Duluth, Minn. The epilepsy foundation of Minnesota hosted their annual Rise Above Seizures Walk this afternoon. The nasty weather didn’t stop hundreds from showing up in support of the cause. The walk is to raise awareness for the 225,000 Minnesotan’s with epilepsy. We talked to two of those who suffer from the seizers who say they appreciate the support for…
Superior, Wis. Superior City Council voted yes to allow a Boston based bike share company to move into town. Bike share company Zagster has the authority to move forward. The move will bring four bike stations containing 5 bikes at each location. Locations tentatively include Billings Park, Barkers Island, UWS campus and Allouez areas. The goal for the city is…
SUPERIOR, Wis. — Chemistry researchers at University of Wisconsin-Superior are making breakthroughs on pollutants called “micro plastics” that are found in the Great Lakes. Many of these particles cannot be seen with the naked eye. But with the use of microscopes and other special equipment, scientists can tell more about what these plastics are, and how common they are in…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -Minnesota’s governor is pushing for more improvements to water quality in the state. Minnesota Public Radio reports that 40 percent of the state’s lakes and streams are polluted and many are unsafe for recreational activities. Current cleanup efforts predict water quality improvements of between 6 to 8 percent by 2034. Gov. Mark Dayton has proposed a…
HELENA, Mont. (AP) – For the second time in a decade, the U.S. government has removed grizzly bears in the Yellowstone region from the threatened species list. It will be up to the courts again to decide whether they stay off the list. The decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to remove federal protections from the approximately 700…
Wrenshall, Minn Film buffs packed a big red barn in Wrenshall tonight for the 15th annual Free Range Film Festival. This year’s festival features 35 different films with something to satisfy anyone’s tastes. Organizers say being able to watch films in a big red barn brings a different feel to the festival. “Watching something in a barn where you have…
Duluth, Minn. Duluth is working towards solutions to address our own affordable housing crisis. Tonight a panel full of organizations like loafs and fishes and the Salvation Army were on hand for a discussion on housing issues as they pertain to local, state and federal levels. The event was to shed light on issues and potential solutions to work together…
Duluth, Minn. The Duluth City Council is working to adopt a sensible paid sick time policy. Tonight it seems as if some progress has been made. Duluth’s earn sick and safe time task force plans to present a final draft of the referendum to the Duluth City Council to approve or not approve. If approved employees that currently don’t receive…
ASHLAND, Wis. – Enbridge Energy ahs asked to continue operating their pipeline that passes through a national forest near Ashland. Thursday night, an open house was held for people to learn more about that pipeline. The Enbridge pipeline was first built in 1953 and has continued operating through the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest Since then. Now, the U.S. Forest Service is…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minneapolis has joined other cities in posting climate change data that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has removed from its website. The posted material is a snapshot of the EPA site before the real information was removed. Major cities including Atlanta, Boston, Houston, San Francisco, and Seattle have also posted the information. The city’s announcement Thursday says…
DULUTH, Minn. – An invasive species in spreading across America and harming the Ash tree population. The Emerald Ash Borer is now in the Northland, so researchers have gathered in Duluth to discuss ways to prevent the spread. Dr. Brian Palik, a research ecologist, says people from all over the Northeastern United States have come to the conference. He says…
DULUTH, Minn. – Starting today, visitors at the Lake Superior Zoo will have the chance to make way through an enclosed exhibit with hundreds of butterflies fluttering around. “Beautiful Butterflies: An Up-Close Experience,” is the Zoo’s newest exhibit, featuring hundreds of butterflies native to the Midwest. “This is a beautiful and fun exhibit, and we’re pleased to bring it to…
DULUTH, Minn. – Researchers and forest managers from Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Northeast are in Duluth this week to develop a game plan for battling the emerald ash borer. The workshop opened Tuesday at the Inn on Lake Superior with lectures discussing the borer’s effect on ash forests. The highlight of the workshop comes Wednesday as participants will get their…
Carlton, Minn Carlton County officials aim to take ATV’s from off the road to on them through a new ordinance. The ordinance would allow more access along county and state roads and highways. Something other Northland counties have already done. Carlton County, unlike St. Louis and Pine Counties prohibits class one ATV’s from using the side of county state roads…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has spent years documenting and monitoring all 80 of Minnesota’s major watershed in order to gain data about the health of the state’s rivers, lakes, and streams. Minnesota Public Radio reports that pollution control agency staff members are now revisiting places that were first tested a decade ago. Water is…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Researchers at the University of Minnesota have made a breakthrough in the cryopreservation of fish, which could help preserve specie and repopulate the ocean. The Minnesota Daily reports that researchers are using gold nanoparticles and lasers to freeze and thaw live fish embryos. Researchers have previously been able to successfully cryopreserve mammal embryos and some animal sperm,…
DULUTH, Minn. – A group of cyclists traded in their bikes for shovels Thursday. Volunteers with COGGS , the Duluth Composite Team, and city staff spent the evening building a new trail, which will connect Lincoln Park Middle School up to the Duluth Traverse. The school approached COGGS with the idea for the trail hoping to get more kids from…
CARLTON, Minn. – Through the years, hundreds of hands have helped yield thousands of strawberries near the City of Carlton. Now, the owners of Finke’s Berry Farm are preparing to say goodbye. Owners Doug and Diane Finke believe there are only four or five more days left in the berry picking season. After cultivating their land and harvesting farm fresh…
Hibbing, Minn. The Hibbing community is doing their part to combat the opioid and meth problem in St. Louis County. Hundreds came out to hear from multiple agencies that deal with the problem head on. A panel consisting of representatives from St. Louis county public health, local law enforcement, attorney’s and even addiction survivors were on hand tonight. The panel…
Meteorologist Brittney Merlot takes us back into some remote Boundary Waters locations that were in the direct path of severe weather. While talking to two survivors of the 1999 and 2016 blow down that brought 70-80mph winds through the wilderness and how they survived. “On my way to the lake a very large trees went over and it went over…
WASHINGTON (AP) – A cradle-to-grave study of global plastics finds the industry has made more than 9 billion tons of plastic since 1950. The research shows there’s enough left over to bury Manhattan under more than two miles of trash. Plastics don’t break down like other man-made materials, so three-quarters of the stuff ends up as waste in landfills, littered…
The vast wilderness of the Boundary Waters is in our backyard with thousands of visitors a year. It has the highest point in Minnesota and some of the oldest rock on Earth. But what about the weather when you head into the wilderness? How can you prepare? Our very own Meteorologist Brittney Merlot recently spent a lot of time in…
DULUTH, Minn. – Emerald Ash Borer was first discovered in Duluth on Park Point in 2015 and has since been found elsewhere in the city. Duluth officials have a plan to stop the infestation from spreading, and are asking for residents’ help in implementing it. The City of Duluth is launching an educational campaign to teach residents about Emerald Ash…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin’s logging industry is struggling to harvest wood because of the wet summer, leaving loggers with less money while they wait for work during better weather. Wisconsin Public Radio reports that the last three months are among the five wettest on record in the state, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. Henry Schienebeck is…
DULUTH, Minn. – In May the Minnesota Legislature passed their $988 million bonding bill Among the projects included in the bill is $25.4 million in funding for the St. Louis River Estuary Restoration Project. These funds will trigger $47.2 million in federal funds made available through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative to accelerate the cleanup efforts of the St. Louis…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A report from a Minnesota university shows adding energy storage may be a cost effective way to help meet the state’s electricity demand. Minnesota Public Radio reports that University of Minnesota’s Energy Transition Lab presented its report to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission this month. The commission recommended the state pursue energy storage pilot projects….
WELCH, Minn. (KMSP) – The crew at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Lock and Dam No. 3 on the MississippiRiver in Welch, Minnesota had a bit of a bug problem to deal with on Wednesday. It’s mayfly season, and mounds of dead mayflies resembling piles of mulch littered the lock and dam. Every summer, millions of mayflies lay their eggs…
CANOSIA TOWNSHIP, Minn. – Boaters on Pike Lake now have a new tool to help prevent the spread of invasive species. A state–of–the–art watercraft cleaning station was recently installed at the lake’s boat launch. The group CD3 designed the station with the Northland in mind, by offering a simple way for people to clean, drain and dry their boats, all…
Photo: Amy Benson – U.S. Geological Survey MINNETONKA, Minn. (AP) – A study is continuing in Lake Minnetonka this year on a potential new method to control zebra mussel populations. Researchers from the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District and the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center are testing low dosses of copper-based product to kill off or at least slow the…
Feb. 2017 image of the Larsen C ice shelf in Antarctica made available by the Antarctic Survey on Wed. July 12, 2017. (British Antarctic Survey via AP) LONDON (AP) – A vast iceberg with twice the volume of Lake Erie has broken off from a key floating ice shelf in Antarctica, scientists said Wednesday. The iceberg broke off from the…
HIBBING, Minn. – On Wednesday, you have the chance to eat a special, home-cooked meal at a local farm. Mr. Ed’s Farm in Hibbing is hosting a free supper on Wednesday where anyone can come enjoy sloppy joes made from homegrown beef. Guests can also tour the farm, meet Mr. Ed’s animals, and get to know local farmers. “They can…
PIKE LAKE, Minn. – A new tool has been installed at Pike Lake to help protect the lake from aquatic invasive species. The CD3 station is funded through the St. Louis County AIS grant program for a two-year pilot prevention project. Canosia Township is a partner in the project and maintains the public boat launch where the station is installed….
Check out this video that kayaker Cody Wolters, of Fargo, N.D., captured of a large muskie gripping a northern pike in its jaws. The Star Tribune reports that the kayakers captured the rare event on a lake in Itasca State Park. The video has been viewed over 10 million times. Categories: Environment, News, News – Latest News
City of Superior MADISON, Wis. – Governor Scott Walker announced $2.4 million in grants to protect and improve the Great Lakes resources in Wisconsin’s coastal communities. Thirty-four grants will be used by local and state governments, regional planning commissions, universities, and non-profit organizations. The largest grant was received by the City of Superior for the Wisconsin Point Dunes Restoration Project…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Decontamination units in Minnesota and Wisconsin will launch a multiday effort to stop numerous invasive species that threaten a river separating the two states. The Star Tribune reports that inspectors will staff six decontamination boats on the St. Croix River July 14 and July 15 to search for and get rid of invasive species including zebra mussels, Eurasian…
DULUTH, Minn. – It’s big news and big funding for the Natural Resources Research Institute. The institute was granted an additional $2 million in recurring funding from the Minnesota State Legislature. This almost doubles the previous state funding they were receiving and was the first funding increase since the 1980s. According to June Breneman, External Affairs Manager for the NRRI,…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) –Minnesota hunters and anglers can expect a more modern electronic licensing system with some new bells and whistles. The Department of Natural Resources is looking for a vendor to upgrade the system when its current vendor contract expires in 2020. DNR licensing program director Steve Michaels says it’s still too early to say exactly what…
(Garret Ellison | MLive)HOLT, Mich. (AP) – Analysts say there’s a small chance but serious risk of an oil spill from a nearly 65-year-old dual pipeline underneath the Straits of Mackinac in northern Michigan. Engineer James Mihell of Dynamic Risk Assessment Inc. says there’s a 1 in 60 probability that the section of Enbridge Energy Inc.’s Line 5 pipeline running…
CLOQUET, Minn. — For the first time in about a decade, the fees to visit Minnesota’s state parks have increased. Daily park passes have increased from five dollars to seven, and yearly passes for passenger vehicles have increased from 25 to 35 dollars. The changes began at the beginning of July. Lisa Angelos, Park Manager at Jay Cooke State Park,…
CLOQUET, Minn. — It’s been an active summer for thunderstorms, and last night’s severe weather was no exception. At the camp sites at Jay Cooke State Park, most of the damage affected their unpaved roads and biking trails. But for campers, the experts there do have a few tips to plan ahead if you’re camping during inclement weather. Being…
WASHBURN COUNTY, Wis. – A dead raven has tested positive for West Nile Virus in Washburn County, according to the Washburn County Health Department. West Nile virus is spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito, which acquire the virus by feeding on infected birds. “Finding the virus in birds indicates that West Nile virus may be present…
GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. – Thursday morning’s fast moving thunderstorms affected electric service for more than 1,200 Lake Country Power members. As of 9 a.m. Thursday, crews repaired service to more than 570 members. Those affected were primarily in the Grand Rapids and Kettle River areas. LCP crews will be working to restore service today. Line crews from Mountain Iron are…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is reminding anglers that walleye fishing will be closed on Mille Lacs Lake for 20 days. According to the DNR, walleye fishing will be closed from July 7-27. Fishing fall all other species, including bass will remain open. With a ban on night fishing already in place for the season,…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Governor Mark Dayton announced locations Wednesday, for a series of Water Quality Town Hall meetings beginning in late July. Ten town halls will offer Minnesotans an opportunity to discuss water quality challenges facing their communities and our state, as well as hear from experts and engage with policymakers. The meetings build on the momentum from Dayton’s…
DULUTH, Minn. — July is just around the corner, and it’s only going to get warmer as the summer months continue. Doctors say that you should always take precautions when you know you’re going to be outside in the summer sun. Applying sunscreen is the most basic way to prevent a bad day at the beach. Dr. Chris Delp from…
DULUTH, Minn. – Every year thousands of people, whether local or visiting, love to fish in the Northland. However, adventure seekers are now taking to the big lake more than ever before, boosting the local economy. One Captain we caught up with says it’s not always easy for charter fishing companies to make a go of it in a competitive…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and law enforcement officials will be out in full force during Operation Dry Ride this weekend, to prevent boaters from drinking and boating June 30 through July 2. The state’s 2017 boating season, has been the deadliest since 2005, with nine boating fatalities recorded so far. Operating a boat, with a…
(Christian Gooden/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP) ST. LOUIS (AP) – A man who scored what he thought was a prime parking spot in downtown St. Louis said he returned form a Thursday morning trip to the gym with his fiancee to find his car swallowed by a sinkhole. Jordan Westerberg told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that when the couple came…
ELLSWORTH, Wis. (AP) – A National Weather Service crew is surveying damage from a tornado in northwestern Wisconsin that injured one person when a barn collapsed and damaged several dozen homes and outbuildings. Weather service meteorologist Michelle Margraf says the tornado struck around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday east of River Falls in Pierce County. The twister also churned up large…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Bassmaster Magazine has released its top 12 Best Bass Lakes of 2017 and has named Mille Lacs number one thanks to its abundance of smallmouth bass. The magazine states it was selected for its hearty bass, as winners of several fishing championships wrangled in basses weighing in over 20 pounds and some measuring longer than 17…
