Morning Update 1-20-22
Join FOX 21's Brett Scott and Meteorologist Ken Slama for a local look at news and weather making headlines Thursday, January 20, 2022. Have a great day!
Latest Headlines
Hundreds Take State-Paid Nursing Assistant Training
MINNEAPOLIS - Hundreds of Minnesotans are taking advantage of the state’s offer to cover the cost of training to become a certified nursing assistant. The state has used $3.5 million in federal relief funding to pay for students’ tuition, textbooks,…
Wisconsin Bill Makes New Crime for Vaccine Tampering
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Intentionally damaging vaccines would be a felony in Wisconsin under a bill with bipartisan support that the state Assembly is scheduled to approve Thursday. The measure comes in response to a pharmacist in a Milwaukee suburb…
Annie Harala Announces Run for St. Louis County Board
DULUTH, Minn. - Former Duluth School Board Member Annie Harala announced her run Thursday for the St. Louis County Board of Commissioners District 1 seat. Harala, a local entrepreneur and longtime Hillside resident says she understands the important intersection between…
Jury Selection To Start in Federal Trial Over Floyd’s Death
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Jury selection is scheduled to begin in the federal case against three former Minneapolis police officers who were with Derek Chauvin when he pinned George Floyd to the street. J. Kueng, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao are…
Duluth Fire Chief, Homeless Advocate React To 2nd Fire At I-35 Homeless Encampment
DULUTH, Minn. - Duluth's fire chief and its top homeless advocate reacted to Wednesday's homeless encampment fire under I-35 near downtown -- almost three months to the day since fire erupted in the exact spot…
Duluth Candy Company Celebrates National Popcorn Day
DULUTH, Minn. - Today is national popcorn day and the owners at Duluth Candy Company are celebrating by offering 20% off on their small and medium sized popcorn from their warming case. On…
How Frosty Ridge Keeps Their Alpacas Warm During The Winter
DULUTH, Minn. --At the Frosty Ridge Alpaca Farm in Duluth, the owners tell us that the challenge to keep their alpacas warm isn't the subzero temperatures in the winter, but actually keeping them comfortable with…
North Star Academy Moves Some Grades To Temporary Virtual Learning During Staffing Shortage, COVID Cases
DULUTH, Minn. --- The North Star Academy of the Duluth Edison Charter Schools is having some of its grades switch to virtual learning for a few weeks. It's happening for two reasons: one, COVID…
Family's Home Condemned After Bed Catches Fire, Causes Severe Damages
DULUTH, Minn. -- A fire destroyed a home in West Duluth on Wednesday, leaving a family displaced. It happened around 3:30 p.m. on the 600-block of South 65th Avenue West. The Duluth Fire Department says the fire started in the…
Cloquet Follows Duluth in 30-Day Mask Mandate
CLOQUET, Minn. -- It’s been nearly a week after Duluth mandated masks around the city, and a neighboring town is now doing the same. Last week the Cloquet Community Memorial Hospital was "crisis planning",…
AICHO Providing At-Home Covid Tests To Community
DULUTH, Minn. -- The Niiwin Indigenous Food Market, formerly known as the Fourth Street Market, opened its doors this afternoon for AICHO’s bi-weekly food distribution and they are giving out something for the first time…
New City Council President Arik Forsman Outlines 2022 Priorities
DULUTH, Minn. -- The Duluth city council's new president, Arik Forsman, spoke to FOX 21 about some of his priorities for the year ahead. Having served in the council for three and a half years,…
Duluth Playhouse Having To Adjust Operations Once Again
DULUTH, Minn. -- Many businesses have felt the impacts of covid and have had to re-assess operations but the live performance industry might be one of the few that has needed to keep adjusting…
MN Attorney General Ellison Files Lawsuit Against COVID-19 Testing Sites, Lab for Deceiving Consumers
ST. PAUL, Minn. - Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced Wednesday he has filed a lawsuit against two COVID-19 testing sites that allegedly failed to deliver test results or delivered inaccurate or falsified results. The two Illinois-based companies named in…
Homeless Encampment Under I-35 In Duluth Catches Fire Again
DULUTH, Minn. - Fire ignited under I-35 in downtown Duluth Wednesday in the exact location a homeless encampment caught on fire just three months ago. Duluth firefighters were called to the scene during the 1 o'clock hour Wednesday near Exit…
June 13 Date Set for State Trial for 3 Ex-Cops in Floyd’s Death
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A state court trial for three former Minneapolis police officers charged with the death of George Floyd has been rescheduled for June 13, after both the defense and prosecutors requested a postponement. Thomas Lane, J. Kueng, and…
City Crews Responding to Water Main Break in Goat Hill Neighborhood
DULUTH, Minn. - City of Duluth Utility Operations crews are responding to a water main break in the Goat Hill neighborhood. The break was reported Wednesday afternoon and is located on the 1700 block of West 3rd Street. City officials…
Vice President Harris Plans Milwaukee Visit Next Week
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris plans to visit Milwaukee on Monday, which would be her second trip to Wisconsin since taking office a year ago. The White House said Wednesday that…
Midday Update 1-19-22
Join FOX 21's Brett Scott and Meteorologist Ken Slama for a local look at news and weather making headlines Wednesday, January 19, 2022. Have a great day!
Biden To Give Away 400 Million N95 Masks Starting Next Week
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration will begin making 400 million N95 masks available for free to Americans starting next week. The step comes after federal officials emphasized the masks’ better protection against the omicron variant of COVID-19 over cloth…
Voting Begins in MnDOT’s 2022 “Name a Snowplow” Contest
ST.PAUL, Minn. - Voting is now open for MnDOT's 2022 "Name a Snowplow" contest. MnDOT says they received almost 11,000 creative name submissions in December and have narrowed the list down…
Morning Update 1-19-22
Join FOX 21's Brett Scott and Meteorologist Ken Slama for a local look at news and weather making headlines Wednesday, January 19, 2022. Have a great day!
Group Delivers Whistleblower Documents on Clergy Abuse
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — An advocacy group working to end clergy abuse in Wisconsin has delivered thousands of documents from Wisconsin’s five Catholic dioceses to the state attorney general, documents it says show a systemic coverup of abuse. The documents…
Cloquet Mayor Announces State of Emergency, Mask Mandate
CLOQUET, Minn. - On Wednesday, the Mayor of Cloquet announced a local state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The City of Cloquet Proclamation and Declaration of Emergency states the decision to declare a state of emergency was made…
Spirit Mountain, Depot, Northern Lights Express Included in Gov. Walz's Bonding Recommendations
DULUTH, Minn.- Minnesota Governor Tim Walz's bonding recommendations for 2022 amounts to $2.7 billion. The largest in the state's history includes much-needed funding for Duluth and the surrounding area. "They're very geo-balanced across the…
Walz Bonding Proposal: $1M For Lake Superior College's Manufacturing Program Expansion Plans
DULUTH, Minn. - Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has put aside $1 million in his bonding proposal to help Lake Superior College develop plans to expand its Integrated Manufacturing program. LSC officials said demand has outgrown…
Duluth Armory Left Out Of Gov. Walz's Bonding Recommendations
DULUTH, Minn.- There were projects that didn't make the cut on the governor's list of entities and projects he’d like to see get bonding money, which includes the historic Armory on London Road in…
St. Mary's Medical Center to Be Demolished When Vision Northland Completed
DULUTH, Minn.- As the new Vision Northland building for Essentia Health goes up in Duluth the decades-old St. Mary's Hospital will come down. Essentia Health says the Medical Center will be demolished on…
Public Input Wanted: Hammond Ave. Reconstruction
SUPERIOR, Wis.- The City of Superior is asking for public input on proposed reconstruction plans for Hammond Avenue. The city will be fixing the highly traveled road and its storm sewer system from…
