News

Pre-Pandemic Features Back at Valentini’s in the Holiday Center

DULUTH, MN – After having to restructure their business to accommodate for Covid restrictions, Valentini’s in the Holiday Center moved their food service area across the hallway and have brought back some of their signature features.  With the new set up and lifted restrictions, Valentini’s was able to bring back self-serve, so customers can dish up as much soup and…

Cloquet Police Investigating Shooting Threat Made to Cloquet Middle School

CLOQUET, Minn.- The Cloquet Police Department is currently investigating emails threatening a shooting at the Cloquet Middle School. According to a spokesperson with the department on Wednesday, 2 staff members reported getting emails indicating the school was targeted for a possible school shooting on Thursday. Officers immediately began investigating the source of the threat. As of Friday the spokesperson said,…

Bomb Threat Prankster Creates Large Evacuation At Esko Public Schools

No explosive device was located after an extensive search by authorities.

ESKO, Minn. – Some scary moments unfolded for more than 1,000 students and staff at Esko Public Schools Wednesday after a bomb threat at the High School. The threat was called in to the Carlton County Sheriff’s Office around 12:50 p.m. The anonymous 911 caller said an explosive device was seen in an Esko High School classroom, according to authorities….

Dubh Linn Celebrates St. Paddy’s

It’s St. Patrick’s day Thursday, and one of the biggest days of the year for the Dubh Linn Irish Pub. The Pub on West Superior Street had a busier holiday than the previous couple of years, with Covid putting a damper on social activity. Popular drinks being served were black and tans, ugly betty’s, Jameson and other Irish whiskeys. When…

Ruth Free Store Moving to New Location

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Ruth Free Store is in the process of moving to a new location, but it won’t be far as it’s just one door away. Still on Belknap street in Superior, the new space is much larger than the current space and will provide the area needed to store the growing number of donations. The new store…

Canada To Drop COVID Tests For Vaccinated Visitors: Official

TORONTO (AP) — Canada will no longer require a pre-arrival COVID-19 test for vaccinated travelers as of April 1.A senior government official confirmed the change Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity due to lack of authorization to speak publicly ahead of the announcement this week.Last month, Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos announced that travelers coming to Canada would be able to present a…

Esko Schools Evacuated Over Anonymous Call Of A Bomb Threat

UPDATE – ESKO, Minn. –The evacuation on Thursday afternoon at Esko Public Schools was due to a bomb threat that was made by an anonymous caller, according to the school administration. The school district says that Carlton County 911 dispatchers received a call from an unknown person claiming that an explosive device was spotted inside one of the high school’s…

World of Fish Experiencing Supply Chain Issues

HERMANTOWN, MN – With more people staying home over the last couple of years, the fish hobby has become more popular and the folks at World of Fish in Hermantown saw an uptick in business during that time. The struggle for them during Covid has been on the supply side with international trade shutting down along with the increase in…

Gourmet Cookie Shop to Open in Duluth

DULUTH, MN – A new gourmet cookie shop is coming to Duluth and will be holding its grand opening next Friday, March 25.  Each week, Crumbl Cookies features six unique cookie flavors to choose from with one always being their milk chocolate, chocolate chip cookie. The other cookies are selected from 170 other flavor profiles and they announce on Sunday’s…

Duluth Hiring Spring Road Maintenance Workers

DULUTH, MN – As the snow and ice melts off the over 530 miles of roads here in Duluth, all of the potholes and debris become more noticeable.  Right now, the city of Duluth is looking to hire around 40 temporary and seasonal employees to help with the manual labor needed to fix the roads after a hard winter. “Making…

Hermantown, Proctor, Rice Lake Provide State of the Cities Address

PROCTOR, Minn. – The leaders of the three cities that surround Duluth to the north and west gave their annual updates to area businesses Thursday. The Hermantown Area Chamber of Commerce hosted their State of the Cities luncheon at the Black Woods Event Center in Proctor, featuring the mayors of Hermantown, Proctor, and Rice Lake. Chamber President & CEO Kimberly Parmeter…

Spirit Mountain Nearing End of Winter Season, Waiting to Transition to Summer

DULUTH, Minn. – Time is running out to enjoy the slopes of Spirit Mountain this winter season as they will soon begin their transition to summer activities. Interim Executive Director Ann Glumac says they will reduce their hours next week during the weekdays from 10 to 6.  After their last formal day March 27, they will remain open as long as…

Motorhead Madness Returning to DECC

DULUTH, Minn. – The DECC is transforming into an automotive paradise as Motorhead Madness returns this weekend. People can see around 150 classic cars on display, along with vendors, RC racing, the crowning of Miss Motorhead, and door prizes. “We’re marking the floors (Thursday),” says show co-owner Mike Podgornik, “getting the location set up for the cars and vendors and everyone…

Minnesota-born Jimmy Hill Killed In Ukraine While Trying To Find Food

(FOX 9) – The American killed during a military strike by Russia in Ukraine has been identified as Jimmy Hill. Family members confirm to FOX 9 that 68-year-old Hill, who was born in Eveleth, Minnesota and graduated from Mahtomedi High School, was killed in the city of Chernihiv in Ukraine while trying to find food. “He was only going out to try and find…

Water Main Break on 21st Avenue West

DULUTH, Minn. — City of Duluth Utility Operations crews are responding to a water main break at North 21st Avenue West and Superior Street. City officials say that water has been shut off on Superior Street from 20th Avenue West to 22nd Avenue West. It is not known how long it will take to fix the break. Crews are working…

New Walz Plan For Surplus Includes Bigger Tax Rebate Checks

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Gov. Tim Walz has released an updated plan for how to spend the state’s enormous budget surplus, including a proposal for income tax rebate checks of $1,000 per couple. His revised supplemental budget proposal, released Thursday, follows last month’s announcement that the state’s budget surplus has grown to $9.25 billion. It formalizes an idea he…

Water Main Break In Wrenshall Public School District

Classes dismissed at 12:20 PM today.

DULUTH, Minn. – A water main break has been reported today within the Wrenshall Public School Systems, located at 207 Pioneer Dr., Wrenshall, MN 55797. Classes will be dismissed for the rest of today starting at 12:20 PM, according to Wrenshall Superintendent Kim Belcastro. Categories: News, News – Latest News

Gordon Ramsay Becomes Third Candidate For St. Louis County Sheriff

DULUTH, Minn. – Former Duluth Police Chief Gordon Ramsay was in Hibbing and Duluth Wednesday to announce his run for St. Louis County Sheriff. Ramsay was raised in Duluth and got a Bachelor’s degree at UMD and Master’s at CSS. He served as police chief from 2006 to 2016 before becoming chief of police in Wichita, Kansas. Ramsay said his…

Barn Fire Kills 70 Sheep In Carlton County

THOMPSON TOWNSHIP, Minn. – The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office does not suspect foul play in a fire that killed 70 sheep in Thomson Township. The fire was reported in a pole building around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday on the 300 block of Koski Road. The property owner wasn’t home at the time to try to save the animals, according to…

Fire Officials: Stay Off Lake Superior’s Ice As Temps Rise Above Freezing

DULUTH, Minn. – The deadline to get those ice fishing shelters off the water for the season may be Monday, but the boost in melting air and more of it to come this weekend have officials hoping they don’t have to respond to any emergencies, especially on Lake Superior. “There’s never really a safe time to be on the ice….

Essentia Health Creates “Education-To-Employment” Scholarships And Opportunities For Rock Ridge Students

VIRGINIA, Minn. — Essentia Health is teaming up with Rock Ridge Public Schools in Virginia to create what they call “education-to-employment student scholarships.” Essentia is setting aside $300,000 for scholarships for students who pursue education after high school for certain career opportunities in healthcare. Those jobs range from respiratory therapists to radiology, surgical, and medical lab technicians, and more. The…

Duluth Community Relations Officer Announces Run for Minnesota House

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth’s Community Relations Officer is the latest to announce her bid to represent District 8B in the Minnesota House. Alicia Kozlowski has been active in the Duluth community over the past 12 years; first as a community organizer before joining the city’s Leadership Team in 2019.  She highlights her heritage as strengths for her candidacy.  That includes…

Ice Fishing and Snowmobile Seasons Wrapping Up

FREDENBERG, MN – Winter is starting to wind down and with the deadline to get ice fishing shelters off of water north of Highways 2 and 200 by March 21, anglers have been busy trying to get the last bit of ice fishing in before the season ends. Warmer weather also means snowmobile trails will start disappearing soon.  Businesses in…

Catalyst Story Institute Hires Anna Tanski For Leadership Role

DULUTH, Minn. — The Catalyst Story Institute has hired the former president and CEO of Visit Duluth, Anna Tanski, as the new Head of Festivals And Events for its organizations. It also hired four other women for leadership roles in New York and Los Angeles. The Institute’s headquarters are in Duluth, and is known for holding its Catalyst Content Festival…

Car Detailers Ready For Big Business As Sloppy Spring Approaches

DULUTH, Minn. – As spring approaches and the snow begins to melt, car washes and detailing businesses are seeing more customers. Zach Tharge, owner of Detail & Dash in Superior, says this time of year is definitely one of the busiest. “In the winter we stay busy enough, but in the summer I’d say we’re doing 8-10 vehicles per day….

Local Irish Pubs Ready for Busy Saint Patrick’s Day

DULUTH, MN – Local Irish pubs have been preparing for Saint Patrick’s Day for a couple of months and are now ready to host the community on this Irish Holiday.  With all the recent uncertainty regarding Covid restrictions, owners and employees are relieved that most have been lifted for them to able party like it’s 1999 with the beer, food,…

National Weather Service Looking for CoCoRaHS Volunteers

DULUTH, Minn. – The National Weather Service is looking for more volunteers to report rain, snow, and hail totals. March is the annual push for new members to join CoCoRaHS, which stands for the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail, and Snow Network.  It’s a program that allows people to measure precipitation from where they live, and supplement measurements recorded by automated devices…

Midday Update March 16th, 2022

Local News and Weather Making Headlines Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Join FOX 21’s Natalie Noury and Meteorologist Ken Slama for a local look at news and weather making headlines Wednesday, March 16, 2022. Categories: Minnesota, News, News – Latest News, News Update, Wisconsin Tags: Ken Slama, midday update, Natalie Noury, News, news update, weather

Mayor’s ‘State Of The City’ To Return In Person, City Council Meetings To Follow

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Mayor Emily Larson will hold her State of the City Address Tuesday, Mar. 29 in the Harbor Side Ballroom at the DECC. The meeting will have limited seating for the public, but the city is encouraging everybody to wear a mask. Council President Arik Forsman is also expected to speak, among other guests. Meanwhile, city council…

Former Duluth Police Chief Joins Race For St. Louis County Sheriff

DULUTH, Minn. – Former Duluth Police Chief Gordon Ramsay is officially in the race for St. Louis County Sheriff. Ramsay joins two other candidates for the job — St. Louis County Undersheriff Jason Lukovsky and Moose Lake police officer Chad Walsh. “Reducing crime in the county is goal number one,” said Ramsay in a news release Tuesday. “To do that…

Mayor Larson, Sen. Klobuchar Celebrate $1.25 Million In Funding For Duluth Projects

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Mayor Emily Larson and Senator Amy Klobuchar spoke from Washington, D.C. Tuesday to celebrate a win for Duluth with more than $1 million on the way for infrastructure improvements to the Lift Bridge and to modernize Duluth’s 911 system. “We are so grateful to Senators Klobuchar and Smith for their advocating for us for the city…

Duluth’s ‘Wild Birds Unlimited’ To Close Storefront, Try Online-Only Business

DULUTH, Minn. – Wild Birds Unlimited, the only bird feeding franchise store in northern Minnesota, is closing its storefront in Duluth next month. But the owners are going to try to keep doing business online. Misty Bristol has owned Wild Birds Unlimited since 2013 in the Burning Tree Plaza. She bought the business from longtime owner Bob Heller, who opened…

Damiano Center Recreates First Meal for 40th Anniversary

DULUTH, Minn. – The community kitchen at Damiano Center celebrated its 40th anniversary Tuesday. It recreated its first meal, served March 15, 1982, by offering the same hamburger soup recipe to everyone who attended.  In addition, the meal offered side such as a salad and mixed fruit, and pie ala mode for dessert. Kitchen manager Flora Woodfork helped with the first…

Duluth Police Using Federal Funding to Add Text Updates for 911 Calls, Better Identify Crime Hotspots

DULUTH, Minn. – New federal funding will help the Duluth Police Department improve their customer service.   Chief Mike Tusken says the $750,000 will focus on adding or upgrading technology within the department that will focus on three initiatives. One of them regards SPIDR Tech, a program that gives people who make a call to 911 progress updates on their case through…

Perkins Location Next to Miller Hill Mall Closed

DULUTH, Minn. – After 37 years, Perkins next to Miller Hill Mall has closed its doors. “It’s a sad day,” says owner Dillon Flaherty.  “I didn’t plan my 37 year career ending this way, but it has.  It just wasn’t sustainable anymore.” Flaherty says a number of factors, from COVID to inflation to staffing, led to this decision.  “It’s not one…

15-Year-Old Duluth Boy Charged in Fatal Stabbing of 19-Year-Old Female Family Member

DULUTH, Minn. — A 15-year-old boy has been formally charged as a juvenile with second-degree homicide for fatally stabbing a 19-year-old woman who was a family member last Friday night in Duluth. The stabbing happened on the 1700 block of East Superior Street. The victim has now been identified Karimah Phuly. Duluth police officers initially responded to a disturbance call…

Minneapolis Revises Policy on Warrants After Locke Killing

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says the city is changing policy for search warrants following the police shooting of a Black man in a downtown apartment so that officers must knock and wait a certain length of time before entering a residence. Police would have to wait 20 seconds before entering a residence while serving a daytime warrant,…

Minnesota-Native Musher Brent Sass Wins his 1st Iditarod Race Across Alaska

Photo: Marc Lester/Anchorage Daily News via AP ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – Musher Brent Sass won the arduous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race across Alaska on Tuesday as his team of 11 dogs dashed off the Bering Sea ice through a crowd of fans in downtown Nome. Sass mushed down Front Street and across the finish line just before 6 a.m….

Mask Requirements Loosening On U of M Campuses Starting March 21st

MINNESOTA — The University of Minnesota system is loosening its mask requirements for all campuses as COVID case rates drop. The university president wrote in a statement last Friday that the school system always aligned its mask policies with CDC recommendations. Starting on March 21st, the restrictions are loosening but not going away entirely yet. Anyone on campus will no…