(Sarah Shapiro/USDA Forest Service via AP) DULUTH, Minn. (AP) – U.S. Forest Service officials have extended the closure of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness as Minnesota’s largest wildfire doubled in size. The Greenwood fire burning in the Superior National Forest in northeastern Minnesota grew to about 30 square miles Monday, and four new smaller fires started within the BWCA….
BABBITT, Minn.– The Greenwood fire is still burning through the Northland, and shows no signs of stopping any time soon as dry weather conditions continue. The Red Cross evacuation site in Finland packed up yesterday, and relocated to Babbitt, about an hour and a half North West to respond to the demand of resources needed there. What was formerly going…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth School District confirmed its back-to-school plans Tuesday evening that include students learning in-person five days a week and students 2 and older wearing masks. The mask requirement also includes all school employees and guests. The confirmation came as district officials updated the ISD 709 Safe Learning Plan. Supt. John Magas said he’s following the guidance…
DULUTH, Minn. — The Army Corps of Engineers began the repair of a portion of their Piers at the southern vessel yard Tuesday morning. Crews were mobilizing equipment to replace one of the old concrete walls built in THE 1940s which is worn down due to age. It will be replaced with steel sheet pile. People working on the project…
DULUTH, Minn. — More than 500 people stopped by the DECC for a city-sponsored back-to-school event and community resource fair. The free event was all about getting community resources into the hands of kids and their families including different forms on transportation, housing and more. There was also more than 1,400 backpacks handed out for free through Chum, but the…
(courtesy: U.S. Forest Service/Facebook) BABBITT, Minn. – The American Red Cross says they are turning the Temporary Evacuation Point in Babbitt into an overnight shelter to help those displaced by the Greenwood fires. The shelter will provide by providing safe shelter, food, emergency relief supplies, emotional support, health services, current disaster information, and other resources. People are encouraged to bring…
(AP Photo/Jim Mone,File) FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. – Around 150 vendors will be missing when the Minnesota State Fair returns Thursday from a one-year layoff due to the pandemic. Many pulled out due to COVID-19 fears, staffing shortages, and supply chain issues. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports that’s double the number of vendors that usually drop out. Several state agencies…
ISABELLA, Minn. – The Greenwood fire has grown to approximately 19,493 acres, according to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. As of Monday evening, the fire was zero percent contained and was expected to jump over Highway 1 causing new evacuation orders for those in the fire’s path. The fire had also broken out in two new areas, one on the…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Fire Department issued an advisement early Tuesday morning due to heavy smoke in the area. According to a Tuesday news release, “The Duluth Fire Department is issuing an advisement that early this morning around 0420, a wind switch from the approaching weather front has brought smoke from the wildfires north of Duluth to our…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Fire Department says a Duluth home sustained an estimated $60,000 worth of damage in an early Monday morning fire. Fire crews responded to reports of a fire just after 2:00 a.m. at 509 West 4th Street. When crews arrived on the scene they found heavy flames coming from the first floor and the front porch…
BWCAW – The Cook County Sheriff’s Office and Gunflint fire personnel are alerting people along a northern portion of the Gunflint Trail to “get ready” for potential evacuations because of growing wildfires in the BWCAW. The pre-evacuation alert is for property owners from Seagull Lake to the south end of Loon Lake. Sheriff Pat Eliasen posted on social media Monday…
DULUTH, Minn.- A new food truck in the Twin Ports is pushing the boundaries of what goes on the hotdog. “Hotdogs are fun. You can just put anything on a hotdog,” said Cory Netland. “We just have a book full of recipes and ideas.” So, what’s UpDawg? It’s the newest food truck in the Twin Ports launched by Netland and…
FINLAND, Minn.– The Red Cross’ evacuation site at the Finland Community Center relocated today to Babbitt, as demand for services has shifted with the greenwood fire. Forest Service officials tell us the weather patterns today were volatile, pushing the fire to move more North West. The new evacuation site in Babbitt is providing food and water, medical help, and in…
FINLAND, Minn.– The Greenwood fire has grown to more than 10 thousand acres, burning through the Superior National Forest, and it is still zero percent contained. The Fire is expected to jump over Highway 1 soon, which might mean new evacuation orders for those in the fires path. As of Monday, the fire broke out in two new areas, one…
ELY, Minn. — “We’re at a point right now where it’s just incendiary so we had to take this drastic action for the first time in almost 50 years,” Piragis Northwoods Company Owner, Steve Piragis says. The recent closure of the boundary waters is bad news for some of the outfitters in Ely who equip campers with everything they need…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The University of Minnesota will require all students to get vaccinated against COVID-19. President Joan Gabel and Jakub Tolar, dean of the university medical school, issued a news release Monday hours after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration fully approved the Pfizer version of the vaccine saying shots will be mandatory and students will receive an email…
FINLAND, Minn. – New evacuation orders were issued Monday afternoon due to the growing Greenwood fire. The U.S. Forest Service posted on their Facebook page Monday, “The Greenwood Fire is expected to cross State Highway 1 near the intersection of Lake County Highway 2. It has also moved to the northeast into the vicinity of McDougal Lake, requiring fire and…
(US Forest Service) DULUTH, Minn. – On Monday, the US Forest Service provided updates on the status of the John Ek and Whelp fires in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. According to officials, no fire-fighting crews have been sent directly to the fires due to difficult access, limited aircraft resources, and safety concerns. Instead, crews will focus on fuels…
ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) – The Big Ten is the latest Power Five conference to announce that a team must forfeit if it doesn’t have enough players available for a league game because of COVID-19. The Big Ten said the team that forfeits will be assessed a loss in the conference standings and its opponent will be credited with a win….
(courtesy: Fox 9) ROCHESTER, Minn. – Igor Vovkovinskiy, the tallest man in the United States, has died in Minnesota. He was 38. His family says the Ukrainian-born Vovkovinskiy died of heart disease Friday at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. He came to the Mayo Clinic in 1989 as a child. His size was due to a tumor pressing against his…
DULUTH, Minn. – Folks in the Northland are gearing up this week for the start of The Tribute Fest happening August 26 – 28 at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth. The Tribute Fest was set up to raise awareness and funds for homeless veterans in the state of Minnesota. New this year: veterans or active duty military and their families…
DULUTH, Minn. – City of Duluth Utility Operations crews are responding to a water main break in West Duluth. The break was reported just before 8:00 a.m. Monday and is located on the 100 block of South 58th Avenue West. City officials say water has been shut off on the 100 block of South 58th Avenue West. It is not…
DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth police and fire departments responded to a report of a car that went off of the road on Skyline Parkway in the city on Sunday. It happened right before noon. The fire department used a thermal imaging camera from a distance to see if they could find anyone inside the car. The driver was the…
DULUTH, Minn.– One of the biggest houses on Park Point has been sold for $2.5 million dollars, and the homeowners are continuing to auction some remining items with proceeds going to several animal shelters. DeBora and Charlie Bernick have lived on park point for 26 years and they have collected an assortment of items that have helped define their beautiful…
DULUTH, Minn.– Daniel Durant, a native Duluthian, paid a visit to the West Theater in Duluth with his family and friends this past Thursday for a private screening of his newest movie, CODA. This film is of a girl named Ruby who is the only hearing member in her deaf family in Gloucester, Massachusetts, who run a fishing business. While…
TWO HARBORS, Minn.– The 4th annual Party in the Park was held in Two Harbors today, and drew in families and children of all ages to enjoy the nice day with some fun for the whole family. There was a balloon animal stand, temporary tattoos, blow up courses and a foam pit, for the kids to play with, but the…
SUPERIOR, Wisc. — The world of accordions museum in Superior recently welcomed some new members to its family. Located inside the Harrington Arts Center on Belknap Street in Superior, the non-profit recently received about 350 accordions courtesy of a well-regarded collector from Washington D.C. Joining 1,400 accordions already a part of the museum, staff at the largest accordion museum in…
DULUTH, Minn. — The short film, A Simple Mistake, was made by Chisholm residents Nathaniel Coward and Seraphia Gravelle during a nine-week course at the Minnesota Discovery Center. “We discussed how we would execute it. It took use about two takes. It was a pretty fluid process,” A Simple Mistake Director & Producer, Seraphia Gravelle says. It depicts one man’s…
FINLAND, Minn. — A public meeting is scheduled for Monday at 6 p.m. where officials will provide updates on the Greenwood Fire, as well as the fires burning in the Superior National Forest which have caused the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to close. Presentations will be given by the Forest Service, the Incident Command Team, and the local sheriff….
DULUTH, Minn.- The Superior National Forest closed the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) Saturday, due to active and increasing fire activity, extreme drought, and limited resources. The closure will be in place for seven days and may be modified or extended as conditions allow. “A full-on, a full closure of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness that is, that’s…
DULUTH, Minn.- The Duluth Art Institute held a grand re-opening of its Lincoln Park building Saturday with an in-person day of community art. All ages could stop by the institute to shop art supplies and take-home pieces, enjoy food from the Updog food truck, and make some art to take home inside. Staff said after a year with only virtual…
DULUTH, Minn.– More than 100 art vendors set up their pieces for the 11th annual Art in Bayfront Park today after its cancellation last year. This two-day event features different unique pieces like canvases, photographs, and other types of hand crafted art lining the walkways of Bayfront Park. This event showcased some of the best work from local and regional…
DULUTH, Minn.– The Duluth Climbers Coalition held their annual flock to the rock climbing event at Ely’s Peak today where close to 200 people of all ages came out to either climb again, or climb for their first time. Members of the climbers coalition, a non-profit climbing group out of Duluth, were happy to get back out providing the gear…
Photo: Superior National Forest SOUTH OF ISABELLA, Minn.- Crews continue battling the Greenwood Fire as it grew to 9,062 acres Saturday morning after minimal precipitation and high winds overnight, according to the U.S. Forest Service-Superior National Forest. On Saturday, operations staff will reinforce the southern line of the fire in the area of Hwy 2 and the McDougal Lake area….
DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Police Department was out in full force today helping support the Special Olympics. The Coffee of Champions event at Dunkin Donuts is geared towards raising funds and awareness for Special Olympics in Minnesota. It also helps families with costs for sporting events. Anyone who made a contribution received a free donut with the hopes of…
DULUTH, Minn.- Champion four-wall handball competitors in the upper Midwest came to the YMCA in downtown Duluth for today and tomorrow’s North Shore handball tournament. Eight players are competing in the tournament for the first-place prize of $200. The best of the best came from as far as Illinois to compete. “Yeah, meeting all the players, some I haven’t seen…
DULUTH, Minn.- Several community organizations, including AICHO and CHUM, are working together for next Tuesday’s back-to-school event. School supplies, medical checkups, food, and other community resources are available to families and kids of all ages. Essentia Health is also providing COVID vaccines to eligible kids and adults. “Back to school is stressful for families anytime, especially during the pandemic,” said…
DULUTH, Minn.- The Lakewood fire department is one of the many volunteer fire crews going out to help tackle the Greenwood fire. Several volunteer fire service crews from across the state have been going out to Lake County throughout the week to help monitor the blaze. “It’s tremendous that to the community, to the fire service,” said volunteer Chief Kurt…
DULUTH, Minn. — One Duluth area park is receiving a big expansion. Hartley Nature Center broke ground Thursday morning on a $2.5 million expansion project. Much of the funding comes from the Greater Minnesota Regional Parks and Trails Commission Legacy Grant funds. Parks officials say this will give more people the chance to experience everything Hartley has to offer. “To…
DULUTH, Minn. — Area high school students went out to the UMD Land Lab today to learn about all things sustainable. Living skills and food systems were just some of the objectives students had. “As well as learning some sustainable living skills, getting outside and learning some hands-on experience. And learning through that hands-on experience about food systems and sustainability…
DULUTH, Minn. – The annual Grill Wars fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Northland has been canceled due to staffing shortages. The event was originally scheduled to be held in August at Bayfront Festival Park but was pushed to September 8 in the hopes of increasing the availability of staff. On Friday afternoon the Boys & Girls…
FINLAND, Minn. – The Lake County Sheriff’s Department is evacuating more residents due to the Greenwood Fire. (U.S. Forest Service) According to the U.S. Forest Service Facebook page, the fire has jumped over to the west side of Highway 2 just north of Stony Lake. Deputies were on-site and evacuating residents in the area of Sand Lake and Stony Lake….
DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth police say two pedestrians were involved in an accident with a DTA bus Friday afternoon in Lincoln Park resulting in “minor injuries.” The accident happened in the area of West Michigan Street and 27th Avenue West around 2:09 p.m. According to police, both pedestrians sustained minor injuries in the crash and were treated by Duluth Fire…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz is extending a welcome mat for refugees from Afghanistan. In a letter to President Joe Biden on Thursday, Walz, and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan offered to work with the federal government to continue Minnesota’s history of welcoming refugees by assisting with the resettlement of people fleeing Afghanistan. They wrote that Minnesota…
(Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP) FINLAND, Minn. – U.S. Forest Service officials are warning home and cabin owners who fled a wildfire in northeastern Minnesota that the winds could shift this weekend, putting their properties in danger. Dozens of people got the warning at a public meeting Thursday evening in the small town of Finland. Minnesota Public Radio reports that…
(courtesy: Fox 9) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The embattled leader of the Minnesota Republican Party has been forced to resign following accusations that she ran an operation that was rife with verbal abuse, intimidation, and sexual misconduct. Jennifer Carnahan initially resisted calls to resign, saying she had no knowledge of sex-trafficking allegations against a close friend and prominent GOP donor. She…
(Minnesota State Fair / FOX 9) FALCON HEIGHTS, Minn. (FOX 9) – The Minnesota State Fair is back this year, but not all of its vendors. Fair organizers say it’s typical for some vendors to choose not to return, but this year that amount has doubled compared to previous years. “At this point, I can say between 150 to 200…
CASS COUNTY, Minn. – A 65-year-old Oak Grove man drowned in Leech Lake Thursday afternoon after a witness reported seeing the man struggling in the water near a pontoon. According to the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, the witness called authorities around 12:50 p.m. to report seeing a man struggling in the water, but as they got closer they no longer…
DULUTH, Minn. – Kids and families got a chance to check out a backpack giveaway in Duluth Thursday. The American Indian Movement of the Twin Ports was behind the event. More than two dozen backpacks, a whole lot of supplies and even a half-dozen new pairs of shoes were all given out. “It’s really important to me because I was…
GRAND RAPIDS, Minn.- Many K thru 12 schools in Itasca County are now strongly recommending students mask up for the school year, as the County deals with the highest level of community transmission of any Northeastern Minnesota county. Itasca County has seen 45 new positive cases in the last 7 days, according to health officials. School leaders say they can…
