Minnesota

Duluth Black Woods Temporarily Closed Due to COVID-19

The restaurant says it will reopen Sunday, August 15

DULUTH, Minn. – DULUTH, Minn. – Black Woods Bar & Grill in Duluth announced Monday that it is temporarily closed after an employee tested positive for COVID-19. In a Facebook post, the restaurant says it will remain closed until Saturday, August 14. Both the Proctor and Two Harbors locations, as well as Tavern on the Hill, will remain open for…

One Injured in Tuesday Morning East Hillside Drive-By Shooting, Officers on the Scene

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth police are one the scene of an apparent drive-by shooting that happened Tuesday morning in the area of 15th Avenue East and Superior Street. Authorities say one person was shot in the incident and is in the hospital with unknown injuries. Officers have identified a suspect and believe the suspect is in the area of the…

Annual Sensory Day Out With Thomas Allows All Guests to Enjoy Tank Engine

Thomas the Tank Engine will be back again this coming weekend.

DULUTH, Minn. — Thomas the Tank Engine had an extended weekend on Monday with a sensory friendly day. Tickets for the event were free for kids with autism and a family member. With no loud music and crowds, the smaller event ensured all kids have access to Thomas the Tank Engine at their comfort level. “To know that all kids…

Lake County Fair Enjoys Last Day of Event

TWO HARBORS, Minn. – After four days of fun for the community, the Lake County Fair in Two Harbors wrapped up its events with horse relays and carnival games. The county fair was able to continue through this past weekend’s temperamental weather conditions. Bouncy houses, horse shows, and exhibits were among the many activities they had. The community run event…

Bike Duluth Festival Comes to a Close

DULUTH, Minn.- It is the last day of the 7th annual Kraus Anderson Bike Duluth Festival, and cyclists of all ages showed up rain or shine. The three day event marks a successful year at Spirit Mountain, with more than 600 participants overall. “So today is cross country portion, so we’ve got a lot of racers from around the state,…

Day Out with Thomas Sees Record First Weekend Back

Day Out with Thomas has already sold more than 20,000 tickets online for the two-weekend event.

DULUTH, Minn.- Thomas the Tank Engine and his friend Percy wrapped up a successful first three days of his return to the Twin Ports, bringing record attendance to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. Day Out with Thomas has already sold more than 20,000 tickets online for the two-weekend event, according to Railroad Museum Executive Director Ken Buehler. Monday’s free Sensory…

Decades-Old WWJC Radio Station Heavily Damaged In Early Morning Fire

The former General Manager shares his memories working at WWJC, and his hopes it hits the airwaves again soon.

DULUTH, Minn.- Burned wreckage and memories are all that’s left of the building that housed WWJC radio in Gary New Duluth, after an early Sunday fire took out the nearly 60-year-old station’s transmitters, taking it off the air. “We were the first Christian station in the Twin Ports,” said the Station’s Former General Manager, Ted Elm. “Sad to say that…

WWJC Christian Radio Heavily Damaged in Structure Fire

Damage in equipment alone is estimated at over $500,000. Damage costs to the structure are estimated to be around $75,000.

DULUTH, Minn.- A Duluth Christian radio station was left heavily damaged in a structure Sunday, with the cause unknown, according to the Duluth Fire Department. According to a spokesperson with the department, at approximately 3:08 a.m. Sunday morning someone driving by reported that flames were coming from the building housing WWJC AM 850 Radio at 1120 East McCuen Street. On…

Healthcare Workers Among Rally Against Vaccine Mandates Days after St. Luke’s, Essentia Announce Policies

Earlier in the week, St. Louis County Public Health pointed to those who still aren't vaccinated for the recent surge in community spread.

DULUTH, Minn.- Dozens of protesters from across the Northland, including several area healthcare workers, held a rally against COVID-19 vaccine mandates Saturday just days after Duluth hospitals announced new vaccine requirements, and as experts warn the country needs to boost vaccine numbers now more than ever. “This is an anti-mandate rally. I think we have people here that believe in…

Bus Races Back with Special Tricks at Proctor Speedway

DULUTH, Minn.- Midsummer Night of Mayhem at Proctor Speedway is back after a yearlong break. The bus races kicked off at six o’clock Saturday and crowds came out rain or shine. The event mostly brought together by volunteers, showcases a series of races including school busses, reverse racing, and special tricks. “I can’t even tell you it was raining when…

Duluth Fire Rescues 20-Year-Old Woman from Rip Currents off Park Point

Two rescue swimmers from rescue 1 were able to use a rescue surfboard to reach the victim, and help her to shore.

DULUTH, Minn.- A 20-year-old woman was swept up in those violent waves Saturday and had to be rescued by the Duluth fire Department. Fire officials responded to the report of a woman pulled away 200 yards from shore on the 2800 block of Minnesota Ave around 4:00 p.m. The water was actually too choppy to use the Marine 19 boat,…

Duluth Fire Warns of Dangerous Swimming Conditions Due to High Rip Current Risk

Officials warn to stay out of the water regardless of your swimming experience.

DULUTH, Minn.- The Duluth Fire Department issued a dangerous swimming condition warning for Park Point beaches Saturday, due to the high risk of rip currents, effective immediately. According to the Duluth Fire Department the warning lasts until 10:00 a.m. August 8. This warning means that wind and wave conditions can support rip currents. Rip currents are life-threatening to anyone entering the…

Target Won’t Require Office Workers to Return Before 2022

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Target says it will not require its downtown Minneapolis headquarters employees to return to the office for the rest of the year, due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. Target has about 8,500 workers at its headquarters offices, making it the largest downtown employer. In an update sent to employees Friday, Target said it is still planning…

Poplar Man, Former NFL Player, Pleads Not Guilty to Child Sexual Assault Charges

DULUTH, Minn. – Former NFL football player and Poplar native, Tom Burke, 44, has pleaded not guilty to the charge of first-degree criminal sexual conduct of a 7-year-old girl. In June, Burke was arrested after a female contacted the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office in February to report that the young victim confided in her that Burke had been performing…

Active Adventures: Mountain Biking Down Spirit Mountain

DULUTH, Minn.- In this edition of Active Adventures, we take you Mountain Biking down the trails at Spirit Mountain, ahead of the Kraus Anderson Bike Festival this weekend. Categories: Active Adventures, Community, Entertainment, Minnesota, News, News – Latest News Tags: Active Adventures, Duluth Bike Festival, jon regenold, Kraus-Anderson Bike Festival, Max Fierek, Mountain biking, Spirit Mountain

Brighton Beach to Close on Monday

  DULUTH, Minn. – The City of Duluth announced Friday that Brighton Beach will close to users beginning Monday. At that time construction will begin on the Lakewalk extension through the park as part of the Brighton Beach Mini-Master Plan. The Plan recommends the extension of the Lakewalk, relocation of the road to move it away from the shoreline, and…

University of Minnesota Professors Call for Vaccine Mandate

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A growing number of professors and staff at the University of Minnesota are calling on the school to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations this fall. Many faculty members say they are anxious about returning to the classroom as COVID-19 cases are surging due to the delta variant of the virus. More than 500 people have signed a letter supporting…

US Added 943,000 Jobs in July; Unemployment Rate at 5.4%

WASHINGTON (AP) – Hiring surged in July as American employers added 943,000 jobs. The unemployment rate dropped to 5.4% as the U.S. economy continues to bounce back with surprising vigor from last year’s coronavirus shutdown. The July numbers exceeded economists’ forecast for more than 860,000 new jobs. Hotels and restaurants, reopening and doing brisk business, added 327,000 jobs last month….

Ground Is Broken At Riverwest Development Site

DULUTH, Minn. — Ground was broken Wednesday on the Riverwest development in West Duluth across from Spirit Mountain. The work to get the permits for this project began in 2015 with the idea to have retail stores along Grand Avenue. The city of Duluth would also like to also eventually see development of multi-family and single-family housing on a portion…

Duluth Fire Department Begins Training at Esmond Building

Normally, Duluth fire crews would do this type of training at the Lake Superior College Emergency Response Training Center out in Gary-New Duluth.

DULUTH, Minn. — The abandoned Esmond building in Lincoln Park has now become the newest training grounds for the Duluth Fire Department. Formerly the Seaway Hotel, the vacant building is set to be torn down in one month. Until then the department will be using the structure for hands-on training in a realistic environment. Firefighters say, the 80 rooms on…

Entertainment Venues and Tourist Locations Requiring Masks

DULUTH, Minn.– Event venues and tourist destinations around the city of Duluth are adjusting their mask protocol along with county recommendations, but that is not preventing business from going on. Indoor mask requirements are slowly being introduced in various businesses around the city, and the Zeitgeist Arts Café, which hosts a variety of performances and events, is following along. “The…

St. Scholastica, Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College to Require Masks Effective Today

DULUTH, Minn. – The College of St. Scholastica and Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College announced Wednesday that they will be reinstating mask mandates at both of the colleges beginning Thursday, August 5. Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College say they will require “all employees, students, vendors, and visitors to wear masks inside campus buildings.” “From the very…

Iron Ore Trade Up in July on Great Lakes

Iron ore shipments are 5.2 percent above their 5-year average for the first seven months of the year.

CLEVELAND, OH – Great Lakes iron ore trade was up 61.8% in July. Shipments of iron ore on the Great Lakes totaled 5.7 million tons in July, an increase of 61.8 percent compared to a year ago. Shipments were also 3.2 percent above the month’s 5-year average. Year-to-date the iron ore trade stands at 26.4 million tons, an increase of 27.6 percent compared to…

St. Luke’s Announces COVID-19 Vaccine Policy For All Workers

DULUTH, Minn. — St. Luke’s announced late Wednesday that all of its employees, vendors, volunteers and board members will be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine completed by Oct. 1. The only exception to the rule involves employees who can’t take the shot for medical or religious reasons.   Those individuals need to file an exemption by Sept. 1 and also…

K-12 Prepares for Return to School with Guidelines

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Minn.– As the school year approaches, many have questions about how COVID protocols are going to come into play. Wednesday we spoke with a couple different superintendents around Saint Louis County to find out what their plan is. Duluth and Hermantown superintendents have a similar approach when it comes to planning for the Fall, but as of…

Essentia Health to Require COVID Vaccine as Condition of Employment

DULUTH, Minn. – Essentia Health announced Wednesday that it will require all staff to be vaccinated against COVID as a condition of their employment. “Employees must receive their first dose of vaccine by Oct. 1 and their second dose in a two-dose series by Nov. 1,” the hospital wrote in a statement. Additionally, vaccination will be also be required to…

Target to Offer Debt-Free Education to Front-Line Workers

NEW YORK (AP) – Target Corp. is joining a growing list of retailers and restaurant chains offering educational assistance at select online institutions for its front-line workers amid a fiercely competitive labor market. The Minneapolis-based discounter said Wednesday that it plans to spend $200 million over the next four years to offer its workers free undergraduate and associate degree programs…

Minnesota Prosecutor Charged With Sexually Assaulting Child

FOLEY, Minn. (AP) — The top prosecutor in a Minnesota county is facing three felonies for allegedly sexually assaulting a child under 16. Benton County Attorney Philip Miller, of Rice, was charged last week with second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a victim younger than 16 and two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct with a victim between the ages of…

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to Begin 2021 Harbor Dredging

The Army Corps of Engineers will be dredging 40 thousand cubic yards of sediment from the harbor.

DULUTH, Minn.- Some portions of beach along Park Point will close for about a month starting this week for The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin 2021 dredging in the harbor. While the dredging won’t affect traffic the beach from 7th Street to 12th Street will be closed for about a month and a half. The Army Corps of…