News

Midday Update 6-27-19

Local News and Weather Making Headlines Thursday, June 27, 2019

Join FOX 21’s Brett Scott and Meteorologist Brittney Merlot for a local look at news and weather making headlines Thursday, June 27, 2019. Categories: Community, News, News – Latest News, News Update Tags: Brett Scott, brittney merlot, community, Headlines, Local News, midday update, weather

High court OKs no Warrant Blood Draws in Drunken Driver Case

The High Court Issued its Ruling Thursday

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Supreme Court says law enforcement officers can generally draw blood without a warrant from an unconscious person suspected of driving drunk or while on drugs. The high court issued its ruling Thursday in a case involving a Wisconsin law about impaired driving. The question before the Supreme Court had to do with what happens when a…

PolyMet: Glencore Majority Shareholder Following Rights Offering

Glencore now Owns Approximately 72 Percent of PolyMet Common Shares

ST. PAUL, Minn. – PolyMet announced today that preliminary results from a recent rights offering Glencore will now own approximately 72 percent of PolyMet common shares. Last March Polymet had secured a 12 month payment extension and lowered interest rates on its roughly $152 million of debt owed to Glencore AG, a mining company based out of Switzerland. In addition,…

Morning Update 6-27-19

Local News and Weather Making Headlines Thursday, June 27, 2019

Join FOX 21’s Brett Scott and Meteorologist Brittney Merlot for a local look at news and weather making headlines Thursday, June 27, 2019. Categories: Community, News, News – Latest News, News Update Tags: Brett Scott, brittney merlot, community, Headlines, Local News, morning update, weather

Wisconsin Supreme Court Backs Enbridge in Dane County Case

The High Court Decided Thursday That Enbridge had Sufficient Insurance

(AP Photo/Jim Mone, File)MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled for Enbridge Energy in a case over whether the company could be required to get additional insurance for a pipeline project in Dane County. Enbridge filed in 2014 to expand a pumping station so it could expand capacity of a pipeline running from northern Wisconsin to Illinois….

Former UMD Athlete Sues, Alleging Retaliation

The Former Student Athlete is Seeking Emotional Distress Damages

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) – A former student athlete at the University of Minnesota Duluth is suing the Board of Regents claiming retaliation for her support for a coach whose conduct generated an investigation. Former track and cross-country athlete Paige du Bois is seeking compensatory and emotional distress damages, as well as attorney’s fees. In her lawsuit du Bois says she…

Duluth’s Japanese Garden Ready For Delegation From Sister City

DULUTH, Minn.- In preparation for this weekend’s visit of delegates from Duluth’s Sister City in Japan, Ohara-Isumi City,  extra work is being done at Enger Park’s Japanese Garden. Raking was being done around the garden Wednesday to make sure it looks perfect for visiting delegates. Irina Haller, co-chair of the Duluth Japanese Garden Committee, says she’s excited to show off…

Stuffed Animals Spend the Night at the Library

DULUTH, Minn – Who said sleepovers were just for kids? Well a few stuffed animals are getting their chance to spend the night at the library. Kids dropped off their favorite or even second favorite stuffed animals at the Mount Royal Library for a night of fun. The adorable toys will enjoy pizza and read stories during the sleepover. The…

Ice Skating Through Summer at Duluth’s Heritage Center

Open free skate held every Wednesday at Heritage Sports Center.

DULUTH, Minn.- While many spent the hottest day of the year so far outside, some thought it was a nice opportunity to cool off inside, on the ice. The Essentia Duluth Heritage Sports Center has free open skate every Wednesday from 1:30 to 3:30 through August. They provide skates if you don’t have any, and according to organizers with Duluth…

Duluth Spends Hottest Day of the Year Outside

Many in the city are out doing various summer activities to keep cool and enjoy the sun.

DULUTH, Minn.- No, you weren’t seeing things. It really hit the 80s here in the Northland. “Today has really kind of been the first perfect summer day,” said Sandy Kolasinski, General Manager of Little Angie’s Cantina and Grill. “We just really see an influx of people coming down here so it’s great.” The patio at Little Angie’s was buzzing with…

Aspiring Firefighters Learn Tools of the Trade at LSC

Local firefighters put on their teaching helmets to show young adults what it is like to fight fires

DULUTH, Minn. – Northland teens are stepping up their game this summer at a three day Lake Superior College Fire Camp. Local firefighters put on their teaching helmets to show young adults what it is like to firefight. They got to experience everything from pulling hoses, to vehicle extractions, to forced entries. The camp is based on the college’s fire…

‘Beaner’s Central’ to Change Name for 20th Anniversary

Some have called the West Duluth coffee shop's name offensive

DULUTH, Minn. – A popular West Duluth coffee shop is changing its name after twenty years in business because some people believe the name is offensive. Beaner’s Central has been a staple business on Central Avenue since 1999, but the owner has decided to change the cafe’s name, saying in a press release that the name is unintentionally “xenophobic and…

Volunteers Paint Murals at Duluth Hillside Crosswalks

DULUTH, Minn. – This summer, Zeitgeist is teaming up with a local artist to design murals for crosswalks at various Duluth Hillside intersections. A few volunteers painted the first mural of the project at 8th avenue east and 10th street. The project is geared to attract more attention to crosswalks to promote pedestrian and bike safety in local neighborhoods. The…

DLH Airport and Local Emergency Agencies Undergo Water Landing Training

DULUTH, Minn. – They don’t happen very often, but emergencies airplane landings are possible almost anywhere. The Duluth International Airport and other emergency responders conducted a training exercise at Rice’s Point to practice effectively handling different emergency landing scenarios. Every three years the Federal Aviation Administration requires airports practice a hypothetical emergency response. Duluth Airport’s focus this year is to…

Graffiti Makes Its Way To Hermantown Roadway

The words "yikes" and "warning" are spray painted on Hermantown Road

  HERMANTOWN, Minn.- A unique way to let drivers know about potential hazards has popped up over in Hermantown. White graffiti can now be seen along a certain roadway to make potholes easier to spot. The words warning and yikes are sprayed with white paint across Hermantown Road. City leaders know about this, they are just happy the wording is…

Fourth of July Preparations In Full Swing

A week away from the 4th of July and firework warehouses are extremely busy

SOUTH RANGE, Wis.- With the Fourth of July just around the corner, firework businesses are ramping up. KG Fireworks Warehouse on the South Range has had customers coming in asking for some of their top sellers from sparklers, to mortar kits, and despite all the excitement that comes with fireworks, officials say being safe is always their top priority. “We…

WWII Plane Visits The Northland

Vampire Jet made a stop in Superior Wednesday

SUPERIOR, Wis.- A one of a kind plane that was used in World World II landed at the Bong Airport in Superior Wednesday. The seventy year old plane has a rich history including flying 40,000 feet before any other fighter plane crossed the Atlantic. The plane will make Duluth home for the next month, as it will be on display…

Minnesota man Charged in Iowa in Child sex Trafficking Case

If Convicted Nordwall Faces up to Life in Prison

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) – Authorities say a 50-year-old registered sex offender in Minnesota faces federal charges after being accused of traveling to Iowa to have sex with minors. Federal prosecutors for Iowa say Terrance Nordwall has been charged with attempted sex trafficking of children, attempted enticement of minors and traveling for the purpose of engaging in illicit sexual conduct….

Key Senator is a ‘yes’ Vote on Budget

Final Votes on the Budget are Scheduled for Wednesday

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The Wisconsin senator who holds the key vote on the state budget says he will vote for the spending plan, clearing the way for passage. The Senate is scheduled to take the final votes on the budget Wednesday. Approval would send the budget on to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. Republicans hold a 19-14 advantage in the…

Agency Removes Mold From Soon-to-Open Migrant Detention Site

The Facility Will House 1,300 Migrant Children

HOUSTON (AP) – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says it’s clearing mold from a South Texas facility that will soon house up to 1,300 migrant children. HHS said in a statement Wednesday that it was working quickly to open the facility at Carrizo Springs, Texas, at the site of a former “man camp” for oilfield workers. In…

Federal Agency Hears Testimony on Fate of Gray Wolves

Supporters of the Protections say Removal is Premature

BRAINERD, Minn. (AP) – Federal officials are weighing testimony from the only public hearing in the country on the government’s latest attempt to take gray wolves off the endangered and threatened species list. The proposal would return management of the predators to the states, potentially subjecting them to hunting and trapping. In most states it’s illegal to kill a wolf…

Midday Update 6-26-19

Local News and Weather Making Headlines Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Join FOX 21’s Brett Scott and Meteorologist Brittney Merlot for a local look at news and weather making headlines Wednesday, June 26, 2019.. Categories: Community, News, News – Latest News, News Update Tags: Brett Scott, brittney merlot, community, Headlines, Local News, midday update, weather

16th Annual Free Range Film Festival Happening Friday, Saturday in Wrenshall

The Free Range Film Festival will Feature 18 Films from Around the World

WRENSHALL, Minn. – Film festival programmer Annie Dugan is thrilled to be organizing and hosting the 16th annual Free Range Film Festival. The event is taking place Friday, June 28 – Saturday, June 29 with varied hours. The annual event brings in hundreds of film enthusiasts interested in watching and enjoying independent cinema in a barn setting. The iconic 103-year-old…

Suspect Sought in Fatal UTV hit-and-run Crash

Officials are Searching for the Driver

DETROIT LAKES, Minn. (AP) – Authorities are looking for the driver of a car that struck and killed a man operating a utility vehicle in northern Minnesota. The 27-year-old man was struck in Becker County Monday night in Maple Grove Township and was found unresponsive. He was taken to Sanford Hospital in Fargo, North Dakota where he died on Tuesday….

Athletes With Disabilities Change Endurance Sports For The Better

Inclusion in Marathons for Special Needs Kids and Duo Young Racers

DULUTH, Minn. —  Grandma’s marathon may be over for 2019 but that doesn’t mean we can’t continue to hit the pavement running! In this week’s Great Outdoors Fox 21’s Brittney Merlot introduces us to a duo team from Wisconsin who’s story is a little bit different from the rest. When it comes to race day some of the runners are…

Animal Answers: As Temperatures Rise, Police Warn of Hot Vehicle Dangers

Duluth Police Department Advises Calling 911 if an Animal is Showing Signs of Heat Exhaustion Inside a Vehicle

DULUTH, Minn. – Every year, PETA estimates nearly 100 animals will die due to negligence and heat exhaustion from being locked inside a hot vehicle. Officials say at just 70 degrees, a vehicle’s inside temperature can quickly reach well over 120 degrees. “It is deadly to leave your pet in a car in the summer time. It can happen faster…

Morning Update 6-26-19

Local News and Weather Making Headlines Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Join FOX 21’s Brett Scott and Meteorologist Brittney Merlot for a local look at news and weather making headlines Wednesday, June 26, 2019. Categories: Community, News, News – Latest News, News Update Tags: Brett Scott, brittney merlot, community, Headlines, morning update, News, weather

Judge Tosses ex-Minnesota Players’ Suit Against University

The University Said it Weclomed the Decision

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by nine former University of Minnesota football players who claimed their rights were violated after a woman alleged she was the victim of a gang rape in 2016. The Star Tribune reports that U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank found no merit to claims that the men were subjected to…

Boy Thrown From Mall Balcony Remains in Intensive Care

The boy has had More Than 15 Procedures

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The parents of a 5-year-old Minnesota boy who was thrown from a third-floor balcony at the Mall of America say their son remains in intensive care due to severe complications from the April attack. In an update on their GoFundMe page Tuesday, the parents of the victim, identified only as Landen, say he has had more than…

Learning to Paddleboard at SUP Camp

North Shore SUP holds 4-day camp for kids to learn basics.

SUPERIOR, Wis.- Kids on Barkers Island in Superior took advantage of the warmer weather by getting in the water on Paddleboards. North Shore SUP held their annual SUP, or Stand-Up Paddleboarding camp. The four-day camp supplies 8-12 year-olds with all the equipment including PFDs, or Personal Floation Devices, and teaches them the basics like paddling and docking properly. According to…

Phase I of Improvements Done at Duluth’s Riverside Park

Ribbon cutting held with Parks and Rec and community members.

DULUTH, Minn.- Members of Duluth’s Riverside community came out to an unveiling of a newly renovated Riverside Park Tuesday. It’s the first phase of improvements to parks along the St. Louis River Corridor. Riverside is one of the 13 parks along the Corridor selected in the 2016 council-approved mini-master plan. The St. Louis River Corridor Initiative hopes to improve trails and…

Duluth Psychiatrist Offering Magnetic TMS Treatment for Depression & OCD

Dr. Eric Johnson says the treatment can help patients who have not responded to medications

DULUTH, Minn. – An in-home clinic in Duluth is now offering a magnetic procedure called TMS for treatment-resistant depression and obsessive compulsive disorder. During treatment at Duluth TMS, patients sit in a chair and fasten a helmet-like device to their head. Then, 2,000 magnetic stimulations are given to their brain over a twenty minute span. According to Dr. Eric Johnson,…

Duluth Restaurant Hosts Anthony Bourdain Tribute Dinner

Four-course meal raised money for Human Development Center

DULUTH, Minn. – June 25th was Anthony Bourdain’s birthday and cooks around the world are celebrating the celebrity chef who committed suicide in 2018. Restaurant 301 in Downtown Duluth offered a Bourdain tribute dinner. A four course meal was served featuring a wedge salad, bone marrow, oysters, and duck. Each dinner cost $40. $5 of that was donated to the…

Duluth Could Soon Allow Tiny Houses

City considering changing zoning rules to allow homes to be less than 20 feet wide, on lots less than 40 feet wide

DULUTH, Minn. – Tiny homes may soon be coming to Duluth. City officials are now considering changing city codes to allow smaller houses to be built. Right now, Duluth houses have to be at least twenty feet wide and residential lots have to be at least forty feet wide, but those rules could soon change to allow tiny houses. Those…

Van Sickle Pulls Back Social Media Posts Mentioned in City Attorney’s Legal Notice

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Superior City Councilor Jenny Van Sickle of Dist. 2 has pulled back social media posts that City Attorney Frog Prell claims are libelous against him and could result in a civil suit. Sometime late Monday night after FOX 21 aired a story about Prell’s legal notice to Van Sickle with claims of defamation, her Twitter page was…

Virginia’s Olcott Fountain Back In Business

After a six year hiatus, the fountain is back up and running

VIRGINIA, Minn.- Virginia’s Olcott Fountain is up and running again after a six year hiatus. In recent years, a million dollar donation came in for the project, in a park that has been a hub of activity in Virginia in years past. Park foundation members say this has been a long time coming and are thrilled the fountain is working…

Assisted Living Facility Robbed in Virginia

Virginia Police are investigating an armed robbery at Edgewood Vista Assisted Living center

VIRGINIA, Minn.- Virginia police are investigating an armed robbery at an assisted living facility. Employees say two men came into the building in the middle of the night and stole prescription narcotics. A 9-1-1 call alerted police that two younger men entered the Edgewood Vista Assisted Living center on 17th Street through the unlocked main entrance doors shortly after 3…

Driver in West Duluth Fatal Hit-and-Run Pleads Not Guilty

His Next Court Appearance Will be July 30

DULUTH, Minn. – A 30-year-old Duluth man charged with criminal vehicular homicide in connection to a West Duluth fatal hit-and-run crash last month pleaded not guilty to the charges on Tuesday. Stanley Brown pleaded not guilty to all three charges which included criminal vehicular homicide, fifth degree possession of a controlled substance, and second degree test refusal. According to court…

Minnesota Court Orders Hearing on PolyMet Permit

HOYT LAKES, Minn. (AP) – The Minnesota Court of Appeals has ordered a hearing on alleged irregularities in how Minnesota regulators dealt with federal regulators over a water pollution permit for the planned PolyMet copper-nickel mine in northern Minnesota. The appeals court on Tuesday ordered a lower court to hold an evidentiary hearing as soon as practical. The court must…

Midday Update 6-25-19

Local News and Weather Making Headlines Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Join FOX 21’s Brett Scott and Meteorologist Brittney Merlot for a local look at news and weather making headlines Tuesday, June 25, 2019. Categories: Community, News, News – Latest News, News Update Tags: Brett Scott, brittney merlot, community, Headlines, Local News, midday update, News, weather

Legislative Auditor Will Investigate PolyMet Water Permit

Thr Auditor's Review Will Start Immediately

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota’s legislative auditor will investigate concerns over how state regulators handled an important water quality permit for the planned PolyMet copper-nickel mine. Rep. Rick Hansen, who chairs the Legislative Audit Commission and a House environment committee, says the auditor’s review will start immediately. An e-mail leaked last week indicates a top Minnesota Pollution Control Agency…

The DTA Celebrates Another Milestone in Long History of Transporting People Around Duluth

The DTA has been Duluth's public transit system since 1883

DULUTH, Minn. – With almost two thousand stops, 75 fixed–route buses and some of the highest ridership in the country, the Duluth Transit Authority has served as an example for transportation systems all over the nation. “In 1883 they had mule–drawn street cars because they needed transportation that was affordable to get people around the community and up the hill,”…

Duluth to Welcome Japanese Delegates Friday

Duluth Sister Cities International is Celebrating 30 Years of Sister City Exchanges in 2020

DULUTH, Minn. – The City of Duluth will welcome a plane into the Duluth International Airport Friday, June 28, carrying 15 Japanese delegate for a weeklong visit to the Northland. The visitors are from Duluth’s sister city, Isumi-City. With representatives such as business owners, travel agents, and the Mayor, the delegation marks the first in a two-part celebration meant to…

Morning Update 6-25-19

Local News and Weather Making Headlines Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Join FOX 21’s Brett Scott and Meteorologist Brittney Merlot for a local look at news and weather making headlines Tuesday, June 25, 2019. Categories: Community, News, News – Latest News, News Update Tags: Brett Scott, brittney merlot, community, Headlines, Local News, morning update, weather

Knowing Your Neighbor: Fairchild Equipment

A new business has come to Duluth

DULUTH, Minn.- It’s a company specializing in forklifts and other warehouse supplies, and Fairchild Equipment now has a location in Duluth. Fairchild Equipment provides warehouse equipment, forklift rental and forklift parts. Now with a new brick and mortar location here in Duluth, hard to find parts are easier to locate. “A big forklift like this, if it breaks down it’s…

Ellison Says He’ll Defend Minnesota’s Abortion Restrictions

A Lawsuit was Filed Last Month by Advocacy Groups

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says he’ll defend state laws restricting abortion against a legal challenge despite his strong personal support for abortion rights. Ellison told a forum in Fergus Falls last week his job is to defend Minnesota’s laws regardless of his personal opinions. The Star Tribune reports his comments marked the Democratic attorney…

Virginia Police Investigating Edgewood Vista Armed Robbery

Authorities say This is an Active Investigation

VIRGINIA, Minn. – Virginia police are actively investigating an armed robbery that took place at the Virginia Edgewood Vista Assisted Living facility early Monday morning. According to authorities, officers were dispatched to the facility at approximately 3:39 a.m. on reports of a robbery. Police learned from employees of the facility that two younger men wearing masks, bandanas, dark clothing, and…