News

Natural Surface Trails Begin to Open in Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. – The City of Duluth reports that city-managed natural surface trails are open. Trail users are asked to use trails with care, practice etiquette on shared trails, and avoid entering wet areas to prevent trail damage. Cyclists of Gitchee Gumi Shores trails are OPEN at: Hawk Ridge and Morningside Duluth Traverse Hartley Park Enger Park Traverse from Observation…

Minnesotans Ready for Fishing as Walleye Season Approaches

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota is ready to start fishing. The state has an estimated 1.4 million licensed anglers and around 500,000 are expected to fish when walleye season opens Saturday, May 13. Governor Mark Dayton is hosting the 70th annual Minnesota Governor’s Fishing Opener along the Mississippi River in the St. Cloud area of central Minnesota. That stretch of…

Madison Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking

Evidence presented at trial showed he had been engaged in the conduct since 2010

Maurice Withers, 28 MADISON, Wis. – A jury reached a guilty verdict after less than three hours, following a four-day trial of a Madison man, who was involved in prostitution and sex trafficking. Attorney General Brad Schimel announced Friday, that Maurice Adonis Withers, 28, was found guilty on Thursday of six counts of sex trafficking and three counts of interstate…

Firefighters Announce Endorsement of City Council Candidates

DULUTH, Minn. – IAFF Local 101 Duluth Firefighters have announced their endorsement of Duluth City Council 4th District candidate, Renee Van Nett, and at-large candidates incumbent Zack Filipovich and Rich Updegrove. Local 101 President Pete Johnson, praised all candidates on their accessibility to their constituents, involvement in the community, and their understanding and value of city services, such as the fire department….

Tunnel Cleaning Project Scheduled on I-35 and Highway 61

Will take place from Mon., May 7 to Wed., May 10

DULUTH, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Transportation has scheduled a tunnel cleaning project that will begin on Sunday, May 7. The project is scheduled during evening hours to minimize traffic interference. Motorists are asked to watch for work zones and follow message board directions. Schedule: Northbound tunnels on I-35 in Duluth , Sunday, May 7 from 6:30 p.m. to…

Local Horse Barns Open to Public Sunday

Event Educates Public about Horseback Riding and Care

DULUTH, Minn. – This weekend Northland horse barns are opening up to the public. The Duluth Area Horse Trail Alliance is encouraging anyone interested in horseback riding to stop by, no matter the age. The 3rd Annual Horses in your Neighborhood event is held to get folks of all ages excited about horseback riding, and also educate about trail courtesy…

Aimee Tischer Performs on FOX 21 for Duluth Homegrown Music Festival

Tischer's Full Performance Takes Place Tonight

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Homegrown Music Festival is filling the town with some beautiful sounds and it’s continuing through the weekend. This morning, Aimee Tischer performed on FOX 21 Local News at Eight ahead of her show tonight. Tischer is playing at Blacklist Artisan Ales tonight, Friday, May 5 at 8:00 p.m. For more on Tischer’s music and future…

Slip Bridge To Temporarily Rise For Boats Friday

Reconstruction Work Expected To Be Complete By Grandma's Marathon

DULUTH, Minn. –  The city of Duluth tells FOX 21 the reconstruction work being done on the Minnesota Slip Bridge is ahead of schedule by a few days and is expected to open up this Friday. The raising of the bridge will allow the Vista Fleet and charter businesses to get their boats docked in the slip. The city expects…

Eroding Sea Wall Forces Relocation Of Vista Fleet

Local Tourist Attraction Still To Operate As Normal

DULUTH, Minn. — Crumbling sea walls have forced emergency repairs behind the DECC, and that includes a major shift in operations for the Vista Fleet. Years of erosion is now heavily affecting the Vista Fleet. Its 100-ton boat is being forced to move to a temporary docking station for the season. The city says the section of sea wall that…

UWS Celebrates Unity

It was a night of unity on the UWS campus highlighting the diversity established within the student body. The event called light up the night was hosted by the social work student association to highlight the appreciation for the value of diversity while also making sure all students feel welcomed. “This event is really important to our campus because it…

Mario-Themed Chalk Art in Canal Park

Artists Drew Mario, Princess Peach, and a Whole Level From the Game

DULUTH, Minn. – Anyone who walked along the lakewalk the last couple days may have noticed some Mario-themed chalk art. The mural depicts Mario himself, Princess Peach, and a whole level of the game, including fish and lava. Two artists made the chalk sketch on Wednesday to give lake walkers something fun to do while enjoying the beautiful weather. “We’ve…

Denfeld Releases 2017 Lip Dub Video

Denfeld Students Have Made Videos Since 2014 to Promote School Pride

DULUTH, Minn. – Denfeld High School released their annual lib dub video today. The videos have become somewhat of a tradition. Since 2014, students have put the work in each year, showcasing their video production and lip synching skills to show hunter pride for their school. Each of the last four years, Denfeld High School students have produced and choreographed…

How Northland Photographers Share Their Art in the Digital Age

Special Report: Top Photographers, Part Two

EVELETH, Minn. – With just a gentle breeze blowing through newly-budding trees, we are walking a trail around Fayal Pond near the town of Eveleth. There are turtles mating on logs near the edge of the pond. We’re walking toward a bridge that Paul Pluskwik has taken photos near many times. This is just one of the places in northern…

It’s Moving Season, And Couches Are Back on Sidewalks

Putting Couches Out on Sidewalks Is Against City Code in Duluth

DULUTH ,Minn.- Schools like UMD Offer recycling programs, where students can schedule for a crew to come pick up old unwanted furniture. But during move out season each year, many couches, chairs and mattresses are just left on sidewalks. If you’re looking to get rid of furniture this spring, there are many places people can take those items. Organizations like…

Duluth Lions Club Hosts 60th Annual Pancake Day

Money Raised from Thursday's Event will go Toward Sight, Hearing, Youth and Diabetes Programs

DULUTH, Minn. – For 60 years, Northlanders have been coming together and flipping flapjacks all for a great cause. The annual Duluth Lions Club Pancake Day happened all day at the DECC Thursday. Organizers spent the Wednesday preparing over 2,600 pounds of pancake batter along with 700 gallons of coffee and 41 cases of syrup. Hundreds of volunteers came together…

Uber and Lyft are Now Available at Duluth Airport

Have Already Begun Operating There

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Airport Authority Board has approved agreements to allow Uber and Lyft to operate there. Officials told us those ride-sharing organizations have already signed operating agreements with the airport. The ridesharing operators will have to pay some fees like the taxi companies do at the airport, to operate there. “There’s a demand in our region for…

DNR K9’s Sniff Out Invasive Species

Officers Can Find Zebra Mussels on Boats

DULUTH, Minn. – With Minnesota’s Fishing Opener around the corner, plenty of boats will be on the water. The Department of Natural Resources wants to raise awareness about invasive species. Aquatic invasive species, specifically zebra mussels, are a big problem in Minnesota lakes.  The DNR is pulling out all the stops to stop the spread. One measure; four K9 units…

Special Athletes Shine on Arrowhead Youth Day

More than 350 Athletes Competed at UMD

DULUTH, Minn. – It may be exam week at the University of Minnesota Duluth, but that didn’t stop the school’s athletic facilities from getting a good workout Thursday. More than 350 athletes with disabilities from 23 Northland schools were on campus for the annual Arrowhead Youth Say presented by the Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute. These special competitors spent the day…

Prayer Day Held in Superior

Trying to Bring Positive Vibes to the Community

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The 66th National Day of Prayer was held today outside the courthouse in Superior. The event today was newly elected mayor Jim Paine’s first prayer event. The event was held to help bring positive vibes not only for the community, but the nation as well. The leader of the prayer group, Rose Ligman, said the prayer is…

Study Shows Duluth Roads in Disrepair

Majority of City Streets are Rated Mediocre or Worse

DULUTH, Minn. – A new study By national transportation resarch group TRIP says 69% of Duluth roads are rated either mediocre or poor. Staggering as that figure is, the number is expected to go up by 80 percent by 2020. A transportation sales tax raised $100 million in road improvement revenue but officials say they need more help from the…

Multiple Students Injured in Bemidji School Bus Rollover Crash

Update 5/4: Authorities have released the names of the individuals involved in the incident. The driver of the passenger vehicle has been identified as Thomas Lee Nielsen, 29 of Chattanooga, TN and the bus driver of the bus as Patrick Russell Stout, 47, of Bemidji. The Minnesota State Patrol is currently working with the Beltrami Sheriff’s Department with reconstructing the…

Thousands of Bottles of Gin Recalled for Too Much Alcohol

(CNN) – Canadian health authorities have launched a nationwide recall of Bombay Sapphire gin after bottles containing nearly double the advertised amount of alcohol were discovered. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said the bottles were found to contain 77 percent alcohol by volume rather than the 40 percent, as labeled on the bottle. The company, which is produced by Bacardi,…

Pre-Existing Conditions and the Health Plan: Who’s Covered?

(AP) – The Republican push to replace the Affordable Care Act was revived this week in Congress by a change to their plan designed to combat concerns over coverage for those with pre-existing health problems. The change helped get the bill through the House of Representatives in a tight vote Thursday, but experts say it may make little difference in…

41 Deaths on Wisconsin Roads Last Month

MADISON, Wis. – Forty-one people died in Wisconsin traffic crashes last month, according to preliminary data from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). This data shows the same as April of last year. As of April 30, a total of 143 people have died in Wisconsin traffic crashes this year, including six motorcyclists and 17 pedestrians. Traffic deaths through April…

Ex-School Official Charged in Sex Abuse Case in Wisconsin

LA CROSSE, Wis. (AP) – A former Catholic school administrator from western Wisconsin has been charged with enticing a teenager for sex. Court documents allege 59-year-old Steven Smolek told police he chatted online with a 16-year-old boy and met him while living in Mosinee in January 2015. Charges against Smolek include child enticement and sexual intercourse with a child. The…

Teague Alexy Performs on FOX 21 Ahead of Duluth Homegrown Appearance

Duluth Homegrown Music Festival runs through Sunday

DULUTH, Minn. – Music has taken over the city as the Duluth Homegrown Music Festival is well underway. The festival runs through Sunday, May 7th and will feature two hundred musical acts at multiple venues in Duluth and Superior. The Greater Downtown Council is sponsoring a Homegrown Trolley over the weekend for a quick and free ride up and down Superior…

UMD Chef Heads to National Competition

Cooking Connection: UMD Chef Conor Maki

DULUTH, Minn. – A University of Minnesota Duluth chef is heading to a national competition, the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS) regional conference. Conor Maki will be competing against six other chefs from across the country. Maki won the gold medal at the NACUFS culinary competition in Fargo, N.D. on February 21, 2017. Conor’s winning dish was…

House Votes to Repeal Affordable Care Act

Senate Still Needs to Vote on Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C.- Relieved Republicans have pushed their prized health care bill through the House. The mostly party-line 217-213 vote advances a bill that addresses their longtime pledge to erase the 2010 Obama health care law. Thursday’s vote sends the measure to the Senate. Many senators consider the House bill too harsh and it’s expected to undergo substantial changes. The House…

Two Arrested in Duluth on Drug Sale Charges

DULUTH, Minn. – The Lake Superior Drug and Violent Crimes Task Force executed a search warrant on Monday May 1, at an apartment in the 2300 block of West 6th Street, as a result of an investigation into the sale of controlled substances. Numerous complaints from neighbors had been received by the LSDVCTF about short-term traffic and other suspicious activity…

Petition For Councilor Garfield’s Resignation; Picket Planned

Feminist Justice League Is Behind The Mission For Removal

SUPERIOR, Wis. – Advocates against domestic violence say they are not standing down on their mission to get Superior city councilor Graham Garfield to resign amid domestic abuse charges. The Feminist Justice League has launched a Change.org petition for Garfield’s removal, which will be delivered to the city council at a later date. The League plans to also picket outside…

Duluth Firefighters Hold Pinning Ceremony

New Hires and Promotions Honored

A new firefighter tradition continued in Duluth Wednesday, giving recognition to firefighters who have excelled at the job. At the Duluth Depot, the fire department held the second annual pinning ceremony. New firefighters and those recently given promotions were honored as well as the Kiwanis Firefighter of the Year. Family members and the firefighter’s children were able to pin the…

City Needs Input on Lincoln Park Upgrades

Planning Meeting Scheduled for May 15th

DULUTH, Minn. – Lincoln Park is just one parks the city is improving with $18 million in tourism tax dollars From the St. Louis River Corridor Initiative. Lincoln Park’s current playground sits across a city street from the picnic area.  Residents and officials want the playground and pavilion on the same side of the street. There’s a public meeting planned…

100-Plus Pack Open House For Proposed Kwik Trip; Many Not Thrilled

Site Is Proposed at Boundary Avenue in Duluth

PROCTOR, Minn. — It was standing room only at the Proctor Black Woods Wednesday night where residents and business owners sounded off against a proposed Kwik Trip on Boundary Avenue and U.S. Hwy 2 in Duluth. The people who showed up came from not only Duluth but also Proctor. “Every place they build a mom and pop operation has gone…

Sharing the Beauty of the Northland One Photo at a Time

Special Report: Top photographers give an inside look at how they capture stunning scenes throughout northern Minnesota

NORTH SHORE, Minn. – It’s an absolutely perfect sunny day on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Just a day shy of a major storm, the wind is calm but the waves are crashing against the rocks on the shoreline. “It’s just raw beauty,” says Christian Dalbec, clad in a wet suit and a pair of pants he shyly admits…

Duluth YMCA Gets People Moving on Walking Wednesdays

The walks will start each Wednesday through the month of May

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth YMCA is doing its part to get people moving more throughout the month of May. Anybody is invited to take part in “Walking Wednesdays”. It’s all part of the city’s Bus Bike Walk month. Wednesday night, a group of walkers made its way from the YMCA down to Canal Park. Organizers say it’s a great…

Folk School Hosts Beginner Bike Maintenance Class

Instructors gave hands-on lessons to bikers, showing them how to properly fix breaks and gears, as well as how to change a flat tire

DULUTH, Minn. – If you’re just getting your bike out for the season, it might be time for a little tune up. This evening, the Duluth Folk School hosted a beginner bike maintenance class. Instructors gave hands-on lessons to bikers, showing them how to properly fix breaks and gears, as well as how to change a flat tire. Organizers say…

Stock Car Racing Season Beginning in the Northland

The Weather Has Delayed the Beginning of the Season

PROCTOR, Minn.- Stock Car Racing Season is beginning in the Northland. Today, Representatives from all of the Northern Tier tracks of the Wissota Promoters Association gave an overview of their upcoming seasons and dates. Though the season is starting a little late because of weather, race fans are excitedly to finally get out to the tracks. “The cabin fever is…

Head of the Lakes United Way Hosts Luncheon

Volunteers and Organizations Were Honored for Their Work

DULUTH, Minn.- The Head of the Lakes United Way honored people and organizations that have helped with their cause through volunteering and monetary donations. United Way held their Annual Luncheon at the DECC today. It’s a chance for their organization to say thank you to their community partners, and celebrate all the work that United Way and its volunteers have…