News

Early Morning Shooting at 1200 Block of West Superior Street

No One Was Injured

DULUTH, Minn.-A shooting on the 1200 block of West Superior at midnight Thursday, has left no one injured. Police responded to the scene where several shots were heard. One man was taken into custody and could be facing multiple charges including second-degree assault, reckless discharge of a firearm, being a felon in possession of a firearm, along with fourth-degree assault….

Mayor Larson Meets With Morgan Park Residents

Talking About Sales Tax Increase

DULUTH, Minn. Duluth Mayor Emily Larson is continuing her speaking sessions across town focusing on her proposed 0.5 percent sales tax increase for 2018 to specifically fix roads and the infrastructure below. Mayor Larson projects $7 million would come out of this 0.5 percent sales tax increase if voters approve it in November and if the legislature gives the final…

Reports of Shots Fired Near East Seventh Street

No One Injured

DULUTH, Minn.-Police responded to a report of multiple shots being fired at the 300 block of East Seventh Street at 3 a.m. today. No injuries are being reported. Police found four shell casings in the backyard where the shots were heard coming from. A vehicle that appeared to be suspicious, was pulled over near the scene, but no arrests were…

66-Year-Old Man Dies After Being Ejected from Boat

The 66-Year-Old Male was Pronounced Dead at the Scene on Lake Kabetogama

KABETOGAMA, Minn. – A 66-year-old male is dead following a water emergency on Lake Kabetogama Wednesday evening. Shortly before 5:00 p.m., the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Park Point Resort at 10498 Waltz Road in Kabetogama, Minnesota. Officials received a call that a male, 66-year-old Wlodzimierz Dziechciowski of Chicago, Illinois, had fallen out of a boat and…

Vision Jet Becomes Reality for Duluth Based Cirrus Aircraft

New Vision Jet by Cirrus Aircraft Proves to be Popular with Consumers

DULUTH, Minn. – A Duluth aircraft manufacturer, founded back in 1984, is now skyrocketing to new heights in the Northland. Cirrus Aircraft recently unveiled the company’s latest product and company officials say demand is already taking off. “There’s not a better place to be than up above the clouds,” said Matt Bergwall, Director of Cirrus’ new Vision Jet. Northlanders woke…

DSSO Unveils New Season Artwork

Posters Are Inspired By This Year's Music Selections

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra kicks off their new season this weekend, and on Wednesday they unveiled their new season’s official artwork. Local artist Michael Smisek created ten original posters for the DSSO to promote their concerts. The designs are inspired by the music the orchestra will play. “For this particular one, he was inspired by Erin’s…

South American Artists Visit Duluth

The Bead Artists Met With Local Native American Creators

DULUTH, Minn. – Artists from South America stopped in Duluth today and brought some of their work. The bead artists from Ecuador are known for their necklace creations. Local Native American artists were on hand to learn about about the artists’ culture and how it inspires their creations. “It allowed for both local indigenous people and the women from Ecuador…

Leaders Meet to Discuss Opioid Epidemic

Center for Alcohol and Drug Treatment Is Expanding Their Detox Unit

DULUTH, Minn. – The opioid epidemic has been a huge problem in the Twin Ports for years. Today, a round table discussion was held in Duluth where officials talked about better ways to address the problem. Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith (DFL-Minn.) came to Duluth to to learn about some of the ways organizations are fighting opioid addiction and what more…

Fiat Chrysler Recalling 494,417 Ram Trucks for Safety Issue

DETROIT (AP) — Fiat Chrysler is recalling almost half a million Ram heavy-duty pickups and medium-duty trucks because their water pumps could be defective. The recall involves Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups and Ram 3500, 4500 and 5500 chassis cabs from the 2013 to 2017 model years. All 494,417 of the vehicles involved have 6.7-liter engines. Most of the trucks…

Conference Aims to Educate Seniors About Scams Online and Over the Phone

DULUTH, Minn. — They’re more dangerous than telemarketers or spam email; they’re scam artists out to steal our identities or our private information. And they’re the topic of an educational conference at Clyde Iron Works in Duluth earlier this morning. The “Scam Jam” is put on by the Better Business Bureau and AARP Minnesota. It’s a free event aimed at…

Local Law Enforcement Cracking Down on Red Light Runners

Local Authorities Start Toward Zero Deaths Campaign

DULUTH, Minn.-Have you ever run a red light? Well, the next time you do it, you have a good chance of getting caught as local authorities are targeting those who do it in there Toward Zero Deaths campaign. Organizers say the goal of the campaign is not to issue tickets, but to raise awareness about paying more attention to traffic…

Oktoberfest Opens in Duluth

Oktoberfest Will be Celebrated Through Sunday

DULUTH, Minn.-Oktoberfest has kicked off in Duluth. Grandma’s Saloon and Grill in Canal Park started Wednesday with the tapping of the ceremonial keg and plenty of polka music. The event is in its 42nd year, which serves as a reminder that fall is here. “It’s a great celebration to the end of the summer season,” said Jill Toms, general manager…

Sappi Mill Honored With Governor’s Award

Cloquet Mill had $170 Million Invested in it in 2015

CLOQUET, Minn.-A paper company in Cloquet received statewide recognition today. Sappi North America received an award from the governor’s office for all the work they do when it comes to investing in Minnesota. In 2015, the Cloquet Mill had $170 million injected into it, as the business there continues to get bigger. “We’ll be growing here in North America over…

Little Falls Man Facing Drug Charges After Grand Rapids Bust

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. – A Little Falls, Minnesota man has been charged with several drug charges after a drug bust at a Grand Rapids motel, according to Itasca County District Attorney, John J. Muhar. On the morning of Sept. 18, Grand Rapids police received information that 54-year-old Mark Batters was dealing methamphetamine from a room at the Sawmill Inn. Batters…

Maria Knocks Out Power, Triggers Flooding in Puerto Rico

Satellite image taken Tuesday, Sept. 19 show Hurricane Maria southeast of Puerto Rico (NOAA via AP) SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — The strongest hurricane to hit Puerto Rico in over 80 years destroyed hundreds of homes, knocked out power across the entire island and triggered heavy flooding Wednesday in an onslaught that could plunge the U.S. territory deeper into…

Mexicans Dig Through Collapsed Buildings as Quake Kills 225

Rescue workers and volunteers search for survivors on a collapsed building in the Del Valle neighborhood in Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017. (AP) MEXICO CITY (AP) — Rescuers said Wednesday they have found a surviving child in the ruins of a school that collapsed in Mexico’s magnitude 7.1 earthquake, one of many efforts across the city to save people…

18 Arrests in Large Scale Drug Bust

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (AP) – Eighteen people have been arrested in the Milwaukee area in a nationwide drug distribution and money-laundering operation. Law enforcement officials say about $1.3 million in cash was seized along with large amounts of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana. U.S. Attorney Gregory Haanstad in Milwaukee says the drug operation stretched from Mexico to California to the Midwest….

Wisconsin Trees May Have Less Vibrant Fall Colors This Year

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – With the first day of autumn right around the corner, experts predict recent weather conditions in Wisconsin could mean fall colors will be less vibrant. Colleen Matula is a forestry specialist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in Ashland. She tells Wisconsin Public Radio that increased rain this year means many trees are getting fungal disease…

Strong Storms Cause Heavy Damage in Central Minnesota

Damage on a farm in Kerkoven, Minn. after strong storms ripped through the area early Wednesday morning. (Photo courtesy of Darlene Henry via FOX 9) MELROSE, Minn. (AP) – Residents in and around Melrose are cleaning up trees, branches, and debris after a strong thunderstorm moved through the area. City leaders say there are a lot of trees down at…

Dayton Cranks Up Pressure on Feds to Protect Health Programs

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton is blasting federal health officials for holding up approval of a program meant to lower health insurance costs and threatening millions of dollars in cuts to health care for the working poor. State lawmakers plowed $542 million into a reinsurance program that should lower premiums by as much as 20 percent…

Early Morning Vehicle Chase in Virginia

VIRGINIA, Minn. – Around 2 a.m. Wednesday morning, Virginia Police attempted to stop a vehicle near the intersection of 6th Avenue North and 9th Street North, but the vehicle fled, heading east then southbound on 2nd Avenue South, according to the Virginia Police Department. The suspect was traveling 65 miles per hour in a 30 mile per hour zone. When…

UMD Student Newspaper Now Called ‘The Bark’

Paper Was "The Statesman" for the Last 70 Years

DULUTH, Minn. – UMD students have something to bark about this semester because their student newspaper has a new name. It’s now called “The Bark.” It’s a name that connects to the school’s bulldog mascot and Duluth’s love of nature. For the last seventy years, the paper was known as “The Statesman,” but students think the new name will help…

Friends of Animals Trade Donations for Dogs

Humane Society Sets Up Donation Drive to Help Hurricane Harvey Victims

CLOQUET, Minn. – Hurricane Harvey shook the lives of many just weeks ago. Since then, Northlanders have rallied, looking for ways to help Texans as they overcome this natural disaster. On August 25, Harvey washed ashore the coast of Texas, tampering with the lives of millions. “I said, what kind of stuff you guys need? Give me a list,” said…

Duluth Bethel Employee Shares Addiction Recovery Story

September is Nationwide Recovery Month

DULUTH, Minn. – As thousands in the Northland struggle with addiction, often it’s the tragedies we hear about like fatal overdoses and lives destroyed. However, this month some are focusing on a different path, recovery. They say it’s the success stories at treatment centers that aren’t about enough, and could have a life-saving impact on an addict. “I got a…

EPA Rule Tough for Wood Stove Manufacturers

Business Leaders Held Roundtable Discussion About Regulation with Congressman Nolan

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Wood stove manufacturers are struggling to comply with a new EPA requirement. The rule was put in place to reduce particles in the atmosphere, but business leaders say it’s nearly impossible for them to make needed changes to their products fast enough. Manufacturers and retailers from across Minnesota talked with U.S. Representative Rick Nolan (DFL-MN). They discussed…

Benefit Dinner to be Held for Hurricane Victims

Benefit Dinner Will be Held Oct. 1

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Oliver Companies of Duluth, a local real estate business, and the local chapter of the Red Cross will be hosting a hurricane relief benefit spaghetti dinner and auction Sunday, Oct. 1 from noon to 6 p.m. at Barkers Island in Superior. Their goal is to raise $15,000. All proceeds from the event will go to the Red Cross….

Volunteers Help Clear the Beach at Wisconsin Point for Endangered Birds

SUPERIOR, Wis. — The weather was nice and warm this morning on Wisconsin Point during a volunteer effort to clear the critical beach habitat for the Great Lakes’ piping plover. The birds head south for the winter, but they nest right here on the shores of the Great Lakes. These volunteers are working with the St. Louis River Alliance and…

Duluth Aldi Store to Open this Fall

No Precise Date for When it Will Open

DULUTH, Minn. – Construction is buzzing along at a new Aldi grocery store in Duluth. We don’t know the precise date it will open yet, but in previous discussions with the company, they did say it would open in the fall. Aldi is a discount grocer and will be located near the old K-Mart building which is by the Miller…

Pumpkin Stands Already Popping up in Northland

Pumpkin Season is Getting to Full Strength

DULUTH, Minn.-With the fall chill in the air, that means it’s pumpkin season. One pumpkin seller has already popped up in the Miller Hill Mall Parking lot. He said people can be pretty selective about the pumpkins they purchase, including little kids who fall in love with the fruit. “It’s so fun,” said Adam Jaros, of DC Produce. “I’ve done…

Virtual Reality Open House Held at UMD

Program Involves Multiple Disciplines

DULUTH, Minn.-A new reality has come to the University of Minnesota Duluth. Tuesday, a demonstration was held at the school which showed multiple virtual reality projects they’ve been working on including ones that involve dance, a forest, and a beach. The program uses cross disciplines including students in the art and computer graphics fields. “It’s cool because I work with…

Archery Hunting Season Starts Off Strong

Experts Say its Better Than Last Three or Four Years

DULUTH, Minn. – The archery deer season kicked off last weekend and after talking to one local expert, it’s looking like it will be a good season for local hunters. They say one of the big reasons why is the mild weather the area has seen the last few years. “It looks like this year is looking a little better…

Wisconsin Assembly Democrats Elect New Leader

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – State Rep. Gordon Hintz, of Oshkosh has been voted in as the next leader of Democrats in the Wisconsin Assembly. Assembly Democrats voted Tuesday afternoon on who will replace outgoing Minority Leader Peter Barca starting in October. Hintz was the only announced candidate. Barca has held the post since 2011 but stepped down after Democrats upset with…

Reinsurance Approval Costly for Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota should get federal approval for a new program to control health insurance premiums but may lose hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding. That’s according to a letter Gov. Mark Dayton sent to federal health officials Tuesday and obtained by The Associated Press. Dayton says President Donald Trump’s administration has said it would…

Timber Sales Increase at National Forest in Wisconsin

RHINELANDER, Wis. (AP) – A national forest in northwest Wisconsin expects to sell its largest amount of timber since at least the mid-1990s. The Associated Press reports the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest may sell 123 million board feet of timber by the end of fiscal 2017. That would mark the fifth annual increase in a row for the forest, which is…

Hurricane Maria Slams Dominica, Now Takes Aim at Puerto Rico

Satellite image taken Tuesday, Sept. 19 show Hurricane Maria southeast of Puerto Rico (NOAA via AP) ROSEAU, Dominica (AP) — Dominica’s leader sent out an emotional plea for help as Hurricane Maria smashed into the Caribbean island and caused “mind-boggling” devastation, but an ominous silence followed as the country lost all communications on Tuesday and the Category 5 hurricane took…

7.1 Magnitude Quake Kills 119 as Buildings Collapse in Mexico

Remains of a damaged building stands after an earthquake in Mexico City, Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017. (AP)   MEXICO CITY (AP) — A magnitude 7.1 earthquake rocked central Mexico on Tuesday, killing at least 119 people as buildings collapsed in plumes of dust and thousands fled into the streets in panic. The quake came less than two weeks after another…

Hibbing Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Sale of Meth

Anthony Kozar (Minnesota Dept. of Corrections) HIBBING, Minn. – A Hibbing man was sentenced today in St. Louis County Court. Anthony Kozar, 28, was sentenced to 122 months in prison for 1st Degree Aggravated Sale of Methamphetamine. Kozar was arrested by the Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force in March of 2017 with a large quantity of meth…

GOP Warns Legislature Could Run Out of Money

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – A report filed by attorneys for the Republican-led Legislature says lawmakers will have to start furloughing employees in December and shut down completely by February unless there’s a resolution to a legal battle with Gov. Mark Dayton over its operating budget. Top Republicans and the DFL governor have been locked in a legal battle for…

Annual Oktoberfest Celebrations to Take Over Grandma’s Saloon & Grill

Grandma's Celebrates 42 Years of Oktoberfest Fun

DULUTH, Minn. – This week the keg will be tapped to kick off Oktoberfest celebrations at Grandma’s Saloon and Grill. This is the 42nd year of the festival at Grandma’s Restaurants. The beer tapping will take place at 11 a.m. at the Canal Park location on Wednesday, September 20. For the first week of Oktoberfest at Grandma’s there will be…

Research Center Preserves Stories of Minnesota’s Iron Ranges

Northland Uncovered: Iron Range Research Center at Minnesota Discovery Center

CHISHOLM, Minn. -For hundreds of years mining has been the focus of life on the Iron Ranges of Minnesota. The Iron Range Research Center in the Minnesota Discovery Center in Chisholm preserves the past of these areas in its archive collection. The mission of this department is to collect materials to interpret the human experience on all three of Minnesota’s…

Mayor Emily Larson Defends 2018 Proposed Budget Cuts

Larson: Officers, Firefighters Won't Lose Jobs

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Mayor Emily Larson is defending her 2018 budget proposal that includes $2.1 million in cuts spread out throughout all city departments. Mayor Larson told FOX 21’s Dan Hanger Monday that nobody wants cuts and cuts are stressful, but she says that doesn’t mean her office should avoid the problem, especially with aging streets and infrastructure –…

Knowing Your Neighbors: Thousand Lakes Sporting Goods

COHASSET, Minn. — Grant Prokop has a love for the outdoors, for hunting, fishing, and appreciating what northern Minnesota is all about. Prokop owns Thousand Lakes Sporting Goods in Cohasset “Any outdoor enthusiast, whether you’re camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, doing anything outside, we want to be able to help you,” Prokop said. He grew up in the woods and on…