Environment

Highway 53 Relocation Ahead of Schedule

New highway expected to open in November

VIRGINIA, Minn. – Last fall, work began on the Highway 53 relocation project near Virginia. Plans call for the new roadway to be open to traffic this November. But so far, the work is moving along. The colossal new Highway 53 bridge towers above Rouchleau Pit near Virginia. “You’re looking at the completed span of the bridge now. We got…

Dayton Announces $350M in Federal Funds for Water Quality

Will provide direct funding to MN farmers, while working to protect and improve waters in 54 Minnesota counties

ST. PAUL – Governor Mark Dayton, today, January 17, signed an agreement with the United State Department of Agriculture, to secure $350 million in federal funding to protect and improve waters in 60,000 acres across 54 Minnesota counties. The new state-federal effort, the Minnesota Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), will target areas of southern and western Minnesota facing significant water…

Majority of Superior Shipyard Workers Test Positive for Lead

Investigation began last Spring

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Health officials say the majority of more than 200 workers tested for lead exposure at a Superior shipyard had elevated levels of lead in their blood. Wisconsin and Minnesota health departments began a joint investigation last spring after workers at Fraser Shipyards were exposed to lead while retrofitting the Herbert C. Jackson originally built in 1959. Wisconsin…

ATV Accident Leaves Teen in Critical Condition

FREDENBERG TOWNSHIP, Minn. – On January 16, 2017, around 3:00 p.m., the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office,  along with area volunteer fire departments, responded to an ATV crash involving a 13-year-old male driver near the 6500 block of Stevens Road in Fredenberg Township. The involved driver, Logan Rautio, was air-lifted to a Duluth hospital in critical condition. The operator was…

2016 Shipping Season Coming to a Close

Coal and Iron Ore Shipments Went Down, Grain Shipments Saw Record Numbers

DULUTH, Minn. – The 2016 shipping season is coming to a close, with the last Last Laker of the Season, the Lee A. Tregurtha arriving in the Twin Ports earlier today. Duluth Seaway Port Authority representatives say this year’s shipping season was a bit steady. Though grain shipping saw record numbers, The Iron Ore shipments didn’t pick up until the…

Search Canceled for Father, Toddler Swept into Ocean

NORTH BEND, Ore. (AP) – The Coast Guard has suspended its search for a father and his young son who were swept into the sea by a wave along an Oregon beach. The agency, along with Oregon State Police and other responders, searched unsuccessfully Sunday and Monday for 31-year-old Jayson Dean Thomas, of Elmira Oregon, and his 3-year-old son. Thomas…

Indoor Plants Liven Up Homes

Experts Give Us a Tip on How to Keep Them Alive

DULUTH, Minn. – Many people use indoor plants to liven up the inside of their homes. And though taking care of indoor plants can seem effortless, it’s important to learn about the type of plant to have to avoid giving it too much or not enough water or light. In the winter time, keep plants away from the window to…

Shipping Season Heading into Winter Layup

The last few freighters are heading into port as the season wraps up

DULUTH, Minn. – The 2016 Great Lakes commercial shipping season wraps up this weekend with the Soo Locks (Sault Ste. Marie) set to close at midnight Sunday, January 15. The last four freighters heading into the Port of Duluth-Superior for winter layup will be the Philip R. Clarke, Arthur M. Anderson, Lee A. Tregurtha, and the Roger Blough. Two outbound vessels left the…

Mountain Iron Fire Leaves One Dead

Two Others Taken to Hospital

UPDATE 1-16-17: Authorities have confirmed that the female who died in this fire has been identified as Ginnie L. Hanka, 57, from Mt. Iron, Minnesota. Her husband, 61-year-old David M. Hanka, from Mt. Iron, is currently in critical, but stable condition at Essentia Health St. Mary’s Hospital Burn Unit. Their son, David M. Hanka Jr., 25, is also at Essentia…

Public Scoping for Proposed Withdrawal of Federal Minerals in Rainy River Watershed

U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management will conduct

DULUTH, Minn. – Today, January 13, 2017, the U.S. Forest Service published a notice of intent (NOI) in the Federal Register to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) to study the proposed 20-year withdrawal of federal minerals on the Superior National Forest within the Rainy River Watershed. An EIS is a document that is required by the National Environmental Policy…

Study: Trace Medications, Chemicals May Be Harming Fish

50 river locations tested for 146 chemicals

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A Minnesota Pollution Control Agency study finds trace levels of pharmaceuticals and other chemicals may be harming fish in Minnesota rivers and lakes. Recent studies found a variety of pharmaceuticals and other chemicals in Minnesota water, ranging from antidepressants to insect repellents, but the new study confirms how common these chemicals are in surface water,…

Fire Deaths in Minnesota Drop to Second-Lowest Level Ever

Fire marshal urges Minnesotans to keep taking fire prevention seriously

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Authorities report that one person died in the morning hours of January 12, at an apartment fire in Mound. This is the first fire fatality of 2017 for the state of Minnesota, and it comes on the heels of a near record-setting year for fire deaths in the state. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety released…

Essentia Helps Provide New Service at Chester Bowl

Snowboards Are Now Available for Rent at Chester Bowl, Thanks to a Generous Grant

  DULUTH, Minn. – The Chester Bowl Ski Hill in Duluth is now home to a brand new service this season, thanks to a generous grant from the Essentia Health Community Contributions Fund. Fifty new snowboards and seventy-five sets of boots are now available to be rented out for those looking to hit the slopes. The snowboard rental program goes along…