Business

Minnesota Nurses Association Votes on Strike Authorization

DULUTH, Minn. – Members of the Minnesota Nurses Association vote for whether or not to authorize a strike. Members of the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) voted Monday over whether or not to authorize the union to strike. A vote ‘to authorize’ would allow the union to strike after giving a 10-day notice to hospital employers. Local members could cast their…

Volunteers & Staff Prepping for Annual ‘Michelina’s Spaghetti Dinner’

DULUTH, Minn.– The volunteers and staff for this weekend’s big race is running a marathon of their own. They’re working around the clock to make the city’s largest batch of spaghetti. Chef Jerry, and his brigade of volunteers and staff are working around the clock to chop up the oregano, basil and rosemary. By the time they’re finished, they will…

Minnesota cannabis tax rising to 15% in 2025 to support regulation rollout

  ST. PAUL, Minn. – Cannabis Taxes in Minnesota are on the rise. They’re sitting at 10-percent now, but will go up to 15-percent on July 1, 2025. The 10-percent rate was from July 1. 2023 to June 30. 2025. All sales and purchases of taxable cannabis products are subject to the new tax rate. RELATED: Minnesota issues first cannabis…

Patty Salo Downs retiring from Alworth Memorial Fund

DULUTH, Minn. – Patty Salo Downs is retiring as executive director of the Marshall H. and Nellie Alworth Memorial Fund. She had held the role for nearly 19 years. Salo Downs helped the organization grant more than $26 million in scholarships to over 1,400 northern Minnesota high school students. She said, “Whether they’re participating in study abroad, installing a water distribution…

Minnesota issues first cannabis business license

Issued for Herb-Quest LLC ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has issued the first cannabis business license in the state of Minnesota. It is going to Herb-Quest, LLC. Herb-Quest is a microbusiness located in Brook Park in Pine County. Its initial primary business activity will be outdoor cultivation of cannabis plants. OCM Interim Director Eric Taubel…

President to have “Golden Share” in future of Nippon Steel & U.S. Steel partnership

CALGARY, Alberta & DULUTH, Minn. – President Donald Trump would have unique influence over the operations of U.S. Steel under the terms of the investment being made by Nippon Steel. Administration officials over the past few days provided additional insight into the so-called golden share arrangement that the federal government made as a condition for supporting the partnership. US Steel…

Superior Lidgerwood Mundy Breaks ground on New Facility

  SUPERIOR, Wis. — Superior Lidgerwood Mundy broke ground at the location of their new facility today. The new facility was prompted by the Blatnik Bridge replacement project which required them to move out of the way. SLM manufactures a variety of products from winches to kitchen equipment. While being forced to move did seem inconvenient, the improvements the new…

Hospitals say union announced strike vote prior to presenting full plans

DULUTH, Minn. & ST. PAUL, Minn. – Wednesday afternoon (June 11) the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) announced that they will hold an Unfair Labor Practice strike vote. The strike vote will be on Monday, June 23. Chris Rubesch an RN at Essentia Health and President of the Minnesota Nurses Association said in a statement, ““Given the egregious unfair labor practices…

Incline Village Developer responds to Duluth letter admitting to some breaches

DULUTH, Minn. – The lawyer for Luzy Ostreicher, the leader of Chester Creek View, LLC, sent two letters responding to the City of Duluth concerns about their development. Renderings of Incline Village On June 2, 2025 the Duluth Economic Development Authority (DEDA) sent a letter titled “NOTICE OF BREACH” to Ostreicher. Ostreicher’s companies STC Building, LLC, Chester Creek View, LLC,…

KYN: Bailey Builds Crafts a Coffee Shop

DULTUH, Minn. — Bailey Builds is a community driven space right off of North 56th Avenue in Duluth. They’re known for their impressive art display, or simply a place to get to know some peers. But now, they recently crafted something new for everyone to enjoy. “I know they love community. You know, it’s that’s the whole, the whole idea of…

New Downtown Housing Opening in July

DULUTH, Minn. — We’re getting a look at what will soon become Duluth’s newest downtown living opportunity. Titanium Partners is behind the project they are calling “Force on Fifth Avenue.” It’s located in the former Ordean Building across from Maurices. The building is being converted into short term, midterm, and extended stay residential rental units, set to open in early…

Governor Walz appoints new judge covering north central Minnesota

DULUTH, Minn. & ST. PAUL, Minn. – Governor Tim Walz today announced the appointment of Daniel Hawley as a District Court Judge in Minnesota’s Ninth Judicial District. Hawley’s chambers will be in Aitkin in Aitkin County. Hawley is replacing the Honorable Erik J. Askegaard. In a news release Governor Walz said, “(Hawley has had a) distinguished career, marked by a breadth…

Company in charge of old Central High School development gets warning letter

DULUTH, Minn. – The group in charge of Incline Village, a proposed complex with apartments, condos and retail on the site of the old Central High School, has received a warning letter saying it is not lived up to some of its agreements with Duluth Economic Development Authority (DEDA). DEDA Executive Director Tricia Hobbs sent the letter to Luzy Ostreicher…

Wired Whisker celebrates success with drinks, music, and adoptable cats

DULUTH, Minn.– Wired Whisker has been the cat’s meow for the Duluth area, and tomorrow, there’s lots to celebrate. From 10 Am to 4 PM, they will be joined by 18 vendor and rescue partners for a maker’s market. Throughout the year, the business has seen quite the success. And for one of the workers, she told FOX 21 seeing…

Kevin Beardsley Announced as New CEO of Duluth Seaway Port Authority

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Seaway Port Authority has announced its new CEO. Kevin Beardsley will be officially taking over as CEO on June 3rd, following current CEO Deb Deluca’s retirement. Beardsley has served as Chief Financial Officer to the Authority since 2014. “Some of the first priorities, obviously, is going to be replacing myself as CFO, so that’ll be…

Nearly $100,000 lottery winner at Side Lake

SIDE LAKE, Minn. –  One Minnesota Lottery players won the nearly a $100,000 jackpot playing Minnesota’s Progressive Print-N-Play game. The winning ticket was sold at C C Campground 717, located at 7595 McCarthy Beach Road in Side Lake on May 23. C C Campground will receive a $1,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket. Progressive Print-N-Play is an instant-win style…

Great Lakes Aquarium Steps Back in Time with New Exhibit

DULUTH, Minn. — Great Lakes Aquarium is taking the public back in time with a new exhibit. The exhibit, “Lava to Lakes,” looks to explore Minnesota’s origin story when this land was covered by giant, ancient seas. The moon jellyfish touch pools makes a return with Lava to Lakes. Plus the exhibit features some of Minnesota’s most pre-historic creatures to…

‘ANANG Native Cannabis Co.’ Opens on Fond du Lac Reservation

FOND DU LAC, Minn.– ‘ANANG Native Cannabis Company’ held their official grand opening today, after a soft launch earlier this week. The dispensary sits on the border of Cloquet and the Reservation on Big Lake Road. With their slogan being ‘Products with Purpose, From Soil to Soul’. The company is excited to bring in a new economic option to the…

NLX Project Stalled After Lawmakers Reallocate Funds

The project's future is now in the complete hands of the Federal Government.

DULUTH, Minn. — The Northern Lights Express has stalled at its next approval station. This comes after some Minnesotan Lawmakers tried to gut the funding the state has already received. In 2023, the NLX was approved of $194.5 million from the state’s legislators. The amount was Minnesota’s 20% share of the project and was waiting on the federal government for…

Bass Pro Shops Hold Grand Opening for Hermantown Location

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Lines stretching out the parking lot, for the grand opening of Bass Pro Shops newest location. Bass Pro Shops opened the doors of its newest location in Hermantown on Wednesday, with a line of customers that stretched out the parking lot. Once inside, crowds were greeted by live country music, cabin-like walls lined with local artwork, and…

MN House Unanimously Passes Iron Range Miners Relief

HIBBING/VIRGINIA, Minn. — On Monday, members of the Minnesota House almost unanimously passed House File 3023, a piece of legislation co-authored by Rep. Pete Johnson (DFL-Duluth) to extend Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits to impacted Iron Range miners. The bill looks to give the approximately 630+ Iron Range miners, who will be laid off by the end of May, with up…

Amazon Distribution Center Officially Opens in Duluth

DULUTH, Minn.– Despite beginning operations in late March, the Amazon Distribution Center officially opened its doors today. But in the meantime, Duluth has already seen an impact from this. “This site currently employs 80 folks, there’ll be some indirect employment from that. In addition, the site also employs a delivery service partner, which is not an employer of Amazon but…

Bass Pro Shops To Host Grand Opening Of Hermantown Location Wed.

HERMANTOWN, Minn. — Bass Pro Shops is gearing for their big opening ceremony this week. This location will be Minnesota’s 5th Bass Pro Shops in the state. To ensure quality help for shoppers, the sale associates got the chance to pick the department they know the most about to help connect with guests. The new 70,000-square-foot retail space is looking…

New weekly bus service between Ely and Virginia

DULUTH, Minn. – Arrowhead Transit is launching a new weekly service connecting Ely to Virginia. Arrowhead Transit Logo The bus will have stops in Babbitt, Embarrass, and Tower.  The service will start on Tuesday, June 24. This route, called the Boundary Waters Loop, is designed to improve and expand access to essential services, expanded healthcare options, grocery stores, and major Iron…

Cirrus’ “Safe Return” Button Now On More Airplanes

DULUTH, Minn. – Cirrus Aircraft has announced their auto-land function is now coming to some of their propeller airplanes. The “safe return” button on the plane allows passengers to hit an emergency button if the pilot become incapacitated.  The aircraft will then the navigate to a suitable nearby airport and land autonomously.  It’s the first time the FAA has allowed…

Cirrus Announces SR Series G7+ Featuring Safe Return™

DULUTH, Minn. — Cirrus Aircraft has announced their “auto-land” function is now coming to some of their propeller airplanes. The “safe return” button on the plane allows passengers to hit an emergency button if the pilot become incapacitated… The aircraft will the navigate to a suitable nearby airport and land on its own. It’s the first time FAA has allowed…

United Airlines to add new flight from Duluth

United Airlines Logo DULUTH, Minn. – United Airlines will add a fourth daily flight to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) beginning June 1 through July 30, 2025. The added flight comes ahead of the previously scheduled increase, which was set to begin July 1 and continue through October. In a news release Executive Director of the Duluth International Airport Tom…

Seagull Outfitters Under New Ownership

COOK COUNTY, Minn. — Seagull Outfitters and Cabins has new owners. Grant and Christina Hopke purchased the well-loved Boundary Waters outfitter. According to the press release, they have a deep respect for the traditions of the outfitter and the area. Grant worked there previously during college and bonded with the staff, guests, land and waters. As they prepare for their…

Nate Bargatze Breaks Elton John’s AMSOIL Attendance Record

DULUTH, Minn. – Comedian Nate Bargatze made history May 8, 2025 breaking AMSOIL Arena all-time attendance record with an unprecedented 7,840 tickets sold. Nate Bargatze Big Dub Eyes Tour Artwork Bargatze’s “Big Dumb Eyes” world tour kicked off its U.S. leg at Duluth’s AMSOIL Arena. The Grammy-nominated comedian’s performance surpassed the previous attendance record held by music legend Elton John. John’s…

True North Goodwill Leaving Garfield Ave., Opening $20M Headquarters At Atlas Industrial Park

Goodwill's headquarters near the Blatnik Bridge have been in operation since 1980.

DULUTH, Minn. – Since 1980, Duluth’s Goodwill has operated its headquarters near the base of the Blatnik Bridge on Garfield Avenue. But now, that’s about to change in a big way. A new True North Goodwill Resource and Training Center will be built in a new location at the Atlas Industrial Park on the western end of Duluth, which is…

Black Bear Casino Celebrates Event Center Expansion

CARLTON, Minn.– Black Bear Casino and Resort in Carlton near the Fond du Lac Reservation is celebrating the completion of a three-year long project. The 21-million-dollar expansion is finally complete after a year filled with construction. The new event center space is introducing 8 new rooms that can be used for conferences, banquets, or breakout sessions. And with the 20,000…

‘Upper Lakes Food Show’ Feeds Customers and Clients

DULUTH, Minn.– The Upper Lakes Food Show is a chance for distributors to show off what they’re known for. They do this through sampling, demonstrations, and even simple conversation. “This is a cool opportunity for us to introduce new items, so items that maybe they haven’t seen yet before. Vendors that they didn’t know they worked with,” said Mitch Ryan,…

Mayor: Duluth’s Local Government Aid Could Be Cut By $1.1M

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert is concerned, but not surprised, more Local Government Aid (LGA) could be cut from the city. On Wednesday, Reinert said the Minnesota Legislature’s Senate Committee on Taxes released its omnibus tax bill, which includes a 3.1 percent cut to Duluth’s LGA, or $1.1 million out of the city’s general fund budgets. Mayor Reinert…

Grandma’s Marathon Apparel Discount Warehouse Sale

DULUTH, Minn. – Your chance to get Grandma’s Marathon apparel at a discounted price is on Friday, May 9, 2025. Grandma’s Marathon is holding its “Warehouse Apparel Sale”. Grandma’s Marathon and Young Athletes Foundation (YAF) gear and apparel will be for sale at blowout prices. They will have a “Fill the Gear Bag” sale. For $25, shoppers will receive an…

New Destination for Duluth-Area Trash, Prices To Go Up

DULUTH, Minn. – Today the St. Louis County Commission voted to have local trash sent to the Virginia Landfill. They voted on a contract with WLSSD/Resource Renew. The Moccasin Mike landfill in Superior where Resource Renew currently sends its garbage is closing next year. The vote will allow WLSSD/Resource Renew to dispose of its municipal solid waste at the Saint…

DeWitt Seitz Marketplace Gearing up for 40th Anniversary Celebration

DULUTH, Minn.– A big Twin Ports milestone is being celebrated this weekend. DeWitt Seitz Marketplace in Canal Park will be hitting its impressive 40th Anniversary. The marketplace has been a hot spot for tourists and Duluthians alike to browse shops, restaurants, and boutiques. And with the 40-year anniversary approaching, 10 shop owners decided to band together to celebrate. The festivities…

PhoHolic Family Ready To Expand Vietnamese Flavor In Duluth

The second location will be in the now-former China Cafe building on London Road.

DULUTH, Minn. — The family of a Vietnamese restaurant in Duluth is more than excited to expand into a second location this summer. PhoHolic on Central Entrance opened before the pandemic. And now, a second operation will move into the now-former China Café building on the 1600 block of London Road. “We’re super excited. Since day one, a lot of…

The Potential Futures of Lester Golf Course

DULUTH, Minn. — The future of the Lester golf course has been up for decision over the past half decade… without a clear answer. we could be getting closer. a “working group” presented the framework for three ideas on what the property could become to the city council. One plan proposed by developer Tom Sunnarborg, suggested a large-scale, professionally executed…

China Cafe Moves Out, PhoHolic To Move In With 2nd Duluth Location

DULUTH, Minn. — A popular Vietnamese restaurant is expanding to a second location in Duluth, as a longtime Chinese restaurant moves out. PhoHolic on Central Entrance in Duluth will expand into the former China Cafe building on the 1600 block of London Road. China Cafe closed on Wednesday, April 30, after more than 20 years in business.  The owners told…

KYN: Little Waldo Farm Has Large Community Impact

TWO HARBORS, Minn.– Oftentimes in life, you can get lost trying to figure out different times of hobbies to get into. This was the case for Jadell Cavallin of Two Harbors. When back in 2013, she decided she was going to dabble into gardening. “I loved gardening, mostly because I loved food. And so realized that the best tasting food…

Halestorm & Lindsey Stirling Coming To Duluth

DULUTH, MN – Halestorm & Lindsey Stirling will be co-headlining a show at AMSOIL Arena on Saturday, September 27, 2025. They’re called two of music’s most dynamic live performers. This pairing brings together Halestorm’s raw, guitar-driven power with Stirling’s mesmerizing violin artistry and choreography. Led by charismatic vocalist/guitarist Lzzy Hale, Halestorm has become one of rock’s most thrilling live acts….