BWCA, MINN. — Authorities have released the name of a teen that drowned in the Boundary Waters (BWCAW). Lester Hochstetler, 18, of Clear Lake, Wisconsin drowned Wednesday evening in Gillis Lake. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office said the victim was in a canoe with other fishermen when it overturned. Hochstetler was not wearing a personal flotation device, according to the…
DULUTH, MINN. — For much of the year in the northland, motorcycles and motorcyclists are not a part of the landscape. But in the summer, they seem to be just about everywhere. Drivers need to see motorcycles but ultimately it’s up to the cyclist to be alert and know how to operate your bike safely. “Even if you do well,…
LUTSEN, Minn. — A fire has destroyed Papa Charlie’s restaurant at Lutsen Mountains. Courtesy: Matthias Orfield The fire broke out sometime before 5 a.m. Saturday, according to a time stamp on a Lutsen camera. This fire comes on the same day of the start of a busy weekend with the Lutsen 99er Gravel Bike Race. “A fire at Papa Charlie’s…
An 18-year-old canoeist is presumed dead after capsizing on Gillis Lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The accident happened Wednesday evening. Gillis Lake is located about four miles west of Round Lake and Tuscarora Lodge & Canoe Outfitters in Cook County, according to WTIP Radio. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office got a report around 6:45 p.m. that fishermen…
LITTLEFORK, Minn. — A fire broke out Wednesday at a longtime lumberyard in Littlfork. According to The Littlefork Times, piles of wood and woodchips caught fire around 1 p.m. at Green Forest Wood Products off Highway 71. The Littlefork Times Fire Chief Dan Wendt told the Times Wednesday evening that the flames stayed away from the nearby woods, according to…
Nigel Randel Blackburn DEER RIVER, Minn. — A St. Paul man is charged with murder after a man was found dead in a Deer River home earlier this month. Nigel Blackburn, 33, is charged with second-degree intentional murder. Court documents say he shot the unidentified victim at least five times in the head and body. The crime happened June 9…
Fire investigators believe a human caused a large wildfire within the Boundary Waters. The Spice Lake Wildfire is currently 22 acres and 65 percent contained. Spice Lake is located southwest of Seagull Lake, about 10 miles west of the Gunflint Trail. Sunday’s update showed fire activity “creeping and smoldering” in mixed timber and brush. Crews continue to fight the…
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is warning Taylor Swift fans in Minnesota of various ticket scams related to swift’s “Eras” tour, which comes to U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Friday and Saturday Ellison said buying second-hand tickets online is risky. Scammers can easily screenshots of tickets that don’t exist. He said it’s best to buy tickets through a trustworthy…
DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Police Department released a traffic advisory for events happening Friday as a part of Grandma’s Marathon. Below is the press release from the police department: WILLIAM A. IRVIN 5K: Traffic Advisory – Friday, June 16, 2023 The William A. Irvin 5K race will begin at 6:00 p.m. Harbor Drive behind the DECC will close to…
Multiple agencies were on the scene Thursday afternoon to tackle multiple grass fires up and down Highway 53 from Cotton to Highway 33 around Independence. Drivers reported thick white smoke across the roadway. Drivers told FOX 21 the fires appeared to be under containment by emergency crews on the scene. At one point, Hwy 53 was closed to traffic. An…
USDA Forest Service A wildfire has ignited in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It’s located near Spice Lake, southwest of Seagull Lake and about 10 miles west of the Gunflint Trail, according to the Superior National Forest. The fire was first reported Tuesday at 30 acres but has since scaled back to 20 acres on Wednesday. Crews from the…
DEER RIVER, Minn. – A suspicious death investigation is underway in the city of Deer River. The Itasca County Sheriff’s Office released information about the case Wednesday evening. Authorities say deputies responded to a home in the 500 block of 4th Street SE early Tuesday morning in response to a citizen’s call requesting a welfare check. Upon arrival, deputies discovered…
DULUTH, Minn. – A Duluth homeowner recently faced severe burns after being hit with a ball of fire while trying to connect his pool heater to a propane gas line. It’s something he said could have been avoided if he left it to the experts, and now he’s sharing his story so others don’t face the same danger. “It was…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – A new 20-minute video has been released by the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board involving the 2018 Husky refinery explosion and fire in Superior. The goal of the board is to “drive chemical safety change through independent investigations to protect people and the environment.” The 2018 incident injured 36 workers, caused roughly $550 million in damage…
DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth firefighters rescued a man who fell around 20 feet off a cliff along Lake Superior. The rescue happened Sunday afternoon along the 7800 block of Congdon Boulevard. The man, who is in his 70s, reportedly slipped from a trail’s edge before falling. Bystanders called 911. “6 Engine, 4 Quint, and 1 Engine were able to locate,…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – A first-ever “Blessing of the Bikes” is happening this Sunday, June 4, at Dewey Borea Gospel Tabernacle. Pastor Alan DelVecchio said it’s the first bike blessing at a Superior church in 41 years. The event is open to anybody with a motorcycle. The goal is to bless as many bikes and riders after the 10 a.m. church…
SUPERIOR, Wis. — Keeping citizens safe is one of the biggest jobs of a police department. And Superior Police Chief Nicholas Alexander says that especially means events with large crowds, like a parade. It was in 2021 when six people were killed and dozens more injured when a vehicle plowed through a parade in Waukesha, Wisconsin. Alexander said that parade…
DULUTH, Minn. — Minnesota is working hard with first responders and engineers to reduce the number of traffic related deaths. The Towards Zero Death workshop is recognizing 20 years of saving lives. Law enforcement is working with engineers and emergency responders to make Minnesota Roads a safe environment. In the meetings they work on strategizing and ways to educate before…
HERMANTOWN, Minn. — Hermantown police are investigating an incident in which a gun was fired. It happened around 10 p.m. Tuesday in the parking lot of Walmart. Officers located a stolen vehicle there. Police said a 42-year-old man from Silver Bay left Walmart and got inside the vehicle. As police approached, a single round from a firearm discharged inside the…
DULUTH, Minn. — A manager at the North Shore Scenic Railroad received multiple bruises after he was randomly attacked outside the Duluth Depot. The crime happened Tuesday around 2 p.m. in the Depot’s railyard. The Duluth Police Department’s public information officer told FOX 21 a 26-year-old Duluth man who is known to police assaulted the 70-year-old employee. The official said…
INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Minn. – An arson investigation is underway in I-Falls, and police are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect or suspects responsible. The fire happened in an apartment unit on the 300 block of 5th Street during the early morning hours Friday, according to I-Falls police on Tuesday. The call…
One of the challenges facing people living on the street, is what to do with their belongings. A place to put those items until they are needed is the goal of a new resource that launched Tuesday in Duluth. Bins, described as Safe Storage Bins, are now available through the Damiano Center. The run-up and launch had been a little…
SARONA, Wis. – An 18-year-old man was seriously injured after the motorcycle he was on was struck by a vehicle in Washburn County last Friday. The accident took place just after 4:30 p.m. on Highway 253 at Sheldon Tower Drive near Sarona. The Wisconsin State Patrol says the motorcyclist was slowing down to enter a driveway when it was struck…
GENESE TOWNSHIP, Minn. – It’s was a busy Sunday for over a half dozen fire departments north of the Twin Ports as they responded to a structure fire near the Boulder Lake Reservoir. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office says they got word just after 2:30 this afternoon of the fire on the 4300 block of three lakes road in the…
DULUTH, Minn. — The City of Duluth says lifeguard services are returning to the Park Point Beach House this summer. The full press release on when lifeguards will be on duty is below: Lifeguard services will resume Memorial Day weekend and continue through Labor Day on a schedule that provides more guard hours on typical high use days. Hours of…
The Itasca County Sheriff’s Office is requesting the public’s help in locating 43-year-old John Ellis. “He left his residence and was seen walking through a yard near the 900 block of Trailview Street in Bovey, MN. He was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and light colored pants,” according to a news release from the BCA. If you have seen…
GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. — Debra Hagenbuck. 68, has been found safe after going missing Tuesday afternoon in Grand Rapids. GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. — The Grand Rapids Police Department is requesting the public’s help assistance in locating 68-year-old Debra Hagenbuck. “On May 23 around 1:30 p.m., she was seen on foot near the Wal-Mart on 29th Street SE in Grand Rapids. She…
DULUTH, Minn. (FOX 9/FOX 21) – A Duluth landlord is accused of intentionally setting his apartment on fire while other tenants were inside the building. Travis Carlson, 37, faces a felony charge of first-degree arson for allegedly starting his apartment on fire early in the morning on May 18. According to court records, officers were called to a building on…
DULUTH, Minn. – Homeless advocates in Duluth say the struggle to get the homeless off the streets and into stable housing is at its worst. But at the same time, those advocates say the communication and weekly mission to tackle the problem is stronger than ever between advocates, the city, county, police, and the list goes on. More than 600…
A 32-year-old man armed with a shotgun took authorities on a wild pursuit on Highway 61 Thursday. According to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office, the suspect discharged the shotgun into the door of a family friend’s garage, which lead to the pursuit with authorities. The driver drove back and forth in the wrong direction on the Highway 61 while…
DETROIT (AP) — More than 33 million people in the United States are driving vehicles that contain a potentially deadly threat: Airbag inflators that in rare cases can explode in a collision and spew shrapnel. Few of them know it. And because of a dispute between federal safety regulators and an airbag parts manufacturer, they aren’t likely to find out…
The Mark W. Barker, the first U.S. ship built last year on the Great Lakes since 1983, ran soft aground early Wednesday in the Detroit River after the freighter lost propulsion. The 639-foot vessel, which was built to navigate tight ends, suffered an “electronics malfunction” near Belle Isle around 8 a.m., according to the U.S. Coast Guard. Nobody was injured….
DULUTH, Minn. — The man accused of a shooting last weekend near downtown Duluth that struck an innocent bystander with a stray bullet was arrested Tuesday evening in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, according to the Duluth Police Department. The 36-year-old suspect was taken into custody without incident around 6:15 p.m. “on an arrest warrant for 2nd Degree Assault, Felon in Possession…
(FOX 9) – While GPS technology can be helpful to consumers in a variety of ways, more criminals are leveraging the technology to illegally track and even stalk their victims. GPS technology is already a $3 billion industry and market projections expect it to grow even more over the next few years. Using GPS tracking devices without someone’s consent to track their…
Warmer air, dry fuels, low humidity and wind are creating a high danger for wildfires in the Northland through Monday evening. A wildfire ignited Saturday near Adolph in St. Louis County. The Grand Lake Volunteer Fire Department said the flames spread quickly. Multiple agencies assisted in successfully extinguishing the flames, including a DNR helicopter with a 210-gallon bucket to drop…
The critical fire conditions in the Northland Sunday come on the 10-year anniversary of the Germann Road Wildfire in Douglas County. The fire, which is one of the largest in Wisconsin state history, consumed more than 7,400 acres and destroyed 104 structures in the towns of Gordon, Highland and Barnes. Twenty-three of the structures destroyed were residences. The DNR said…
DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Fire Department was called out to a hairy situation Thursday at the grounds of Spirit Mountain. A dog named Roo her paw stuck in a culvert. Multiple firefighters came to the rescue with ropes and other techniques to safely release Miss Roo! Categories: Community, Minnesota, News, News – Latest News, Public Safety
TWO HARBORS, Minn. – An isolated and an unfortunate event. That’s how Two Harbor’s Police Chief Richard Hogenson describes how a rock the size of a softball came through the windshield of an extended cab pickup Last Friday, leading to the death of a Cook County woman. Hogenson says 46-year-old Kay Spielman was driving south on Highway 61 near the Burlington…
**UPDATE** 5:48 AM, Thurs. May 4 — The Cloquet Police Department has confirmed Friedman has been found safe and is back home with family. CLOQUET, Minn. — The Cloquet Police Department is seeking the public’s help locating 12-year-old Leon Roy Friedman. Friedman was last seen leaving the Cloquet Middle School Wednesday. “While he is not believed to be in immediate…
MOOSE LAKE, Minn. – Attempted murder and assault charges have been filed against a man accused of attacking a staff member Monday at the Moose Lake Sex Offender Program. Nicolas Ladell Aron-Jones, 29, has been committed at MSOP as a “sexually dangerous person” since 2015, according to the criminal complaint. Court documents say a 53-year-old male security counselor entered a…
MOOSE LAKE, Minn. – An “unprovoked attack” by a man committed to the Minnesota Sex Offender Program (MSOP) in Moose Lake on Monday left a staff member “seriously injured,” according to the Minnesota Department of Human Services. The call for help came in around 1:20 p.m. Carlton County sheriff’s deputies, Essentia Health Ambulance and Moose Lake fire personnel responded. The…
DULUTH, Minn. – April 30th marked 56 years since three teenage brothers were swept away from the Duluth Ship Canal during an intense storm and massive waves. A U.S. Coast Guard officer also lost his life trying to rescue the boys. On Sunday, a special ceremony was held by the Coast Guard near a plaque along the Canal dedicated to…
We’re learning more about that fatal fire fight involving a tanker that rolled Saturday in New Independence Township. The Alborn Fire Department was the lead agency and first on the scene. Fire Chief Jack Carlson told FOX 21 Sunday that the big rig was fully engulfed when his crews arrived on scene. The tanker spilled diesel and gasoline, according to…
DULUTH, Minn. — Music is officially taking over Duluth for the 25th annual Homegrown Music Festival. Mayor Emily Larson kicked off the eight-day festival Sunday with a proclamation and toast at Hoops Brewing. Zeitgeist Teatro, Blacklist, Carmody Irish Pub and Pizza Luce are among the 36 venues supporting 171 sets through Sunday. There are dress-up themes every day. For more…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – A Superior man who died in a collision with a semi Saturday was identified by authorities Sunday. He’s John Myers, 78. The accident happened around 1:30 Saturday. The Wisconsin State Patrol said Myers was not wearing a seatbelt when he slammed his SUV into the back of the semi before hitting a light pole and stopping in…
Fire crews at The Mercy Islamic Center in Minneapolis last Monday. (FOX 9) Minneapolis police have arrested a man suspected of setting two fires that damaged mosques in the city last week as part of what the police chief called “an attempt to inflict terror onto our Muslim community.” Police Chief Brian O’Hara announced the arrest of 36-year-old Jackie Rahm…
DULUTH, Minn. — A Duluth born-and-raised attorney and judge was remembered by friends, family and colleagues Thursday during a memorial at the DECC. Judge Sally Tarnowski died unexpectedly in March when she was struck by a vehicle while jogging on vacation in Florida. Tarnowski was 63 years old. Thursday’s reflections included her Duluth public school roots, her going to law…
DULUTH, Minn. – Cleanup of a problematic homeless encampment in Duluth has begun. Encampment site before it was cleaned up along Rail Road Street in Duluth. MnDOT crews have removed piles of trash and debris at the site across from Bayfront Park and Pier B Resort along Railroad Street. The clean-up process was stalled because of the frozen ground and…
SUPERIOR, Wis. – The dangers of firefighting are very real, and that means dozens of hours of training every year. On Wednesday, Superior firefighters got an opportunity to get the best type of training possible by using an abandoned building. Superior fire officials said these opportunities don’t open up often, but when they do, they reschedule whatever they are doing…
DULUTH, Minn. – A brother and sister who lost their sister and nephew in a weekend apartment fire in Duluth are thanking the firefighters who tried to save their relatives and for the outpouring of community support with the unexpected funeral costs. Fatal fires are not common in Duluth, especially fires that take the life of more than one person….
