Minnesota

Duluth Breweries Do Well in Statewide Competition

DULUTH, MINN. — Four Local Breweries were recently named as winners in the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild Award Program. Canal Park Brewing Company placed first in the American Wheat & Cream Ales category, with its ‘Clear Waters Cream Ale’. In the Dark Lagers category, Fitger’s Brewhouse’s, ‘Brewhouse Bock’ finished first. Fitger’s also won first in the Strong Ales category for…

Coffee Conversation: Law Day 5K Fundraiser in Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. — The Legal Aid Service of Northeastern Minnesota (LASNEM) is holding a Law Day 5K on April 30 to raise funds for its mission; providing civil legal services to low-income individuals and families. Nate Grizzle with LASNEM joined FOX21 on the morning newscast to talk about the event and its purpose. It’s a family-friendly run/walk event open to…

Rambler Food Truck Opening Day

DULUTH, Minn. — It’s that time of the year again, after a long winter it’s finally food trucks time, they are back on the street, serving up delicious menu items in the Northland. The Rambler Food Truck is back for their 11th season, holding their opening day at St. Luke’s hospital. The roaming truck has a wide variety of food…

Brother, Sister Of Fire Victims Thank Duluth Firefighters, Community

DULUTH, Minn. – A brother and sister who lost their sister and nephew in a weekend apartment fire in Duluth are thanking the firefighters who tried to save their relatives and for the outpouring of community support with the unexpected funeral costs. Fatal fires are not common in Duluth, especially fires that take the life of more than one person….

Childen’s Mental Health Focus of Conference in Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. –The DECC was the site of the 27th annual conference of the Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health. There were 85 different breakout sessions covering issues children are facing.  Three days of educational opportunities offered time to hear from, and talk with, others who work with children and discuss the issues they face. The Communications Director for the…

Recreational Marijuana Bill Passes Minnesota House, Heads To Senate

(FOX 9) – Recreational marijuana is a step closer to becoming legal under state law in Minnesota, with lawmakers passing the marijuana omnibus bill by a vote of 71-59. “We know Minnesota’s current cannabis laws are doing more harm than good,” said Rep. Zack Stephenson (DFL-Coon Rapids), the bill’s sponsor. “Over the last three years, DFLers in the Legislature have worked and listened to build…

Coffee Conversation: UMD Students Look for Support of Humanitarian Project in Kenya

DULUTH, Minn. — Students of UMD’s Engineers Without Borders chapter turn to community members for support of their well and water distribution system project in Nyansakia, Kenya. Alison Olson-Enamorado, Cody Barrett, Yohanis Hundessa, and Allicia Petrich joined FOX21 on the morning show to talk about the project and its purpose, along with an upcoming fundraiser. The well and water distribution…

Task Force to Improve Downtown Duluth Reports Progress

Increasing concerns had prompted a search for solutions

Concerns about downtown Duluth’s future and its direction prompted a task force last fall to look at the issues. Monday, members said they feel good about what has happened so far. The task force said progress has been made in several areas, including dealing with the issues of mental health resources, selecting businesses for improved lighting, a meeting in May…

Minnesota Officer Who Mistook Her Gun For Taser And Killed Daunte Wright Released

SHAKOPEE, Minn. (AP) — Kim Potter, the former Minnesota police officer who said she mistook her gun for a Taser when she shot and killed Daunte Wright in 2021, was released from prison early Monday. The Minnesota Department of Corrections said Potter was released at about 4 a.m. “out of an abundance of caution” for Potter’s safety. The department confirmed Friday she would…

Victims In Fatal Duluth Apartment Fire Were Mother, Son; Firefighters Union Releases Statement

DULUTH, Minn. — We’re getting a new look at just how intense the flames were for firefighters and residents of an apartment building early Saturday morning in Duluth that killed two people and injured two firefighters. The fire victims were a mother and son who lived together, and that son, according to family, actually helped save lives in a 2020…

Last Twin Ports Grizzly’s To Close, ‘Boulder Tap House’ To Replace

SUPERIOR, Wis. — After 25 years in its Superior location, Grizzly’s Wood-Fired Grill is closing later this year to make way for a new eatery that owners hope will be just a popular, or more popular for the locals for years to come. Grizzly’s co-owner Rick Lampton told FOX 21 the 1969 building is starting to fail structurally. He said…

Therese Wisocki Joins List Of Candidates For Duluth City Council

DULUTH, Minn. – Another candidate has announced her run for the Duluth City Council. Therese Wisocki told FOX 21 on Sunday that she’s a retired telecommunications professional who has never run for political office before. Wisocki said she’s hoping to focus on improving public safety downtown and bringing new development there. Rising property taxes and low wages are also on…

DPD Opens Doors for Recruitment Open House

DULUTH, Minn.– The Duluth Police Department held an recruitment open house on Sunday for anyone with an interest in law enforcement to go behind the scenes. Those who took part had a guided tour of the Public Safety building in Duluth and had the chance to learn more about other opportunities that the Duluth Police Department has to offer. “This…

People Take a Step Forward for Autism Awareness Month

HERMANTOWN, Minn.– One in 36 kids is affected with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Over the years autism has had a bad reputation from being a highly misunderstanding neurological condition that affects millions world-wide.  “So autism is a spectrum. Our main goal is to raise awareness and acceptance for kids no matter where they fall on that spectrum,” said co-organizer of Autism…

Bloody Mary Festival Returns for a 2nd Year

HERMANTOWN, Minn.–Bloody Mary’s have been becoming quite popular in the Northland with another Sunday brunch dedicated to the tomato-y drink. Polished Pineapple Events held a Bloody Mary festival at the AAD Shrine. Bloody Mary makers from around the Midwest and one from Florida gathered for a casual day sampling all the different mixes. “The interesting thing about this event is…

The 34th Fitgers 5K Run

DULUTH, MINN. — The 34th Annual Fitger’s 5K was held this morning. Literally, hundreds of people took part in the event. In the Men’s division, Scott Behliing won for the fifth time in the last eight years. He finished the 5K in 15:56 – 20 seconds ahead of his nearest competitor. In the women’s division, a first-time winner of the…

Fire in Duluth Kills 2, Injures 2 Firefighters

DULUTH, Minn. — A fire at an apartment building in the Hillside neighborhood at 631 E 3rd Street Saturday morning left two people dead and two firefighters injured. When firefighters arrived on the scene at about 6:30 a.m., they saw smoke coming from the building and began work to fight the fire and rescue people inside. The name of the…

Duluth Denfeld Robotics Team Enjoying Houston

HOUSTON, TEXAS –The Denfeld Robotics team continues to enjoy its time in Houston at the World Robotic Championships. The team competed both yesterday and today. However, they won’t know if they compete on Saturday until Saturday. The whole team and the driving team gathered outside the convention center for a group photo. We heard from Sarah Shaffer a junior who…

Gary-New Duluth Rec Center Raising Money Through A Rummage Sale

GARY-NEW DULUTH, Minn. — The Gary-New Duluth Rec Center is hosting a rummage sale in West Duluth Friday and Saturday. The rummage sale is open and affordable to everyone. Prices are not marked on the items. Instead, people can pay whatever they are comfortable with. Thanks to the generosity of the surrounding community the Rec Center has received many donations…

Special Olympics Minnesota Hosts Unified Indigenous Games At Cloquet High School

CLOQUET, Minn. — A fun event took place at the Cloquet High School bringing students of all abilities together by playing games. Special Olympics Minnesota hosted the Unified Indigenous Games combining students with and without disabilities to play, learn, and grow together. The traditional indigenous games come from all over the world and have always been adaptable and accessible to…

Coffee Conversation: Local Musicians Austin Castle & Cole Mikel

DULUTH, Minn. — Two local musicians, Austin Castle and Cole Mikel, joined FOX21 on the morning newscast (Friday, April 21) to talk about an upcoming album release and play some tunes live in-studio. Castle was on the morning show back in November 2022 to talk about his album, “Northwoods.” This time around, Castle enlisted the help of his friend and…

High School Robotics Teams in Houston

HOUSTON, TEXAS — High school students from three area high schools are in Houston taking part in the World Championship for Robotics. The team from Denfeld has been sharing some video and photos of what they’re seeing and experiencing in Houston. There are more than 450 teams from across the country taking part in the competition. You can get an…

Man Accused Of Online Threats That Put Twin Ports On Alert Is Charged

DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth man accused of Facebook threats earlier this week that put the Twin Ports on alert has been formally charged. Trevor Billings, 30, is facing two counts of Threats of Violence. Trevor Billings Each felony charge comes with a maximum sentence of five years in prison. The criminal complaint says Billings used a Facebook page called…

Zenith Digital Marketing Conference Brings in Hundreds of People

DULUTH, Minn. — The 10th Annual Zenith Digital Marketing Conference in Duluth Thursday brought in hundreds of marketers and business people from across the country. Over a dozen professionals spoke about marketing practices and other business topics, but the big subject was the development of Artificial Intelligence. The conference focused on effects of A.I on businesses and jobs. Speakers reassured everybody…

“No Hit Zones” Hope to Prevent Spanking of Children or Hitting Others

Staff members in certain public spaces will intervene.

It is child abuse prevention month, and part of that includes an effort by some to get parents to move away from spanking children. Thursday, supporters of that effort gathered at the YMCA in Hermantown to promote an area coalition that is establishing and increasing the number of “No Hit Zones.” The zones will be spaces and agencies where others…

Minnesota’s Unemployment Rate Down Slightly In March

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Minnesota’s unemployment rate was down slightly in March to 2.8%, according to data from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. DEED says the private sector lost around 6,100 jobs, while the government gained around 400. Labor force participation stayed flat month-to-month at 68%. The five supersectors in Minnesota that lost jobs, according to DEED, were: Construction lost…

9 Men Trying To Enter US From Canada Treated For Exposure

U.S. Border Patrol agents and multiple local emergency agencies rescued a group of nine individuals in distress after exposure to harsh weather conditions near Warroad, Minnesota. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) WARROAD, Minn. (AP) — Nine men who entered the United States illegally from Canada were rescued from a sub-freezing bog and given medical treatment for exposure to the cold,…

Coffee Conversation: California Musician Jonathan Foster Performs in Northland

NORTHLAND — Award-winning songwriter Jonathan Foster from Redding, California is currently on his Ten Year Sabbatical Tour and made two stops in Minnesota. Foster joined FOX21 on the morning newscast Thursday to chat about his career and give the northland a live TV performance. The artist performed in Grand Rapids, MN on April 19 and will take the stage next…

New Bicycle Tour Event To Honor Late Minnesota Senator David Tomassoni

EVELETH, Minn. — The late Minnesota Senator David Tomassoni who died last year from ALS is getting a new ALS fundraising tour named in his honor. ALS nonprofit Never Surrender Inc. is launching a new bike riding event called the “Tomassoni Tour, Cycle for ALS.” The announcement was made Wednesday at the Mesabi Station in Eveleth. The tour will happen…

2022-2023 Duluth Winter Officially Snowiest on Record

DULUTH, Minn. — At 5 A.M. this morning, the National Weather Service measured 2.0″ of snow, bringing our total snowfall for this winter to 137.1″. This breaks the previous record of 135.4″ set during the winter of 1995-96. This all started back on October 14 when we received the first snowfall of the season, getting 2.0″.  December brought 44.9″ of…

Mayor Again Asks Duluth Council To Avoid Budget Cuts, Use ‘Rescue Plan’ Funds

DULUTH, Minn. – Mayor Emily Larson is speaking up — through an email to councilors — about this year’s $383,000 in city wide budget cuts. She’s urging them to avoid the cuts by using American Rescue Plan funds. The $383,000 handles the one-percent levy cut the council made last December in Larson’s proposed property tax levy increase, which she said…

Minnesota Gov. Walz Draws Sharp Contrasts With Red States

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz drew stark contrasts between Minnesota and Republican-led states Wednesday night, using his State of the State speech to highlight how he and his fellow Democrats have used their new control over state government to push through an ambitious liberal agenda. Walz, now three months into his second term, told lawmakers and other…

Who Pays For Damage From Water Main Break

DULUTH, MINN. — In his continuing effort to have the city of Duluth take some responsibility for the damage caused to his home by a broken water main, Paul Zwak has submitted new information to the city. Zwak says he has researched with the Duluth City Engineering Department and found the waterline that broke on April 11th has been repaired…

Fond Du Lac Tribal & Community College Hosts Law Enforcement Career Expo

DULUTH, MINN. — The need for employees is a common theme among businesses throughout the Northland and across the country. But for law enforcement agencies, the need for police recruits is particularly high.  And that was made very clear at a law enforcement career expo held Wednesday in Cloquet. How significant is the shortage of law enforcement personnel in the…

Duluth Fire Department Busy in 2022, With Some Ups and Downs

Overall runs were up, but actual fires down. Code enforcement was up.

DULUTH, Minn. – Wednesday the Duluth Fire Department presented a picture of what calls were up and which were down in 2022. In 2022, the department made 478 more runs than the year before. That’s an increase of 3.2%. over 2021.  There were twenty-four fewer fire calls. There were also 18 water rescues, down by 21 from the year before….

Coffee Conversation: Maryland Musician to Perform at Sir Ben’s in Duluth

DULUTH, Minn. — Musician Eli Lev from Boonsboro, Maryland joined FOX21 on the morning newscast ahead of his performance at Sir Benedict’s Tavern on Saturday, April 22 in Duluth. The artist has just completed his Four Directions Project (2021) which includes four EPs that were inspired by indigenous traditions he learned while teaching on the Navajo Nation in Northern Arizona. His…

Fox, Dominion Reach $787M Settlement Over Election Claims

Attorney Justin Nelson, representing Dominion Voting Systems, speaks at a news conference outside New Castle County Courthouse in Wilmington, Del., after the defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News was settled just as the jury trial was set to begin, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Fox News agreed Tuesday to pay Dominion…

David’s Bridal Set To Close Shops In Minnesota As Company Files For Bankruptcy

(FOX 9) – David’s Bridal shops in Minnesota could close as soon as this summer as the company announces it is filing for bankruptcy. For now, the company says stores will continue operations and orders will continue to be fulfilled as normal. In a WARN notice, a filing that companies are required to report when they are anticipating layoffs, David’s Bridal states…

St. Scholastica Consolidating from Six Colleges Down to Three

DULUTH, Minn — The College of St. Scholastica is in the process of restructuring their academic programs, consolidating their six different schools down to three. Effect July 1, the three new schools will be the Stender School of Leadership, Business and Professional Studies, the School of Arts and Sciences, and the School of Health Professions. This restructure will promote collaboration…

Duluth’s ‘Stepping On Up’ Launches ‘Safe Bay’ For Homeless Living In Vehicles

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth homeless organizations launched a first Monday night by creating a designated location for people who are living out of their vehicles to safely park overnight. The “Safe Bay” is an initiative through “Stepping On Up.” The Safe Bay is located in the Domiano Center’s parking lot.  It will be operating daily from 8 p.m. until 8…