Business

Allete Sold to Partnership in $6.2 Billion Deal; Company Going Private

Announcement says headquarters to remain in Duluth.

The company behind most of the northland’s power and energy has been bought. Allete announced the purchase Monday morning, and it will now become a private company. Allete is the parent company of Minnesota Power and Superior Water, Light and Power. It has been bought by a large partnership with hopes that deep pockets will fund future capital investments. The…

Tom’s Taste Of Chicago Brick-And-Mortar Now Open

DULUTH, Minn. — A food truck highlighting Chicago cuisine has now opened their brick-and-mortar building. Tom’s Taste of Chicago is in the former VIP Pizza building in West Duluth. The new spot is known for its Italian beef and Chicago dogs. And with the new building they are also offering thin crust style pizza. Tom grew up in a suburb…

Duluth’s Vista Fleet Cruising On For 65th Year

DULUTH, Minn. — There was beautiful weather Friday morning in Duluth as an annual tradition took place. The Vista Fleet’s first tour departed marking the 65th year of operations. The cruising season includes a range of experiences for locals and tourists from sightseeing, dining cruises, or any special event you need to rent a boat. The fleet of two boats…

EO Johnson Business Technologies Moving To New Location In Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. — A growing technology company has moved to a new location in Duluth. EO Johnson Business Technologies will be relocating from their spot on Superior Street to a new place at 330 Garfield Avenue which is in a former ISD 709 building. The company who focuses on digital transformation and workplace technology offers print services and document management,…

$3 Million Secured In Senate Bonding Bill For New 148th Fighter Wing Hangar

Sen. Grant Hauschild (DFL-Dist. 3) has announced $3 million for the 148th Fighter Wing has been secured in the Senate Capital Investment Bonding Bill. If a super majority approves the funding, it would assist in the construction of a new hangar for the Fighter Wing. The Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce has been the lead advocate for the new hangar…

College Of St. Scholastica’s Decades-Long Theatre Productions To Shut Down

The decision was made as the college "navigates the challenging environment of higher education"

DULUTH, Minn. – The Twin Ports theater community will be losing one of its longest-running stages this fall when the College of St. Scholastica shuts down its decades-long theatre program. Students have been producing high-quality productions for the CSS campus and the general community since at least the 1970s, according to a former director of the program. The college released…

Damiano Center Has Job Opportunity For Teens

DULUTH, Minn. — The Damiano Center has a job opportunity for teenagers looking to make a difference in younger people’s lives. The Summer Food Corps position is all about learning to garden and helping make healthy meals but also leading activities and supporting the Kid’s Kitchen. The Kid’s Kitchen is a free drop-in children’s program that runs 2:30 to 5:30…

Duluth Pack Giving Back to the Outdoors with Arbor Day Campaign

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth Pack has started up their annual campaign all about giving back to the great outdoors. It is the 7th annual Arbor Day Campaign, “Buy A Pack, We Give Back.” The business partners with the Minnesota DNR to plant tree saplings. They plant one sapling for every single one of Duluth Pack manufactured items sold. To date…

Insomnia Cookies Grand Opening Makes Late-Night Treats Available to UMD Students

The chain opened their fifth Minnesota location -- right across from UMD's campus

DULUTH, Minn. — Insomnia Cookies opened its first location in Duluth today, bringing late night treats to UMD students and the community. And it’s not too late to check out the grand opening and satisfy your cravings with a free cookie! The chain is open until 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday and 1 a.m. all other days. This afternoon, students…

Duluth’s Best Bread Expands to Superior

SUPERIOR, Wis. — Duluth’s Best Bread is officially expanding to Superior after a successful pop-up event there. This will be the company’s third location. It will be located at 1418 Tower Avenue in the same location where the pop-up shop was held. It will open May 28 and open Tuesdays through Sundays. The family-owned French-German bakery opened its first store…

Northland College Receives Last-Minute ‘Transformative Donor Gifts’

ASHLAND, Wis. — Another sign of hope was reported Tuesday evening involving the future of Northland College. College officials they received “several transformative donor gifts” within the last 24 hours that has “considerably” impacted what is possible for the future of Northland College. Three weeks ago the Board issued a statement of financial crisis. Northland had a goal of raising…

Knowing Your Neighbor: Spring Creek Manufacturing

MOUNTAIN IRON, Minn.– Dating back to 1985, Spring Creek Manufacturing has a long history of providing recreation enthusiasts with the tools they need to have a great day on the water. “Spring Creek Manufacturing was founded in 1985, Ted Newburg wanted a better way to carry canoes and propel canoes and do all those things and so literally out of…

Enbridge To Test ‘Emergency Alert System’ At Superior Terminal

SUPERIOR, Wis. — If you live near the Superior Terminal, you’ll be hearing bursts of alarm tones Tuesday.  But it’s just a test. Enbridge Energy will sound its “emergency alarm system” starting at 9 a.m.  The alarm will put out 15-second tones followed by an audio message. Testing will continue Wednesday. Starting in May, Enbridge will test the alarm system…

Community Members Take Part in Superior City-Wide Earth Day Cleanup

SUPERIOR, Wis. — A city-wide Earth Day cleanup took place in Superior Monday. City departments all coming together for the first time to organize groups of community members to take part. Nearly all of Superiors parks, trails, boat launches, and other city spaces are getting cleaned. The hope is to raise awareness of the need to protect our Earth. One…

Get Downtown Week Highlights Local Businesses in Duluth

Get Downtown Week is April 22nd-27th.

DULUTH, Minn. — Downtown Duluth is celebrating local businesses by highlighting them this week. Get Downtown Week is April 22 though the 27. Around 30 businesses are all offering special promotions and deals. Businesses include Black Water Lounge, the Duluth Playhouse, Security Jewelers, and more. This week supports small businesses and drives additional traffic to the downtown area right before…

Duluth Police: Man Intentionally Slams Vehicle Into Grocery Store

Suspect is believed to be an employee of Super One

DULUTH, Minn. — A driver is facing multiple charges after crashing into a Super One Foods Saturday morning in West Duluth. A boarded up front entry way could be seen later in the day. Police told FOX 21 the 48-year-old man who was driving the vehicle is believed to be an employee of the store who was experiencing a mental…

Pete Radosevich Secures DFL Endorsement For MN House 11A Race

DULUTH, Minn. — Minnesota DFL House 11A members have unanimously endorsed Pete Radosevich. Pete Radosevich The district covers Carlton County and parts of Pine and St. Louis counties. Radosevich ran for the same seat in 2022 but narrowly lost to Republican Jeff Dotseth. Radosevich is an attorney in Esko and a small business owner. He’s the publisher of Cloquet’s Pine…

16th Annual ‘Continental Bike Swap’ Set For April 26-28

DULUTH, Minn. — If you’re looking to sell, donate or buy a bike, the 16th annual Continental Bike Swap is the place to be next weekend. Continental Ski and Bike puts on the event every year at its store in Duluth.  This year’s even happens April 26-28. The goal is to help Duluthians stay healthy and active. The Bike Swap…

Local Shop Celebrates Record Store Day

DULUTH, Minn. — A fun day highlighting vinyl records is happening Saturday. Record Store Day is an international event celebrated by local record stores and music enthusiasts. Globe News in Superior offers a wide range of collectible items such as sports cards, comic books, and of course vinyl records. As part of the day the store got their hands on…

Duluth Union Members Bring Attention To Truck Hitting 40th Ave. West Bridge.

Teamsters say the apprentice programs are not the same.

Last week a truck hit a bridge in Duluth, and Friday union workers held signs outside the offices of the non-union company that owned the truck. Members of Teamsters General Local Union 346 gathered Friday morning at the offices of the Kaski Inc. construction company. It was one of Kaski’s drivers and trucks that hit the bridge crossing the freeway…

MnDOT Construction Hiring Season Begins

DULUTH, Minn. — The construction hiring season begins at MnDOT with positions available that range from filling potholes to full blown construction projects. Their Public Affairs Coordinator says the push to hire means more projects on the road. And to remember as you drive around town, surrounding areas won’t look the same as work progresses from week to week. She…

Law Enforcement Agencies Visit Fond du Lac Tribal and Commmunity College Looking for Applicants

CLOQUET, Minn – It’s a story affecting police and sheriff’s offices across the state. More than 50% of police departments in Minnesota are short-staffed. The Duluth Police Department is more than 20 officers short of its allotted officer slots. The Peace Officer and Criminal Justice Expo was held at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. At the Expo more…

‘Meaningful Progress’ Made To Keep Northland College From Closure

ASHLAND, Wis. — Leaders at Northland College say they’re making “meaningful progress” in their efforts to keep the 132-year-old institution from shutting down. In mid-March, the college said it urgently needed to raise $12 million by April 3 to avoid closure. It only raised $1.5 million. So on April 4, the college’s Board of Trustees declared a financial emergency. Since…

China Cafe Building Listed For Nearly $1 Million

DULUTH, Minn. – A building that houses a popular Chinese restaurant in Duluth is for sale for just under $1 million. Follmer Commercial Real Estate has the China Café building listed for $995,000. It’s located at 1623 London Rd. The 3500-square-foot building has a finished basement and on-site parking. The listing says “the property boasts high traffic and visibility, making…

BE Design Celebrates New Location in the Lincoln Park Craft District

DULUTH, Minn. — A new alterations, sewing, and upholstery business had its grand opening in Duluth Friday. BE Design is now in the heart of Lincoln Park’s Craft District. The business was founded in 2021 originally operating out of a house. They do everything from clothing alterations and patch work to bigger upholstery projects and are all about community and…

Union Gospel Mission Sees Food Insecurity Rates Increase Since Pandemic

DULUTH, Minn. — A local charity is providing a record number of meals to feed those in need. The Union Gospel Mission has seen food insecurity rates increase since the pandemic. Executive Director Katie Hagglund says food insecurity also touches the working middle class, a group not typically thought of as needing help. Hagglund says during the pandemic, state and…

City Of Duluth Asks For Help To Sweep The Grit Of Winter Away

DULUTH, Minn. – With Earth Day in the near future, the Downtown Waterfront District of Duluth is getting a cleaning. Crews will sweep the streets and sidewalks of the district starting Sunday night and into Monday morning. But first, the city is requesting help from businesses who are being asked to take time to sweep surrounding sidewalks and curbs of…

I-35 Bridge Temporarily Closed After Truck Hits Structure

DULUTH, Minn. — A bridge over I-35 in Duluth is temporarily shut down after a truck hit the structure Thursday morning. The 40th Avenue West bridge is being inspected for repairs according to MnDOT. Drivers on northbound I-35 should expect single lane closures through Friday. It’s not known how long the repairs will take. Detour signs are in place for…

11th Annual Zenith Conference Talks Digital Marketing

DULUTH, Minn. — More than 200 communications professionals and those who want to improve those efforts were in Duluth Thursday for the 11th annual Zenith Conference at Zeitgeist. The purpose of the conference is for attendees to discuss changes, innovations, and opportunities in their industries to use digital marketing . Being that this is a communications conference, one of the…

Duluth Airport Authority Displays Plans For New Air Traffic Control Tower

DULUTH, Minn. -The air traffic control tower at Duluth International Airport is more than 70 years old. Having been built in the 1950s, it no longer meets FAA standards and needs to be replaced.  The Duluth Airport Authority held an open house Wednesday night to introduce the public to the design and plans to build a new air traffic control…

Reinert Speaks to Chamber’s ‘Let’s do Lunch’ Program

DULUTH, Minn. – For 20 years the Duluth Chamber of Commerce has held monthly ‘Let’s Do Lunch’ meetings. Mayor Roger Reinert was the featured speaker on Tuesday. Based on attendance chamber members were looking forward to hearing from him. This Let’s Do Lunch program had its largest number of people attending in the event‘s two-decade history. Reinert’s remarks to Chamber…

Duluth’s KQDS-TV, FOX21 Ownership Change Completed

Sale finalized to Coastal Television Broadcasting Group LLC.

Duluth’s KQDS-TV, FOX 21 welcomed new ownership on Monday. The completion of the sale to the Coastal Television Broadcasting Group LLC, culminated a several-year process during which the station’s long-time owners had been looking for the right buyer. Coastal Television Broadcasting Group LLC is a Georgia-based company owned and operated by Coastal’s Founder and CEO, Bill Fielder. Coastal owns or…

‘Little Neetchers’ To Close In Duluth’s Lincoln Park Neighborhood

Owner Joy Herbert said rent in the Enger Lofts building will double in 2025.

  DULUTH, Minn. — A longtime Duluth store and play space for toddlers has announced it’s closing next month. Little Neetchers is located in the Enger Lofts building on West Superior Street in Lincoln Park. The business has been around for 14 years. It moved to its current location in October 2021. Owner Joy Herbert posted on social media Sunday…

Minnesota Power ‘Disappointed’ With Superior City Council’s Denial Of NTEC Public Hearing

SUPERIOR, Wis. — Minnesota Power is “disappointed” with the city of Superior after the council voted down the opportunity for a public hearing on the proposed Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC). On Wednesday night, five of the nine city councilors voted to hold a public hearing. But the motion to approve needed six votes. This comes after the Superior Plan…

40 Additional Staff Laid Off Amid Superior School District’s $4M Budget Deficit

SUPERIOR, Wis. — More employees of the Superior School district have been let go as the district tackles a $4 million deficit for the next school year. Forty support staff members, mostly paraprofessionals, were notified this week about the layoffs, according to a district spokesperson. This comes after 25 teachers were told last month that their positions were being eliminated….