News

Coffee Conversation: Northspan to host Business Succession Planning Summit

VIRGINIA, Minn. — Northspan will host a succession planning summit, Succession Strategies, on May 23 at Iron Trail Motors Event Center from 7:30 am – 4:00 pm. Northspan Group Consultant & Finance Manage Zack Filipovich joined FOX 21 on the morning newscast Thursday ahead of the event. The Northspan Group provides business development and community development consulting services to clients in…

Coffee Conversation: “Todd Oliver, The Funniest Night Of Your Life” at West Theatre

DULUTH, Minn. — Ventriloquist and Comedian Todd Oliver and his talking dog Irving will take the state at the West Theatre on Sunday May 5 at 2pm. The duo has starred on the Today Show, the Late Show with David Letterman, the Tonight Show and America’s Got Talent. They joined FOX 21 on the morning newscast Thursday. For tickets to…

Duluth Police Ask Pro-Palestine Encampment To Leave Civic Center

DULUTH, Minn. — A small encampment In the Duluth Civic Center courtyard got a visit from the Duluth Police Department Wednesday evening. The two officers told the pro-Palestinian protesters that it’s against the law to set up camps sites on the property. Wednesday marked the first time protesters have taken to the streets of Duluth to set up an encampment…

‘Duluth Palestine Solidarity Camp’ Forms At Rose Garden

Courtesy: The Duluth Palestine Solidarity Camp DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Palestine Solidarity Camp, as the group is calling themselves, set up an encampment at the Rose Garden Wednesday evening.   This encampment followed another encampment within the Duluth Civic Center, which police said was not legal. Duluth Palestine Solidarity Camp’s purpose is to “demand city and state divestment and boycott…

Sexually Explicit Video Involving Minors Circulates Lincoln Park Middle School

DULUTH, Minn. – Lincoln Park Middle School alerted parents Wednesday about a sexually explicit video involving minors that was circulating among students. In an email to parents, the principal said the video originated outside of school but was still a serious situation because of the content and the “legal implications associated with distributing or possessing such material.” The school is…

Northland College To Remain Open Under New Model

ASHLAND, Wis. –The Northland College Board of Trustees has approved a “refocused model” for the college that will allow the school to remain open. The school will cut some of its majors. “The college will have eight high demand, mission-aligned majors and focused offerings,” according to a news release Wednesday. The release also stated significant changes to its operation budget…

Goal of Large Grant is Transformation

Family Freedom Center focusing on Black families receives $500,000 from Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation

There is a hope Wednesday that big ideas combined with big money will produce big results. Four different organizations are working together to bring change to Black families in the Central Hillside neighborhood. The Family Freedom Center is receiving $500,000 from the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation. The center was founded six years ago with the specific goal of creating…

65th Annual Duluth Lions Pancake Day

DULUTH, Minn. – It’s time to find your pancake eatin’ pants and prepare for the 65th Annual Duluth Lions Pancake Day coming up Thursday May 3rd at the DECC. Wednesday was set-up day and the Duluth Lions Club has this process down to a science. This is the group’s 65th time preparing to feed thousands of people pancakes and sausages…

Local Vets See More Tick-Borne Diseases This Year

DULUTH, Minn. — Fleas and ticks don’t completely die off in the winter, especially with this year’s milder weather. The Duluth Veterinary Hospital has seen more diseases than usual and earlier than normal. The main disease being Lyme Disease. Tick-borne illnesses can be bothersome for dogs causing tiredness, fevers, limping, and soreness. For fleas the main symptom is itchiness. Vets…

EO Johnson Business Technologies Moving To New Location In Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. — A growing technology company has moved to a new location in Duluth. EO Johnson Business Technologies will be relocating from their spot on Superior Street to a new place at 330 Garfield Avenue which is in a former ISD 709 building. The company who focuses on digital transformation and workplace technology offers print services and document management,…

Homegrown Music Festival Expands to Largest Venue to Date

AMSOIL Arena is the latest venue added to the festivals extensive lineup -- and the biggest

DULUTH, Minn. — The 26th Homegrown Music Festival is well underway! Tuesday night featured four musical acts at the festival’s largest venue yet — AMSOIL Arena. The festival features about 160 bands or artists at 35 venues spread across the Twin Ports. And while the event is no stranger to the DECC, this year is the first time Homegrown has…

Update on Twin Ports Interchange Project

DULUTH, Minn – The Twin Ports Interchange Project won’t be completed until the end of 2025 instead of the end of this year. MnDOT says the discovery of a jawbone in the construction zone last February is the main reason for the delay. In 2019, prior to construction starting the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council reviewed the site for potential impact…

Drowning of Three Teenage Brothers and Hero Remembered

57 years ago, Coast Guard member died trying to save three brothers.

Tuesday was quiet and peaceful on the waters of Lake Superior. But fifty-seven years ago, the winds were vicious and the swells high. Four would die. The annual ceremony to remember those who drowned took place Tuesday at the Duluth pier. It marks the 57th anniversary of the tragic drowning that took the lives of the three Halverson family teenage…

Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month Reminds Both Drivers and Riders to Stay Alert

Warm weather means motorcyclists are already on Northland roads and beyond

DULUTH, Minn. — May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, but warmer weather had motorcyclists on the roads as early as March. Minnesota has already seen four motorcyclist fatalities this year, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. However, both deaths and injuries to motorcyclists went down from 2022 to 2023 in the state. Wisconsin has also seen a decrease…

Damiano Center Opens Hygiene Unit To Public

DULUTH, Minn. — The Damiano Center’s shower facility is now open to the public. The Hygiene Unit has 6 units, each with a shower, sink and toilet. Guests can shower Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Everyone is provided a fresh towel and wash cloth. There is soap, shampoo and conditioner in every unit. The Executive Director…

US Drug Control Agency Will Move To Reclassify Marijuana In A Historic Shift, AP Sources Say

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, The Associated Press has learned, a historic shift to generations of American drug policy that could have wide ripple effects across the country. The DEA’s proposal, which still must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, would recognize the medical uses of cannabis and…

Fallen Workers Honored With Tree-Planting Ceremony

DULUTH, Minn. — Workers who died or suffered injuries on the job were honored Monday at the Duluth Labor Temple. Workers Memorial Day is a holiday honoring fallen workers as well as highlighting the importance of safer working conditions. Union members, elected officials and community leaders all gathering for a solidarity breakfast and tree-planting ceremony. There haven’t been any work-related…

New Red Panda To Join Lake Superior Zoo

DULUTH, Minn. — The Lake Superior Zoo is preparing to welcome a new animal to the Northland. A brand-new Red Panda named Pip will be joining Zoozee, the 2-year-old Red Panda that came to the Zoo last year. Pip flew in from the New Bedford Zoo a couple days ago and is currently at the Zoo’s animal care center. The…

Ending of CSS Theater Program Draws Sit-in by Students and Supporters

DULUTH, Minn. – A decision announced by the College of St. Scholastica last Friday to cease offering theater productions this fall has shocked students, staff, alumni and the community.  A sit-in by students and others took place Monday. The all-day sit-in outside the school president’s office saw many people from the school and the community taking part. The students talked…

Volunteer Sandra Nutt Sheds Light on the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Ashland

ASHLAND, WI. — April is National Volunteer Month, and community members like Sandra Nutt are busy preparing for the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Ashland. Sandra is a volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Association. She has helped put on the Walk to End Alzheimer’s for the past 10 years. Meanwhile, her daughter currently works at the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Research Center. Like…

Coffee Conversation: Local Musician from Carlton Wins Competition with Original Song

CARLTON, Minn. — A local musician from Carlton will receive a close to $10,000 prize after winning a national contest for her original song. Abrianna Schmidt is an 18-year-old high school senior. She recently found out that she won the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Journey of a Song contest. She joined FOX 21 on the morning newscast Tuesday to…

Police: 4 Officers Killed, 4 Wounded In Shootout At North Carolina Home

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Four officers trying to serve a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm were killed and four other officers were wounded in a shootout in North Carolina. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings said the officers killed the suspect outside the Charlotte home Monday after he fired on them. Jennings says officers who rushed to…

Longtime Hartley Nature Center Leader Moves to Next Adventure

Tom O'Rourke taking his passion for environment and nature to his next challenge.

Duluth’s Hartley Nature Center is a city treasure. And now the person who has helped lead it for over a decade is moving on to his next adventure. “Hartley is such a community gem, you know, and the staff are so amazing. The board, the supporters,” said outgoing Executive Director, Tom O’Rourke. “You know any time you tell people that…

Students Protest Ending of Theater Program at St. Scholastica

DULUTH, Minn. — A late Friday afternoon announcement that the College of St. Scholastica is ending its theatre productions led to a protest Monday outside the school president’s office. Students from the theater program and others gathered for a sit-in to let school officials know they disagree with the decision. The CSS students were joined by UMD theatre students who…

Global Negotiations On A Treaty To End Plastic Pollution At Critical Phase In Canada

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — For the first time, negotiators from most of the world’s nations are discussing the text of what is supposed to become a global treaty to end plastic pollution. Delegates and observers at the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution called it a welcome sign that talk has shifted from ideas to treaty language at this fourth of five…

Endion Station Inn Hosts ‘The Great Duluth Sweat Together’

DULUTH, Minn. – Hearty Duluthians came out Saturday for The Great Duluth Sweat Together at the Endion Station Inn in Canal Park. The fun included around a dozen mobile Wood Fire Saunas and an Endion Deck Sauna. People also got their cold plunge into Lake Superior or use cold plunge tubs. The event was described as a day full of…

May Day Observance In Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. – In the United States and Canada, workers celebrate Labor Day. While around the world people celebrate May 1st as the day to honor workers. Union members in the United States also observe May Day. They take time out to look back and look forward to what’s been accomplished and what remains to be done. At the Duluth…

Students To Protest College of St. Scholastica’s Decision To Cut Theatre Program

DULUTH, Minn. —  There was growing disappointment and sadness Sunday from current and former theatre students at the College of St. Scholastica after learning Friday that the college’s long-running theatre program will be dissolved.  Students plan to hold a sit-in protest at CSS during the day Monday to try to get the decision reversed. “These stories that everyone has, it…

Iron County Sheriff’s Office Considers 2 Horse Deaths ‘Suspicious’

Two horse fatalities are under investigation in Iron County. The Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook to say investigators consider the deaths “suspicious.” The deaths happened Wednesday night into early Thursday on a property off of County Highway C in South Carey. Anyone with information is asked to contact Lt, Foryan or Sgt. Wozniak of the Iron County Sheriff’s Office at…

$3 Million Secured In Senate Bonding Bill For New 148th Fighter Wing Hangar

Sen. Grant Hauschild (DFL-Dist. 3) has announced $3 million for the 148th Fighter Wing has been secured in the Senate Capital Investment Bonding Bill. If a super majority approves the funding, it would assist in the construction of a new hangar for the Fighter Wing. The Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce has been the lead advocate for the new hangar…

College Of St. Scholastica’s Decades-Long Theatre Productions To Shut Down

The decision was made as the college "navigates the challenging environment of higher education"

DULUTH, Minn. – The Twin Ports theater community will be losing one of its longest-running stages this fall when the College of St. Scholastica shuts down its decades-long theatre program. Students have been producing high-quality productions for the CSS campus and the general community since at least the 1970s, according to a former director of the program. The college released…

‘One Pill Can Kill’ — The Fentanyl Crisis

DULUTH, Minn – Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa was one of four Minnesota law enforcement officers to appear with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D) who spoke about the fentanyl crisis.  The online event was designed to raise awareness of the increasing dangers of fentanyl. It has been involved in 92 percent of overdose deaths in Minnesota. Fentanyl is increasingly becoming known…

WLSSD Hosts Annual Earth Week Block Party

DULUTH, Minn.– The Western Lake Superior Sanitary District held its annual Courtland Street Block Party Friday, in honor of Earth Week. The WLSSD block party is dedicated to protecting the environment and public health within the community. People dropped off waste and plastics. And a station was set up for the proper disposal of unwanted medications. Atlas Games also had…

Damiano Center Has Job Opportunity For Teens

DULUTH, Minn. — The Damiano Center has a job opportunity for teenagers looking to make a difference in younger people’s lives. The Summer Food Corps position is all about learning to garden and helping make healthy meals but also leading activities and supporting the Kid’s Kitchen. The Kid’s Kitchen is a free drop-in children’s program that runs 2:30 to 5:30…

Duluth Pack Giving Back to the Outdoors with Arbor Day Campaign

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth Pack has started up their annual campaign all about giving back to the great outdoors. It is the 7th annual Arbor Day Campaign, “Buy A Pack, We Give Back.” The business partners with the Minnesota DNR to plant tree saplings. They plant one sapling for every single one of Duluth Pack manufactured items sold. To date…

Northeast Minnesota Criminal Justice Summit Focuses on Crime Survivors

DULUTH, Minn. — The 2024 Northeast Minnesota Criminal Justice Summit took place Thursday. The St. Louis County Attorney’s Office hosting the event at Pike Lake Beach and Gold Club. The day long training is for law enforcement, prosecutors, social workers and others to learn new ways to serve victims of crimes. It focused on human trafficking, compensation for victims, sexual…

Esports Comes to Boys & Girls Club of Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. –The growth of Esports is continuing in both high schools and colleges as well as with younger audiences.  The acceptance and growth of gaming are evidenced by the new Esports lounge at the Boys and Girls Club in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Wednesday afternoon saw the grand opening of the Esports Lounge at the club. For the past…

Insomnia Cookies Grand Opening Makes Late-Night Treats Available to UMD Students

The chain opened their fifth Minnesota location -- right across from UMD's campus

DULUTH, Minn. — Insomnia Cookies opened its first location in Duluth today, bringing late night treats to UMD students and the community. And it’s not too late to check out the grand opening and satisfy your cravings with a free cookie! The chain is open until 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday and 1 a.m. all other days. This afternoon, students…

Duluth Junk Hunt Back At The DECC This Weekend

DULUTH, Minn. — A 3-day indoor market filled with vintage items and handmade goods is taking place at the DECC starting Thursday. The Duluth Junk Hunt has over 150 vendors. Visitors can find furniture, home decor, clothing, bakery treats, artwork and more. The Junk Hunt happens twice a year, one in the fall and one in the spring. Part of…