Minnesota

Damiano Center Hosts Community Event

DULUTH, Minn.- The Damiano Center in Central Hillside hosts its annual Community Connect event, where they provide several different services to people in need. One main goal of the community event is to get people ready for the colder seasons with health services, winter clothing, and food. Various organizations provided vaccinations, COVID-19 testing, and assisted-living services to homeless people or…

Victims Identified in Home Explosion, Fire Near Tower

(courtesy: Facebook/Friends of the Northland FireWire via The Timberjay Newspaper) GREENWOOD TOWNSHIP, Minn. – Authorities have identified the two victims in Wednesday’s house explosion and fire near Tower Minnesota. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office says 72-year-old Michael Gramse was found severely injured in the yard by fire crews when they arrived at the scene around 9:36 a.m. According to…

Second Harvest Launches New Program to Rescue Food for Local Families

DULUTH, Minn. – Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank announced Thursday it is launching a new program to rescue food for local families. Through the program, called “Fresh Connect,” volunteers can pick up food from convenience stores, retailers, restaurants, and caterers and deliver it to local food shelves, on-site meal programs, or the food bank directly. “The pandemic has affected…

Stiffest Charge Stands for Ex-cop Who Killed Daunte Wright

MINNEAPOLIS – A Minnesota judge has denied a defense request to dismiss the most serious charge against a former suburban Minneapolis police officer who said she meant to use a Taser instead of a handgun when she fatally shot Black motorist Daunte Wright. Former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter will stand trial in Hennepin County on first- and second-degree…

Duluth Consignment Shop Stocked With Winter Apparel

DULUTH, Minn. – With the weather turning cooler, a Duluth consignment shop has ditched its summer items for winter apparel. The Great Lakes Gear Exchange on East 4th Street has more than 1,600 consigners with cold-weather items in their store right now. The switchover to winter was made in early October and will continue until the end of March with…

Local Dealership Says There’s A Growing Demand for Electric Vehicles

DULUTH, Minn.- More people are going electric in the Northland. Local car dealerships are noticing an uptick in customers looking for electric vehicles, especially with more auto suppliers coming out with electric models, increasing gas prices, and the environmental benefits. “Been over the last couple of years, but there’s been more and more interest in the electric car since companies…

Curling Olympic Trials Underway at Curl Mesabi

The last time Northern Minnesota held a trials was for the men’s and women’s curling team in 1998, but this is the first time a Mixed Doubles Olympic Trials has been held.

EVELETH, Minn. — The US Olympic Trials for Mixed Doubles Curling is going on this week in Eveleth, and teams from all over the US are here vying for a spot on the US National Team as they get ready for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. The trials started Tuesday with 10 teams, playing a round robin tournament till…

Outfitters Preparing for Winter Camping

The business' manager says there's nothing quite like winter camping at the BWCA.

ELY, Minn. — Camping became more popular as people changed up their hobbies and habits during the pandemic, and that includes even camping in the cold. The Piragis Northwoods Company in Ely is one of the few outfitting companies in the area which continues to draw in campers during the winter time. The shelves are stocked with everything they need…

Zup’s Opens In New Location

Store owners say they have added 30 employees giving them 90 total. 

ELY, Minn. — Folks in one part of the Northland have a brand new option for buying groceries. After closing their old location in mid-October, Zup’s has now officially opened a new store in Ely formerly occupied by Shopko. “They needed to expand, and they did. It’s a wonderful location,” Ely Resident James Stone says. While it’s still on the…

Hermantown Haunted Trail Fundraiser for the Community and Former Teacher

HERMANTOWN, Minn.- The Hermantown High School Student Council and Civility Club are hosting the school’s 3rd annual Haunted Trails fundraiser this Saturday, and 40 percent of the proceeds will go to the Dobinson family. Former 9th-grade chemistry teacher, Tony Dobinson, was diagnosed with stage four liver cancer this past summer, preventing his return as a teacher this school year. Tony…

The DECC is Installing a New Ice Plant

DULUTH, Minn.- The Duluth Entertainment Convention Center is making some changes to the North Pioneer Hall refrigeration room, not long after an ammonia leak shut down the facility for a couple of days this past summer. Home to the Duluth Curling Club, the facility began construction on Tuesday and plans to have the project completed in time for curling leagues…

Update: One Dead, One Severely Injured in Home Explosion, Fire Near Tower

(courtesy: Facebook/Friends of the Northland FireWire via The Timberjay Newspaper) GREENWOOD TOWNSHIP, Minn. Authorities say human remains have been found inside the home that appears to have exploded and then caught fire Wednesday morning in Greenwood Township. According to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, the 911 Center received a report around 9:36 a.m. of a house explosion in the…

Visit Duluth Launches New Tourism Website

DULUTH, Minn. – Visit Duluth on Wednesday announced the launch of its new website. The group says the newly launched site shows Duluth as a premier vacation, outdoor, convention, and destination spot while also highlighting helpful information for visitors to the area. To help get the new website up and running Visit Duluth says they teamed up with local marketing…

Twin Metals to Appeal Federal Decision on Proposed Mine

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Twin Metals says it will appeal a federal decision that dealt a serious blow to its proposed copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota. Last week, the Biden administration ordered a mineral withdrawal study that could lead to a 20-year ban on mining upstream from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a popular recreational area in the Superior National…

Fire Crews Respond to Home Fire, Explosion Near Tower

  GREENWOOD TOWNSHIP, Minn. – Fire crews responded to the scene of a potential home explosion and subsequent fire in Greenwood Township near Tower Wednesday morning. According to the Northland FireWire Facebook page, the fire was reported around 9:40 a.m. in the 1700 block of the Everett Bay Road. One person was severely injured and was airlifted to a Duluth…

Gov Walz Announces Plan to Vaccinate 5-11 Year Olds in Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Today, Governor Tim Walz announced Minnesota’s plan to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to children ages 5-11 after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committee voted to recommend the use of the Pfizer vaccine in children 5-11 years old. “Every 5-11-year-old in Minnesota deserves the protection the COVID-19 vaccine has to offer,” said Governor Walz. “The…

Preparations Underway for Chum Warming Center; Organizer Seek Volunteers

DULUTH, Minn. – St. Louis County officials say preparations have started once again to offer a warming center this winter for people experiencing homelessness in the Duluth area. As part of the preparations, organizers are looking for volunteers and donations so they can be ready when the first cold night arrives. While CHUM staff is always on-site when the warming…

Chester Bowl Gearing Up for Winter Season

They are also starting to fit people for their winter equipment.

DULUTH, Minn. — As the warm weather winds down ski hills in the area are making the transition to their winter season. “The winter transition really happens at the end of spring we start doing our annual chairlift maintenance we start planning for the upcoming winter,” Chester Bowl Programs & Operations Manager, Sam Luoma says. Right now, Chester Bowl and…

Scarium at the Aquarium Back with Fishes and Frights at Great Lakes Aquarium

Just like last year, masks are required at the three-day event, already sold out at 750 tickets.

DULUTH, Minn.- For the next few days the fish at the Great Lakes Aquarium have something new to look at, as folks are coming by in their Halloween costumes for Scarium at the Aquarium. “It’s enrichment for the animals too to see folks in costumes, something a little out of the ordinary,” said Alexis Berke, Director of Learning and Engagement…

Statewide Virtual Manufacturing Fair Takes Place Thursday

Most manufacturing jobs only need a high school degree and on-site job training.

DULUTH, Minn. — Minnesota Gov. Walz declared October Manufacturing Month in the state in an effort to get more people into the field. The average salary in the industry is more than $70,000 a year in Minnesota, which is 10 percent higher than other industries in the state. Right now, there are more than 8,000 job openings in Minnesota manufacturing…

Duluth Vacation Rental Cap Increases from 60 to 70 Units

  DULUTH, Minn. — The city of Duluth will soon be allowing more vacation rental properties to pop up in neighborhoods, including short-term rental options while occupied by the homeowner. “We are trying to make sure that the kind of regulations that we have function well in the community and most specifically in our single-family residential areas where you have…

Superior Nets Awarded in Honor of National Disability Awareness Month

DULUTH, Minn.- The Minnesota Organization for Habilitation and Rehabilitation presented an award to Superior Nets in honor of National Disability Awareness Month and their theme, “Increasing Access and Opportunity.” After being nominated by Udac, Superior Nets was named the 2021 Outstanding Disability Employer by MOHR. The local netting company is gaining recognition for employee and business success by creating an…

Superior Meats Prepares for Thanksgiving Shoppers

DULUTH, Minn.- The Thanksgiving season is approaching quickly, and local grocers prepare for holiday food shoppers. Superior Meats should be receiving their holiday season turkeys and hams any week now, encouraging people to come in early for their thanksgiving needs. There may not be a meat shortage, but the country is currently facing a supply chain disruption that may delay…

Minnesota on Track for Most Traffic Deaths Since 2007 If Driving Doesn’t Improve, Officials Say

There have been 401 traffic-related fatalities since Jan. 1, the earliest the state's reached 400 since 2007.

DULUTH, Minn.- The Minnesota Department of Safety reporting a scary milestone on Minnesota highways — 401 deaths as of Monday. They’re calling for drivers to shape up, as this year is on track to be the deadliest on the state’s roads in 14 years. “There are some people who are afraid to go out and use that roadway because of…

Best High School Singers in State Perform At UMD Honor Choir Concert

40 high school students who made auditions started rehearsing songs Monday morning for the concert later in the day.

DULUTH, Minn.- What do you get when you take some of the best high school singers from across Minnesota and put them together? Sweet music. That’s what was on display at UMD’S High School Honor Choir Concert. 40 high school students who made auditions started rehearsing songs Monday morning for the concert — just later in the day. This was…

YWCA Duluth Receives Grant

The program is designed for girls in grades 3 through 8 and it gives them opportunities to work on schoolwork, STEM programming and leadership development.

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth YWCA received a large grant from the AT&T Foundation to improve some of its programs that will help girls in the community. The organization has a “Girl Power” program that had to pivot to less in-person services during the pandemic that it’s now bringing back. Each program is designed for girls in grades 3 through…

Stores Gearing Up for Hunting Season

Northwest outlet in Superior received their hunting clothing items a few weeks ago.

SUPERIOR, Wisc. — Clothing stores are getting their gear in for hunting season. Northwest outlet in Superior received their hunting clothing items a few weeks ago. They are seeing people come in to purchase their blaze orange clothing, cover scents and more as hunting season approaches in Minnesota and Wisconsin. “We never know if it’s going to be 20 degrees…

Warming Centers Preparing to Open

In January, it's moving over to a bigger facility in Lincoln Park.

DULUTH, Minn. — A few shelters in the twin ports say the need to help the homeless community is growing as both supplies and space to house more people are continuously in-demand. The new executive director of CHUM, John Cole, says Duluth’s homeless population is only getting bigger. The Rainbow Center, which CHUM oversees, is going to open as a…

St. Louis County Atty. Will Conduct ‘Careful Review’ Of Proctor H.S. Football Investigation

DULUTH, Minn. – The St. Louis County Attorney’s released its first statement Monday involving the recent criminal investigation involving some members of the Proctor High School football program. County Attorney Kimberly Maki said her office has received the Proctor Police Department’s reports on the investigation and “will conduct a thorough and careful review of the evidence before making any charging…

Whistleblower Haugen Says Facebook Makes Online Hate Worse

LONDON (AP) — Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen told British lawmakers Monday that the social media giant stokes online hate and extremism, fails to protect children from harmful content and lacks any incentive to fix the problems, providing momentum for efforts by European governments working on stricter regulation of tech companies. While her testimony echoed much of what she told the U.S. Senate this month,…

School Board Resignations Triple in Minnesota

Nearly 70 Board Members Have Resigned in 2021, Triple the Number of Resignations in a Regular Year

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Contentious disagreements over COVID-19 policies and critical race theory have caused a significant increase in the number of local school board resignations in Minnesota. According to the Minnesota School Boards Association, nearly 70 board members have resigned from their positions this year, triple the number of resignations in a regular year. The association says that equates…

DuluCon Blasts Through 2021 in New Space at Miller Hill Mall

The Convention was able to spread out their main stage and videogame tournament, panelists, vendors, and more end-to-end throughout the mall.

DULUTH, Minn.- DuluCon has gone through quite a few evolutions in its three-year history. From starting out just at the Encounter Youth Center downtown in 2019 to going virtual during the pandemic last year, the event came back in full force in 2021. “This was a very experimental year. It was, briefly, it was a success,” said Josh Effinger, member…

COVID-19 Wave Overwhelms Rural Hospitals Short On ICU Beds

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The case of a rural Minnesota man who waited two days for an ICU bed and later died is among several examples that have frustrated officials in rural hospitals whose facilities are overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients. Bob Cameron spent two days in his hometown hospital in Hallock, Minnesota, where caregivers searched nonstop for space in a larger…

Fire Damages House For Homeless In Virginia, 7 Displaced

Courtesy: Northland FireWire VIRGINIA, Minn. – Seven residents of a house for people who are homeless were displaced by fire Saturday in Virginia. The flames broke out around 4 p.m. at Bill’s House on the 200-block of 3rd Street North, according to the Northland FireWire. Courtesy: Northland FireWire When firefighters arrived, they found a mattress on fire.  One bedroom was…

Small Plane Crashes into Wisconsin Home, Kills 2 Onboard

MARENGO, Wis. (AP) – Authorities say two people died when a single-engine plane crashed into a home in northwestern Wisconsin. The Ashland County Sheriff’s Office received numerous 911 calls about 2:40 p.m. Saturday with reports of the crash in the town of Marengo. No one on the ground was hurt. The sheriff’s department says the victims are a 29-year-old man…

Duluth Preservation Alliance Annual Awards Recognize Cities History

DULUTH, Minn. — The West Theater held the 40th Duluth Preservation Alliance Awards this week which help recognize some historical properties in the area and how they have been preserved. Some of these properties have been standing since the 1800’s, and have gone through heavy preservation work. Award recipients include places like the George A. Tomlinson house on Hawthorne Road,…

Duluth Police Union Local 807 Calls for Transparency from City Administration in Labor Negotiations

The wage and healthcare negotiations come amid one of the police department's worst staffing shortages they've seen in years.

DULUTH, Minn.- The Duluth Police Union Local 807 is speaking out, asking for transparency from Mayor Emily Larson’s administration as they continue negotiating wage and healthcare changes — amid one of the police department’s worst staffing shortages they’ve seen in years. Union members say they met with city leaders to talk about a 15% bump in pay to police officers’…

MEA Weekend Drawing In Crowds

DULUTH, Minn. — MEA weekend comes at the perfect time of year, where students and teachers K-12, get a few extra days off to enjoy the fall. People and families from all over the state travel this weekend, and the preferred destination for many seems to be the North Shore. Crowds gathered on the Lakewalk Friday in Canal Park to…

Duluth Children’s Museum Costume Drive Aims to Help All Families Have a Fun Halloween

The costumes are free to anyone in need and will be available for pick up Friday through Sunday during regular business hours.

DULUTH, Minn.- The Duluth Children’s Museum is hosting a costume drive so all families can look forward to a fun Halloween. The museum is accepting all gently used or new children’s costumes from size birth and up. The costumes are free to anyone in need and will be available for pick up Friday through Sunday during regular business hours. Organizers…

2nd Annual Dulucon Begins

It will continue throughout the weekend at the mall and at the Encounter Youth Center. 

DULUTH, Minn. — The second annual Dulucon began on Friday at the Miller Hill Mall. It will continue throughout the weekend at the mall and at the Encounter Youth Center. For more information, click here.       Categories: Community, Minnesota, News Tags: DuluCon, duluth, Miller Hill Mall

Minnesota Fire Chiefs Gather for Conference at the DECC

DULUTH, Minn.- The Minnesota State Fire Chiefs Association hosts a conference at the DECC with about 545 fire chiefs and crew members in attendance. The conference’s primary goal is to bring Minnesota fire chiefs and trainees together to network, learn, and improve their tactics. “This is a great turnout to see all of our chief officer colleagues and firefighters and…

City of Duluth Encourages Residents to Sign Up for Northland Alert

DULUTH, Minn.- Duluth City Officials encourage residents to sign up for Northland Alert. This automated messaging system will notify people of snow emergencies and other hazardous events occurring in designated areas. The alert system services Duluth, Hermantown, Virginia, and more. The service allows residents to receive a text message, phone call, or email about a nearby incident. The city will…