News

Police: 8 Dead in Shooting at FedEx Facility in Indianapolis

Eight people were shot and killed and the shooter killed himself, police said.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Eight people were shot and killed in a late-night shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, and the shooter killed himself, police said. Several other people were injured Thursday night when gunfire erupted at the facility near the Indianapolis International Airport, police spokesperson Genae Cook said. At least four were hospitalized, including one person with critical injuries….

Old Duluth City Hall to Include Boutique Hotel

DULUTH, Minn.– Duluth’s old city hall is transforming to include the city’s newest boutique hotel in one of the most historic downtown buildings. The building sits on East Superior Street across from the Fond Du Luth Casino. The Wesabi Japanese Restaurant will stay on the bar side of the lower level. And the downstairs Rathskeller stays, too. But a portion…

Empty Bowl Returns to Raise Money for Food Bank

DULUTH, Minn.– The pandemic has strained food banks, but one local pottery business is trying to help out. The Empty Bowls fundraiser took place at Duluth Pottery in Lincoln Park to sell locally-made creations. 70 percent of profits will go to the Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank with the rest going to artists who made them. More than 100…

Fisherman’s Corner Under New Ownership

PIKE LAKE, Minn. –The owner of a popular bait and hunting shop in Pike Lake is handing the keys over to someone new. Scott VanValkenburg opened Fisherman’s Corner off Highway 53 in 1985, and now he’s ready to retire. The new owner, Matt King, officially bought the store on Thursday morning. King said owning a shop like this has been…

City of Superior Announces Broadband Expansion Plan

SUPERIOR, Wis.– The need for strong high-speed internet has been growing over the years, especially in communities like Superior. And with more people going virtual during the pandemic, the need is even more important for those in the community. Superior city leaders unveiled their plan tonight for a big expansion and change to the city broadband network. Superior Mayor Jim…

New London Café Stays Busy During Pandemic

DULUTH, Minn.- Staff at New London Café on East Superior Street say business has really been picking up since they reopened about five months ago. We caught up with their head cook who says the influx of customers has been a little unexpected and they are happy it is getting busier as the summer season approaches. “We were a lot…

Bois Forte Mobile Vaccine Unit Makes Stop in Duluth

DULUTH, Minn.-The Bois Forte mobile vaccine unit made a stop at the Damiano Center in Duluth today to vaccinate members of its tribe. The 40 attending today received their second Moderna dose after the mobile unit previously stopped in the area in March. Leadership from the group says these vaccines are much needed, especially in more urban areas where some…

Youth Aged 16-18 Encouraged to Sign Up for COVID-19 Vaccination in Itasca County

A Vaccination Clinic Will Take Place Saturday, April 24 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. in Grand Rapids

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. – Even with the pause of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID vaccine, the rollout continues to be strong in Itasca County. Public health leaders say only 6.6 percent of the vaccines delivered to Minnesota have been from Johnson & Johnson. As of Thursday, April 15, 78 percent of the 65-plus population in Itasca County has been vaccinated while…

High School League Seeks Relief From Masks In Outdoor Sports

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota State High School League board asked state health officials Thursday to allow spring sports athletes to compete outdoors without wearing masks. The recommendation by the league’s sports medicine advisory committee applies only to actual competition. Athletes would be required to wear masks during breaks such as before and after races and while sitting in the…

Midday Update 4-15-21

Local News and Weather Making Headlines Thursday, April 15, 2021

Join FOX 21’s Brett Scott and Meteorologist Ken Slama for a local look at news and weather making headlines Thursday, April 15, 2021.s Categories: Community, News, News – Latest News, News Update Tags: Brett Scott, community, Headlines, Ken Slama, Local News, midday update, News, weather

Essentia Family Medicine Physician Talks Vaccine Safety, Efficacy & Importance

Dr. James Conniff with Essentia Health Encourages Residents to get the COVID-19 Vaccination

DULUTH, Minn. – With the pause of the Johnson & Johnson single-dose COVID-19 vaccine, many are left wondering what comes next regarding safety and efficacy. Dr. James Conniff is a family medicine physician with Essentia Health in Duluth. Conniff says the pause is reassuring as the FDA takes a closer look into the problem. The CDC says six women between…

Homeless Americans Finally Getting a Chance at COVID-19 Shot

(AP) – Homeless Americans who have been left off priority lists for coronavirus vaccinations — or even bumped aside as states shifted eligibility to older age groups — are finally getting their shots as vaccine supplies increase. While the U.S. government has only incomplete data on infections among homeless people, it’s clear that crowded, unsanitary conditions at shelters and underlying…

Closing Arguments to Begin Monday in Chauvin Trial

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The defense at the murder trial of former Officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd has rested its case without putting Chauvin on the stand, wrapping up after two days of testimony to the prosecution’s two weeks. Chauvin informed the court Thursday that he will not testify, saying he would invoke his Fifth Amendment right…

Morning Update 4-15-21

Local News and Weather Making Headlines Thursday, April 15, 2021

Join FOX 21’s Brett Scott and Meteorologist Ken Slama for a local look at news and weather making headlines Thursday, April 15, 2021. Categories: Community, News, News – Latest News, News Update Tags: Brett Scott, community, Headlines, Ken Slama, Local News, morning update, News, weather

Ex-Minnesota Cop Faces Hearing In Shooting Of Daunte Wright

BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (AP) — A former Minnesota police officer faces her first court appearance in the traffic-stop shooting of Black motorist Daunte Wright that has engulfed a small Minneapolis suburb in four straight days of bitter conflict between protesters and police. Kim Potter, who quit her job on the Brooklyn Center force two days after Wright’s death, is expected…

Us Jobless Claims Plunge to 576,000, Lowest Since Pandemic

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell sharply last week to 576,000, a hopeful sign that layoffs are easing as the economy recovers from the pandemic recession. The Labor Department said Thursday that applications plummeted 193,000 from a revised 769,000 a week earlier. Jobless claims are now down sharply from a peak of 900,000 in…

Longtime Duluth City Councilor Zack Filipovich Not Seeking Re-Election

DULUTH, Minn. –  Duluth At-Large City Councilor Zack Filipovich says he is not running for a third term. Filipovich became the youngest councilor ever elected at the age of 23 in 2013. He is currently the Secretary of the Duluth Economic Development Authority Board, board member on the Metropolitan Interstate Council, and the Chair of the Planning and Economic Development…

MN Legislature May Offer $3 Million In Forgivable Loan To Help Restart And Convert Duluth Paper Mill

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota state lawmakers are working on a bill that would bring 80 or more jobs back to Duluth’s Verso paper mill. The mill shut down indefinitely last summer, where 240 employees worked. Verso may also be looking to sell the Duluth mill to another company. This new measure would give the current or future operator up…

Protestors March Through Duluth in Honor of Daunte Wright

DULUTH, Minn.– Led by Black Lives Matter Twin Ports, more than 100 protestors marched through downtown Duluth in response to the shooting of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center. “We need to come together and really be like, ‘enough really is enough.’ these police officers need to be held accountable and we’re going to put our foot down and as a…

Spirit Mountain Expected to Turn Profit for 2020-21 Season

DULUTH, Minn.– Spirit Mountain is expected to post a profit from its most recent season after fighting through both the pandemic and its financial struggles. The reports from the last season show a steady increase in revenue from the year before. Management at Spirit Mountain says they were expecting to see a 15 percent decline in business, they actually made…

Community Action’s Mobile Market Makes Stop in Lincoln Park

DULUTH, Minn.– Community Actions Duluth’s Mobile Market made a stop at the Lincoln Park Community Center Wednesday afternoon. The market brought more than a dozen crates of fresh produce, dairy products and other pantry staples to help bring food to places where getting to a grocery store can be difficult. “We, with a handful of community partners, decided to get…

UMD Seeks Funds to Modernize Science Building

DULUTH, Minn.-Plans are now in the works to modernize UMD’s 70-year-old science building. The college is now asking the state to kick in $1.6 million with the university dedicating $800,000 for the project, to create a design for how it can be modernized. Then the college would need additional funds to actually create that design for the building, which isn’t…

Denfeld Student Picked to be Freedom Writer

DULUTH, Minn.- A Denfeld High School junior has been selected to be one of 50 student authors for the next book published on behalf of the Freedom Writers. Chales Mims has been selected to work with the famous group, focused on getting young people to be catalysts for change through a variety of routes including writing. Mims says she will…

Minnesota Point Beach Nourishment Project Moves Forward

A Survey of the Project will Begin by Early May With Cleanup Finished by Sept., 2021

DULUTH, Minn.-Earlier today the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency gave an update on this year’s dredging project on Park Point. They talked about the risks involved with placing man made materials on Park Point after metal shards were found along the beach from a previous dredging. The MPCA says it is making sure this…

Duluth Police Unit Assists in Community Cleanup

DULUTH, Minn-Members of DPD’s Community Oriented Policing Unit were out cleaning up property near Duluth Gospel Tabernacle this morning. During spring as the snow melts, the unit is made aware of city property that needs extra attention due to garbage building up.  Each of the past eight years, they have picked a few different sites around Duluth to bring out…

Restaurant Leaders Optimistic About Summer Season

Eat Downtown Duluth Week will start up on April 19th.

DULUTH, Minn. — Members of the area restaurant community came together Wednesday for a Zoom discussion to talk about the summer season. They also spoke about what things worked for them during the pandemic. Some of the changes each restaurant made, like the addition of curbside pickup, may even continue to stay at certain establishments. The panel members are optimistic…

Duluth East Student Charged In Ammunition Scare

DULUTH, Minn. – The student accused of bringing ammunition to Duluth East High School and forcing a lockdown there is now charged with a felony. The 16-year-old boy, who authorities previously said was 17 in error, was in the Arrowhead Juvenile Center Wednesday charged with “possession of ammunition by a minor,” according to St. Louis County Attorney Mark Rubin. Rubin…

Minnesota Extends COVID-19 State of Emergency for 13th Time

(Scott Takushi/Pioneer Press via AP, Pool) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota officials extended the peacetime emergency for another 30 days on Wednesday in order to boost the state’s response to more infectious variants of the COVID-19 virus, a factor that has led to a recent surge in cases. The five Democratic statewide officials who make up the Minnesota Executive Council voted…

City to Postpone Vehicle Access to Skyline Parkway

DULUTH, Minn. – The City of Duluth announced on Wednesday that due to an influx in rain this past week it is postponing vehicular access to certain sections of Skyline Parkway until May 31. The affected sections include: East Skyline Parkway to Maxwell Road intersection Maxwell Road from Oak Street to the intersection of Seven Bridges Road Seven Bridges Road…

Former Minnesota Cop Charged In Shooting Of Black Motorist

BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (AP/Fox 9) — A Minnesota prosecutor has charged a white former suburban Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot 20-year-old Black motorist Daunte Wright with second-degree manslaughter. Potter was arrested by agents with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension at 11:30 a.m. CT at BCA headquarters in St. Paul. She will be booked into the Hennepin County Jail in…

Wisconsin Senate Approves Republican Election Changes

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Republicans who control the Wisconsin Senate moved Wednesday to change state elections based largely on false claims that the November election was tainted, passing bills that would make interfering with election observers a crime and barring polling officials from accepting private grants to aid with administration. The chamber passed bills Wednesday that would allow the state…

Midday Update 4-14-21

Local News and Weather Making Headlines Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Join FOX 21’s Brett Scott and Meteorologist Ken Slama for a local look at news and weather making headlines Wednesday, April 14, 2021. Categories: Community, News, News – Latest News, News Update Tags: Brett Scott, community, Headlines, Ken Slama, Local News, midday update, News, weather

Minnesota Cop Will Be Charged In Shooting Of Black Motorist

BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. (AP) – A Minnesota prosecutor says he will charge a white former suburban Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot 20-year-old Black motorist Daunte Wright during a traffic stop. Washington County Attorney Pete Orput said Wednesday that Kim Potter will be charged with second-degree manslaughter. Orput’s announcement comes a day after Potter resigned from the Brooklyn Center Police…

Judge Refuses Request to Acquit Chauvin in Floyd’s Death

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The judge in Derek Chauvin’s murder trial has denied a defense motion to acquit the former police officer in George Floyd’s death. Chauvin attorney Eric Nelson argued Wednesday that prosecutors did not prove that Chauvin’s actions killed Floyd. The request comes a day after a use-of-force expert said Chauvin was justified in pinning Floyd to the ground…

Tips to Avoid Catastrophe During National Dog Bite Prevention Week

Dogs Need Help Overcoming the Effects of the Past Year of Social Isolation, Added Stress

DULUTH, Minn. – This week, April 11-17, is National Dog Bite Prevention Week, and this year there are more reasons than ever to learn about preventing dog bites. From high-profile “nipping incidents” in the news, to the realization that there may be millions of dogs and puppies in new homes since the beginning of the pandemic. Over the past thirteen…

One Dead in Single-Vehicle Crash in Grand Lake Township

GRAND LAKE TOWNSHIP, Minn. – Authorities say a woman died in a single-vehicle crash on Tuesday night near Canosia Road on Highway 53. The crash occurred around 11:39 p.m. when the car the 57-year-old woman was driving continued straight on a curve in the road and landed approximately 175 feet from the corner. Authorities believe speed and alcohol were possible…

Morning Update 4-14-21

Local News and Weather Making Headlines Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Join FOX 21’s Brett Scott and Meteorologist Ken Slama for a local look at news and weather making headlines Wednesday, April 14, 2021. Categories: Community, News, News – Latest News, News Update Tags: Brett Scott, community, Headlines, Ken Slama, Local News, morning update, News, weather

Wisconsin Supreme Court Says Governor Can’t Limit Capacity

(Steve Apps/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File) MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled that Gov. Tony Evers’ administration does not have the authority to issue capacity limits on bars, restaurants, and other businesses without approval of the Legislature, a ruling that comes two weeks after the Conservative-controlled court struck down the state’s mask mandate. BREAKING: Wisconsin…

AP Source: Ponzi Schemer Bernie Madoff Dies in Prison

NEW YORK (AP) — Bernie Madoff, the financier who pleaded guilty to orchestrating the largest Ponzi scheme in history, has died in prison. A person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Madoff died early Wednesday at the federal medical center in Butner, North Carolina, apparently of natural causes. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and…

Human Rights Commission Speaks Out ‘In Light of Continued Police Violence’ Ahead of Listening Session

That listening session will take place via zoom Wednesday at 6 p.m.

DULUTH, Minn.- The City Of Duluth’s Human Rights Commission hosted press conference Tuesday in light of recent instances of fatal police interactions with people of color. “We are here to say that Daunte Wright didn’t deserve to die,” said Bettina Keppers, Chair of the Commission. The Commission says the intent of the press conference was to acknowledge systemic violence, invite…

Duluth East Student In Custody After Ammunition Found in Locker, 90-Minute Lockdown

Duluth East went into lockdown Tuesday morning after a loaded magazine with 9 mm ammunition was discovered in a student's locker.

DULUTH, Minn.- Authorities said the situation at Duluth East High School is safe and the lockdown has been lifted after ammunition was found Tuesday morning in a student’s locker. “I was scared because most of my friends are in that building right now and I don’t know how they’re doing,” Junior Katie Higgins said. Duluth East went into lockdown Tuesday…

Demolition Continues At Future Site Of ‘Lincoln Park Flats’

DULUTH, Minn. – A block of West Superior Street is missing a longtime building in the Lincoln Park neighborhood as demolition continues for a new housing development there. Excavators continued to clear away what’s left of the former Robert’s Home Furnishings building Tuesday. The now wide open space will be replaced with a new four-story apartment building called the Lincoln…

Duluth’s Sustainability Officer Ready To Tackle City Council’s ‘Climate Emergency’ Declaration

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth’s sustainability officer, Mindy Granley, is applauding the city council’s declaration of a “climate emergency” and says she’s ready to take Duluth to the next level to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions across the city. Granley says the city will be creating an initial five-year “climate action plan,” which will be presented to the council by the…

Busy Barker’s Island Marina Helps Anglers, Boaters Prepare for Summer Season

Barker's Island Marina is Seeing an Influx of Business as Boaters Prepare to Hit the Water

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Minnesota fishing opener casts off on Saturday, May 15th this year, with the Wisconsin opener on May 1st. Aside from inland fishing, owners of big boats are also preparing for the warmer months ahead, and a new season on the big lake. Currently, the environment at Barker’s Island Marina is filled with excitement as the weather…

Vaccine Clinic Opens at Wessman Arena

The clinic is located on the UW-Superior campus at Wessman arena in partnership with AMI Healthcare.

SUPERIOR, Wisc.-A new community vaccination clinic has opened in Superior. It’s the first of its kind in Northwest Wisconsin. The clinic is located on the UW-Superior campus at Wessman Arena in partnership with AMI Healthcare. This arena has the capacity to vaccinate 500 people per day. “It is safe. People may be hesitant to be around others. But you’re still…