Minnesota

Problems Identified in Post Offices in Minnesota

DULUTH, Minn – You count on your mail being delivered promptly, and that is the goal of the Postal Service. However, in audits conducted by the Inspector General of the Postal Service, prompt delivery has not been happening. We talked with Senator Tina Smith who has been working to understand the problems with the mail system. Recently, the issues facing…

Work Continues on Downtown Duluth Safety

Approach is combination of outreach, education, and when necessary--enforcement.

Crime and safety in downtown Duluth have been a growing community concern, and the city has taken steps it says are slowly making a difference. That was the message inside the Greysolon Ballroom Wednesday, where Downtown Duluth members heard from the mayor, police chief and city attorney. The approach has involved a combination of education, persuasion and enforcement. It ranges…

Northeast Minnesota Fishing Outlook For 2024 Season

MINNESOTA — The Minnesota Fishing Season Opener is this weekend, and the fish are out and about this year. The Minnesota DNR tells us that although Northeast Minnesota is known for its beautiful lakes and rivers, there are plenty of fish to catch while enjoying the scenery. An expert says the walleye population is abundant this year. Northern Pike and…

Coffee Conversation: Mix Cosmetiques DIY Mother’s Day Bonding Bliss Workshop

DULUTH, Minn. — Mix Cosmetiques presents a DIY Mother’s Day bonding class where attendees will craft lip gloss, lip polish and perfume using only plant-based ingredients. Owner of Mix Cosmetiques Lanae Rhoads joined FOX 21 on the morning newscast Wednesday with more information. Rhoads helped FOX 21’s Maria Vollom make a lip polish live in-studio. DIY Mother’s Day Bonding Bliss…

Pro-Palestine Encampment Grows In Duluth Civic Center; Police Monitoring

DULUTH, Minn. — A few more tents have arrived at the pro-Palestine encampment in Duluth’s Civic Center courtyard six days after police said it was illegal to set up tents on the property. On Tuesday, May 7, there were at least five tents, instead of the original two, outside the Federal Building, St. Louis County Courthouse and City Hall. A…

Cloquet Students Compete in 7th Annual Battle of the Books

CLOQUET, Minn. — Students faced-off Tuesday in the 7th annual Battle of the Books competition at the Cloquet Senior High Auditorium. The quiz bowl style event featured students from Churchill Elementary, Washington Elementary and Cloquet Middle School. The kids read 12 different books this year and answered questions Tuesday about the authors, characters, themes and settings. Event Coordinator Jessica Gagne…

Allete Sold to Partnership in $6.2 Billion Deal; Company Going Private

Announcement says headquarters to remain in Duluth.

The company behind most of the northland’s power and energy has been bought. Allete announced the purchase Monday morning, and it will now become a private company. Allete is the parent company of Minnesota Power and Superior Water, Light and Power. It has been bought by a large partnership with hopes that deep pockets will fund future capital investments. The…

Minnesota Legislators Consider Constitutional Amendment To Protect Abortion And LGBTQ Rights

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Democrats have introduced far-reaching legislation to add abortion and LGBTQ rights to the state’s constitution in hopes of making it much harder for future lawmakers to repeal these and other rights in the future. The Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment was introduced last week and has its first legislative hearing Monday. It would be among…

Hoops Brewing Hosts ‘We’re Cutting You Off’ Homegrown Wrap-Up Party

Festival-goers could stop by and get a deal on beers by letting a bartender cut off their Homegrown wristband

DULUTH, Minn. — Sunday was the last day of the Homegrown Music Festival in the Twin Ports. This year’s festival started with an official kick off party at Hoops Brewing in Canal Park and now music lovers can return to Hoops to be “cut off.” Hoops Brewing invited festival-goers for the “We’re Cutting You Off” Wrap Up Party. Anyone who…

‘Everyone Can Bird’ Event Series Makes Birdwatching Accessible for All

Birders met up at Chamber Grove Park for an accessible birdwatching event -- catching a firsthand glimpse of the spring migration

DULUTH, Minn. — Sunday morning, dozens of people flocked to Chamber Grove Park for the Everyone Can Bird event. The morning was designed with accessibility in mind, making sure birders of all abilities could enjoy. The event had an American Sign Language interpreter on hand, as well as a track chair — an all-terrain wheelchair for hiking. Interested birders of…

UMD Students Walk the Stage for Graduation

DULUTH, Minn. — It was a big day for University of Minnesota Duluth students who graduated on Saturday. Around 2,000 UMD students walked across the stage at Amsoil Arena. There was two commencement ceremonies on Saturday, recognizing students who earned their bachelor’s degree, doctoral degree, or master’s degree. Family and friends of the students packed the arena and cheered on…

Hibbing Woman Dead After Single Vehicle Crash

HIBBING, Minn. — A 30-year-old female from Hibbing is dead after a single vehicle crash on Thursday. The GMC was traveling northbound on Highway 73 at Gilboe Road when it ran off the right-side of the road right and struck a guard rail, according to Minnesota State Patrol. The driver identified as a 30-year-old female of Hibbing, MN. No further…

Day 2: Pro-Palestine Demonstrations At Rose Garden, Civic Center

DULUTH, Minn. — At least 50 people arrived at the Duluth Rose Garden during the 7 o’clock hour Thursday evening. The pro-Palestine protesters were making their voices heard for the second day in a row there. The crowd Thursday was much larger than last night’s demonstration. Earlier in the day Thursday, the city of Duluth put out a warning that…

Pancake Day — Pancakes for a Cause

DULUTH, Minn. — Come for the pancakes, but know that you’re helping a lot of people in the Duluth area. That’s the Lions Pancake Day at the DECC. 65 years of bringing people together. “I like Pancakes,” that was the sentiment of many people at Pancake Day. Jim Pratt has been a member of the Duluth Lions Club for 25…

Bean Bag Toss Tournament Benefits Families of Children with Life-Threatening Illnesses

Adolfson & Peterson Construction Held Its Third Annual Tournament to Fundraise for the Northern Lights Foundation

DULUTH, Minn. — This afternoon saw the Third Annual Charity Bean Bag Tournament at Clyde Iron Works, all to benefit families in need. Sixty four teams entered the bracket-style tournament today. The mission? To fundraise for the Northern Lights Foundation, an organization which provides grants to the families of children with life-threatening illnesses. Some previous grant recipients were even there…

Coffee Conversation: Northspan to host Business Succession Planning Summit

VIRGINIA, Minn. — Northspan will host a succession planning summit, Succession Strategies, on May 23 at Iron Trail Motors Event Center from 7:30 am – 4:00 pm. Northspan Group Consultant & Finance Manage Zack Filipovich joined FOX 21 on the morning newscast Thursday ahead of the event. The Northspan Group provides business development and community development consulting services to clients in…

Duluth Police Ask Pro-Palestine Encampment To Leave Civic Center

DULUTH, Minn. — A small encampment In the Duluth Civic Center courtyard got a visit from the Duluth Police Department Wednesday evening. The two officers told the pro-Palestinian protesters that it’s against the law to set up camps sites on the property. Wednesday marked the first time protesters have taken to the streets of Duluth to set up an encampment…

‘Duluth Palestine Solidarity Camp’ Forms At Rose Garden

Courtesy: The Duluth Palestine Solidarity Camp DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Palestine Solidarity Camp, as the group is calling themselves, set up an encampment at the Rose Garden Wednesday evening.   This encampment followed another encampment within the Duluth Civic Center, which police said was not legal. Duluth Palestine Solidarity Camp’s purpose is to “demand city and state divestment and boycott…

Sexually Explicit Video Involving Minors Circulates Lincoln Park Middle School

DULUTH, Minn. – Lincoln Park Middle School alerted parents Wednesday about a sexually explicit video involving minors that was circulating among students. In an email to parents, the principal said the video originated outside of school but was still a serious situation because of the content and the “legal implications associated with distributing or possessing such material.” The school is…

Goal of Large Grant is Transformation

Family Freedom Center focusing on Black families receives $500,000 from Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation

There is a hope Wednesday that big ideas combined with big money will produce big results. Four different organizations are working together to bring change to Black families in the Central Hillside neighborhood. The Family Freedom Center is receiving $500,000 from the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation. The center was founded six years ago with the specific goal of creating…

65th Annual Duluth Lions Pancake Day

DULUTH, Minn. – It’s time to find your pancake eatin’ pants and prepare for the 65th Annual Duluth Lions Pancake Day coming up Thursday May 3rd at the DECC. Wednesday was set-up day and the Duluth Lions Club has this process down to a science. This is the group’s 65th time preparing to feed thousands of people pancakes and sausages…

Homegrown Music Festival Expands to Largest Venue to Date

AMSOIL Arena is the latest venue added to the festivals extensive lineup -- and the biggest

DULUTH, Minn. — The 26th Homegrown Music Festival is well underway! Tuesday night featured four musical acts at the festival’s largest venue yet — AMSOIL Arena. The festival features about 160 bands or artists at 35 venues spread across the Twin Ports. And while the event is no stranger to the DECC, this year is the first time Homegrown has…

Update on Twin Ports Interchange Project

DULUTH, Minn – The Twin Ports Interchange Project won’t be completed until the end of 2025 instead of the end of this year. MnDOT says the discovery of a jawbone in the construction zone last February is the main reason for the delay. In 2019, prior to construction starting the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council reviewed the site for potential impact…

Drowning of Three Teenage Brothers and Hero Remembered

57 years ago, Coast Guard member died trying to save three brothers.

Tuesday was quiet and peaceful on the waters of Lake Superior. But fifty-seven years ago, the winds were vicious and the swells high. Four would die. The annual ceremony to remember those who drowned took place Tuesday at the Duluth pier. It marks the 57th anniversary of the tragic drowning that took the lives of the three Halverson family teenage…

Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month Reminds Both Drivers and Riders to Stay Alert

Warm weather means motorcyclists are already on Northland roads and beyond

DULUTH, Minn. — May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month, but warmer weather had motorcyclists on the roads as early as March. Minnesota has already seen four motorcyclist fatalities this year, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. However, both deaths and injuries to motorcyclists went down from 2022 to 2023 in the state. Wisconsin has also seen a decrease…

Ending of CSS Theater Program Draws Sit-in by Students and Supporters

DULUTH, Minn. – A decision announced by the College of St. Scholastica last Friday to cease offering theater productions this fall has shocked students, staff, alumni and the community.  A sit-in by students and others took place Monday. The all-day sit-in outside the school president’s office saw many people from the school and the community taking part. The students talked…

Coffee Conversation: Local Musician from Carlton Wins Competition with Original Song

CARLTON, Minn. — A local musician from Carlton will receive a close to $10,000 prize after winning a national contest for her original song. Abrianna Schmidt is an 18-year-old high school senior. She recently found out that she won the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s Journey of a Song contest. She joined FOX 21 on the morning newscast Tuesday to…

Longtime Hartley Nature Center Leader Moves to Next Adventure

Tom O'Rourke taking his passion for environment and nature to his next challenge.

Duluth’s Hartley Nature Center is a city treasure. And now the person who has helped lead it for over a decade is moving on to his next adventure. “Hartley is such a community gem, you know, and the staff are so amazing. The board, the supporters,” said outgoing Executive Director, Tom O’Rourke. “You know any time you tell people that…

Students Protest Ending of Theater Program at St. Scholastica

DULUTH, Minn. — A late Friday afternoon announcement that the College of St. Scholastica is ending its theatre productions led to a protest Monday outside the school president’s office. Students from the theater program and others gathered for a sit-in to let school officials know they disagree with the decision. The CSS students were joined by UMD theatre students who…

Endion Station Inn Hosts ‘The Great Duluth Sweat Together’

DULUTH, Minn. – Hearty Duluthians came out Saturday for The Great Duluth Sweat Together at the Endion Station Inn in Canal Park. The fun included around a dozen mobile Wood Fire Saunas and an Endion Deck Sauna. People also got their cold plunge into Lake Superior or use cold plunge tubs. The event was described as a day full of…

Students To Protest College of St. Scholastica’s Decision To Cut Theatre Program

DULUTH, Minn. —  There was growing disappointment and sadness Sunday from current and former theatre students at the College of St. Scholastica after learning Friday that the college’s long-running theatre program will be dissolved.  Students plan to hold a sit-in protest at CSS during the day Monday to try to get the decision reversed. “These stories that everyone has, it…

$3 Million Secured In Senate Bonding Bill For New 148th Fighter Wing Hangar

Sen. Grant Hauschild (DFL-Dist. 3) has announced $3 million for the 148th Fighter Wing has been secured in the Senate Capital Investment Bonding Bill. If a super majority approves the funding, it would assist in the construction of a new hangar for the Fighter Wing. The Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce has been the lead advocate for the new hangar…

College Of St. Scholastica’s Decades-Long Theatre Productions To Shut Down

The decision was made as the college "navigates the challenging environment of higher education"

DULUTH, Minn. – The Twin Ports theater community will be losing one of its longest-running stages this fall when the College of St. Scholastica shuts down its decades-long theatre program. Students have been producing high-quality productions for the CSS campus and the general community since at least the 1970s, according to a former director of the program. The college released…

‘One Pill Can Kill’ — The Fentanyl Crisis

DULUTH, Minn – Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa was one of four Minnesota law enforcement officers to appear with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D) who spoke about the fentanyl crisis.  The online event was designed to raise awareness of the increasing dangers of fentanyl. It has been involved in 92 percent of overdose deaths in Minnesota. Fentanyl is increasingly becoming known…

WLSSD Hosts Annual Earth Week Block Party

DULUTH, Minn.– The Western Lake Superior Sanitary District held its annual Courtland Street Block Party Friday, in honor of Earth Week. The WLSSD block party is dedicated to protecting the environment and public health within the community. People dropped off waste and plastics. And a station was set up for the proper disposal of unwanted medications. Atlas Games also had…

Northeast Minnesota Criminal Justice Summit Focuses on Crime Survivors

DULUTH, Minn. — The 2024 Northeast Minnesota Criminal Justice Summit took place Thursday. The St. Louis County Attorney’s Office hosting the event at Pike Lake Beach and Gold Club. The day long training is for law enforcement, prosecutors, social workers and others to learn new ways to serve victims of crimes. It focused on human trafficking, compensation for victims, sexual…

Esports Comes to Boys & Girls Club of Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. –The growth of Esports is continuing in both high schools and colleges as well as with younger audiences.  The acceptance and growth of gaming are evidenced by the new Esports lounge at the Boys and Girls Club in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Wednesday afternoon saw the grand opening of the Esports Lounge at the club. For the past…

Insomnia Cookies Grand Opening Makes Late-Night Treats Available to UMD Students

The chain opened their fifth Minnesota location -- right across from UMD's campus

DULUTH, Minn. — Insomnia Cookies opened its first location in Duluth today, bringing late night treats to UMD students and the community. And it’s not too late to check out the grand opening and satisfy your cravings with a free cookie! The chain is open until 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday and 1 a.m. all other days. This afternoon, students…

Organ Donor’s Mother Urges Others To Do The Same

Part of the effort to raise awareness; 17 people die every day while waiting for an organ.

We often hear about the need for human organ donations, but we can sometimes get immune to the message. Every day across the country, seventeen people die while waiting for an organ. That is why a very special flag was raised Wednesday outside Duluth’s Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center. The flag read “Donate Life,” as part of national Donate Life…

Coffee Conversation: Denfeld Theater Presents The Outsiders Play, April 25-27

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth Denfeld High School presents a theater performance of The Outsiders based on the popular novel at Lincoln Park Middle School from April 25-27. Duluth Denfeld senior students, Kai Smith and Ayden Cavanaugh, are both playing the role of Johnny Cade in the play. They joined FOX 21 on the morning newscast Wednesday to talk about it…

UMD Students Create Tiny Study Buddies Ahead of Finals

'Make and Take' Air Clay Creations Just One of Many Activities During Stressless Week

DULUTH, Minn. — Finals season is fast approaching at UMD and the Kathryn A. Martin Library is once again holding Stressless Week for students. In the lead up to final exams, the library is looking to help students reduce stress and take a break. Tuesday afternoon, it partnered with the Graduate Student Association to hold a ‘Make and Take’ Study…