Minnesota

Walz, Statewide Officers Sworn In For Second Term

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz took his oath of office for a second term Monday, calling for new spending on public education as Democrats take full control of state government. Walz was sworn in after the four other statewide officers, including his lieutenant governor, Peggy Flanagan. Democrats will take control of the state Legislature during lawmakers’ swearing-in on…

Skiers Geared-Up for the 45th Atmore Memorial Race

DULUTH, Minn. — This New Year’s Weekend skiers geared up for the 45th Atmore Memorial Race at Spirit Mountain. Contestants from around the states, and even other countries readied themselves for a chance to further their skiing careers. “It’s a big deal,” said Chief of Race Dave Neustel. “So the kids racing today are national level racers trying to qualify…

DECC Hosts New Year’s Eve Bash

DULUTH, Minn. – – Celebrations galore were happening throughout the Twin Ports  on New Year’s Eve as as adults were out and about. Glitterati’s New Year’s Eve Bash at the DECC may have been the biggest New Year’s Eve party this year.  People showed up dressed fancy for some fine dining, some even finer drinks, and to let loose on…

Children’s Museum Celebrates NOON Years

DULUTH, MINN. — There were people in Duluth already celebrating New Year’s early this afternoon. The place was at the Duluth Children’s Museum where a NOON Year celebration took place. The Duluth Children’s  Museum is the fifth oldest in the country, being established in 1930. At the NOON Year party there were masks, crowns and yes, noise makers. These were…

Legionnaires Disease in Duluth Area

DULUTH, Minn. – The Minnesota Department of health has issued a Health Advisory for Legionnaires Disease in the Duluth area and surrounding counties. Two confirmed cases of Legionnaire’s Disease were reported in Duluth at the Woodland Gardens Apartments, a Senior, low-income apartment building.  One case happened in October, the other in December. Legionnaires’ disease is a type of pneumonia caused…

Avatar the Way of Water is a Box Office Hit

DULUTH, Minn. — 13 years after the highest selling movie of all time was released, the sequel is finally here. And it’s dominating the box office. The highly anticipated follow-up to director James Cameron’s Avatar has grossed more than 1 billion dollars in its first 2 weeks. Avatar the Way of Water takes its audience back into the majestic world…

Tentative Agreement Reached Between St. Louis County and Teamsters Local 320

DULUTH, Minn. — St. Louis County plow drivers have reached a tentative contract agreement with the county. Teamsters Local 320 also represents some other public works employees, and the agreement avoids a possible strike. This 3-year contract agreement affects approximately 170 county employees represented by the Teamsters Union. Union President Erik Skoog told Fox 21 a big request for the…

UPDATE: Duluth City Hall to Reopen Next Tuesday After Water Leak

City says most of the water is cleaned up, but potential moisture damage remains

DULUTH, Minn. — Duluth’s City Hall says it will reopen next Tuesday, January 3 after a water leak shut down the building. The city turned down a request by FOX21 News to be allowed inside and see the damage. The city said the leak started when a contractor accidently cut into a three-quarter inch pipe feeding a water heater for…

Coffee Conversation: “Overpopulated” One-Man Band Rings in the New Year

DULUTH, Minn. — Steve Solkela’s “Overpopulated” One-Man Band joined FOX21 on the morning show on Friday to ring in the New Year. Solkela made a surprise appearance as Santa and played a tune on the accordion. You can check out the One-Man Band at a few spots this weekend. Rubber Chicken’s New Year’s Cluckin’ Eve / Fitger’s Inn / Sat,…

Senator Klobuchar Visits Duluth to Talk Secured Federal Funding for the Area

DULUTH, Minn. – Senator Amy Klobuchar visited the DECC Thursday to highlight federal funding secured last week that will go to projects in the Northland. This funding is through the Fiscal Year 2023 federal budget and will be used to improve infrastructure, expand housing resources, and support workforce development. Specific projects include giving CHUM $2 million dollars to help with…

Duluth Parks & Recreation Crews Busy Grooming Cross-Country Ski Trails

DULUTH, Minn.–Cross-country skiing is a popular activity for many in the Northland, but keeping the trails groomed between snowstorms can be a full-time job. With Duluth seeing nearly 3 feet of snow in the past few weeks, some may say the conditions are a snow bunny’s dream, but having to clear off over 30 miles of cross-country ski trails may…

One Roof Community Housing to Add More Affordable Housing

DULUTH, Minn. — The Minnesota Housing Board of Directors earlier this month approved Funding of more than 165 million dollars to create and preserve 2,156 homes, apartments and manufactured home community lots. One Roof Community Housing will receive nearly 400 thousand dollars to rehab 12 houses and build four homes. Just over a year ago One Roof Community Housing opened…

Mall Of America Shooting: 1 Adult, 2 Teens Charged In Death

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (FOX 9) – Two teens and one adult have been charged following a shooting at the Mall of America that left 19-year-old victim Johntae Hudson of St. Paul dead in a chaotic scene on Dec. 23. Taeshawn Adams-Wright is charged with second-degree murder with intent, and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon for his alleged involvement in the shooting. Two teens are…

Coffee Conversation: Endangered Animals of MN Paintings on Display at Zeitgeist

DULUTH, Minn. — Local Artist, Adam Swanson, presents a collection of the federal and state listed Endangered Animals in Minnesota. Swanson hopes to use his art to bring awareness to endangered wildlife species. Here’s a clip of his interview on the FOX21 morning show on Thursday. You can check out his 8 Endangered Animals of MN paintings on display at…

CHUM to Receive $2 Million from Minnesota Congressionally Directed Spending

DULUTH, Minn. – “We’re so happy to have heard the news that CHUM is receiving two million dollars from congressionally-directed spending. This will allow us to be able to expand our shelter capacity to respond to the shelter crisis that we are having now,” CHUM Executive Director, John Cole says. $2 million dollars. That is what CHUM is set to…

Catering During the Holidays

DULUTH, Minn. — Catering services generally have a busy and profitable season during the holidays as more people are entertaining and want to have someone else do the cooking. MidCoast Catering, based in West Duluth, says this year has been a bit slower than past year, but it’s been a good year overall. The company can help people plan their…

Worldwide “Skate for Ukraine” Fundraiser Comes to Duluth

The Duluth Heritage Center is hosting a virtual skating event in which skaters and their families can support Ukrainian players and others affected by the war.

DULUTH, Minn.–This holiday season, hockey players and fans worldwide are standing with players from Ukraine. The problem is that many of Ukraine’s players are serving on the frontlines. The Duluth Heritage Center is hosting a virtual skating event in which skaters and their families can support Ukrainian players and others affected by the war. After the Russian invasion, the Ukraine…

Spirit Mountain Busyness Causes Delays

DULUTH, Minn. — Delays and long wait times have been frustrating for some visitors of Spirit Mountain. The hill acknowledges there have been some issues, but that this happens during the busy holiday season. One family who visited Spirit Mountain on Tuesday sent their concerns to the Mayor and city council. Another contacted Fox 21 and both said they waited…

Minnesota’s Minimum Wage Will Increase On Jan. 1

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Ringing in the new year for workers, the minimum wage rate throughout Minnesota will be adjusted for inflation and be raised for both small and large employers beginning on Jan. 1, 2023. Minnesota’s minimum-wage rates will be adjusted for inflation on Jan. 1, 2023, to $10.59 an hour for large employers (with annual gross revenues of…

Christmas Brought Retail Jingle

Supply-chain issues of last year eased this shopping season

DULUTH, Minn. — Now that much of the Christmas shopping season is in the rear-view mirror, it’s a time for returns and some reflection on how the season went. At the Fitger’s shopping complex Tuesday there was still a lot of activity.  Duluth Kitchen Company owner Alex Kulstad said it was a good Christmas year. He said a big difference…

Mayor Emily Larson Issues ‘Proud’ Year-End Progress Report

DULUTH, Minn. – Mayor Emily Larson held a news conference Tuesday to provide a year-end progress report.  (Click here for the city’s press release on the report) Her priorities fell into four categories this year, as she outlined in her State of the City address earlier in the year: Economic development, public safety, connectivity and sustainability. While she said she’s…

UPDATE: One Arrested After Stabbing In Spirit Valley Neighborhood, Non-Life-Threatening Injuries

UPDATE (December 27, 4:42 p.m.) — Duluth Police say they have located and arrested a 66-year-old man who stabbed a woman around 3 p.m. Tuesday. Charges are pending and the incident remains under investigation. ORIGINAL POST: DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Police Department is investigating a stabbing incident that occurred Tuesday afternoon. According to the police department, a male stabbed…

Making Pig Livers Humanlike In Quest To Ease Organ Shortage

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) – The ghostly form floating in a large jar had been the robust reddish-brown of a healthy organ just hours before. Now it’s semi-translucent, white tubes like branches on a tree showing through. This is a pig liver that’s gradually being transformed to look and act like a human one, part of scientists’ long quest to ease the…

New Café Brings Familiar Taste Back to International Falls

INTERNATIONAL FALLS, Minn. — The beloved Sandy’s Place to reopen under new ownership as ‘On The Way Café’ in January. Sandy’s Place was the brunch hub of International Falls for nearly 25 years. That is until, Owners Sandy and Sandy retired and closed the restaurant last year. “It felt kind of empty around here without Sandy’s Place, as weird as…

Skating At Portman

DULUTH, Minn. — It’s winter time, it’s after Christmas and the kids are not in school. That can mean only one thing, many of them are at the ice rink. The Portman Skating area saw dozens of kids skating on Monday afternoon, and having fun this afternoon. Whether it was playing pick-up hockey, just learning to skate, or practicing some…

Smooth Travel at Duluth International Airport

DULUTH, Minn. — The Arrival and Departure Board at Duluth International airport today did not reflect what much of the rest of the country was still facing. This morning more than 17 hundred flights were cancelled and another 3.000 delayed. Tyler Ryder, returning from Michigan, said “I lucked out. I hopped on my plane on time, on time on the…

Christmas Tree Treecycling

WLSSD has many sites where you can drop off yours.

DULUTH, Minn. — Some of us hang on to our real Christmas Tree until it becomes a fire hazard, but some of us can’t wait to get that tree out the door. If your tree is real–not artificial–you can recycle it at a number of WLSSD sites. The Yard Waste Compost Site will be open every day between now and…

Cook County Power Outage Update

Seasonal homes may still be without power.

COOK COUNTY, Minn. — Last weekend’s storm caused 74 mph wind gusts in Cook County, which resulted in several fallen trees, downed power lines, and at times, county wide power outages. Arrowhead Cooperative tells Fox 21 the first call came in just before 8 a.m. on Friday and had all power restored by 5 p.m. Sunday afternoon. During that time,…

Democrats To Wield Power When Minnesota Legislature Convenes

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Democrats will control both the House and Senate for the first time in eight years when the Minnesota Legislature convenes Jan. 3, giving them power to decide how to use a $17.6 billion projected budget surplus — and new opportunities to pass liberal initiatives that the outgoing Senate Republican majority had blocked. The main job of Minnesota’s legislative sessions…

Katie Lowes of ‘Merry Kiss Cam’ Talks Filming In Duluth, Local Talent Pool

DULUTH, Minn. — It’s been about a month since the romantic comedy “Merry Kiss Cam” debuted on Hulu. The movie was shot in Duluth showcasing the city, UMD Bulldogs, Carmody Irish Brew Pub, The Heritage Sports Center and other locations. FOX 21’s Dan Hanger recently chatted with Katie Lowes, one of the lead actors in “Merry Kiss Cam” who is…

Coffee Conversation: Glitterati Events to hold New Year’s Eve Bash

DULUTH, Minn. — Glitterati Events presents New Year’s Eve Bash at the DECC. Ring in the New Year with food, fun, and friends at the DECC’s Harborside Ballroom, Dec. 31 6:00 pm – 12:00 am. Amber Brostrom with Glitterati Events joined FOX21 on the morning show to preview the gala.   Brostrom says the night also serves as a way to…

Owner Of Carmody’s Talks ‘Merry Kiss Cam’ Filming In His Duluth Pub

DULUTH, Minn. – One of the main locations where “Merry Kiss Cam” was filmed was at Carmody Irish Brew Pub in downtown Duluth. Carmody owner Eddie Gleeson with actress Katie Lowes There were multiple shots filmed outside and inside the pub on East Superior Street during the summer. So set crews, of course, did their magic to make it look…

CHUM Holds Vigil For Lives Lost To Homeless

DULUTH, Minn. — People were on the steps of city hall yesterday remembering those we’ve lost this year due to homelessness.  A vigil was held by CHUM reading off the names of the 69 homeless and homeless advocates lives that were lost this year, three of which have died in just the last month outside due to the weather. At…

VFW Hosts Christmas Eve Dinner

DULUTH, Minn. –This weekend the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) in Duluth invited the community for a free Christmas Eve dinner. This year marked 35 years of the VFW putting on this holiday feeding frenzy. People gathered sharing stories, and most importantly eating dinner together as one big community family. Organizers said that this year’s winter storm did worry them,…

5 Arrested In Deadly Shooting At Mall of America

Courtesy: FOX 9 BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (FOX 9) – Bloomington Police announced the arrested of five people Saturday morning in connection with a shooting at the Mall of America that left a teenager dead on Friday night. SWAT teams from Saint Louis Park, Edina and Minnetonka raided a residence at 275 Shelard Parkway in Saint Louis Park at 8:40 a.m. and arrested five people on suspicion…

150 Associated Press Images From 2022

Associated Press (ASSOCIATED PRESS) – Taken together, they can convey the feeling of a world convulsing — 150 Associated Press images from across 2022, showing the fragments that make up our lives and freezing in time the moments that somehow, these days, seem to pass faster than ever. As history in 2022 unfolded and the world lurched forward — or,…

Victim Fatally Shot At Mall Of America Was 19; Police Chief: ‘This Is Just Stupid, Stupid, Stupid’

Kerem Yücel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP) — A teenager was killed during a shooting at the Mall of America on Friday that sent frightened customers at the nation’s largest shopping center racing into a lockdown just before the holiday weekend, police said. Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said the victim was a 19-year-old man. A bystander’s jacket…