Author: Pat Brink

Lester Park Elementary Students Deliver Holiday Joy

20th Year of The Giving Tree Project

DULUTH, Minn. — Sue Baker is a Kindergarten teacher from Duluth’s Lester Park Elementary School and she can tell you how the tradition of students delivering trees to hospital patients and others began. It was an idea her son had come up with 2o years ago. “He  (Robbie) was the one who came up with the project’ said Sue Baker.”…

Salvation Army Only Half Way to Goal

Time Running Out

DULUTH, Minn. —  The two day snow storm did not help the Duluth Salvation Army’s efforts to raise $215,000 in its kettle drive this year. With just eight days left in the campaign, the Salvation Army has just barely crossed the halfway mark for its 2022 kettle drive. The total raised thus far this year is $109,000. In 2020 at…

UMD Professor Working with NASA

DULUTH, Minn.–There was a rocket lift off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California Friday morning, it was carrying the first satellite dedicated to observing nearly all the water on the earth’s surface. An associate professor at UMD has been working with NASA leading up to the launch. Sam Kelly, an associate professor in the Large Water Observatory program at…

Johnson’s Bakery Continues with Wide Variety of Christmas Cookies

DULUTH, Minn. – Christmas Cookies are always a welcome treat as the holiday approaches and there is a local bakery that’s been making cookies and much more since the 1940s. Johnson’s Bakery has called Duluth home for nearly 80 years.  It is located on West Third Street. The son of the founders, Scott Johnson, learned the bakery business from his…

Power Outages Expected to Last Into Weekend

DULUTH, Minn. — All Minnesota Power and Superior Water, Light and Power crews have been working since yesterday to get everyone’s power restored. The Director of Grid Operations for Minnesota Power, Josh Goutermont says Minnesota Power has, ” foreign crews, mutual assistant crews coming in. So XCEL Energy has released some crews that are helping us. We have our contract…

Common Snow Blower Issue

DULUTH, Minn. – If you’ve been outside at all today, you’ve heard the roar of snow blowers. They have been out in force throughout the northland as the snow has been piling up.  For some people their snow blower wouldn’t start. When that happens Scott Cyr, the owner of Denny’s Lawn and Garden, gets quite busy with phone calls and…

Superior to See Lower Property Taxes

SUPERIOR, Wisc. – There will be good news for residents of Superior when they open their property tax bills later this month as they will see a three percent reduction . Your property taxes actually consist of taxes from four units of government, City, County, Schools and Technical Colleges. Superior Mayor Jim Paine says there is one major reason for…

Duluth Seaway Port Having a Good Year

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Seaway Port started this season sluggishly, according to Jason Hron, the director of communications for the port, but since then it’s been improving. “It was a slow start to the season this year in terms of total tonnage, but each month since mid-summer the total has been closing that gap and it’s been improving and…

Salvation Army Needs Your Help

DULUTH, Minn. — Christmas will be here in just over two weeks, and to ensure happiness for all on Christmas morning, the Salvation Army needs your help, now. Just yesterday, Cyndi Lewis, the Development Director for the Salvation Army was concerned; there simply were not enough toys for all the children Salvation Army wants to help this holiday season. She…

St. Louis County Public Works Employees to Conduct Strike Vote

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Minn. — The St. Louis County employees working in the Public Works area will be conducting a strike authorization vote. Negotiations have been ongoing between St. Louis County and its unionized workers. The County says agreements have been reached and ratified by county bargaining units representing more than half of the County’s total workforce. However, the 160…

Superior Public Safety Officials Serve In a New Way

SUPERIOR, Wisc. — Law enforcement officers and other first responders in Superior helped the community in a different way on Thursday. They served food at a local restaurant to raise money for charity. The event at The Kitchen Restaurant featured the Superior police chief, fire chief, the outgoing Douglas County sheriff and the incoming sheriff elect. The special on the…

Duluth Pearl Harbor Remembrance

DULUTH, Minn. — 81 years ago, December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked the United States  by bombing Pearl Harbor. This was the action that brought the United States into World War II. In Duluth on Wednesday the Pearl Harbor anniversary was remembered with a ceremony at the DECC and with a luncheon at the Duluth VFW. Fox 21’s Photo journalist…

Food Desperately Needed at CHUM

DULUTH, Minn.  — Food is a basic necessity for everyone, and for those who are facing tough times, its getting even harder for them to get food. Fox 21 talked with CHUM about its empty shelves and the dire situation it is facing. In the past food shelves would give people whatever they had on hand. Scot Van Daele, CHUM’s…

Holiday Fire Safety Tips

CLOQUET, Minn. — It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas with the snow and the trees decorated. But it is also the time of year when the fire danger in your home increases significantly. There are a number of things that could cause problems for you this holiday season. Jesse Buhs, District Fire Chief in Cloquet referred to…

District 3A and 3B Recounts Continue

DULUTH, Minn. — Day two is over in the recount for two northern Minnesota legislative districts. Districts 3A and 3B are the two being recounted. The recount started Monday and continued Tuesday at the St. Louis County Courthouse in Duluth. The recount is also going on in other counties in the two districts. The difference in vote totals between the…

Recounts for Two Legislative Districts in the Northland Begin

DULUTH, Minn. –It’s been nearly a full month since Northland voters went to the polls to vote in the mid-term election. The votes have all been tabulated and the results have been announced. However, recounts began in two very close legislative races, 3A and 3B, got underway The County Commissioner’s room in the St. Louis County Courthouse was full of…

Poinsettias Make Their Yearly Appearance

DULUTH, Minn.–Poinsettias are  popping up all over. In fact, it’s estimated that during the six week, peak season for the plant, 35 million of them are sold. Shelly Tomlin of Engwall Flowers says the poinsettias are very popular in our area as well. This past week has been very busy for the flower shop as people are stopping in to…

Minnesota Nurses Association to Strike Beginning December 11

DULUTH, Minn. — It’s been just three months since nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association were walking the picket lines. But in ten days, nurses with St. Luke’s and Essentia could once again be on strike. This time it could be for a much longer time than the three-day strike in September. At a Thursday morning news conference, Lisa Hulstrom,…

Free Thanksgiving Meal Held In Cloquet

The Thanksgiving meal at Mount Zion Lutheran Church in Cloquet also served the meals to the community today. Turkey was on the menu at this meal, as was many of the other traditional foods, including; stuffing “We are doing deliveries and to-goes out of VFW location, also in Cloquet,” Corina Johnson, the daughter of an organizer, said. “We estimated to…

Duluth Pack Encourages Shopping Local For Small Business Saturday

This Saturday is "Small Business Saturday"

With Black Friday taking place tomorrow, it’s important to remember the smaller, local businesses and shop them on Small Business Saturday Duluth Pack may well be the very definition of a small business. The 140th anniversary of the founding of Duluth Pack is just weeks away.  In 2007 Tom Sega bought the company. He had used its products for years…

The DECC Is Prepping For Thanksgiving

Thousands of people expected for Thursday's annual meal

DULUTH, Minn — It’s a job that some people may not like. For others it’s the exact opposite John McDonald, a chef at Mid Coast Catering is one person who enjoys potato peeling. McDonald said, “There’s something Zen about peeling potatoes, you know, it just makes the time fly by. So, if you enjoy peeling potatoes or enjoy helping others,…

Study On Deer Vehicle Crashes

MINNESOTA — It’s likely that you or someone you know has been in a crash with a deer. Both Minnesota and Wisconsin are in the top ten states in regard to the number of these types of crashes. Now a 2-year study in Minnesota is trying to reduce the chances you’ll hit a deer. Ron Moen is likely one of…

Deer Vehicle Crash Study

MINNESOTA — Deer crashes are very common in both Minnesota and Wisconsin. What can be done to help decrease the number of deer vehicle crashes is the subject of a study sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. There are about 4,000 deer vehicle crashes reported each year in Minnesota. However, researchers believe that number may account for only about…

14th Annual ‘Give To the Max Day’ Happens Thursday Nov. 17

DULUTH, Minn. — Non-profit organizations typically raise the majority of their funds during the last quarter of the year.  That fact led indirectly to the creation of ‘Give To the Max Day’. The 14th annual event happens in Minnesota on Thursday November 17, 2022. ‘Give to The Max’ has raised more than $250 million for more than 14,000 organizations over…

Duluth 1200 Fund gives $300,000 to Northland Foundation to Address Childcare Needs

DULUTH, Minn.–A shortage of Childcare in our region is a major concern. The shortage impacts not only parents, but also employers, and even a city’s ability to attract new businesses. A plan unveiled Wednesday is designed to help childcare providers attract and retain employees. Like nearly every industry, a lack of workers is hindering the growth of childcare and is…