SUPERIOR, Wis. – For the first time publicly, Superior Mayor Jim Paine says he is in a relationship with Councilor Jenny Van Sickle. This comes after a FOX 21 report three months ago about that relationship when Paine endorsed Van Sickle for re-election — something that got critical reaction from some fellow councilors. Paine would not confirm or deny the…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Superior City Councilor Jenny Van Sickle of Dist. 2 has pulled back social media posts that City Attorney Frog Prell claims are libelous against him and could result in a civil suit. Sometime late Monday night after FOX 21 aired a story about Prell’s legal notice to Van Sickle with claims of defamation, her Twitter page was…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Superior City Attorney Frog Prell has put Councilor Jenny Van Sickle on legal notice for allegations of defamation and libel. (Click here for Prell’s defamation notice) This comes after Van Sickle called Prell lazy, incompetent and a manipulator on social media in response to Prell’s research report that concluded the council could pick a council president with…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – It was a heated Superior City Council meeting Tuesday night that included a censure vote and a cutting of the cards to finally pick a council president after three failed votes at past council meetings. In a 6-4 vote, the council sided with City Attorney Frog Prell’s Report — against Mayor Paine’s Conclusion — that a deck…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Heads are butting at Superior City Hall as two councilors have introduced resolutions to formally censure each other at Tuesday night’s city council meeting. Acting Council President Craig Sutherland is calling to censure Councilor Jenny Van Sickle over her recent social media blast against longtime City Attorney Frog Prell after Prell concluded it is legal to select…
DULUTH, Minn.- Congressman Pete Stauber held a Roundtable discussion at the Kitchi Gammi Country Club on Monday. The meeting was held to discuss how to make federal grants more accessible to organizations in rural communities. Media was only allowed in for the first five minutes of the meeting. They talked issues like rural broadband and housing, and how they can…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Superior City Councilor Jenny Van Sickle is blasting longtime City Attorney Frog Prell for his conclusion that it is legal to select a council president by drawing from a deck of cards — something Mayor Jim Paine has said is illegal. In a post on Twitter, Van Sickle calls Prell lazy and incompetent. “Prell has a long…
DULUTH, Minn. (Press Release) – Born and raised in Western Duluth, entrepreneur Derek Medved, announced his candidacy for City Council at Large today in front of his Gary Korner Store. Medved grew up in Gary within blocks of the Milk House convenience store and gas station at 1331 Commonwealth Ave. that he purchased at age 19 after the store encountered financial difficulties and…
DULUTH, Minn. – The popular William A. Irvin officially won’t be coming back for a second season in a row. And that means a no-go for the popular Haunted Ship in October. The Irvin, which brings in $200,000 a season as a floating museum, has been backed up in line for preventative maintenance work at Fraser Shipyards in Superior. The…
CLOQUET, Minn. – A longtime Cloquet police officer of 22 years has been fired from the job for what the city calls allegations of misconduct. K9 detective Scott Holman was terminated by the city council Tuesday in a 4-2 vote. Allegations against Holman were not made available by City Administrator Aaron Reeves because he said it was a personnel matter….
DULUTH, Minn.- Duluth Mayor Emily Larson now has an opponent for the city’s next mayoral race The CEO of Duluth company Puritan Handwired Amplifiers LLC, Israel Malachi announced he’s running for mayor on the first floor of city hall today. He is running on a platform of cleaning up the city of garbage and rats, decriminalizing smoking and vaping laws,…
WASHINGTON (AP) – It was a surprise announcement that could derail a major trade deal. President Donald Trump has announced that he is placing a 5% tariff on all Mexican imports, effective June 10, to pressure the country to do more to crack down on the surge of Central American migrants trying to cross the U.S. border. He said the…
DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth’s former fire chief now knows his sentence for a DWI arrest in March, and he’s speaking out about it for the first time. Dennis Edwards, a 23-year veteran of the Duluth Fire Department, pleaded guilty in St. Louis County Court Wednesday to a 3rd-Degree DWI. The former fire chief was sentenced to 180 days in jail…
UPDATE: Special counsel Robert Mueller says he’s leaving the Justice Department now that he’s concluded his Russia probe. WASHINGTON (AP) – Special counsel Robert Mueller will make his first public statement on the results of his nearly two-year long Russia investigation on Wednesday. That’s according to the Justice Department, which said he would speak at 11 a.m. Mueller has not…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Legislature passed a $48 billion state budget. It includes money for some big Duluth projects. According to Senator Erik Simonson (DFL-Duluth), Duluth’s half-percent sales tax increase for road repairs and about $97 million for the Essentia Health and St. Luke’s Medical District expansion are included in the tax bill. The legislature also approved a…
(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration notified Congress on Friday that it plans to send about 1,500 additional troops to the Middle East amid heightened tensions with Iran, officials said. Members of Congress were notified a day after a White House meeting to discuss Pentagon proposals to bolster the U.S. force presence in the Middle East. The…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has called lawmakers back for a special session to complete a $48 billion state budget for the next two years. The Democratic governor told them to convene at 10 a.m. Friday in hopes of adjourning before 7 a.m. Saturday. But suspending the normal procedural rules to let that happen requires some…
CLOQUET, Minn. – There’s still no official word on why Cloquet Police Chief Jeff Palmer remains off the job or when he will return. Chief Palmer began his “voluntary paid leave” on April 16. City Administrator Aaron Reeves told FOX 21 this week that the leave “… can’t go on forever but I also can’t provide a set time frame…
DULUTH, Minn. – It’s been nearly two months since Duluth’s now-former fire chief, Dennis Edwards, was arrested and eventually charged with DWI. But there’s still no comment from Mayor Emily Larson who hand-selected Edwards for that position. FOX 21 has repeatedly asked Mayor Larson for any type of response, including this Thursday and Wednesday, but her spokesperson, Kate Van Daele,…
(AP Photo/Steve Karnowski)ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – Gov. Tim Walz and top legislative leaders have now reached agreement on all nine of their major budget bills, and lawmakers are now waiting on the governor to call a special session so they can finish their work for the year. Aides say the last piece of the two-year budget fell into place…
DULUTH, Minn.- Now’s your chance to help Duluth pick which design should be on the next city flag. There were at total of 195 designs submitted by people in Duluth, and a volunteer flag committee narrowed the choices down to its top 9. Those designs were unveiled tonight at city hall, and one of them will soon become the next symbol…
DULUTH, Minn. – The Minnesota legislature is expected to hold a special session soon that could pump a lot of state money into Duluth. The Verso Paper Mill is asking the state for a million dollar loan so it can do some upgrades. Essentia health hopes to receive $184 million from the state for its medical district plans. And, the…
(AP Photo/Steve Karnowski)ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The Republican-controlled Minnesota Senate is prepared to pass a measure to prevent a state government shutdown if legislative leaders and Democratic Gov. Tim Walz can’t agree on a budget deal. Senate Republicans launched the gambit Thursday evening as talks bogged down among the governor and leaders of the Senate GOP and House Democratic…
WASHINGTON (AP) – The Senate has voted to confirm Jeffrey Rosen as deputy attorney general, the second-ranking official at the Justice Department. The vote was 52-45. Rosen replaces Rod Rosenstein, who left the department last week. Rosentein appointed special counsel Robert Mueller and had overseen his investigation. Rosenstein’s departure was expected after William Barr became attorney general this year. Rosen…
DULUTH, Minn.- Multiple school shootings have rocked the nation recently. In order to help stop those threats, UMD Engineering students have created groundbreaking technology to help law enforcement in situations like those. Eight colleges competed with UMD in the Air Force Research Lab Design Challenge. UMD Students won by creating a new Active Threat Emergency System, a victory despite the…
WASHINGTON (AP) -The House Judiciary Committee has voted to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt of Congress, escalating the legal battle with the Trump administration over access to special counsel Robert Mueller’s report. The committee voted 24-16 to hold Barr in contempt after the Justice Department rejected House Democrats’ demands for the full Mueller report and the underlying evidence….
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Superior Mayor Jim Paine is growing increasingly frustrated after a second city council meeting that failed to vote in a new council president. “Basically the council failed to elect a president because Councilor Sutherland refused to do his job and vote in the election. We count on all the councilors to make a decision on who their…
CHICAGO (AP) – Democratic presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar has released a plan to spend $100 billion over a decade to improve mental health care and fight substance abuse. It’s an issue the Minnesota senator has faced firsthand as the daughter of an alcoholic who struggled with addiction for years before getting sober. The wide-ranging plan unveiled Friday includes funding for…
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says his pick for the Federal Reserve board, conservative commentator Stephen Moore, has withdrawn from contention. The decision comes amid controversy over Moore’s past writings about women. He lost Republican support in the Senate, which would have to vote on a potential nomination. Trump tweeted the news Wednesday, calling Moore “a great pro-growth economist…
SUPERIOR, Wis.- In his second State of the City address, Superior Mayor Jim Paine is proud of the progress Superior has made. He said the city will be unrecognizable to some in the coming years. The Mayor announced the construction of Cobblestone Hotel on Tower Avenue, and the development of Central High School into a mixed-use development, featuring both market-rate…
SUPERIOR, Wis.- On Saturday, protestors rallied outside the Douglas County Courthouse in Superior, voicing their concerns about the Husky Energy Refinery Rebuild. Recently, Husky announced they will continue using the controversial chemical Hydrogen fluoride after rebuilding the refinery which exploded a year ago. Protestors said it’s time to do away with the chemical, and the refinery, as a whole. “No…
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci) WASHINGTON (AP) – President Donald Trump says the U.S. has decided to withdraw its support for a treaty regulating the multibillion-dollar global arms trade. Trump said Friday that he has decided to revoke the United States’ status as a signatory of the Arms Trade Treaty regulating international trade in conventional weapons, including small arms, battle tanks, combat…
DULUTH, Minn.- The city of Duluth has launched a so-called “budget game” to let the Mayor Emily Larson know where you think your tax dollars should be spent the most. The game can be played online on the city’s website or in person at City Hall. You get $1,000 of fake money to allocate in whatever categories you find most important…
DULUTH, Minn. – Roz Randorf has announced her run for Duluth’s Dist. 3 council seat, which is currently held by Em Westerlund who is not running for reelection. Randorf says she has more than 25 years of leadership experience, including working for the Duluth News Tribune. She currently works at Dale Carnegie Training. “I love Duluth and look forward to…
DULUTH, Minn.- The Duluth City Council had its first read of an ordinance that would tighten up restrictions for massage businesses. Amendments to the ordinance include broadening hours of operations from 6 am to 11 pm, allowing clients to enter or exit through more than one entrance, and allowing doors to be locked during business hours. Previously, the ordinance stated…
WASHINGTON (AP) – Former Vice President Joe Biden is expected to announce he’s running for president next week. That’s according to three people with knowledge of Biden’s plans. Biden will enter the race as a Democratic front-runner, although the 76-year-old faces questions about his age and whether his more moderate record fits with a party that has become more liberal….
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says he’ll tighten hiring rules after a prominent Iron Range Democrat was hired for a civil service job without going through the normal hiring process. The Star Tribune reports that Walz’s move comes after Joe Radinovich, a former state legislator, was fast-tracked for a job at the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board….
SUPERIOR, Wis. — A divided Superior City Council has failed to vote in a new council president. The two nominees up for a vote Tuesday night were councilors Ruth Ludwig and Brent Fennessey. The vote came down to five votes for Fennessey over 4 votes for Ludwig. Councilor Dan Olson abstained, which kept a tie from happening, which also prevented…
DULUTH, Minn.-Governor Tim Walz made a stop in Duluth today continuing his Community Prosperity Tour, where entrepreneurs gathered to learn about ways their innovations can help the Minnesota economy soar. It was more or less a “Minnesota Nice” version of the TV show, “Shark Tank”. Where Gov. Walz heard presentations at the University of Minnesota’s Natural Resources Research Institute about…
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – President Donald Trump is spending America’s tax filing day in Minnesota. Trump arrived in Minneapolis on Monday and was headed to a trucking company in the suburb of Burnsville to host a roundtable discussion on the economy. The president says the economy is doing well. He also says a package of corporate and individual tax cuts he…
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – President Donald Trump is using Tax Day on Monday to visit Minnesota, a state he nearly won in 2016 and would like to flip in 2020. But questions remain about how much Trump is benefiting politically from the federal tax overhaul, his signature legislative accomplishment. An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll last week showed that most…
DULUTH, Minn. (Press Release) – Mayor Larson will hold her fourth State of the City address on Monday, April 15th, 2019 at 6:00 pm at Myers-Wilkins Elementary School in the gymnasium. Doors will open at 5:30 pm. The program will begin at 6:00 pm which includes drumming by Myers-Wilkins students, comments from Council President Noah Hobbs, and poet laureate Gary…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – The liberal candidate in Wisconsin’s Supreme Court race has conceded to her conservative rival, deciding against a recount in a contest where the two were separated by just half a percentage point. Lisa Neubauer’s conceded Wednesday to Brian Hagedorn. Unofficial results showed Hagedorn with a nearly 6,000-vote lead after the April 2 election. That didn’t measurably…
DULUTH, Minn. – A life-long resident of West Duluth is running for the 5th District City Council seat currently held by Jay Fosle. Janet Kennedy made her announcement Monday at Beaner’s Central in West Duluth. Kennedy says she’s focused on community centered economic development, decreasing health disparities, and improving infrastructure and transportation. Kennedy ran against Fosle in 2015 with roughly…
DULUTH, Minn. – A white nationalist group has pushed its recruiting efforts into the city of Duluth. Flyers were taped up in and around Leif Erickson Park and the downtown area over the weekend. The group is known as Patriot Front. The Southern Poverty Law Center says Patriot Front is a hate group that believes white people in North America…
MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Gov. Tony Evers’ budget proposal would restore local governments’ power to seize private property for bike and recreational trails. Republican lawmakers added to the budget a prohibition on local government and state agencies using eminent domain powers to establish or extend bike trails, recreational trails and sidewalks into the last state budget. That came at the…
DULUTH, Minn.- Minnesota lawmakers heard directly from the community at a Town Hall forum in Duluth. Politicians present were State Representative Liz Olson, Senator Erik Simonson, and MNDOT Commissioner Margaret Kelliher. They sat onstage at the Norshor Theater where they were asked questions from constituents who wanted their voices heard. “I hope we can proceed with line 3 to get our…
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Gov. Tim Walz has called on Minnesota to write a new story about how a government divided between Democrats and Republicans puts aside ideology and comes together for the good of the people. The Democratic governor used his first State of the State speech Wednesday night to say the state of the state is “strong.” And…
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Judiciary Committee approved subpoenas Wednesday for special counsel Robert Mueller’s full Russia report as Democrats pressure the Justice Department to release the document without redactions. The committee voted 24-17 to give Judiciary Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., permission to issue subpoenas to the Justice Department for the final report, its exhibits and any…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – It’s a win for every Superior City Councilor up for reelection, including in three contested seats. Five Superior City Councilors have been elected to two year terms. Two of those councilors, Tylor Elm and Esther Dalbec, ran unopposed, but three incumbent councilors were reelected after facing challenges from others in the community. 2nd District Councilor Jenny Van…
