Public Safety

Kiwanis Club Hosts Firefighter, Police Officer of the Year Awards Ceremony

DULUTH, Minn. – The Kiwanis International Club is giving thanks to two special public servants in the City of Duluth. A ceremony took place Wednesday honoring the Firefighter and Police Officer of the Year. Recently retired patrol officer Todd Shermer received the police officer of the year award after wrapping up his 16 years of service to the community. Matt…

In Kenosha And Beyond, Guns Become More Common On US Streets

As Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted in two killings that he said were self-defense, armed civilians patrolled the streets near the Wisconsin courthouse with guns in plain view. In Georgia, testimony in the trial of Ahmaud Arbery’s killers showed that armed patrols were commonplace in the neighborhood where Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, was chased down by three white men and shot. The…

Ten People, Dog Displaced by East Hillside Apartment Fire

No one was injured, damage is estimated to be $65,000. 

Still from a Facebook Video taken by viewer Joel Heller. DULUTH, Minn.- Ten tenants and one dog were displaced by an apartment fire late Friday night in Duluth’s East Hillside neighborhood. According to a spokesperson with the Duluth Fire Department, crews responded to a passerby noticing smoke from the second story of a multi-unit apartment building on the 600 block…

Superior Man Now Federally Charged In Twin Ports Day-Long Crime Spree

Federal charges have now been filed against a Superior man who is accused of a wild and dangerous crime spree through the Twin Ports. Cody Walker-Nelson, 30, is federally charged with attempted bank robbery and multiple gun crimes. The indictment says, in part, that Walker-Nelson attempted to rob the Associated Bank in Superior on Oct. 1 while brandishing a firearm…

Snow Hits Minnesota, Officials Urge Travel Caution

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Minnesota is readying for snow as the National Weather Service issued a winter weather advisory. Officials urged caution on the roads as ice and strong winds threatened to make driving conditions treacherous late Saturday and into Sunday. The Minnesota State Patrol has already cited snow and icy roads in a fatal crash on Thursday afternoon when a…

Muli-Car Crash on Iron Range Thursday Leaves 2 Dead, 3 Injured

Officials say the roads were covered in snow and ice at the time due to the snowstorm.

GILBERT, Minn.- During the Northland’s first snowstorm of the season Thursday, a 4-car crash took the lives of two people including a child, and injured three others on the Iron Range. The crash happened in Gilbert on Minnesota Highway 135 Thursday. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, a Toyota Corolla heading West with 4 people inside lost control. It crossed…

Driver Involved In Crash That Killed 148th Fighter Wing Member Charged With Vehicular Homicide

PINE CO., Minn. — The driver who crashed into a 148th Fighter Wing member in Hinckley back in May has been charged, just a few days shy of the six-month anniversary of the victim’s death. Certain evidence testing from the BCA took until October to process. 21-year-old Tabitha Sue Sigler of Cambridge, MN, has been charged with criminal vehicular homicide…

Duluth Orgs. Promote Rent, Utility Help For Those Behind On Payments During Pandemic

DULUTH, Minn. — Leaders from multiple organizations and the city of Duluth got together at AICHO on Wednesday to promote resources that can help those who are facing evictions and utility shut-offs as we go into the winter. Mayor Emily Larson said the city is definitely seeing a jump in the number of people experiencing homelessness, which is why she,…

Vehicle Slams into Duluth Car Wash Injuring Driver, Killing Dog

According to a spokesperson with the Duluth Police Department, a 46-year-old woman experienced a medical condition while driving on Maple Grove Road and lost control.

DULUTH, Minn.- A scary afternoon at the Miller Mall Car Wash in Duluth as they’re left with a literal gaping hole after a vehicle crashed into their building at a high rate of speed. According to a spokesperson with the Duluth Police Department, a 46-year-old woman experienced a medical condition while driving on Maple Grove Road away from the Target….

Firefighters Urge Residents to Take Preventative Measures as Temperatures Drop

Members of the Duluth Fire Department want people to use Daylight Savings as an opportunity to check on their smoke detectors as well.

DULUTH, Minn. — While most people get ready to turn their clocks an hour back for Daylight Savings this Sunday, members of the Duluth Fire Department want people to use it as an opportunity to check on their smoke detectors as well. A general rule of thumb is to check the batteries on your carbon monoxide and smoke detectors and…

City Of Duluth To Require Employees Get Vaccinated Or Test For Covid Weekly

DULUTH, Minn. – The city of Duluth will soon be requiring its employees to get vaccinated or get weekly COVID tests. A city spokesperson said the new requirement will start in December. This comes after President Joe Biden made an executive order in September telling employers with 100 or more people to require workers to get vaccinated or get weekly…

Law Enforcement Prepared For Busy Halloweekend

DULUTH, Minn. –The Minnesota State Patrol is not messing around this Halloween. Normally a pretty busy night for them, they want to make sure the holiday doesn’t contribute to the record-breaking number of traffic deaths the state’s seen so far this year. Last year they reported 318 arrests state-wide, averaging three per hour on Halloween. A Lieutenant with the State…

28-Year-Old Dies After Being Hit By Car While Crossing Street In Hibbing

HIBBING, Minn. — A 28-year-old man from Hibbing died on Thursday evening after he was hit by a small SUV while crossing a street in the city, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. An 18-year-old man, also a Hibbing resident, was driving a Ford Ecosport and heading north on Highway 169 close to Howard Street just after 6:30 p.m. At…

Minnesota on Track for Most Traffic Deaths Since 2007 If Driving Doesn’t Improve, Officials Say

There have been 401 traffic-related fatalities since Jan. 1, the earliest the state's reached 400 since 2007.

DULUTH, Minn.- The Minnesota Department of Safety reporting a scary milestone on Minnesota highways — 401 deaths as of Monday. They’re calling for drivers to shape up, as this year is on track to be the deadliest on the state’s roads in 14 years. “There are some people who are afraid to go out and use that roadway because of…

Duluth Police Union Local 807 Calls for Transparency from City Administration in Labor Negotiations

The wage and healthcare negotiations come amid one of the police department's worst staffing shortages they've seen in years.

DULUTH, Minn.- The Duluth Police Union Local 807 is speaking out, asking for transparency from Mayor Emily Larson’s administration as they continue negotiating wage and healthcare changes — amid one of the police department’s worst staffing shortages they’ve seen in years. Union members say they met with city leaders to talk about a 15% bump in pay to police officers’…

Duluth Firefighters Rescue Cat From Burning Building

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth firefighters rescued a cat from a burning building Thursday night. Firefighters could be seen giving the cat some oxygen after taking in too much smoke. The fire broke out around 7:15 p.m. on the 1600-block of Commonwealth Avenue in the Gary-New Duluth neighborhood. When crews arrived, flames were seen from the second floor of the four-plex….

St. Louis County Rescue Squad Trains Through Big Waves In Ship Canal

DULUTH, Minn. – Training was at an extreme for the St. Louis County Rescue Squad Wednesday in the Duluth Ship Canal. The waves were fierce, creating perfect conditions for the rescue squad crews to take out four boats and practice their swift-water rescue skills. At one point, their small Zodiac boat overturned in the big waves, but Capt. Rick Slatten…

MN Air Rescue Team Holds Demonstration At The DECC

DULUTH, Minn. – The DECC became ground zero for an aerial search and rescue demonstration for Minnesota firefighters. The mock rescue was performed by the Minnesota Air Rescue Team, which is a joint venture between the Minnesota State Patrol and the St. Paul Fire Department. The team is available to assist hundreds of fire departments across the state for high-risk…

Duluth Reminds Public of Snow Emergency Routes With Winter Approaching

DULUTH, Minn. — The snow isn’t here yet, but the cities of Duluth and Superior are in snow-prepping mode right now, and they’re sending out a few reminders for the community to be aware of what to do as the snow begins to fall. A snow emergency is when the city anticipates heavy snowfall to make driving conditions unsafe so…

Advocate: I-35 Homeless Encampment Fire Highlights Duluth’s Affordable Housing Crisis

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth’s top homeless outreach advocate is speaking out one day after a homeless camp in Duluth created quite the fire and smoke show under a busy stretch of I-35 downtown. Deb Holman, outreach coordinator for CHUM and the Human Development Center, said homeless advocates and the Minnesota Department of Transportation are working together to try to find…

Homeless Encampment Under I-35 In Duluth Catches Fire, Burning Freeway Before Being Put Out

DULUTH, Minn. — Part of I-35 northbound caught on fire on Monday evening in Duluth because of the large homeless encampment underneath it, according to the city’s fire department. It happened near the Mesaba-Superior Street exit around 6 p.m. Crews didn’t find anyone in the camp during their search efforts, and no one was hurt from the fire. Firefighters did…

Some Capitol Riot Defendants Forgo Lawyers

At least five people charged in the riot at the U.S. Capitol have chosen to defend themselves in court. In doing so, they’re brushing aside federal judges’ repeated warnings about the risks of trying to navigate their high-stakes cases without a lawyer. Self-representation is a bedrock right guaranteed by the Constitution, but it’s also inspired the age-old adage that anyone…

St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office: Suspect Confesses to Double Homicide in Culver Twp., Shoots Himself After Chase

During the pursuit, officials said the lone male driver was determined to be the homicide suspect. He called 911 and confessed to the murders during the chase.

CULVER TWP, Minn.- Authorities with the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office are investigating a double homicide, to which the suspect confessed to during a pursuit before shooting himself in the vehicle. According to officials, St. Louis County 911 received a call from a father around 1:00 a.m. Saturday to check on his adult son in rural Culver Township, north of…

Duluth Firefighters Take Part in Aerial Arbor Training

Besides one that happened this past July, arborists say they haven’t seen any rescues in twenty years.

DULUTH, Minn. — Members of the Duluth Fire Department went to Portland Square Park on Friday to practice a new kind of Arial training– in trees. An arborist instructor team is teaching firefighters how to prepare for these situations, and how to properly execute them, when the time comes. Besides one that happened this past July, arborists say they haven’t…

3 Arrested in Connection to St. Paul Shooting That Killed 1, Injured 14

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Three people were arrested in connection to the bar shooting that left one woman dead and 14 people injured early Sunday morning in downtown St. Paul. At about 12:15 a.m. Sunday, officers responded to a shooting on the 200 block of 7th Street West near the Xcel Energy Center. There, they found what St. Paul police…

West Duluth Standoff Suspect Facing 21 Charges in Day-Long Crime Spree in Duluth, Superior

The 21 charges he faces include third-degree burglary, first-degree aggravated robbery, fleeing police, and reckless discharge of a firearm.

DULUTH/SUPERIOR- A wild day Friday in the Northland, as police charged Cody Lee Walker-Nelson, 30 with 21 counts in a day-long crime spree leading to a six-hour standoff. According to court documents, the 30-year-old started the string of crimes Friday morning, allegedly burglarizing a house on the 3800 Block of Karky Road in Superior, and stealing 12 firearms. Later that…

All City of Duluth Employee Unions Reject Mayor’s 2022 Healthcare Proposal

DULUTH, Minn. – FOX 21 learned Monday that all six employee unions with the city of Duluth have rejected the administration’s new healthcare proposal for 2022. This comes after a rally outside City Hall late last week where union members said they have a strong health fund and want to keep it that way. The proposed changes to employee health…

Police: Duluth Standoff Suspect Also Accused of Attempted Armed Robbery in Superior

The 30-year-old man allegedly stole a vehicle, drove the wrong way on the Bong Bridge, and attempted to rob a bank at gun point in Superior.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Superior Police Department released the timeline of crimes, including attempting to rob a bank at gunpoint in Superior, allegedly perpetrated by the suspect, Cody Lee Walker Nelson, 30, of Duluth, who was arrested Friday evening after a 7-hour standoff with the Duluth Police Department. According to a spokesperson with Superior Police, at about 12:43 p.m. Friday…

Duluth Police: Standoff Suspect Surrenders After Attempted Bank Robbery, Car Theft, Vehicle Pursuit

According to authorities, there were no injuries reported during the call.

DULUTH, Minn.- The 30-year-old male suspect who kept Duluth Police in a standoff for hours in an apartment building on Central Avenue was finally taken into custody after committing multiple crimes, according to authorities. Police say at 8:30 p.m. the man eventually surrendered and was apprehended. He was transported to a local hospital for minor injuries and then the St….

Longtime St. Louis County Attorney Mark Rubin Passes Torch To Kim Maki

DULUTH, Minn. – There was a moment in history Wednesday as longtime St. Louis County Attorney Mark Rubin passed the torch to the county’s next leader in prosecution and justice – Kim Maki. Dozens of people showed up outside the courthouse to watch the handover in power. Rubin has been the county attorney since 2010 with more than 42 years…

Minnesota Firefighters Who Gave Ultimate Sacrifice Remembered on Fallen Firefighters Memorial Day

Crews say it’s also important to raise awareness of the biggest cause of job-related deaths among firefighters -- cancer and other health issues.

DULUTH, Minn.- Across the state of Minnesota Sunday, firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty or due to job-related causes were honored for their service on Minnesota Fallen Firefighters Memorial Day. In Duluth, 19 firefighters from as far back as the 1800s to 2010 were remembered for paying the ultimate sacrifice. “It’s not always what you see…

Police: Wisconsin Woman Made Frantic Phone Call Before Going Missing

(FOX 9) – A western Wisconsin woman, who has been missing for more than a week, made a frantic phone to a friend before vanishing. In an alert sent out by Wisconsin state authorities on Friday, police said 43-year-old Hailey Anderson was last seen on September 16 in Turtle Lake, Wisconsin leaving the casino around 7:53 p.m. On that day, police say…

One Man Dead in Single-Vehicle Crash in Downtown Duluth

DULUTH, Minn.- One man is dead following a single-vehicle crash in downtown Duluth Saturday night. According to a spokesperson with the Duluth Police Department, officers responded to the area of S 1st Ave E at E Michigan Street on a report of a single-vehicle crash. The sole occupant of the vehicle, a 52-year-old male, was ejected and died from injuries…

In Edgy Washington, Police Outnumber Jan. 6 Protesters

The fence around the Capitol was put back up, the city police force was fully activated and Capitol Police requested assistance from the National Guard.

WASHINGTON (AP) – With Washington still on edge after the Jan. 6 insurrection, law enforcement bore down in large numbers on the Capitol over concerns that a rally in support of the jailed rioters would turn violent. It didn’t. The crowd Saturday was sparse, incidents few. The fence around the Capitol was put back up, the city police force was…

Duluth Fire Rescues 2 From Water Off Park Point After Sailboat Capsizes

They were retrieved by Marine 19 and did not need medical attention.

DULUTH, Minn.- Two people were rescued from the water by Duluth Firefighters after their sailboat capsized near the Sky Harbor Airport on Park Point. According to a spokesperson with the Duluth Fire Department, crews responded to the initial report of the capsized vessel around 8 p.m. Friday. Two were confirmed in the water, they were retrieved by Marine 19 and…

UPDATE: Duluth Police Ask for Public’s Help in Gas Station Armed Robbery

The individual is described as a Black or Native American male wearing gloves, a camouflage sweatshirt, and a bright orange face covering

DULUTH, Minn.- The Duluth Police Department is asking for the public’s help in identifying the person in this photo, in relation to the armed robbery Saturday night at the Speedway in the Morgan Park neighborhood. According to a spokesperson with the Department, the individual is described as a Black or Native American male wearing gloves, a camouflage sweatshirt, and a…

Grand Rapids Police Help Get Buck Unstuck from Hammock

One of the officers nearly took a hit from a hoof before the deer's hind legs also got tangled, making it easier for them to cut it free and get that buck, unstuck.

GRAND RAPIDS, Minn.- Hammocks can be tricky for some humans, but two Grand Rapids Police officers last week had to help out a deer tangled in one. In a video posted by the Grand Rapids Police Department, the two officers got a blanket normally used for accidents and medical calls and tried to calm the deer down, but he wasn’t…

2021 Summer: One of The Deadliest on MN Roads

Minnesota’s Office of Traffic Safety says there's been an uptick in impaired driving.

DULUTH, Minn. — The Labor Day weekend was another fatal one on Minnesota roads making this summer one of the deadliest. A total of four fatalities were recorded over the busy Labor Day holiday, increasing Minnesota’s death toll so far this year to 315. That’s 65 fatalities ahead of last year. Authorities say slowing down and finding a safe ride…

UPDATE: Greenwood Fire 49% Contained as of Monday Night

NEAR ISABELLA, Minn.- Fire crews in the Superior National Forest report the Greenwood wildfire is 49% contained as of late Monday night. The news happening the same day Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar toured the site of the Greenwood fire and saw the damage it has caused firsthand. Also on Monday, the Lake…

Duluth Police Looking For Suspects Accused Of Burglarizing Bluestone Apartments

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth Police are looking for two people they believe burglarized two of the Bluestone apartment buildings early Sunday morning. Investigators say the man and woman stole tools from maintenance rooms, and also walked away with a bike rack and a mountain bike from an underground parking garage. Police are trying to figure out how the pair got…

Greenwood Fire Now 37% Contained as Incident Command Post Works from Finland

The boots-on-the-ground operations crew remains in Isabella, burning tactical fires to eliminate potential fuel to keep the main fire boxed in.

FINLAND, Minn.- Fire crews hope to continue the momentum against the 26,000 acre Greenwood fire, now 37% contained as of Monday evening thanks to recent rainy weather, and now moving their Incident Command Post to Finland while operations remain in Isabella right near the blaze. “In terms of wildland fire, the goal is to be mobile, adaptable, resilient,” said Clark…

Duluth Police Struggling With Recruitment, Officer Shortage

The Duluth Police Department is about 5 officers short of being fully staffed. But up to 16 are set to retire in the next year totaling 30 retirees in the next three years.

DULUTH, Minn.- The Duluth Police Department is among the labor forces experiencing a dry spell. The number of applications this year to date is at its lowest in 3 years, as they work to overcome the growing number of retirees and some negative feelings towards police officers statewide. Right now the Duluth Police Department is about 5 officers short of…

Weather Helps Keep Greenwood Fire 14% Contained, Evacuations Lifted for Slate Lake

A weather system Sunday afternoon is expected to bring lower humidity and potentially strong wind gusts.

NEAR ISABELLA, Minn.- The Greenwood Fire continued to sit at 25,991 acres and 14% contained Sunday, with some evacuation orders lifted. Officials say dryer weather is in the forecast and drought conditions will continue. According to a spokesperson with the Superior National Forest, hand crews and heavy equipment operators took advantage of cool temperatures, high humidity, and light rain Saturday…

East Hillside Apartment Fire Damages Multiple Units, Displaces Tenant

Crews located and rescued a total of five cats in three different apartments

DULUTH, Minn.- Duluth Firefighters spent hours battling a fire at a multi-unit apartment building in Duluth’s East Hillside neighborhood late Saturday into early Sunday morning. According to a spokesperson with the Department, the call came in just after 10:30 p.m. of a structure fire at a nine-unit apartment building on the 1100 block of East 3rd Street. The reporting party…