Duluth, Minn. The rubber mulch that has been a hot topic for a few years is now one step closer to being removed. It has come down to choosing the lowest bidder for the removal of the rubber. Originally bids to remove the rubber mulch were over 2 million dollars making the school board needing to research other avenues to…
BAYFIELD, Wis. (AP) – A northwestern Wisconsin county and a state agency will go to court over a local ordinance that would place more restrictions on large-scale farms to protect water quality. Wisconsin Public Radio reports that Bayfield County will argue its case against the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in court next month. The county passed an ordinance last…
DULUTH, Minn. – Many of you may be looking into landscaping projects this summer. One local company is looking to transition outdoor spaces into ecological hubs. Shoreview Natives is stemming from a lesson taught in one Northland classroom. For Duluth Woodland resident Will Bartsch, it’s common to have folks drive past his home, looking twice and stopping with a few questions….
DULUTH, Minn. – A 22-year-old man is recovering after jumping into a popular swimming hole in the Lester River known as “The Deeps.” Authorities tell us the man was pulled from the water unconscious with a laceration to the back of the head after hitting a rock just below the water’s surface. The man eventually came to, began breathing, and…
GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. – Hundreds of people are in Grand Rapids this week for the Minnesota Wildfire Academy. Students from nine states throughout the region are going through extensive training to learn about safely combating wildfires. On Thursday, some of the new recruits got to watch a simulated air operation and get hands–on experience of some firefighting basics. Instructors say…
DULUTH, Minn. – Minnesota Power is hoping to get Duluthians to start thinking green when it comes to driving. Representatives with the company were out at Whole Foods Co–op on Wednesday to promote electric vehicle technology. Through the month of June, Minnesota Power is offering a $10,000 discount to customers who buy a Nissan Leaf electric car. Along with a…
DULUTH, Minn. – Congestion on Lake Avenue from those trying to access Canal Park from Superior Street has become a growing concern for the city of Duluth. A focus group met tonight to talk about 6 different proposed policies that would better forms of transportation in different parts of the city. The focus group, which is part of the Imagine…
SUPERIOR, Wisc. – Minnesota Power announced some big plans that would bring a $700 million natural gas power plant to Superior. If approved by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, the proposed Nemadji Trail Energy Center would start construction as early as 2020 and come online in 2025. The project would bring hundreds of construction and industry jobs, 26 full0time plant…
ONAMIA, Minn. (AP) – A nationwide group of fisheries scientists will review the Minnesota Department of Natural Resource’s walleye assessment on a popular fishing lake after nearby resort owners questioned the lake’s low population of the fish. The Star Tribune reports that this is the second year anglers have been banned from harvesting walleye at Mille Lacs Lake because the…
MADISON, Wis. – Safety officials with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation are cautioning motorists about the increased potential of deer darting across roadways over the next several weeks. Deer activity spikes in June as does search for places to give birth and fawns separate from their mothers. June ranks higher than fall months for motorists getting injured in deer vs….
CLOQUET, Minn. — Just in time for summer vacation, the Pinehurst Beach in Cloquet is now open to the public. The chlorine pool with the sandy bottom is a unique place for those seeking to cool down in the summer heat. They are open each day of the week, weather permitting. When Fox 21 arrived at the park, the beach…
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (AP) – The Metropolitan Council in St. Paul is paying manufacturing firm 3M Co. about $1 million to settle lawsuits over Mississippi River pollution. The Pioneer Press reports the settlement Monday ends the lawsuits between the two entities, which blamed each other for chemicals found in the river in 2007. In 2011, the Metropolitan Council joined the Minnesota…
SILVER BAY, Minn. – Monday was the end of an era for one decades old pit stop on the North Shore. The old Spur gas station off of Highway 61 in Silver Bay is now demolished, making way for new opportunity. Four developers are now climbing toward new adventures, hoping the community and tourists will enjoy the development. “It just needs…
LAKE ELMO, Minn. (KMSP) – A 6-year-old girl drowned in a popular artificial swimming pond in Lake Elmo Sunday afternoon. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office identified the girl as Ghia Vue of St. Paul. Another swimmer bumped into the unresponsive girl around 1:00 p.m., according to a Washington County official. The girl was in about three feet of water at…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) – Minnesota and eight other states, along with Puerto Rico, joined the U.S. Climate Alliance Monday, pledging to uphold targets outlined in the Paris Climate Accord after President Donald Trump decided to pull out of the agreement last week. Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Puerto Rico joined the original three…
DULUTH, Minn. – For the past ten years one elementary school teacher in Duluth has been pouring out passion for science into the classroom. It’s now becoming a favorite lesson, every Friday. When walking past room 206 at Homecroft Elementary you can hear a beat and a buzz coming from inside. “Science is real, science is everywhere! This is Professor…
Duluth, Minn. Lowell Elementary students joined by their parents enjoyed a picnic this afternoon at the schools nature play scape. Lowell elementary school received an award today for the many ways they encompass nature in their curriculum. The nature play achievement award was presented to the school today for the commitment to connecting students with learning and play opportunities in…
UPDATE: Rescue crews have located the missing individuals in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Around 1 a.m. Friday, a fixed wing aircraft of the Minnesota State Patrol was searching near Oyster Lake, and spotted the lost party when they used a flashlight from the ground to signal the plane. The party was retrieved by an Air Guard helicopter out…
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday he was withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement, striking a major blow to worldwide efforts to combat climate change and distancing the country from many allies abroad. He said the U.S. would try to negotiate re-entry on better terms. “As of today, the United States will cease all implementation of…
DULUTH, Minn. – This weekend is the perfect time for ATV riders to spend some time outdoors. That’s because June 2-4 is “No Registration Weekend.” Meaning, Minnesota is providing ATV riders with free access to more than 3,000 miles of state forest and grant-in-aid trails. This is for Minnesotan an all-terrain vehicle registered for private or agricultural use and out-of-state…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth–Superior Film Festival kicked off the first of five days of film, music and arts Wednesday. Wednesday night’s film was shown at Clyde Iron Works called Rumble, which is a documentary about the role of Native Americans in popular music history. The festival concentrates on movies shot and produced right here in our region. Many of…
Discussion over the use of LED lights in the city of Duluth has been going on for months now. Tonight another public meeting was held to address outdoor lighting. The City of Duluth has already converted a majority of the cities street lights to a blueish colored LED. Because so many have had concerns over the brightness, city staff was…
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (AP) – The Department of Natural Resources got most of the money it requested from the Legislature, and its head credits an outcry by Minnesotans who hunt, fish, use state parks, and ride snowmobiles and ATVs. Commissioner Tom Landwehr tells The Associated Press the user fee increases his agency needed weren’t a foregone conclusion. He says the original…
DULUTH, Minn. – In this week’s Animal Answers we’re taking you on a field trip! For some, it may be a trip to the park, museum or movie theater. However, many groups of Northland students are becoming seasoned pond scientists. “I think if you start kids at an early enough age they’ll have an appreciation for the outdoors,” said Matt…
DULUTH, Minn. – The crew of a Coast Guard Cutter Alder small boat rescued three people early Monday evening, after the crew witnessed a 15-foot sailboat capsize in the Duluth Harbor. Around 6 p.m., the crew was conducting line-handling drills near the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge when they witnessed the sailboat capsize in the harbor about a mile from their…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) _ Minnesota is seeing a surge in record fish submissions. The Department of Natural Resources said Tuesday it has received five applications for four species, including lake sturgeon, shortnose gar, golden redhorse and the quillback carpsucker. Mike Kurre, the DNR’s state record fish program coordinator, says the agency has never had so many record submissions in…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Republican lawmakers want to sweeten the deal for Wisconsin beekeepers. A proposal from Rep. Amy Loudenbeck and Sen. Steve Nass would eliminate the state sales tax on bees and equipment used by beekeepers. Loudenbeck said at an Assembly committee hearing Tuesday the bill would extend exemptions given to farmers to beekeepers and help address the rapidly…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota farmers could use some warm, sunny days to speed crop development and get the last of their planting done. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Tuesday that cool and cloudy conditions across Minnesota last week prevented fields from drying out and limited farmers to 2.8 days of fieldwork. Corn planting is almost done in…
Crawford Co Sheriff’s Office LANSING, Iowa (KSMP) – Iowa and Wisconsin authorities have closed a bridge over the Mississippi River after a washed out section caused a fatal crash Tuesday morning. The accident took place around 4:22 a.m. on Iowa Highway 82 between Lansing, Iowa and Freeman, Wisconsin. The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office says a 59-year-old man was on his…
HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Hermantown police and fire departments responded to reports of a fuel oil spill Saturday. According to investigators, a residential fuel oil tank leaked in the 48–hundred block of Maple Grove Rd. Saturday afternoon. The fuel oil may have run off into the Keane Creek water system. Hermantown officials have notified the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Categories: Community,…
DULUTH, Minn. – Spirit Mountain in Duluth is now back open for business as we head into the Memorial Day weekend. The Mountain’s Adventure Park opened gates Friday for the Alpine Coaster, zip line, jumping pillow, mini golf and disk golf. Five mountain bike trails are now open as well. Executive Director Brandy Ream tells FOX 21 she’s optimistic going…
DULUTH, Minn. — Docked right next to the Great Lakes Aquarium sits the Blue Heron in all her glory. Of all the tools at the disposal of researchers at UMD’s Large Lakes Observatory, no doubt the Heron is their biggest, and one of the most important. “We couldn’t do the work we do today without the Blue Heron,” said Research…
DULUTH, Minn. – A successful Twin cities re-use program Is coming to the Twin Ports. Representatives from ReUSE Minnesota and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency met with local re-use businesses to create a network to share resources. Officials say they’re targeting businesses like thrift stores, habitat restores, and consignment shops. “These are the stores that allow the rest of us…
DULUTH, Minn. – Officials from the University of Minnesota’s Natural Resources Research Institute announced a breakthrough in ilmentite processing Thursday. NRRI partnered with Canadian firm Process Research Ortech to find a way to separate titanum dioxide and iron oxide from ilmenite deposits. The results, nearly pure samples of both titanium oxide and iron oxide. But, officials say they’re a long…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ board has signed off on a fall deer hunt structure that scales back the number of counties where hunters can shoot only bucks for a fourth straight year. The 2017 season structure designates Ashland, Iron, and Vilas counties and the eastern half of Eau Claire County as buck-only. The designation…
DULUTH, Minn. – Below average conditions around the Northland have led to a slow start to planting season. Bending Birches Greenhouses opened up May 1st and have seen some eager gardeners, but overall the weather has impacted sales. Jahn Hibbs, the greenhouse manager and grower at Bending Birches says it’s best to wait until the first week of June, when…
CARLTON, Minn. – Spring is here and summer is around the corner meaning state parks are beginning to bustle with visitors. Kristine Hiller, Jay Cooke State Park Naturalist, says many programs are open to all interested. Hiller points out some are geared toward outdoor enthusiasts, some toward outdoor beginners and some to families and children. Here are a few she…
SCHROEDER TOWNSHIP, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the North Shore Scenic Drive Council, and Schroeder Township unveiled new viewfinders at a ribbon-cutting ceremony, Tuesday. Taconite Harbor sits on the North Shore, just southwest of Temperance River State Park off of Highway 61. These viewfinders will allow tourists and residents to view boats, birds, and wildlife seen…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – One-hundred twenty days have passed since the Minnesota Legislature first started work on the state’s budget bill. Monday evening the clock is ticking before the state constitution calls for a deal to be reached or the session will end without an agreement in place, resulting in a special session. “It’s compromise and it’s democracy and it’s…
CHETEK, Wis.–The Barron County Sheriff’s Department has released initial damage estimates from a tornado that tore through the Chetek area of northwestern Wisconsin last week. The department said Sunday that the storm damaged 231 homes and four commercial properties across the county, though those numbers are likely to change. The storm caused about $10 million in damages, not including damage…
Duluth, Minn. – Volunteers from the St. Louis River alliance spent the day cleaning up the river. Decade’s worth of trash that had been dumped alongside the St. Louis River continues to be a problem for the St. Louis River alliance. “We find TV’s and other electronics down in there and those certainly are hazardous,” says Bill Majewski, Chair of…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The state Department of Natural Resources wants to again reduce the number of counties where hunters can shoot only bucks this fall in a sign Wisconsin’s herd continues to grow. The agency’s board is poised, Wednesday, to approve a 2017 season structure that would designate Ashland, Iron, and Vilas counties and the eastern half of Eau…
Duluth, Minn. Duluth businesses gathered tonight at the Duluth Children’s Museum in Lincoln Park for another round of Lincoln Park After Dark. A program aimed to bring businesses in the area to come together to discuss ways to make the community better. “We believe in building the neighborhood to be a very vibrant really economically vibrant place where tourists want…
DULUTH, Minn. – The deadline is Monday for this year’s Minnesota legislative session to adjourn, and with no budget agreement in place yet, elected officials from all over Minnesota have been in St. Paul calling attention to the needs of cities across the state. Projects like the Duluth International Airport runway reconstruction and the St. Louis River clean up need…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The early spring has brought the ticks out ahead of schedule across Minnesota and experts are warning people to protect themselves against the diseases they carry. The Minnesota Department of Health says anyone who goes outdoors should be alert for the blacklegged tick, also known as the deer tick. Epidemiologist Elizabeth Schiffman tells Minnesota Public…
ATVs on Spider Lake Trail MINNESOTA – Minnesotans with an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) registered for private or agricultural use won’t need to pay the additional registration fee ($53.50 for three years) to ride the state’s public ATV trails June 2-4, according to the Department of Natural Resources. Out-of-state riders can explore the ATV trails, as well without the need for…
GRAND RAPIDS, Minn.-A Minnesota angler landed an unusual trophy when he reeled in a shark jawbone while fishing on the Mississippi River. Joe Piskel, of Grand Rapids, caught the jawbone near the town over the weekend. He and his son, Joey, brought it to a Department of Natural Resources office, where a fisheries biologist identified it as being from a…
CHETEK, Wis. (KMSP) – The National Weather Service has confirmed the storm damage in the Chetek, Wisconsin area was caused by a tornado. The path and strength of the tornado are still being analyzed. The tornado destroyed at least 12 of the 60 homes at the Prairie Lake Estates mobile home park off of Highway 53, and severely damaged…
ISLAND LAKE, Minn- It’s the pursuit of the catch, that has so many of Minnesota’s anxious anglers up well before dawn and hitting the water at first light. Youth Angler, Keegan Charnley says, “We had to wake up pretty early to get here, but, well we’ve had a few bites.” For Keegan Charnley and is father Richie, they look forward…
Duluth, Wis. The Harrison Park neighborhood will see some big changes to the community park this summer. The park is one of 13 parks that qualify for 90 thousand dollars’ worth of half and half funding. Some of the bigger changes will include making the facility ADA accessible a formal gathering space and a new revamp community garden. “We know…
