Community

Duluth Playhouse’s ‘Singing With The Stars’ Fundraiser Returns March 1

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Playhouse is getting ready for its 2nd annual “Singing with the Stars” fundraiser. The contestants with familiar faces perform a piece of musical theatre using their own vocals. FOX 21’s Dan Hanger will be one of three judges on stage giving some flare. But the real judges are people in the audience. Donations to each…

Councilor Arik Forsman Launches ‘Duluth Download’

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth City Councilor Arik Forsman has launched what he’s calling the Duluth Download. It’s a bi-monthly newsletter emailed to whoever signs up. Forman said he’ll be talking all things council and politics within the city, allowing him to dive deeper into topics that people may not see on the news or on social media. “Just this last…

Hold The Presses! Lincoln Park Gets New Vacation Rentals

Eight suites going into historic press building.

There will soon be some new places for out-of-town visitors to stay in Duluth. Eight of them to be exact. Or, at least eight suites. There was a good-old-fashioned ribbon-cutting Friday in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. It was next to the outdoor seating area of the OMC Smokehouse. That’s not a coincidence, because the restaurant owners bought the long-standing Duluth…

Remembering Veterans All Year Long

Gifts during the holidays a symbol of a year-round need.

Special efforts continue with a commitment to remember veterans at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Silver Bay. Gifts were delivered there Wednesday by the Bong Veterans Historical Center after their holiday collection drive. American Legion Bong Post 435 played an active role in the effort. Commander Butch Liebaert said it is the culmination of a year-round attempt to help all…

Duluth “Acting Mayor” Plan Made Official

Mayor Reinert tabs At-Large Councilor Arik Forsman--just in case.

If there’s ever a time when Duluth’s new mayor is not available, he now has an official back up. In a formal proclamation Wednesday, Mayor Roger Reinert named At-Large City Councilor Arik Forsman as acting mayor whenever necessary. Reinert is still an active Navy Reservist and says at times he will be called away. For example, next week he will…

Duluth Public Library Looks to Provide Fun, Safe Place for Teens

Expanding Teen Space and Events to Thank for Increased Interest

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Public Library is encouraging teens to come and hang out through programs like today’s Gaming Event. The library invited students from sixth to twelfth grade to hang out, play board games, try out the Nintendo Switch, and enjoy some snacks. According to Senior Library Technician Heidi Harrison, many of the teenagers came from Harbor City…

Some Information Emerging in Cloquet Shooting Deaths, But Most Questions Remain

At Tuesday morning's press conference, the Chief said they still don't know if there were any connections between two victims and shooter.

Law enforcement investigators spent the night at the crime scene in Cloquet. Investigators say a man shot and killed a female desk clerk, and then shot another man who was sitting in a car.  The gunman then shot himself. Tuesday morning, Chief Derek Randall said investigators were still looking for answers for what happened at the Super 8 motel. He…

Pete Johnson Announces He Will Run For Minnesota Legislature From Duluth

The Duluth firefighter said Monday he will run for Liz Olson's House 8A seat following her announcement last week that she will not run for re-election.

Pete Johnson, a Duluth firefighter, announced he is running for the seat left open by Representative Liz Olson. Olson represents central and western Duluth in District 8A. Johnson says he has been thinking about running for office for a long time and he knows that campaigning is always a family affair. He says his wife and kids are supportive and…

148th Fighter Wing Holds Award and Retirement Ceremony

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth’s 148th Fighter Wing held its annual awards and retirement ceremony at the DECC Sunday. Before awards were given this afternoon, the Fighter Wing looked back on its accomplished work during the past year, reflecting on its 75th anniversary of service. Awards were presented to multiple levels of service members –from a Pilot to Non-Commissioned Officers. The…

Popular Mexican Restaurant Close To Opening In Superior

SUPERIOR, Wis. – A popular Mexican restaurant in Cloquet is getting closer to opening its second location in Superior. Pedro’s Grill and Cantina posted pictures on social media showing the inside of the new restaurant. It’s located in the 3200 block of Tower Avenue in the former Epic Restaurant building. Pedro’s has a capacity to serve 240 people. An opening…

WI State Rep. Angie Sapik Announces Run For Reelection

Wisconsin State Rep. Angie Sapik is running for reelection for Dist. 73 in Northwestern Wisconsin. The Republican from Lake Nebagamon made the announcement over the weekend at the Log Cabin Tavern just outside of Superior. “We accomplished a lot of things in this cycle from the largest increases in shared revenue in history, to holding people accountable for fentanyl deaths,”…

County Commissioners Limit Public Comment During Meetings

DULUTH, Minn. — At its December meeting St. Louis County Commissioners voted to change their rules…moving the public comment period to before the meeting starts and limiting it to 30 minutes. Commissioner Annie Harala said the move will provide a time certain slot for contractors and business owners to appear before the board. “We can ensure folks that are traveling…

Minnesota Rep. Liz Olson Will Not Seek Reelection For 5th Term

MINNESOTA — After 8 years as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives Liz Olson has announced she will not seek reelection. Olson was elected in 2016 as a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party in District 8A of northeastern Minnesota. She says she is very proud of the work accomplished over the years from providing affordable housing, healthcare…

Essentia Health And Marshfield Clinic Health System Decide Not To Move Forward With Merger

DULUTH, Minn. — Essentia Health and Marshfield Clinic Health System have decided not to move forward with a merger. The decision announced Friday morning from Essentia saying that after 2 years of discussions, the organizations have decided that a combination at this time is not the right path forward. Essentia also mentioned Marshfield’s financial situation was the primary factor as…

50th Annual Birkebeiner To Ski Forward Despite Lack Of Snow

Officials may be forced to scale back, but they say Birkie week will not be canceled

HAYWARD, Wis. – The 2024 American Birkebeiner is expected to attract 14,000 to as many as 15,000 skiers for the race’s 50th anniversary.  Organizers say, the lack of snow isn’t going to ruin the fun. “It’s non-negotiable. We will be doing something in Hayward during Birkie week,” said Blair Flickinger, marketing director for the race. “I would say we are…

Great Lakes Aquarium Breaks Record Attendance

DULUTH, Minn. — The Great Lakes Aquarium finished the year in record-breaking fashion. In fact, they’ve broken their attendance record for the second year in a row. The final attendance numbers show that in 2023 they had ten thousand more visitors than last year at 214,533. That was without a new exhibit or adding animal attractions. The aquarium has big…

Essentia Health Welcomes Twins as First “First Babies” in New Medical Center

DULUTH, Minn. — Essentia health-St. Mary’s Medical Center welcomed a set of twins for the first born in 2024. Elle Ustipak and Jason Traver of Duluth welcomed Addison Evonne Traver at 11:22 a.m. Addison’s twin sister, Brinley Eve Traver, arrived shortly after. Addison weighed 5 pounds, 4.3 ounces, while Brinley weighed at 4 pounds, 3.7 ounces. The twins became the…

American Legion Open New Year’s Day

Pull Tab Racing a Major Draw, Along With a Bloody Mary Bar and Walking Tacos

DULUTH, Minn. — The American Legion Post in West Duluth is typically closed on New Year’s Day, but this afternoon they opened their doors to the public for some drinks and fun. Everyone was invited to enjoy Bloody Mary’s and Walking Tacos, but the main draw was the Pull Tab Racing, according to House Chairman Bob Stephens. People lined up…

Sen. Klobuchar Looks to Bridge Federal Funding for Blatnik Bridge

DULUTH, Minn. — For the last 62 years now, the Blatnik Bridge helped the Twin Ports to stay connected. Most recently, both Minnesota and Wisconsin submitted their second application for federal funding to replace the bridge. Their first, being back in August. Sunday, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar spoke alongside the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce and the Duluth Building and…

“No Snow Sale” A Sign of Winter (or Non-Winter)

Outdoors Gear Store Northwest Outlet adapts to what Mother Nature serves up.

Those who want to get outside and enjoy a real winter, don’t know how long they will have to wait. And there is a different kind of waiting going on for those who sell winter gear. Superior’s outdoors gear store, Northwest Outlet, has decided it can’t wait forever for cold and snow, so they’re putting out the sale sign for…

Is The Ice Safe? Better Check First

Those venturing out are urged to be careful because many have gone through the ice already.

The cautionary tone about being careful on lake and river ice was echoed this week as outdoor enthusiasts get antsy. At Duluth’s Marine General, this month they had customers torn between both ice and open-water fishing. Some anglers were rigging up their boats and heading out on the lake. But with the weather now turning back to a little bit…

Santa Delivers To Meet Salvation Army Goal

Hartel's Disposal "picks up" the tab; provides $25,000 to help reach holiday goal.

FOX21 reported earlier this week that an anonymous Santa stepped in to help the Duluth Salvation Army this year. Today we all learned who that special Santa is. The Salvation Army says it was Hartel’s Disposal that disposed of the donation shortage. It did so in the form of a check for $25,000 that the company delivered Thursday. The contribution…

Snowblowers Went Out The Door Early; Now Waiting For Snow

Last winter primed people to get new machines.

While no snow and a lot of rain may have driven people inside to do things like check out Duluth’s trains and railroad museum, there are also those who think winter is going to come–eventually. There were still plenty of snowblowers lined up at Northern Tool and Equipment in Hermantown on Thursday. Store manager Mike Surface said it’s been quiet…

Lincoln Park Craft District’s Lights On! Competition Winner Announced

DULUTH, Minn. — A local competition is lighting up the Lincoln Park Craft District during the darker times of the year. The Lights On! Competition is an annual event taking place around the holiday season featuring storefronts filled with festive lights and decorations. This year the winner is the North Shore Federal Credit Union with a hand-painted Charlie Brown tribute……

Bentleyville Shines For One Last Night

The Tour of Lights Ends Tonight, With More Wind and Rain Instead of Snow

DULUTH, Minn. — It may be the day after Christmas, but the holiday magic stuck around for one last night at the Bentleyville Tour of Lights. Despite spitting rain and winds, crowds gathered for Bentleyville’s final lights of the year. The conditions didn’t stop people from enjoying the display. In fact, this year’s warmer weather brought in potentially record-breaking attendance,…

Duluth Salvation Army Receives Christmas “Miracle.”

Anonymous donor to step up with $25,000 donation.

It was a long, steady march, but the Duluth Salvation Army says they had another Christmas miracle. The organization said Tuesday that it had reached their kettle goal for this holiday season. During the past couple of weeks, they were far behind their goal as the end of the campaign approached. But the day before Christmas Eve, they heard from…

Chester Bowl Closed Tuesday; Waiting For End to Rain

The recreation area says it hopes to preserve the snow it has until temperatures drop and rain stops

The rain has forced a change in plans for Chester Bowl in Duluth. The ski hill was going to start its annual Holiday Ski and Snowboard lessons Tuesday. But the endless rain has changed that, and the hill was closed. Chester Bowl says it is disappointed to be closing, but felt that the best chance to preserve the snow they…

Cohasset Man Fell Through Ice on Bass Lake

  COHASSET, Minn. — A Cohasset Man wants to remind people to check the ice more frequently after he went under on Friday. Through a phone call, John Anderson described that he was following another driver’s four wheeler’s tracks on Bass Lake, just north of Cohasset. Near the Narrows, the ice underneath Anderson gave out, causing himself, his ice house,…

Chachos Taqueria Celebrating New Hot Sauce, And Expansion

DULUTH, Minn. — A local restaurant is spicing things up for the holidays with a brand-new hot sauce. Although Chachos Taqueria in Canal Park is closed for the season, they are excited to say their new Bandito Sauce is available for the community to try. The sauce is made by roasting vegetables, peppers and habaneros and then soaking golden raisins…

Effort To Remember Veterans At Christmas Could Use Help

Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center Collecting Gifts for Silver Bay Veterans Home.

During the holidays there are many people who are surrounded by friends and family members. But there are also those who may not be remembered by a lot of people. That’s why the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center in Superior has had a gift drive every year since 2012 to remember veterans during this season. They collect and accept…

Stokke’s Meat Market Selling Holiday Boxes For Last Minute Christmas Shoppers

HERMANTOWN, Minn. — A local meat shop is selling the perfect last-minute gift for those wondering what to cook this holiday season. Stokke’s Meat Market in Hermantown has holiday boxes with a variety of foods. This is the busiest time of year as prep starts right after Thanksgiving. Boxes can include an assortment of brats, wings, pork links, bacon, steak,…

Thousands Attend Winter Solstice Luminary Hike

Duluth Parks & Recreation Hosts Event on the Longest Night of the Year

DULUTH, Minn. — Thousands came out tonight to celebrate the Winter Solstice. Duluth Parks and Recreation hosted their third annual Solstice Luminary Hike. Everyone was invited to walk the candle-lit half mile loop at Enger Park Golf Course. Plus, with the milder weather, people of all ages and abilities were able to enjoy said Duluth Recreation Specialist Megan Lidd. “We…

Chester Bowl Ski and Snowboard Program Opens for the Season

Kids jump at the chance to be first up the chairlift and down the hill

DULUTH, Minn. — The wait is over! Duluth might not be a winter wonderland, but there was plenty of snow at Chester Bowl for the ski and snowboard season opener today. The chairlift took up the first excited kids of the season. The volunteer-driven program offers families with an affordable ski hill in town. Chester Bowl provides a positive and…

Salvation Army Hoping and Praying For Deadline Giving

The agency is thankful for generous giving so far, but is tens of thousands of dollars behind in its fundraising goal, with program cuts a possibility.

DULUTH, Minn. — If you’re making a push to the Christmas finish line, you are not alone. For some it means serious shopping down the stretch. For others it means serious giving. The kettles were ready for every sixpence they could get Thursday. To reach its funding goal, the Salvation Army needs $22,000 a day through Saturday. It is a…

Northland Boys & Girls Clubs Focus on Staying Active in the Winter

Virtual reality and four-square and bumper balls, oh my!

DULUTH, Minn. — The Northland Boys and Girls Clubs are putting a seven thousand five hundred dollar donation from Pier B Resort to good use. The Clubs had to get a little creative when looking for solutions to keep kids active in the winter according to Northland Boys & Girls Club Operations Director Emily Burnside, so they looked to the…

Salvation Army Behind on Holiday Season Fundraising

The Red Kettle Campaign Is Struggling and It Could Mean Budget Cuts

DULUTH, Minn. — You know it’s the holiday season when you see and hear the Salvation Army bell ringers. This season, however, the Red Kettle Campaign is hurting. As of this morning, the Salvation Army was still over $75,000 behind their fundraising goal. This could mean budget cuts to the social services offered by the Salvation Army, including its food…

First Lutheran Church Holds Blue Christmas Service

It's not all good tidings and holiday cheer, some are still struggling with loss and grief

DULUTH, Minn. — The holiday season can be difficult for those experiencing loss and Duluth’s First Lutheran Church wants to acknowledge this. Last night, First Lutheran had a Blue Christmas service, a Western Christian tradition. Blue Christmas services are held around the Winter Solstice and comfort those struggling during an otherwise joyful time. Pastor Dianne Loufman emphasized the importance of…