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Supreme Court Review Sought in Sex Offender Program Case

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Attorneys for more than 700 residents of Minnesota’s sex offender treatment program are taking their case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The attorneys filed a petition Friday asking the nation’s highest court to review their case. They claim the Minnesota Sex Offender Program is unconstitutional because only a handful of offenders have ever been granted provisional release….

Budget Battle Continues in Minnesota Legislature

Still $1 Billion Apart on Spending Between Democrats and Republicans

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota’s Republican legislative leaders and Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton have resumed negotiations aimed at settling the state budget. The two sides were back in talks Friday behind closed doors, with a Monday deadline for the Legislature to adjourn. They traded offers earlier in the week but progress froze Thursday. They are roughly $1 billion apart…

REAL ID: What You Need to Know

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesotans will be able to get a REAL ID compliant driver’s license and ID card next year, under a law signed by Governor Dayton, Thursday. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services (DPS- DVS) will begin the process of meeting federal requirements set by the REAL ID Act, which was enacted in 2005….

Trump Yearbook Comment Sparks Investigation at Brainerd High School

BRAINERD, Minn. (KMSP) – Administrators at Brainerd High School are investigating a quote that was published in the yearbook, attributed to a sophomore student whos aid she “would like to behead” President Donald Trump. The quote was published on a page titled, “Trump 2k17-2k20? How do you feel about him?” “I would like to behead him. I do not like…

6 Heirs to Prince Estate Officially Determined

CHASKA, Minn. (KMSP) – The six heirs to the Prince estate have been officially determined. A court order signed by Carver County Judge Kevin Eide named Tyka Nelson, Omarr Baker, Alfred Jackson, John Nelson, Norrine Nelson, and Sharon Nelson the heirs to the estate. For mroe than a year, Prince’s estate has been debated in court. The court order sets…

Prosecutors: Times Square Driver Wanted to Kill

An 18-year-old female from Michigan was killed in the incident

Richard Rojas (AP) NEW YORK (AP) – A man charged with slamming his speeding car into pedestrians on the sidewalks of Time Square, killing a teenage tourist and injuring nearly two dozen people, said he wanted to “kill them all” and police should have shot him to stop him, a prosecutor revealed Friday. Richard Rojas, 26, also told responding officers…

Wisconsin DNR Looks to Reduce Buck-Only Counties Again this Fall

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…

Minnesota Bill Against Genital Mutilation Raises Concern

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Some members of Minnesota’s immigrant and refugee communities are opposing legislation that would impose stiff penalties for parents involved in female genital mutilation, slowing the bill’s momentum in the Legislature. The Star Tribune reports that nonprofit group Isuroon, the Council for Minnesotans of African Heritage and other groups say the legislation carries overly harsh punishment…

Duluth Dylan Fest 2017 Begins Saturday

Events Feature Music, Poetry and Museum Displays

DULUTH, Minn. – The next week Duluth will be celebrating one of the Northland’s favorite musicians. Duluth Dylan Fest is Saturday, May 20 through Sunday, May 28. The eight days are a celebration of Bob Dylan’s 76th birthday and Nobel Prize in Literature. Duluth Dylan Fest highlights include a rare Bob Dylan Exhibit from the William Pagel Archives at Karpeles…

Fun Events Bring Awareness to Safe Boating

National Safe Boating Week

DULUTH, Minn. – National Safe Boating Week runs May 20-26 to promote safe and responsible boating. This includes consistent life jacket use every time boaters are on the water. U.S. Coast Guard statistics show drowning was the reported cause of death in three-fourths of recreational boating fatalities in 2013 and that 84 percent of those who drowned were not wearing life…

Superior Gym Focuses on Functional Movement Systems

Active Adventures: Kickboxing

SUPERIOR, Wis. – For this week’s Active Adventures the FOX 21 morning crew traveled to Superior. Meteorologist William Seay tried out kickboxing with The Strength Factory. The Strength Factory is located at 1423 N. 8th St. #109, Superior, WI. New members get their first week free and an introductory month for $45 for unlimited classes. For more information give them…

West Duluth Little League Takes Concussions Serious

Essentia Health Contributes With Big Donation

Duluth, Minn. Hundreds of baseball players in the West Duluth little league are now safer because of the contribution and team work from Essentia Health. A grant issued to the little league will allow technology into the dugout, a first of its kind in the state of Minnesota. Concussions are common in contact sports and now multiple MLB and NFL…

Night To Shine At Greysolon Ballroom

Teens Graduate Life House Program

DULUTH, Minn. – Hundreds came out to the Greysolon Ballroom to support local nonprofit Life House and graduates of their program. Dozens of area teens were celebrated tonight in front of a large audience. The teens have seen their fair share of hardships and have overcome their obstacles. Those graduating the program have either moved on to college, find themselves…

Lincoln Park After Dark

Finding Ways To Attract More People

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…

New Superior Police Officers Sworn In

Family and Friends on Hand to See Four New Officers' Special Moment

SUPERIOR, Wis. – It was a big day at the Superior Police Department. Four new officers were sworn in to serve and protect. Police Chief Nicholas Alexander was there to set the tone of what’s ahead for these new officers. Family and friends were on hand to take in and remember this special moment before the officers hit the streets…

Local Projects Rely on Yet-to-Be-Passed State Bonding Bill

Projects Like Duluth Steam Plant and St. Louis River Clean-Up Need State Funding

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…

New Event Planned for Fourth of July Weekend

Duluth Culture Celebrated at Festival

DULUTH, Minn.-A new festival will kick off the Fourth of July weekend at Bayfront Festival Park. A new festival will kick off the Fourth of July weekend at Bayfront Festival Park. Lundeen Productions and Twin Ports Entertainment will team up for the event which will feature food, live music, beer, and a variety of displays that are homegrown. “There isn’t…

Duluth Residents Could Face Water-Rate Hikes

Would Go Up 4.7 Percent a Year from 2018-2023

DULUTH, Minn.-The Duluth Public Utilities Commission plans on raising the city’s water rates 4.7 percent a year beginning in 2018. The rate increase would go through 2023. They hope the increase will help pay for reconstructing parts of its water supply system which is aging. The commission will have meetings throughout June to get public input, and they hope to…

Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Honored at Luncheon

It's National Police Week

  DULUTH, Minn.- The 28th annual Law Enforcement Memorial Prayer and Luncheon was held in Duluth. A room full or law enforcement officers, families and supporters honored police officers who had given the ultimate sacrifice and lost their lives in the line of duty, with talks and prayers. Nationwide, 143 officers died while serving their communities. It was a 16…

Standoff as Officers Attempt to Execute Search Warrant

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Around 10:30 a.m Thursday, May 18, the Superior Police Department began executing a search warrant for evidence and a felony arrest warrant in the 1200 block of Harrison Street. The Superior Police Department’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) was used to serve the warrant. Attempts were made by the Crisis Response Team to negotiate with the man to…

Minnesota Budget Talks Hit Stalemate

Legislators and Gov. Dayton Have Until May 22 to Strike Deal

  ST. PAUL, Minn.-Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican legislative leaders are in a standoff as they try to agree on a new budget. The two sides have been meeting all week, trading offers to resolve a $1 billion budget gap and disputes about how much to offer in tax breaks. They have a $1.65 billion surplus to use but just…

Rocker Chris Cornell Found Dead at Age 52

His death has been ruled a suicide

The Associated Press DETROIT (AP) – Chris Cornell, one of the most lauded and respected contemporary lead singers in rock music with his band Soundgarden and Audioslave, killed himself Wednesday by hanging in a Detroit hotel room, according to the city’s medical examiner. He was 52. The Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office said Thursday it completed the preliminary autopsy on…

Wisconsin Unemployment Lowest Since February 2000

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Wisconsin’s unemployment rate is the lowest it’s been in more than 17 years. The state Department of Workforce Development reported Thursday that the unemployment rate in April was 3.2 percent. The seasonally adjusted figure is down from 3.4 percent in March and the lowest since February 2000. The national unemployment rate for April was 4.4 percent….

Forecasters Predicting Hotter than Normal Summer

WASHINGTON (AP) – U.S. forecasters are predicting another warmer-than-normal summer for most of the country along with wetter weather in a swath of states stretching from Texas to Montana. The National Weather Service’s summer outlook issued Thursday predicts greater chances for hot weather in Alaska and pretty much everywhere else. The exceptions are Montana, Wyoming, the Dakotas, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska,…

Dayton Vetoes Bill for Teacher Licensing Overhaul

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Governor Mark Dayton has vetoed a bill that would have overhauled the way Minnesota licenses teachers. The proposal, which passed both chambers with bipartisan support, would have created a new licensing board and a four-tiered licensing system, making it easier to license teachers who are trained out of state or have unconventional backgrounds. Supporters say…

Two Arrested in Heroin, Crack Cocaine Bust

DULUTH, Minn. – Two suspects were detained in the 100 block of West 4th Street in Duluth, and a search warrant executed in a motor vehicle they were traveling in, according to the Duluth Police Department and Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crime Task Force. These individuals were suspected of selling heroin and crack cocaine. During the execution of the…

Warm Spring Brings Ticks Out Early Across Minnesota

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…

Fox News Founder, Roger Ailes, Dead at 77

(FOX NEWS) – Roger Ailes, who built Fox News into a cable powerhouse before leaving the company last year, died Thursday morning at age 77. The Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office determined Thursday afternoon that Ailes suffered bleeding of the brain caused by a fall at home. The Ohio-born television pioneer was a confidante of presidents and an acknowledged…

One-Act Plays Created in 24 Hours Bring Laughter to Duluth

Chicken Hat Plays: How You Can Submit a Prompt

DULUTH, Minn. – This weekend The Chicken Hat Plays are coming back to Duluth. All the fun is happening Saturday, May 20 at 7:00 p.m. Put on by Rubber Chicken Theater, there are eight one-act plays within the show. The individual acts are all created in 24 hours. On Friday night writers will select who, what and where prompts out of…

ATV Riders Can Explore Minnesota Trails for Free June 2-4

Free access to over 3,000 miles of state trails

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…

Wine Tasting: Behind the Scenes at Chalk Hill Estate

SONOMA, Cal. – A wine producing company in California is selling their wines across the United States and that includes right here in the Northland. Several times Regional Sales Manager Marc Carrigan has visited FOX 21 on the morning show for wine tasting and this morning he took us to California. Carrigan and Master Sommelier, Robert Smith, gave the background of…

REAL ID Finally a Done Deal in Minnesota

Tim Blotz - Fox 9 KMSP

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) – Minnesota lawmakers have reached a deal to get the state in compliance with the federal REAL ID law. The compromise bill passed the House on a 120-11 vote late Wednesday afternoon, then passed the Senate on a 57-8 vote. Thursday morning, Gov. Mark Dayton signed the bill, making Minnesota the last state in the nation…

CVS Robbery Suspect Found Dead

No Foul Play Suspected

DULUTH, Minn.-The suspect in the Superior Street CVS pharmacy robbery Monday was found dead at a residence on the 600 block of North First Avenue East Tuesday. When investigators arrived at the scene of the reported body, they noticed numerous items that looked like they were from the CVS robbery. Police are reporting that they don’t believe the death is…

State Of Emergency Declared After An EF-2 Tornado Tears Through Northwest Wisconsin

Tornado Carves A Path For 30 Miles From Chetek to Conrath Wisconsin

CHETEK, Wis. – A State of Emergency was declared in Barron and Rusk counties in Northwest Wisconsin after a tornado tore through homes and properties on Tuesday night. Rice Lake and Chetek sirens blared at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday as the sky turned dark and green. A tornado touched down near Chetek Wisconsin and traveled 30 miles to Conrath. Windows…

Chetek Greenhouse Lucky to Avoid Tornado

Destroyed Trailer Park, Turkey Farm was About a Mile Away

CHETEK, Wis. – While Tuesday’s tornado near Chetek left destruction and devastation in its path, less than a mile away a nearby business remained virtually untouched and the owner is counting his blessings. Jim Berger owns Treefrogs Greenhouse just outside Chetek.  He had just closed and was on his way home, when Tuesday’s storm hit.  He waited it out in…

First On FOX: Former Superior Councilor’s Ex-Fiance Vying For His Seat

'It's In No Way Revenge Or Anything Like That'

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The ex-fiancé of former Superior city councilor Graham Garfield broke her silence first to FOX 21’s Dan Hanger Wednesday. Kara Schmidt talked about the incident that lead to four domestic abuse charges against Garfield, as well as her jump into the race to replace Garfield’s former council seat. “It’s heart shattering. I didn’t expect my whole life…

Northern Lights Foundation Hosts Annual Gala

Organization Raises Money for Families with Children Who Have Life Threatening Illnesses

DULUTH, Minn. – Hundreds of Northlanders came out to the annual Northern Lights Foundation Gala tonight to support children and families in need. Guests enjoyed a meal, bid on silent and live auction items, and spent time with kids who were helped by the Northern Lights Foundation. The charity has now given grants to over 160 Northland families who have…

“Stories with Seniors” Brings Kids to Superior Rehabilitation Center

Nursing Home Residents Read "Corduroy" to Children

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Nursing home resident and kids had a special chance to learn from each other at the Superior Rehabilitation Center. The first ever “Stories with Seniors” event allowed kids and parents to come to the center, make their own cotton candy, and listen to one of the residents read the classic children’s book, Corduroy. “I think we can…

Duluth School District Awards Gold Star Teacher

Troy Erie, 4th Grade Teacher at Lowell Elementary, Received the Award

DULUTH, Minn. – The Goldfine Gold Star Teacher Award is given every year to a deserving Duluth teacher. This year’s recipient is Troy Erie. Mr. Erie teaches 4th Grade at Lowell Elementary. He was one of nine teachers nominated, one from each Duluth elementary school. At the ceremony tonight, the Lowell principal shared some of the reasons Mr. Erie is…

1980s Dance Party This Friday to Serve as Benefit for CHOICE-Unlimited

Helps Raise Funds for People with Disabilities

DULUTH, Minn.-Have you ever wanted to relive the 1980s? Now’s your chance, as CHOICE-Unlimited and Ignite Studio are partnering up for a 1980s night featuring an aerobics class and a dance party on Friday. The event costs $10 and raises funds for CHOICE, a local non-profit that helps people with disabilities become more involved with the community. “This is something…

School Board Rejects Bids on Rubber Mulch

School Board Could Vote on Mulch in Special Session in June

DULUTH, Minn.-The Duluth School Board has voted to not go forward with a $1.2 million bid to replace it’s rubber mulch with a wood fiber. In recent months, parents expressed concern about the mulch the district currently uses. Some have suspected it is connected to various diseases such as cancer, which makes it necessary to remove it as quickly as…

Shark Jawbone Caught While Fishing on Mississippi River in Grand Rapids

It has Been Identified as a Sand Tiger Shark

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…

Lake Superior Zoo CEO Announces Resignation

Corey Leet DULUTH, Minn. – Lake Superior Zoo CEO Corey Leet announced today that he will be resigning from his position and will advise the Lake Superior Zoological Society Board of Directors as a consultant while the search for a new leader is underway. “It is with regret that I must make this decision and step down from what really…

Wisconsin Democrats Push for Statewide Use-of-Force Policies

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Democratic lawmakers from Madison and Milwaukee want to set statewide standards for when and how law enforcement officers should use deadly force. Representatives Chris Taylor, Evan Goyke, and David Bowen and Senator LaTonya Johnson held a news conference Tuesday to introduce a package of bills. The proposals would require law enforcement agencies across the state to…

Minnesota Lawmakers Set to Vote on Federal ID Standards

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota legislators finally appear to have a deal on Real ID, the enhanced identification that’ll eventually be required to pass airport security. Minnesota Public Radio reports the deal to bring the state’s driver’s licenses and identification cards up to federal security standards was delayed by a dispute over giving driver’s licenses for immigrants without proper…