Business

No Madeline Island Ice Challenges “Mad Island”

Film crew adjusts and finds "winter" at Fish Lake.

So, you want to film a movie that requires lots of ice and snow. You grew up in Superior and spent lots of time on Madeline Island. So, why not schedule the shoot for February? Good plan, but Mother Nature had other plans. That’s why a film crew found itself on the shores of Fish Lake, north of the Duluth….

Bent Paddle Brewing Co. Celebrates 218 Days

DULUTH, Minn. — 218 Days has returned this weekend and it’s all about highlighting what makes our area code a great place to live, work, and visit. Many local businesses are offering fun discounts and offerings hoping to draw the community in. Over at Bent Paddle Brewing Company there is live music all weekend, the Gumbo Guys making food, and…

UMD Chocolate Lab Hosts Annual Valentine’s Sale

DULUTH, Minn. – UMD Chocolate Lab experts hosted their annual Valentine’s Day sale this week. Students in the Department of Chemical Engineering take a course on chocolate making. Part of the course is to travel to Trinidad to harvest cocoa and then bring back beans to eventually make it into chocolate. A lot of the principles in chocolate making relate…

Island Lake Inn Hosting Valentine’s Dinner, Spots Still Open

Call 218-721-5000 to make a reservation between 5 and 9 p.m. Wednesday night.

DULUTH, Minn. — Island Lake Inn is busy preparing for their annual Valentine’s Dinner that’s happening Wednesday night. The dinner is Surf and Turf style and includes an 8-ounce lobster, 12-ounce ribeye steak, garlic mashed potatoes, a salad, popover, and special dessert. That’s all for $65. The marketing director says the restaurant has a comfy cozy atmosphere perfect for couples…

Vanilla Bean To Close Duluth Location

DULUTH, Minn. — Vanilla Bean Duluth is closing in two weeks at its Mt. Royal location after six years in business. Owners Jason Vincent and Jeff Anderson made the announcement on social media. The last day of business will be Feb. 25. The post said two young entrepreneurs looking for restaurant space will take over the location. There was no…

Barnum High School Students Learning Life Skills Through Business Organization

BARNUM, Minn. — February is Career and Technical Education or CTE Awareness Month and over at Barnum High School students are going above and beyond what they’re learning in the classroom. Business Professionals of America is a student organization for 9th through 12th grade students. Students choose from around 60 events to compete in ranging from accounting, marketing, computer programming,…

Superior’s NTEC Supporters Hold Rally As Mayor Paine Responds

SUPERIOR, Wis. – At least 100 people rallied outside Superior’s City Hall Tuesday evening in support of the proposed Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC). The natural gas-powered electrical plant had unanimous support by the city council and Mayor Jim Paine in 2019, but over the last year, Mayor Paine and some council members have been working to stop the project….

With Fire, Lutsen Lodge Gone in Hours; But Determination to Rebuild Already in Its Place

Fire engulfing the structure from the 1950s was too much to stop.

Under the February gray skies of Lake Superior’s North Shore, was the black and white aftermath of what once was. Volunteer firefighters from every small community we’ve driven through along that shore were still at the fire scene in the morning. But shortly after midnight, by the time they had arrived from up and down the shore, the wood and…

Lutsen Mountains General Manager Reacts To Lutsen Lodge Fire

The general manager of Lutsen Mountains, Jim Vick, was sympathizing with the staff at the nearby Lutsen Lodge Tuesday as they deal with the loss of the structure to fire. Vick dealt with a massive fire in June of 2023 when Lutsen Mountains’ Papa Charlie’s restaurant went up in flames. The memories at the beloved restaurant hangout turned into ashes….

Lutsen Lodge’s History Runs Deep Into the 1880s

The Lutsen Lodge, Minnesota’s oldest resort, was established in 1885 when Swedish immigrant Charles Nelson opened his small fishing camp and lodge. Business continued to grow through the years, but it was not always a smooth ride. Photos from the Cook County Historical Society show Lutsen in its very early stages. The lodge was destroyed by fire twice before.  The…

Duluth School Officials Explain Need and Goals of Referendum

Technology education and technology itself would get much attention.

May 14th, the Duluth Public School district will once again be asking voters if they would pass a referendum. It would raise $5.2 million a year for ten years for technology needs. It’s not that long ago that blackboards, textbooks, and overhead projectors were as advanced as school technology got. However today technology is everywhere, with teachers and students now…

Duluth-Based Maurices Announces ‘Painful’ Layoffs

Maurices Downtown Duluth Headquarters DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth-based retailer Maurices says it has made the “painful” decision to lay off 10 percent of its corporate office positions. Maurices told FOX 21 on Thursday that 14 associates are being impacted at the downtown Duluth office, and 29 employees from its Brooklyn, New York design office and remote workers. Maurices Chief Administrative…

One-On-One: Reinert Talks First Month As Duluth Mayor; ‘The Time Is Now’

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert is closing in on his first 30 days in office. And in his first sit-down interview since Inauguration Day, 53-year-old Reinert shares how the jobs is going so far, his management style and his lack of patience when it comes to the status quo. “You know, we need ‘the time is now’. Most…

Enbridge Energy Announces 650 Layoffs By March

(AP Photo/Jim Mone, File) Enbridge Energy has announced it is reducing its force by 650 people, according to an internal email sent to all employees. The Calgary, Albert-based company says the cuts will be completed by March 1. Enbridge has offices and operations in Minnesota and Wisconsin, including Duluth and Superior. Enbridge says the reduction will not impact safety within…

Palestinian Cafe, Market To Open In Former ‘New London Cafe’ Building

DULUTH, Minn. – A Palestinian cafe and market is opening in Duluth, replacing a longtime restaurant that recently closed. That longtime favorite is New London Café in the 4700 block of East Superior Street. The new restaurant that’s moving in is called Falastin. For the past year and a half, Lyla Abukhodair, has operated Falastin as a pop-up restaurant to…

‘Nautical Bowls’ Coming To Duluth’s London Road

DULUTH, Minn. —  So-called “superfood bowls” are coming to Duluth as a fresh alternative to your meal choices. The company, Nautical Bowls, will be located in the area of 21st Avenue East and London Road. Company officials tell FOX 21 they are “currently in final site selection for this location.” Nautical Bowls is located throughout the Twin Cities and in…

Man Who Stole ‘Wizard of Oz’ Ruby Slippers Allowed to Die at Home

Judge's sentence is time-served and restitution for man with months to live.

The man who stole the ruby slippers of Wizard of Oz fame, now moves only by wheelchair and is on oxygen 24/7. Doctors give him only months to live. His attorney said Monday’s sentencing gives at least partial closure to investigators, the museum, and Terry Jon Martin himself–the man who confessed to stealing the slippers. “At the end of your…

Donna Howard Community Connect Offers Free Services In One Location

DULUTH, Minn. — Community members gathered at the Damiano Center in Duluth to receive much needed services all in one place. Traveling around town may not be easy for everyone, especially on a day like Thursday with icy roads. The Donna Howard Community Connect is a place for multiple providers to offer their services all for free. Organizations such as…

Delayed Lincoln Park Housing Project Finds New Lender

Merge Development now plans to complete the apartment building this summer.

DULUTH, Minn. – The developer of a delayed housing project in Duluth told FOX 21 on Friday that he has found a new lender to get the job done this summer after significant delays. Urbane 218, as it is being dubbed, is located at 2011 W. Superior Street in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Rendering of Urbane 218 The site, which…

Amazon To Build Distribution Center In Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. — Big development news out of Duluth.  Amazon is building a distribution center in the city. Location of Amazon site County records show the two large parcels of land purchased by Amazon are at the Atlas Industrial Park, between Morgan Park and Gary-New Duluth, along Commonwealth Avenue. Amazon will join Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank, which recently…

FOX 21 Live Coverage Thursday Of President Biden’s Visit To Twin Ports

DULUTH, Minn. — FOX 21 will break into programming within the 11 a.m. hour Thursday, as President Joe Biden lands in Duluth and heads over to Earth Rider Brewery in Superior around 1 p.m. to deliver remarks on “Investing in America and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” according to the White House.   FOX 21 will then have team coverage on the…

Duluth-Based Developer Bringing New Life To Former Bank Building In Lincoln Park

DULUTH, Minn. – Titanium Partners’ Brian Forcier, one of downtown Duluth’s leading developers, has begun his first investment into the resurging Lincoln Park Craft District. It’s not in the form of housing or another eatery. But Forcier told says the space he’s creating is all part of what’s needed to make a neighborhood tick, as FOX 21’s Dan Hanger reports….

NTEC Neighborhood Meetings To Answer Questions And Concerns

Two meetings Tuesday on the project.

People interested in the new natural gas-powered electric plant being planned in Superior had a couple of chances to get their questions answered Tuesday. Two open houses were put on in Superior for the Nemadji Trail Energy Center. At mid-day and late afternoon sessions, representatives were available to answer questions, and citizens could learn more about the plant. Although the…

Council To Vote Monday On Mayor Reinert’s 2024 Legislative Bonding Priorities

DULUTH, Minn. – Mayor Roger Reinert has released his top legislative priorities for 2024, which the city council will vote on Monday night, Jan. 22.  Below is a news release sent out Monday afternoon by Mayor Reinert’s office: Mayor Roger J. Reinert has proposed the City of Duluth’s top legislative bonding priorities for 2024. The priorities, which are outlined as…

2023 Was Slowest Year For US Home Sales In Nearly 30 Years As High Mortgage Rates Frustrated Buyers

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes sank in 2023 to a nearly 30-year low, as sharply higher mortgage rates, rising prices and a persistently low level of homes on the market combined to push homeownership out of reach for many Americans. The National Association of Realtors said Friday that existing U.S. home sales totaled 4.09 million…

Lake Superior Zoo Brings Back Keeper Talks

DULUTH, Minn. — A new way to learn more about animals is back at the Lake Superior Zoo. Keeper Talks is what they are calling it. That’s where animal care specialists can speak to guests more about a specific species. It can involve training, enrichment, or feeding. This is the first time the talks have been back since the pandemic….

Organized Labor Calls On Superior Mayor, Council To Support NTEC

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Organized labor came together inside Superior City Hall Tuesday to debunk what they call false information from Mayor Jim Paine and some city councilors involving the proposed Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC). Members of the Northern Wisconsin Buildings Trades took to the podium for a press conference Tuesday night.  They’re calling on the community to educate themselves…

Hang In There On Those New Year’s Resolutions!

Duluth store trying to help people reach their goals.

DULUTH, Minn. — The holidays are over, and all those parties and plates of cookies are in the rearview mirror. Those with resolutions for the new year are sixteen days into 2024. Many people looking for added motivation were making their way into All-Star Nutrition in Duluth, Tuesday. Everyone had their own goals and benchmarks for reshaping themselves a bit…

Superior Mayor Determined To Stop NTEC As Labor Ramps Up Support

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Billboards and yard signs are beginning to pop up in Superior in support of building the Nemadji Trail Energy Center (NTEC). This comes as Mayor Jim Paine says he’s continuing to do whatever he can to derail the natural gas power plant for good. Mayor Paine is banking on Wisconsin state regulators to change their approval of…

Starbucks Woodland Avenue Location Unionizes

DULUTH, Minn. — Starbucks workers at a Duluth location have voted to unionize. The 11 to 8 vote of approval adds the Woodland Avenue Starbucks as the 7th location in Minnesota to join the Starbucks Workers United. Video shown is from a one-day strike the workers held in November. The Duluth workers are among more than 9,000 Starbucks union workers…

Hold The Presses! Lincoln Park Gets New Vacation Rentals

Eight suites going into historic press building.

There will soon be some new places for out-of-town visitors to stay in Duluth. Eight of them to be exact. Or, at least eight suites. There was a good-old-fashioned ribbon-cutting Friday in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. It was next to the outdoor seating area of the OMC Smokehouse. That’s not a coincidence, because the restaurant owners bought the long-standing Duluth…

Cirrus Aircraft Unveils New ‘SR Series G7’

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth’s largest employer, Cirrus Aircraft, unveiled its newest aircraft Thursday night in multi-state live production broadcast on YouTube. Cirrus says the SR Series G7 features touchscreen interfaces, large high-resolution displays, advanced safety systems and increased legroom. Cirrus Aircraft was founded in 1984. The company has six locations in the United States, including Duluth, Grand Forks, Knoxville, Greater…

Popular Mexican Restaurant Close To Opening In Superior

SUPERIOR, Wis. – A popular Mexican restaurant in Cloquet is getting closer to opening its second location in Superior. Pedro’s Grill and Cantina posted pictures on social media showing the inside of the new restaurant. It’s located in the 3200 block of Tower Avenue in the former Epic Restaurant building. Pedro’s has a capacity to serve 240 people. An opening…