Minnesota

Therese Wisocki Joins List Of Candidates For Duluth City Council

DULUTH, Minn. – Another candidate has announced her run for the Duluth City Council. Therese Wisocki told FOX 21 on Sunday that she’s a retired telecommunications professional who has never run for political office before. Wisocki said she’s hoping to focus on improving public safety downtown and bringing new development there. Rising property taxes and low wages are also on…

DPD Opens Doors for Recruitment Open House

DULUTH, Minn.– The Duluth Police Department held an recruitment open house on Sunday for anyone with an interest in law enforcement to go behind the scenes. Those who took part had a guided tour of the Public Safety building in Duluth and had the chance to learn more about other opportunities that the Duluth Police Department has to offer. “This…

People Take a Step Forward for Autism Awareness Month

HERMANTOWN, Minn.– One in 36 kids is affected with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Over the years autism has had a bad reputation from being a highly misunderstanding neurological condition that affects millions world-wide.  “So autism is a spectrum. Our main goal is to raise awareness and acceptance for kids no matter where they fall on that spectrum,” said co-organizer of Autism…

Bloody Mary Festival Returns for a 2nd Year

HERMANTOWN, Minn.–Bloody Mary’s have been becoming quite popular in the Northland with another Sunday brunch dedicated to the tomato-y drink. Polished Pineapple Events held a Bloody Mary festival at the AAD Shrine. Bloody Mary makers from around the Midwest and one from Florida gathered for a casual day sampling all the different mixes. “The interesting thing about this event is…

The 34th Fitgers 5K Run

DULUTH, MINN. — The 34th Annual Fitger’s 5K was held this morning. Literally, hundreds of people took part in the event. In the Men’s division, Scott Behliing won for the fifth time in the last eight years. He finished the 5K in 15:56 – 20 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor. In the women’s division, a first-time winner of the…

Fire in Duluth Kills 2, Injures 2 Firefighters

DULUTH, Minn. — A fire at an apartment building in the Hillside neighborhood at 631 E 3rd Street Saturday morning left two people dead and two firefighters injured. When firefighters arrived on the scene at about 6:30 a.m., they saw smoke coming from the building and began work to fight the fire and rescue people inside. The name of the…

Duluth Denfeld Robotics Team Enjoying Houston

HOUSTON, TEXAS –The Denfeld Robotics team continues to enjoy its time in Houston at the World Robotic Championships. The team competed both yesterday and today. However, they won’t know if they compete on Saturday until Saturday. The whole team and the driving team gathered outside the convention center for a group photo. We heard from Sarah Shaffer a junior who…

Gary-New Duluth Rec Center Raising Money Through A Rummage Sale

GARY-NEW DULUTH, Minn. — The Gary-New Duluth Rec Center is hosting a rummage sale in West Duluth Friday and Saturday. The rummage sale is open and affordable to everyone. Prices are not marked on the items. Instead, people can pay whatever they are comfortable with. Thanks to the generosity of the surrounding community the Rec Center has received many donations…

Special Olympics Minnesota Hosts Unified Indigenous Games At Cloquet High School

CLOQUET, Minn. — A fun event took place at the Cloquet High School bringing students of all abilities together by playing games. Special Olympics Minnesota hosted the Unified Indigenous Games combining students with and without disabilities to play, learn, and grow together. The traditional indigenous games come from all over the world and have always been adaptable and accessible to…

Coffee Conversation: Local Musicians Austin Castle & Cole Mikel

DULUTH, Minn. — Two local musicians, Austin Castle and Cole Mikel, joined FOX21 on the morning newscast (Friday, April 21) to talk about an upcoming album release and play some tunes live in-studio. Castle was on the morning show back in November 2022 to talk about his album, “Northwoods.” This time around, Castle enlisted the help of his friend and…

High School Robotics Teams in Houston

HOUSTON, TEXAS — High school students from three area high schools are in Houston taking part in the World Championship for Robotics. The team from Denfeld has been sharing some video and photos of what they’re seeing and experiencing in Houston. There are more than 450 teams from across the country taking part in the competition. You can get an…

Man Accused Of Online Threats That Put Twin Ports On Alert Is Charged

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth man accused of Facebook threats earlier this week that put the Twin Ports on alert has been formally charged. Trevor Billings, 30, is facing two counts of Threats of Violence. Trevor Billings Each felony charge comes with a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The criminal complaint says Billings used a Facebook page called…

Zenith Digital Marketing Conference Brings in Hundreds of People

DULUTH, Minn. — The 10th Annual Zenith Digital Marketing Conference in Duluth Thursday brought in hundreds of marketers and business people from across the country. Over a dozen professionals spoke about marketing practices and other business topics, but the big subject was the development of Artificial Intelligence. The conference focused on effects of A.I on businesses and jobs. Speakers reassured everybody…

“No Hit Zones” Hope to Prevent Spanking of Children or Hitting Others

Staff members in certain public spaces will intervene.

It is child abuse prevention month, and part of that includes an effort by some to get parents to move away from spanking children. Thursday, supporters of that effort gathered at the YMCA in Hermantown to promote an area coalition that is establishing and increasing the number of “No Hit Zones.” The zones will be spaces and agencies where others…

Minnesota’s Unemployment Rate Down Slightly In March

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Minnesota’s unemployment rate was down slightly in March to 2.8%, according to data from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. DEED says the private sector lost around 6,100 jobs, while the government gained around 400. Labor force participation stayed flat month-to-month at 68%. The five supersectors in Minnesota that lost jobs, according to DEED, were: Construction lost…

9 Men Trying To Enter US From Canada Treated For Exposure

U.S. Border Patrol agents and multiple local emergency agencies rescued a group of nine individuals in distress after exposure to harsh weather conditions near Warroad, Minnesota. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) WARROAD, Minn. (AP) — Nine men who entered the United States illegally from Canada were rescued from a sub-freezing bog and given medical treatment for exposure to the cold,…

Coffee Conversation: California Musician Jonathan Foster Performs in Northland

NORTHLAND — Award-winning songwriter Jonathan Foster from Redding, California is currently on his Ten Year Sabbatical Tour and made two stops in Minnesota. Foster joined FOX21 on the morning newscast Thursday to chat about his career and give the northland a live TV performance. The artist performed in Grand Rapids, MN on April 19 and will take the stage next…

New Bicycle Tour Event To Honor Late Minnesota Senator David Tomassoni

EVELETH, Minn. — The late Minnesota Senator David Tomassoni who died last year from ALS is getting a new ALS fundraising tour named in his honor. ALS nonprofit Never Surrender Inc. is launching a new bike riding event called the “Tomassoni Tour, Cycle for ALS.” The announcement was made Wednesday at the Mesabi Station in Eveleth. The tour will happen…

2022-2023 Duluth Winter Officially Snowiest on Record

DULUTH, Minn. — At 5 A.M. this morning, the National Weather Service measured 2.0″ of snow, bringing our total snowfall for this winter to 137.1″. This breaks the previous record of 135.4″ set during the winter of 1995-96. This all started back on October 14 when we received the first snowfall of the season, getting 2.0″.  December brought 44.9″ of…

Mayor Again Asks Duluth Council To Avoid Budget Cuts, Use ‘Rescue Plan’ Funds

DULUTH, Minn. – Mayor Emily Larson is speaking up — through an email to councilors — about this year’s $383,000 in city wide budget cuts. She’s urging them to avoid the cuts by using American Rescue Plan funds. The $383,000 handles the one-percent levy cut the council made last December in Larson’s proposed property tax levy increase, which she said…

Minnesota Gov. Walz Draws Sharp Contrasts With Red States

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz drew stark contrasts between Minnesota and Republican-led states Wednesday night, using his State of the State speech to highlight how he and his fellow Democrats have used their new control over state government to push through an ambitious liberal agenda. Walz, now three months into his second term, told lawmakers and other…

Who Pays For Damage From Water Main Break

DULUTH, MINN. — In his continuing effort to have the city of Duluth take some responsibility for the damage caused to his home by a broken water main, Paul Zwak has submitted new information to the city. Zwak says he has researched with the Duluth City Engineering Department and found the waterline that broke on April 11th has been repaired…

Fond Du Lac Tribal & Community College Hosts Law Enforcement Career Expo

DULUTH, MINN. — The need for employees is a common theme among businesses throughout the Northland and across the country. But for law enforcement agencies, the need for police recruits is particularly high.  And that was made very clear at a law enforcement career expo held Wednesday in Cloquet. How significant is the shortage of law enforcement personnel in the…

Duluth Fire Department Busy in 2022, With Some Ups and Downs

Overall runs were up, but actual fires down. Code enforcement was up.

DULUTH, Minn. – Wednesday the Duluth Fire Department presented a picture of what calls were up and which were down in 2022. In 2022, the department made 478 more runs than the year before. That’s an increase of 3.2%. over 2021.  There were twenty-four fewer fire calls. There were also 18 water rescues, down by 21 from the year before….

Coffee Conversation: Maryland Musician to Perform at Sir Ben’s in Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. — Musician Eli Lev from Boonsboro, Maryland joined FOX21 on the morning newscast ahead of his performance at Sir Benedict’s Tavern on Saturday, April 22 in Duluth. The artist has just completed his Four Directions Project (2021) which includes four EPs that were inspired by indigenous traditions he learned while teaching on the Navajo Nation in Northern Arizona. His…

Fox, Dominion Reach $787M Settlement Over Election Claims

Attorney Justin Nelson, representing Dominion Voting Systems, speaks at a news conference outside New Castle County Courthouse in Wilmington, Del., after the defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News was settled just as the jury trial was set to begin, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Fox News agreed Tuesday to pay Dominion…

David’s Bridal Set To Close Shops In Minnesota As Company Files For Bankruptcy

(FOX 9) – David’s Bridal shops in Minnesota could close as soon as this summer as the company announces it is filing for bankruptcy. For now, the company says stores will continue operations and orders will continue to be fulfilled as normal. In a WARN notice, a filing that companies are required to report when they are anticipating layoffs, David’s Bridal states…

St. Scholastica Consolidating from Six Colleges Down to Three

DULUTH, Minn — The College of St. Scholastica is in the process of restructuring their academic programs, consolidating their six different schools down to three. Effect July 1, the three new schools will be the Stender School of Leadership, Business and Professional Studies, the School of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Health Professions. This restructure will promote collaboration…

Duluth’s ‘Stepping On Up’ Launches ‘Safe Bay’ For Homeless Living In Vehicles

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth homeless organizations launched a first Monday night by creating a designated location for people who are living out of their vehicles to safely park overnight. The “Safe Bay” is an initiative through “Stepping On Up.” The Safe Bay is located in the Domiano Center’s parking lot.  It will be operating daily from 8 p.m. until 8…

Monday Update: Closed Roads In St. Louis County

DULUTH, Minn. — The following is information from St. Louis County regarding closed roads. This list was released at 4:00 p.m. Monday. St. Louis County Public Works teams have been busy working on two fronts: clearing snow – as much as 6-8 inches fell in parts of the county – while also monitoring road conditions and making repairs when possible….

Chauvin Murder Conviction Upheld In George Floyd Killing

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Court of Appeals on Monday upheld former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s second-degree murder conviction in the killing of George Floyd, and his 22 1/2-year sentence remains in place. Chauvin’s attorney had asked the appeals court to throw out the ex-officer’s convictions for a long list of reasons, including the massive pretrial publicity. He also argued that legal…

JUUL Trial: Minnesota Settles E-Cigarette Lawsuit

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Minnesota has settled its lawsuit with JUUL and Altria a day before closing arguments were scheduled to begin, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said in a news release on Monday. Minnesota was the first to go to trial with JUUL and Altria for its e-cigarette marketing tactics, which Ellison said were deceptive and appealing to youths. Ellison sued JUUL in…

Sheriff’s Deputy And Suspect Killed In Minnesota Shootout

(AP) — One sheriff’s deputy died on his 44th birthday and two other law enforcement officers were injured after a shootout in west-central Minnesota that also killed the suspect in a domestic assault call Saturday night. Pope County Sheriff’s Deputy Joshua Owen died at the hospital Saturday after the shooting that happened around 7:30 p.m. at an apartment in Cyrus, authorities…

Sunday Update: Closed Roads in St. Louis County

DULUTH, MINN — The following is information from St. Louis County regarding closed roads. This list was released at 5:00 p.m. Sunday afternoon. St. Louis County Public Works has closed four more roads due to flooding issues, for a total of 11 newly closed roads today. One road, App Road near the Lake County border, was able to reopen this…

Closings, Delays, E-Learning: April 17, 2023

The following schools are closed, delayed or holding classes virtually for Monday, April 17, 2023: Ashland Schools: Closed Bayfield School District: Closed Bessemer Area School District: Closed Floodwood School District: Closed Solon Springs School District: Closed / Remote Leaning South Shore Schools: Closed / Remote Learning Washburn Schools: Closed / Remote Learning   Categories: Minnesota, News, News – Latest News,…

Minnesota Power: Local Dams Handling Rising St. Louis River As Built To Do

CARLTON, Minn. — Minnesota Power has activated its emergency action plans at four of its hydro facilities along the St. Louis River, like the Thomson Dam in Carlton. The emergency action plans are enforced to put the public and emergency management agencies on high alert of the higher-than-normal flows. They’ve developed plans of action to identify which neighborhoods are most…

Rising St. Louis River Closes Swinging Bridge At Jay Cooke State Park

CARLTON, Minn. – The St. Louis River within Jay Cooke State Park is raging so high that park officials have closed the Swinging bBridge to pedestrians for the time being. Visitors braved the snowy conditions Sunday to check out Mother’s Nature at her best there. Signs and tape blocked off the famous bridge over the St. Louis River until conditions…

Sleeping Bags, Tents Wanted As Duluth’s Warming Shelter Closes For Season

DULUTH, Minn. — The CHUM drop-in shelter in Duluth is asking for donated sleeping bags and tents as more of the homeless population will be out in the elements with Duluth’s Warming Shelter closing for the season on Monday. This comes as CHUM and MnDOT are planned to clean up a growing homeless encampment in Duluth sometime this week. The…

Lodge 9 Fundraises for Local Law Enforcement

HERMANTOWN, Minn.–If you would like to help support your local police force, the Lake Superior Lodge 9 held their annual Fraternal Order of Police Spring Fundraiser. The fundraiser was held over at the AAD Shrine Meeting and Event Center in Hermantown. They had games, prizes, raffles, and a silent auction where items available were all donated by local businesses and…

The AAD Shrine Circus Performs At The DECC

DULUTH, Minn.– Over the weekend, three shows from the big tent were live again at the DECC. The AAD Shrine Circus has been Duluth’s longest-running show for the last 101 years. This year saw clowns, acrobatics, and a whole lot of other thrills. “We have a lot of acrobatic thrill shows,” said Potentate Chief Rabbin Gary Bubalo. “We stopped having…

‘Discover Pro Wrestling’ Hosts Event At Clyde

DULUTH, Minn.–Get ready for a smackdown!  Fighters took to the stage inside a pack Clyde Iron Works to see who would ring out as the new or current defending champion. Fighters from all over the Midwest gathered to compete in Sunday’s showdown. “This is the third event that Discover Pro Wrestling is doing,” said DPW Heavy Weight Defending Champion Sierra….

Minnesota Deputy Shot, Killed Responding To Domestic Assault Call; Officer, Deputy Also Hurt

CYRUS, Minn. (Fox 9) – A Pope County Sheriff’s Deputy was killed along with a suspect in a domestic assault call Saturday. Two other law enforcement officers were also shot during the incident. Around 7:30 p.m. the deputy along, with another deputy from Pope County and a police officer from Starbuck, Minnesota responded to a domestic assault call in the town of Cyrus on…

Otters at Great Lakes Aquarium Turn 10 Years Old

DULUTH, MINN. — What better way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon, than celebrating the birthday of the otters at the Great Lakes Aquarium? The two otters, who are both female, are named Agate and Ore. They came to the aquarium from Louisiana when they were just six months old. Now nine and half years later they’ve reached the one-decade mark….