-year-old Tasha Carlson of Duluth. The pair had no prior connections before the incident. “She drops the bike right by the trash…

Opposition of Minnesota Power Sale Host Press Conference

DULUTH, Minn. — Opposition of the potential sale of Minnesota Power held a press conference today This is the latest response to the news of Minnesota Power and Allete’s potential acquisition by Global Infrastructure Partners, a BlackRock company, and C.P.P. Investments. The sale, which would take Minnesota Power off the publicly owned market, is seeing opposition from groups like The…

Knowing Your Neighbor: Small Town Sindrome

 DULUTH, MINN- Brian Gandy, John Hakala, and Adam Mahoney are three close friends from Grand Rapids Minnesota. Their passions for music started as young as seven, they have memories to rocking out to the band Kiss with their families and picking up guitars while coming to the realizations they found their callings. They started off playing songs on Brian’s back…

Duluth veteran and volunteer recognized for significant service

DULUTH, Minn.– a Duluth based veteran has dedicated his life of service through a lens, and even volunteering with the Disabled American Veterans of Minnesota. Following his dedication for sharing history, the ‘DAV’ is filming a tribute video to honor Shaw, during his service both in and out of uniform. Meet Patrick Shaw, a veteran, a volunteer, grandfather, and friend….

City of Superior Now Operating Local Museums

SUPERIOR, Wis.– Today, it was announced that the employees at the Fairlawn Mansion, S.S. Meteor, and Police and Fire museums are now considered city staff. This transition is something that has been in the works for a while. “It’s been a long discussion, but ultimately, we’ve been evaluating our relationships with all outside organizations. What we found is everything works…

Park Point Forestry Project Begins

DULUTH, Minn.– Starting today, you may begin to notice a lot of noise and commotion over at park point. That’s because a new project aiming at preserving and landscaping park point has just started. The goal is to remove invasive species, trim down overpopulating trees, and eventually fill in space with white pine seeds. “There’s a strip running from the…

Duluth Coast Guard Station Celebrates 235th ‘Coast Guard Day’

DULUTH, Minn.– Friday afternoon on the Duluth harbor of Park Point, laughs, and yells can be heard across the bay. Because today, the Coast guard Station has something big to celebrate. “We’re celebrating the 235th year of the Coast Guard’s founding. So, we were found in 1790 this is just a day to celebrate that. So, we get all the…

Community Boards ‘Blue Heron’ Research Vessel for “Freshwater Discovery Day”

DULUTH, Minn.– Today, the community got a front row seat to discover what student scientists at the ‘Blue Heron’ research vessel participates in. The Large Lakes Observatory is a research group that is in connection with UMD. It brings an opportunity for both undergraduate, and graduate students to receive hands on experience. “It is the only research-intensive campus that sits…

Wildcat Sanctuary Rescues Small Lion Family from Canadian Roadside Zoo

SANDSTONE, Meet Mango, a feisty ambitious 8-week-old lion cub. She is just one of three recent rescues the Wildcat Sanctuary took on just two days ago. They were saved from a Canadian roadside show. “This is a really unique rescue, not only because it was international and we had so many permits and so much process to get through, to…

Governor Tony Evers of Wisconsin Addresses Retirement in ‘Love Letter’ Video

DULUTH, Minn.–Earlier today, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers announced that he will not be running for a third time for his seat as Governor. With this announcement, Evers released what he called his ‘love letter’ to Wisconsin, to reminisce on his time as Governor. “I cherish every moment, every tour, every visit high five, question and selfie. It’s the honor of…

Duluth East Freshman Qualifies for Figure Skating National Showcase

DULUTH, Minn.– a Duluth east freshman is gearing up to compete in a national level competition for a figure skating showcase. Since age 7, Brynn Sterling of Duluth has been learning and growing with this sport. And next week, she will represent Duluth for the U.S. Figure skating National Showcase. When it comes to figure skating, there’s a lot of…

Douglas County Humane Society Celebrates 50 Years of Rescuing and Adopting

SUPERIOR, Wis.– Today’s ribbon cutting out in Superior didn’t highlight something brand new.  But instead, over 50 years of tail wagging, smiles, and connections to furry friends. “We’ve gone through a couple different buildings. At this point, we’ve had different animals and staff come through, but the whole mission has always been the same, and that is to care for…

Trump Administration Reverses Duluth Federal Prison Camp Closure

DULUTH, Minn. – The deactivation of the Duluth Federal Prison Camp has been officially reversed, and it will remain open. After Congressman Pete Stauber pushed to overturn the decision to close the prison camp, the Federal Bureau of Prisons ‘ William Marshall visited the facility, ultimately leading to the Trump administration’s decision to keep the prison camp open. U.S. Senator…

New Owners Same Passion: ‘Happy Critter Farms’ Opens Beloved Strawberry Fields

CARLTON, Minn.– As of last year, the beloved former ‘Finks Berry Farm’ out in Carlton took on new owners. They’re tasked to take care of 11 miles of strawberry fields. ‘Happy Critters Farms’ introduced a plethora of pollinator plants, and they stay away from insecticides. And with this new opportunity, they had big shoes to fill. “So last year we…

Twin Ports Celebrates its First Disability Pride Event

DULUTH, Minn.– Across the state of Minnesota, numerous disability pride events have been celebrated. And now, advocates felt it was time for the Twin Ports to join in. “The reason we’re doing this, is we want to celebrate disabilities, their contributions to our community, we’re here to stay. It doesn’t discriminate,” said Amanda Crosby, Executive Director ‘Arc Northland’. Around the…

Minnesota Nurses Association Nurses at Essentia Health Begin to Strike

DULUTH, Minn.– Tuesday morning, at multiple locations around the Northland, more than 290 Essentia Health nurses and health care professionals with the Minnesota Nurses’ Association are making their voices heard. “Since issuing our strike notice, we have offered to meet every single day, and Essentia has declined every single time, only offering two meetings this month, we are here demanding…

‘Lola Farms’ Opens up Honeyberry Fields

WRENSHALL, Minn.–When it comes to owning a farm, it leads to a ton of passion ideas. Such as raising chickens and eventually expanding into an ‘AirB-n-Bawk’. And right now, it’s full steam ahead for Farm Lola with all things honey berry. They’re showcasing rows upon rows of ripe berries ready to be picked. But with this special fruit, there’s more…

St. Louis County Assessor’s Dept. Tackling Brimson Wildfire Aftermath

BRIMSON, Minn.– A dedicated team in the Brimson area is conducting damage assessments, and re-assessments of over 130 properties affected by the fires. With these thorough inspections, they are determining overall property value. They’re taking pictures, updating systems, and putting together applications for property owners to apply for damage relief. That being said, many of the affected landowners already know…

Brookston Community Center Biomass Heating Facility Finally Unveiled

BROOKSTON, Minn.– The Fond du Lac Reservation in Brookston is celebrating the completion of its newest biomass heating facility. The project has been a work in progress since 2011. And one official told FOX 21, this brought the opportunity to introduce updated technology. The biomass heating facility is now using woodchips from Fon du Lac Forestry to power its heat. “Well,…