Community

Student Wins Mike Colalillo Scholarship

DULUTH, Minn. — A generous scholarship was granted to a former Duluth East student, who honored a relative who fought in the Civil War. The Mike Calalillo Medal of Honor Scholarship recognizes Calalillo, the last known surviving World War Two Medal of Honor recipient. Scholarship applicants submitted research papers on St Louis County veterans. Megan Nygaards winning essay honored her…

Duluth Parks & Recreation Crews Busy Grooming Cross-Country Ski Trails

DULUTH, Minn.–Cross-country skiing is a popular activity for many in the Northland, but keeping the trails groomed between snowstorms can be a full-time job. With Duluth seeing nearly 3 feet of snow in the past few weeks, some may say the conditions are a snow bunny’s dream, but having to clear off over 30 miles of cross-country ski trails may…

One Roof Community Housing to Add More Affordable Housing

DULUTH, Minn. — The Minnesota Housing Board of Directors earlier this month approved Funding of more than 165 million dollars to create and preserve 2,156 homes, apartments and manufactured home community lots. One Roof Community Housing will receive nearly 400 thousand dollars to rehab 12 houses and build four homes. Just over a year ago One Roof Community Housing opened…

Globe News Changing Ownership By Start of New Year

Globe News has been a collector's dream on the corner of Belknap Street and Tower Avenue for 40 years.

SUPERIOR, Wisc.–The old-school, one-stop-shop, Globe News in Superior, Wisconsin will have new owners by January 1st, 2023. Globe News has been a collector’s dream on the corner of Belknap Street and Tower Avenue for 40 years. Starting off as a news stand selling only magazines and newspapers, longtime owner Tom Unterberger has expanded his inventory to include sports cards, comic…

Worldwide “Skate for Ukraine” Fundraiser Comes to Duluth

The Duluth Heritage Center is hosting a virtual skating event in which skaters and their families can support Ukrainian players and others affected by the war.

DULUTH, Minn.–This holiday season, hockey players and fans worldwide are standing with players from Ukraine. The problem is that many of Ukraine’s players are serving on the frontlines. The Duluth Heritage Center is hosting a virtual skating event in which skaters and their families can support Ukrainian players and others affected by the war. After the Russian invasion, the Ukraine…

Shopping Local Pays Off for Retailers This Christmas

Stores find that many customers liked shopping "local."

DULUTH, Minn.–In the days following Christmas, more retailers are saying they’re happy with how the season went. At The Bookstore at Fitger’s, store manager Jennifer Jubenville says it will soon be time to assess their inventory and see what new orders they will need to place. She said this season was a great one. She said the weather did have…

Mayor Emily Larson Issues ‘Proud’ Year-End Progress Report

DULUTH, Minn. – Mayor Emily Larson held a news conference Tuesday to provide a year-end progress report.  (Click here for the city’s press release on the report) Her priorities fell into four categories this year, as she outlined in her State of the City address earlier in the year: Economic development, public safety, connectivity and sustainability. While she said she’s…

Christmas Tree Treecycling

WLSSD has many sites where you can drop off yours.

DULUTH, Minn. — Some of us hang on to our real Christmas Tree until it becomes a fire hazard, but some of us can’t wait to get that tree out the door. If your tree is real–not artificial–you can recycle it at a number of WLSSD sites. The Yard Waste Compost Site will be open every day between now and…

Cook County Power Outage Update

Seasonal homes may still be without power.

COOK COUNTY, Minn. — Last weekend’s storm caused 74 mph wind gusts in Cook County, which resulted in several fallen trees, downed power lines, and at times, county wide power outages. Arrowhead Cooperative tells Fox 21 the first call came in just before 8 a.m. on Friday and had all power restored by 5 p.m. Sunday afternoon. During that time,…

Think Ahead – Drive Safely

DULUTH, Minn. –Traveling Over the River and through the woods may be much more difficult this weekend. The low temperatures and the howling winds will be making driving difficult. State Patrol officers call this time, after a snow storm or after low visibility, the “stupid time”. Drivers had been driving more cautiously during those events, and driving much slower, However,…

Final Preparations Underway For VFW Christmas Eve Dinner

DULUTH, Minn. — Potato peelers were peeling away Friday getting ready for the annual VFW Christmas Eve dinner. Throughout the week volunteers have been prepping 30 turkeys, 150-200 pounds of potatoes, and 150 pounds of sweet potatoes. And it’s not just prepping food, volunteers are even shoveling and getting tables decorated. One veteran drives 50 miles to help get the…

Volunteers Preparing For Annual VFW Christmas Eve Dinner

The VFW is still in need of dinner rolls for the event.

DULUTH, Minn. — The annual Christmas Eve dinner at VFW Hall is happening in Duluth on Saturday. But first to make the special event happen, volunteers spend the whole week before preparing. Turkey, gravy, vegetables, white and sweet potatoes, and pie will be served. Organizers are planning for 300 people but with the weather, they will happily feed whoever shows…

Elvis Visits the Northland for Kolar Auto’s Annual ‘Holiday on the Hill’ Event

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Kolar automotive group held their annual Holiday on the Hill event. In conjunction with the Duluth, Hermantown, and Cloquet Chambers, the event is a festive holiday celebration put on to support the Boys and Girls Club of the Northland. Those who attended were able to enjoy food and drink from 14 vendors and entertainment from Travis Ledoyt,…

Family Freedom Center Hosts Holiday Party

DULUTH, Minn. – Family Freedom Center held their first annual Christmas at the Farm event. The event was supposed to take place at Freedom Farms but was moved to the Washington Center due to the cold weather. Those who attended were able to take pictures with Santa, enjoy food, make arts and crafts, as well as receive presents. Staff there…

DPD Public Information Officer And Postmasters Reminding Residents of Front Porch Theft During Holidays

DULUTH, Minn.–‘Tis the season for giving and receiving. As packages get dropped of on front steps, you’ll want to avoid leaving them unattended if you can. With the holidays being a busier time of year for ordering packages, your porch may start to pile up. This can present and appealing scenario for porch pirates. Thieves that specifically wait to steal…

Gov. Walz Appoints Ida Rukavina As IRRRB Commissioner

  Gov. Tim Walz announced the appointment of Ida Rukavina as the next Commissioner of Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation. “I am excited to announce that Ida Rukavina will serve as the next Commissioner of Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation,” Walz said. “With extensive experience serving schools, townships, and cities on the Iron Range, she is dedicated to ensuring that…

Over $200,000 Donated To Local Organizations From Vatican Unveiled Exhibit

DULUTH, Minn. — Over $200,000 was raised during Vatican Unveiled, a historic collection of rare artifacts that was exhibited at the DECC this last summer. And the proceeds were presented Wednesday morning, just in time for Christmas. Vatican Unveiled is the largest collection of papal artifacts outside of Rome. A local priest from Duluth named Father Richard Kunst curated the…

Open House For New Youth Center In Superior

SUPERIOR, Wis. — In Superior the Human Development Center hosted an open house showcasing its new youth center. The newly renovated space is now home to the “Project Reach Out” program, which supports youth and their families during difficult times. The center provides an area for youth to relax, with board games, movies, and even a new gaming system. After…

Women’s Care Center Celebrates The Holidays With Annual Open House Toy Giveaway

DULUTH, Minn. — The Women’s Care Center in Duluth was overflowing with gifts and holiday spirit during their annual open house toy giveaway Tuesday. Gifts for all ages were donated by the community in order to make this event happen. The Center serves their clients first and then opens their arms to the public by having people come in and…

Duluth Salvation Army Hosts Annual Christmas Distribution Event

DULUTH, Minn. — A generous donation event was happening in Duluth Tuesday, at the Salvation Army. The Duluth Salvation Army puts on an annual Christmas distribution event where toys are given to children and a full Christmas dinner is provided. 653 families will be served, and kids will get 4 toys each through Christmas. The Director of Development said as…

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.”…

148th Honors With Salvation Army Toys

Father, Son and Husband Remembered

DULUTH, Minn. — The Christmas spirit was in the air at Duluth’s Salvation Army Headquarters Monday. The 148th Fighter Wing used ground transportation to deliver some Christmas cheer. Santa’s sleigh came in the form of a truck loaded with gifts that they’ve purchased as part of their annual Christmas toy drive. The presents were rounded up by the 148th family…

Annual Blue Santa Shop with a Cop Event

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Police Department hosted their annual Blue Santa Shop with a Cop event. Held at target, over 30 kids from area youth services like Valley Youth Center and Lincoln Park Boys and Girls Club, paired up with an officer to spend up to $200 dollars on anything they want in the store. Donations from this event…

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…

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…

Duluth Chamber President Addresses DWI Charge

DULUTH, Minn. – The president of the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce pleaded not guilty this week to two gross misdemeanor charges connected to an alleged drunken-driving incident. According to a criminal complaint, in September Matthew Baumgartner, 39, was found in his car intoxicated. The complaint says police were called to a downtown Duluth parking ramp where Baumgartner was allegedly…

Snow Days Vs. E-Learning From Home In The Northland

NORTHLAND — Many schools in the Northland shut down due to the storm, but a few stayed open and operated from home. The majority of local schools called off school completely opting for a traditional snow day at home. This includes Duluth, Superior, and many other districts in the Northland. However, several continued to function including Hibbing, Barnum, and Willow…

Duluth’s Marshall Hardware Busy Before Approaching Blizzard

DULUTH, Minn. — As you might imagine, hardware stores were busy during the day Tuesday before the blizzard arrived. Marshall Hardware in Lakeside was one of those places. Owner Steve Marshall said his team was ready for the increase in business, with inventory at solid levels. “You just have to stay on it — order, order, order. But we’ve been…

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…

Downtown Duluth Announces Holiday Window, Lighting Display Contest Winners

DULUTH, Minn. — Tuesday morning, some Downtown Duluth businesses were recognized for bringing holiday spirit to their storefronts. 20 businesses participated in the 17th annual Holiday Window and Lighting Display contest. There awards given out were: Best Lighting – Namaste Gifts and Healing Most Original Display – Commercial: CSL Plasma Duluth Retail: Siiviis Gallery Most Traditional Display – Commercial: A…

Coffee Conversation: Heidi Pack & Whiskey Trail Perform Live On Morning Show

DULUTH, Minn. — Heidi Pack and Ryan Holte from the band “Heidi Pack & Whiskey Trail” came on the morning show to perform a few songs. Pack released her first single “Cowgirl” this year and it hit almost 100,000 streams in 3 months. She will be moving to Nashville in January. To learn more about Heidi Pack & Whiskey Trail,…

Coffee Conversation: Andy Peterson Quartet Performing Holiday Show December 16

DULUTH, Minn. — The Andy Peterson Quartet came on the morning show to preview their “Swingin’ into the Season” holiday show coming up December 16. The local jazz ensemble will be playing at the Amazing Grace Cafe and Grocery at 6 p.m. for an all-ages show with a $10 cover charge. “We hear everywhere, Christmas jazz music, or holiday jazz…

Sweetly Kismet Candy Store In Carlton Gathers Clothes For The Local Homeless

CARLTON, Minn. — One candy store is collecting winter clothing for the homeless in Carlton. Sweetly Kismet Candy Store is accepting winter clothing donations this weekend and next weekend. All of the clothes will be donated to CHUM and Life House in Duluth. They’re looking for adult clothing sizes, especially winter boots. “Out of the population in Duluth our homeless,…

Holiday Markets Held Across Duluth Saturday

DULUTH, Minn — A bunch of local markets popped up today to cater to people’s holiday needs. At Peace Church, the Neighbor-Made Fair hosted 35 vendors, selling gifts and crafts ranging from handmade jewelry to custom paintings. This is Neighbor-Made’s tenth year providing customers with gifts for the holidays. All of the participating vendors are from Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin,…

Locals Celebrate Swedish Saint Lucia Day

DULUTH, Minn — One of the biggest events on the Swedish calendar took place today in Downtown Duluth. St. Lucia Day is coming up, and to recognize that the Swedish Cultural Society came together for the annual Sankta Lucia celebration. The ceremony begins with Christmas elves skipping around the ballroom as hymns are performed by a Swedish choir. Then comes…