Author: Reece Lindquist

MnDOT Crews Transitioning to Winter Construction Mode

DULUTH, Minn. — “We’re standing in what will be a very active construction zone in the summer. All that, we will need to get the bridge structures in place so we can do what we need to do in the summertime,” Twin Ports Interchange Construction Manager, Pete Marthaler says. The construction on the Twin Ports Interchange is now shifting into…

Unemployment Rate in Area Down, Job Openings Up

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth’s unemployment rate is at the lowest percentage since 1990, but there are still a whole lot of jobs that need to be filled. The unemployment rate is sitting at about 2.8 percent throughout northeastern Minnesota. There are still 13,000 jobs openings in the area. That’s because during the pandemic some workers decided to take the early…

Winter Village In Need of Volunteers

DULUTH, Minn. — For the first time, the annual Winter Village Festival won’t be held at Glensheen this year. The DECC will be hosting the upcoming festival this weekend instead. Now in its 6th year, staff at the DECC call the Winter Village event the perfect time to shop and support local businesses before the holidays. And with over 40…

Frost River Has Successful Small Business Saturday

DULUTH, Minn. — Local outdoors shop Frost River is having a strong holiday season. Staff say they have one of the most successful small business Saturdays ever and expect next year to be even bigger. The store has also introduced a second website with more items for customers. “Which is sort of a one of a kind unique items that…

Spirit Mountain Opens For Season

DULUTH, Minn. — Spirit Mountain officially opened for the 2021-2022 season on Friday. Typically each run will have three feet of snow, and the fake snow crews are making right now will last them through the end of the season. “I think that’s something that so many of us appreciate. That we were able to take a step and get…

Santa Is Back For Photos At Fitger’s

DULUTH, Minn. — Chris Kringle made a stop in Duluth Friday at the Fitger’s Complex. Santa, along with his reindeer Dasher and Dancer, are spreading Christmas cheer to children from the area. Saint Nick says his elves are hard at work preparing to make a delivery across the Northland and the world on Christmas Eve. He says his the naughty…

‘Indigenous First Art & Gift Shop’ Reopens

DULUTH, Minn. — AICHO’s Indigenous First Art & Gift Shop officially reopened on Friday. The shop features over 80 Indigenous artists and vendors. There are a variety of items, including artwork, books, beadwork and clothing. Staff say they are happy to reopen after being closed for nearly 20 months due to the pandemic. “Supporting these Indigenous artists that might not…

President Biden to Visit Minnesota

(FOX 9) – The White House announced President Joe Biden will visit Minnesota on Tuesday.  Biden will be in Rosemount to discuss the new Infrastructure Bill worth nearly $1 trillion. The exact location of the visit has not been released. Categories: Business, Community, Minnesota, News Tags: Joe Biden, minnesota, President

Hoops to Host Pop-Up Market

It's all to get the community to come together and support several local artists in one spot.

DULUTH, Minn. —  As part of Small Business Saturday, Hoops Brewing Company in canal park will be hosting several local artists. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. there will be pop-up shops selling different items from handmade winter wear to pottery. Hoops is one of many local businesses hosting smaller artists who can showcase their work. It’s all to get the…

Chamber Of Commerce Hosts Small Business Week

With the holiday season in full swing, members of the chamber say this is a good time to go out and support area businesses.

DULUTH, Minn. — The Superior Douglas County Area Chamber of Commerce and Superior Business Improvement District are hosting their own version of Small Business Saturday but they are making it a week-long event. Shop Small Superior Week is a time for people to get out and support local and to see everything the city of Superior has to offer. So…

Holiday Travel Remaining Steady This Year

DULUTH, Minn. — “What we have found is that we continue to observe and watch and see what types of things need to be adjusted or changed but we’ve stayed pretty consistent around here,” Duluth Airport Authority Director of Communications & Marketing, Natalie Peterson says. Air travel in Duluth is going steady heading into the holiday season with more than…

‘One Roof’ To Flip East Hillside Building Into New Affordable Housing

DULUTH, Minn. — One Roof Community Housing has announced some big plans to combat the housing crisis plaguing Duluth, along with the issues that do happen in some affordable housing complexes. The focus is on a vacant and boarded up apartment building on the 600-block of E. 4th Street that started on fire Nov. 20.  One Roof has chosen to…

Shops Gearing Up for Small Business Saturday

DULUTH, Minn. — Local businesses in the Twin Ports and beyond are hoping to cash in for small business Saturday this weekend. It’s a day to encourage shoppers to buy local and support local one day after Black Friday when larger retail stories end up getting a lot of business on big deals. Small shops like ‘Bailey Builds’ in West…

CSS Volunteers Preparing Over 5,000 Meals for Thanksgiving

DULUTH, Minn. — The smell of Thanksgiving is flowing through the DECC. It’s the place where volunteers with The College of Scholastica are cooking thousands of meals for the community. The traditional in-person Thanksgiving buffet at the DECC won’t be happening for the second year in a row because of Covid-19. More than 5,000 meals will be handed out at…

Emmanuel Evergreens Begins Christmas Tree Sales

DULUTH, Minn. — Emmanuel Evergreens tree lot along Grand Avenue in West Duluth has been in business for five years. They decided to get their trees out a little earlier this year. The lot has hundreds of balsam firs, fraser firs and white pines, Christmas wreaths and more. With the lot open seven days a week, owners say this gives…

Depot Foundation Announces Depot United Campaign

DULUTH, Minn. — The St. Louis County Depot will be getting an added boost in its fundraising efforts to support programs within the building. The Depot United Campaign will raise money to be equally distributed among all the organizations and non-profits housed in the depot. The campaign falls under the depot foundation which has been around since 1979. They are…

CHUM Hosts Pre-Thanksgiving Turkey Distribution

DULUTH, Minn. — On Monday, chum kicked off its thanksgiving holiday season giving away 150 meal boxes and turkeys at the Our Saviors Lutheran Church in West Duluth. It’s a big event all about making sure families have a warm turkey dinner instead of nothing on the table. Start looking at the planning process way back in June in an…

Christmas City of the North Parade Takes Place

DULUTH, Minn. —  Duluth’s annual Christmas City of the North Parade took place along Superior Street in Central Hillside. We caught up with one family who normally watches it on tv, but decided to come down to check it out in person for the first time. This is also the first year the parade was back in person after being…

Zeitgeist Restaurant Reopens

DULUTH, Minn. — After nearly 18 months the Zeitgeist Restaurant finally reopened its doors to the public after hosting several pop-up restaurants throughout the pandemic. Among the changes, customers can expect no longer having the option to tip your server. After hiring a new general manager and executive chef with 17 years of experience the restaurant is back open with…

Shoe Store Moves Locations, Still Experiencing Some Pandemic Related Inventory Shortages

DULUTH, Minn. — Long-time Duluth shoe store Austin Jarrow has moved into a larger location. The owner says inventory shortages are following, due to the nationwide supply chain backlog. After spending 17 years at their previous location in the Stone Ridge Shopping Center along center entrance. Owner Jarrow Wahman says they needed more space to put all of their products….

Great Lakes Aquarium Hosts Grand Opening of New Exhibit

DULUTH, Minn. — H2O Watersheds at work is the newest exhibit opening at the great lakes aquarium one year after its originally scheduled opening date. The new hands-on interactive exhibit allows people to learn how water moves through our community and to navigate a boat through the great lakes. Although the water pools have been around for some time, this…

Enger Tower Lit Purple for Pancreatic Cancer Awareness

DULUTH, Minn. — On Friday, the city of Duluth lit Enger Tower purple on this pancreatic cancer awareness month. Mayor Emily Larson signed a proclamation declaring today ‘World Pancreatic Cancer Day.’ It’s all to help raise awareness about the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. One Duluth woman was there tonight to honor her father who lost…

Bentleyville Gets Added Security Boost

DULUTH, Minn. — More eyes will be watching over the Bentleyville Tour of Lights this holiday season. To help detour or even catch any grinches trying to steal away the Christmas spirit. “It was a true blessing to Bentleyville and the whole community to be preserving all the work and all the volunteers and everyone that puts everything into Bentleyville,”…

Duluth Arts Community Seeking Artwork for Exhibit

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth International Airport is looking to add more vibrant color to its property with locally-made artwork. The exhibit would rotate out pieces with one or two exhibits every year. The Duluth Public Arts Commission, which is heading up this project, says it has already received a few paintings but is open to art in any form,…

Ski Hut Prepping for Winter Season

"Typically the end of October, the beginning of November is when we start to pick up," Neustel says. 

DULUTH, Minn. — “Cross country skis, snowshoes, alpine skis and snowboards as well as all the equipment you would need to go along with those activities,” Ski Hut Owner, Dave Neustel says. “Typically the end of October, the beginning of November is when we start to pick up,” Neustel says. The owner of the Ski Hut in Duluth tells us…

Superior Chamber & Visitor Bureau Receives Large Grant

The bureau hopes to receive the funds by the end of the month.

SUPERIOR, Wisc. — Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers recently awarded $15 million in grants to local tourism organizations. The Superior-Douglas County Visitor Bureau will be receiving more than $135,000. The bureau is one of several dozen organizations recognized in the grant which puts tourism as a priority in the state as travel is a priority for many people again. “We are…

Sporting Goods Stores Gearing Up for Ice Fishing Season

Over at Marine General, they have just switched their store over to the winter season.

DULUTH, Minn. — A lot of people are ready to see the lakes freeze over, and that includes those at sporting goods stores selling ice fishing gear. Over at Marine General, they have just switched their store over to the winter season. The store ordered all of their supplies early with more inventory coming in daily from ice houses to…

Lake Superior Art Glass Begins Christmas Themed Events

You can pick up your glassware three days after you made it.

DULUTH, Minn. — Lake Superior Art glass is kicking off the holiday season with its traditional snowmen and ornament-making classes. Making one of these pieces takes about 30 minutes, and you can pick out your own design and colors, along with adding certain features to these snowmen, such as scarves and hats. A glassblower works one-on-one with you to customize…

Great Lakes Aquarium Seeing Record-Setting Attendance

DULUTH, Minn. — After a year of closures and low attendance during the pandemic, the Great Lakes Aquarium is on track for its biggest year ever. The aquarium’s attendance is expected to reach more than 185,000 visitors by the end of the year. That’s 10,000 more visitors than the previous record in 2018. The aquarium’s executive director tells us more…

Spirit Mountain Starts Snowmaking

Crews fired up two dozen snow-making guns on the slopes over the weekend.

DULUTH, Minn. — Snow is falling again at Spirit Mountain — and we aren’t talking about the weather we’ve had this past weekend. Crews fired up two dozen snow-making guns on the slopes over the weekend. As long as temperatures are around 24 degrees or lower, the fake snow will be flowing 24/7. It’s all to get ready for opening…

Duluth Pack Hosts Puppy Adoption Event

Anyone who adopted a puppy also received an adoption gift.

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth Pack in Canal Park helped some furry friends find new families on Friday. Partnering with Northern Lakes Rescue and Ruffwear, the dog-friendly store hosted several puppies looking for their forever home. Staff at the outdoor store say, after having success in the past, they are excited to collaborate with local organizations to find these pets new…

Glensheen Mansion Unveils Christmas Decorations

DULUTH, Minn. — It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas over at Duluth’s Glensheen Mansion. Starting Friday, the mansion is bringing back its annual self-guided Christmas tours. There are 25 decorated trees spread throughout the mansion along with 25 hidden elves. New this year, an additional 25 naughty elves are to be hunted on the full mansion tours. “There…

‘Fill The Tent’ Event Aimed at Helping Homeless Community

The 'Fill the Tent' event will take place at Memorial Park on grand avenue.

DULUTH, Minn. — The organization Guardian Angels of West Duluth is hosting an event on Saturday in the neighborhood to help the homeless community. The ‘Fill the Tent’ event will take place at Memorial Park on grand avenue. After noticing an increase in the homeless population and individuals impacted by fires in homeless encampments. The organization is looking to pitch…

Community Christmas Tree Delivered to Downtown Lake Superior Plaza

The lighting of the tree will take place next week.

DULUTH, Minn. — The Christmas tree was delivered today for the Lake Superior plaza in front of Minnesota Power on the corner of lake avenue and superior street. Allete and Minnesota power have put up a Christmas tree in the plaza for more than 30 years. The tree is typically donated by a northland resident, with this year’s spruce standing…

American Legion Post 71 Hosts Veterans Day Ceremony

DULUTH, Minn. — Today the American Legion, along with the volunteer organization women of today, hosted a veterans day ceremony in west Duluth. Dozens of veterans gathered at the American Legion Post 71 to celebrate the day and also present one local vet with an award. Private First Class Warren Johnson served in the Iraq war and was honored today…

MnDOT Crews Ready for First Snowfall

Currently, MnDOT is pretreating the elevated roads to prevent frost.

DULUTH, Minn. — Brace yourselves northlanders winter is coming. Snow is expected to fall tomorrow in parts of our region, and crews at MnDOT are ready for it. Since October 27th, crews had vehicles calibrated with the right mixture of sand and non-chloride potassium acetate according to their routes making sure fewer chemicals go into the groundwater and wash into…

Bong Historical Center Receives $10,000 For Disabled Veterans

Cenovus energy which owns the superior refinery formerly known as husky donated $10,000 to the bong museum.

SUPERIOR, Wisc. — On Wednesday the Bong Veterans Historical Center in Superior has landed a big donation to help send disabled vets on summer trips to the boundary waters. Cenovus energy which owns the superior refinery formerly known as husky donated $10,000 to the bong museum. The money will fund two summer canoe trips to the BWCA for seven veterans…

Duluth Fire Department Participating in ‘Movember’

Captain Black said the driver of his rig usually wins the competition every year.

DULUTH, Minn. — Members of the Duluth Fire Department can spend a little less time getting ready in the morning this month, as they’re growing out mustaches for a good cause. The goal is to see who can grow the best mustache within department grooming standards. It’s also to pass on the importance of getting screened early for cancers and…

Applications Now Accepted as City Increases Vacation Rental Units

With up to ten additional units every year until an ultimate cap is reached of 120 units down the road. 

DULUTH, Minn. — The city of Duluth is accepting applications for more vacation and short-term rentals. This as the city increases the number of units allowed around town. This comes as the city council recently passed a modified ordinance increasing the vacation dwellings cap from 60 to 70 units. With up to ten additional units every year until an ultimate…

Heating Supply Stores Nearing Busy Season

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Stove and Fireplace business has moved to a new location to expand their product inventory. The business held on strong through the pandemic with home construction and renovations continuing to fuel their demand. As they approach what they call their ‘burn season” they needed an expanded building to showcase a growing product line in gas…

KYN: Port City Nutrition

That's why she decided to bring Herbalife products such as proteins and herbal teas to downtown Two Harbors along with a positive environment.

TWO HARBORS, Minn. — “I like being in a place that people can go to get nutrition and to get coaching and get into an active lifestyle and a healthy lifestyle,” Port City Nutrition Owner, Quinn Kasell says. After moving from Grand Rapids to Two Harbors with her family, owner Quinn Kasell knew she had to bring her drive for…

Ashland Police Department Nearly Moved Into Renovated Police Headquarters

"It's very crowded. There's not a lot of room," Morland says.

ASHLAND, Wisc. — After nearly 50 years of conducting their operations in the basement of city hall, the Ashland police department finally has a new station. “This used to flood. So we would be conducting interviews with suspects or sexual assault victims and we would be sitting in water,” Ashland Police Department Lieutenant, Scott Morland says. For nearly five decades…

Ski Hills Gearing Up for Winter Season

Right now, Lutsen Mountain's top priority is snowmaking which will happen when we get consecutive colder.

DULUTH, Minn. — The Northland’s Ski mountains are getting ready for the winter season. Right now, Lutsen Mountain’s top priority is snowmaking which will happen when we get consecutive colder days. With snow-making staff on standby, they have a goal of people coming in and skiing by Thanksgiving and are expecting a big season. “Last year we were in the…