News

Middle Schoolers Visit UMD Land Lab

Students Learned First Hand Where Food Comes From

DULUTH, Minn. – It’s been an interesting day for some area middle school kids. They got a hands-on experience learning all about farms. Duluth seventh graders have been talking about food systems in their classrooms. Now, they had a chance to get their hands dirty experiencing it on a real life farm. As part of their life science class, Lincoln…

Lakeview Christian Academy Students Volunteer in the Community

School Officials Hope Volunteering Will Inspire Students to Give Back in Other Ways

DULUTH, Minn. – Lakeview Christian Academy students are volunteering their time giving back to the community. Students boxed up food and provided help to many Northland organizations including Second Harvest Food Bank, the Salvation Army, and several assisted living centers. “We’re mostly volunteering to help people who need it most by mostly packing stuff like packing corn, carrots, and potatoes…

Volunteers Honored for Hunger Action Month

DULUTH, Minn. – Volunteers are essential for the Second Harvest Northern Lakes Food Bank. Friday, they held their annual Hunger Action Month Volunteer Appreciation Event, which celebrates the works that these volunteers do to provide food to families all across the Northland. “Volunteers are very important to our work. They fill a gap of about six full-time employees for Second…

Public Invited Aboard the Blue Heron

DULUTH, Minn. – Friday was the last opportunity for the public to climb aboard the Blue Heron. The University of Minnesota Duluth’s Large Lakes Observatory invites the public onboard the research vessel a few times a year for their “Science on Deck” event. Science on Deck gives visitors a chance to learn about the vessel and meet with researchers to…

Rail Safety Week in Wisconsin

Sept. 24-30

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The week of September 24-30 has been declared Rail Safety Week by Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation has teamed up with the Office of the Commissioner of Railroads, Wisconsin Operation Life Saver, and Federal Railroad Administration to increase awareness and educate the public on railroad safety. Operation Lifesaver says slowing down and being…

Aid Lags in Hurricane-Torn Puerto Rico

MONTEBELLO, Puerto Rico (AP) — Relatives helped Maribel Valentin Espino find shelter when Hurricane Maria roared through her community in northern Puerto Rico. Neighbors formed volunteer brigades to cut fallen trees and clear twisty mountain roads after the storm had passed. Now, friends and a local cattle ranch provide the water they need to survive in the tropical heat. Valentin…

Environmentalists Seek More Comment Time on PolyMet Permits

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Environmental groups are asking the Department of Natural Resources to give the public more time to comment on the draft dam safety permits for the planned PolyMet copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota. The latest request came Wednesday from four groups: WaterLegacy, the Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Cloquet Valley State Forest, and the Izaak Walton…

Pence to Join Walker for Wisconsin Business Tour, Discussion

(AP) MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Vice President Mike Pence plans to join Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker on Thursday to tour a Milwaukee-area business and talk about tax reform with local leaders. The event at Weldall Manufacturing in Waukesha comes before Pence is scheduled to host a fundraiser in Milwaukee. The White House said Wednesday that Pence and Walker will meet…

Trump, GOP Tax Plan Would Cut Rates for Many Americans

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans are proposing a far-reaching, $5 trillion plan Wednesday that would cut taxes for corporations and potentially for individuals, simplify the tax system and nearly double the standard deduction used by most Americans. The plan is sweeping in scope but omits critical, controversial details that are likely to take months to work…

Wisconsin DOJ Sets Up Website to Track Sex Assault Kit Tests

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The state Department of Justice has set up a public website that tracks the agency’s efforts to test hundreds of untested sexual assault evidence kits. The kits have gone unexamined for a variety of reasons. Prosecutors may have decided the case was too weak, a defendant pleaded guilty or victims decided not to cooperate. None are…

Voyageur National Park Hunting Reminder

INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Minn. – Voyageurs National Park reminds visitors that hunting and trapping of any type or manner is prohibited on Federal lands and all waters within the boundary of the park. This includes the removal of animals that have entered the park boundary after being shot outside of the park. Park rangers enforce hunting and trapping laws under federal regulations….

19th Annual Lester River Rendezvous Saturday

Saturday, Sept. 30, 2017

DULUTH, Minn. – It’s a fall tradition filled with canons, muskets, and hatchets; recreating the days of the fur trade along the shores of Lake Superior. This weekend, voyageurs will take over the Lester River for the 19th annual Lester River Rendezvous. Thursday and Friday mark the events Education Days, where re-enactors will immerse area students in the daily lives…

Hunter Located After Missing for 4 Days in Chippewa National Forest

WALKER, Minn. – The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports that on Monday, Sept. 25, at 2:15 p.m., they received the report of a missing hunter in rural Boy Lake Township, north of Remer. Deputies responded to the call and learned that an adult male, identified as 57-year-old Patrick Feiner, of South St. Paul, was missing from his hunting camp and…

$21 Million in Funding to Improve Student Literacy

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The U.S. Department of Education has provided $21 million to improve student literacy for some 30,000 students in Minnesota. Preschool programs, low-income students, those who are learning English and students with special needs will benefit from the funding. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports the money comes from the Striving Readers Comprehensive Literacy Program and will be used…

Northland Foundation Awarded $686,500 Grant

DULUTH, Minn. – The Northland Foundation has been awarded $686,500 from the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund. The fund supports increased lending activity in low-income and economically distressed communities. “The Northland Foundation’s business lending is directly tied to our mission to ‘invest in people and communities to support a thriving Northeastern Minnesota,’ and a healthy…

Animal Allies Introduces New Outdoor Enrichment Spaces

A New Cat Catio, Doggie Agility and Play Yard Unveiled at Animal Allies Humane Society in Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. – For the past few months construction has been a common sight and sound at Animal Allies Humane Society in Duluth. Now, official ribbons are cut and outdoor adventures just became a little more exciting. “Oh my gosh, this is awesome! I wish that I had something at home like this for my cat,” said Michelle Sternberg, Marketing…

New “Makers Mercantile” is Space for Northland Makers

New Shop to Host Grand Opening Saturday

DULUTH, Minn. – A new space for makers has opened in Duluth. Makers Mercantile is a shop selling work from many North Shore makers. The shop carries a mix of art, décor, and goods from local North Shore Makers. Every store item is handcrafted from one of the 25 makers. The new store opened up in the Spirit Valley neighborhood…

Great Outdoors – DWP Trail Undergoing Repairs

Old Railroad Corridor Isn't Officially Open for Public Use

DULUTH, Minn. – The DWP trail provides beautiful views along West Duluth’s hillside, but the old railroad bed isn’t officially open for public use. The DWP, a city owned abandoned railroad corridor, runs ten miles along Duluth’s hillside. “This trail is beautiful and I say that and, if you put this on the news, people are going to show up,…

Duluth Housekeepers Compete In Housekeeping Olympics

Local Hotels Show Their Appreciation For Their Housekeepers

DULUTH, Minn. – Housekeeping Appreciation Week is this week, giving local hotels a chance to show their appreciation for their hard workers.  In Duluth, local hotels went head to head at Grandma’s Sports Garden in a housekeeping Olympic-style competition. This year’s housekeeping Olympics where Canal Park’s Hampton Inn and Comfort Suites, West Duluth’s Comfort Inn and last year’s champs the…

The Breeze Inn Gets In The Oktoberfest Spirit

Festivities To Continue Through October 8th

DULUTH, Minn. — It’s fall and almost October, and many places are transforming into the Oktoberfest mood. That’s exactly what’s happening at the Breeze Inn on Jean Duluth Road. This is the 5th year the Juicy Lucy burger place has been flipping the fun of Oktoberfest. The cooks are even putting out a German menu that includes the “Herman the…

Science Institute for Educators workshops held at Great Lakes Aquarium

Educators from all types of classrooms discuss education techniques

DULUTH, Minn. – The Great Lakes Aquarium in Duluth is helping educators of all kinds learn from one another. The aquarium is hosting a series of workshops called the “Science Institute for Educators.” School teachers, park naturalists, zoo keepers and more all come together to meet each other and share what they know. “What works in a pre–k room, versus…

Mayor Larson Puts Duluth’s Tourism Tax Revenue Under Microscope

Tourism-Related Entities Asked To Prove Successful Use Of Tourism Tax Dollars

DULUTH, Minn. – With the city of Duluth facing $2.1 million in cuts for 2018, Mayor Emily Larson is looking at every single dollar that flows in and out of the city. That includes a deeper look into the lucrative revenue stream of tourism tax dollars – a stream that Larson says doesn’t have a clear story to tell –…

Superior Adds Funding To Police, Fire In 2018 Budget

No Tax Increase, No Job Loses

SUPERIOR, Wis. – While Duluth is facing cuts to police and fire, it’s the opposite for the city of Superior. Mayor Jim Paine says the police department is getting an additional $28,000 next year to help fund more community policing and provide officers training in crisis intervention, diversity and de-escalation. As for the fire department, an extra $10,000 is being allocated…

Construction Begins on New Proctor Arena

Officials Broke Ground for the New Community Center and Ice Arena

PROCTOR, Minn. – A brand new arena and event center is coming to Proctor. Officials broke ground on the new facility being built on Kirkus Street. Proctor schools will use the arena for their hockey programs and as an indoor practice area for baseball, softball, and lacrosse. It will also have plenty of features to serve the whole community. “I’m…

Lawmakers Tour Proposed Bonding Project Sites

Representatives Visited Several Sites in Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. – State lawmakers came to Duluth to visit several sites of proposed state bonding projects. The representatives stopped at UMD to learn about recent improvements made to the campus. The University also presented their bonding requests for this year, including projects to improve the Humanities Building and re-purpose the former Chemistry Building. “We go down to St. Paul…

Northern Regional Safety Day Trains Local Professionals

Conference Educates Business Leaders on Health and Safety Solutions

DULUTH, Minn. – Preparing for the unthinkable; that’s what hundreds of workers at the Northern Regional Safety Day Conference trained for. This year, preparing for emergencies also means understanding that the opioid epidemic might have an impact on workforce safety. The Safety Day is a unique training opportunity for local businesses and organizations to learn how to improve safety across…

Court Hears Brendan Dassey Appeal

  CHICAGO (AP) – A full federal appeals court has heard arguments about whether investigators coerced a confession from a Wisconsin inmate featured in the “Making a Murderer’ series. If they rule he was coerced, he could go free. Several judges at the 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Chicago on Tuesday appeared sympathetic to arguments that investigators manipulated…

Homicide Rates Down Significantly in Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – New data from the FBI shows a significant drop in the number of homicides in Minnesota. While violent crime remained relatively unchanged, homicides dropped about 25 percent from 2015 to 2016, per 100,000 residents. Minnesota’s rate of decline was third nationwide, behind North Dakota and Connecticut. Last year, there were 101 homicides statewide, down from 131 in…

Sexually Transmitted Diseases Hit Another High in US

NEW YORK (AP) – Health officials are reporting another record increase in infections from three sexually transmitted diseases. More than 2 million new cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were reported in the United States last year – the most ever. The diseases are treatable with antibiotics. Rates for all three have been rising for several years. Health officials have…

Equifax Dumps CEO in Wake of Damaging Data Breach

(AP) NEW YORK (AP) – Credit reporting agency Equifax is ousting CEO Richard Smith in an effort to clean up the mess left by a damaging data breach that exposed highly sensitive information about 143 million Americans. The shake-up announced Tuesday comes after Equifax disclosed that hackers exploited a software flaw that the company didn’t fix to heist Social Security numbers,…

Republican Leaders: Senate Won’t Vote on Obama Repeal

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing assured defeat, Republican leaders decided Tuesday not to even hold a vote on the GOP’s latest attempt to repeal the Obama health care law, surrendering on their last-gasp effort to deliver on the party’s banner campaign promise. Leaving a lunch of Republican senators who’d gathered to discuss their next steps on the issue, Sen. Pat Roberts,…

Red Flag Warning in Place on Park Point Beaches

EFFECTIVE SEPT. 26, 2017

DULUTH, Minn. – Due to a high risk of rip currents in Lake Superior today, the Duluth Fire Department has issued a warning for dangerous swimming conditions for Park Point beaches. The red flag is effective immediately and continues until 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26. This warning means that wind and wave conditions can support rip currents, which are life-threatening…

St. Louis County Board Approves 2018 Property Tax Levy

DULUTH, Minn. – St. Louis County commissioners have unanimously approved the 2018 property tax levy at $132.2 million. The levy, or revenue collected from property taxes, makes up about one-third of the St. Louis County budget. The levy is a 4.45 percent increase from 2017, nearly all of which will be offset by the estimated 3.95 percent growth in property…

St. Luke’s Shows Off Birthing Center Remodel

Hospital Receives Baby-Friendly Designation

DULUTH, Minn. – St. Luke’s is celebrating what seems like a brand new birthing center and a baby-friendly designation. The birthing center recently went through a complete remodel and hospital officials are loving what they see. Every room is considered a suite, there are laboring tubs in each room and families are able to enjoy a more home-like and calm-like…

Sampling Fall Favorite Wines with Foley Family Wines

DULUTH, Minn. – As the seasons transition, many different wines will be appropriate for the weather. Marc Carrigan, the Regional Sales Manager for Foley Family Wines, stopped by FOX 21 to sample wines with the morning crew. Carrigan brought two types of wine that go well with sunshine and a few full-bodied white and robust reds for the Fall. Lucien…

UW-Superior Supports Military Veterans through Annual 5K

4th Annual Running for our Heroes 5K Run/Walk

SUPERIOR, Wis. – This weekend many Northlanders will be getting in a workout to honor those who have and do protect the United States of America. UW-Superior is once again hosting the Annual Running for our Heroes 5K Run/Walk. It’s taking place Saturday, Sept. 30, at 9 a.m. The event is hosted by UW–Superior’s Veteran and Nontraditional Student Center (VNSC)…

Man on Trial for Weapons Theft Confesses During Trial

Joseph Jakubowski MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A man accused of stealing an arsenal of firearms from a southern Wisconsin gun shop and sending an anti-government manifesto to President Donald Trump has admitted at trial that he committed the crimes. Joseph Jakubowski took the stand Monday in Madison, saying he robbed Armageddon Supplies near Janesville April 4 and took guns, magazines,…

Pickwick is Home to more than 100 Years of History

Northland Uncovered: Pickwick

DULUTH, Minn. – A restaurant in Duluth is home to some of the city’s oldest stories. In fact, it’s been around for 103 years. In this week’s Northland Uncovered we visited Pickwick. Pickwick is Duluth’s oldest public restaurant. It opened in 1914 as The Old Brewery Saloon. “It originally was the tasting room for the Fitger Brewing Company,” said Co-Owner…

Grand Rapids Man Involved in OHV Crash near Bemidji

BELTRAMI CO., Minn. – A Grand Rapids man was involved in an Off-Highway Vehicle crash 50 miles northeast of Bemidji, on Friday, Sept. 22, according to the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities responded to the call around 5:11 p.m. Crews arrived on scene at the junction of Flowing Well Road (Co. Rd. 107) and Flowing Well Trail in Kelliher Township….

FOX 21 Morning Crew Celebrates National Pancake Day

Tuesday, September 26 is National Pancake Day

DULUTH, Minn. – Get your griddles ready! Tuesday, September 26 is National Pancake Day. Whether you take your pancakes with fruit, chocolate chips or just syrup and butter, the options are endless. There’s no need to stop celebrating once the morning is over because Tuesday is the perfect excuse to make breakfast for dinner. Whether you’re making them at home…

Duluth Church Prepares To Offer Immigrants Sanctuary

Peace United Church Of Christ Plans to Fundraise to Create Living Quarters

A church in Duluth is now in talks with contractors ready to build bunk beds, a shower and kitchen on their property to offer as a sanctuary for undocumented immigrants. Peace United Church of Christ voted Sunday to become a “Sanctuary Church.” They’ll provide shelter to protect people seeking documentation from being deported. It’s the church is the first of…

Duluth Councilors Set 2018 Maximum Levy, Reduce Police/Fire Cuts

Property Tax Increase At 6.43 Percent Equals $25 More A Year On $160,000 Home

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth city councilors have fulfilled their state duty to set the maximum operating levy for 2018 to a number higher than Mayor Emily Larson has proposed. In a 7–2 vote Monday night, councilors voted to increase the maximum 2018 levy from Mayor Larson’s 4 percent to 6.43 percent, which councilors say would allow more funding to the…

Farmers Seeing An End To The Season

Farmers Markets Coming To An End

Hermantown, Minn. Local farmers are wrapping up their growing seasons. That also means that the local farmers markets are coming to an end. Monday the Hermantown farmers market ended their season. Local farmers say the weather this year played a big part in this year’s great turnout. “This little patch of warm weather that we had made things just pop….

Duluth Council Votes to Uphold Water Rate Increase

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth city council voted to uphold a proposed 4.7 percent water rate increase at Monday night’s meeting. This means water rates will increase by 4.7 percent a year for the next six years. The resolution goes into effect January 1, 2018. Last week, the Duluth Public Utilities Commission voted unanimously to approve the rate increase. Categories:…