News

Abortion Among Major Issues At Stake In Wisconsin Court Race

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A conservative tilt on the Wisconsin Supreme Court has given Republicans victories on voting restrictions, gerrymandered legislative districts and other high-stakes cases in recent years. Voters now have a chance to tip that balance toward the left, with implications for abortion rights and perhaps the outcome of the 2024 presidential election in one of the nation’s most closely divided political battlegrounds. Tuesday’s primary…

Duluth Sport Show is a Hit Once Again

DULUTH, Minn.– The Duluth Sport Show has finished is third of four days back at the DECC and so just one day remains to sees all kinds of things to enjoy. It’s Saturday, so the attendance was way up from the first two days. Vendors showing everything from RV’s and resorts to Fishing equipment and boats. Vendors showed off heir…

23rd Annual Polar Plunge for Special Olympics

DULUTH, Minn.– The temperature may be nice for February but the water is still freezing, but that’s not stopping anyone from jumping in to support of a great cause. Many brave souls are local, but country singer Frank Ray decided to take a cold dip before his performance at Amsoil Arena tonight. “I’m so fired up to be here, it’s…

23rd ANNUAL POLAR PLUNGE

Duluth, Minn. — Lake Superior played host to the 23rd Annual Polar Plunge in Duluth this afternoon.  Some 600 people were scheduled to take the plunge to help raise funds for Special Olympics. Ryan Temple of the Duluth Police Department said, “Law enforcement is the number one supporter and fund raiser for Special Olympics and the world. So to see…

AmeriCorps Members Help Local Students with SEL

Dultuh, Minn. — The pandemic had, in the words of the Brookings Institute, a devastating impact on students.  It not only affected academic levels, but with students not having interactions with other students their social skills were also impacted. True North AmeriCorps is helping 30 schools and other organizations work with children to help the students with their Social Emotional…

Superior Family, Pets Escape Burning Home; Firefighters Credit Working Smoke Detectors

SUPERIOR, Wis. — For the second time in a week, the Superior Fire Department is crediting working smoke detectors for allowing residents to safely exit burning structures. The latest fire happened around 7:47 p.m. Friday on the 800 block of North 19th Street. Fire crews arrived four minutes later to find fire in the kitchen of the home, according to…

Maple School Dist. Plans To Eliminate Teacher Positions Amid $575K Deficit

MAPLE, Wis. – More than a half-dozen teacher positions are planning to be eliminated within the Maple School District next school year because of an anticipated $575,000 deficit, according to Supt. Sara Croney. As of Friday’s announcement, a full-time math teacher, social studies teacher and part-time library aide are being eliminated at the high school. At the middle school a…

Duluth’s Amazing Grace To Host ‘Last Hurrah’ After 27 Years In Business

Amazing Grace Cafe & Grocery, a staple in Canal Park for 27 years, will close the doors for good at the end of February. The decision to close, according to the owner Connor riley, was very difficult to make but the right one after trying to fight through the pandemic and its aftermath. Amazing Grace has been providing locally sourced,…

Ojibwe Winter Games Much More Than Games

Children learn skills tied to history and ancestors

Winter is what you make of it. And for Native Americans, it is an important time for their culture. That was on full display Friday in the cold and sunshine of February. It was the Ojibwe Winter Games at UMD’s Bagley Nature Area. In the form of very specific and unique games, school children were learning skills that native ancestors…

Fire Destroys Two-Story Home Near Cook

Courtesy: St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office BEATTY TOWNSHIP, Minn. – Fire ripped through a two-story home north of Cook Friday evening. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office said the fire broke out around 4:50 p.m. on the 8700 block of Raps Road in Beatty Township. When firefighters arrived, the structure was fully engulfed in flames. Nobody was inside the home…

Biden’s Trump-Focused Campaign Could Be Risky If GOP Shifts

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden built his 2020 White House run around promises to beat Donald Trump “like a drum.” As Biden gears up for an expected reelection campaign, he insists he can do it again. But what if Trump isn’t next year’s Republican nominee? Though the GOP primary race is only just beginning, a general election pitting Biden against any other Republican could look very…

Company Fined $387K For Hiring Children To Clean Slaughterhouses In Minnesota

(FOX 9) – The company sued by the U.S. Department of Labor for using child labor at slaughterhouses and meat processing facilities in Minnesota and seven other states paid over $1.5 million in penalties on Friday, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The DOL said Packers Sanitation Services Inc (PSSI) paid civil penalties to facilities in Arkansas, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Tennessee…

Talking with IRRRB Commissioner Ida Rukavina

Duluth, Minn — It’s been just a month and a half since Ida Rukavina was appointed commissioner of the IRRRB. For most of that time, she has been in St. Paul talking with legislators and committees about the IRRRB and its needs.  Rukavina is a name most people in the area will recognize…Ida Rukavina is the new commissioner of the…

5 Memphis Officers Plead Not Guilty In Death Of Tyre Nichols

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Five former Memphis police officers pleaded not guilty Friday to second-degree murder and other charges in the violent arrest and death of Tyre Nichols, with his mother saying afterward that none of them would look her in the eye in court. Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Desmond Mills Jr., Emmitt Martin III and Justin Smith made their first court…

Coffee Conversation: Ojibwe Winter Games Returns to UMD

DULUTH, Minn. — Ojibwe Winter Games returns to UMD for second year, displaying traditional Ojibwe games and experiences for students and community members. Iris Carufel, Assistant Director of UMD’s American Indian Learning Resource Center, joined FOX21 on Friday’s morning newscast to talk about the event and its purpose. The event is taking place from 10:00am – 3:00pm at the Bagley Nature Area. People can…

Bent Paddle Turns Original Tap Room Into THC, CBD ‘Cann-A-Lounge’

DULUTH, Minn. – Gov. Tim Walz declared Feb. 16 Beer Day in Minnesota.  That means breweries in Duluth were celebrating with specials. The Minnesota Craft Brewers Associations said it’s a day to celebrate not just the past of beer in the state, but also how far it has come, and what the future holds. In the past 20-plus years, more…

Boys and Girls Clubs Youth of the Year

DULUTH, Minn.–The Boys and Girls Clubs held their annual Youth of the Year event at Clyde Iron Works. Two boys gave speeches on their experiences and lessons learned while at the clubs. The speeches were performed for judges who could also interview the boys. The winner of tonight’s competition gets to compete for a chance at a fifty thousand dollar…

Governor’s Budget Risks Wisconsin University Tuition Hike

MIDDLETON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers’ budget leaves the University of Wisconsin System about $130 million short of what regents say they need to run their campuses over the next two years, raising questions about whether they may raise tuition to make up the shortfall. Republican lawmakers froze in-state undergraduate tuition systemwide in 2013 but lifted the freeze in 2021,…

Biden Wants ‘Sharper Rules’ On Unknown Aerial Objects

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Thursday that the U.S. is developing “sharper rules” to track, monitor and potentially shoot down unknown aerial objects, following three weeks of high-stakes drama sparked by the discovery of a suspected Chinese spy balloon transiting much of the country. The president has directed national security adviser Jake Sullivan to lead an “interagency team” to review…

56th Annual Duluth Sport Show At The DECC This Weekend

DULUTH, Minn. — The 56th Annual Duluth Sport Show is coming to the DECC this weekend. The show features many different opportunities truly making it feel like you are in the great outdoors. From hunting, fishing, camping, traveling gear and events, to testing your boating skills. There is even a waterskiing squirrel. This is a family friendly event with an…

Eli Hart Killing: Mom Sentenced To Life In Prison For Murdering Her Son

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Eli Hart’s mother Julissa Thaler has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering her 6-year-old son on May 20, 2022. Thaler was sentenced Thursday, Feb. 16, to life in prison without the possibility of parole after being convicted of first-degree murder. Before the judge handed down her sentence, she said she was innocent, used an expletive and called everyone…

Michigan State University Shooter Had 2 Guns: Police

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The man who shot eight students at Michigan State University, killing three, had two handguns that were purchased legally but not registered, police said Thursday. The 9 mm guns and ammunition were found with Anthony McRae when he killed himself Monday night after being confronted by police, said deputy campus police chief Chris Rozman. The shootings took…

UMD, UWS Offer Support After Fatal Michigan State University Shooting

UMD and UWS sent emails to students, faculty and staff to offer support and guidance following the fatal Michigan State University shooting. The following message was sent by UMD Interim Chancellor Dave McMillan: “The events of last evening at Michigan State University are horrifying. UMD shares in the sadness and sorrow of the Michigan State University community. We honor the…

Minnesota National Guard and Norway Sign State Partnership Program Agreement

DULUTH, Minn. – “Today, the U.S. is Norway’s most important ally,” Chief of the Norwegian Home Guard, Elisabeth Michelsen says. It’s been five decades since two generals, one from the United States and the other from Norway met in Norway and shook hands to start the longest running military exchange program between two nations. “That handshake meant so much it…

Jungle Gym Announces March Pro Boxing Match In Duluth

FOX 21's Dan Hanger will be the event's ring announcer

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth’s Jungle Boy Boxing has announced a pro boxing match at The Garden in Canal Park next month. Zach Walters, head coach of Jungle Gym in downtown Duluth told FOX 21 Wednesday that he’s more than pumped to get this fight night in front of hundreds of people March 10th. And if you’ve never been to a…

Duluth Police Ask For Public’s Help Locating Kwik Trip Robbery Suspect

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth police are asking for the public’s help in identifying a robbery suspect who they say targeted the Kwik Trip on the 4200 block Grand Avenue at 1:15 a.m. Wednesday. The following is a post on DPD’s Facebook: “The reporting party stated that the suspected male passed a note to them and demanded money from the till….

Indigenous Families Seek Support/Understanding in Loss of Loved Ones

Feel there is more urgency when other groups need help

The effort to remember Native American women who have been murdered or are missing was the focus of a community event in Duluth Tuesday.  But the issue of violence affects not only women, but also men and entire families. Sage Matthews of Duluth still mourns the loss of her niece and nephew who died separately four years ago.  She and…

Blowing Snow In Northwestern Minnesota Leaves Vehicles Stranded; National Guard Responds

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – The Minnesota National Guard is responding to Clay County, Minnesota, where vehicles have been left stranded during a blizzard warning along Interstate 94 between Fergus Falls and Moorhead. In a news release on Wednesday, Sen. Rob Kupec says Gov. Tim Walz has deployed the Minnesota National Guard to assist motorists and residents amid blizzard conditions. “In light of the severe…

Duluth Police: Man In Jail After Threatening Security Officer With ‘Edged Weapon’

DULUTH, Minn. — A man is in jail after  threatening a security officer with an edged weapon in the East Hillside neighborhood, according to the Duluth Police Department. The police department says the incident occurred on Wednesday at 8 a.m. near North 6th Avenue East and East 3rd Street in Duluth. When officers arrived, they saw a 54-year-old man holding…

PolyMet Mine In Minnesota Becomes NewRange Copper Nickel

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – PolyMet Mining and Teck Resources finalized a joint venture Wednesday to complete the copper-nickel mine that PolyMet has been developing in northeastern Minnesota, and the partnership hopes to eventually build a separate mine next door in an even larger ore body that Teck controls. The long-planned PolyMet mine near Babbitt will now be known as NewRange Copper…

Felon Voting Rights: Minnesota Supreme Court Makes Decision

(FOX 9) – More than a year after hearing oral arguments, the Minnesota Supreme Court has reached a decision on a highly anticipated case regarding voting rights for convicted felons. On Wednesday, the state’s highest court published its opinion, declining to overturn a Minnesota law (Minnesota Statute 609.165) that bars felons from voting while they’re on parole or probation, essentially leaving the decision to the…

St. Luke’s Celebrates New OB-GYN Clinic And Lab

DULUTH, Minn. — St. Luke’s is celebrating the opening of a new multi-million-dollar OB-GYN clinic and lab in Downtown Duluth. The $5.2 million renovation project involved a total renovation of the third floor of the hospital’s Lakeview Building. Which is on the corner of 10th Avenue East and Superior Street. The new space is double the size of the old…

Klobuchar Applauds 148th Fighter Wing In Object Shootdown, Releases New Details

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) provided new details Tuesday from the U.S. Military involving the 148th Fighter Wing’s involvement in shooting down one of three mysterious objects recently spotted up above. “Today at our classified briefing, the Joint Chiefs and other military members specifically acknowledged the Minnesota National Guard and the Duluth airman who shot down the object over Lake…

Two Harbors Residents Vote For 2 Mayoral Candidates On April Ballot

TWO HARBORS, Minn. – Residents voted Tuesday in a special primary election for mayor of Two Harbors. Former mayor and current council vice president, Robin Glaser, got the most votes at 289. Lew Conner came in second with 194 votes. Jay Cole got 15 votes and Jillouise Simonson got 10. Glasser and Conner will not head to a special election…

Complaint: Duluth-Area Man Sexually Assaulted 2 Girls, Possibly More

Clint Franklin Massie DULUTH, Minn. — A Duluth-area man is accused of sexually assaulting at least two children, and the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office believes more victims have yet to come forward. Clint Massie, 48, is charged with four counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct involving young girls. The investigation started in January after a woman came forward with…

Indigenous Women Missing and Murdered Are Remembered

Family and supporters ask that women not be forgotten and encourage action.

Tuesday was a day of remembering and honoring for the Native American community. Specifically, it was a day focused on indigenous women who have been murdered or are missing. The day began at the Robert Powless Cultural Center. A cross-section of groups and people gathered to talk about the issue, remember those who are gone, and to unite in going…