Minnesota

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…

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…

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…

Existing Essentia Building to Come Down When Vision Northland Complete

DULUTH, Minn. – Essentia Health announced on Tuesday that after construction is complete on the Vision Northland project the current St. Mary’s Medical Center building will be demolished. The current St. Mary’s building will remain open into 2023 with demolition starting after the new SMMC hospital tower is fully operational and all services have been relocated. “The decision to demolish…

Walz Asks Lawmakers to Back Record $2.7 Billion Bonding Bill

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz asked the Legislature on Tuesday to back a $2.7 billion “local jobs and projects” plan that’s considerably larger than the record package that lawmakers passed two years ago. The Democratic governor unveiled his wish list at a news conference outside the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Child Development, which is getting a major rebuild…

Spirit Mountain, St. Louis County Depot Among Northland Entities in Gov. Walz’s 2022 Bonding Recommendations

According to a spokesperson with the City of Duluth, the Aerial Lift Bridge was included in a write-up for the Governor's recommended $200 million for the Bridge Replacement Program. 

DULUTH, Minn.- On Tuesday Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz released his bonding recommendation of $2.7 billion, which highlights several Northland and regional entities including Spirit Mountain and the St. Louis County Depot in Duluth. For Spirit Mountain, the Governor recommended $12 million in general fund cash to the City of Duluth “to renew, replace, and improve aged infrastructure.” The total cost…

Wildcat Sanctuary Rescues Starving, Injured African Serval

SANDSTONE, Minn. – A starving and injured African serval found in Massachusetts has made it safely to his new home at the Sandstone Wildcat Sanctuary. Bruno was captured by the MSPCA-Angell after residents in Lincoln, MA reported spotting him in distress in their neighborhood. Bruno was found starving and with a severely broken leg trying to survive extreme weather. “Sadly,…

Update: Victim Identified in Duluth’s First Homicide in 2022

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth police have identified the victim in Duluth’s first homicide in 2022. On Saturday, authorities were dispatched to the 100 block of N 54th Avenue East around 12:50 a.m. for a medical/assault call. Dispatchers told responding officers a male was punched in the head and unconscious. At the scene, the unconscious 42-year-old man, now identified as Ryan…

Duluth Playhouse Postpones Upcoming Performances, Productions due to COVID

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Playhouse is making adjustments to its current season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In a Monday Facebook post, the Playhouse said it had made the difficult decision to not produce The Spongebob Musical, The Revolutionists, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night during the 2021-2022 season. CLUE has also been postponed…

Destination Duluth takes on Spirit Mountain

DULUTH, Minn.-Today, Destination Duluth photographers took on the slopes of Spirit Mountain. Destination Duluth is a non-profit organization that is made up of more than 200 photographers that volunteer their work for select social media platforms. These photos are used to show how unique and beautiful the city of Duluth is, and some have received more than 7 million impressions…

Old Town Antiques’ Last Week in Business Before Being Forced Out of Building by Owner

Hall Equities, out of California, sent a letter to Old Town, Huckleberry, and Chinese Dragon restaurant last month saying they all needed to be out by January 31st.

DULUTH, Minn.- It’s the last week open for Old Town Antiques and Books on Superior Street in Duluth, one of three businesses in that location forced out by the company that owns the building. Hall Equities, out of California, sent a letter to Old Town, Hucklebeary, and Chinese Dragon restaurant last month saying they all needed to be out by…

Missing Pets in the Northland’s Betty White Challenge Raises More than $1K

The Facebook page Missing Pets In The Northland raised roughly $1,800 in one day for its Betty White Challenge.

DULUTH, Minn.- Betty White would have turned 100 Monday. After the screen icon passed on New Year’s Eve, animal humane organizations are receiving donations from her fans in her honor, including ones here in the Northland. The Facebook page Missing Pets In The Northland raised roughly $1,800 in one day for its Betty White Challenge soaring past her thousand dollar goal….

Changes Coming to MN State Fair Admission Fees, Hours

(AP Photo/Jim Mone,File) (FOX 9) – Changes are coming to the Minnesota State Fair, fair officials announced after concluding the 163rd annual meeting of the Minnesota State Fair Agricultural Society. The two main changes are an increase in admission prices and a change in hours. Starting in 2022 the entry fee for an adult will be $17. An increase of…

Judge Stops Minnesota Hospital From Disconnecting Ventilator

(courtesy: Fox 9) COON RAPIDS, Minn. (AP) – A man who has been suffering from a severe case of COVID-19 and was being kept alive by a ventilator has been moved from a Minnesota hospital to a Texas facility after a judge issued a restraining order stopping the hospital from turning off his machine. Fifty-five-year-old Scott Quiner, of Buffalo, was…

Rep. Pete Stauber Announces Re-Election Campaign for Minnesota’s 8th District

DULUTH, Minn. – Congressman Pete Stauber on Monday formally announced his run for re-election. U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber (R) who represents Minnesota’s 8th District won his second term against Democratic challenger Quinn Nystrom in 2020. “I am running for re-election because northern Minnesota needs a voice in Washington who will champion our causes built on the foundation of our values…

Daughter Accused Of Shooting Mother, Then Driving Away

ST. LOUIS CO., Minn. — A juvenile-aged girl allegedly shot her mother on Sunday afternoon in the Cook area, according to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities were sent over after a 911 call was made while the 40-year-old mother was brought to the hospital around 4:30 p.m. While law enforcement was on the way, the daughter got into…

Red Bull Heavy Metal Turns Cascade Park into Extreme Snowboard Course

40 riders from California to as far as Canada were attracted to Duluth’s unique venue.

DULUTH, Minn.- After 19 years the Red Bull Heavy Metal Rail Jam came back bringing extreme street snowboarding stunts right to many Duluthians’ backyard – Cascade Park. It’s not a sport for the faint of heart, but the thrill is what fuels these athletes. “Definitely scary,” snowboarder Melissa Riitano said. “Had butterflies dropping in for that first hit.” Last held…

City, Local Businesses Come Together to Stick Landing with Red Bull Event

The city does want to remind people that Cascade Park is never an area for these tricks outside of organized events.

DULUTH, Minn.- Putting the Red Bull Heavy Metal Rail Jam together required a team effort from the City of Duluth and even some local businesses. From the clerk’s office issuing permitting, to the Duluth firefighters on scene providing medical attention, 5 city departments were involved. Spirit Mountain crews set up the obstacles, while Damage Board Shop in Lincoln Park shut…

Cedar and Stone Sauna Offering Opportunities to Re-Charge this Winter

DULUTH, Minn. — A one-of-a-kind local sauna experience hit its 2 year anniversary this month and continues to help people decompress, reduce stress, and feel rejuvenated on the shores of Lake Superior. The Cedar and Stone Nordic Sauna in Canal Park is a traditional Nordic sauna inspired from Duluth’s Finnish history. It’s an indoor wood fired sauna that runs between…

Garage Fire Destroys Residence in Carlton County; No One Injured

Firefighters were able to confirm all occupants made it out, and there were no pets inside. 

CARLTON COUNTY, Minn.- A fire that started at a detached garage spread to and destroyed the nearby residence in Thomson Township Sunday. According to the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office, around 2:00 a.m., crews from the Esko, Carlton, and Wrenshall Fire Departments discovered the garage at 21 Ridge Road fully engulfed with fire. It was only a few feet from the…

Eveleth Community Celebrates Hippodrome’s 100 Years of Hockey, History

Community members are also working to preserve this venue as a future historical site, hoping to prevent it from ever being torn down.

EVELETH, Minn.- A staple of the Eveleth community celebrated a big milestone Saturday. The 100th birthday of the city’s Hippodrome was celebrated at the nearby Eveleth Auditorium. For the past century, quite a few famous hockey stars have graced the ice there, and others played some heart-pounding games. It was also home to many basketball games, fundraisers, and even concerts…

Fight Turns into Duluth’s First Homicide of 2022

Investigators learned a 46-year-old man got in a physical altercation with the 42-year-old after arguing.

DULUTH, Minn.- One man has died and another arrested pending manslaughter charges after an altercation in Duluth’s Lester Park neighborhood — the city’s first homicide of 2022, according to Duluth Police. According to a spokesperson with the Department, around 12:50 a.m. Saturday officers responded to a medical/assault call in the 100 block of N 54th Ave E. Dispatchers told responding…

COVID Cases, Staff Shortages Could Shift Duluth Schools to Distance Learning ‘with little notice’

The district considers three key variables as criteria for determining the need to move to distance learning at a single school, an entire level, or for the entire district.

DULUTH, Minn.- As COVID-19 cases continue to climb across the region, officials with Duluth ISD 709 shared the factors needed to keep learning in person, warning that a switch to virtual could happen fast. According to a press release sent out by Superintendent John Magas Friday, experts the district is consulting with forecasted that there will be “significant improvement” to…

Duluth Businesses on Enforcing Indoor Mask Mandate Round 2

A few businesses who differ on how they think the mandate will affect them over the next 30 days.

DULUTH, Minn. — As of 5 o’clock Friday evening, local businesses will have to require masks indoors. We caught up with a few businesses who differ on how they think the mandate will affect them over the next 30 days. One retail store in Canal Park, Flagship Apparel that screen prints, and sells some local-themed gear is coming off of…

Duluth Police Welcomes First Mother-Daughter Duo Officers in Department’s History

Officer Angela Robertson got to pin the badge on her daughter, Maddyson.

DULUTH, Minn.- Friday’s pinning ceremony at the Duluth Police Department was a special one for two officers with a special bond. Officer Angela Robertson got to pin the badge on her daughter, Maddyson. It’s the first mother-daughter duo in the department’s history. Ever since she was a child going on ride-alongs with Officer Angela Robertson, Maddyson knew she wanted to…

UMD Students Signing Petition to Protest Vaccine Form for Enrollment

DULUTH, Minn. – The start of the spring semester at UMD saw one recent student begin an effort to end the vaccine requirement to attend classes. Lucius Lafromboise is protesting against the form required by the University of Minnesota system that identifies a person’s vaccination status, or list a medical or religious exemption against getting one.  He chose not to fill…

Hospitals in Carlton County Meet to ‘Crisis Plan’ as COVID Continues Surging

Crisis planning is to prepare the hospitals, and make a course of action in case they become overwhelmed and have to send patients elsewhere.

CLOQUET, Minn. — Doctors from the Community Memorial Hospital met on Thursday to “crisis plan”, concerned that the latest surge of the Omicron variant might overwhelm medical facilities. Crisis planning is to prepare the hospitals, and make a course of action in case they become overwhelmed and have to send patients elsewhere. But with so many medical facilities bogged down…

University Of Minnesota System Announces Temporary Proof of Vaccination

DULUTH, Minn. — The president of the University of Minnesota System announced a new temporary change to how they are allowing people into events with more than 200 people. The university system, across the 5 campuses in the state, will be requesting proof of vaccination or a negative test 72 hours prior to the event in order to attend. This…

Proctor Teen Charged With Criminal Sexual Conduct

PROCTOR, Minn. – A Proctor teen has been officially charged in connection to the “sexual misconduct” allegations made in September against members of the Rails football team. According to the St. Louis County Attorney’s Office, a 17-year-old male has been charged with third-degree criminal sexual conduct. According to the criminal complaint, on September 16 the Proctor Police Department received an…