Business

New Federally Funded Construction Projects at Duluth International Airport to Infuse $2 Million into Local Construction

Asphalt will be replaced on Taxiway A and the Commercial Service Apron will be expanded.

DULUTH, Minn.- The Duluth International Airport announced two new construction plans that are fully funded by the federal CARES Act, which will infuse $2 million into the regional construction community. Starting this week, the top layer of asphalt will be replaced on Taxiway A, which officials said is necessary for safety. It is a short-term solution while they evaluate permanent…

Sports Garden’s Future Uncertain, Flame Nightclub Adapts Amid Pandemic

DULUTH, Minn. – Two of Duluth’s biggest nightclubs are operating very differently during COVID-19. For The Flame Nightclub, it’s a shutdown dance floor.  For Grandma’s Sports Garden — it’s a temporary closure of the entire venue. FOX 21’s Dan Hanger takes a look at the balance of health and safety versus bigger entertainment venues designed to bring hundreds of people…

City Green-Lights Tax Breaks For Costco, County To Have Public Hearing Next Week

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth city council unanimously approved a tax abatement plan on Monday evening for Costco to build on the corner of Arrowhead and Haines roads. St. Louis County still needs to approve tax breaks for Costco for the company to agree to build in Duluth. $1.3 million will come from the city of Duluth, and $650,000 may come…

Live Music, Food Enjoyed While Social Distanced at Earth Rider Brewery

SUPERIOR, Wis.- Some people spent the warm Sunday outside listening to live music — socially distanced of course — at Earth Rider Brewery. At the outdoor space at Earth Rider’s Cedar Lounge, customers enjoyed a few drinks, some live music, and Thai-fusion cuisine from the “One Night in Bangkok” Food Truck. Staff at Earth Rider say they are happy their…

Some Cloquet Business Owners Ready for Mask Mandate Ahead of Council Vote Tuesday

While city officials' views on the ordinance are divided, these business owners say it's a good idea.

CLOQUET, Minn.- Coming up Tuesday two Northland cities, Cloquet and Superior, will vote on a mask mandate for indoor public places. In Cloquet, some business owners say it’s a good idea if it means continuing their operations as safely as possible. “I think it’s good for the community overall, just to keep the spread of the Coronavirus,” said Cindy Peterson,…

Owner of Twin Ports Bars, Restaurants Weighs in On Proposed Superior Mask Mandate

After abiding by the new ordinance at his Duluth locations, Rick Lampton says he expects adjusting at Grizzly's and 7 West in Superior to go smoothly.

SUPERIOR, Wis.- In just three days the Superior City Council will vote on whether to implement an indoor public mask mandate similar to Duluth. Now more bar and restaurant owners are speaking out on that proposed ordinance. Rick Lampton, owner of many establishments in both Duluth and Superior, including Grizzly’s and 7 West Taphouse, has already adjusted his businesses to…

Sen. Tina Smith Visits Duluth Businesses, Discusses COVID-19 Response

DULUTH, Minn. – U.S. Sen. Tina Smith (DFL-Minn.) visited with small businesses in Duluth about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted them. Smith met with leaders in the Lincoln Park neighborhood about efforts to make personal protective equipment locally. Duluth-based Ecolibrium3 has brought various organizations together to manufacture hundreds of thousands of face shields. The senator says that kind of…

Local Businesses Helps Community Prepare To Follow Duluth Mask Mandate

"I can hardly keep up. It's really busy. I am thinking about hiring somebody to help me out," said Jeaneth Deterling, owner of West Duluth Sewing and Design.

DULUTH, Minn. – This week the Duluth City Council passed an ordinance requiring masks in numerous indoor environments. Now some local businesses are using their services to help the community follow those rules. This new rule could be creating a need for face covering and even signage to be placed in area businesses explaining the requirement. To help people from…

Essentia Health Moves Mobile Testing Site To Old Sears Building At Miller Hill Mall

The testing site is open seven days a week.

DULUTH, Minn. – Essentia Health in Duluth has moved its mobile COVID-19 testing site from West Duluth to the former Sears building at Miller Hill Mall. Hospital leaders say the mobile site has outgrown the area as testing volumes are increasing. With more people visiting the site, it caused traffic disruption for the West Duluth neighborhood, including drivers blocking a…

A Unanimous Vote For Mask Wearing In Cloquet Could Be a Longshot

Enforcement is one of the biggest issues which could cause the vote to fail.

CLOQUET, Minn. – The Cloquet City Council is expected to vote on Tuesday on a proposal that could force everyone to use face coverings while indoors. The possible new rule could be shot down as some council members do not agree with implementing the proposed ordinance. Duluth is the latest Northland community to move forward with a face covering requirement….

With Superior Mask Mandate on Horizon, Business Owners Prepare for its Passage

Some retail businesses like Annie's Attic already recommend masks, so making it a city-wide requirement will take some stress of enforcement, owner says.

SUPERIOR, Wis.- Across the bridge in Superior, businesses are preparing for a city wide mask mandate that could take effect July 27th, if the City Council approves a proposed ordinance at next week’s council meeting. All signs show it will be passed for indoor public places, as only Councilor Keith Kern, a bar owner himself, voted against moving forward with…

Adult Day Centers Reopen in Minnesota

DULUTH, Minn. – Adult day centers in Minnesota have now been given the green light to reopen. and return to servicing those with disabilities. Many of those utilizing those services have not been able to participate since March due to the pandemic. Choice Unlimited, in Duluth, is a community-based day program for people with disabilities. The organization provides a variety…

Duluth Becomes First City in Northland to Approve Mask Mandate for Indoor Public Places

Duluth City Council voted unanimously to require masks indoors in public, with penalties for businesses and individuals that don't comply.

DULUTH, Minn.- Duluth is now the first city in the Northland to require masks in all public indoor spaces to stop the spread of the Coronavirus, after City Council voted unanimously to pass the historic ordinance Monday night, effective immediately. Face coverings will now be required in such places as retail spaces, DTA buses, the Skywalk, and in apartment building…

A New CBD Store Opens In Canal Park

The Superior Cannabis Company also has store in southern Minnesota.

DULUTH, Minn. –  A new CBD is store is now open in Canal Park. Superior Cannabis Company, which also has a flagship store in southern Minnesota sells a wide range of products used mainly for health and wellness. This includes CBD infused creams for body ailments and pet health products. The co-owner says opening in the middle of a pandemic…

Face Coverings Now Required For Customers At ‘Super One Foods’

Super One Foods and its liquor store locations in the Northland will now require face coverings for all customers starting Tuesday, July 14, including children “old enough to walk.” The announcement was made Monday evening before the city council’s mask mandate ordinance was unanimously passed. The Hermantown-based company says face coverings must cover the nose and mouth while in-store. Single-use…

City Wants To Help Get People Back Into The Workforce

DULUTH, Minn. – Only 15 days remain until the $600 bonus now being added to weekly unemployment checks is scheduled to end. This is why the city of Duluth’ s Workforce Development Department wants to connect people who are unemployed with available opportunities. For many of those people out of a job, the weekly unemployment bonus has helped give them…

Nearly $7,000 Worth of Restaurant Vouchers Donated to E.M.S, Police Officers and Firefighters

These vouchers can be used at a number of locations in the Twin Ports area. 

DULUTH, Minn. – Members of Duluth’s E.M.S workers, firefighters and police officers received a big donation today in the form of more than 300 “Strong Northland” vouchers. Combined, the vouchers are worth almost $7,000. These vouchers can be used at a number of locations in the Twin Ports area. With this donation, both local businesses and people on the front…

Portion of Michigan Street to Close Friday

DULUTH, Minn. -A section of Michigan Street at 2nd Avenue West will be closed for critical utility tie-in work. The work will be done on the water main. The closure will start at 7 p.m. Crews will work for a full 24 hours and reopen the street on Saturday, July 11th. Categories: Business, Community, Minnesota, News Tags: closures, duluth, traffic

Minnesota Nurses Association Shoots Down St. Luke’s Proposed Delay to Wage Increase

Nurses wanted St. Luke's to honor MNA contract should the hospital be sold

DULUTH, Minn. – The Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) tells us they recently shot down a proposal from St. Luke’s that would have postponed scheduled pay increases for nurses. This comes less than a year after nurses voted to strike during the last round of negotiations with the hospital before the current contract was agreed upon. Healthcare providers across the country…

Hills Youth And Family Services Is In Need Of Masks

The group is hoping for a donation of 100 masks.

DULUTH, Minn. – Hills Youth and Family Services in Duluth is looking for the community’s help. The organization is still in need of masks to give to the children they serve. Hills Youth is hoping to receive a donation of at least 100 of the protective wear. Each one will go to protect children and their families visiting the Neighborhood…

Shipping Decline Forces Layoffs For Nearly 100 Workers

Compared to last year the total amount of cargo entering the Duluth -Superior port has dropped by about 30%.

DULUTH, Minn. – Nearly 100 northland shipping workers are out of a job. A big drop in business is forcing Pennsylvania-based Key Lakes, which has a facility in Duluth, to layoff dozens of its employees. Representatives from the company say the pandemic has caused unforeseeable business circumstances and a strong economic decline in the shipping industry. That’s causing the company…

Endion Station Inn Seeing Steady Business

Since it opened the inn has encountered both a pandemic, and now construction resuming on the Lakewalk.

DULUTH, Minn. – Earlier this year, the historic Endion Station in Canal Park transitioned into a new boutique hotel. Since it opened the inn has encountered both a pandemic, and now construction resuming on the Lakewalk. Despite these obstacles, Owner Rod Raymond says his business is doing fine and has some words of wisdom for anyone who has to drastically…

CHUM Holds Annual Backpack Drive

Since 2006, CHUM has provided more than 10,000 backpacks to students in need.

DULUTH, Min. – CHUM is once again partnering with Duluth Public Schools for their annual backpack drive. Since 2006, CHUM has provided more than 10,000 backpacks to students in need. This year the goal is to give away about 1,00 bags filled with school supplies, which will go to students in kindergarten through 12th grade. The upcoming academic year could…

3 Great Lakes Ships Go Idle Amid Pandemic, Dozens of Jobs Lost in Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. – Nearly 100 shipping workers have been laid off in Duluth as the pandemic forces three Great Lakes ships to go idle for the rest of the season. According to the Star Tribune, the 94 employees out of a job are from Duluth-based Key Lakes. Some shipboard employees could return to work later this year. A company spokesperson…

Duluth Bars Extra Cautious as Gov. Walz Threatens Statewide Bar Shutdown

Bar owners in Duluth say a second closure could prove disastrous.

DULUTH, Minn.- As COVID-19 cases grow nationwide, many states are already turning back to restrictions on business. Now states like Minnesota may be considering the same, as Governor Tim Walz warns that mass gatherings without masks in bars will cause numbers to rise faster. “The bars right now are not safe,” said the Governor at a press conference last week,…

DLH Airport Sets Safety Plan As Passenger Numbers Go Up

DULUTH, Minn. – More people are choosing to fly this summer as the pandemic continues. Officials from the Duluth International Airport say the number of passengers traveling through is on the rise. Due to the increase in passengers, the airport is now implementing a plan to protect everyone. That plan includes requiring all employees to wear masks and the continuous…

City of Duluth, St. Louis County to Consider $2 Million in Tax Abatements for Proposed Costco Store

DULUTH, Minn. – Costco may move forward with a new store in Duluth if the retailer gets tax abatement money from local government. This news comes after the international chain had ended a previous agreement to build a store at the same site because of high project bids. The site, located at the intersection of West Arrowhead Road and Haines Road,…

‘At Sara’s Table’ Among Duluth Businesses Requiring Customers to Wear Masks

Duluth City Council expected to take up mask ordinance on July 13th

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth City Council is expected to vote on requiring masks in some indoor public places on July 13th, but some local businesses have required mask-wearing for weeks. At Sara’s Table Chester Creek Cafe tells us many customers have been happy with the restaurant’s mask requirement, but it has upset some. Staff say the cafe-goers do not…

Superior’s Red Mug Announces Not Reopening at Hammond Avenue Location

SUPERIOR Wis.- A popular coffeehouse and bakery in Superior will be shutting it’s doors, but the owner says it’s not going away. Red Mug Coffeehouse on Hammond Avenue and Broadway will not be reopening in its current location. A post on their Facebook page said that after being closed down since March, the owner sees no way around closing that…

Some Superior Businesses See Different Customer Traffic Due to Canceled Fireworks Show

Bars and restaurants and attractions seeing a bit more customers, but many staying home.

SUPERIOR, Wis.- The City of Superior abruptly canceled their 4th of July fireworks show the day before, causing some businesses to adapt to the change in customer flow. “We weren’t sure what to expect coming through,” Dustin Heckman, Executive Director of the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center said. A year with fireworks would bring both Superiorites and others visiting…

Campgrounds Are Helping People Escape Impacts Of The Pandemic

"We're very pleasantly pleased and surprised that people are coming from so many places," said Penmarallter Campground's Owner Pennie Burton.

TWO HARBORS, Minn. – The Covid-19 crisis may still have a grip on the entire world, but campgrounds like Penmarallter in Two Harbors is giving people a chance to escape that reality. Tucked away behind a busy highway, you can find Penmarallter Campground. “This campground is absolutely beautiful and we enjoy it,” said Kit Hautamaki. It’s quiet and quaint, which…

COVID-19 Cases Rise in Douglas County, More Superior Bars Linked to Surge

Health Dept. has tracked "several" COVID-19 cases to President's Bar.

SUPERIOR, Wis.- The Douglas County Public Health is reporting seven more people tested positive for COVID-19 this week — specifically in Superior — bringing the total to 37. Common factors contributing to the spread of the virus are visitors from areas with high transmission rates and people who visited multiple public places while symptomatic. At least eight bars in the…

Homeless Rate Goes Up In St. Louis County

Last year more than 500 people in the county said they were experiencing homelessness, but this year, it's up to 600 people.

DULUTH, Minn. – A study completed by St. Louis County in January uncovered an increase in the number of people dealing with homelessness The County conducts what it calls the “Point in Time” survey every year. This year, surveyors found that homeless people living in shelters or on the streets jumped by nearly 20% compared to last year. The study…

Jamrock Cultural Restaurant Finds New Home After Eviction Complicates Business

After being evicted due to serving the food to cars lined up outside his home, the owner and chef said, a Superior bar helped him out.

SUPERIOR, Wis.- A local cook who’s Caribbean food business was sidelined after his landlord evicted him is teaming up with a Superior bar owner to serve his food once again. Average Joe’s Pub off Hammond Avenue was packed Tuesday evening, but people weren’t just there for a drink — but for Jamrock Cultural Restaurant in the back of the building….

Wild State Cider Expands

Patrons are welcome into the taproom during the process.

DULUTH, Minn. – It’s been more than a year since Wild State Cider in Duluth opened its doors for the first time. Now it’s expanding. The popular cidery is extending its existing space to make room for six new tanks. A new canning line has already been added and some other building upgrades are taking place. Wild State distributes its…

Emergency Ordinance Proposal Could Require Everyone To Wear Masks Indoors

As an effort to ensure mass compliance with this proposed ordinance Essentia Health has offered to donate 20,000 masks to the public.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth City Council is proposing an emergency ordinance to require everyone to wear masks while indoors From a statistical standpoint, many health officials believe wearing masks is a no brainer. As the number of Covid-19 cases keeps fluctuating daily around the nation, it can be difficult to see an end to the pandemic. Health experts believe…

Multiple Bars Voluntarily Close After Customers Test Positive for COVID-19

SUPERIOR, Wis.– At least five bars in Superior, South Superior and South Range have voluntarily shut their doors for the time being after getting notified they’ve each had a customer in their establishment recently who has tested positive COVID-19. The bar closures come as the health department recorded 30 positive cases in Douglas County since the pandemic began. Log Cabin…

Propane Prices Are Beginning To Go Up

In the last few months, the cost of propane has jumped by 30 cents.

DULUTH, Minn. – At the start of the pandemic, the cost for fuel and other energy resources dropped drastically. But as the world inches closer to an economic recovery those prices are steadily climbing. Fuel companies like Superior Fuel in Duluth are now urging their customers to take advantage of the low pricing while it lasts. In recent weeks, the…

ER Visits For Heart Attack, Stroke, And Diabetic Issues Drop During Pandemic

A national study found that visits for heart attack or stroke were down by at least 20% between March and May.

DULUTH, Minn. – Hospitals around the nation are experiencing declines in emergency room visits that are not Covid-19 related, but is a direct impact of the pandemic. A study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is showing a noticeable drop in emergency room visits for people suffering from heart attacks, strokes, and those living with uncontrolled diabetes….

North Shore Scenic Railroad Poised to Reopen

DULUTH, Minn. – The North Shore Scenic Railroad and Lake Superior Railroad Museum are set to reopen on Wednesday. The two will open together after being shut down for several months allowing directors to take a look at other attractions open around the country to see what was working for them. Now, with an increased emphasis in safety and touchless…

Stokke’s Liquor Expands to Lakeside Neighborhood

Stokke's Liquor Store in Lakeside is located at 5631 East Superior Street. 

DULUTH, Minn. – After decades of being a dry neighborhood, there’s now an additional liquor store in Duluth’s Lakeside neighborhood. “I know that for a really long time, Lakeside didn’t have a liquor store. So it’s kind of cool to open in a certain period of time,” assistant manager of Stokke’s Liquor Store Destanie Michelizzi said. Stokke’s Liquor Store expanded…

New Owner of Greysolon Plaza Says Much Will Remain the Same

Historic downtown building sold for $17.45 Million.

DULUTH, Minn. – The Greysolon Plaza located in downtown Duluth has been sold to Orbach Affordable Housing Solutions for a reported $17.45 million. JLL Capital Markets announced the sale on Monday between Sherman Associates and Orbach Affordable Housing Solutions, based out of New Jersey. The Plaza currently offers 150 one-bedroom affordable housing apartments, along with the Greysolon Ballroom and Black…

Virtual Driver’s Education Courses Helps Get Teens Prepared For The Road

Young drivers are required to take 30 hours of classroom instruction, but the pandemic has put limitations on in-person classes.

DULUTH, Minn. – Many teens hoping to begin the process of getting their driver’s license, may have thought they lost their chance this year, as the Covid-19 pandemic continues. Fortunately, a local driving school is offering virtual driver’s education courses, so those teens get that opportunity. Northern Lights Driver Education is accepting sign-ups for its upcoming virtual class. The course…