DULUTH, Minn. – AFSCME Council 5, the city of Duluth’s largest bargaining unit representing employees like plow drivers, librarians and utility workers, has chosen not to endorse any mayoral candidate for the upcoming November election. In a statement to FOX 21, AFSCME said: “While our union members have endorsed in this race in previous election years, our members have decided…
DULUTH, Minn. — There’s been a lot of attention on the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center over the past couple weeks involving financial troubles and job eliminations, like 28-year employee Jeff Stark. DECC Exec. Dir. Dan Hartman, who has been on the job for 2.5 years, has said expenses are too high when it comes to increased wages and replacing failing…
DULUTH, Minn. — Staff are preparing for the grand opening of Blue Rock Grill in downtown Duluth. The new restaurant took over the old 7 West Taphouse which focused more on beer. Blue Rock Grill is all about the wine, craft cocktails, and higher end liquor along with food such as bacon wrapped stuffed dates, nachos, burgers, and more. A…
Fall is in the air. That means football, and this fall–even the Twins! That is good news for people who are into collecting or selling sports cards. At the Miller Hill Mall Friday, it was “game on!” As in Game On Sportscard Collectors and Memorabilia show. Long time collector and dealer Austin Knute had a big selection on display, and…
DULUTH, Minn. — If you are a fan of wood mosaic art, Bailey Builds is now open at their new location in West Duluth. The Baileys purchased the former funeral home back in 2020 and spent the last few years renovating the over 9,000 square foot building. The larger building gives them more room to grow, provides a better fit…
DULUTH, Minn. — The summer season has past and so has another delay in a major seawall-waterfront reconstruction project behind the DECC. But, FOX 21 confirmed Thursday that construction is officially getting underway later this month. Rendering of what the area will look like come 2025 Jim Filby Williams, the city’s director of public administration, said all federal and state…
DULUTH, Minn.– DECC Exec. Dir. Dan Hartman found himself in the spotlight Thursday after news broke Wednesday night that he was cutting DECC expenses in the hundreds of thousands, including layoffs and eliminating positions. “So, the DECC has been definitely between a rock and a hard place. I think I talked about this with the City Council a couple weeks…
Superior’s first community solar garden has more than utilities and construction crews eager to see it get started. Wednesday, Superior Water Light and Power unveiled the facility that will generate enough electricity to power 115 homes, and many residents were excited about the prospect and showed up for the ribbon cutting. A lot of those celebrating Wednesday were those who…
DULUTH, Minn. – FOX 21 has learned that multiple job eliminations have begun at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC), just one week since Executive Director Dan Hartman asked and received a $1 million emergency line of credit from the city council. DECC Exec. Dir. Dan Hartman during an interview with FOX 21 Sept. 24 Hartman said at the time…
DULUTH, Minn. — Separate healthcare mergers for Essentia Health and St. Luke’s are getting a closer review by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. Ellison announced Tuesday it’s his responsibility to consider whether a healthcare transaction is in the public interest, and seek court intervention if he finds that it is not. Essentia Health is in the process of merging with…
DULUTH, Minn. — Women make up the largest percentage of domestic abuse reported, but the face of domestic violence continues to evolve to include men and increasingly transgender and non-binary victims. “It definitely affects men, women and all genders. We see, I would say, a decrease in male reporting because of some of the stigma that exists around it. But…
For many college students, Halloween is not nearly as frightening as the debt they are racking up. And this month, a three-year pause in paying back loans came to an end. The national break had been put in place during the pandemic. But it all came to an end this month, and millions must now resume making payments. For many…
DULUTH, Minn. — Lake Superior Brewing is now serving beer! The brewpub, in East Lakeside Neighborhood, opened a little over a year ago. You might think that beer would be on the menu, however that wasn’t the case until recently. Due to a backorder of boiler parts that took 11 months to arrive, the brewery just started serving pints in…
DULUTH, Minn. — From wheels to a brick-and-mortar, Oasis Del Norte has come full-swing with the opening of the taqueria Friday. The authentic Mexican restaurant has over the counter service where you walk up and order food, with the option to eat inside, outside, or take it home with you. The menu will stay the same as the food truck…
DULUTH, Minn. — Now is the time to look ahead and decide if you may need help paying your heating costs through the winter. Minnesota has a Cold Weather Rule. This protects eligible customers from having their electric service shut off during the period October 1st through April 30th. However, you do need to work with your power provider in…
SUPERIOR, Wisc. — The City of Superior has established a grant program that can provide up to $10,000 for childcare providers in the city to use for capital projects. These projects should enhance the overall quality, safety, and accessibility of the childcare facilities. Douglas County childcare providers can receive up to $5,000 for capital projects. On Saturday, September 30 the…
DULUTH, Minn. — The summer season has wrapped up for Spirit Mountain and soon it will be their busy winter season. The mountain’s interim executive director says summer revenue is about a third of their earned revenue. Summer activities have grown over the years with more mountain bike trails added and being one of 6 gold rides declared by the…
A Wisconsin senator is exploring Minnesota’s cannabis legalization efforts in hopes of changing the law in the state. Sen. Melissa Agard, a democrat from Madison, visited Minnesota lawmakers Thursday to talk about their successes around legalizing marijuana. Sen. Agard released a statement saying in part: “Visiting with neighboring legislators who led the charge to legalize cannabis in Minnesota was invigorating….
DULUTH, Minn. — Disappointment from the crew at Bentleyville Tour of Lights, which has become victim again to vandals before it’s even set up for the season. Vandals destroyed thousands of dollars of cords and equipment from the 128-foot Bentleyville tree. Crews noticed the damage while starting to set up Bayfront for the popular display. The tree structure was stored…
DULUTH, Minn. –More than a half-dozen downtown Duluth businesses have landed storefront grants of $3,500 each. The grants are designed to improve the lighting, storefront, and patio space of the businesses to help revitalize downtown. The companies receiving the grants are Dubh Linn Pub; Anchor’s End Tattoo, Rabbit, Bird & Bear; Duluth Coffee; Joseph Nease Gallery; Hamilton Monroe & Co.;…
DULUTH, Minn. — St. Luke’s has announced that it and United Steelworkers Local 9460 (USW) have reached a tentative contract agreement. The agreement covers technical workers at St. Luke’s. The USW will bring the tentative one-year contract to its approximately 140 members for their vote in the near future. In a statement on its website, USW Local 9460 said…
DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth Firefighters Local 101 is feeling some relief after finding out firefighters will receive a wage increase the start of the upcoming year. The Duluth city council passed a resolution Monday for an 8% market\-rate adjustment for the firefighters. This was in response to a study finding their pay came in last for fire departments in the…
DULUTH, Minn. — A Duluth organization over 100 years old is getting a facelift with a rebrand. True North Goodwill is what they are calling it. It is to bring the organization to the forefront of shopper’s minds in the region. As part of the rebrand they celebrated the opening of their career navigation center, a place to find a…
DULUTH, Minn. — A skatepark years in the making will soon be finished with the help of the City of Duluth. 2 weeks ago, the Gary-New Duluth Development Alliance asked the city council for $100,000. At Monday night’s city council meeting the alliance found out they are set to receive $40,000 from tourism tax dollars. Mayor Emily Larson’s new Duluth…
DULUTH, Minn. — Cirrus Aircraft is celebrating the grand opening of its 189,000 square foot Innovation Center. Located at the Duluth International Airport the new building includes new state of the art facilities. Those include a test lab, material and processes lab, new equipment and testing capabilities, and collaborative workspaces. It also includes more jobs with 30 engineers and technicians…
DULUTH, Minn. – The DECC is getting its $1 million safety loan from the city of Duluth, but councilors don’t want it to happen again. DECC Exec. Dir. Dan Hartman has said the entertainment venue’s current business model needs to be reimagined. Hartman has been the DECC’s new leader since 2021. He said the DECC’s reserves are at around $891,000,…
POPLAR, Wis. — In this week’s Knowing Your Neighbor segment, we take you to SRX Off-Road Ranch. We meet racers Hannah Johnston, Teegan Metz, Collin Sweeney, and Tucker Olsen, as well as race director Chris Verhel while taking in the days action. The SRX facility has been in operation since 2021, hosting a fall racing series for locals with dirt…
DULUTH, Minn. — A local organization that offers free meals, clothing, and other programs to people in need are asking for the community’s help. The Damiano Center in Duluth is seeking winter clothes ahead of the cooler months. That includes jackets, hats, scarves, socks, boots, and anything that can help someone stay warm. There are 2 clothing programs at the…
DULUTH, Minn. — With all the rain this weekend there were many areas in Duluth affected, one spot was at Glensheen. The Glensheen mansion is surrounded by 3 bodies of water, Tischer Creek, Bent Brook and Lake Superior. Raging water flowing into the lake caused staff at Glensheen to keep a close eye on visitors and even move some chairs…
DULUTH, Minn. – The staff at Grandma’s Restaurant up by the Miller Hill Mall spent the day mopping up Monday after flood waters moved inside Sunday. Water surrounds the restaurant along Mall Drive Sunday. Tony Boen, the restaurant’s director of operations, said the staff started getting chairs and other items off the floor Sunday morning when they saw the water…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth City Council will decide whether to loan the DECC a $1 million line of credit. This comes as the DECC’s executive director, Dan Hartman, said the entertainment venue’s current business model needs to be reimagined. Hartman has been the DECC’s leader since 2021. He said the DECC’s reserves are around $891,000, which is usually at…
DULUTH, Minn. — A local organization is raising awareness about child abuse in the region through the beauty of art. First Witness Child Advocacy Center was developed 30 years ago in Duluth with the mission of strengthening our community’s response to child abuse. Throughout the years they’ve added new programs to assist families, along with prevention programs in the schools….
KETTLE RIVER, Minn. — The life of a farmer can be rough, even when things are going well. But the situation can get really bad in a hurry. That’s what happened to a dairy farmer in Carlton County after the company he’d been selling his milk to cancel its agreement to buy their milk. There are 28 cows being milked…
DULUTH, Minn. – New workforce housing is coming to a prominent location in downtown Duluth. But it won’t be in the form of a new building. Duluth-based Titanium Partners will soon be transforming the historic Ordean Building across from Maurices on West Superior Street into 35 new apartments, according to Brian Forcier, owner of Titanium Partners. The units will be…
DULUTH, Minn. – A downtown Duluth housing study shows the potential for as many as 2,500 new housing units within the next five years. It’s a welcomed projection for a downtown that’s seen undesirable vacancy rates since the pandemic, like other cities have experienced across the country. The outside firm, Zimmerman-Volk Associates, presented its findings publicly Tuesday, which shows downtown…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Playhouse — one of the nation’s oldest non-profit theatres — has officially been handed the key to the historic NorShor Theatre as the new owners of the state-of-the-art facility. Sherman Associates, the developer that took on the $29.5 million overhaul of the theatre in 2017, officially closed its chapter on the project Tuesday with a…
SUPERIOR, Wis. — Superior Mayor Jim Paine is touting his 2024 budget proposal as the largest public investment in the city in decades. Mayor Paine on Tuesday said the city is well positioned to invest in city services and public infrastructure, while decreasing taxes. Paine said the growing local economy, a restructured budget he and his predecessor designed to function…
DULUTH, Minn. — Lake Superior Art Glass is providing a spooktacular experience all throughout September and October. Instead of people carving their own pumpkins, people in Canal Park can watch their pumpkins be created out of glass. It’s the design your own pumpkin event. You can choose body color, stem color, and color on the ridges, as well as the…
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber have joined forces to help rebuild Duluth’s aging air traffic control tower. The two have sent a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his team to urge the FAA to expedite any reviews and approvals necessary for the Duluth International Airport to pursue a federal grant to help get a…
DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth is becoming the hub for movie filming with productions such as Iron Will and Merry Kisscam, now another one is taking the stage. Title One Films is working on a new movie called Nana’s Here. It is about a new mom and her husband dying unexpectedly and her husband’s estranged mother shows up with a motive…
DULUTH, Minn. — It is the opening weekend for pick your own pumpkin at Farmer Doug’s in Duluth. The farm has 3 acres of pumpkins. All ranging from big pumpkins perfect for carving to pie pumpkins, gourds, and squash. And even with the lack of rain we’ve had this summer, the pumpkins were able to survive and grow. Co-owner Doug…
DULUTH, Minn. — A couple of familiar names on the local food and beverage scene are going through a transition. The 7 West Taphouse on Duluth’s Superior Street will soon be the Blue Rock Grill. The location is being remodeled and getting ready to be the new location for the grill that had been operating up by the Miller Hill…
DULUTH, Minn. — As the weather starts getting colder, a domestic violence survivor shelter in Duluth is asking for the community’s help by donating. Safe Haven Shelter and Resource Center serves 7 counties in northern Minnesota providing services to more than 15-hundred people annually. The shelter is asking for people to donate by going through their Amazon Wishlist. The Wishlist…
DULUTH, Minn. — A new partnership between the City of Duluth and the DECC has temporarily resolved an issue with making skating ice at the arena. The ice facility was closed down in March because it was determined to be unsafe and too old for repairs. It has been a host to many youth hockey tournaments and figure skating competitions…
DULUTH, Minn. — After years of trying, the Duluth Police department has officially been given the OK to purchase its own Armored Rescue Vehicle (ARV) instead of continuing to borrow Superior’s armored vehicle for the city’s most dangerous calls. The council voted 8-0 Monday night to approve Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa to purchase the nearly $380,000 piece of equipment….
SUPERIOR, Wis. — A longtime staple of East Superior is celebrating their grand reopening with a few changes. Pudge’s is now under new ownership. For the last month they’ve been cleaning up the pub. New at Pudge’s is a Bloody Mary bar and as part of their grand opening raffle prizes were drawn all day. For Co-owner and Veteran Bartender…
DULUTH, Minn. — A local program has awarded its first grant to support homeless mothers and children. The Unity Fund of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation works to provide funding for those of African Heritage with business opportunities in the Northland. The first grantee is Divine Konnections, which operates Annie’s House of Refuge and Restoration. The house is a…
Hundreds of workers at Northshore Mining in Babbitt and Silver Bay have voted to ratify a first-ever three-year contract with their employer, Cleveland Cliffs. The workers recently joined the United Steelworkers Union. USW District 11 Director Emil Ramirez said the agreement “includes a lump sum bonus, annual wage increases, enhanced protections for job security and improvements in occupational health and…
DULUTH, Minn. — With spooky season near a thrilling store is now open in Duluth. Spirit Halloween is located in the former Bed Bath and Beyond next to Buffalo Wild Wings. It is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. The Halloween themed store offers a wide variety of…
CLOQUET, Minn. — A favorite local restaurant in Cloquet now has some new wheels. Gordy’s Hi-Hat is now offering a food truck currently called the Gordy’s Brat Stand. The soft opening for the truck was Labor Day weekend and it was a success. The family-owned restaurant’s menu has been the same for 63 years. Now the food truck gives them…
