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Input Wanted: Duluth Police Department Releases Community Survey

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Police Department is asking residents to take its first independently released community survey. The nine-question survey looks to gauge how the community feels when it comes to safety, security, and the overall performance of the DPD. Chief Mike Tusken says the department is committed to continuous improvement, and this survey will help his team better…

Sen. Smith Promotes Bipartisan Idea To Keep Public Health And Social Service Workers Incentivized To Stay

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Tina Smith is teaming up with another Democrat and two Republicans to push legislation that would encourage more people to stay in the public health industry. The lawmakers say that more people are leaving certain sectors of the field, causing a shortage of much-needed employees. The director of the CDC says America is short about 80,000…

Getting Outside in Below Zero Temps

DULUTH, Minn.-Some people decided they still wanted to get outside today, even if it meant bundling up a bit more. Down in canal park, people were out and about taking in the sights and sounds the lake walk has to offer. Temperatures dipping below zero was no threat to a couple of birders who came all the way from Indiana…

Gov. Walz’s Budget Would Send $175 Checks to Minnesotans From Surplus

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Governor Tim Walz is proposing $700 million in direct payments to Minnesotans from the state’s $7.7 billion surplus as part of his budget plan. According to the governor, the budget, if approved, would include sending checks of $175 to single tax filers earning up to $164,400 while couples earning up to $273,470 would get…

MDH Infectious Disease Director Kris Ehresmann Announces Retirement

(photo: Twitter) (FOX 9) – Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Infectious Disease Director Kris Ehresmann has announced her plans to retire on Feb. 2, concluding more than 30 years of service in various public health roles. According to the announcement, Ehresmann has become a respected leader for her COVID-19 response work, as well as, more than three decades of service…

Long-Sought Great Lakes Projects Get Funding Under New Law

(AP) – The Biden administration’s new infrastructure package will pump more funding into two high-profile Great Lakes projects. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says it will devote $479 million to the construction of a new shipping lock at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. The money will be enough to finish the long-sought lock, which will boost the passage of cargo…

Family Builds More Than 40 Foot Tall, Super-Sized Snowman in Milltown, Wis.

(courtesy: Fox 9) MILLTOWN, Wis. (FOX 9) – With arms made out of actual trees, a smile made out of saw blades and a pipe made out of a five-gallon bucket this super-sized snowman is turning heads and drawing people to Milltown, Wisconsin. Craig Carlson’s giant snowman journey started in the winter of 2019-2020 when Milltown challenged businesses in the…

Midday Update 1-20-22

Local News and Weather Making Headlines Thursday, January 20, 2022

Join FOX 21’s Brett Scott and Meteorologist Ken Slama for a local look at news and weather making headlines Thursday, January 20, 2022. Have a great day! Categories: Community, News, News – Latest News, News Update Tags: Brett Scott, community, Headlines, Ken Slama, Local News, midday update, News, weather

US Jobless Claims Rise to 286,000, Highest Since October

WASHINGTON (AP) – The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose to the highest level in three months as the fast-spreading omicron variant disrupted the job market. Jobless claims rose for the third straight week – by 55,000 to 286,000, highest since mid-October, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The four-week average of claims, which smooths out weekly volatility, rose…

Morning Update 1-20-22

Local News and Weather Making Headlines Thursday, January 20, 2022

Join FOX 21’s Brett Scott and Meteorologist Ken Slama for a local look at news and weather making headlines Thursday, January 20, 2022. Have a great day! Categories: Community, News, News – Latest News, News Update Tags: Brett Scott, community, Headlines, Ken Slama, Local News, morning update, News, weather

Hundreds Take State-Paid Nursing Assistant Training

MINNEAPOLIS – Hundreds of Minnesotans are taking advantage of the state’s offer to cover the cost of training to become a certified nursing assistant. The state has used $3.5 million in federal relief funding to pay for students’ tuition, textbooks, and certification exams in hopes of alleviating staffing shortages in long-term care facilities and veterans’ homes during the coronavirus pandemic….

Wisconsin Bill Makes New Crime for Vaccine Tampering

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Intentionally damaging vaccines would be a felony in Wisconsin under a bill with bipartisan support that the state Assembly is scheduled to approve Thursday. The measure comes in response to a pharmacist in a Milwaukee suburb spoiling more than 500 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in January 2021. He pleaded guilty to the federal charges and…

Annie Harala Announces Run for St. Louis County Board

DULUTH, Minn. – Former Duluth School Board Member Annie Harala announced her run Thursday for the St. Louis County Board of Commissioners District 1 seat. Harala, a local entrepreneur and longtime Hillside resident says she understands the important intersection between mission-driven non-profits, innovative businesses, and the value of the public sector because she’s built her career around all of them….

Jury Selection To Start in Federal Trial Over Floyd’s Death

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Jury selection is scheduled to begin in the federal case against three former Minneapolis police officers who were with Derek Chauvin when he pinned George Floyd to the street. J. Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao are charged with depriving Floyd of his constitutional rights while acting under government authority. Starting Thursday, jurors will be questioned by…

Duluth Fire Chief, Homeless Advocate React To 2nd Fire At I-35 Homeless Encampment

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth’s fire chief and its top homeless advocate reacted to Wednesday’s homeless encampment fire under I-35 near downtown — almost three months to the day since fire erupted in the exact spot from squatters. “People find their way to have shelter, to try to stay warm, literally to try to stay alive at this time of the…

Duluth Candy Company Celebrates National Popcorn Day

DULUTH, Minn. – Today is national popcorn day and the owners at Duluth Candy Company are celebrating by offering 20% off on their small and medium sized popcorn from their warming case. On some of these cold winter days in Duluth, warm popcorn can do the body good. “You know it’s cool because it’s this tiny little seed that can…

How Frosty Ridge Keeps Their Alpacas Warm During The Winter

DULUTH, Minn. –At the Frosty Ridge Alpaca Farm in Duluth, the owners tell us that the challenge to keep their alpacas warm isn’t the subzero temperatures in the winter, but actually keeping them comfortable with the humidity level. Alpacas are native to the Andes Mountains in South America, where it’s actually far less humid than Minnesota, even in the winter….

North Star Academy Moves Some Grades To Temporary Virtual Learning During Staffing Shortage, COVID Cases

DULUTH, Minn. — The North Star Academy of the Duluth Edison Charter Schools is having some of its grades switch to virtual learning for a few weeks. It’s happening for two reasons: one, COVID has caused staffing issues and teacher shortages, and two, the number of COVID cases within the schools doubled between the first and second week of January…

Cloquet Follows Duluth in 30-Day Mask Mandate

CLOQUET, Minn. — It’s been nearly a week after Duluth mandated masks around the city, and a neighboring town is now doing the same. Last week the Cloquet Community Memorial Hospital was “crisis planning”, for a wave of covid patients, and now this week, they were sending letters to the mayor supporting a mask mandate. The Community Memorial Hospital in…

New City Council President Arik Forsman Outlines 2022 Priorities

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth city council’s new president, Arik Forsman, spoke to FOX 21 about some of his priorities for the year ahead. Having served in the council for three and a half years, this presidency allows Forsman to serve another full year from the front of the helm. Forsman said he’s been a long-time Duluth resident and has…

MN Attorney General Ellison Files Lawsuit Against COVID-19 Testing Sites, Lab for Deceiving Consumers

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced Wednesday he has filed a lawsuit against two COVID-19 testing sites that allegedly failed to deliver test results or delivered inaccurate or falsified results. The two Illinois-based companies named in the suit are Center for COVID Control, LLC and Doctors Clinical Laboratory, Inc. According to Ellison’s office, there have been…

Homeless Encampment Under I-35 In Duluth Catches Fire Again

The first fire started in this location on Oct. 18, 2021.

DULUTH, Minn. – Fire ignited under I-35 in downtown Duluth Wednesday in the exact location a homeless encampment caught on fire just three months ago. Duluth firefighters were called to the scene during the 1 o’clock hour Wednesday near Exit 256-A for Mesaba Avenue and Superior Street. A spokesperson for the fire department said the bulk of the fire was…

June 13 Date Set for State Trial for 3 Ex-Cops in Floyd’s Death

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A state court trial for three former Minneapolis police officers charged with the death of George Floyd has been rescheduled for June 13, after both the defense and prosecutors requested a postponement. Thomas Lane, J. Kueng, and Tou Thao face charges of aiding and abetting both murder and manslaughter. Their trial was supposed to start on March…

Vice President Harris Plans Milwaukee Visit Next Week

(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File) MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris plans to visit Milwaukee on Monday, which would be her second trip to Wisconsin since taking office a year ago. The White House said Wednesday that Harris will be joined by Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan and second gentleman Doug Emhoff for the visit. Additional details were to be…

Midday Update 1-19-22

Local News and Weather Making Headlines Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Join FOX 21’s Brett Scott and Meteorologist Ken Slama for a local look at news and weather making headlines Wednesday, January 19, 2022. Have a great day! Categories: Community, News, News – Latest News, News Update Tags: Brett Scott, community, Headlines, Ken Slama, Local News, midday update, News, weather

Biden To Give Away 400 Million N95 Masks Starting Next Week

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration will begin making 400 million N95 masks available for free to Americans starting next week. The step comes after federal officials emphasized the masks’ better protection against the omicron variant of COVID-19 over cloth face coverings. The White House said Wednesday the masks will come from the government’s Strategic National Stockpile, which has more…

Voting Begins in MnDOT’s 2022 “Name a Snowplow” Contest

(courtesy: Minnesota Department of Transportation) ST.PAUL, Minn. – Voting is now open for MnDOT’s 2022 “Name a Snowplow” contest. MnDOT says they received almost 11,000 creative name submissions in December and have narrowed the list down to 50 finalists for public voting. Factors that were taken into consideration when selecting finalists included creativity, uniqueness, frequency of submissions, Minnesota-specific ideas, and…

Morning Update 1-19-22

Local News and Weather Making Headlines Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Join FOX 21’s Brett Scott and Meteorologist Ken Slama for a local look at news and weather making headlines Wednesday, January 19, 2022. Have a great day! Categories: Community, News, News – Latest News, News Update Tags: Brett Scott, community, Headlines, Ken Slama, Local News, morning update, News, weather

Group Delivers Whistleblower Documents on Clergy Abuse

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — An advocacy group working to end clergy abuse in Wisconsin has delivered thousands of documents from Wisconsin’s five Catholic dioceses to the state attorney general, documents it says show a systemic coverup of abuse. The documents were provided to Nate’s Mission by whistleblowers within the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and the Diocese of Madison, La Crosse, Green…

Cloquet Mayor Announces State of Emergency, Mask Mandate

CLOQUET, Minn. –  On Wednesday, the Mayor of Cloquet announced a local state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The City of Cloquet Proclamation and Declaration of Emergency states the decision to declare a state of emergency was made due to cases of COVID, including all variants, continuing to rise to levels unsafe for public gatherings and meetings in…

Spirit Mountain, Depot, Northern Lights Express Included in Gov. Walz’s Bonding Recommendations

Roughly $50 million is proposed to go to different entities in Northeastern Minnesota.

DULUTH, Minn.- Minnesota Governor Tim Walz’s bonding recommendations for 2022 amounts to $2.7 billion. The largest in the state’s history includes much-needed funding for Duluth and the surrounding area. “They’re very geo-balanced across the state of Minnesota and these are projects that local folks requested. But there are projects in there that enhance our quality of life,” Gov. Walz said…

Walz Bonding Proposal: $1M For Lake Superior College’s Manufacturing Program Expansion Plans

DULUTH, Minn. – Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has put aside $1 million in his bonding proposal to help Lake Superior College develop plans to expand its Integrated Manufacturing program. LSC officials said demand has outgrown the current facility in downtown Duluth.  So in the coming years, the program will be moved and expanded back onto the main campus on Trinity…

Duluth Armory Left Out Of Gov. Walz’s Bonding Recommendations

Mark Poirier, Executive Director of the Armory Arts and Music Center said he is disappointed but not surprised.

DULUTH, Minn.- There were projects that didn’t make the cut on the governor’s list of entities and projects he’d like to see get bonding money, which includes the historic Armory on London Road in Duluth. Mark Poirier, Executive Director of the Armory Arts and Music Center said he is disappointed but not surprised they didn’t get the $7.5 million funding…

St. Mary’s Medical Center to Be Demolished When Vision Northland Completed

The redevelopment will be funded with $12 million in state dollars and headed by SEH local consulting firm.

DULUTH, Minn.- As the new Vision Northland building for Essentia Health goes up in Duluth the decades-old St. Mary’s Hospital will come down. Essentia Health says the Medical Center will be demolished on East Third Street after the new building is ready for care in the third quarter of 2023. The oldest part of St. Mary’s hospital is almost 100…

Public Input Wanted: Hammond Ave. Reconstruction

The city will be fixing the highly traveled road and its storm sewer system from Belknap Street to North 28th Street

SUPERIOR, Wis.- The City of Superior is asking for public input on proposed reconstruction plans for Hammond Avenue. The city will be fixing the highly traveled road and its storm sewer system from Belknap Street to North 28th Street. It’s set to start in 2023. On Tuesday the city showed different ideas at the Superior Public Library, like widened roadways…

Snowshoeing at Glensheen Mansion is Free for UMD Students

Duluth, MN – Glensheen mansion is a part of University of Minnesota Duluth, and because of that, UMD students get free access to the grounds as well as free tours. Additionally, during the winter months, they also get free snowshoe rentals.  Snowshoeing is a fun winter activity, especially right now with added appeal of it being an outdoors activity. “We…

Great Outdoors: Winter Camping at Jay Cooke State Park

CARLTON, Minn. – People can enjoy plenty of activities year round at Jay Cooke State Park near Carlton, but many may not consider camping once the temperature drops and snow covers the ground.  Still, some people do it. “Winter camping definitely is something that some people do enjoy,” says Park Manager Lisa Angelos, “and also people with RVs as well that…

Duluth Art Institute hosts After School Art Program for Teens

DULUTH, Minn.-The Duluth Art Institute in Lincoln Park hosted an after school art program Tuesday for teenagers around Duluth. The bi-weekly program is free for teenage students who may have an interest in art and are looking for an outlet to learn and express their creativity. Students can work on projects for school or start one from scratch. Supplies and…

Humane Society of Douglas County Exceed Expectations in Betty White Challenge

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Humane Society of Douglas County is thanking everyone who took part in the Betty White Challenge. People were encouraged to donate $5 to a local animal shelter on what would have been the television icon’s 100th birthday, who also advocated for animal rights. Since the challenge began after White’s passing on New Year’s Eve, the Humane Society…