Author: Rusty Mehlberg

Enbridge, Line 5 Supporters Kick Off Safest Way Tour in Superior

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Supporters of the Enbridge Line 5 relocation project got a chance to see what will be going into the ground Tuesday. Enbridge and the Wisconsin Jobs and Energy Coalition hosted local leaders, trade union representatives, and tribal members at their Superior terminal to get an up-close up look of the 30-inch diameter steel pipe, as well as the…

Duluth International Airport Conducts Large-Scale Disaster Exercise

DULUTH, Minn. – How would emergency responders react if an airplane struck a piece of construction equipment at Duluth International Airport, injuring dozens of people? That what an exercise held Thursday found out. The Duluth International Airport has never experienced a large-scale disaster like the one they simulated Thursday, but it’s necessary to simulate one to meet an FAA requirement. The…

Local School District Acting to Prepare, Prevent Shootings Inside Buildings

DULUTH, Minn. – The recent mass shooting inside an elementary school building in Uvalde, Texas, the deadliest since Sandy Hook in 2012, has school districts across the country reviewing their own ways to prevent and react to similar situations.  That is also the case in the Northland. “I think it’s a heartbreaking situation for staff, for students, for families alike,” says…

Community Picnic Returning at Bong Center, Part of Memorial Day Weekend Activities

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The arrival of the Memorial Day weekend brings a reboot of a popular event at the Richard I Bong Veterans Historical Center. Their annual community picnic and military vehicle show will start at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 28.  The first one-thousand people will get a free hot dog lunch.  There will also be music, games and activities for…

Touring the USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul

DULUTH, Minn. – It’s one of the newest classes of naval ships for the United States, and for the first time it is here in Duluth for its commissioning. The USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul is one of over two dozen littoral combat ships, designed to work close to shorelines. Command Senior Chief Edward Pare (left) and Commander Alfonza White (right) of the…

St. Louis County Continues Monitoring Flooding

DULUTH, Minn. – St. Louis County officials are continuing to monitor the worst flooding some parts have not seen since 2014. A combination of above average spring rainfall and a late snowpack melt has led to water covering roads, buildings, and resorts along Kabetogama Lake, Crane Lake, Island Lake and the Cloquet River reservoir. “Sandbagging continues up in Kabetogama, and also…

Wisconsin Attorney General Visits Superior, Talks About Sexual Assault Prosecutor Training

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul made a visit in Superior Wednesday to talk about the importance of properly prosecuting sexual assault cases. He spoke to around of dozen prosecutors taking part in training from state experts on this subject, learning about how to help a victim going through trauma, building a proper case, and what information can be…

Duluth Receives $1 Million to Remove Hazardous Materials From Former St. Louis County Jailhouse

DULUTH, Minn. – Plans to renovate the former St. Louis County Jail into housing got a financial boost from the Environmental Protection Agency. One-million dollars will be going to remove asbestos, lead paint, and other contaminants.  It part of four-and-a-half million dollars the EPA is allocating to Minnesota for Brownfields projects, most of it coming from the infrastructure bill passed last…

More Federal Funding to Help Clean Up of Spirit Lake, St. Louis River

DULUTH, Minn. – Clean up of the former U.S. Steel Duluth Works site is getting a boost in funding. $113 million from the federal infrastructure bill passed last year will go towards the complete restoration of Spirit Lake, Munger Landing, and Scanlon Reservation. A key part of the project through next year is the dredging and removal of 406-thousand cubic yards…

Minnesota Association of Women Police Hold Annual Conference in Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. – Dozens of women who are members of law enforcement agencies from across Minnesota are in Duluth this week for the Minnesota Association of Women Police’s annual conference. The event is a chance to learn the latest in department leadership and tactical mobility through training, seminars, and speakers. President of the Minnesota Association of Women Police Serena Frazier says…

Italian American Club of Duluth Resume Events, Host Spaghetti Dinner

DULUTH, Minn. – Members of the Italian American Club of Duluth celebrated their first spaghetti dinner in three years Wednesday. The event at American Legion Post 71 featured plenty of spaghetti, meatballs, and salad, as well as a cash raffle.  People also had the chance to order out and take the dinner home with them. “There’s some of the members of…

Construct Tomorrow Happening at the DECC

DULUTH, Minn. – Hundreds of high school students are getting the chance this week to learn more about jobs in the trades industry at the DECC. Construct Tomorrow brings together organizations that are looking to hire young workers in fields ranging from excavating, to roofing, to painting and carpentry.  The need for new workers in the trades has been a top…

Go Red for Women Held at DECC

DULUTH, Minn. – The Northland Minnesota Chapter of the American Heart Association held their signature event of the year at the DECC Wednesday. Go Red for Women is a fundraiser for the chapter, but also a chance for survivors of heart disease, as well as their supporters, to gather and raise awareness about the number one killer in the United States….

Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths Host Annual Duluth Workshop

DULUTH, Minn. Last year saw the highest number of traffic deaths in Minnesota since 2007.  One program is taking a deeper dive into the data to figure out why. More than 70 groups and people part of Minnesota Toward Zero Deaths gathered in Duluth Wednesday for the northeast region’s 12th annual workshop.  The event featured speakers with knowledge on the issues…

Stores Selling Licenses, Gear for Wisconsin’s Fishing Season Opener

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Saturday is the start of Wisconsin’s inland waters fishing season for this year. Retailers across the Badger State are helping to sell licenses, which includes Northwest Outlet in Superior.  “We’ve been selling a lot of licenses lately,” says Scott Miller.  “There are a lot of people that are ready to be done with winter if the weather ever…

Arrowhead Youth Games Return to UMD

DULUTH, Minn. – The Arrowhead Youth Games returned to UMD Thursday. Over 300 elementary and middle school students from 22 schools, each with a physical or cognitive disability, took part in over a dozen different activities adapted to their skill levels, ranging from dancing and wheelchair races, to bicycling and bowling. “Every year it’s a lot of work to bring all…

Whitewater Rafting Businesses Prep as Season Nears

CLOQUET, Minn. – Recent rainfall and snow melt is helping businesses who run rafting excursions get ready for a new season. Minnesota Whitewater Rafting is checking their equipment so that they are ready to go May 14.  They are also training their crew for the various conditions the Saint Louis River near Cloquet can experience, based on Mother Nature and how…

Former Cloquet Labor Temple Nearly Transformed Into Lofts, Office Space

CLOQUET, Minn. – The transformation is nearly complete for the former Cloquet Labor Temple into new housing units. GCL Development Group has been working on the building for the past eight months to create Union Lofts, with 10 high-end studio and one-bedroom apartments and three office spaces. This is the developer’s first project, and they appreciate the community’s support as they…

Northern Lights Express Remains Optimistic After Minnesota Senate Votes for No Funding in Next Budget

DULUTH, Minn. – Supporters of the Northern Lights Express rail project were not shocked by Monday’s vote by the Minnesota Senate to not include finding for it in the next state budget. “What happened in the Senate this week was not unexpected,” says Ken Buehler, Chair of the Technical Advisory Committee for Northern Light Express.  “We saw this coming, we’re prepared…

Congdon Park Elementary Holds “From Sap to Syrup” Learning Experience

DULUTH, Minn. – Students at Congdon Park Elementary School are getting a hands-on learning experience this week on how tree sap is changed to maple syrup. The second annual Sugaring Off STEAM began earlier this spring when first and second grade students collect the sap from trees outside their school. Every grade is making a visit to the school’s garden, where…

STARBASE Minnesota Celebrates Duluth Expansion

DULUTH, Minn. – Two years after doubling their space, STARBASE Minnesota celebrated the expansion of their Duluth facility. COVID prevented community and business partners from seeing it until Tuesday, which included a ribbon cutting and a dedication from the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce.  The over 7,000 square feet at the 148th Fighter Wing includes four classrooms and staff office space….

First Collaborative Student Job Fair Held in Hermantown

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Hermantown high school students got their chance to search for summer work Thursday in the hallways of their school. More than two dozen businesses and organizations took part in the Collaborative Student Job Fair, sharing information on how students can get summer work or jobs that are part-time through the school year. There were also groups there that…

UMD Host CEHSP Research and Scholarship Showcase

DULUTH, Minn. – From studying how a child might gaze at a humanoid robots to measuring a person’s enjoyment of their first romantic kiss, several dozen UMD students got their chance to showcase their research projects Thursday. The second annual College of Education and Human Service Professions’ Research and Scholarship Showcase took place inside the Kathryn A. Martin Library. Each of…

Drought Conditions End in Northland

DULUTH, Minn. – The persistent spring days of cold temperatures, scattered with rain and snow showers, may not be the most pleasant.  However, they have helped to eliminate all drought conditions across the Northland. For the first time in nearly two years, only a few parts of the region are abnormally dry, the lowest ranking in the drought monitor report….

Second Harvest Receives $20,000 Donation from Miller Hill Subaru

DULUTH, Minn. – Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank will be able to provide around 60-thousand meals thanks to a donation from Miller Hill Subaru. The dealership picked them as the latest local recipient of their annual “Share the Love” campaign.  When a person purchases or leases a vehicle through them, the dealership will donate $250 to one of five charities…

UW-Superior Holds 8th Annual Day of Giving

SUPERIOR, Wis. – UW-Superior’s 8th annual Superior Day of Giving took place Wednesday, one of their biggest fundraising days of the year. Alumni and anyone who wanted to help financially support the university’s various programs had the option to do so online over the 24-hour period. “This year we have a $50,000 challenge that has been offered up by a 1972…

Bus Bike Walk Month Underway in Twin Ports

DULUTH, Minn. – Earth Day was the start of the annual Bus Bike Walk Month in the Twin Ports. For over a decade Zeitgeist and their partners have been hosting a number of activities focused on these three modes of transportation. “We’re able to offer a whole bunch of different fun activities for people of all ages and abilities,” says Andrea…