ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Thousands of state employees may still get access to paid parental leave for the next year even though Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed a bill containing the policy. Minnesota Public Radio reports that state officials plan to continue offering the policy, arguing that Dayton’s veto doesn’t matter and that the Legislature’s approval was enough. Dayton had…
DULUTH, Minn. – This weekend is the perfect time for ATV riders to spend some time outdoors. That’s because June 2-4 is “No Registration Weekend.” Meaning, Minnesota is providing ATV riders with free access to more than 3,000 miles of state forest and grant-in-aid trails. This is for Minnesotan an all-terrain vehicle registered for private or agricultural use and out-of-state…
DULUTH, Minn. – For this week’s Cooking Connection we cooked with the A.G. Thomson House. The A.G. Thomson House was built in 1909 in Duluth and now serves as a Bed and Breakfast. Tim and Angie Allen own the establishment and do all the cooking for guests. For this week’s Cooking Connection we made a Roasted Pear with a Salted Caramel Sauce….
DULUTH, Minn. – Local results for the nation’s largest single-day food drive, the National Association Letter Carriers’ Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, were released today. Local letter carriers along with community volunteers collected 95,627 pounds of food donations throughout the Twin Ports on May 13 for area food shelves. Area food shelves will begin to receive the food over a…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Air and Aviation Expo, Presented by St. Luke’s is just days away and several pilots and planes are already in town. The Co-Education Directors, Tara Anderson and Amy Hallback, visited FOX 21 to talk about the education aspect of the show. The air show offered free tickets to this year’s airshow to every elementary school…
(Jeff Lange via AP) CAMBRIA, Wis. (AP) – Recovery crews searched a mountain of debris for two workers on Thursday following an explosion at a corn mill plant that killed at least one employee, injured about a dozen others and leveled parts of the sprawling facility in southern Wisconsin, authorities said. Sixteen employees were working when the blast was reported…
MANKATO, Minn. (AP) – The son of a Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek has been charged with trying to solicit a 13-year-old for sex and possessing child pornography. Twenty-four-year-old Ryan James Stanek, of Maple Grove, was charged with four felonies Wednesday in Blue Earth County. Ryan Stanek was arrested May 19. His father announced the next day he would not…
HERMANTOWN, Minn. – Just before 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Hermantown Police and Hermantown Volunteer Fire Departments responded to a report of a gas leak in the Deer Field Townhome complex. Officers arrived and discovered an SUV struck a parked vehicle and then drove into a townhome. The SUV broke a gas line to the townhome causing a leak and evacuation…
A Wrenshall kidnapping and assault suspect on the run from authorities has been captured in Vancouver. Washington. Scott Lindgren, 21, has been wanted for “felony threats of violence” and “aggravated tampering with a witness.” This is the same suspect accused of and facing current charges of tying a young boy to a chair, stomping on his head and carving the…
DULUTH, Minn. – The iconic Crabby Ol’ Bill’s eatery in Canal Park is possibly a little less crabby right now because it’s opening Friday and under new ownership. The popular hot spot has gotten rotted wood fixed up, along with fresh paint and a deep cleaning inside where all those famous mini donuts are made. “Our company, Titanium Partners, is…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – The application deadline is over in Superior, and two candidates are officially in the running to be appointed to the former council seat of Graham Garfield who resigned. Tylor Elm handed in 232 signatures of support with his application. Elm lost to Garfield in a recent election by one vote. The other candidate is Kara Schmidt who…
Meet Emily Jacobsen, one of 12 winners of the FOX 21 Strength in the Community Scholarship. The Strength in the Community Scholarship was created to help students reach their goals to pursue higher education in a time of rising tuition costs. Twelve finalists will receive $1,000, but one will trade in their $1,000 for a $10,000 check. Emily is a…
TWO HARBORS, Minn. – Up the shore in Two Harbors, Head of the Lakes United Way partnered with Community Partners and Lake View Hospital for a day of helping. Volunteers went throughout the city to assist older citizens with various chores, like moving brush, as well as window washing. “This is a town that’s given a lot back to me,”…
CLOQUET, Minn. – Students and alumni gathered at the Cloquet Middle School to say goodbye to the school as they know it. The middle school held a closing ceremony today to honor the building that hosted many young students over the last one hundred years. “My generation of course, my parents, my grand parents, this building has been here in…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth–Superior Film Festival kicked off the first of five days of film, music and arts Wednesday. Wednesday night’s film was shown at Clyde Iron Works called Rumble, which is a documentary about the role of Native Americans in popular music history. The festival concentrates on movies shot and produced right here in our region. Many of…
Discussion over the use of LED lights in the city of Duluth has been going on for months now. Tonight another public meeting was held to address outdoor lighting. The City of Duluth has already converted a majority of the cities street lights to a blueish colored LED. Because so many have had concerns over the brightness, city staff was…
DULUTH, Minn. – Minnesota governor Mark Dayton signed the state’s budget and bonding bills Tuesday to avoid a state government shutdown, but now, he’s taking some serious heat after deciding to veto funding to the house and senate as a way to get lawmakers to fix some key issues included in the bills. House republicans are calling this move unconstitutional…
DULUTH, Minn. — Their uniforms are bright and colorful, but their skills are breathtaking. Members of the SkyHawks, the Canadian military’s parachute team, paid a visit to a few Duluth schools earlier today. We caught up with them at the Edison North Star Academy this morning, as a group of high-flying stuntmen teach the kids about their jobs and their…
DULUTH, Minn. — As construction continues on Duluth’s historic NorShor Theatre, a mysterious work of art has been found. The nearly ten-foot-tall mural was found in the theatre’s attic, which is a space that used to be the balcony of the old Orpheum Theatre back in the early 1900s. Christine Gradl Seitz, Duluth Playhouse’s Artistic Director, says she hopes to…
DULUTH, Minn. – Minnesota’s Departments of Public Safety, Health and Transportation are working toward zero deaths on state highways. On Wednesday, officials from eight counties met at Northland Country Club to examine crash trends and come up with ways to reduce traffic deaths. Wednesday’s workshop came after a number of fatal and injury crashes in recent weeks. Organizers say Summer…
DULUTH, Minn. – Starting June 1st, St. Louis County residents who are homeless or about to become homeless will have a new resource through the United Way’s 211 program. By texting ‘homeless’ to 85511, people can start the pre–screen process 24 hours a day. Officials say the text hotline will serve people who might not get the help they need…
BEMIDJI, Minn. (KMSP) – A former assistant principal at Bemidji Middle School has been federally charged with producing and distributing child pornography and attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. On Wednesday, 34-year-old Brandon Mark Bjerknes had his first appearance in U.S. District Court in St. Paul. According to a personnel data request with the school district, Bjerknes worked for…
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (AP) – The Department of Natural Resources got most of the money it requested from the Legislature, and its head credits an outcry by Minnesotans who hunt, fish, use state parks, and ride snowmobiles and ATVs. Commissioner Tom Landwehr tells The Associated Press the user fee increases his agency needed weren’t a foregone conclusion. He says the original…
MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) – The controversial “Scaffold” installation at the newly renovated Minneapolis Sculpture Garden will be dismantled, taken to Fort Snelling and ceremonially burned, officials at the Walker Art Center announced Wednesday. The sculpture partly depicts the mass-hanging of 38 members of the Dakota tribe in Mankato in 1862. It sparked protests over Memorial Day weekend, causing the Walker Art…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A National Rifle Association lobbyist is telling a legislative committee that guns were a great equalizer for “the blacks.” Scott Meyer appeared before the Senate’s judiciary committee during a public hearing on a GOP bill that would allow people to carry concealed weapons without permits or training. The NRA supports the measure. Meyer told the committee…
MINNEAPOLIS–U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken say they are accepting applications for the top federal prosecutor’s job in Minnesota. The two Democratic senators made the announcement Tuesday. Minnesota’s former U.S. attorney, Andrew Luger, was appointed by President Barack Obama. He was among dozens of federal prosecutors who resigned under the new administration. Klobuchar and Franken recommended Luger for…
DULUTH, Minn. – Two non-profit agencies in Duluth that serve children and families have been chosen to receive significant grants from the South St. Louis County Family Service Collaborative. The YWCA Duluth will receive $225,000 and the Lincoln Park Children and Family Collaborative will receive $25,000. Recipients took part in a comprehensive application process and were chosen based on their…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court has upheld a Trempealeau County decision denying a permit to open a new sand mine for use in hydraulic fracking. The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled against Iowa-based AllEnergy Corporation. It had argued that a Trempealeau County environmental and land use committee in 2013 wrongly denied its permit to open the…
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota health officials are hoping the state’s measles outbreak is nearing its end as the number of new cases plateau for the last 13 days. The Pioneer Press reports that the Minnesota Department of Health’s daily tally has remained steady at 68 for two weeks. However, health officials are still urging caution and recommending vaccinations. The…
DULUTH, Minn. – This weekend the country will be celebrating nature as National Trials Day is Saturday, June 3. Rachel Agurkis, a Solutions Specialist for Verizon Wireless, joined the Fox 21 morning crew to go over technology suitable for outdoors. Fitbit Alta: Track your activity and take advantage of automatic recognition and recording of select exercises via the Fitbit app’s…
People in Wisconsin cannot spell the name of their own state, according to new data released by Google. In honor of the 2017 Scripps National Spelling Bee, Google Trends collected data and mapped the top “how to spell” searches in every state across the U.S. America’s most misspelled words – it’s #spellingbee week and we mapped top “how…
DARLINGTON, Wis. (AP) -A Wisconsin judge has overturned a ban on selling homemade baked goods in the state. Lafayette County Judge Duane Jorgenson ruled Wednesday afternoon in favor of three women who’d challenged a state law they say made it impossible for home bakers to legally sell their treats. Jorgenson said in his oral ruling the ban primarily serves business…
DULUTH, Minn. – From about 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. today, it may have looked like there was a military exercise going on in Bayfront Park as helicopters and skydivers filled the sky. Instead, it was Doritos marketing team putting on a show for Northlanders. Doritos decided to drop a 200-bag pallet in the park, which featured their new chips…
BELOIT, Wis. (AP) – Governor Scott Walker says he’s open to the idea of tolling Wisconsin interstates, but only if the revenue helps reduce the state’s gas tax, which is nearly 31 cents a gallon. Walker made his comments Tuesday in Beloit where he warned that the $1.2 billion expansion of Interstate 39-90 from the Madison area to the Illinois…
DULUTH, Minn. – In this week’s Animal Answers we’re taking you on a field trip! For some, it may be a trip to the park, museum or movie theater. However, many groups of Northland students are becoming seasoned pond scientists. “I think if you start kids at an early enough age they’ll have an appreciation for the outdoors,” said Matt…
Meet Kallie Baldwin, one of 12 winners of the FOX 21 Strength in the Community Scholarship. The Strength in the Community Scholarship was created to help students reach their goals to pursue higher education in a time of rising tuition costs. Twelve finalists will receive $1,000, but one will trade in their $1,00 for a $10,000 check. Kallie is a…
DULUTH, Minn. – As the popularity of mountain biking continues to grow in Duluth, more and more women are starting to get involved with the sport. At Spirit Mountain, a full class is on hand for a “Ladies Only” Mountain Bike 101 class. “We’re just going to go over balance on your bike, braking, shifting a little bit,” said Dee…
DULUTH, Minn. – A memorial service Tuesday evening honored Northland veterans who served in the Vietnam War. The annual ceremony recognizes the names of the 136 soldiers from the area who didn’t get to come home to their families. Duluth Police Chief Mike Tusken and a soldier who just returned from overseas spoke about the significance of the Vietnam War…
Courtesy: Douglas Co. Jail SUPERIOR, Wis. – A Duluth man with prior convictions involving the slashing of exercise balls has been arrested once again, this time for an alleged incident at Superior High School. Christopher Neil Bjerkness, 39, has previously been convicted for several other incidents involving burglary and damage to property. He has also openly admitted to becoming sexually…
DULUTH, Minn. – The crew of a Coast Guard Cutter Alder small boat rescued three people early Monday evening, after the crew witnessed a 15-foot sailboat capsize in the Duluth Harbor. Around 6 p.m., the crew was conducting line-handling drills near the Duluth Aerial Lift Bridge when they witnessed the sailboat capsize in the harbor about a mile from their…
DULUTH, Minn. — The podium was well-lit at “The Garage,” in the Kirby Student Center at University of Minnesota Duluth. Students have recently departed for the summer, and just last week the Minnesota State Legislature completed a marathon session that included an overtime vote for a billion-dollar bonding bill. Now, arriving early Tuesday morning at that podium at UMD, the…
DULUTH, Minn.-Duluth Mayor Emily Larson was all smiles today as Duluth is likely to receive funding for a variety of projects including the steam plant in downtown Duluth. She told us today the legislative session couldn’t have gone any better. “You can always do Monday morning quarterbacking,” said Duluth Mayor Emily Larson. “The city of Duluth will be wonderfully served…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) _ Minnesota is seeing a surge in record fish submissions. The Department of Natural Resources said Tuesday it has received five applications for four species, including lake sturgeon, shortnose gar, golden redhorse and the quillback carpsucker. Mike Kurre, the DNR’s state record fish program coordinator, says the agency has never had so many record submissions in…
FORBES, Minn. – Lawmakers and officials from Cliff’s Natural Resources had reason to celebrate, as they cut the ribbon on the re-opened United Taconite facility. “We are truly celebrating here today the largest producer of iron ore pellets in North America sending a brand new mustang pellet to the largest blast furnace in the United States,” said Sen. Amy Klobuchar…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (KMSP) – Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton has announced his decisions on the budget bills passed during a 75-hour special session that ended just before Memorial Day weekend. The governor has signed the nine budget bills and the bonding bill, and he will allow the tax bill to become law without his signature. The governor stood by his…
DULUTH, Minn.-Veterans Memorial Hall had its grand reopening today. The moment celebrated a major redesign at the facility which honors local veterans and their accomplishments. The exhibit now includes artifacts and stories from multiple conflicts, going back to the Civil War. “War and conflict impacts all lives,” said Jo Anne Coombe, executive director of the St. Louis County Historical Society….
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Republican lawmakers want to sweeten the deal for Wisconsin beekeepers. A proposal from Rep. Amy Loudenbeck and Sen. Steve Nass would eliminate the state sales tax on bees and equipment used by beekeepers. Loudenbeck said at an Assembly committee hearing Tuesday the bill would extend exemptions given to farmers to beekeepers and help address the rapidly…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota farmers could use some warm, sunny days to speed crop development and get the last of their planting done. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Tuesday that cool and cloudy conditions across Minnesota last week prevented fields from drying out and limited farmers to 2.8 days of fieldwork. Corn planting is almost done in…
MADISON (AP) – Wisconsin’s transportation budget picture has improved by $93 million. The nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau on Tuesday told lawmakers that the roads fun will end the two-year budget cycle with nearly $102 million due to higher gas tax collections and lower debt service costs. The fund was originally projected to be just $8.4 million. The positive re-estimate comes…
Crawford Co Sheriff’s Office LANSING, Iowa (KSMP) – Iowa and Wisconsin authorities have closed a bridge over the Mississippi River after a washed out section caused a fatal crash Tuesday morning. The accident took place around 4:22 a.m. on Iowa Highway 82 between Lansing, Iowa and Freeman, Wisconsin. The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office says a 59-year-old man was on his…
