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Duluth Airport Ready For Summer Travel, Growing Great Lakes Cruises

DULUTH, Minn. — The busiest season for air travel at the Duluth International Airport is about to take off. And there’s a new excitement with airport management involving cruises. Executive Director Tom Werner told FOX 21 the growing Great Lakes cruises in and out of the Duluth Port are providing growing demand from airlines at the airport. Werner said United…

“Where is…?” Answers For Duluth Tourists Moving To Canal Park Restaurant

Visit Duluth solidifies its move from downtown to Canal Park

Tourists in Duluth will soon get their questions answered–inside a Duluth restaurant. Visit Duluth announced Thursday that they are moving their welcome to a spot inside Grandma’s restaurant in Canal Park. The office moved out of downtown Duluth and down to Canal Park last summer, and the city said it had good results. Beginning Memorial Day weekend, Visit Duluth is…

City Of Duluth Sets Up Road Sand Collection Sites

DULUTH, Minn. — All that sand and road salt is seen all over the place. The City of Duluth has set up collection sites so that it doesn’t end up in streams, the St. Louis River, and Lake Superior. The 5 sites include Wheeler Field, Piedmont Community Center, Duluth Heights Community Center, Chester Park, and Portman Park. The disposal dumpsters…

The US Has Approved $42 Billion In Loan Forgiveness For Public Service Workers. Here’s What To Know

(AP) — The U.S. has approved more than $42 billion in federal student loan debt forgiveness for more than 615,000 borrowers in the past 18 months as part of a program aimed at getting more people to work in public service jobs, the U.S. Department of Education said this week. The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program is open to teachers, librarians, nurses,…

Ashland Art Teacher/LGBTQ Advisor Back On Job After Community Rally, Board Decision

Bob Graf said he's grateful for the support and being offered a contract for the next school year

ASHLAND, Wis. — Around 70 students, parents and some teachers within the Ashland School District spoke out in protest Wednesday evening in support of an art teacher and LGBTQ co-advisor who was recently put on paid administrative leave and faced non-renewal of his contract after unsubstantiated allegations of being a “pedophile” and a “groomer.” During the eight o’clock hour, that…

Gun Safety Proposals Take Big Step Forward At Minnesota Legislature

ST. PAUL, Minn, (AP) — A pair of gun violence prevention measures long sought by Minnesota Democrats were added Wednesday to a broad public safety budget bill, significantly raising their chances of becoming law. By unanimous voice votes, an all-Democratic House-Senate conference committee approved expanded background checks for gun transfers and a separate proposal for a “red flag law.” It would allow…

Migrants Rush Across US Border In Final Hours Before Expiration Of Title 42

MATAMOROS, Mexico (AP) — Migrants rushed across the Mexico border Thursday in hopes of entering the U.S. in the final hours before pandemic-related asylum restrictions are lifted — a change that many feared could make it more difficult for them to stay. With a midnight deadline looming, migrants in Mexico shed clothing before descending a steep bank into the Rio…

Merryweather Inn to Host Mothers Day Tea

DULUTH, Minn. — Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and what better time to treat mom to tea and treats. The Merryweather Inn is a bed and breakfast in Duluth, but for this special occasion they will be hosting Mother’s Day tea. Along with a glass of champagne, people can enjoy scones, sandwiches and pastries while dressed to the…

Stabbing Outside Of Restaurant In Mountain Iron

MOUNTAIN IRON, Minn. — The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office says a stabbing took place Wednesday night in Mountain Iron. According to a press release it happened just before 5 p.m. outside of Adventures Restaurant on Mountain Iron Drive. The release states all parties involved in the assault fled the scene prior to the arrival of law enforcement. Both the…

AP: Trump Digs In On Election Lies, Insults Accuser During CNN Town Hall Event

(ASSOCIATED PRESS) During a contentious CNN town hall Wednesday night, former President Donald Trump dug in on his lies about the 2020 election, downplayed the violence on Jan. 6, 2021, and repeatedly insulted the woman whom a civil jury this week found him liable of sexually abusing and defaming. Trump, returning to the network after years of acrimony, also refused…

Readying Your Boat for the Season

SUPERIOR, WISC. — The Minnesota Fishing opener is this Saturday…and that means there will be a lot of boats on the lakes across the state. Pat Brink talked with a boat repair shop about what boat owners are doing to be ready to hit the lakes. The warmer temperatures along with sunny skies over the calm blue waters is a…

Italian-American Club Spaghetti Dinner

DULUTH, Minn. — It was time again for the annual Spaghetti Dinner at the Italian-American Club of Duluth as they served up hundreds of plates to support a great cause. Since 1974 the club has hosted the dinner to help raise money for scholarships for relatives of club members. Along with the delicious dinner, there was a raffle with gifts…

Mining Company Wins Approval For Drilling In Wisconsin

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A mining company has gotten conditional approval to begin exploratory drilling for copper and gold in northern Wisconsin, but state regulators say it must still meet additional requirements before the work can begin. Canadian company GreenLight Metals, doing business as Green Light Wisconsin, wants to conduct exploratory drilling at a 40-acre site owned by the U.S….

Rep. George Santos Pleads Not Guilty To Charges Alleging Fraud, Theft At Heart Of Campaign

CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (AP) — U.S. Rep. George Santos, the New York Republican infamous for fabricating his life story, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges he duped donors, stole from his campaign and lied to Congress about being a millionaire, all while cheating to collect unemployment benefits he didn’t deserve. Santos’ 13-count federal indictment was a reckoning for a web of fraud and…

Allina Health Care Workers Reach Tentative Agreement, Averting Strike

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A tentative agreement between health care workers and Allina Health has been reached, averting a planned strike. The bargaining teams for more than 500 SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa members who work at Allina, including physical therapists, occupational therapists, lab technicians and more, reached a tentative agreement with Allina management for all the groups the union represents. “I’m incredibly proud…

US Prices Stay High, Showing Inflation Pressures Persist

WASHINGTON (AP) — Consumer prices in the United States rose again in April, and measures of underlying inflation stayed high, a sign that further declines in inflation are likely to be slow and bumpy. Prices increased 0.4% from March to April, the government said Wednesday, up sharply from a 0.1% rise from February to March. Compared with a year earlier, prices climbed 4.9%,…

Connecting Principles: Purposeful Parenting & the Healthy Launch of a Young Adult

Minn. — In this week’s Connecting Principles segment, we checked in with Minnesota-based Dr. Jack Stotlzfus to discuss what constitutes the healthy launch of a young adult transitioning out of the home. Stoltzfus connects the principles of purposeful parenting, whereupon parents can purposefully prepare their kids to enter into adulthood. Take a listen. For more information, resources, or to read…

Looking for Signs of Piping Plover

DULUTH, MINN.  –The warmer days mean it’s once again migration season for shorebirds coming back to the Great Lakes. The St. Louis River Alliance is monitoring both the Wisconsin and Minnesota beaches for the critically endangered Piping Plover. They have a team of employees and volunteers who work day and night to monitor the beaches for any signs of the…

Old, Unused Portion of Edgewater Resort Demolished

DULUTH, MINN. — Part of the history of the Edgewater in Duluth slowly–and finally–disappeared today. As of Tuesday morning, only a small portion of one wall remained, by afternoon, it was gone. It is part of the first phase of the remodel of the Edgewater Resort and Waterpark. It was not part of the current complex, but a remaining two-story…

Duluth Receives Grant to Design Geothermal Heating District in Lincoln Park Neighborhood

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth is one of 11 communities across the country receiving a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to help design a geothermal heating district. “This extremely exciting opportunity to analyze and design a district geothermal and heat recovery possibility—one that hasn’t been designed in the US before—comes to us with a ton of potential to further reduce…

Superior 5th Graders Taking Part in Annual Wastewater Treatment Plan Tours

SUPERIOR, Wis. – It wouldn’t be fifth grade in the Superior School District without a visit to the city’s wastewater treatment plant. Over 300 students are getting the chance to see the facilities and learn the seven steps of the water treatment process, plus the two steps for solid treatment, and where it goes afterwards. “5th graders are at that age…

Cook County Woman Killed After Rock Crashes Through Windshield, Strikes Her in Two Harbors

TWO HARBORS, Minn. –  An isolated and an unfortunate event.  That’s how Two Harbor’s Police Chief Richard Hogenson describes how a rock the size of a softball came through the windshield of an extended cab pickup Last Friday, leading to the death of a Cook County woman. Hogenson says 46-year-old Kay Spielman was driving south on Highway 61 near the Burlington…

Nurses Week Comes Amidst Legislative Debate

Duluth Nurses Push Current Bill; Oppose Any Changes by Hospitals

DULUTH, Minn. – The stakes are high in Minnesota as national Nurses Week continues. A legislative fight is underway at the state capitol over what is called the “Keeping Nurses at the Bedside Act.” That fight came to the Duluth Labor Temple Tuesday. Nurses and their union representatives said Minnesota hospitals are not following parts of the agreement reached during…

Minnesota Prepares For Near-Total Ban On ‘Forever Chemicals’

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota is on the verge of banning non-essential uses of “forever chemicals.” And lawmakers say they are naming the legislation after a woman who spent the last months of her life campaigning for restrictions that will be some of the toughest in the country. Legislators, environmentalists and family members paid tribute Tuesday to Amara Strande….

New Tourism Campaign Launches In Superior

SUPERIOR, Wis. — A new tourism campaign has been launched in Superior. It’s called Gotta Be Superior and is all about the places to see, what to do, and where to stay in the city. SWIM Creative, a marketing agency helped put it together with Superior’s Tourism Development Commission. The hope for the campaign is to bring in people from…

Minnesota Lawmakers Reach Deal For Free College Tuition

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Tuition at Minnesota’s public colleges would be free to residents whose families earn less than $80,000 annually, starting in the 2024-2025 academic year, under an agreement reached by legislative negotiators. If the full House and Senate accept the language, which would be part of a broader higher education budget bill, qualifying Minnesotans would no longer…

Coffee Conversation: Matrescence & The Evolution of Motherhood

DULUTH, Minn. — While Mother’s Day quickly approaches, the entire month of May is dedicated toward Maternal Mental Health Awareness. FOX21 caught up with a local Perinatal Mental Health Specialist to talk about matrescence — or the physical, mental, emotional, and social transitions a person goes through when becoming a mother. The term matrescence was first coined by Dana Raphael…

Minnesota Senate Approves Paid Family And Medical Leave Plan

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Senate approved a plan Monday to entitle workers across the state to paid leave when they’re sick or caring for relatives who are ill. While Senate Democrats hold only a one-seat majority, paid family and medical leave has been a priority of the party for several years, and the final 34-33 vote followed party lines. The proposal passed…

Knowing Your Neighbors: Woodcarving Artist

Brule, Wis. — When you think of art, you probably don’t think of automata. But these detail pieces are interactive mechanical sculptures that originate from clock makers hundreds of years ago. One Wisconsin sculptor has perfected making automata almost entirely out of wood, with the help of very few metal parts. Cecilia Schiller had been creating automata for nearly 15…

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…

Cloquet Police: Help Needed In Finding Missing Boy

   CLOQUET, Minn. — Cloquet Police are asking for the public’s help in finding a runaway 12-year-old boy. Leon Roy Friedman was last seen around the Cloquet Middle School soccer fields near the end of school day on Monday. He is not in immediate danger, but police are hoping he will be located to ensure he is safe. Leon is…

New Grant To Increase Water Quality Monitoring in St. Louis River Estuary

TWIN PORTS – A lot of action has taken place to clean up the St. Louis River of nutrients and sediment dumped in the past.  A new grant hopes to keep improving that water quality in the future. Scientists with the UW-Madison Extension Lake Superior National Estuarine Research Reserve and UMD’s Natural Resources Research Institute will use the $400,000 to increase…

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…

4 Minnesota Sex Offender Program Staff Members Taken To Hospital After Assault By Client

MOOSE LAKE, Minn. — Four staff from the Minnesota Sex Offender Program (MSOP) in Moose Lake were taken to the hospital after an assault by a client. According to the Minnesota Department of Human Services it happened Monday after a client picked up a chair and struck a security counselor. Officials say 3 other staff members intervened to protect the…

Driver In Deadly Texas Crash Charged With Manslaughter

BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — The driver of an SUV that killed eight people when it slammed into a bus stop in Brownsville, Texas, has been charged with manslaughter, police said Monday as investigators tried to determine if the crash was intentional. Authorities believe driver George Alvarez, 34, of Brownsville, lost control after running a red light Sunday morning, and plowed into a…

Superior Police Investigating Double Stabbing

SUPERIOR, Wis. — Superior Police are investigating after two men were stabbed early Monday morning. The police department says it happened in the 10 block of North 24th Street in Superior around 12:55 a.m. Police say when officers arrived, they found 2 men that were stabbed. They were then brought to the hospital in stable condition. This is an active…

Kaitie Leising Is 4th Wisconsin Law Enforcement Death Of 2023

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (FOX 9) – The death of Deputy Kaitie Leising of the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office marked the fourth officer killed in the line of duty in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin in the last four weeks. Those in the law enforcement community are calling it a “disturbing trend.” “I don’t know what’s going on with the world, but something’s…