(US Forest Service-Superior National Forest/Facebook) ISABELLA, Minn. – The U.S. Forest Service says cooler temps and higher humidity helped to slow the growth of the Greenwood fire on Thursday. Fire crews took advantage of the weather conditions to improve fire lines and use defensive operations in the west and north parts of the fire. Officials say the priority for Friday…
ALBERT LEA, Minn. (FOX 9) – Nearly 300 Albert Lea students have been quarantined for exposure to COVID-19 after the first week of school, prompting changes to the school district’s face mask requirements. Albert Lea Area Schools Superintendent Mike Funk shared an update with families Thursday, stating the virus has “significantly disrupted” the start of school. After five days of…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Governor Tim Walz has ordered all United States and Minnesota flags be flown at half-staff at all state and federal buildings in Minnesota to remember, mourn, and honor theUnited States service members and other victims that were killed or wounded in a terrorist attack carried out in Kabul, Afghanistan Thursday. The governor’s office says the order…
NEAR ISABELLA, Minn.,- For those who thought the incoming rain would help fight the Greenwood wildfire, officials Thursday said it’ll be snow that likely provides the moisture needed to bring the almost 26,000-acre fire down. “And this’ll be a long-term incident, of course,” Incident Commander Brian Pisarek said. “Put this out as probably snowfall as what’s gonna extinguish it, in…
DULUTH, Minn.- Hundreds of kids in need got to start their school year worry-free, with free backpacks full of school supplies. The Minnesota Elks gave out 200 backpacks full of whatever their supply lists called for. It’s the 9th year the elks have done the back to school event, and they say the joy it brings to the kids brings…
DULUTH, Minn.- A weekend of live music from Johnny Cash to Metallica is back in the Northland as Tribute Fest kicked off today at Bayfront Park. The event is two years in the making after being called off last year due to the pandemic. Veterans and their families can enjoy the festival free of charge while tickets for other are…
BABBITT, Minn. — As the Greenwood Fire rages on, community members and organizations in the town of Babbitt are doing their part to help the men and women on the front lines. “A lot of evacuation and setting up sprinklers on homes and stuff like that just to get people out of the way of danger,” Babbitt EMS Worker, Mike…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Fire Department has responded to a second report of fire coming from Lincoln Park’s Spoons Bar & Grill Thursday morning. According to the fire department, crews responded to the restaurant for a second time around 11:38 a.m. When they arrived at the scene fire crews found smoke coming from the rear of the building near…
(Brian Peterson/Star Tribune via AP) ISABELLA, Minn. – The Greenwood wildfire has now grown to nearly 26,000 acres. Officials on Thursday updated the size of the fire to 25,991 acres and reported that 12 homes or cabins and 57 outbuildings have been destroyed in the fire. Forest officials decided to keep the popular Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness closed another…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Fire Department has issued a warning for dangerous swimming conditions at Park Point beaches effective immediately until 10:00 a.m. tomorrow. The warning means that wind and wave conditions can support rip currents, which are life-threatening to anyone entering the water. Red flags are flying along the beach to indicate dangerous swimming conditions. You are advised…
(AP Photo/Jim Mone, File) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A judge has rejected a request by a gun owners group for a temporary injunction to require the Minnesota State Fair to allow permit holders to carry their pistols on the fairgrounds. Judge Laura Nelson ruled Wednesday that they’re unlikely to prevail as the broader-case goes forward. The judge issued her ruling the…
DULUTH, Minn. – An early morning kitchen fire at Spoon’s Restaurant in West Duluth caused an estimated $75,000 in damage. According to the Duluth Fire Department, fire crews responded to the restaurant around 2:27 a.m. Thursday on reports of flames showing from the building. When crews arrived at the restaurant, located at 2113 West Superior Street, they found flames coming…
The Greenwood Fire’s devastating destruction became very real Wednesday evening as officials released how many structures were damaged or destroyed in the McDougal Lake area. According to the Superior National Forest Service, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office has counted 12 cabins and homes destroyed by fire and nearly 60 outbuildings, like sheds, also destroyed. Three other primary structures, like cabins…
DULUTH, Minn.– A local family favorite restaurant since the 70’s closed its doors about a week ago here in Duluth, and Nordic Auctions went in today to sell the last parts of Ganucci’s. West Duluth’s’ Ganucci’s Italian Market and Restaurant held a full business liquidation today selling off all food stock, kitchen items, dining room furniture and other décor to…
DULUTH, Minn.– Animal Allies held a microchipping event at the Damiano Center on Fourth Street Wednesday afternoon where the public brought their cats and dogs to get chipped for free. The micro chip is about the size of a grain of rice, and sits under the animals skin on their backs and it can be scanned to view specific information…
DULUTH, Minn.– The Harbor Highlands YMCA held their annual back to school fair this evening, preparing and supplying kids with the materials they might need before the year starts. There were multiple tables set up outside teaching the kids about areas of health, safety and wellness, and they were able to receive backpacks and other school supplies too. According to…
DULUTH, Minn.– As Duluth public schools prepare for the 5-day, in-person instruction this academic year, Superintendent John Magas talks about why the mask requirements for students age 2 and older will be beneficial in the long run. Duluth School District officials confirmed the mask requirement as of last night as district officials updated ISD 709’s “Safe Learning Plan.” By doing…
DULUTH, Minn.- The American Red Cross hosts a two-day blood drive event sponsored by Bentleyville and Bent Paddle Brewing. The blood drive welcomes donors to sign-up or walks into AMSOIL Arena to give blood today and tomorrow. Donors will receive a free T-shirt from Bentleyville and a free beer from Bent Paddle Brewing. “They need to have that blood available…
DULUTH, Minn.- University of Minnesota Duluth students started welcome week festivities by moving back to campus. Lines of cars full of first-year students and parents were wrapped around the campus, waiting to be checked into their new living situations. “Yeah, it’s exciting,” said first-year student Noah Peterson. “Very different than last year when we only went to school twice a…
ISABELLA, Minn. — On Wednesday more than 400 firefighters on the ground were busy conducting several defensive operations with the help of air resources. One of the main goals is helping to reduce burnable natural fuel near homes and the edge of the fire. “We really gotta make sure highway one is closed to the public,” Greenwood Fire Public Information…
ISABELLA, Minn. – Officials say the Greenwood fire grew to 21,720 acres Wednesday with suppression operations expanding to the east and south. Wednesday’s weather is expected to be favorable for firing operations with lights winds, lower temperatures, and relative humidity in the high 30th percentile. Authorities say firefighters plan to conduct several defensive firing operations today to reduce the burnable…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesotans who get their first COVID-19 vaccine dose at the State Fair can walk away with a $100 Visa gift card. Gov. Tim Walz announced the State Fair edition of the state’s $100 reward program Wednesday. The first 3,600 Minnesotans to get their first dose at the fair can claim their gift cards immediately afterward….
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Minnesota Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal by opponents of Enbridge Energy’s Line 3 oil pipeline, letting stand a key decision by independent regulators to allow construction to proceed. The state’s highest court declined Tuesday to take the case, effectively affirming a decision in June by the Minnesota Court of Appeals. And it left…
DULUTH, Minn. – On Wednesday, the U.S. Forest Service announced it is closing the Superior National Forest lands along the upper portion of the Gunflint Trail due to ongoing fires and limited availability of firefighting resources. This closure includes all forest lands along Cook County 12/Gunflint Trail beginning at the Cook County 92 Intersection to the end of the Gunflint…
(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…
