Business

Duluth Council Rejects Environmental Assessment Worksheet for Kinseth Hotel Project

DULUTH, Minn. – The proposed Kinseth Hotel in Duluth will not be delayed for an environmental review that some local residents had petitioned the State of Minnesota for. By a unanimous vote Monday evening, the Duluth City Council reversed a decision made by the Planning Commission back in April to order an environmental assessment worksheet for the hotel that will be…

Bee Season Officially Underway In Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. — Bee season is officially underway for one business in Duluth. Miel, which is located near Chester Bowl maintains about 25 to 30 beehives each year at 4 different locations in the Duluth area. And it doesn’t just include making honey, they make candles, lip balm, soaps, lotions, and more. The beekeeper says a fun face is that…

Docks In Place, Charter Boats Arrive In Duluth’s Minnesota Slip

DULUTH, Minn. – Capt. Riley Leslie of Happy Hooker Charters, one of Duluth’s premiere charter fishing companies, is back in the water for the season in the Minnesota Slip. Crews got the docks loaded down into the slip Wednesday morning. Some of the spots are rented for personal boats, but most are for charter businesses. Happy Hooker has been serving…

Duluth-Based Maurices Makes Cuts To Staffing Amid Economic Downturn

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth-based Maurices recently laid off two dozen employees. The 24 employees were let go April 18 within corporate offices and field positions. Company officials told FOX 21 the reduction in staffing was needed to deal with the current economic downturn and challenging market conditions. The employees received severance packages. The women’s apparel retailer has been operating for…

Congressional Hearing on Minerals on Iron Range

Republican lawmakers advocate for permitting reform

The mineral deposits in Northeastern Minnesota brought congressional lawmakers to the area Tuesday. Representative Pete Stauber brought members of the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources to Mountain Iron for a hearing. Stauber said it was a chance for members to hear directly from the community. Congressman Rob Wittman of the state of Virginia said the entire country had an…

Gary New Duluth Thanks Community for Skateboard Park Effort

Excitement builds for push to complete the project

GARY NEW DULUTH, Minn.–The Gary New Duluth community could not wait to celebrate the coming of spring Monday. Part of the celebration included a great meal as a way to acknowledge everyone who has worked so hard to make a skateboard park a reality. “It is so important to get everybody together for something like this. So many of the…

Patio Season Nearing For Famous Dave’s In Hermantown

HERMANTOWN, Minn. — With warmer weather comes patio season and Famous Dave’s in Hermantown has a new one. It’s been about 6 months since the Famous Dave’s in Canal Park moved to Hermantown. The owner Greg Toon says the community has really embraced them. They are still serving the same meals and smoking the meats themselves. Toon says nothing has…

Ursa Minor Brewery Expanding

DULUTH, MINN. —  What’s the appropriate amount of space you need to make beer? Ursa Minor Brewery in Duluth thinks they have figured it out. They are transitioning to a new facility right around the corner from their taproom in West Duluth. They found themselves slowly adding tanks and capacity, but they were also limited a bit by their taproom…

MN House, Senate Pass ‘Northern Lights Express’ Funding In Transportation Bills

DULUTH, Minn. — For the first time ever, the Northern Lights Express project now has financial backing from the Minnesota House and the Senate. The Senate has approved $50 million toward the passenger rail service between the Twin Ports and Minneapolis. This comes after the House Transportation Committee set aside full funding for NLX in its omnibus bill and was…

Duluth Coffee Company Now Serves Breakfast Food

DULUTH, Minn. — A local coffee shop is expanding their menu, and it’s not just new drinks. Duluth Coffee Company is now serving breakfast! The shop has been open for over 10 years bringing the area farm focused coffee from all over the world such as Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru. Now the roastery will be bringing in locally sourced eggs,…

Twin Ports Spay/Neuter Reopening In A New Location

DULUTH, Minn. — Twin Ports Spay/Neuter is reopening in a new location with appointments starting May 1. The small privately owned clinic was forced out of their old location in January after being there for 13 years. It now has a new place on Grand Avenue in Duluth. The clinic made a soft announcement through social media last Thursday and…

Task Force to Improve Downtown Duluth Reports Progress

Increasing concerns had prompted a search for solutions

Concerns about downtown Duluth’s future and its direction prompted a task force last fall to look at the issues. Monday, members said they feel good about what has happened so far. The task force said progress has been made in several areas, including dealing with the issues of mental health resources, selecting businesses for improved lighting, a meeting in May…

Last Twin Ports Grizzly’s To Close, ‘Boulder Tap House’ To Replace

SUPERIOR, Wis. — After 25 years in its Superior location, Grizzly’s Wood-Fired Grill is closing later this year to make way for a new eatery that owners hope will be just a popular, or more popular for the locals for years to come. Grizzly’s co-owner Rick Lampton told FOX 21 the 1969 building is starting to fail structurally. He said…

Therese Wisocki Joins List Of Candidates For Duluth City Council

DULUTH, Minn. – Another candidate has announced her run for the Duluth City Council. Therese Wisocki told FOX 21 on Sunday that she’s a retired telecommunications professional who has never run for political office before. Wisocki said she’s hoping to focus on improving public safety downtown and bringing new development there. Rising property taxes and low wages are also on…

Mayor Again Asks Duluth Council To Avoid Budget Cuts, Use ‘Rescue Plan’ Funds

DULUTH, Minn. – Mayor Emily Larson is speaking up — through an email to councilors — about this year’s $383,000 in city wide budget cuts. She’s urging them to avoid the cuts by using American Rescue Plan funds. The $383,000 handles the one-percent levy cut the council made last December in Larson’s proposed property tax levy increase, which she said…

Minnesota Gov. Walz Draws Sharp Contrasts With Red States

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz drew stark contrasts between Minnesota and Republican-led states Wednesday night, using his State of the State speech to highlight how he and his fellow Democrats have used their new control over state government to push through an ambitious liberal agenda. Walz, now three months into his second term, told lawmakers and other…

Frost River In Duluth Honoring Earth Day

DULUTH, Minn. — What better way to honor Earth Day than finding a way to use leftovers? And not food leftovers! That’s what Frost River has going this month. When they make their various bags and leather goods, no matter how careful they are about making good use of their raw materials, there are always still some leftover scraps, or…

Dept. By Dept. Breakdown Of 2023 Duluth Budget Cuts, City’s Reason Why

DULUTH, Minn. – FOX 21 has gathered new details involving city wide budget cuts in Duluth worth $383,000. City administration says the cuts involve this year’s status-quo budget. The Duluth Police Department, which has the largest portion of the city’s budget, is being asked to cut $98,402. The Duluth Fire Department holds the city’s second-largest portion of the yearly budget….

Duluth Business Owners Helping Each Other

West Duluth Business Club Working to Make Things Happen

A group of Duluth business owners is welcoming new members as it works to help the area prosper. Members of the West Duluth Business Club gather the second Wednesday of every month at Mr. D’s. Wednesday was no exception. There is usually a guest speaker, and this month it was Amber Burns with the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation. One…

Erbert & Gerbert’s Reopens After Berquist Imports Fire In Cloquet

CLOQUET, Minn. — After fire ripped through Berquist Imports in Cloquet in February, it’s neighboring business Erbert & Gerbert’s is now reopen. The owner of the sandwich shop tells Fox 21 suffered extensive smoke and inventory damage from the nearby fire worth $40,000, but everything is back now. Meanwhile Berquist’s remains heavily damaged. A new post on its website says…

Two More Candidates Announce Run For Duluth City Council

DULUTH, Minn. — Two more people have announced they’re running for Duluth City Council seats. Wendy Durrwachter is running for Dist. 1. She says she will “focus on doing the work to ensure Duluth stays a great place to call home.” Durrwachter was a single mother of two who supported her family mostly as a restaurant server. She’s now a…

Twin Ports Pet Sitters Expanding To Superior

TWIN PORTS — For all the pet lovers out there, a local business is expanding its operations to help take care of even more animals. Twin Ports Pet Sitters is a 9-year-old company providing pet care to animals all around the Duluth area. Now, they’ve expanded their operations to Superior. The company now offers dog walks, cat bonding, and critter…

Discussions Continue Between City, P&R Properties To Keep ‘Lincoln Park Flats’ Fully Residential

DULUTH, Minn. – FOX 21 learned Tuesday that the city of Duluth is continuing discussions with a one-year-old housing development to try to avoid the second floor from converting into boutique hotel units. The development is known as the Lincoln Park Flats on West Superior Street, which is owned by P&R Properties out of Duluth. The city remains firm that…

Protest Over Duluth Apartment Building’s Partial Hotel Changes While Management Gives New Insight

DULUTH, Minn. – People protested Monday outside a one-year-old housing development in Duluth’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. The protesters said they don’t want to see one floor of the building converted into boutique hotel units. Lincoln Park Flats on West Superior Street is owned by P&R Properties. Company officials told FOX 21 Monday that turning the second floor into 24 short-term…

Spirit Mountain’s Season Extended To April 8

DULUTH, Minn. — Typically Spirit Mountain closes their operations at the end of March. This year is a little different. Spirit Mountain has extended their season until April 8. This is because the amount of snow we’ve had and temperatures staying lower than usual. There are also other factors they have to keep in mind with crews having to maintain…

Duluth Mayor, CAO Release Statements About ‘Lincoln Park Flats’ Partial Changes To Hotel Units

DULUTH, Minn. –  Duluth Mayor Emily Larson and Chief Administrative Office Noah Schuchman released joint statements late Friday involving a newly built apartment building in Lincoln Park that could potentially be changing a floor to boutique hotel units, which the city said was not what was originally presented for development. Statement from CAO Schuchman: “The City of Duluth and DEDA are…

Gronk’s Friday Fish Fry

SUPERIOR, Wis. – It’s the sixth Friday of lent and local restaurants serving fish frys are staying busy. At Gronk’s in Superior, the fish fry special includes three pieces of fish, with cod or catfish options, homemade tartar sauce, choice of potato, and a side of coleslaw. Staff there say it’s been a busy season so far with both snowmobilers…

Northern Lights Express Funding Closer Than Ever At MN Capitol

DULUTH, Minn. — The idea of a passenger rail service from the Twin Ports to Minneapolis has gained its best steam yet at the Minnesota Capitol. On Wednesday, the House Transportation Committee set aside full funding for the Northern Lights Express in its omnibus bill. The amount is $194,300,000, which is the state’s 20-percent share of the project. The remaining…

Former Duluth Councilor Speaks Out Against ‘Lincoln Park Flats’ Partial Hotel Conversion

DULUTH, MINN. — Former Duluth city councilor Joel Sipress says the news that P&R Properties plans to convert 24 rental units into hotel rooms at Lincoln Park Flats did not please him. “I voted for this with every expectation that what the development agreement called for is what would happen. And I am very disappointed and in fact, appalled that…

USPS Hosting Job Fair At Post Offices In Northwest Wisconsin

NORTHWEST WISCONSIN — The United States Postal Service is holding a job fair next week at 9 of its post offices in Northwest Wisconsin. The event is happening April 4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and no appointment is accessary. Ashland, Bayfield, Birchwood, Hayward, Minong, Shell Lake, Solon Springs, Spooner, and winter post offices are all ready to hire….