Education

Psychology Conference a Chance for Students to Present Research

15th Annual Twin Ports Undergraduate Psychology Conference Held at CSS

DULUTH, Minn. – A psychology conference at the College of St. Scholastica gave students a chance to share their research from the past year. UMD, UWS, and CSS students attended the 15th annual conference that included keynote presentations by psychology professionals and a poster session where students could discuss their work with each other. “I think it’s just great to…

Mayor Larson Recognizes Local Volunteers

Event was Part of Day for Recognition for National Service

DULUTH, Minn. – Mayor Emily Larson honored local volunteers Tuesday as part of the Day for Recognition for National Service. All of the represented groups were associated with the Corporation for National Service.  In Duluth, that means organizations like AmeriCorps and Senior Corps. The Mayor also visited a couple service sites to see volunteers in action and came away with…

Researchers Learn About Cross Laminated Timber

New Technique Allows Buildings to be Constructed Using Wood

DULUTH, Minn – Officials at the University of Minnesota’s Natural Resource Research Institute got a look at new construction techniques using wood. The seminar, put on by WoodWorks, examined how using Cross Laminated Timber helps both forest management and reducing carbon footprints. With CLT, buildings as many as eight stories high can be built using only wood.  Even wood once…

Ashland School District Awarded Fab Lab Grant

WEDC grants awarded during "Fab Lab Day" in Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. – Governor Scott Walker and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) announced Tuesday, 21 school districts that have been awarded nearly $500,000 in grants to establish and expand local fabrication laboratory (fab lab) facilities. A fab lab is a high-technology workshop equipped with computer controlled manufacturing components such as 3D printers, laser engravers, computer numerical control routers, and…

UMD Hosts Shark Tank Competition

Students present their business ideas to local leaders

DULUTH, Minn. – UMD students got the chance to show off their business skills in a Shark Tank style competition on Monday. Six presenters showed off their business ideas to their peers, as well as local business leaders. Each presenter would give their business pitch, and took questions from the panel and the audience. The competition was modeled after the…

Council Approves Spirit Mountain Budget Amid Financial Woes

Two Years With Tough Weather Has Resort On Edge

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve Spirit Mountain’s new budget for the upcoming season. This, as the attraction on the hill is coming off a nearly 10 percent revenue drop and 6.5 percent increase in expenses, according to councilor Joel Sipress.  And when those numbers are balanced out, Spirit Mountain saw a profit of…

New Spirit Pole Raised at UW-Superior to Honor Anishinaabe Culture

A ceremony was held on campus to honor the indigenous people who once lived on the land the campus sits on

SUPERIOR, Wisc. – A ceremony was held at UW-Superior to honor the indigenous people who lived on the land the campus sits on. Each spring, a new spirit pole is decorated with an eagle feather and colored ribbons, then raised as a symbol of connecting past generations to the present. Today, members of the Lake Superior Chippewa band led a…

UMD’s Department of Art and Design Opens for the Public Today

Students displayed creative work

DULUTH, Minn. – UMD’s Department of Art and Design had their doors open for the public today. Students displayed creative work and demoed various art processes such as stone lithography printmaking, screen printing, ceramics wheel throwing, welding, stop motion animation, and digital art techniques including interactive activities. “It’s really nice to see such a concentrated amount of their work put…

UW-Superior Continues Tradition of Supporting Military Veterans

Coffee Conversation: 4th Annual Veterans Expo

SUPERIOR, Wis. – UW-Superior has been named a military-friendly school many times over the last several years. This week the school is proving just why that is. On Thursday, April 27, the school is hosting the 4th Annual Veterans Expo. The free event will run from 4:00-8:00 p.m. in the Great Room at the Yellowjacket Union. The Yellowjacket Union is…

Grant Allows LSC Fire To Purchase New Training Tools

Students Get Real Life Fire Experience

DULUTH, Minn. – Today Lake Superior Colleges Fire Tech Program conducted official test burns in a whole new way. Instructors a Lake Superior College Fire Tech Program now have an easier more cost effective way to train our up and coming fire fighters. Using a grant they were able to purchase recycled shipping containers. Instructors then remodel the inside to…

The Slovenian Impact On Minnesota’s Cultural Landscape

It's a three part exhibit

Duluth, Minn. The Duluth Depot and the St. Louis County Historical Society celebrated the opening of a new exhibit. The exhibit is called “The Slovenian impact on Minnesota’s cultural landscape” It’s a three part exhibit, Part one features a series of panel displays fixated on the Slovenian immigration in Minnesota. Part two is art work that offers recollections of early…

Wisconsin Prepares Education Plan Under Lawsuit Threat

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Wisconsin state education department is about to release a far-reaching school performance plan under threat of a lawsuit and increasing scrutiny from the Republican-controlled Legislature. The draft plan is scheduled to be made public April 28. It affects every public school student in the state and has been in the works for months by the…

Eight Scholarship Opportunities Open to Northland Students

Deadline to Apply for the 2017 Bluebird Foundation Scholarships is Friday, April 28

DULUTH, Minn. – Eight scholarship opportunities are up for grabs in the Northland. The Bluebird Foundation is currently looking for talented high school students looking to study in the arts to apply for the opportunity. The Bluebird Foundation strives to be an advocate for area youth in the performing arts and to create awareness of the power of the arts…

Volunteers Needed For Spring Cleaning Along Lake Walk

From Brighten Beach To Superior Point, Trash Needs To Be Picked Up

Duluth, Minn. The snow is gone and the temps are warming up. It’s time to clean up the mess left behind so we can enjoy the beaches and the lake walk Volunteers are needed this Saturday. Which also happens to be earth day, to pick up trash from Brighten Beach to Superior Point. Organizers are looking for 150 people to…

Port Has Now Been Blessed For The Year

Ceremony Held Today Blesses The Port

Duluth, Minn. As of today the port has been blessed. Each year the Twin Ports ministry to seafarers hosts the ceremony of blessing for all in the maritime industry in the Twin Ports. “It’s a way for all businesses and people and ships and lakers that are part of the port to realize that we’re in this together. That’s there’s…

CSS Students Design and Promote New Products

Instructors saw this project as a great way to get students real world experience, by bringing many different majors together to collaborate

DULUTH, Minn. – Young Northland inventors showed of their stuff at a St. Scholastica trade show this afternoon. Students from different classes teamed up to develop, market, and promote a brand new product. The project also combined an e–commerce class to design a website and an entrepreneurship class to showcase a business plan for the product. Some ideas students came…

Proposed State Funding Would Cause Tuition Increase, Cuts at UMD

State lawmakers plan to make big cuts in funding to University of Minnesota Schools

DULUTH, Minn. – Minnesota lawmakers are currently working through a spending plan for public colleges in the state. As it stands right now, it appears lawmakers plan to make big cuts in funding to University of Minnesota Schools. For UMD, this could mean an increase in tuition and cuts to university programs. The U of M had requested about $147…

Toward Zero Deaths and Local Schools Partner to Put the Phone Down

SPEAK UP: PUT THE PHONE DOWN

CLOQUET, Minn. – Local schools and regional Toward Zero Deaths partners are working to encourage high school students to practice safe driving habits and speak up when others drive distracted. For the first time, law enforcement across the state is extending the extra enforcement period to two weeks to conduct overtime patrols for distracted driving. The campaign, run by the…

Duluth Parents Promote Healthy Playgrounds

Fundraiser for School Support on Earth Day

DULUTH, Minn. – A group of concerned parents has been working together to create what they believe is the best environment for their children on the school playground. Duluth Parents for Healthy Playgrounds worked to have tire mulch removed from Duluth schools playgrounds and replaced with wood mulch. This weekend they’re hosting a fundraiser to help with the process of…

Financial Educators Advise Caution to Students Relying on Loan Forgiveness

There has been growing concern by some students across the country that the program might end

DULUTH, Minn. – The financial aid office at UMD is giving some advice to students about Public Service Loan Forgiveness programs. There has been growing concern by some students across the country that the program might end. A lawsuit was filed last year, questioning the validity of some aspects of public sector non–profits where employees are given loan forgiveness. UMD’s…

Minnesota Lawmakers Consider Making Student Fees Optional

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota lawmakers working to finalize a spending plan for state public colleges and universities are currently discussing whether student fees, that are paid in additional to tuition, should be optional. The Star Tribune reports the measure to make the fees optional is included in a broader, $3.2 billion higher education budget bill the House passed earlier this…

UMD’s Cultural Entrepreneurship

students showcased their ideas tonight

The future is looking bright! As UMD’s cultural entrepreneurship students showcased their ideas tonight at the bi–annual cultural fair. It is enlightening to see the bright young minds come up with real ideas that could adapt in the real world. One idea that stood out was that of Sebastian Nemec. Nemec is transgender and steps away from opening an online…

Students Raising Money to Repair Vandalized Playground

4th graders Zack Ellestad and Bryce Twaddle decided to come up with a way to help raise money to fix the damaged court

DULUTH, Minn. – Students at Bay View Elementary are taking action after somebody set fire to the school’s outdoor basketball court and spray painted graffiti on the school. When the kids returned to class on Monday, teachers told them about the damage that occurred to the playground. Two 4th grade students, Zack Ellestad and Bryce Twaddle, decided to come up…

Woodland Hills Academy May Move to Rockridge School Building

Youth and Family Services Provider is Currently Housed in Cobb School Building

DULUTH, Minn. – There may be a new tenant in the Rockridge Elementary School building. Woodland Hills Academy, which is now housed in the former Cobb Elementary School, may soon move to Rockridge. The change of scenery is expected to be more cost effective for Woodland Hills and the Duluth School District. “By moving them into a setting that’s more…

Duluth School District May Look at Referendum to Reduce Deficit

District Likely Faces a $2.3 Million Budget Shortfall

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth School District is facing another budget deficit. District officials are looking into how to make up that shortfall, including a possible referendum that could be on the table as early as next year. “This is a sobering budget for us,” says school board member Harry Welty. With the school district in the red again, cuts…

Groundbreaking Held for New Superior High School

Project Will Include a new Three-Story Academic Building

SUPERIOR, Wis. – A groundbreaking was held today for renovations at Superior High School. The project will include a three-story academic building, along with a brand new media center, commons area, and a new seating area for lunch. There also plans to continue to use the old portion of the Superior High School, which will be renovated. “It really is a…

New Logo Wanted at Myers-Wilkins to Build School Pride

$5,000 Needs to be Raised

DULUTH, Minn.- A new initiative is trying to build pride in the students at Myers-Wilkins Elementary School. The project is focused on raising $5,000 to have a local artist design a new logo for the school. The plan is to revamp its current logo of a wolf, as the students will vote on their favorite design, which will be painted at the…

Dozens Attend Vigil To Support Cloquet Police Chief

Chief Steve Stracek Is On Paid Admin. Leave After ‘Vote of No Confidence’ By Officer

CLOQUET, Minn. – A different kind of vigil was held outside Cloquet City Hall Tuesday  that didn’t involve a death. It was instead a community effort to close what some consider a growing divide between the City Council, residents, and the Police Department. This all stems around Police Chief Steve Stracek, who was put on paid administrative leave about a…

Wrenshall Referendum Fails

$12.5 Million Referendum Does Not Pass

WRENSHALL, Minn. – Wrenshall School District residents voted down a $12.5 million school referendum. The referendum would have funded renovations and an expansion to the school building. Here are the results: Yes – 250 No – 657 After the results were announced, Wrenshall superintendent Kimberly Belcastro released the following statement to Fox 21: “I would like to personally thank all…

Undergraduate Science Research on Display at UMD

DULUTH, Minn. — Research is the bedrock of science, and science professors and their students put their hard work on display on campus at University of Minnesota Duluth earlier today. All five colleges at UMD are represented, as students present research posters for projects they’ve been working on for months. As part of this type of research, students also write…

Deer Tags On The Rise In Wisconsin

More Antler-less Deer Tags To Be Issued

Superior, Wis. For 3 consecutive years winters have been relatively warm. Because of the warmer weather the deer population has continued to grow according to Wisconsin department of natural resources. The herd needs to be thinned so the DNR plans to issue 50% more antler-less deer. “We think we’re at a point where we can issue a few of those…

Medical Experts Bring History to Life

Karpeles Manuscript Library Museums Displays Medical Miracles

DULUTH, Minn. – History is coming to life at the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum in Duluth. The exhibit currently on display shows medical discoveries throughout the years, including an original sample that first confirmed penicillin defeating bacteria. There are manuscripts and artifacts connected with Benjamin Franklin, Christian Bernard, Bernard Crick, Albert Schweitzer, and Dorothea Dix. Next week local experts will be…

Technology In Nature

Hartley Nature Center Issues A Challenge

DULUTH, Minn. – In an effort to get more community involvement in the outdoors, the Hartley Nature Center is issuing a challenge to four local communities. Not everybody can walk up to a tree and know exactly what they’re looking at “This right here is a White Pine.” Wouldn’t it be nice to know what you were looking at? Did…

Egg-citing Event Coming to Lake Superior Zoo

The Annual Easter Egg-stravaganza is Expected to Attract Thousands to the Lake Superior Zoo

DULUTH, Minn. – An event happening this weekend in the Northland is sure to attract thousands to the Lake Superior Zoo! Preparations are well underway for the annual Easter Egg-stravaganza. It all happens this Saturday and organizers say it’s the largest public, pre-Easter fun activity in the Twin Ports. With fun for the entire family, you’re invited to stop by…

Officials: Dry Conditions, Human Error Cause Fire

Homeowner Was Burning Pine Needles

Duluth, Minn. The winter snow pack is gone, wildfires have begun and on top of that human error mixed in has created devastation for one Duluth home owner. It all happened at this home on the 500 block of 18th avenue east. Using a handheld torch to burn dry pine needles quickly turned into an all-out inferno. Human flames that…

Mercury In Our Water

The Bigger The Fish The More Mercury It Could Contain

Superior, Wis. Air pollution leads to mercury and that ends ups contaminating the natural resources right here including our lakes and rivers, even the fish that live in those water sources. According to one UMD professor, Minnesota has some of the highest levels of mercury in the region. Should this cause any concern for anglers gearing up for the fishing…

Duluth Public Schools Facing $2.3 Million Budget Deficit

The distric says it's making every effort to keep any cuts away from the classroom

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Public Schools is looking at more possible cuts as it faces another budget deficit. Declining enrollment is the main factor leaving the district with a nearly $2.3 million dollar budget shortfall. Doug Hasler, Chief Financial Officer with Duluth Public Schools, says the district is working to identify any possible areas to create savings in order to…

Breaking Ground on a New Elementary School in Superior

The school will be open for class in 2018

SUPERIOR, Wis. — The City of Superior is ready for a new elementary school; officials and students broke ground earlier this morning. Elementary students and their principal grabbed the shovels right at the spot where the new Cooper Elementary School will go. Voters approved a referendum in 2016 to fund the new state of the art, two-story school. School district…

Hibbing Auditorium Renovation to Start

Project Will be Completed Over Two Summers

HIBBING, Minn. – Work is set to begin on restoring Hibbing High School’s auditorium. The project will cost about $2.5 Million, with construction scheduled for the next two summers. In the past, the room has hosted Presidential candidates and of course a young Bob Dylan. The school’s superintendent says Hibbing is lucky to have so much community interest in the…

Denfeld To Change Things Up

School To Become A Community School

Duluth, Minn. Denfeld High School is looking to make some big changes for next school year. The school will no longer be considered just a public school but a fully functioning community school. A community school integrates focus on academics, health and social services, youth and community development and community engagement. Which will then leads to improved student learning, stronger…

400 Year Old Painting is Restored

"Portrait of an Elderly Lady" Can Be Seen at UMD's Tweed Museum

DULUTH, Minn. – a 400-year old painting at the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Tweed Museum of Art has been restored. “Portrait of an Elderly Lady” was painted in the Netherlands in 1628 and has been on display in Duluth for a long time. Now, the painting has been restored to the way it was intended to be seen, and has…

Exonerated Former Prisoner Speaks at UMD

Nathson Fields Spent 18 Years in Prison and 12 Years on Death Row

DULUTH, Minn. – A wrongfully convicted former prisoner spoke with students at the University of Minnesota-Duluth about his experience. Nathson Fields spent eighteen years in prison, including twelve on death row, before he was exonerated for a double murder he did not commit. Now he spreads awareness about wrongful convictions and why he believes the death penalty should be abolished. “We…

Officials Prepare UMD Staff and Faculty for Work With Foreign Nations

DULUTH, Minn. — Economic sanctions against nations like Russia or Cuba have made headlines in recent years. And they can even affect those at our local universities. Patrick Briscoe is the Export Controls and International Projects Officer within the University of Minnesota system. Briscoe’s job is to train staff members on how to comply with federal laws when doing university…

Leadership Group Spreads School Spirit at Myers-Wilkins Elementary

T-Shirt Fundraiser for Myers-Wilkins Wolves

DULUTH, Minn. – A local elementary school is hoping to drum up school spirit and an effort is underway to do just that at Myers-Wilkins Elementary School. A Leadership Duluth group is taking on the challenge. This morning, two members of the group, Ron Alston and Tyler Kimber, visited FOX 21 to talk about the importance of this project. They…

Education Fills 1890s Duluth Building

Northland Uncovered: Lakeview Christian Academy

DULUTH, Minn. – Memories made at school stay with many of us forever, and one school in Duluth is working to build that type of close-knit community inside a building already full of Duluth history. Learning fills the classrooms of Lakeview Christian Academy, but the walls preserve more than 120 years of history. “The neat thing is they don’t make…

Piedmont Panthers Prepare for State Testing

As State Testing Begins, Staff and Teachers Organized a Pep Rally for Students

DULUTH, Minn. – Excitement along with motivation helped welcome hundreds of Panthers back to Piedmont Elementary school on Monday after a week-long spring break. Students across the state are preparing to start taking the Minnesota Comprehension Assessment (MCA) tests this week. Before testing starts, staff at Piedmont Elementary wanted to pump the students and teachers up with music, drumming, and…

UMD Honored with Special Guest Artist Today

More Diversity Sought in Artmaking

DULUTH, Minn.-. The University of Minnesota Duluth was honored with a special guest today. Feminist performance artist Gabrielle Civil visited with students to discuss many issues including how to open your eyes to diversity. She said when people do that, they become much more joyous. “In the world we are living in today and with so much divisiveness… I think it’s important…