Minnesota

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…

National Take Back Prescription Drug Day Held Saturday

Experts say there has been a 31% increase in opioid use since the start of the pandemic.

DULUTH, Minn. — Saturday is the annual ‘Take Back Prescription Drugs Day’ hosted by local law enforcement agencies across the country. On Friday, state leaders got together virtually urging people to properly dispose of their unwanted or unused prescription medication. Experts say there has been a 31% increase in opioid use since the start of the pandemic. All the more…

U of M System To Require Proof of Vaccination for Faculty, Staff

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The University of Minnesota will require all faculty and staff system-wide to submit proof of vaccination to comply with President Joe Biden’s executive order that requires federal contractors and subcontractors to show proof of employee vaccinations. The university previously only required faculty and staff to attest to their vaccination status. How is the U of M…

‘Northland Alert’ Notifies Residents of Snow Emergencies and More

DULUTH, Minn. – The City of Duluth is encouraging residents and visitors to sign up for “Northland Alert” notifications for when a snow emergency is declared in the city. Northland Alert is a partnership between the City of Duluth and St. Louis County. Other cities, including Hermantown, Hibbing, and Virginia, also partner on the program. By signing up, residents in…

Minneapolis Officer Charged in Pursuit That Killed Motorist

(courtesy: Fox 9) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A prosecutor says a Minneapolis police officer has been charged with manslaughter and vehicular homicide in a fatal crash in July that occurred while the officer was pursuing a stolen vehicle. Officer Brian Cummings was driving nearly 80 mph in Minneapolis with his siren and lights activated when his squad car slammed into a…

Duluth Firefighters Rescue Cat From Burning Building

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth firefighters rescued a cat from a burning building Thursday night. Firefighters could be seen giving the cat some oxygen after taking in too much smoke. The fire broke out around 7:15 p.m. on the 1600-block of Commonwealth Avenue in the Gary-New Duluth neighborhood. When crews arrived, flames were seen from the second floor of the four-plex….

St. Louis County Rescue Squad Trains Through Big Waves In Ship Canal

DULUTH, Minn. – Training was at an extreme for the St. Louis County Rescue Squad Wednesday in the Duluth Ship Canal. The waves were fierce, creating perfect conditions for the rescue squad crews to take out four boats and practice their swift-water rescue skills. At one point, their small Zodiac boat overturned in the big waves, but Capt. Rick Slatten…

MN Air Rescue Team Holds Demonstration At The DECC

DULUTH, Minn. – The DECC became ground zero for an aerial search and rescue demonstration for Minnesota firefighters. The mock rescue was performed by the Minnesota Air Rescue Team, which is a joint venture between the Minnesota State Patrol and the St. Paul Fire Department. The team is available to assist hundreds of fire departments across the state for high-risk…

Duluth’s Clure Public Maritime Terminal to Receive More International Shipping

DULUTH, Minn. — Thursday, the Port of Duluth-Superior receives about 800 vessels and average of 35 million tons of cargo annually. But port officials made an announcement Thursday that could project these rates increasing, and the impact it’s going to have on surrounding areas. Duluths Clure Public Maritime terminal is expanding its capabilities now as larger volumes of international shipping…

Mayor Emily Larson Talks Proposed 2022 Tourism Tax Allocations

DULUTH, Minn.- Duluth Mayor Emily Larson talked about the proposed 2022 Tourism Tax allocations and why those numbers changed compared to last year. One of the most significant changes involves funding for Visit Duluth. In August, Mayor Larson announced Bellmont Partners as Duluth’s new tourism marketing firm for the next three years. Last year Visit Duluth received $1.5 million from…

It’s Time to Prep Your Gardens for Winter

DULUTH, Minn.- As we move into the colder months, freezing temperatures are here, and local garden experts have advice on how to prep your plants. A Resident Urban Farmer at the Duluth Community garden recommends preserving your harvest by drying your plants and removing any that may attract pests. Experts say prepping your garden with mulch and compost will help…

CHUM Announces “Fresh Fridays” Food Boxes

DULUTH, Minn.- CHUM food bank in Downtown Duluth is making a new addition to its battle against hunger in the city. Starting tomorrow, they will be distributing produce as part of their new “Fresh Fridays” food box giveaway. They were struggling to find fresh food items for the community, but they could offer lettuce, milk, potatoes, and more with a…

The Great Pumpkin Train Stops in Duluth

The event is completely sold out.

DULUTH, Minn. — The North Shore Scenic Railroad is winding down its 2021 season, but not before capping it off with one of its most popular events before Halloween. The yearly “Pumpkin Train Express” went full steam ahead on Thursday. It brings passengers to a pumpkin patch to pick out some of the orange gourds. New this year, guests can…

Two Garages Suffer ‘Extensive Damage’ in Thursday Morning Fire in Eveleth

EVELETH, Minn. – Two garages in Eveleth were ‘extensively damaged’ after a fire broke out early Thursday morning in one garage and spread to the second nearby garage. According to the Northland FireWire, six Iron Range fire departments responded to reports of a garage fire around 7:55 a.m. The fire was reported in the 600 block of Garfield Street. One…

Teachers Ask For Virus Protocols After Student, Staff Deaths

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Members of Minnesota’s teacher’s union are calling on on school leaders to do more to protect students and staff after the state Department of Health reported the first student death from COVID-19 this school year. Health officials said the student and two staff members died last week. That increased the total number of school fatalities…

Minnesota Colleges Investigate Alleged Sex Competition

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. (AP) — The College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University is investigating allegations that some male students started a competition this fall to see who could have more sexual encounters with female students. The allegations were first reported by The Record, the student newspaper for both colleges, which are Roman Catholic schools. Katie Alvino, a spokeswoman for…

St. Louis County Public Health Updates Online COVID Dashboard To Include New Regional Data, Pediatric Information

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Minn. – St. Louis County Public Health has updated its online COVID-19 dashboard to include new and updated regional data as well as pediatric COVID information. Health officials say the dashboard now includes clearer data about transmission rates and trends in the county. New graphs have also been added showing the total number of new cases added…

UPDATE: Ex-Minneapolis Cop Gets 57 Months in Killing of 911 Caller

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A former Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot an unarmed woman after she called 911 to report a possible rape behind her home has been sentenced to 57 months in prison, which was the maximum term possible under the state’s sentencing guidelines. Mohamed Noor was initially convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter in the 2017 death of…

Starbase Receives $25,000 Grant From New Partner

DULUTH, Minn. — Starbase Minnesota-Duluth is excited to receive a $25,000 grant Wednesday from Enbridge Fueling Futures. Starbase is a non profit education organization that specializes in teaching area 5th graders in various branches of science, technology, engineering and math in a hands-on way. Starbase opened up their new state of the art building in September of 2020, and this…

St. Luke’s Raises Awareness During ‘Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month’

DULUTH, Minn. – The birthing center at St. Luke’s in Duluth is looking to remind grieving parents they are not alone during this Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Statistics show 1 in 4 families will suffer this type of loss at some point in their pregnancy journey. St. Luke’s looks to help families grieve by offering memento boxes with…

Sun Country Ready For Take Off Come December

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth International Airport is getting excited as they are closer to launching their Sun Country Airline which offers direct flights to two new and warm destinations starting in December. Sun Country is launching its first direct flights to Fort Myers, Florida and Phoenix, Arizona starting December 17th and running seasonally through April 25th of 2022. The…

Duluth Reminds Public of Snow Emergency Routes With Winter Approaching

DULUTH, Minn. — The snow isn’t here yet, but the cities of Duluth and Superior are in snow-prepping mode right now, and they’re sending out a few reminders for the community to be aware of what to do as the snow begins to fall. A snow emergency is when the city anticipates heavy snowfall to make driving conditions unsafe so…

‘Visit Duluth’ Board Agrees To Much Smaller Sales Role With City

DULUTH, Minn. – Visit Duluth — the city’s top marketing arm since 1935 — has agreed to a much smaller role with the city so it isn’t dissolved altogether. This comes after the city council recently approved a 2022 tourism marketing contract with Bellmont Partners out of the Twin Cities worth $1.8 million. The company came out on top after…

Union Gospel Mission Hosts Jacket Giveaway

DULUTH, Minn.- Duluth’s Union Gospel Mission held their annual jacket giveaway earlier today. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the food shelf closed off their indoor rooms from the public but continued to serve hot meals and more, using a window to provide service. A table was set up outside the facility, filled with clothing and food, while people lined…

The Depot Welcomes Kids to Ojibwe Storytime

DULUTH, Minn.- The St. Louis County Historical Society began its weekly Ojibwe storytime today at the Depot in Duluth. The museum’s Ojibwe gallery is currently closed for renovations, and Depot organizers want to continue educating people about the indigenous culture. Museum assistant Abby Johnson reads Ojibwe children’s books to kids every Wednesday to teach them about Native American history. “Hoping…

Duluth Firefighters Train in Old Seaway Hotel

DULUTH, Minn.- For several months, the Duluth Fire Department used the old Seaway Hotel building in Lincoln Park to conduct hands-on training. Multiple fire grounds survival training sessions were held in the old Esmund building this past summer, but today’s fire training included a realistic and hazardous situation involving special effects. “The idea of this training is teaching every individual…

Truck Drivers Seeing Workforce Shortage

Faculty say, that the course has been thriving with a current waiting list for students. 

DULUTH, Minn. — Technical Fields at Lake Superior College are going strong as several industries in the area and across the country are experiencing a workforce shortage. Specifically, the truck driving course at the college which is a 9-10 week course that combines online and in-person learning as students get to drive the trucks at the college’s site in Gary…

Local Appliance Stores Still Experiencing Supply Shortage

The reasoning behind the shortage? Lack of raw materials, shipping containers tripling in cost, and missing components all play a part in the long wait.

DULUTH, Minn. — Businesses in the area are continuing to see a supply chain shortage with not being able to get certain products in a timely manner, or not at all. “This all-new territory since probably the beginning of second quarter last year, Daughtery Appliance Sales Owner, Scott Boedigheimer says. Daughtery Appliance Sales in West Duluth has been around for…

Unvaccinated Minnesotans 30x More Likely To Die From COVID

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm says unvaccinated Minnesotans are 15 times more likely to require hospitalization for COVID-19 and 30 times more likely to die from the disease than unvaccinated residents. The commissioner gave those figures Wednesday as the Minnesota Department of Health began posting additional data as part of its weekly report on vaccine breakthrough cases, which…

Proctor Police Department: Football ‘Misconduct’ Investigation Nearing Completion

PROCTOR, Minn. – The Proctor Police Department says the investigation into the football “misconduct” allegations is nearing completion. On Wednesday, City Administrator Jess Rich released a statement on behalf of the Proctor Police Department which reads in full: “The Proctor Police Department has been working closely and cooperatively with the St. Louis Count Attorney’s Juvenile Office and Proctor School Officials…

Gov. Walz Announces More COVID Rapid Testing Sites Across Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. – On Wednesday Governor Walz’s office announced more COVID-19 rapid testing sites will be added in the coming weeks across Minnesota, including Duluth and Hibbing. Beginning Friday the current COVID testing site located at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center will offer rapid tests to the community. Earlier this month the DECC exapnded its COVID testing capacity by…

MN DOC Searching for Missing Man on Intensive Supervised Release

Authorities are asking for the public's help locating Daryl Brian Quagon who has ties to Sawyer County

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Corrections is searching for a Minnesota man recently released from prison on Intensive Supervised Release who is now missing. According to a recent news release, 56-year-old Daryl Brian Quagon left his home in Pine City without permission and removed his GPS monitoring bracelet in the area of Stone Lake, Wisconsin. He has…

Biden Administration Delivers Serious Blow to Proposed Twin Metals Mine

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Biden administration dealt a serious blow Wednesday to the proposed Twin Metals copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota, ordering a study that could lead to a 20-year ban on mining upstream from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The government said it has filed an application for a “mineral withdrawal,” which would begin with a comprehensive study…

Ice Castles Returning to New Brighton, Minnesota

(courtesy: Fox 9) (FOX 9) – The Ice Castles are coming back to Minnesota this winter after missing out last year due to the pandemic. According to Ramsey County officials, the Ice Castles are returning to Long Lake Regional Park in New Brighton this year. The park last hosted the Ice Castles in 2020. In past years, the attraction has…

Advocate: I-35 Homeless Encampment Fire Highlights Duluth’s Affordable Housing Crisis

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth’s top homeless outreach advocate is speaking out one day after a homeless camp in Duluth created quite the fire and smoke show under a busy stretch of I-35 downtown. Deb Holman, outreach coordinator for CHUM and the Human Development Center, said homeless advocates and the Minnesota Department of Transportation are working together to try to find…

Hartley Park Pond Clean-Up

DULUTH, Minn.- Members of Duluth Public Works and Utilities are cleaning up the Hartley Park pond just in time for winter. As a part of routine maintenance, crew members began clearing out tree debris and cattail plants from the pond’s dam Tuesday morning. The pond will be undergoing its annual dam inspection before we move into colder temperatures. “Right now,…

General Election Day is Around the Corner

DULUTH, Minn.- We are only weeks away from Duluth’s 2021 general election on November 2, and officials encourage people to vote early. The city’s general election ballot includes two City Councilors-at-Large positions, two district city council seats, and multiple school board positions. This Friday is the last day to request mail-in ballots. After Friday, voters can come into City Hall…

Life 97.3 Looking to Spread Kindness in the Northland

So far, the station has already received hundreds of stories and video submissions on their website. 

DULUTH, Minn. — One local radio station is looking to spread kindness around the Northland. Earlier this month, Life 97.3 asked its listeners to submit videos to the station’s website of themselves or others doing acts of kindness. The radio station has a goal of reaching 973 acts by World Kindness Day on Nov. 11, and they are also sharing…

Carlton County Advocacy Group Created to Promote Animal Shelter Need

The group of almost 200 members held their first information meeting last week.

CARLTON COUNTY, Minn. — Since the closure of the friends of animal’s humane society in Cloquet back in 2018 the city, and county have been looking to fill that void. After the loss of the only animal shelter in the Carlton County area, city and county staff have stepped in to provide free microchip clinics to residents. Local law enforcement…

Mount Royal Library Gets a New Mural

DULUTH, Minn.- The Mount Royal Public Library in Duluth unveiled a new mural, designed and constructed by Anishinaabe artist and Heart Berry CEO Sarah Agaton Howes. Visually, the mural is of a Native American woman and her granddaughter, sitting together as the older woman tells her a story. The mural, “Grandma’s Lap,” shows a bond between the family members and…

Artists Create Mural To Support Fire-Damaged Bar & Grill

The restaurant is still months away from opening the kitchen, but Witherspoon says opening the bar in a few weeks is the first step to get back to interacting with the folks he loves to see.

DULUTH, Minn. — Spoon’s Bar and Grill in Duluth is getting closer to reopening. This after two fires in August and September caused over $400,000 worth of damage to the building. Now, the restaurant is getting a special new makeover on its siding. “It’s amazing how the smallest things in life mean the most ya know,” Spoon’s Bar & Grill…

St. Louis County Public Health Announces New Vaccine and Testing Options

DULUTH, Minn. – St. Louis County Public Health is continuing to offer COVID-19 vaccine appointments and testing opportunities for the community. Vaccines available at these clinics include Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson and Johnson. Also available are Pfizer boosters for those who are eligible, as well as third doses of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for immunocompromised individuals. Vaccine appointments this week…