Minnesota

Festival By The Lake

DULUTH, MINN. — Festival by the Lake at the Bayfront Festival Park was a success. There were more than 160 vendors on hand as well as musical and other entertainment to keep people entertained. One of the vendors was the Forging Community, a Blacksmithing Non-Profit. This was the group’s fourth appearance at the festival. One of the blacksmiths Warren Bethencourt,…

Multiple Arrests Made After Two-Year-Old Overdosed in Aitkin County

AITKIN COUNTY, Minn. –Friday, a two-year-old was reported to be unresponsive after being exposed to a controlled substance in Aitkin County.  Family members called 911 from a vehicle in the Garrison area after removing the child from the household. The child was transported to Metro hospital by air ambulance and is in stable condition. Aitkin County Sheriffs executed a search…

Cirrus Expands Footprint With Purchase of Building From City of Duluth

DULUTH, MINN. –Cirrus Aircraft is continuing its expansion in Duluth by purchasing the incubator building from the City of Duluth. The purchase price was not disclosed. The 79,000-square-foot incubator building was a city project aimed at supporting advanced aircraft manufacturing, which met its goal of creating higher-wage employment opportunities. The building was constructed in 2002 with a $3.45M grant partnership…

Former Cloquet Police Officer Charged With Financially Exploiting Vulnerable Adult

CLOQUET, MINN. — A former Cloquet Police Officer has been charged with financially exploiting a vulnerable adult Laci Marie Silgjord has been charged with taking advantage of a woman who she met as a police officer. She Visited the woman regularly and presented herself to the bank as the victim’s fiduciary, despite not having the legal authority to do this When…

Update: Superior Police Investigate ‘Possible Knifing’

SUPERIOR, Wis. — Superior police are investigating what they call a “possible knifing” incident Thursday evening during the Superior Youth Organization’s baseball games. The call for help came in around 6:30 p.m. for a report of an altercation that had occurred in a wooded area about “50 yards to the west of the Hayes Court Complex Baseball Fields located off…

Opposition to Proposed Marijuana Ordinance

DULUTH, MINN.– A proposed ordinance to ban marijuana smoking at parks in the city will be introduced at the regular Duluth City Council meeting Monday night. Earlier this week FOX 21 talked with one of the authors of the ordinance, Arik Forsman about the reasons for creating such an ordinance. Following that story, one Duluth resident, Michael Gerber, wrote to…

Blandin Workers on Strike

GRAND RAPIDS, MINN.  In Grand Rapids Friday, members of Teamsters Local 346 held a strike rally. Roughly 170 workers walked off the job on July 15th and have been on strike since. The union has concerns about staffing levels, management performing their work, and their wages which they say are 10 dollars an hour behind inflation. Blandin Paper Company says…

First Indigenous-Lead Coast Guard to Set Sail Next Year

GRAND PORTAGE, Minn.– The Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa announced their latest partnership with the Cook County Sheriff’s Office for a new search and rescue program. This will be the first indigenous-lead coast guard. On average, the Grand Portage Band said that they help out with around 10 search and rescue missions each year. After the Auxiliary U.S….

TSA Raises Alarm About Record Numbers Of Guns Being Confiscated At Airports

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Guns are showing up at airports in record numbers again this year and law enforcement is putting an emphasis on reversing the trend. In a span of six hours in February, a single TSA officer at MSP confiscated two firearms sliding down the conveyor belt, headed for flights. The rare double detection highlighted a growing problem at airports…

Blandin Paper Union Members Call Contract Offer ‘Laughable’ & ‘Pathetic’

Courtesy: Teamsters GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. — Members of Teamsters Local 346 in Grand Rapids are calling Blandin Paper Company’s contract offer “laughable” and “pathetic,” according to a news release Thursday. This comes as roughly 170 workers plan to hold a rally strike Friday from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. along Highway 2 in Grand Rapids. The Teamsters walked off the…

Larson Secures DFL, Labor Endorsements; Reinert Lands Police, Fire Unions

DULUTH, Minn. — The Aug. 8 primary election is less than three weeks away. Duluth Mayor Emily Larson and former state Sen. Roger Reinert are the likely two candidates headed to the general election Nov. 7. “I doorknock five days a week. I’ve been out since January door-knocking. The campaign itself is really resonating with people. It is clear people…

Chick-fil-A Is Officially Coming To Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. — Chick-fil-A is officially coming to Duluth. The Atlanta-based restaurant will be located on the north side of the Miller Hill Mall’s property facing Miller Trunk Highway, according a news release. This will be the first Chick-fil-A in the Twin Ports area, joining 17 other Chick-fil-A restaurants in the Twin Cities area. Construction is expected to start in…

Minnesota Labor Force Growth Adds 9K New Workers In June

(FOX 9) – Minnesota’s labor force continues to grow, with more than 9,000 people entering the labor market in June, according to the latest data provided by the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Signifying the fourth month with positive growth – the largest monthly gain in three years – 9,017 new people entered the job market. Minnesota’s labor force participation rate increased…

Man Dead After ATV Crash In Barnum Township

BARNUM TOWNSHIP, Minn. — One man is dead after an ATV crash that happened Thursday night in Carlton County. The Carlton County Sheriff’s Office says it happened in the 3500 block of Pine Road in Barnum Township at 7:52 p.m. Police say a motorist noticed the crash and called 911. The initial investigation reveals that a man was driving an…

Repair Work on Railroad Tracks Ongoing

DULUTH, MINN. — The North Shore Scenic Railroad is getting a major upgrade with train tracks being rebuilt. A couple of years ago the railroad company noticed the main line into the St. Louis County Depot was starting to sink. It turned out water was seeping underneath, and the sub-structure was slowly giving out. Now, the St. Louis and Lake…

Marijuana Use in Duluth Parks Target of Proposed Ordinance

DULUTH, MINN. — During the last legislative session, the Minnesota Legislature decided that having and using recreational marijuana in the state would be legal as of August First. However, the law that was passed leaves any limitations on where marijuana can be used up to the discretion of local and city officials Arik Forsman, an at-large member of the Duluth City…

Duluth Affordable Housing Coalition Reflects On This Year’s Efforts

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Affordable Housing Coalition held their annual celebration to reflect on this year’s efforts and plan for the future. This past legislative was a win with big investments for housing activity and services across the state. Tuesday at One Roof Community Housing it was a way to say thank you. And a reminder that although the…

Teamsters Workers At Blandin Paper To Hold Strike Rally Friday

Courtesy: Teamsters GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. – A worker strike continues at Blandin Paper Company in Grand Rapids. 170 members of Teamsters Local 346 will hold a strike rally Friday from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m. along Highway 2. The union has concerns around staffing levels, management performing their work and wages they say are 10 dollars an hour behind inflation….

Duluth Public School Board Votes On Possible Referendum

DULUTH, Minn.–The Duluth Public School Board Members voted earlier today for plans for a potential school referendum. During the COVID-19 pandemic, temporary ESSER funds helped the Duluth Public Schools take that step forward into a 21st century learning environment. Duluth Public Schools Superintendent John Magas said that the referendum’s plan is to keep Duluth Public Schools up to date with…

MNA Essentia Nurses Prepare for Friday’s Picket

DULUTH, Minn.–“To avoid any HIPPA violations I’ll just say that nurses are almost daily in tears trying to deal with the struggle of knowing that we don’t have enough staff. It’s very stressful,” said RN Staff Nurse Stacee Rosier.  Essentia nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association are getting their signs ready for an informational picket July 21, calling staffing levels…

Parachutist Expected To Make ‘Full Recovery’ After Duluth Airshow Accident

DULUTH, Minn. – The U.S. Navy parachute diver who was injured in a hard fall at the Duluth Airshow Saturday is “progressing well and expected to make a full recovery,” according to a spokesperson for the Airshow. The two parachute members disconnected late as they were falling around 90 mph, which caused the one member to hit the ground. He…

Hundreds Of Northshore Mining Workers Join United Steelworkers Union

Hundreds of workers at Cleveland Cliffs’ Northshore Mining Company have joined the United Steelworkers Union. The union said in a statement Tuesday that Northshore Mining was the last remaining taconite mine on the Iron Range without a union. Roughly 400 workers mine taconite in Babbitt and make iron ore pellets in Silver Bay. “We chose to unionize so that we…

Lawmakers, Community Leaders Discuss Minnesota Transportation Bill

DULUTH, Minn. — Minnesota lawmakers and community members were at the Duluth Depot Monday talking all things transportation. The $7.8 billion transportation bill that has passed means multiple big projects for northeastern Minnesota. Projects include road repairs, the Blatnik Bridge replacement, and the passenger rail Northern Lights Express between the Twin Ports and Minneapolis. All projects will benefit the area…

Essentia Nurses To Picket Friday, Call Staffing Levels ‘Disastrous’

The informational picket will be on the same day Essentia will hold an open house of its new downtown medical center

DULUTH, Minn. — Essentia nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association are headed back to the picket line this week amid continued concerns over what they call “disastrous staffing levels.” It’s been six months since nurses at Essentia reached a new contract that gave them more input in the staffing process.  But the Minnesota Nurses Association says Essentia executives aren’t listening…

Essentia Employees With United Steelworkers To Hold Picket Friday

The informational picket will happen with the Minnesota Nurses Association

DULUTH, Minn. — Essentia Health coworkers with United Steelworkers Local 9460 will be holding an informational picket Friday along with Essentia workers with the Minnesota Nurses Association. Below is the full statement from USW: “Our union is locked in tough contract negotiations with Essentia Health for our Red Book contract, as well as a Year 3 wage re-opener for our…

U.S. Navy Parachute Member ‘Stable’ After Hard Landing At Duluth Airshow

DULUTH, Minn. – A member of the U.S. Navy Leap Frog parachute team was listed in stable condition Sunday after landing hard during the Duluth Airshow Saturday, according to a spokesperson for the event. “The individual was immediately tended to by emergency personnel and Airlifted to Essentia Health/St. Mary’s where he is in stable condition and being treated for his…

Canoers Discover Human Remains In Nemadji River

CARLTON, Co. — Human remains were recovered from the Nemadji River in Carlton County Saturday. The Carlton County Sheriff’s Office said a family canoeing on the river discovered the body around 1:30 p.m. The remains were found southeast of the SOO Line ATV trail and Highway 23 intersection. The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office is investigating, including a positive identification of…

Duluth Air Show Takes Flight

DULUTH, Minn.–The rest of the scheduled events at the Duluth Airshow did continue on through Sunday showcasing spectacular skills of the U.S. Air Force at Minnesota’s largest airshow. Aviation lovers had their chance to get up close and personal to explore the inside of planes and helicopters. The Duluth Airshow brought out 12 performing groups… Crowds of people flocked to…

Moose Lake’s Agate Days Stampedes the Downtown

MOOSE LAKE, Minn.–Hundreds of people took over downtown Moose Lake Saturday in search for agates. Trucks poured loads of gravel into the streets where hundreds of people lined-up and flooded Elm Ave. in search for that perfect agate. The annual agate stampede is part of Moose Lake’s Agates Days Celebration. Agate Days is a community event that residents and volunteers…

Duluth Police Search For Man With ‘Potential Risk To The Public’

Trevor Billings DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth Police Department is searching for a suspect they considered a “potential risk to the public.” Trevor Billings has active warrants out for his arrest, according to police. “We are concerned for his safety and well-being,” said Mattie Hjelseth, public information office for the police department.  “Trevor poses a potential risk to the public…

Jammin’ Out the Reggae Way at Bayfront

DULUTH, Minn.– Bayfront Festival Park was packed yet again, for this year’s 17th annual Reggae and World Music Festival on Saturday. Over the years, Reggae and World Music Festival have been getting more and more popular. Artists from all over the world took the stage with their lively music like Ghana artist Stonebwoy, Bajan artist Alison Hinds, and Minneapolis-based reggae…

New Mural Brightens Building, Neighborhood and Faces

Zenith Bookstore celebrates mural combining history and heritage of West Duluth.

It is always fun when you can brighten up a city landscape with a bit of art–some great big wall art. The Zenith Bookstore was the place to be Thursday afternoon for the official celebration of their new mural. Congratulations went to artist Jonathan Thunder. He was praised for his vision, energy, inspiration and heart. But the mural was also…

Coffee Conversation: Bayfront Reggae & World Music Festival

DULUTH, Minn. — The 17th Annual Bayfront Reggae & World Music Festival is returning Sat. July 15 to Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth. Janna Dreher with the Bayfront Reggae & World Music Festival along with Performer Luciano from Jamaica joined FOX21 on the morning newscast to talk about the event and its purpose. Luciano gave a live in-studio performance. For…

Spongy Moth Fly-Over Spraying Duluth and Holyoke

DULUTH, Minn.–Through Monday, low-flying airplanes will fly over the Duluth and Holyoke area. These planes are carrying pheromones to prevent the spread of spongy moths. Formerly known as gypsy moths, spongy moths are an invasive species originally from Europe and are known to strip away leaves from trees. One female spongy moth can lay between 500 and 1,000 eggs. Spongy…

St. Luke’s to Affiliate with Aspirus Health

DULUTH, MINN. — A major announcement came today from St. Luke’s. The Duluth-based healthcare system has signed a letter of intent to affiliate with Aspirus Health of Wisconsin. The combined organization of St. Luke’s and Aspirus will serve residents of northeastern Minnesota, northern and central Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Headquarters for the health care system will be…