News – Latest News

Charges Still Pending In Duluth’s First Homicide Of 2022

Ryan Roessler DULUTH, Minn. – Charges are still pending in Duluth’s first homicide of the year that happened almost one month ago. St. Louis County Attorney Kim Maki told FOX 21 her office is still waiting on the medical examiner’s report involving 42-year-old Ryan Roessler’s death. Maki said the investigation remains open and active. Roessler was killed after getting punched…

Duluth YMCA Bans Official, Stands with Girl Wearing ‘Black Lives Matter’ Swimsuit

An independent volunteer race official claimed the 12-year-old's suit went against USA Swimming's policy of no political language. The YMCA said that was inappropriate.

SUPERIOR, Wis.- The Duluth YMCA has banned an independent volunteer official from all future swim meets after that person nearly disqualified a young girl for wearing a swimsuit sporting the words “Black Lives Matter” at an event at Superior High School Sunday. “I was like, why do I have to take my suit off if like my life matter, other…

Mayor’s Office, Reception Room Renovated, More Secure

DULUTH, Minn. – FOX 21 got a first look inside the newly renovated Mayor’s Reception Room and Mayor’s Office at Duluth City Hall. For decades, the Reception Room was dark and very outdated from the 60s or 70s, according to Mayor Emily Larson.  But now, it’s looking brighter with improved lighting and sound for press events, a fresh coat of…

Snowmobiling Blizzard Tour Raises More Than $1.5 Million To Support Those With ALS

PROCTOR, Minn. — The Black Woods Blizzard Tour just raised more than $1.5 million to support the needs of those diagnosed with ALS. The three-day snowmobiling ride ran from this past Thursday through Saturday. Riders go up to Lake Vermillion, then over to Two Harbors and Proctor. Participants must raise or donate the money, and they clearly have a lot…

Lundeen Productions, Women’s Expo Hold Hygiene Drive for Safe Haven

DULUTH, Minn. — With the Women’s Expo coming up in 2 weeks, Lundeen Productions is bringing back their hygiene drive to help support the Safe Haven Shelter and Resource Center. Women, children and sometimes their pets, seek out the services of Safe Haven to escape the threat of at-home abuse or violence. 2020 was the last time Lundeen Productions held…

Animal Allies Drawing Attention to Shelter Through Tik Tok

Animal Allies partners with 'The Hockey Guys' for Tik Tok to promote donations and adoptions at the shelter.

DULUTH, Minn. — Animal Allies is using their social media platforms as well as new partnerships to encourage more donations for animals after the pandemic. Donations were one of the many areas impacted heavily by covid, and at the start of 2020, Nicole Facciotto, the Humane Education Manager and Communications Director at the shelter decided to start a Tik Tok…

“Structure Failure’ At Minntac; No Workers Injured

MOUNTAIN IRON, Minn. – Minntac is reporting a “structural failure on the conveyor system.” The accident happened Saturday at its facility in Mountain Iron. Minntac officials said nobody was injured because “the area was cordoned off at the time of the incident. There was no danger to personnel at any time.” As for last report, the company said it did…

Former Duluth Native Set to Ski in Her First Olympic Games

Katie Vesterstein, a division one alpine skier for Utah, lived in Duluth until she was 10, when she decided to pursue ski racing further.

DULUTH, Minn. — Many skiers around here grow up on the trails of Spirit Mountain or Mont du Lac, but one former Duluth native is taking her alpine talents to the 2022 winter Olympic Games in Beijing. Besides John Shuster, another Olympian with a Duluth connection walked the grand stage in Beijing. Katie Vesterstein, a division one alpine skier for…

Duluth Boy Scouts Clear Hydrants of Snow to Help Firefighters have Clear Access

DULUTH, Minn.- Some young Duluthians decided to get out and shovel Saturday around some fire hydrants. 8 Boy Scouts with Troop 25 and several troop leaders cleared 10 hydrants in just 3 hours around West Duluth as a service project. Duluth Firefighters say it’s important residents clear three feet of snow around entire hydrants and make sure a path is…

‘Cold Front’ Blows Flurry of Winter Family Fun through Bayfront Festival Park

DULUTH, Minn.- Plenty of Northlanders took advantage of the snowy Saturday to get out and enjoy everything “winter” at Bayfront Festival Park’s Cold Front. FOX 21 Photojournalist Owen Zagrabelny takes us there. Categories: Community, Entertainment, Minnesota, News, News – Latest News, Weather in the News Tags: Bayfront Festival Park, Cold Front

Belgian Club Offers One-Stop-Shop for Local Valentine’s Day Gifts

SUPERIOR, Wis.- Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and the Belgian Club held a one-stop-shop for anyone looking for a gift for a locally-crafted gift for their sweetheart. 30 tables with dozens of vendors were on hand. One specialized in gifts soft to the touch for the soft at heart. “I do crocheted items, they’re all handmade. It started…

Veterans Among Duluth Rally for Peace in Russia-Ukraine Tensions

DULUTH, Minn. — In downtown Duluth, a group gathered to rally for a peaceful resolution to the standoff between Russia and Ukraine. Fears of a Russian invasion have been growing as the Kremlin continues to build up more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s Northern and Eastern borders. Representatives from the twin ports democratic socialists, veterans for peace, and grandmothers for…

Duluth Public Library Brings Back ‘Blind Date with a Book’

DULUTH, Minn. — The Youth Services Department in the Duluth Public Library is bringing back an old favorite program, just in time for Valentine’s Day. “Blind Date with a Book” always proves to be a hit for the library, staff select different books from all genres, and hand-wrap them. The tag on the outside tells the reader the genre, themes,…

Amir Locke Shooting; Protesters Gather in Minneapolis Saturday

The protest on Saturday follows a car caravan rally on Friday night rallying against the shooting.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Dozens of people are gathering in Minneapolis on Saturday to protest the deadly shooting of Amir Locke by Minneapolis police. The protest is currently underway outside the Hennepin County Government Center. Locke was shot and killed as police executed a “no-knock” warrant last week. Bodycam video shows police charging into an apartment on Marquette Avenue early…

Nurses and Lawmakers Come Together To Promote New Legislation

DULUTH, Minn. — Nurses are joining Minnesota lawmakers, desperately urging support for a bill to address the short staffing and retention of employees in hospitals statewide. The “Keeping Nurses at The Bedside” Act is being introduced to correct an already-existing staffing crisis, nurses say existed long before the pandemic. The bill hopes to set a maximum number of patients any…

Wildwoods in Need of Donations

DULUTH, Minn. – The Wildwoods Wildlife Rehabilitation center in Duluth is issuing a call for help after the pandemic to ensure they can keep properly caring for injured and rescued animals. Wildwoods Wildlife Rehabilitation is raising money to expand its outdoor caging area. With the additional space, they would be able to hold more animals in town and properly acclimate…

Yes, Cheese Pop-Up at Bent Paddle

DULUTH, Minn. – Bent Paddle on Friday said yes to cheese, holding a pop-up event for a local dairy-centric business. Yes, Cheese brought a selection of their products for people to try and had boxes available for purchase. These boxes come in a variety of sizes and styles and include meat, crackers, and even some sweets. Yes, Cheese will be…

New Warming Center in Lincoln Park Opens on February 7th

DULUTH, Minn. – On Monday, a new warming center in the Lincoln Park neighborhood will be opening its doors. The new nearly half-a-million-dollar warming shelter in the Lincoln Park Community Center has space for 50 to 100 people depending on staffing. After four years of temporary spaces, officials with the Duluth Housing and Redevelopment Authority believe they have finally found…

Evers Vetoes Bill That Would Have Allowed Teens to Work Late

(Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File) MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers on Friday vetoed a bill opposed by labor unions that would have allowed teenagers to work longer hours during the busy summer tourism months. The measure Evers vetoed had the support of Republicans and the state’s hotel, restaurant, and grocery industries. Democrats and the Wisconsin AFL-CIO…

Bayfield County Sheriff’s Office Investigating Homicide, Suicide in Town of Kelly

TOWN OF KELLY, Wis. – Authorities in Bayfield and Ashland counties are investigating an apparent homicide and suicide that happened in the Town of Kelly Thursday evening and into Friday morning. According to the Bayfield County Sheriff’s Office, the Bayfield County Communications Center received a report of a car in the ditch on STH 118 just before 7:00 p.m Thursday….

Cass County Cabin Fire Leads to Arrest

CASS COUNTY, Minn. – Cass County fire crews and deputies responded to reports of a structure fire Monday morning just after 5:30 a.m. on Peninsula Road in Crooked Lake Township. According to the Sheriff’s Office, when responders arrived at the scene they found a cabin fully engulfed in flames as well as a pickup truck on fire near the shoreline….

Midday Update 2-4-22

Local News and Weather Making Headlines Friday, February 4, 2022

Join FOX 21’s Brett Scott and Meteorologist Ken Slama for a local look at news and weather making headlines Friday, February 4, 2022. Categories: Community, News, News – Latest News, News Update Tags: Brett Scott, community, Headlines, Ken Slama, Local News, midday update

Wisconsin’s College Graduation Rates Improve, but Gaps Exist

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin’s college graduation rates have improved and have surpassed the national average, but a new report shows there are significant gaps between racial groups. More than 70% of Wisconsin college students who enrolled in 2015 graduated within six years, according to new data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. The report tracked and compared six-year…

Morning Update 2-4-22

Local News and Weather Making Headlines Friday, February 4, 2022

Join FOX 21’s Brett Scott and Meteorologist Ken Slama for a local look at news and weather making headlines Friday, February 4, 2022. Categories: Community, News, News – Latest News, News Update Tags: Brett Scott, community, Ken Slama, Local News, morning update, News, weather

Minnesota AG To Join Investigation of Fatal Police Shooting

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota’s attorney general will join the review of the fatal shooting of a Black man by Minneapolis police as they served a search warrant. Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said Friday that he asked Attorney General Keith Ellison to review events surrounding Wednesday’s killing of Amir Locke. SWAT team members were serving a search warrant in a…

US Economy Defies Omicron and Adds 467,000 Jobs in January

(AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File) WASHINGTON (AP) – In a surprising burst of hiring, American employers added 467,000 jobs in January in a sign of the economy’s resilience even in the face of a wave of omicron infections last month. The government’s report also drastically revised up its estimate of job gains for November and December by a combined 709,000. It…

GoFundMe Organized for Local Entrepreneur, Charity Fundraiser Mike Letica

DULUTH, Minn. – A longtime event organizer and businessman in Duluth, known for giving so much to others is now in need of community support. In November, Mike Letica was diagnosed with Respiratory Syncytial Virus. While his symptoms were much like a cold, Mike faced the more serious side effects. He ended up with broken ribs from the intensity of…

Winter Bike Week 2022 Kicks Off

DULUTH, Minn. — Winter bike week 2022 has kicked off in Duluth, it’s a week-long series of community led events, celebrating, educating and empowering people-powered ways to get around town, while also promoting winter activity. Zeitgeist is hosting a series of in-person and virtual events. “So we have a lot of people in our community that can help inspire and…

Duluth Public Library Highlighting Black History Month

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Public Library is helping highlight Black History Month, displaying a new exhibit that showcases prominent figures in the black community. A team from youth services hand-picked their own selections of books to come together and create this display. They were happy to showcase some of the library’s collection that highlight identity and uplift people and…

Duluth to Observe Transit Equity Day Friday, DTA Offers Free Rides

DULUTH, Minn. – Friday would have been Rosa Parks’ 109th birthday.  The civil rights icon will be remembered in Duluth and dozens of other communities nationwide through Transit Equity Day. A proclamation from Mayor Emily Larson honors Parks’ role in pushing for equal rights on public transit, which also comes during Black History Month. “Making sure that we are affirming and…

State Medical Officer: COVID Could Become Endemic in 2022

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin’s top medical officer says COVID-19 could become endemic this year. Department of Health Services Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ryan Westergaard still warned that case counts could periodically spike but the disease likely will reach a stage in 2022 where numbers remain fairly constant. The term endemic is used to describe a disease as a regular…

Scientists Race To Gather Winter Data on Warming Great Lakes

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) – Winter is changing across the Great Lakes region, and scientists want to know what that will mean. Teams from more than a dozen U.S. and Canadian universities and government agencies will venture onto the frozen surfaces of all five lakes this month. They’ll take water samples from beneath the ice and measure characteristics such as…

Activist: Man Killed by Police Didn’t Live In Raided Flat

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A civil rights attorney says relatives told her a man fatally shot by Minneapolis police executing a search warrant in a homicide investigation did not live in the apartment raided by the SWAT team. Authorities have released scant information about the man who was killed Wednesday morning, including his identity. But Nekima Levy Armstrong said late Wednesday…

MnDOT’s 2022 Name a Snowplow Contest Winners Announced

(courtesy: MnDOT/Twitter) DULUTH, Minn. – The 2022 Name a Snowplow Contest winners have been announced! MnDOT announced on Thursday that 22,000 name ideas and nearly 60,000 votes had been cast in the 2022 contest and now “Plowy McPlow Face has eight new friends joining the fleet.” The winning names are: Betty Whiteout: District 8 (SW Minnesota) Blizzard of Oz: District…

Officials: Pilot Injured in Crash of Small Plane Has Died

HUTCHINSON, Minn. – Sheriff’s officials say one of two people injured in a small plane crash in McLeod County earlier this week has died. Authorities say Dr. Richard Jolkovsky died of injuries he suffered Monday afternoon when a single-engine plane went down south of Hutchinson. The 61-year-old CentraCare cardiologist was piloting the plane. A 24-year-old passenger remains hospitalized in stable…

Midday Update 2-3-22

Local News and Weather Making Headlines Thursday, February 3, 2022

Join FOX 21’s Brett Scott and Meteorologist Ken Slama for a local look at news and weather making headlines Thursday, February 3, 2022. Categories: Community, News, News – Latest News, News Update Tags: Brett Scott, community, Headlines, Ken Slama, Local News, midday update, News, weather

Several Hundred People Address Enbridge Pipeline Reroute

(AP Photo/Jim Mone, File) MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Many of nearly 300 people who attended a 10-hour-long virtual public hearing spoke against a $450 million plan to reroute an oil and gas pipeline across northern Wisconsin. The hearing that began Wednesday finally wrapped up early Thursday. Participants addressed a draft environmental review for a 40-mile reroute of Enbridge’s Line 5…

International Space Station To Retire in 2031, Crashing Into the Pacific Ocean

LOS ANGELES – NASA says it plans to extend operations of the International Space Station until 2030 after which it plans to retire the station and crash it into a remote region of the Pacific Ocean commonly known as Point Nemo. “The International Space Station is a unique laboratory that is returning enormous scientific, educational, and technological developments to benefit…

Morning Update 2-3-22

Local News and Weather Making Headlines Thursday, February 3, 2022

Join FOX 21’s Brett Scott and Meteorologist Ken Slama for a local look at news and weather making headlines Thursday, February 3, 2022. Categories: Community, News, News – Latest News, News Update Tags: Brett Scott, community, Headlines, Ken Slama, Local News, morning update, News, weather

Biden Says Is Leader Killed During Us Raid in Syria

(AP Photo/Ghaith Alsayed) ATMEH, Syria (AP) – President Joe Biden says the leader of the Islamic State group has been killed in Syria during an operation by an elite U.S. military force. A U.S. official says that Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, one of the world’s most wanted terrorists, exploded a bomb that killed himself and members of his family during…

23rd Annual Black Woods Blizzard Tour Takes Off

The goal is to raise 1.5 million dollars this year, and they have already reached 81% of that goal.

PROCTOR, Minn. — A big group of snowmobilers will be heading out in cold conditions Thursday morning raising money for a good cause. They’ll be taking off for the Black Wood’s Blizzard Tour, which is a 3 day snowmobiling fundraiser that collects money to help those fighting ALS. Wednesday evening, the annual reception that opens the weekend, took place at…