Minnesota

30th Annual Taste of Greek Festival This Weekend

DULUTH, MINN. — This Saturday and Sunday, the 30th annual Taste of Greece Festival is taking place at Marshall School. The event is a major fundraiser for Twelve Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church. Greek food, including gyros, Shish-kabobs, spinach pie, pastries, and coffee will all be available. The majority of the food is made by church members and they savor…

Duluth House Fire Displaces Family Of 3

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth Fire Department responded to a house fire Wednesday night at 5814 Elinor Street. The fire department says it happened around 5:35 p.m. Upon arrival crews report finding that the fire started in a bedroom of the one and a half-story home. They say the door of that bedroom was closed which helped prevent the fire from…

2 Killed After Small Plane Crashes North of Duluth

DULUTH, MINN. — A Small plane crash Wednesday morning took the lives of two local men who were on board. The two victims have been identified as 60-year-old Bryan Handyside who lived near the crash site along Pequaywan Lake Road and 64-year-old Matthew Joseph of Duluth. Handyside was the pilot of the 1946 Aeronca Champ and had over 30 years…

FOX 21’s Rusty Mehlberg Welcomes New Baby Boy

FOX 21 Chief Meteorologist Rusty Mehlberg and his wife, Jacque, welcomed a new addition to their family Wednesday morning. Micah Lee was born at 9:08 a.m. weighing in at 7 pounds, 6 ounces and 20 inches. Rusty said mom and daughter, Molly, are doing great. Molly is two years old now.  And get this! She was born weighing 7 pounds,…

Littlefork Lumberyard Catches On Fire; Nearby Forest Not Affected

LITTLEFORK, Minn. — A fire broke out Wednesday at a longtime lumberyard in Littlfork. According to The Littlefork Times, piles of wood and woodchips caught fire around 1 p.m. at Green Forest Wood Products off Highway 71. The Littlefork Times Fire Chief Dan Wendt told the Times Wednesday evening that the flames stayed away from the nearby woods, according to…

Minneapolis Renamed ‘Swiftie-apolis’ As 500K Fans Expected This Weekend For Events

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – It will be hard to “shake it off” – the site of more than a half million people flooding Minneapolis between Friday and Saturday for Taylor Swift’s sold out concerts, plus a Pride festival and Kiwanis convention. Speaking on Wednesday before the festivities really ramp up, Minnepaolis Mayor Jacob Frey officially declared the city as “Swiftie-apolis” as an…

Chester Creek Concert Series Rocks the Park

DULUTH, Minn. — The Chester Creek Concert Series is under way and bands are blasting tunes for everyone to hear. For the past 40 years the concerts have been rocking the park. Live music, food trucks and good vibes fill Chester Creek on Tuesdays during the summer, and the evening of June 20 was no different. The band ‘Listening party’…

Knowing Your Neighbors: Junior’s Backyard Grill

CLOQUET, Minn. –There’s a new food truck in the Northland and it’s bringing some home cooked meals on wheels to the Cloquet area. Junior’s backyard grill had their grand opening June 13th, and it came after a long time in the making. The team originally planned on opening a traditional restaurant, but eventually found themselves running one on wheels. “It’s…

Investigators Believe Human Caused BWCAW Wildfire

  Fire investigators believe a human caused a large wildfire within the Boundary Waters. The Spice Lake Wildfire is currently 22 acres and 65 percent contained. Spice Lake is located southwest of Seagull Lake, about 10 miles west of the Gunflint Trail. Sunday’s update showed fire activity “creeping and smoldering” in mixed timber and brush. Crews continue to fight the…

I-35 Construction: 27th Ave. West Southbound Off Ramp To Close

  DULUTH, Minn. – A busy exit ramp on southbound I-35 in Duluth is closing Monday. Minnesota Department of Transportation crews will be working to remove and reconstruct the 27th Avenue West southbound ramp. Work is expected to last 30 days. Crews will also be paving the southbound lanes adjacent to the ramp. Drivers needing to detour will follow southbound…

Minnesota’s Attorney General Warns Taylor Swift Fans Of Scammers

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is warning Taylor Swift fans in Minnesota of various ticket scams related to swift’s “Eras” tour, which comes to U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Friday and Saturday Ellison said buying second-hand tickets online is risky. Scammers can easily screenshots of tickets that don’t exist. He said it’s best to buy tickets through a trustworthy…

Homeowner Burned After Lawnmower Catches Fire

Courtesy: St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office A northern Minnesota homeowner was hospitalized Saturday night after their lawnmower caught on fire inside a garage. It happened around 11 p.m. on the 8900 block of Highway 73, southwest of Cook. The homeowner’s burns to their arms are not believed to be life-threatening, according to the St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office. Categories: Minnesota,…

Grandma’s Bayfront Park Festival

DULUTH, MINN. — Once the race was over, it was time to celebrate and the Bayfront Park was waiting for them. Many non-runners had already discovered the Bayfront festival which featured music throughout the day and into the night. Rock-A-Billy Revue took the stage first thing this morning at 9 am. They were the first of six bands scheduled to…

Watching the Runners Go By From the DECC

DULUTH, MINN -For most of the people in Duluth who were not running they were somewhere with an eye on the race. At the DECC they were cheering on racers, and spectators were enjoying bloody marys during the race. Overlooking Harbor Drive gave those watching a great view and the energy to encourage the runners as they ran by. One…

Excitement Brews Early on Grandma’s Race-Day

TWO HARBORS, Minn.–Excitement ran high on race-day, Saturday, with the Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon that kicked off at 5:50 a.m., a little more than an hour later it was time for the main show as the Grandma’s Marathon started at 7:30 a.m. Nearly 9,000 people would line up with the goal to complete Grandma’s Marathon. Each person with their own…

Motorcycle Crashes Near Ely

ELY, MINN. — First responders and law enforcement responded to a motorcycle crash just north of Ely on Friday. The 65-year-old driver reported that he lost control of the bike while he was trying to make a turn. The man was taken by ambulance to Bloomenseon Community Hospital before being transported to a Duluth hospital. While authorities were investigating that…

Chow Haul Food Truck Crashes and Burns

DULUTH, MINN. — One of Duluth’s oldest food trucks had a rough afternoon when it ended its day in a wreck Chow Haul has been in the area serving its food for more than a decade, it started in 2012. But this afternoon the truck apparently couldn’t stop as it came down Central Entrance. Witnesses say the truck went through…

Youngsters and Parents Have Reasons to Love Grandma(‘s)

Young Athletes Foundation Festival gets enthusiasm and blood pumping.

If spaghetti and carb-loading aren’t your thing, how about just getting outside on a great day? Especially if you’re a kid. Or a parent who wants a kid to burn off some sugar. An event Friday at Bayfront was aimed at getting kids involved. Logically enough, it was hosted by the Young Athletes Foundation, or YAF. Kids could stretch their…

Justice Department Accuses Minneapolis Police Of Rights Violations After George Floyd’s Killing

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Justice Department alleged Friday that Minneapolis police have systematically discriminated against Black and Native American people for years and often violated constitutional rights following a sweeping investigation that began after George Floyd was killed. The two-year probe found that Minneapolis officers used excessive force, including “unjustified deadly force,” and violated the rights of people engaged in…

Coffee Conversation: Runner, Author, and Activist — Alison Mariella Désir

DULUTH, Minn. — Runner, Author, and Activist Alison Mariella Désir made the trek to Duluth from Seattle this weekend for Grandma’s Marathon, but her mission here runs much deeper than the physical race. Her book, ‘Running While Black’, is one avenue she’s used to shed light on people not traditionally included in the world of running. Désir joined FOX21 on…

Fox Along the North Shore: Cascade River State Park

LUTSEN, Minn. — Now that summer weather is here and the kids are out of school, the North Shore is starting to see more visitors.  We recently stopped at Cascade River State Park and met a few people from across the country. “It’s amazing.  Absolutely breathtaking. Beautiful. I haven’t seen anything like it,” said park visitor Benjamin Boucherle. The reputation…

Essentia Fitness Expo is on at the DECC; Grandma’s Race-Day Registration Open

DULUTH, Minn.–You could argue that Grandma’s Marathon officially started today with crowds of people gathering at the DECC for the Essentia Health Fitness Expo. Runners, spectators, and the community were welcomed to browse through the latest in athletic gear. “There’s everything from the latest running shoes on the market to the latest technology through garments watches. Then of course Advantage…

Closures Begin As Wildfire Burns In BWCAW

The Superior National Forest said a 20 to 30 acre wildfire continues to burn in the Boundary Water Canoe Area Wilderness Thursday. The fire broke out this week near Pike Lake about 10 miles away from the end of the Gunflint Trail No buildings have been damaged. However, officials have issued an emergency forest order by closing all trails, portages,…

International Falls: Future of The River Golf Course Uncertain

Citizens and city officials say efforts to buy or re-open the course have been unsuccessful.

The golf season is in full swing, but the future of the only golf course in the city of International Falls remains uncertain. The privately owned course has not opened yet, and community members searching for answers say they are concerned. Nestled along the Rainy River in International Falls sits the 18-hole River Golf Course, used by longtime golfers, athletic…

Minnesota Fire Deaths In 2022 Highest Since 1995

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Seventy Minnesotans lost their lives in fires in 2022 — the most since 1995, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety (DPS) said. “To say Minnesota had 70 fire deaths in 2022 is oversimplifying the data,” Interim State Fire Marshal Amanda Swenson said in a release. “These deaths weren’t a result of social media challenges gone wrong….

Canadian Wildfire Smoke Gives Minnesota City The Worst Air In The US

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — St. Paul had the worst air quality in the United States on Wednesday as smoke from massive Canadian wildfires drifted across Minnesota a week after similar smoke blanketed the northeastern U.S. The smoke was “near the worst” on record for the Twin Cities, the Star-Tribune reported, citing Nick Witcraft, an air-quality meteorologist with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency….

Cancer Survivors Night at Carnival

DULUTH, Minn.–“There was a month of just tests and scans and tests and scans,” said patient Dan Egley. For Dan Egley, receiving his cancer diagnosis was no easy task. Although the news was not easy, Egley decided to look at the positives that are in his life. “The doctor was sitting over there and he said, ‘We found your tumor…

KornerStores Gets OK To Purchase Old Gary Telephone Exchange Building

DULUTH, Minn. – Gary-based KornerStores company has received the OK to purchase the former Northwestern Bell Telephone exchange building in Gary. The Duluth Planning Commission unanimously approved the special-use permit Tuesday. It allows KornerStores to house its business office on the first floor and a rental up top. Owner Derek Medved told FOX 21 last week that it’s important to…

Suspicious Death Investigation In Deer River

DEER RIVER, Minn. – A suspicious death investigation is underway in the city of Deer River. The Itasca County Sheriff’s Office released information about the case Wednesday evening. Authorities say deputies responded to a home in the 500 block of 4th Street SE early Tuesday morning in response to a citizen’s call requesting a welfare check. Upon arrival, deputies discovered…

Grandma’s Finish Line Coordinator Talks Marathon Health, Safety

DULUTH, Minn. — Grandma’s Marathon weekend begins Thursday, and that means last-minute preparations are moving full-speed ahead. For Erik Nelson, who’s been involved with the race for more than four decades, he’s focused on the finish line and the heath of racers and spectators. “There’s a portion of runners who encounter a hiccup in the situation and need some attention,”…

Lake Superior College Addressing PFAS Contamination

DULUTH, MINN. — PFAS’ are often called forever chemicals because they don’t break down in the environment or in our bodies. One of the many ways PFAS are used is in the foam that firefighters use to extinguish fires from oil, gas, and jet fuel. Lake Superior College has had firefighting classes at its Emergency Response Training Center for a…

Baby Season Is Busy Season For Wildwoods Wildlife Rehabilitation Center

DULUTH, Minn. — Wildwoods, a wildlife rehabilitation center in Duluth has been very busy as it is baby season for them. This is because around late spring, early summer is when the non-profit rescues many types of baby animals from fawns, fledglings, turtles, and squirrels. They usually get around 130 different species of animals every year. A lot of the…

Coffee Conversation: Summer Opportunities at GND Rec Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. — The heart of summer is on the horizon and many are itching to stay busy and fend off any summer boredom. The Gary New Duluth Recreation Area functions as a catalyst for community members of all ages to engage in programming, entertainment, exercise, group events, and more. ISD 709 Principal Nathan Glockle joined FOX21 on the morning…

Coffee Conversation: Summer Programming at Duluth Public Library

DULUTH, Minn. — As schools let out for the summer, some parents look to bridge the learning gap that many kids experience while on break; the library can be a a great, free option to assist with that. Duluth Library Services Supervisor Brianna Belanger joined FOX21 on the morning newscast to talk about a range of programs and learning opportunities…

Esko Drops its Mascot After New MN Law

ESKO, Minn.–A new law in Minnesota is forcing a change of the Esko School District’s Mascot. The Esko Eskomos will be discontinuing their mascot as of June 30, this after Minnesota lawmakers passed a law that prohibits the use of using indigenous cultures for sports team mascots and logos. The Esko Eskomos is a play on the word “eskimo” which…