-
Journalists should be ashamed of delicious Doritos™ air drop
ID: Hey, ego! Did you see that they’ll be dropping Doritos™ Heat Wave chips over the city of Duluth at noon today? All the TV stations promoted it on the news! You should blog about that. EGO: Yes, but I can’t report that. It’s just a free ad for Doritos. ID: Doritos™ — and what’s…
-
FitBit names Duluth ‘fittest city in America’
In what’s either a tremendous bragging point or a disturbing product of a corporate surveillance state, FitBit announced this week that Duluth, Minnesota, is the “fittest city in America.” FitBit formed this conclusion from tracking fitness data like steps, activity and sleep duration from its customers across the nation. To be perfectly fair, all this…
-
New band ‘Hazardous Weather Outlook’ opens Duluth Homegrown
The annual week-long Duluth Homegrown Music Festival opens today. Nearly 200 local bands will perform at venues throughout the Zenith City. Homegrown is a cornerstone of the Northern Minnesota music scene, showcasing the depth and variety of artistic talent in the region. That’s why the choice of opening band is such a surprise. This year’s…
-
NASA scientist predicts future raid on Great Lakes water
Natural resources spur debate in Minnesota. Mining and forestry find their way into many controversies. But water? Well, people want it to be clean, but no one begrudges anyone a cool glass of water. Have another! Water your lawn if you want. No need, of course, because there’s plenty of water everywhere. This is, after…
-
Higher and Higher: Duluth councilor looks up for development
The new 11-story Maurice’s Headquarters and Office Building in downtown Duluth added some heft to the skyline of this mid-sized metro in the Middle West last year. Now one city councilor is looking up, not out, for future development of the city. At-large city councilor Zach Filipovich has proposed a resolution for tonight’s Council meeting…
-
Might as well jump: Indoor trampoline park slated for West Duluth
America’s Funniest Home Videos could broadcast an endless loop of trampoline accidents. Your local emergency room doctor owns at least one vehicle paid for by the victims of trampoline accidents. And yet, our nation’s fascination with trampolines continues. For some, trampolines provide the simple hope that the kids burn enough energy to at some point sit quietly or…
-
Shipping season begins on Lake Superior
Never mind the equinox until the lakers leave the equi-DOCKS! Ha! Get it? The Lake Superior shipping season reopens today, marking the actual start of Northern Minnesota’s spring. Of course, we celebrated the vernal equinox this past Monday. That’s nice and all, but only big honking ships full of taconite and coal can really get…
-
In Russia, accordion plays you
Russia seems to dominate political discussions these days. Overlooked in all this is the fact that, on better days, Russians lay down some tight folk music. This Sunday, March 12, accordionist Stas Venglevski and dulcimer player Tatyana Krasnobaeva will perform at the World of Accordions Museum and Harrington Arts Center across the bridge in Superior, Wisconsin. The show starts…
-
Pierre the Pantsless Voyageur now also armless
They say March in Northern Minnesota comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Well, that lion just bit off the arm of an enormous French Canadian who lacks trousers. High winds raged across the region on Tuesday, March 7, knocking out electrical lines and blowing snow across the roadways. Wind gusts of more…
-
The end of ‘Vanity’ stores, mainstay of Minnesota malls
KFGO Radio in Fargo reports that Vanity is closing all 140 of its stores in 27 states, including the ones found in malls across Northern Minnesota. The move is part of a bankruptcy that company executives from the 60-year-old Fargo-based clothing store chain blame on competition from online retailers. According to KFGO, Vanity employs up…
-
Mystery of North Shore ‘Devil’s Kettle’ solved
For generations, weekend hikers trekked into C.R. Magney State Park near Grand Marais, Minnesota, to see a genuine mystery. Upon the rocks of a waterfall along the Brule River, the river splits. Most flows down the falls, but another stream swirls into a cavern called the Devil’s Kettle. Where this second stream of water ended up, no…
-
Midnight in the Temple of Man (Toys)
Growing up on Northern Minnesota’s Iron Range, the occasional family trip to Duluth gave us a rare view of the chain stores and restaurants seen only on our television set. Every family member demanded a stop at their favorite destination. A second-hand clothing store for one sister. Designer clothes for the other. The big book store for mom…
-
Lake Superior shipping season ends today
As cold as it was last week, sailors and dock workers were still on the job in the harsh Lake Superior winds. While there will still be maintenance work to do, the ships are coming in off the water today. The locks at Sault Ste. Marie close today, marking the end of the shipping season on…
-
Don Ness to lead Ordean Foundation
Former Duluth Mayor Don Ness announced Tuesday he would be the next executive director of the Duluth-based Ordean Foundation. Just six months into a new gig in workforce development at Lake Superior College, Ness posted on social media that the opportunity to lead the Ordean Foundation was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Ness assumes the new job in January. Duluth…
-
Lee, Reyelts retirements to shake up Duluth TV news
Last month, longtime KBJR news director Barbara Reyelts and newscast anchor Michelle Lee both announced their impending retirement. Their departure reflects changes in the Duluth TV News market that began when WDIO’s legendary Dennis Anderson retired five years ago. Lee steps down Dec. 27. She has been doing TV news in Duluth since 1983 and has anchored the 6…