Public Safety

Cloquet High School and Middle School Evacuated After Alleged ‘Swatting’ Call, CPD

CLOQUET, Minn. – Cloquet Police say they received a call reporting a bomb and a person with a gun outside of the high school but have since given the ‘all clear.’ Around 12:16 p.m. today, a call came into Carlton County dispatchers reporting a bomb and a person with a rifle at Cloquet High School. According to a press release…

After 2 Years on the Run, Man Accused of Sex Crime is Back in Minnesota to Face Charge

DULUTH, Minn. – A man charged with sexual assault in Minnesota was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Maine, after spending two years on the run. After spending over two years on the run, 42-year-old Samuel Adam Linkert is back in Minnesota. Linkert is charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct stemming from an alleged assault that occurred at a Duluth residence…

Two Men From Illinois Assaulted Man in Hibbing Over Owed Money, Charges Claim

HIBBING, Minn. – A daylight attack by two men in Hibbing last Friday against another man who owed them money resulted in a high-speed chase, authorities say. Two men have been charged in connection to an assault on another man in Hibbing last Friday. According to the charges, the suspects, Kimonte Travion Cadge, 27, and Genio Taroyes Keller, 31, are…

St. Louis Co. Rescue Squad’s Infrared Drone Helps Locate Missing Man

BREVATOR TOWNSHIP, Minn. — The St. Louis County Rescue Squad is crediting its drone technology for safely locating a missing man with dementia. Deep red along the tree line is missing man Drone Pilot Carter Nelson was one of the pilots using the infrared technology Saturday night for the missing 61-year-old man. The search effort was centered around Brevator Township…

Meth and Firearm Found after Vehicle Chase in Cass Co

Authorities say approximately 80 grams of methamphetamine and a 9mm pistol were found

CASS LAKE, Minn. – A cordial traffic stop turned vehicle pursuit resulted in the discovery of 80 grams of meth and firearm, according to Leech Lake Tribal Police. What started as a cordial traffic stop last Thursday quickly turned into a vehicle pursuit,  the discovery of 80 grams of meth and a firearm. On Thursday, a Leech Lake Tribal Police Officer…

Accused Stalker Arrested Again While on Pre-Trial Release

PROCTOR, Minn. – A man was granted pre-trial release after submitting guilty pleas in two cases; but “within two hours” of leaving custody, the victim said his attempts to contact her continued. Over the last eight months, multiple criminal cases have been filed against Rocky Allen Wrazidlo Jr., 27, of Proctor, for charges including harassment, first-degree burglary, and false imprisonment….

Rock Ridge High School Employee is Suspect in Child Sex Crime Investigation

The employee has not been arrested but was placed on paid leave

VIRGINIA, Minn. – A Rock Ridge High School employee is on paid leave, after the St. Louis County Sheriff and the Minnesota BCA began investigating him for child sex crimes. In a Friday press release, the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office said they had conducted search warrants at multiple locations across Virginia and Eveleth on Mar. 6, including at the…

New Richmond Police: 70-Year-Old Man Murdered Wife Before Attempting to Dispose of Body

The couple were former long-time residents of Superior

NEW RICHMOND, Wisc. – Police say a 70-year-old man murdered his wife, before then disposing of her body in a rural area. On Sunday, Mar. 2, New Richmond Police responded to the residence of 70-year-old Gordon Charles Laakso and his wife, 68-year-old Mary Laakso. According to a press release, “The 911 caller indicated that Mary’s husband…made statements that led them…

Hibbing Man Used App to Send Child Sexual Abuse Material, Charges Allege

Law enforcement claim they connected the man to multiple different accounts on the app

HIBBING, Minn. – Law enforcement say they found “unused children’s underwear” and “a bouncy house,” when searching the home of a Hibbing man charged with sharing explicit videos of minors on a messaging app. On Friday, 45-year-old Joshua John Eckstrom of Hibbing was charged with nine felony counts for disseminating CSAM over the messaging app ‘Kik.’ The investigation into Eckstrom…

Sawyer County Arsonist Remains at Large as Victims Remain Fearful

The string of fires last November saw homes and businesses destroyed

SAWYER COUNTY, Wisc. – As some victims attempt to rebuild, they grapple with the fear of an arsonist still at large. Nearly 100 days since the last fire, the small communities and towns in the southeastern Sawyer County have been left scarred. The six structure fires occurred over a nine-day period in late November and impacted homes, businesses, and even…

Hibbing Police Department Asks Public to Help Name New K9

HIBBING, Minn. — The Hibbing Police Department is training a new K9. K9 handler Officer Sydney Haugan will be attending a three-month certification training with a one-year-old German Sheppard. Together the new K9 team will be training in criminal apprehension and firearms/ammunition detection. The police department will be having a naming contest for their new K9. They’re asking for any…

Charges: Park Point Burglary Suspect Carried Hammer

There were no injuries reported from the incident

DULUTH, Minn. – Charges say a man entered a stranger’s home on Park Point with a hammer and pliers. Around 6:20 p.m. on Wednesday, Duluth Police responded to a residence on Minnesota Ave on Park Point for reports of an intruder with a weapon. When officers arrived, they were able to identify the suspect as 42-year-old Brian Adam Burba of…

1 Dead, 1 Rescued After UTV Falls Through Ice In Bay Along St. Louis River

The scene is near Billings Park

SUPERIOR, Wis. — A top law enforcement official confirmed with FOX 21 Thursday evening that a body was located in the water along the St. Louis River after the UTV they were in fell through the ice. The body was located within the vehicle 14 feet below the surface in Kimballs Bay near Billings Park, according to the official. The…

Woman Airlifted After Fingertip Bitten Off During Aurora Assault

The woman's current condition is not known by law enforcement

AURORA, Minn. – Police say a woman’s condition is still unknown after having her finger bitten off in a midday assault, this past Monday. According to charging documents, East Range Police were called to the Iron Gate Apartments in Aurora around 12:30 p.m. on Monday for reports of an assault. Officers said that when they arrived, they found 29-year-old Madusu…

Man Arrested for Child Sex Crimes, After Initially Claiming he was Assaulted by Juvenile

FOND DU LAC RESERVATION – Police say they responded to a call from man in his 60s claiming to have been assaulted by a juvenile; but further investigation into the incident led to child sex crime charges against him. Fond Du Lac Police arrested 62-year-old Phillip Alexander Petite Tuesday on charges of criminal sexual conduct with a child. The arrest…

Online Investigation Leads to Child Pornography Charges Against Superior Man

SUPERIOR, Wisc. – Investigators say they located multiple examples of child sexual abuse material when searching devices found in Patrick Anthony West’s room. In early January, the Wisconsin Department of Justice passed on a “CyberTip” to Superior Police from the Nation Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). According to a criminal complaint, the NCMEC said suspected child pornography had…

Superior Police Department Promotes Michelle Pope to Patrol Captain

SUPERIOR, Wis. — The Superior Police Officer just earned a new stripe being appointed to patrol captain. Captain Michelle Pope has been onboard with the Superior Police Department for the last 23 years. Pope has been a life-long resident of Superior and even graduated from UWS. Captain Pope joined the department back in 2002. Since then she worked in narcotics…

Delta Airlines Flight From Minneapolis Flips Upside Down At Toronto Airport

There are no reporters of fatalities.

Courtesy: AP TORONTO (AP) — A badly injured child is among eight people who were hurt Monday when a Delta Airlines plane flipped upon arrival at Toronto’s Pearson Airport. The airport confirmed on X that an “incident” occurred with the Delta flight from Minneapolis and that all 80 passengers and crew are accounted for. One passenger is critically injured and…

Kitchen Fire At Duluth Apartment Building; Sprinklers Helped Contain Flames

DULUTH, Minn. — Fire sprinklers are being credited with keeping a kitchen fire from getting out of control in a Duluth apartment building. The fire was reported just before 5:30 p.m. Sunday at the Midtowne Manor at 2011 West 2nd Street. A city spokesperson said the fire was 75 percent contained by the sprinkler system. Two people inside the unit…

1 Dead, 1 Severely Injured In Separate Northern MN Snowmobile Crashes

WALKER, Minn. — Alcohol is believed to be a factor in a fatal snowmobile crash in rural Walker, Minnesota, according to authorities. The accident happened just before 9 p.m. Friday. The 50-year-old man driving the snowmobile lost control before striking a snow embankment and some trees near 60th Avenue Northwest. The victim, who is from Corpus Christi, Texas was taken…

Gov Evers Floats Plan To Close 19th-Century WI Prison, Overhaul Corrections System

Courtesy: Associated Press MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin’s second-oldest prison, built in the 1800s and long targeted for closure, would finally be shuttered under a new plan from Gov. Tony Evers that proposes sweeping changes to the state’s troubled correctional system without building a new facility, as some lawmakers have long called for. Evers presented his plan as the best…

Aitkin Daytime Stabbing Hospitalizes 2 Women; Suspect Later Arrested in Ramsey County

AITKIN, Minn. – Police say they found a bloody scene when responding to a slashing at a residence in the quiet community of Aitkin, that left two women in the hospital. Aitkin Police responded to a residence on First Street Northwest around 10:56 a.m. on Wednesday after they received a call that a female had been stabbed. Officers found the…

Shooting in Rural Cass County

BACKUS, Minn. – A victim’s condition is unknown after a shooting in rural Cass County last Thursday. Cass County Sheriffs responded to a residence near rural Backus around 11:30 p.m. Thursday evening after reports of a shooting. According to the sheriff’s office, first responders found a 36-year-old male with gunshot wounds at the scene, who was transported by air to…

Charges Filed After Hermantown Police Chase

HERMANTOWN, Minn. – A man told police he had to urinate before taking Hermantown Police on a miles-long midnight chase Tuesday, according to police reports. 54-year-old Justin Lee Briggs has been charged with fleeing police, after an attempted traffic stop around 12:10 a.m. on Tuesday. The police report said an officer attempted to stop Briggs’ vehicle because it had no…

Hermantown High-Speed Pursuit Caught On Video

HERMANTOWN, Minn. — A high-speed pursuit took Hermantown police for quite the ride early Tuesday morning. The chase started just after midnight after an officer spotted a suspicious vehicle behind the Goodwill store on Miller Trunk Highway. When the officer initiated a discussion, the driver took off. The chase went on for 11 miles until a pit maneuver was used…

Nearly 15-Year Saga Ends With Demolition Of Former Kozy Building

DULUTH, Minn. —  Demolition began Tuesday on the burnt-out former Kozy building and apartments in downtown Duluth. The tear-down is part of a roughly $2 million settlement agreement between the city of Duluth, the building’s former owner, Dr. Eric Ringsred, and Respect Starts Here, which is a group of preservationists. $1.4 million is partially being used for the demolition across…

Charges Filed, Following ‘Firearm Call’ Sunday in Superior

SUPERIOR, Wisc. – A 19-year-old is in custody for threatening his friends with a pistol during a night of drinking, according to Superior Police. On Sunday, Superior Police responded to an apartment on the 1800 block of Iowa St in the Billings Park neighborhood around 8:46 p.m. for what the criminal complaint described as originally for, “an unwanted guest, but…

Brainerd Man Charged with Sexual Assault of Stepchild

BRAINERD, Minn. – Charges allege that a Brainerd man sexually assaulted his stepdaughter for years, before she came forward to her mother and police. Authorities have charged 34-year-old Fred Robert Stumbo of Brainerd with three counts of criminal sexual conduct after allegations that he sexually assaulted his stepdaughter. The girl, who the report said is now 15, and her mother…

Duluth Police: Stabber Is Victim Of Domestic Assault

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth police are investigating a stabbing at one of the city’s newest apartment buildings. The stabbing happened around 7 p.m. Friday at the Brewery Creek Apartments in the 600 block of East 4th Street. Investigators located a 29-year-old man with a non-life-threatening wound to the chest. The man stabbed ended up being arrested for preliminary charges of…

Duluth Judge Rules Serial Break-In Suspect Incompetent to Stand Trial

DULUTH, Minn. – A judge rules that the suspect in a series of violent break-ins last November is incompetent to stand trial. For three days in November, Duluth Police were attempting to catch the perpetrator of brazen home invasions in the Woodland neighborhood. Police arrested and charged 59-year-old Jeffery Scott Montana with five felony counts, that together, could carry up…

Man Arrested After Vehicle Prowls At Duluth Trailhead Parking Lots

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth police arrested a 36-year-old man Friday related to multiple vehicle prowls. The break-ins happened at trailhead parking lots throughout the city. The suspect is facing multiple preliminary charges, including financial fraud and felony theft. Police are reminding drivers to keep valuable out of sight and lock your doors when out enjoying the trails. Categories: Crime, Minnesota,…

Human Remains Recovered After House Fire In St. Louis County

Courtesy: Northland Fire Wire LEIDING TOWNSHIP, Minn. – Authorities have recovered remains of a man who died in a house in northern St. Louis County. At 4:30 p.m. Friday, investigators located the remains at the fire scene believed to be 57-year-old Matthew Bisbee, of Orr, according to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office. The fire happened just before 7 a.m….

View Search Warrants into Investigation of Infant Left At Duluth Shelter

FOX 21 provides the signed warrants and sworn affidavits from department's search of Safe Haven

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth’s Chief of Police Mike Cenoywa released a video statement Wednesday regarding two search warrants that were executed at a shelter operated by Safe Haven Shelter and Resource Center on Jan. 21. According to the two warrant applications sworn to by Officer Ryan Puhle, and warrants signed by Judge Shawn Reed, officers responded to a call from…

MN House Democratic, GOP Leaders Reach Power-Sharing Agreement

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Democratic and Republican leaders of the Minnesota House reached a power-sharing agreement Wednesday night to end a three-week stalemate the state’s chief justice said left the chamber “completely dysfunctional.” Democrats had stayed away from the state Capitol since the 2025 legislative session opened Jan. 14. Republicans argued that only 67 — the number of GOP…

Duluth Police Chief Releases Statement After Newborn Surrendered at Shelter

Police say the newborn is safe with a foster family

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Police say their investigation into the events from January 21, are focused on the health of the infant and the mother and identifying who dropped the baby off at Safe Haven; not into the shelter itself. Chief of Police Mike Ceynowa, released a video statement, followed by a written press release, Wednesday afternoon. Two search warrants…

Cloquet Area Fire District Looking to Build New Facility

CLOQUET, Minn.– The chief of the Cloquet Area Fire District said, it’s beyond time for a new headquarters because the current one is falling apart, packed beyond capacity and a safety concern. The current fire station downtown was built decades ago and no longer meets the standards required for modern emergency responses. The Cloquet Area Fire District serves well beyond…

Woman Charged for Hit and Run in Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. – Police arrested a woman for a hit and run that occurred last week in Duluth and sent a woman to the hospital. Brittney Elizabeth Johnson-Hamilton, 39, of Duluth was charged for last Tuesday’s hit and run at the intersection of North 12th Ave East and 2nd Ave East. According to the police report, a witness told officers…

Carbo Found Guilty at Second Trial For 1986 Chisholm Murder

  DULUTH, Minn. – After the Minnesota Supreme Court overturned his previous conviction, a jury re-convicts Michael Carbo of the rape and murder of Nancy Daugherty in her Chisholm home back in 1986. The 1986 murder and sexual assault of 38-year-old Nancy Daugherty in her home rocked the largely quiet Iron Range community of Chisholm. The case remained cold for…

American Airlines jet with 64 aboard collides with Army helicopter at Reagan Airport near DC

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — A jet with 60 passengers and four crew members aboard collided Wednesday with an Army helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, prompting a large search-and-rescue operation in the nearby Potomac River. UPDATE: The Kremlin has confirmed that Russian figure skaters, as well as other Russian nationals, were on the American Airlines plane that…

Murder Charges Filed in 2023 Fentanyl Overdose Death

DULUTH, Minn. – The man, who authorities allege sold fentanyl laced oxycontin that caused the overdose death of a Duluth woman in 2023, was arrested on murder charges Tuesday afternoon. Jason Allen Nelson, 32, was arrested Tuesday afternoon on charges of 3rd-degree murder by means of selling or distributing fentanyl.  A warrant for his arrest, according to St. Louis County…

Aurora Townhome Arson Suspect Charged; ‘I Lit It Up’

AURORA, Minn. – A woman faces multiple charges after officers allege she “calmly” admitted to igniting the blaze that spread through her townhome. Authorities say they’ve charged 35-year-old Stephanie Dawn Beddo with 1st-degree arson for allegedly setting fire to her townhome in the Iron Gate Apartment complex. Police say they responded to the complex around 3:45 pm Friday for reports…

Charge: Duluth Man Stabbed Stepfather In The Back

DULUTH, Minn. — A Duluth man accused of stabbing his stepfather in West Duluth Jan. 24 is facing a serious charged for the crime. Nolan Shane-Peanuts Leeson, 25, of Duluth is charged with second-degree assault. The stabbing happened at his mother’s home on the 4800-hundred block of West 5th Street, according to authorities. The criminal complaint said Leeson’s mother told…

‘Catastrophic Failure’ Of Pipe Causes Significant Water Damage At Keewatin Elementary

KEEWATIN, Minn. — A “catastrophic failure” of a pipe Sunday morning caused significant water damage at Keewatin Elementary, forcing the school to be closed through at least Tuesday, Jan. 28, according to Principal Dr. Rae Villebrun. Cafeteria “We are currently working with Service Master, IEA, our custodial/maintenance staff, and insurance company to ensure the building is ready for the students…

Applications Now Open For St. Louis County Sheriff’s Citizens’ Academy

DULUTH, Minn. — The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office has opened registration for its Citizens’ Police Academy. The academy is happening every Tuesday night from 6:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. from March 4 until May 20. The free interactive presentations and tours will show you the inner workings of a dozen departments within the Sheriff’s Office, including the Jail, 911…

1880s Water Main Breaks At Busy Duluth Intersection

DULUTH, Minn. — One of Duluth’s oldest water mains caused quite a mess at one of Duluth’s busiest intersections Wednesday night, which went into a second night Thursday. The break was reported around 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at West Superior Street and Mesaba Avenue. City utility crews were dispatched just before 11 p.m. Wednesday as bubbles were pouring out of the…

Kozy Building Demolition Deal Seeks to Revive Area with Historic Look

DULUTH, Minn. – Years of lawsuits, multiple fires and several suggested solutions later, the former Kozy Bar and Apartments in Downtown Duluth is coming down. The Pastoret Terrace, commonly known as the Kozy, has been the subject of legal battles for a decade and a half. The city of Duluth has wanted to clear the dilapidated complex that sits at…

Officials: Man Shoots At Vehicle, Hits Woman In Duluth Township

DULUTH TOWNSHIP, Minn. — A 19-year-old man is accused of shooting a woman in Duluth Township in what authorities believe was a drug-related crime. The shooting was reported around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. A 19-year-old female was at Aspirus St. Luke’s with a gunshot wound to the foot. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office said the shooting happened in the 6200…