All the Buzz in the Northland this Weekend (8/25)
NORTHLAND — If you want to know all the buzz this weekend, here’s a list of events swarming through the Northland. Categories: News, News – Latest News, News Update
News
Barker’s Island Getting Ready To Host Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival
SUPERIOR, Wis. — Event organizers are busy getting the grounds ready for racers and spectators to go to the Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival. The 2-day event at Barker’s Island in Superior is a free family fun event. All money raised will go towards rotary clubs and the charitable partner this year, 23rd Veteran. There are 51 teams that will…
Superior Mayor Jim Paine: Double Emergencies At Cenovus Refinery ‘Unacceptable’
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Cenovus Energy is now dealing with two critical incidents at its newly built refinery within the past two days (Wednesday and Thursday) – a propane leak and a “heavy fuel oil release,” according to the Superior Fire Department. Both incidents caused evacuations. Nobody was injured. Superior Mayor Jim Paine told FOX 21 on Thursday that he’s proud…
Trump Surrenders At Atlanta Jail On Election Charges, Then Quickly Released
ATLANTA (AP) — Former President Donald Trump surrendered Thursday on charges that he illegally schemed to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia, a brisk 20-minute booking that yielded a historic first: a mug shot of a U.S. ex-president. He was released on $200,000 bond and headed back to the airport for his return flight home to New Jersey, flashing a…
Underage Alcohol Party Ends In Fatal Hit-And-Run
SAND LAKE, Wis. — A teenage girl is dead after a hit-and-run related to an underage alcohol party, according to the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office. The crime happened just before 7 a.m. Aug. 19. Kaylie Schwingle, 18, of Chippewa Falls Wisconsin was run over by a 16-year-old boy driving a Ford F-350. Officials said the victim was sitting along Snowmobile…
Welcome Week Starts At UMD
DULUTH, Minn. — The dorms are filling back up at UMD as it is welcome week! The time has come for students to leave home and start their new college journey. UMD officials say there are about 2-thousand new faces this year on campus. The college also has a few new academic programs including a project management undergrad certificate and…
‘Heavy Fuel Oil Release’ At Superior’s Cenovus Refinery One Day After Propane Leak
SUPERIOR, Wis. – Just one day after an emergency evacuation at Cenovus Energy because of a propane leak, another emergency situation unfolded Thursday involving a “heavy fuel oil release,” according to the Superior Fire Department. The call for help came in around 1 p.m. Superior fire crews responded to a report of a “release of heavy fuel oil in a…
Body of Man Flying Ultralight Found in Lake Superior
A piece of his clothing found on shore helped searchers focus their efforts
Denny Pechacek (Photo courtesy Abbey Johnson) Hovland, Minnesota- Authorities say they have found and recovered the body of a man missing since last Friday. The Cook County Sheriff’s office says the body of Denny Pechacek was recovered from Lake Superior off the shore of Hovland, MN. Many people and groups had been searching for him since he and the ultralight…
Minnesota’s Marijuana Tax Revenue Surpasses $500K In First Month Of Sales
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – Since legalizing recreational marijuana use among adults over the age of 21, Minnesota has already collected nearly $600,000 in tax revenue from sales in its first month. A new 10% cannabis tax went into effect on July 1, 2023, for all purchases involving THC, which can also be found in edibles and drinks. According to the…
St. Louis County: One Person Injured After ATV Crash
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Minn. — The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office says a person is injured due to an ATV crash Wednesday night. Authorities say they responded just after 10 p.m. to the 7400 block of Crane Lake Road. A passerby had called 911 after seeing a person in the ditch pinned underneath an ATV. The driver was taken to…
Back-to-School Shopping at Ivy Moon in Duluth
DULUTH, Minn. — The crisp, fall season is about to make landfall in the northland, but before students head back-to-class and hit the textbooks, many are hitting the stores for school shopping; that includes at Ivy Moon Boutique. The shop is located on 1501 East Superior Street in Duluth. It serves as a hot-spot for all ages in women’s clothing,…
The Tribute Fest Happening This Weekend In Duluth
DULUTH, Minn. — A music festival raising awareness and funds for homeless veterans is taking place this weekend. It’s the Tribute Fest, put on by Campbell Productions the 2-day event features around 20 bands. Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans, a non-profit that has been assisting veterans for over 25 years will be at the event providing resources. Proceeds will be…
Father Of The Veteran Who Was Shot And Killed By Duluth Police Says Death Was Avoidable; Police Video Released
DULUTH, Minn. – Body camera footage has been released involving a February officer-involved shooting that killed a Duluth veteran. Last week, that officer was cleared of any charges after an outside investigation. And now, the man’s father tells FOX 21 deadly force could have easily been avoided. Zachary Shogren We begin with the Feb. 24 encounter that lead up to…
Rep. Stauber Meets With Northland Law Enforcement Officials Over Fentanyl Crisis
HERMANTOWN, Minn. — Fentanyl has become an increasing problem in the Northland with 26 overdose deaths just alone this year. Wednesday, Congressman Pete Stauber met with St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Rasmay, Lake County Chief Deputy Timothy Louma, Hermantown Chief of Police Jim Crace, and other law enforcement officials to discuss the problems, roadblocks, and possible solutions. As of August…
Superior School District Asks for Community’s Input on Elementary Boundaries
SUPERIOR, Wis –In the 2024 -25 School year, there will be one less elementary school in Superior. That decision was made last April by the School Board. Now, the district is asking for community input about what are the most important things to be considered when drawing new elementary boundaries. The district, along with Cooperative Strategies, has created a survey…
Emergency Crews Respond To Propane Leak At Cenovus Energy
SUPERIOR, Wis.– A propane leak at Cenovus Energy refinery caused the facility to be evacuated for a short time Wednesday morning. The Superior Fire Department was called to the refinery just before 8 a.m. to assist Cenovus’ on-site emergency response team as they used tactics to control the propane flow. Superior Fire Chief Camron Vollbrecht said, “The Cenovus emergency response…
Local Schools Ready To Open Under Minnesota’s New Free Meals Program
WRENSHALL, Minn. — Local schools are ready to open under Minnesota’s new free meals program. This year, free breakfast and lunch will be available to all students. The State will also pick up the tab for students who do not qualify for free lunch under federal guidelines. Wrenshall is a local rural school district where over half of the students…
Giuliani Turns Himself In On Georgia 2020 Election Charges After Bond Is Set At $150,000
ATLANTA (AP) — Rudy Giuliani surrendered to authorities in Georgia on Wednesday on charges alleging he acted as former President Donald Trump’s chief co-conspirator in a plot to subvert the 2020 election. The former New York City mayor, celebrated as “America’s mayor” for his leadership after 9/11, is charged with Trump and 17 other people under Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and…
Officials Say A Jet Crash In Russia Kills 10, Wagner Chief Prigozhin Was On Passenger List
MOSCOW (AP) — A private jet crashed in Russia on Wednesday, killing all 10 people aboard, emergency officials said. Mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was on the passenger list, but it wasn’t immediately clear if he was on board. Prigozhin’s fate has been the subject of intense speculation ever since he mounted a short-lived mutiny against Russia’s military leadership in late…
New Captains Welcomed At Duluth Salvation Army
DULUTH, Minn. — The Duluth Salvation Army is welcoming 2 new captains. Anthony and Elysia Nordan are now part of the non-profit organization. The Salvation Army moves officers around every 4 to 5 years to be able to share their experiences with other locations they’ve worked at. The Nordan’s were recently captains in Fergus Falls. They both have many years…
Employees Temporarily Evacuated From Cenovus Superior Refinery Due To Propane Leak
SUPERIOR, Wis. — Employees were temporarily evacuated from the Cenovus Superior Refinery after a propane leak happened Wednesday morning. The Superior Fire Department says at 7:53 a.m. crews initially showed up to a report of a fire but found an ongoing propane release. Emergency personnel used water fog steams to stop the release by 9:25 a.m. The fire department says…
Meet Minnesota’s New Supreme Court Chief Justice, Associate Justice
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) – The Minnesota Supreme Court will have a new chief justice, Gov. Tim Walz announced Wednesday. Justice Natalie Hudson will serve as chief justice starting in October. The move will follow the retirement of current Chief Justice Lorie Gildea. “Justice Hudson is one of our state’s most experienced jurists. She has a strong reputation as a leader and consensus…
Chilly Billy’s Closing Both Duluth Locations
DULUTH, Minn. — It is the end of an era for a favorite frozen yogurt spot in Duluth. Chilly Billy’s has officially announced they will be closing after being in the Northland for 10 years. The announcement means both the location by UMD and the one in the Miller Hill Mall will be closing. Owner Bill Marker says they decided…
Summer Schools Wraps Up in Gary-New Duluth Rec Center
GARY-NEW DULUTH, Minn.– Summer schools are nearing their end, and the Gary-New Duluth Rec Center held their family day for their last session of their summer camp. Kids had fun exploring the 16-acre Stowe Elementary School forest for a scavenger hunt, enjoyed some root-beer floats, and learned some new biking skills from the Duluth Parks and Recreation staff. Over the…
Lincoln Park Middle School Welcomes New Math Teacher
DULUTH, Minn. — Summer is almost over which means it’s back to school time. But as parents ate doing their best to prepare the kids back at school, each new school year also brings on new teachers that are eager to get their start in the classroom. At Lincoln Park Middle School, a new middle school math teacher is excited…
DTA Bus Routes Changing In Superior, Duluth Starting Aug. 27
SUPERIOR, Wis. — Beginning Monday, Aug. 27, the Duluth Transit Authority will introduce new routes throughout its system. The DTA says these changes will be the biggest it’s ever made. The DTA says the vast majority of people it serves will not lose service. Some may need to walk a little further to catch a bus, though, like in Superior…
Unionized UPS Workers Approve Contract Leaders Agreed To In Late July
(AP) — The union representing 340,000 UPS workers said Tuesday that its members voted to approve the tentative contract agreement reached last month, putting a final seal on contentious labor negotiations that threatened to disrupt package deliveries for millions of businesses and households nationwide. The Teamsters said in a statement that 86% of the votes casts were in favor of ratifying…
New Sewing Store Coming To Miller Hill Mall
DULUTH, Minn. — A new sewing store is coming to the Miller Hill Mall this fall. The Miller Hill Mall announced Tuesday the store called Sew With Me will be offering many types of fabric, sewing machines, education, and machine service. It will be located next to Maurices and across from Five Below which is also opening in the fall….
State Department Renews Ban On Use Of US Passports For Travel To North Korea
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is extending for another year a ban on the use of U.S. passports for travel to North Korea, the State Department said Tuesday. The ban was imposed in 2017 and has been renewed every year since. The latest extension comes as tensions with North Korea are rising over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs…
Makinen Woman In Jail For Allegedly Starting House Fire
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Minn. — One woman is in jail after allegedly starting a house on fire in the Makinen area. The St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office says authorities responded to a disturbance call early Tuesday morning. When officers arrived, they found a woman standing in a field by the house. After initial investigation a woodpile under a lean-to was…
FDA Approves RSV Vaccine For Moms-To-Be To Guard Their Newborns
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators on Monday approved the first RSV vaccine for pregnant women so their babies will be born with protection against the scary respiratory infection. RSV is notorious for filling hospitals with wheezing babies every fall and winter. The Food and Drug Administration cleared Pfizer’s maternal vaccination to guard against a severe case of RSV when babies are…
Local Woman Practices Alternative Forms of Medicine
DULUTH, Minn. — Most healthcare systems utilize western (conventional) medicine with pharmaceutical drugs, radiation and surgery treatments. However, holistic medicine, which takes a more natural, whole-body approach is gaining recent momentum, according to the National Institutes of Health. A local Holistic Practitioner, who is also a retired Occupational Therapist, explained how the contrasting forms of medicine can co-exist successfully. “I…
First Day of Class For Lake Superior College Students
DULUTH, Minn. — Monday was the first day of school for students at Lake Superior College. Students were back filling the hallways and classrooms at the community and technical college. Around 2,500 students are enrolled for the fall semester which is up 3% from last year. One first year student says she’s looking forward to studying psychology. “I plan on…
Sen. Tina Smith Visits Native Wise Farm Ahead in Her Efforts to Create a “Native Farm Bill”
SAWYER, Minn. — Sen. Tina Smith visited a local farm during her efforts to create a “Native Farm Bill.” Native Wise Farm in Sawyer produces a variety of crops, from wild rice, hemp, vegetables, and much more. The farm is also home to 12 plains bison. Sen. Smith talked to the owners about their operation to gather information for the…
Duluth Mayor Larson Proposes 2024 Budget With 2% Levy Increase
DULUTH, Minn. – Duluth Mayor Emily Larson is calling her 2024 city budget proposal a “good news story” as she presented it to the Duluth City Council Monday evening. “This budget is a good news story for workers, residents, taxpayers, and community,” says Mayor Larson. “It reflects the priorities we’ve been hearing from the community, honors the hard work of…
Duluth Council Tables Change to Smoking Ordinance Fine
DULUTH, Minn. – The Duluth City Council will wait a few more weeks to finalized how much to fine people who are caught violating the city’s smoking ordinance, which now includes cannabis. Councilors could have reduce the first violation to $25, the second violation to $50, and the third and additional violations to $75 Monday evening. Currently, the fine is…
Blandin Paper Mill In Grand Rapids To Restart Mid-September
GRAND RAPIDS, Minn. — The Blandin Paper Company in Grand Rapids will resume operations next month. This comes after members of Teamster Local 346 narrowly approved a 3-year labor contract with respect to the mill’s 166 hourly employees on August 11. It ended a short notice strike that began July 15 over wages. A statement from the Blandin Paper Company…
New Mixed-Income Rental Cottages Now Open For Leasing In Duluth
DULUTH, Minn. — New cottage-style homes are now open for leasing in West Duluth. The Fairmount Cottage Village is 18 units of mixed-income rental housing. The new development consists of inward facing homes surrounding a shared green space with sidewalks and trails. Funding for the cottages totaled over 5 million dollars. Duluth HRA’s executive director says they hope to put…
Rice Lake Road Closure Extended
Work taking longer than expected
DULUTH, Minn. — Drivers using Duluth’s Rice Lake Road will have their detour headaches extended another week. Through-traffic on Rice Lake Road is closed between Central Entrance and Arrowhead Road. A culvert on Chester Creek is being replaced, and St. Louis County says working around existing utilities has taken longer than expected. The road will now remain closed to through-traffic…
Trump Says He Will Surrender Thursday On Georgia Charges Tied To Efforts To Overturn 2020 Election
(AP) — Former President Donald Trump says he will surrender to authorities in Georgia on Thursday to face charges in the case accusing him of illegally scheming to overturn his 2020 election loss. “Can you believe it? I’ll be going to Atlanta, Georgia, on Thursday to be ARRESTED,” Trump wrote on his social media network Monday night, hours after court papers said his…
More Duluth Road Construction and Detours
Gary New Duluth and Riverside projects add to driver challeges
DULUTH, Minn. — It’s not exactly breaking news, “Surprise!” but there are more area construction projects to keep your eye on. This time it is the streets in the neighborhoods of Gary New Duluth and Riverside. The Minnesota DOT is working on culverts along Highway 23. Monday work began at the U.S. Steel Creek culvert running under Highway 23. Because…
Car Crash Kills Gustavus Hockey Player, Injures 3 Teammates
(FOX 9) – A two-vehicle collision in western Minnesota left three members of the Gustavus Adolphus College women’s hockey team injured and another teammate dead Sunday afternoon. The crash occurred around 12:40 p.m. at the intersection of Highway 29 and Highway in Grace Township, approximately 50 miles from the South Dakota border, according to the Minnesota State Patrol. The four Gustavus hockey…
Funding and Planning Aimed at Rural Health Care
Recruiting and training are two of the goals and challenges
Health care in smaller, rural communities faces some special challenges. A federal grant has providers hoping it can help in some ways. A project for finding and developing health care employees was the subject of a meeting at St. Luke’s Monday. Wilderness Health is a collaborative group of independent, rural health care providers serving patients in Northeast Minnesota and Northwest…
Gov. Walz, Gov. Evers Seek Federal Funds for Blatnik Bridge Project
TWIN PORTS — Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers announced on Monday that their departments of transportation will seek over $1 billion in federal funding to rebuild the Blatnik Bridge between Duluth and Superior. A statement from Walz said in part, “the Blatnik Bridge connects the Twin Ports communities and economies of Duluth and Superior – it…
Grand Rapids Man Dead After Single-Vehicle Motorcycle Crash
TACONITE, Minn. — A 46-year-old man is dead after a single-vehicle motorcycle crash on Sunday. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, the motorcycle lost control, crossed the median and onto the pavement on the other side. The accident took place around 5 pm on Sunday on Highway 169 and Bovey Connection Road in Taconite. The driver was identified as…
First Benefit To Help Local Legend Pay For Medical Bills In Superior
SUPERIOR, Wis. — The first Lillopalooza for the local legend, Scott Lillo was Sunday at Earth Rider Brewery in Superior. Both of the benefits were a surprise to Lillo as had no clue what the community was planning. The day was filled with live music, a silent auction, dunk tank, live painting and more. Lillo says it is a very…
Art In Bayfront Park Wraps Up
DULUTH, Minn. — This weekend Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth was filled with over 100 artists all with their own unique pieces. Art in Bayfront Park is a free event open to the public. The festival included homemade jewelry, painting, photography, glass, and a whole lot more. One artist who moved to Duluth from the Twin Cities creates his own…
International Duluth Marshall Students Welcomed with Rafting Trip
CARLTON, Minn. — Each year Duluth Marshall welcomes around 40 students from countries around the world to complete their school year in Duluth. This year the students were greeted with a whitewater rafting trip along with their local classmates. “It’s going to be my first-time experience, so it’s going to be kind of tough for me. I’m scared but honestly,…
Trump Says He Will Skip GOP Presidential Primary Debates
NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday that he will be skipping Wednesday’s first Republican presidential primary debate — and others as well. “The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had,” Trump wrote on his social media site. “I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!” His spokesman did not immediately clarify whether he…
Former Minnesota Congressman, Governor Al Quie Dies At 99
WAYZATA, Minn. (FOX 9) – Former Minnesota Governor Albert “Al” Quie died on Friday in Wayzata at 99 years old. Quie was a Republican member of Congress for more than 20 years and the 35th governor of Minnesota. His son Joel Quie said he was a man full of great stories and strong faith. Before getting into politics, he worked as a farmer and…
