Minnesota

Applebee’s: Big and Bold for the Summer

Cooking Connection: Grilling Favorites with Applebee's

DULUTH, Minn. – The Northland is beginning to feel the heat of Summer and many people are also heating up their grills. Applebee’s is doing just that as well. The restaurant has introduced its new Big and Bold Grill Combos at its locations throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin. The New Big and Bold Grill Combos include: Grilled Shrimp Skewer with lemon…

Judge in Castile Case Supports Verdict

Officer Yanez was Acquitted of All Charges

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The judge who presided over the manslaughter trial of a Minnesota police officer tells the jurors who acquitted him in the fatal shooting of black motorist Philando Castile that he supports them despite widespread public criticism of the verdict. Ramsey County District Judge William Leary III says in a letter to jurors that the criticism…

Poland Moves Toward Extraditing US Man in Nazi Case

98-Year-Old Claims He Wasn't Involved

WARSAW, Poland (AP) – Poland’s special prosecutors say they have taken steps toward seeking the extradition from the U.S. of a Minnesota man they accuse of participating in a World War II massacre. The Associated Press had previously identified the man as 98–year–old Michael Karkoc, an ex–commander in an SS–led Nazi unit that burned Polish villages and killed civilians –including…

DNR: Mille Lacs Walleye Fishing Closed from July 7-28

For other species only artificial baits and lures are allowed in possession, unless anglers are targeting pike or muskie

ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is reminding anglers that walleye fishing will be closed on Mille Lacs Lake for 20 days. According to the DNR, walleye fishing will be closed from July 7-27. Fishing fall all other species, including bass will remain open. With a ban on night fishing already in place for the season,…

Dayton Announces 10 Meetings to Discuss Water Quality in Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Governor Mark Dayton announced locations Wednesday, for a series of Water Quality Town Hall meetings beginning in late July. Ten town halls will offer Minnesotans an opportunity to discuss water quality challenges facing their communities and our state, as well as hear from experts and engage with policymakers. The meetings build on the momentum from Dayton’s…

Minnesota Man Faces 10th Drunken Driving Offense

He was arrested by the Wisconsin State Patrol

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The Wisconsin State Patrol arrested a 47-year-old Minnesota man for drunken driving, which would be his 10th offense, if convicted. The Star Tribune reports that a trooper stopped Lawrence LaPole, of Rosemount, around 10:07 p.m. Tuesday in Elk Mound, Wisconsin. He was charged with drunken driving, failure to install an ignition interlock device, operating a motor vehicle…

Children’s Minnesota Now Out-of-Network for Blue Cross Patients

FOX 9 - KMSP

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) – Children’s Minnesota and major health insurance company Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota have failed to meet a deadline for a new contract, which could spike rates of an estimated 66,000 patients. With the July 5 deadline now passed, Children’s Minnesota is now an out-of-network provider for Blue Cross patients. Patients could still go to Children’s…

Hilstrom Announces AG Bid

Anoka Co. Prosecutor has been in State Legislature Since 2000

BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. – Nine term DFL Representative and Anoka County prosecutor Debra hilstrom announced her bid to become Minnesota’s next Attorney General. Hilstrom is one of three Democrats running to replace Lori Swanson.  But only if Swanson, the current Attorney General, runs for Governor. Hilstrom, who was first elected to the state house in 2000, ran an unsuccesful campaign…

Nolan Bill Would Force Completion of PolyMet Mine Land Swap

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – U.S. Representative Rick Nolan has introduced a bill to force completion of a land swap needed for the proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota. PolyMet is welcoming the move, saying the transaction hasn’t been moving forward as fast as it could. But it’s being criticized by environmental groups, which say the deal undervalues the land and…

Longtime Racer Dies in Crash at Brainerd International Raceway

FOX 9 - KMSP

Mel Shaw. Photo provided by Breathless Performance Racing. BRAINERD, Minn. (KMSP) – A longtime racer was killed in a crash during a race at the Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minnesota Sunday afternoon. Mel Shaw, 70, a Trans Am Series driver from New Jersey, was racing in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) GT-2 race when he ran off the track…

Minneapolis Airport Fails 95 Percent of Security Tests, Sources Say

JACK HIGHBERGER - FOX 9

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) – When put to the test, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport failed 95-percent of security tests conducted at the airport last week, according to Fox 9 sources. Last Thursday, what’s referred to as the “Red Team” in town from Washington D.C., posed as passengers and attempted to sneak items through security that should easily be caught. In most cases,…

Minnesota Asked for Voter Data in Nationwide Fraud Investigation

Minnesota is Hesitant to Give Up the Data

ST. PAUL, Minn.–Secretary of State Steve Simon says he’s not sure whether he will turn over data on Minnesota voters to a White House panel studying voter fraud. The commission was established by President Donald Trump in May. Vice chairman Kris Kobach wrote to states this week with a request that includes voter names, addresses, dates of birth, recent voting…

Woman Found Deceased in Bemidji Woods

Police are Continuing to Investigate

  BEMIDJI, Minn.-A deceased woman was found in the woods of Bemidji Township at 9 a.m. today, according to the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office. She has been identified as 26-year-old Chelsea Batchelder of Bemidji. She had previously been reported missing by a family member who last had contact with her June 19 at her residence in Bemidji Township. The woman was seen…

Minnesota Town Preparing to End Policing from Castile-Connected Police Force

Earlier this Month Officer was Acquitted in Philando Castile Case

ST. PAUL, Minn.-The Minnesota city that employed the police officer who fatally shot a black motorist is preparing to end its patrols of the nearby town where the shooting happened last year. St. Anthony initially intended to negotiate a new contract with Falcon Heights. But the new terms included a request to shift all liability to Falcon Heights for St….

Grants Aimed at Improving Courthouse Security in Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The Minnesota Supreme Court is providing $1 million to improve security at 57 county courthouses across the state. The grant money will help counties with a wide range of improvements, including security screening stations, bullet resistant glass at public service counters and security training for courthouse officials and staff. Grant awards ranged from $514 to…

Environmentalists Criticize Changes to PolyMet Mine Design

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – An environmental group says the design for the proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine in northeastern Minnesota has changed in significant ways that require regulators to take a fresh look. WaterLegacy cities changes in the mine’s tailings basin and wastewater treatment facilities, and a new disclosure of how much water would be pumped from the mine, in requesting a…

Mille Lacs Named Best Bass Fishing Lake in the Country by Bassmaster Magazine

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Bassmaster Magazine has released its top 12 Best Bass Lakes of 2017 and has named Mille Lacs number one thanks to its abundance of smallmouth bass. The magazine states it was selected for its hearty bass, as winners of several fishing championships wrangled in basses weighing in over 20 pounds and some measuring longer than 17…

Making a Shake with Cold Fusion

Cooking Connection: Cold Fusion and Fit Lab

DULUTH, Minn. – A local nutrition club is keeping folks healthy downtown. The owner of Cold Fusion, Annie Call, tells us the goal of the business is to bring a healthy, active lifestyle to the community. Call described the business as “healthy fast food.” While there customers get a shot of aloe to help with disgestion, a 16 oz. energy…

New 5K to Take Place in Duluth Friday

First Annual Chester Park Trail Race

DULUTH, Minn. – A new 5K is taking place in Duluth on Friday, June 30. The Chester Park Trail Race, starting at 6:30 p.m., was created to encourage beginners to start trail running. The course is almost entirely off-road, including ski trails, the new Duluth Traverse Chester Rim mountain bike trail, Superior Hiking Trail and Dan Proctor Hiking Trail. Registration…

Duluth Pack Crafts Leather Backpack for Ed Sheeran

DULUTH PACK TEAMS UP WITH XCEL ENERGY CENTER

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Pack has announced that they are teaming up with Xcel Energy to create a hand-crafted bag for singer Ed Sheeran. Photo: Duluth Pack The company has selected its most popular backpack style, the Leather Standard Backpack. To customize it for Sheeran’s style they have used a pebbled leather material, along with the traditional features including leather…

Theatre Company Plans “Fences” Production

Organizers Seek African-American Actors to Fill Cast

DULUTH, Minn. – The Lake Superior Community Theatre is planning a production of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play, “Fences”. “Fences” is the story of the Maxsons, an African-American family in 1950’s Pittsburgh. The director, Paul Deaner, wants the production to be as authentic as possible, which means he needs an african american cast to fill the…

Duluth Celebrates Swedish Midsommer

Swedish Culutral Society Hosts Annual Celebration

DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth’s Lakeside neighborhood hosted a celebration of Swedish culture Wednesday. The Swedish Cultural Society of Duluth hosted its annual Midsommer celebration.  Swedes traditionally celebrate midsommer on the Friday closest to the Summer Solstice as a way to get outside after a long dark Winter. Organizers say it’s important to them to keep these traditions alive. “We take…

DRCC Among State’s Best Employers

Duluth Firm Ranked Second in Survey by Star-Tribune

DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Regional Care Center was recently recognized as one of the top places to work in Minnesota. DRCC ranked 2nd among the state’s largest employer when it comes to what workers think about their jobs. DRCC helps people with disabilities get the most out of life and runs several group homes and apartment programs across the…

Local Governments Get MnDOT Grant Information

Roughly $22 Million is Available Through the DOT and DEED

DULUTH, Minn. – Representatives from Northland city and county governments were in Duluth Wednesday, to find out how they can get some of the more than $22 million in grant money the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Department of Employment and Economic Development are handing out this year. This money is awarded every two years through the state’s Transportation…

Lawsuit Filed to Release Wetterling Information

Judge Will Look Into Documents to See if There's Any Private Family Information in it

ST. CLOUD, Minn.-Several Minnesota journalism groups want to intervene to release documents from the 1989 abduction and killing of Jacob Wetterling. The request was filed Tuesday by the Minnesota Newspaper Association, the Minnesota Broadcasters Association and other media organizations. A judge this month blocked the scheduled release of the documents at the request of Jacob’s parents. Patty and Jerry Wetterling…

Complaint: Woman Blames Video Stunt for Boyfriend’s Death

Mona Lisa Perez HALSTAD, Minn. (AP) – A Minnesota woman charged in the fatal shooting of her boyfriend told authorities it was a video stunt gone wrong. Monalisa Perez, of Halstad, was charged Wednesday with second-degree manslaughter in the death of Pedro Ruiz III. According to the criminal complaint, the 19-year-old Perez told authorities Ruiz wanted to make a YouTube…

Citizens Call for St. Anthony Mayor to Resign

St. Anthony Mayor Jerry Faust left and Police Chief Jon Mangseth packed up after listing to community members speak about racial profiling Tuesday. (Jerry Holt – Star Tribune) ST. ANTHONY, Minn. (AP) – Residents of a Minnesota city that employed the police officer who fatally shot a black motorist during a traffic stop are calling for the mayor’s resignation. Citizens…

Island Lake Gearing Up For Big Holiday Weekend

This Weeks Great Outdoors

ISLAND LAKE, Minn. – In this week’s Great Outdoors we head to Island Lake where they’re gearing up for a busy 4th of July weekend. Summer is officially here so a few things come to mind like cabins, lakes, your grill, family and friends and of course your favorite beverages. Island Lake sits just 20 miles north of Duluth. With…

Boundary Ave. Property Won’t Be Re-Zoned

Kwik Trip Eyed Location Near Proctor Border

DULUTH, Minn. – On Monday, City Councilors voted 5–3 in favor of re–zoning a property on Boundary Avenue along the border with Proctor as mixed use residential and commercial.  However, re–zoning requires a super majority of six votes. “The ordinance as it is, is done and we can’t pass it in the form it was shot down,” said At-Large Councilor…

UMD Testing Police Cameras

Officers are Wearing Body Cameras During Two Month Test

DULUTH, Minn. – The University of Minnesota is taking steps to make campuses safer. The three campuses with police forces; Twin Cities, Morris and here in Duluth are testing body cameras. Two UMD police officers have been wearing cameras for a couple weeks, and will continue to wear them  for a two month trial period.  If all goes well, all…

Battle Continues Over Legislative Funding in Minnesota

October Court Decision Could Decide Fate of Case

ST. PAUL, Minn.-A Minnesota judge is considering whether Gov. Mark Dayton’s veto of the Legislature’s funding was unconstitutional. The bitter legal dispute between the Democratic governor and Republican-controlled Legislature had its first hearing in Ramsey County court. Chief Judge John Guthmann is also consider an agreement between the two sides to temporarily fund the Legislature through October while the case…

Universal Presses Bid to Void Music Deal with Prince Estate

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Lawyers for Universal Music Group have renewed their request that a Minnesota judge cancel the company’s music rights deal with prince’s estate, saying UMG will otherwise have to sue in litigation that could keep fans from hearing new music from Prince’s vault for years. In a court filing made public Tuesday, Comerica Bank & Trust, which serves…

Three-Week Blatnik Bridge Inspection to begin July 10

Project is expected to run July 10-27 - weather permitting

DULUTH, Minn. – Beginning on Monday July 10, a three-week long bridge inspection project will begin on the Blatnik Bridge, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Superior-bound traffic will be restricted to one lane from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily July 10 to approximately Tuesday, July 18. Duluth-bound traffic will be restricted to one lane from 9 a.m….

52-Year Sentence in Homicide, Kidnapping, and Sexual Assault Case

BEMIDJI, Minn. (AP) – The man accused of killing a woman in Bemidji and kidnapping and sexually assaulting a 5-year-old girl in her care has been sentenced to 52 Jacob Kinn years in prison. Thirty-three-year-old Jacob Kinn earlier pleaded guilty to second-degree unintentional murder, kidnapping, and first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Kinn testified he strangled Melissa Norby with a belt at…

Discussion to Focus on Making Women Better Leaders in Workplace

Aim High Network Hosts Duluth Native Tricia Correia

DULUTH, Minn. – Women and millennials often struggle to find their path in the workplace, even though women make up almost half of the workforce in the United States. The Aim High Network is bringing in an expert and Duluth native, Tricia Correia, to talk about how women can be better leaders for other women and future generations. Correia has…

Glensheen Murders Still Intriguing After 40 Years

Mansion Staff Acknowledges, But Doesn't Focus on 1977 Killings

DULUTH, Minn. – Tomorrow marks the fortieth anniversary of the murders at the Glensheen Mansion in Duluth and interest in the high-profile killings is as high as ever. On June 27, 1977 Elisabeth Congdon and her nurse were murdered in her family’s estate, the Glensheen Mansion. The state convicted Congdon’s son-in-law of the murders, while her daughter, Marjorie Caldwell, was…

Vikings Player Floyd Expected to Appear in Arizona Court

Fox News SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) – Vikings wide receiving Michael Floyd is expected to appear in Arizona court after being flagged for alcohol tests that are part of his monitoring for house arrest in Minnesota. The Scottsdale City Court hearing Monday will give Floyd a chance to make his case regarding the failed breathalyzer tests and one he missed earlier…

Carbon Monoxide Suspected in Woman’s Death on Boat in St. Croix River

FOX 9 - KMSP

Photo Courtesy: FOX 9 ST. CROIX COUNTY, Wisc. (KMSP) – The St. Croix Sheriff’s Office says a 24-year-old woman died from possible carbon monoxide poisoning while aboard a boat over the weekend. The victim, Ashley Speer, was out on the St. Croix River with Justin Roskos and Hayden Johnson. They were supposed to camp at a beach, but never made…

Bemidji Woman Missing Since June 19

Photo Courtesy: Beltrami County Chief Deputy Sheriff BELTRAMI COUNTY, Minn. – A missing persons report was filed with the Bemidji Police Department on Friday, June 23 for 26-year-old Chelsea Batchelder, according to the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office. She was last seen by a family member at Batchelder’s residence in the 1200 block of Little Norway Avenue SE in Bemidji Township…

Two New Exhibitions to Open at Duluth Art Institute

DULUTH, Minn. – This week two new exhibitions are opening at the Duluth Art Institute. The first is a solo exhibit by Jonathan Thunder. “Peripheral Vignettes” features all new paintings and will be accompanied by a color catalog, an animation screening, and an artist talk and book signing. The second, “Play,” showcases the work of three artists, Robert Dewitt Adams,…

New “Taste of Duluth” Festival to Provide Local Entertainment

Festival Encourages Family-Fun

DULUTH, Minn. – This weekend a first-of-its-kind festival is coming to Bayfront Festival Park. The Taste of Duluth is Saturday, July 1 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. There will be more than 60 vendors of food, beer, crafts and more. There will also be live music throughout the entire festival. The event is aimed at highlighting all the great…

Castile Family Reaches $3M Settlement in Death

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The mother of Philando Castile, a black motorist who was killed by a Minnesota police officer last year, has reached a nearly $3 million settlement in his death. The settlement was announced Monday by attorneys for Valerie Castile and the city of St. Anthony. The settlement avoids the drawn-out process of a federal wrongful death lawsuit stemming…

Dayton, Legislative Leaders Head to Court over Funding

(Photo: Newsfile)ST. PAUL, Minn. – Gov. Mark Dayton and the Legislature are headed to court in their dispute over the governor’s veto of the Legislature’s funding. Dayton’s veto following a special session was aimed at reopening negotiations on tax changes that he says favor the wealthy. Republican legislative leaders say his move is unconstitutional. Without the money, paychecks will eventually…