a Palestinian deli in the Lakeside neighborhood we have been truly grateful for the opportunity to share our food and become an integral part of this welcoming community,” the letter from owners Lyla Abukhodair and Sam Miller said will be open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m “While this chapter of Falastin is coming to a close we are taking this time to re-imagine and explore new possibilities for the future,” Abukhodair and Miller wrote on May 2 to correct the name and relationship of the co-owners Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInDULUTH (Northern News Now) - A woman in Duluth who went missing more than a month ago has been located safely The police department has just shared that 40-year-old Tarah Fichtner has been found safe In April the Duluth Police Department asked for the public’s help to locate a missing woman Fichtner was been last seen in downtown Duluth on Wednesday Click here to download the Northern News Now app or our Northern News Now First Alert weather app Several renters in Duluth are dealing with home improvement problems that haven’t been fixed The Duluth tenants Union is pushing to pass a ‘Right to Repair’ policy through a petition This policy would allow renters take matters into their own hands and fix household problems One of the leaders pushing to pass this local policy change is Naseem Farahid They say several other cities have enacted similar ordinances because landlords and property owners aren’t fast enough fixing these repairs Farahid says the policy simply put would be a written notification you intend to use Right to Repair If it isn’t resolved or scheduled within 14 days “As long as the repair is within the cost limit and you’ve given your landlord a heads up and responsible landlords understand that this is home maintenance 101 We shouldn’t be letting leaks go on for two weeks so they can become bigger problems.” Now the ‘Right to Repair’ policy petition currently has more than 2,700 signatures Although some local landlords and property owners don’t support the policy Rudy Rantala repairs units at Glen Place Apartments He says tenants trying to fix any plumbing or electrical problems is a legal and safety issue “The biggest thing is going to be is the liability They say they’re changing the light bulb on the ladder and they fall off There’s a possible lawsuit,” Rantala said “Having a different company come onto their property to fix something that would fall into another liability issue.” Rantana also says scheduling the time and day for these repairs can be a challenge depending on the renter “A lot of tenants won’t let you in their apartment unless they’re home That’s tough to come by too sometimes because they’re working all the time,” Rantana said “I don’t just take care of one building I take care of three of them right now.” The Duluth Tenants Union is also attending City Council meetings to change local policies whi says his current landlord hasn’t completely fixed the water in his home “I just want to get my shower fixed and I was left waiting for two years No renter should have to go to court over a bathtub that’s draining slowly We just want to get our stuff fixed,” Pals said I have waited for my landlord to repair my shower But the valves are not sealed and I’m only getting lukewarm water.” The Duluth Tenants Union will be holding another meeting at peace church on Tuesday May 6th. They will continue building on their proposed policy. Also for more details about the Renters’ ‘Right to Repair’ you can read more here Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the content of the FCC Public file should contact Vicki Kaping at vkaping@wdio.com or (218) 727-6864 DULUTH — Along the stretch of Lake Avenue that runs through the Park Point neighborhood residents have hung red dresses and shirts in their front yards Joining the ongoing work of local advocates the display is part of an effort to draw attention to the violence Indigenous women face the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives ‘What can we do with these properties that's useful and interesting and impactful?’” said Lisa McKhann one of the Park Point residents who helped set up the display “Our neighborhood is sort of custom-made for this … and hopefully it'll bring some awareness to this cause.” Park Point Community Club members helped organize the display It will remain up through Monday as part of the Native Lives Matter Coalition’s 5th Annual National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Relatives the Native Lives Matter Coalition has organized public events throughout the afternoon advocates will have tables at Duluth City Hall to speak with city representatives and community members about how violence impacts Indigenous women and their families There will be an opportunity to decorate cars for the car caravan later in the afternoon Representatives from the Twin Ports will be there to speak including Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert and Superior Mayor Jim Paine People impacted by the loss of a family member and advocates for MMIWR awareness will be speaking during the program just like the cases across the rest of Minnesota and Wisconsin … and everywhere else,” said Rene Ann Goodrich organizer with the Native Lives Matter Coalition “(MMIWR awareness day) provides a platform for families to get visibility for our community to help find healing and the justice that's needed for MMIWR and their families.” “The amount of assaults and violence against women in general is out of hand all over the state and all the region is something that I think people want to bring notice to in a concrete way or as concrete as an article of clothing in the rain can be.” McKhann said that over 100 houses participated in the display by hanging red clothing in front of their homes Other displays are expected to pop up around the Twin Ports on Monday The Park Point Community Club received an influx of donations which McKhann plans to hand over to the Native Lives Coalition to be used for future displays “We have so many community partners who work with us,” said Goodrich "But I do want to give a shoutout to Park Point I appreciate their solidarity in kicking this off and joining in with support for our community and ongoing campaign with the Native Lives Coalition … they join a call for justice and support for our Indigenous families.” We start off the first full week in May with rather pleasant weather throughout the region Monday we have plenty of sun shining through the region and a slight wind shift to the southeast will allow a little more warming along the shoreline with highs in the 60s along Lake Superior and 70s further inland as winds will be shifting to the northwest and much of the area looks to warm well into the 70s A few clouds will begin to slide in Tuesday night Wednesday will bring the east breeze that we had for the weekend but this time it will look to be a bit stronger we will also see a return of the sharp temperature cutoff with highs along the shoreline getting down into the 40s while the rest of northern Minnesota will have a breezy but comfortable spring day the temperature gradient will also weaken as we warm up heading toward Mother's Day weekend Calm conditions will continue for the next several days as an Omega Block pattern keeps high pressure aloft Tonight will have mostly clear skies and overnight lows in the low 40s A light east wind will become southeasterly by morning Monday will be sunny with temperatures cooler by the lake Afternoon highs will range from 53 degrees in Grand Marais to the low 80s in areas west of the Iron Range A cold front will move through on Tuesday evening dropping Wednesday’s highs down to the 50s and 60s Temperatures will bounce back up to the 70s in time for the Minnesota Fishing Opener Light west wind becoming northwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning Canada — Duluth and Minnesota have their first 2026 Olympians The mixed-doubles curling team of Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin clinched a berth for the United States at next winter's Olympics by virtue of a fifth-place finish at the recently concluded World Mixed Doubles Curling Championships to be such good friends and to just do it together is really really exciting," Thiesse said to Devin Heroux of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Seven of the 10 teams that will compete in Cortina d'Ampezzo Italy were finalized this week by virtue of their country's combined finishes in the 2024 and 2025 championships giving the Duluth pair an uphill battle to snare one of the qualifying spots With 20 teams in the field in New Brunswick finished in a three-way tie for second in its group with Estonia and Norway with a record of 6-3 but snagged the last spot in the playoffs by virtue of the draw shot challenge tiebreaker The Americans faced Scotland in the playoff quarterfinals on Friday morning but took a 7-5 defeat This sent them to a fifth-place game against Canada that night which had a little more on the line than an average consolation game The US risked being caught from behind for the last Olympic qualifiying spot by Australia which had already qualified directly for the semifinals Thiesse's tap take-out scored three for the U.S The Americans went on to win the match 8-4 "We really feel like we've been playing well all week let's empty the tank and give it our all," Thiesse said to the CBC ensuring Australia could finish no better than third and would be behind Team USA in the qualification standings Just so grateful they went our way and we're going to the Olympics," Dropkin said Thiesse and Dropkin and the third and fourth Americans to confirm spots in the US delegation going to Italy after snowboarders (and gold medalists) Chloe Kim and Red Gerard Mixed doubles curling will start before the 2026 Olympic Opening Ceremony 4 at the now-enclosed Olympic Ice Stadium used when Cortina d'Ampezzo hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics This will be the third time mixed doubles has taken place at the Olympics Previous teams have finished sixth in 2018 and eighth (including Duluthian Chris Plys) in 2022 UMD Bulldogs "ALLETE" Moments: Competition UMD Athletics is partnering with Minnesota Power ALLETE to highlight the Bulldogs accomplishments in the 3 C's: Classroom University of Minnesota Duluth baseball player Kade Peloquin has been named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Player of the Week Peloquin is the first Bulldog to receive Player of the Week honors this season Peloquin had an outstanding performance for the Bulldogs to close out their final five games of the 2025 regular season Peloquin tallied a .450 batting average with five total runs The senior outfielder smashed a grand slam in UMD's 27-22 win over the Golden Bears helping lead them to a doubleheader sweep on Wednesday Peloquin also tallied two home runs in the Bulldogs 11-10 season finale victory over the Marauders including a game winning two run home run to take the lead in the ninth inning The Bulldogs enter this week's upcoming NSIC tournament as the sixth seed facing down a matchup with the Wayne State College Wildcats in the opening round on Wednesday Thanks for visiting The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here DULUTH — As the end of the legislative session approaches local educators continue a decades-long fight for teacher pension reform with potential bills addressing retirement ages pension penalties and funding contributions still on the table “This has been an ongoing problem for Minnesota,” said Jim Olson a Meyers-Wilkins Elementary educator who got involved with the grassroots movement for pension reform in Minnesota a few years ago “Teachers deserve to retire with dignity," he said "It’s upsetting that the legislators let there be a discrepancy between colleagues who are working side by side who are paying the same rate into the system proposing full retirement benefits at age 60 and higher employer contributions to pensions has gained the support of several education associations the Minnesota Association of School Administrators Duluth Federation of Teachers and Duluth Public Schools have voiced support for the bill but teachers have been working to fix it for a long time,” said Mark Hagemeyer a teacher and staff development coordinator at Proctor Public Schools who has spent much of his career advocating for pension reform “We're trying to fix the situation for our community our neighbors down the street who pay taxes," he said and they're going to pay a bigger price if something isn't fixed." teacher pensions are made up of mandatory employee and employer contributions which go to the Teachers Retirement Association Teachers contribute almost 8% of their paycheck to their pension Those funds are then pooled and managed by the Minnesota State Board of Investment and eventually used to pay benefits to retired educators fluctuating cost-of-living adjustments and reduced state contributions created a significant unfunded liability in the teacher pension system Adjustments to the pension system have been made over the years to bridge that financial shortfall the Minnesota Legislature made changes to the pension system Tier 1 included teachers who were hired before the 1989 cutoff and could retire with full pension benefits once their years of service and their age totaled 90 Teachers who came after the cutoff became Tier 2 The normal retirement age for these teachers shifted to 65 and a penalty structure was introduced that reduced what amount of their pension they would receive if they retired before that age A provision for teachers with 30 years of experience who retire at 62 allows for a smaller reduction in pension benefits “Let’s say you have two teachers hired in 1989 and they’re the same age," Olson explained and one of them qualifies for the rule of 90 the Tier 2 teacher has to work another nine years to be eligible for the exact same benefits," Olson said who missed the cut-off by a matter of weeks His teaching career has been littered with the assurance that a career rule would eventually be brought back and he’s spent years advocating for just that “Inaction (on pension reform) is a mistake for Minnesota and they haven't looked out for teachers.” The current pension and retirement system has left Minnesota with a six-year difference in retirement age Wisconsin teachers can retire with full benefits by age 57 teachers can receive full benefits as early as age 55 due to the state’s career rule “We are really an outlier compared to other states,” Olson said you go right across the bridge to Superior and retire with full benefits before 58 As Minnesota struggles with a teacher shortage pension reform raises several concerns when it comes to retaining and recruiting new teachers More and more Tier 1 teachers are entering retirement leaving school districts with more Tier 2 teachers many of whom are at the top of the pay scale Keeping teachers who can’t retire without facing a reduction to their pension means less money for new teachers during a time when many districts in Minnesota are already facing financial cutbacks “That is really the state of affairs of our educational system,” said Hagemeyer “Not only is it very expensive to keep us around but those younger teachers are bailing out before they can have a long career in education because they see the writing on the wall there keeping even one teacher at the top of the pay scale for one year past the age of 59 creates a cost difference of over $41,000 By the time that teacher retires at age 65 that’s an estimated cost of more than $292,500 “Pension reform is very important for school districts from a financial sense,” said Duluth Superintendent John Magas it really is going to impact our ability to serve kids and it's going to impact our ability to pay for important programming … Districts will have their hand forced to make additional reductions in a time where we have already made really serious reductions.” While Magas said he is “cautiously optimistic” about the chances for pension reform due to the support bipartisan bills have received in the Legislature it’s hard to say what will happen with the state’s current budget predictions Minnesota is projected to face a $6 billion budget deficit over the next four years and education funding has been the subject of various proposed cuts during this legislative session “It’s going to come down to a matter of priorities and philosophical beliefs," Olson said but both sides agree we need pension reform We’ll have to see if they can find a common ground on that philosophical divide of how to fund it but it’s a problem that needs fixing," he said The program placed occupational therapy graduate students in regional classrooms Department of Education is ending a $3.9 million grant that the College of St Scholastica has used to place master’s-level occupational therapy students into regional school districts to boost mental health services The federally funded Mental Health Service Provider grant program was the largest grant the college had received when it was first awarded in 2022 It was created to address provider shortages as mental health diagnoses were on the rise among school-aged children The college found out Tuesday that funding will be cut at the end of December 2025 — though it was originally scheduled to run through 2027 we know we’re doing really impactful things and we know that it’s making a difference,’” said Kaisa Syvaoja We’ve had an outpouring of community support The program placed students studying for a master’s degree in occupational therapy into schools within four school districts in this region for 12 weeks of hands-on work with students and administrators The college estimates that 5,000 school-aged children in the Twin Ports and Arrowhead region would be affected if this program ends and is appealing the Department of Education’s decision The college also is considering creative options to keep the program going with leadership within the Northern Lights Academy in Cloquet Rock Ridge Public Schools in Virginia and Superior (Wis.) Public Schools Scholastica President Barbara McDonald said in a news release that she and other school officials are disappointed by the cut in funding to the program that has been successful in addressing mental health needs in the community while aligning with the “foundational mission of occupational therapy.” “We firmly believe that our approach — integrating classroom learning with community action — is both innovative and critically needed," McDonald said Scholastica students have helped younger kids with test anxiety and the looming change in schedules offered by summer break They’ve made recommendations to school administrators about how to manage less-structured spaces like cafeterias and recess areas who will graduate with her master’s degree this month recently completed a rotation at a local school she didn’t disclose She spent 40 hours a week onsite and worked with all the school’s students on identifying emotions and regulating them played games and learned coping strategies Students were taught to modify their environment if they needed to and to recognize when they needed a break to move their bodies students were using the language they had learned to identify their emotions “I think it’s cool to see how impactful it is,” she said adding that it would be disappointing to lose this relationship between the college and the schools Christa Lawler covers Duluth and surrounding areas for the Star Tribune. Sign up to receive the North Report newsletter at www.startribune.com/northreport. High Schools Owen Marsolek hurled 17 strikeouts to lead the Hilltoppers to a 3-0 victory at Siebert Field on Monday “We remain committed to our mission of sharing Palestinian culture and cuisine albeit in ways yet to be determined,” its owners wrote Superior Aero Estates’ new runway was completed and then shortly after welcomed its first aerial visitor as part of a grand opening celebration in late summer last year This was a significant milestone in the project in Culver that Nick Clattenburg began pursuing in earnest in 2016 “The airport [outside of Duluth] is now officially open in terms of weather not cooperating for construction,” Clattenburg said and so that’s why we had to push back the grand opening to late August. People saw that there was a new place to land There were close to 50 to 60 people that came to our grand opening and everyone is very interested in the community that we are building “The first phase [of the airpark] is platted which will have minimum lot sizes of two and a half acres— instead of four and a half acres.”  developing an airpark from scratch is a substantial undertaking Carving a 3,500-foot-long landing strip out a dense forest is only one of the major tasks he focused on at the outset developing an airpark isn’t all sunshine—but he expects there are rainbows at the end.  “Financing was probably the most challenging aspect,” he said and navigating the appraisal process requires a lot of patience in Minnesota the Department of Transportation’s aeronautics department is very supportive making the runway review and licensing process relatively straightforward I aimed to exceed the DOT’s minimum requirements for runway length While this added significant work for the construction team the effort speaks for itself in the quality of the runway we have today.”  Clattenburg is quick to provide suggestions for others who are exploring the thought of developing their own fly-in community.  “The first step I’d recommend to anyone looking to build an airpark is reaching out to [their] state’s DOT and your local planning and zoning department,” he said “If these regulatory offices aren’t open to working with you securing the necessary permits and approvals will be an uphill battle I also strongly advise against purchasing land with the intent of building an airpark before getting a positive response from regulators—it’s a significant risk MNDOT requires a suitability analysis on a prospective property before any land purchases intended for airport development which helps avoid major headaches down the road.”  Superior Aero Estates is well into the development process and Clattenburg is currently laser-focused on selling lots.  “The runway is complete and will be ready for visitors this spring once the snow melt dries up,” he said “Superior Aero Estates isn’t currently charted as we wanted to avoid drop-ins during the fall while the grass was still getting established “The seven remaining lots [in phase one] are currently for sale Each lot is at least four and a half acres and will include fiber internet and power to the curb with owner-installed well and septic systems Owners are also allowed to rent out hangar space on their lot for some additional income We are looking to attract a mix of investors and homeowners from the general aviation community its primary role is to enforce runway safety Clattenburg is excited that the airport will help remedy the hangar shortage in the Duluth area Pilots have the option to buy their own space or rent it directly from Superior Aero Estates.  “There’s a very clear shortage in the country for hangars “MNDOT has even highlighted this in their state airport system plan confirming that with Duluth International Airport [KDLH) they all have wait lists with 30 to 40 people but that’s still a substantial amount of people looking for hangar space “We have all this extra acreage where we could make more hangars We are currently scoping about 20 acres for hangars and with that we are looking at about 23 buildings—which would be 69 hangars People will be able to build their own hangars and expect that we will have some for rental as well It would be a 99-year lease—consider it yours.” The initial plans call for hangars to be 40 by 60 feet with in-floor heat and bifold Schweiss doors Four of these predesigned Morton buildings will be listed for sale in late spring and built on demand once purchase agreements are in place.  Clattenburg provided an overview of his plans for 2025 as well as breaking ground on additional airport infrastructure.  “Improvements to the land would include some initial hangar space that is going to be right off the runway,” he said “We have a 2-acre piece of land that we are going to use to test the waters with hangars to see what the market adoption will be and hosting some additional fly-ins now that the runway is usable Getting people to come in and enjoy what we built here allows the airport to speak for itself.” The first planned fly-in for this year is scheduled for June 7.  “YouTuber Grant Baker has already confirmed he’ll be stopping by with his family in a PC-12 and I’m working on securing additional display planes for the event Anyone interested in flying in to tour the airpark [at other times] is more than welcome We just ask that you coordinate with us through the contact form on our website so we can track visitors and notify you of any runway maintenance or mowing.” DULUTH — Some premier real estate along the city's waterfront will be off-limits to visitors as the community heads into its busy summer tourism season Army Corps of Engineers soon will begin temporarily fencing off a popular stretch of shoreline in front of the Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center and about 200 feet of a heavily used stretch of the Lakewalk on the doorstep of the Duluth Ship Canal will be closed to traffic as well The barricades are designed to provide a safe berth for construction crews as they install a concrete tee-wall fronted by a stone "revetment" designed to armor the shore from Lake Superior's relentless battering with the contract awarded to North Interstate Construction of South Range The improvements are meant to stave off damage following repeated storm events that have grown both in intensity and frequency in recent years The work will be funded through a federal bipartisan infrastructure act helping to ensure the stability of the area for years to come president of the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce said the local business community is grateful for the investment That's not to say the impediments to visitors will be painless Baumgartner described the obstructed area as "the front-row VIP site" for people to view commercial vessels sailboats and charter fishing boats departing and entering the harbor Army Corps of Engineers stresses that access to the north pier of the Duluth Ship Canal we need to let people know there will still be many ways to take in the beautiful Lake Superior scenery," Baumgartner said who represents the Canal Park neighborhood likened the project to the sort of seasonal roadwork required to keep the city's infrastructure in good working order "We need to bear some temporary pain for the long-term benefits," she said The work is expected to continue until November The final landscaping should be completed by spring 2026 About another 1.5 million people walk the north and south piers of the Duluth Ship Canal DULUTH — Standing in line to enter a filled-to-capacity Sacred Heart Music Center on Friday night a man explained that he had just arrived in town and heard about the Homegrown Music Festival He liked the sound of the band Willem Dafoe Fan Club making conversation as everyone in line waited for Saltydog to finish playing In a city that supports live local music year-round Willem Dafoe Fan Club vocalist/guitarist Noah Ruona acknowledged as much onstage saying that last year's Homegrown show "opened a lot of doors" for the then-new band which Ruona announced Friday has just finished tracking its debut album attendees still clustered at the front of standing-room sections on either side of Sacred Heart Sacred Heart has taken on a new significance While few Sacred Heart shows have explicitly spiritual overtones there's an unmistakable sense of reverence surrounding the venue daughter of Parker and Alan Sparhawk (also of Low) she sings and plays drums and Omnichord: a vintage electronic instrument that resembles an autoharp you might find in the Mos Eisley cantina The Homegrown program describes Willem Dafoe Fan Club's music as "slowcore," an alternative music genre closely associated with Low comforting new song Willem Dafoe Fan Club closed with (sample lyrics: "It’s OK to cry / let the tears well up in your eyes") stirred the emotions of the Homegrown audience makes a striking sight as well as sound: They may have the best hair game at Homegrown Ruona sang from under a capacious coif that would do Roger Daltrey proud while Sparhawk's dark hair hung in twin braids and emerged in twin swoops at her temples with Marshall attentive on bass and Ruona's guitar ranging from sparse accents to clouds of squall Willem Dafoe Fan Club creates songs of drone-like constancy that the twin vocalists swoop out of and around and one that will surely find listeners well beyond Duluth when the group's album drops and the Langertsons also filled the former sanctuary for their 7 p.m Closing out the night at Spirit of the Lake Rory Van James made good use of the room's superb acoustics Surrounded by hanging works in a chicken-themed art show (even a stained glass window was poultry-adorned) Van James brought his striking vocal instrument to bear on a set of songs that were chill but weighty imagine if Mason Jennings had the voice of God Former churches were only two among 14 venues at play Friday night but their success highlighted Duluth's love for history capacity for creative reuse and abiding respect for the power of live music — especially during the season of renewal DULUTH — Some big names are coming to the area this week It's hard to communicate just how popular comedian Nate Bargatze is right now and one of those shows is already sold out John Williams' work on the original "Star Wars" (1977) may be the most influential film score of all time since at a time when filmmakers were delving into everything from rock to electronic scores the blockbuster success of "Star Wars" and other Williams-scored films made the sound of a symphony de rigueur for a new generation of cinematic spectacles and where better to celebrate than the country's best railroad museum The Lake Superior Railroad Museum will mark the occasion with special tours snacks and train movies along with rides on a railroad speeder (a small car used to move to and from work sites) and opportunities to learn about other local attractions and railroad organizations One mark of Bent Paddle Brewing's impact is the distinctive nomenclature it's coined – Duluth Fire Department responded to a report of a structure fire on the 700 block of W Third Street at 9:57 pm the evening of Sunday Crews say they discovered fire visible on the porch of a duplex Tenants were attempting to extinguish the fire with a garden hose when the crews arrived Firefighters from Downtown and Lincoln Park stations the knocked the fire down Two residents were displaced and are being assisted by the American Red Cross but there was some damage to an interior wall The incident is under investigation by the Duluth Fire Marshal Damage to the structure is estimated at $15,000 Center City Housing held a groundbreaking on April 30 Courtesy of Center City HousingPlayListenConstruction underway for 90 units of affordable housing in DuluthGo Deeper.CloseCreate an account or log in to save stories We have added it to a list of your favorite stories the city of Duluth will have 90 more units of low-cost housing developers and housing advocates celebrated the construction of two new apartment buildings in the West Duluth neighborhood These projects will focus on providing housing for long-term homeless adults and those with disabilities Nancy Cashman is the executive director of Center City Housing She talked to Minnesota Now host Nina Moini about the need for affordable housing in the area Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation We attempt to make transcripts for Minnesota Now available the next business day after a broadcast MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all Transcription services provided by 3Play Media One of my favorite things when I was just a lad in Duluth was when the Shrine Circus would show up especially when the three rings were operating at the same time The circus in 1958 at the Duluth Curling Club I remember the most as this clown happened to notice my eyes glued to him and he climbed up over a couple of rows of bleachers and sat down next to me kid?" he called out as my parents looked on Then he shook my hand and told me his name was Dutch What I recall next was him pulling out his handkerchief as if he was going to blow his nose Why he chose to come sit down with me I wasn’t quite sure I remember looking beyond the makeup he was wearing and somehow feeling like I was looking at a man who was lonely and concealing a lot of pain He seemed like someone I wished I knew better kid,” and he headed back down toward the main floor A couple of days passed and the circus had left town so I walked around his garage checking out the cars that had been brought in for him to work on ’56 Ford wagon over in the corner with the Kentucky license plates.” “That was brought in two days ago,” Willy answered He didn't have the funds to fix his tranny.” and I recall tearing up a bit reading the scripted name stenciled onto the driver's-side door: "Dutch O’Neil." In the back of the car was an air mattress and a couple fishing poles but Willy told me he had taken a Greyhound home to Kentucky in hopes of retrieving money to cover the repairs and for some reason or another he singled me out of the hundred of kids who were there watching the performance and he climbed over the bleachers and took an empty seat next to me And now to find out he can’t pay to repair his car is a bit much Had I known at the time I met him that he was living in his car I would have made an attempt to help him out in some way I went on the internet and learned he was from down south DULUTH — It might not be the name of the event but it was a regular puzzle-palooza as hundreds of people inside the Lake Superior Ballroom at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center spent Saturday looking for edges and interjambs during the annual Duluth Jigsaw Puzzle Contest into a microphone to kick off a round of competition it was a race and not only were the contestants' eyes on the various pieces “We're double to what we had last year as far as teams go we were like 'Wouldn't it be great if this was something we could bring to the DECC?’ But it was like a pipe dream it wasn't like something serious and to bring it to the DECC and just explode in attendance is a dream.” Karin Stedman of Cloquet and her mother Beth Boatz of Blaine “We've just always done puzzles as a family like growing up,” said Stedman “We first saw the contest advertised in 2016 and we've been doing it every year since and we just enjoy a little bit of competitive nature and puzzling.” Being that we’re two hours apart in distance it gives us that chance to spend some time together,” added Boatz The daughter-mother duo successfully completed a puzzle before noon in one hour was part of a group of four teachers and puzzle enthusiasts with Roseville Area Schools — District 623 which they represented with special shirts “It is packed today because we have signed up for three competitions so it's like a stamina thing also in addition to the challenge but this one was fantastic,” said Grucelski “You could always be moving and always puzzling and not get frustrated at all As the team named “Puzzled Poodles,” the clock wasn’t on their side “Put as the last-place team on there,” joked Ethington The Puzzled Poodles needed more than the maximum 90 minutes in their round to complete their puzzle But if success is measured in smiles and laughs festivities for the contest kicked off Friday evening with a free-for-all-ages Puzzle Social and Swap at Wild State Cider in Duluth (ABC 6 News) — Immigration enforcement officers temporarily detained two people in Duluth on Thursday The company that hired the workers says they make sure everyone working under their umbrella is legally employed The men were released after about 30 minutes and went back to the job site “ICE HSI is tasked with enforcing the business community’s compliance with federal employment eligibility requirements and has the responsibility to conduct comprehensive worksite enforcement initiatives targeting employers who violate employment laws any alien determined to be in violation of U.S if ordered removed by an immigration judge or other authority subject to removal from the United States.” Any person with disabilities who needs help accessing the FCC Public file should email news@kaaltv.com or call (507) 288-7555  He was born in Hennepin County on September 3rd Joan Doreen Pederson passed away peacefully on May 1 DULUTH — Kolmë Sauna will launch an upscale sauna accessory line this weekend during the annual Sauna Days in Two Harbors will be held from noon to sunset Friday through Sunday “This event had small beginnings and has grown exponentially in both guests and leaders in the industry,” Auerbach said in a news release “This is not a trade show or expo; it’s a relaxed event that offers educational presentations and celebration of the cultural richness of sauna.” Kolmë Sauna owner Zach Lamppa is a second-generation Finnish entrepreneur born and raised on the Iron Range in Virginia “My parents and my grandparents would speak Finn around me and I just grew up with that Finnish heritage-type lifestyle,” Lamppa said The company name "Kolmë" (pronounced "Cole-a-May") is the Finnish word for "three," representing Lamppa’s three children Before turning up the heat in the sauna industry from oil and gas construction to water testing it is a place to go and meditate or decompress the sauna was a familiar event that entailed biscuits and coffee The quaint tar-papered buildings of his past have since morphed into luxurious sauna options that Lamppa said his grandfather “wouldn’t even be able to comprehend,” ranging from vessels to trailers Just in the last few years is the first time I've ever been in a sauna with a picture window that's $800 a square foot,” Lamppa said we're filling that void in the market with a high-end accessory line that can match the aesthetic and the quality of your sauna.” The Finnish ritual of sauna exploded during the COVID pandemic as many turned to it as a wellness practice As the production of saunas reached an all-time high Lamppa recognized a gap in the market for accessories such as quality buckets Lamppa said having American-made and -sourced products places his new company in a unique position to thrive Lamppa partnered with artisans Tony Elliot on the design of a three-piece set which includes a 2.5-gallon bucket made of copper and element-resistant cedar Koppy served as a woodworking instructor at Lake Superior College for five years and Elliot is an engineer by trade who also forges exotic metals Kolmë has tested various species of wood that are conducive for a hot Handmade by these Minnesotan artisans and using locally sourced the Kolmë sauna buckets are built to withstand the heat better than plastic The material is sourced from Duluth Millworks The exclusive sets are priced from $1,250-$2,000 appealing to discerning buyers in upscale resort communities such as Aspen “The sauna isn't just limited to the state of Minnesota or the Midwest,” Lamppa said “The sauna has been an acceptable means of bathing and detoxifying across the globe for a long The current lead time on Kolmë Sauna products are six to eight weeks due to being built in small Customized engraving is available upon request The Kolmë Fine Sauna Goods retail location at 500 S features a showroom of the wood and products I'd like to see the whole manufacturing process here in Duluth And that obviously comes with sales,” Lamppa said Kolmë’s first major client is Clyde Ironworks in Duluth which bought nine customized sets to place inside the saunas of each room of the new Clyde Iron Hotel "I was very impressed with craftsmanship and the quality It's a really a special set," said Alessandro Giuliani "I have great comfort with what he's doing because I know all the effort he's put into it just based on the quality of the product that I've been able to see so far." Lamppa also collaborated with the College of St Scholastica's Small Business Agency for marketing support marking the education system’s first joint-venture partnership of its kind “They helped bring two really high-end students to the table to help me with this product launch as well as future social media,” Lamppa said passed away peacefully at home on Saturday May 3  She was born in Duluth on September 2  She was a very active member of the Family of God Lutheran Church and was affectionately known as the little mighty baker  She loved vegetable and flower gardening  Her sense of humor went unmatched along with the joy she got from teasing the grandkids  Donna and Russell loved watching their grandchildren compete in sporting events Duluth police were instructed to impound all automobiles found to be operated by motorists whose driver's licenses have been revoked or suspended judges have the authority to order the removal of license plates from cars driven by such motorists “At the height of my son’s psychosis,” a patient’s family member wrote we would be another family destroyed by addiction and mental illness my loved one celebrated two years of sobriety and recovery.” Proposed cuts to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and National Institutes of Health threaten the safety and lives of Minnesotans As clinical social workers specializing in early psychosis We witness the pain of symptoms when care is delayed: arrests this is the painful reality of early psychosis Psychosis usually emerges in adolescence or young adulthood and involves losing touch with reality: hearing things that aren't there and thinking in disorganized or delusional ways it can lead to years of mental health and social difficulties Federal support from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and National Institutes of Health has built a network of research and clinical programs across the country that transform the lives of young people with psychosis Minnesota is a proud home to six early-psychosis clinics in Minneapolis Cloud that are all part of a national network Federal cuts threaten the crucial treatment and research taking place in these clinics This work means the difference between stability and crisis Early intervention saves lives and saves taxpayer dollars by preventing costly ER visits federal grants that fund these programs are at risk of being cut Losing these programs would be a deadly mistake stands at the brink of a public health emergency Suicide rates remain tragically high among teens and young adults The proposed cuts also threaten the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline used over 25,000 times by Minnesotans last year Reduced funding would result in slower response times and fewer follow-up services a critical loss in a state where suicide is the second-leading cause of death in youth Suicide risk increases by 60% in the first year of untreated psychosis with the highest risk in the first three months Early-intervention programs reduce suicide deaths by a third we abandon people at their most vulnerable moments according to one of our patients: “At some point in life but nothing makes you truly feel ‘crazy’ until you start hearing voices It’s not just unsettling; it’s deeply demoralizing with paralyzing fear I found something to hold onto: a first-episode program for people like me people thrown into the chaos of a terrifying diagnosis (and) unsure if they’ll ever climb out Thousands of Minnesota families rely on programs funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and National Institutes of Health Now is not the time to cut mental health care That means investing in programs that keep people healthy and connected We urge Minnesotans: Don’t let these cuts go unnoticed Ask them to protect early-intervention programs and research They’re the difference between despair and recovery between falling through the cracks and finding a path forward One of our patients put it best: “Hope doesn’t feel like a sunrise — it feels like a door you thought was locked clicking open.” That door only opens when we invest in real care for real people Melissa Rosewall Polski and Jewels Lindholm are clinical social workers specializing in early intervention for first-episode psychosis and bipolar disorder more than 50 volunteer firefighters subdued a forest fire at Pike Lake near Duluth in an all-day struggle More than 40 acres burned in the blaze started by a farmer burning his meadow leaving behind 95 direct descendants — four daughters 54 great-grandchildren and 17 great-great-grandchildren Thomas was born in Michigan and lived in Spruce Grove and Detroit Lakes before moving to Itasca County 37 years ago a Superior seaman aboard the freighter William P Clair to rescue a 20-year-old woman who was the sole survivor of a light plane crash into the lake on the St The woman is hospitalized in critical condition have been deluged with letters and emails from people angry that Jennifer Wilbanks who claimed she was kidnapped but later admitted to having run away to avoid her own wedding Connie was sister to James and Donna.Born and raised in Duluth Mn graduated from Central High School.Connie married Kenneth Holmgren having 3 children:James (Nancy) HolmgrenChristine (Larry) Ceplair-HolmgrenJack (Lynn) HolmgrenLater marrying Robert Heise with whom she traveled the country enjoying life.Connie’s love for her family including 4 grandchildren welcoming family and friends to her table for coffee and the evening cocktail.Making her signature graham cracker cakes lemon bars for each of her children on special occasions along with Connie’s world class knitting were cherished gifts for everyone In honor of Connie a private gathering will be held at Sunrise Cemetery May 17th DULUTH — PhoHolic Vietnamese restaurant is adding a second restaurant on London Road in the former China Cafe spot according to an employee reached for comment Its existing restaurant is at Central Entrance after more than 20 years of serving up Szechuan and Cantonese cuisine The building at 1623 London Road was listed for $1 million in April 2024 Anticipated to open in July following a full remodel the new PhoHolic restaurant will offer more space for dine-in In the waning days of the Constitutional Convention in 1787 who was a political activist and Philadelphia socialite We forget that the framers were working in secret and that no one outside a small circle knew what they were doing They were charged by the Continental Congress with the task of amending the Articles of Confederation But most of them — including James Madison and George Washington — knew the articles weren’t strong enough to stand the test of time Franklin’s response has reverberated through the ages echoing off ballots when we cast them each election We’ve strived to live up to the creed in the Declaration of Independence that all people are created equal and that life and the pursuit of happiness are inherent rights of all people and science that our founders could never dream of it probably has rarely met — the aspirations of the Declaration of Independence One of the most accurate predictors of life expectancy is a person’s zip code The health disparity between neighborhoods is stark We have greater wealth disparity in our country right now than we’ve had since before the Great Depression We have the kind of disparity Jefferson feared and called “the artificial aristocracy.” Through the framework of the Constitution — and with blood and protest — rights that were once reserved only for landowners were slowly While the founders had an incredible vision for democracy And not a single woman signed any of our founding documents they laid the groundwork for a democracy that has lasted and that has survived a civil war and reckonings on gender We’ve spent the last 250 years fending off the demons the founders saw lurking in the shadows They knew the Constitution was far from perfect and was riddled with compromise not the least of which were the three-fifths clause and the limiting of power to landowning men The imperfection was reflected in a speech Franklin delivered the same day he was asked that question by Elizabeth Powell He wrote that other forms of government have descended into despotism — governments run by kings and tyrants — and that our government could have the same fate He knew that the power and promise of a democratic republic only begins with the Constitution; it cannot be sustained by the Constitution alone The people have to choose to keep it and can keep it by voting our democratic republic constantly renews itself that all men are created equal and are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights and the pursuit of happiness.” All these years later amazing words from the Declaration of Independence for granted it marked the first time in history anyone had thought to write down such sentiments What does the Declaration of Independence mean today and contacted their representatives in response to the silence from Congress and the actions of the current administration to trample on the fabric of the republic established 250 years ago Next year will mark 250 years since the founders declared our independence and our values Now is a good time for us to take stock of who we are How has the pursuit of happiness evolved in 250 years What will the next renewal of these fundamental values look like We get to write this next chapter together We get to start the renewal at our choosing Chad McKenna lives in Duluth and is a political and labor organizer  Because she trusted in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior a beam of particles has been aimed at northern Minnesota trillions of ghost-like particles called neutrinos are shot from an accelerator near Chicago they pass through the Earth for 500 miles and up to 6 miles below the surface as if nothing were in their way they reach a laboratory built along the Ash River just outside Voyageurs National Park But of the trillions that started their journey from the U.S Department of Energy's Fermi National Accelerator Lab just one or two per week are detected by the lab’s 50-by-50-foot detector spanning 200 feet The elusive particles rarely collide with atoms The detector is an array of PVC siding filled with baby oil and a small amount of chemical that flashes when a charged particle passes through it allowing researchers to chart a particle’s path on a computer screen Since researchers know exactly when the neutrinos are fired from Chicago and would arrive at Ash River they can filter out the constant barrage of naturally occurring cosmic rays that the detector also picks up leaving them with a visualization of a neutrino hitting an atom a professor in the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Department of Physics and Astronomy and director of the NuMI Off-Axis νe Appearance said the research shows how a neutrino changes “flavors," or forms a spokesperson for the NOvA project and a professor of physics at William & Mary said there are three “flavors" of neutrino: electron “Most of them are changing into that tau-type neutrino but some small fraction of them are changing into the electron-type neutrino,” Vahle said “And so that's the piece that NOvA wanted to study What fraction are turning into electron-type neutrinos?” Habig said this basic fundamental research helps “figure out the shape of everything so that sooner or later somebody smarter than us with more information can do something we never thought of.” “If you don’t figure out what even pieces of the puzzle there are then your grandkids who are trying to assemble the better mousetrap don’t even have the pieces to work with,” Habig said That basic research is key to understanding the universe’s most common particle “They are the most abundant matter particle in the universe so we want to know how they interact,” Vahle said It hasn’t even been 30 years since researchers found evidence that neutrinos had any mass The lightweight particle is maybe a millionth of an electron they're so super common that there's probably as much mass sloshing around the universe in neutrinos as all the stars and planets and stuff that you can look up and see.” but some have suggested applications for this research such as placing a detector on the border of a hostile state to pick up neutrinos shed by a weapons program’s nuclear reactor The neutrino beam isn’t aimed directly at the Ash River lab it points to the Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park a physics professor at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities began studying whether protons are stable or fall apart With a lab nearly a half-mile underground in the retired iron ore mine the layers of rock and earth above filtered out most of the naturally occurring cosmic rays or particles from space (Habig said several pass through your head every second) That eliminated most of the background particles making it easier to see what reached the detector he did detect naturally occurring neutrinos leading to the construction of a steel neutrino detector in 2003 Fermilab near Chicago aimed its long-range neutrino beam at the detector some 450 miles to the northwest and deep underground The Main Injector Neutrino Oscillation Search experiment and Cryogenic Dark Matter Search wrapped up work in the Soudan Mine in 2016 the more than $200 million Ash River lab was complete and detecting neutrinos shot from Chicago Ash River is another 50 miles further from the beam’s origin “We wanted to build something better,” Habig said “So we wanted to back up and give them (neutrinos) more time to change before we get to Voyageurs (National Park) and then Canada.” Ash River doesn’t have a half-mile of earth to filter out cosmic rays and it’s also a little bit to the west of the beam’s direct path The neutrino beam resembles the spread of shotgun pellets more than it does a straight thin line as neutrinos spread out the further they get away from their source near Chicago By placing the Ash River lab on the edge of that researchers intercept only the neutrinos that “all took exactly that same left turn.” but we know much better what that thing coming in looks like,” Habig said the Ash River facility will soon be replaced the NOvA lab sensor has been recording cosmic rays and naturally occurring neutrinos A transformer at the Fermilab facility in Illinois failed last year and it isn’t expected to be repaired until next summer researchers hope to deploy a series of glass balls tethered to the lakebed approximately 650 feet beneath the surface of Lake Superior “The big shotgun of neutrinos is going right through Lake Superior,” Habig said the University of Minnesota Duluth’s research vessel took water samples of the site’s water column and dropped a vertical cable full of temperature and pressure sensors to record data at different depths over a few months in preparation for next year’s experiment and researchers will be able to detect an artificial neutrino in a large body of water — something that hasn’t been done before The neutrino sensors had previously detected natural neutrinos in the Mediterranean Sea Researchers tried a similar project in a water-filled mine pit near Hoyt Lakes but were unable to intercept the neutrinos from Fermilab it will allow NOvA to collect another six months or so of data before it’s shut down in 2027 “So we're hoping that we will take one final slug of data before then,” Vahle said which has been directed at northern Minnesota for the last two decades deep underground in an old Black Hills gold mine work on the next generation of neutrino detector is underway “It’s a lot of work to build and operate and then kind of sad to take it apart,” Habig said of the NOvA lab SUPERIOR — There's a certain type of person who makes being a musician look absolutely miserable (Scroll through Pitchfork and you'll spot a few.) None of those were in evidence Thursday for the Duluth Homegrown Music Festival's annual Superior Night crowds packed six venues for 18 sets of music by artists from Junkyard Mule — who kicked the night off after the mayor's reception at Superior Tavern — to Cars & Trucks Photographer Clint Austin and I took in a sampling seym0ur glass took the Superior Tavern stage Salinger character who spells his name with capital letters and without a zero seym0ur glass is the electronic project of Ned Netzel who dropped dollops of heavy lo-fi as the crowd lazily batted a latex inflatable around encouraging attendees to overcome their Midwestern hesitance and fill a gap on the floor in front of her Good cheer marked the singer-songwriter's set which brought her wide dynamic range to bear on emotive songs flecked with elements of soul and jazz including one about how she had just completed a 20-mile bike ride and a subsequent skinny dip before toting two guitars to Superior The Main Club was buzzing as Kaylee Matuszak prepared to take the stage with her new band (The gag is that both bassist Cory Jezierski and drummer Leon Rohrbaugh are in fact husbands .. Matuszak recorded her 2024 LP "Leading Lady" with Rich Mattson and Steve Solkela songs like "Call Off the Dogs" and "COLOR TV!" came alive much to the gratification of a crowd that squeezed forward yet still found some room for dancing Matuszak didn't miss a beat even when the amplifier cord detached from her electric guitar; she kept right on singing as she plugged the ax back in and resumed strumming "I love when there's a problem and I immediately know how to solve it," Matuszak said with satisfaction a virtual fireplace that was playing on one television near the stage helped convey a sense of warmth not that the room needed it as eager attendees prepared for a set by Woodblind long favored for its bonhomie and sophisticated musicianship With Jason Wussow and Veikko Lepisto at the band's core it expanded Thursday to a "Woodblind Jubilee Super Big Band" with upward of nine musicians including Jen West on duet vocals — and Teague Alexy hopping on stage for a rapturously received appearance "That was a who's who of Homegrown history up there," Austin said Given a stage area that seems almost to sink into the room's back corner at least one person was moved to climb atop a bar stool for a glimpse of Hiroko and her bandmates You would never have guessed it wasn't a summer Saturday from the energy of the audience raising hands high above their heads to clap for a set that brought out the driving energy of Hiroko's smartly crafted songs having already played a blistering Sunday night set with her Riot-Grrrl-inspired band C U Next Tuesday Hiroko closed with her debut single "Ashes," noting that it was recently released on Spotify — where her artist bio describes her as "Duluth May 3 to correct the name of drummer Leif Hinkel in a photo caption Duluth’s floating museum opened for the season on Friday “Since we were going to scrap when the Irvin was bought by the city a lot of the stuff is original to the ship because they thought it was going to become scrap metal We got really lucky to create this museum that we have today,” said Mary Glad allowing visitors to explore at their own pace They also have a “seek-and-find” book to keep kids engaged while touring By popular demand, the museum is offering paranormal tours on June 13 and August 26. A full schedule of their events and tickets to visit can be found here I never understood how anyone could fall for an email scam from a Nigerian Or a threatening phone call from a fake IRS agent Until that Friday night when a stranger named Clyde rang my doorbell The sun was just going down and before saying a word he smiled hopefully while pointing to the walkway beneath my feet The concrete walkway leading to our front door had a wide crack and was buckled from years of snow It needed repair and was a dangerous liability Clyde was offering to have it repaired cheaply without my having to contact some big concrete company that would probably not consider such a small job without grossly overcharging for it He said the construction company he worked for just finished up in the neighborhood and had leftover concrete to get rid of in a hurry I agreed while silently congratulating myself for refusing his request for money upfront I saw a woman in the driver’s seat before they pulled away and I started to lose faith that I’d see him again Clyde was back to report that the truck had returned to the ready-mix plant but that if I gave him $50 he would purchase a bag of concrete mix and still do the job since But I liked Clyde: His youth and friendly eye contact reminded me of students in my English classes And even as I was growing more skeptical of the business with the cement truck I went along because I wanted to believe him and needed what he was selling I’m embarrassed to disclose the rest of the story: He came back with a $6 bag of cement from Menards which he dumped into the crevice in the sidewalk and then spread and smoothed the mush with his bare hands I have since learned I am just one of countless victims of the classic “unsolicited door-to-door concrete repair sting” perpetrated for years in cold areas Up North and places like Duluth And though I felt foolish for trusting Clyde it did help me understand why certain relatives and friends still trust the Fox cable news network after all that has happened writer Mary Coppins’ “Growing Up Murdock” detailed how Fox News CEO Rupert Murdoch settled a defamation lawsuit with Dominion Voting System in which he agreed to pay it a gargantuan $787 million in order to avoid a trial that would expose the lies by Fox anchors that Dominion’s machines were rigged for President Joe Biden in the 2020 election Coppins also referenced the explosive text messages exchanged among Fox’s anchors in which they angrily complained about being forced to lie on television in order to rescue their TV ratings “Sydney Powell is lying,” wrote Tucker Carlson to another staffer about Trump’s lawyer’s contention of election fraud which Carlson was loath to stand behind Viewers had been switching to other TV stations when Fox was not saying what its right-wing regulars wanted to hear especially after the network accurately projected a Trump loss of Arizona on election night So the anchors were ordered to change direction and lie and to maintain that the election was stolen which got them their audience and ratings back All of which led me to wonder how five of my highly educated relatives and friends who have had successful professional careers could continue to stomach Fox’s sycophancy and partisanship or take anything seriously that the network reported Knowing also that they are way too savvy to swallow everything Fox dishes out I learned through emails with one of them that he watches Fox the same way I watch Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert whose late-night TV bits are exaggerated or fake in order to make fun of the far right: We tune in since they make us smile and provide vindication about our own political views Discerning MAGA folks succumb to Fox for the same reasons I did to Clyde and in the same way I currently do to Kimmel and Colbert is that the fake news on the late-night shows is done for laughs The Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office in Oklahoma is asking for help finding a 16-year-old girl Wathena Frost (Nikki) was last seen at 11:30 p.m on May 1 at her home in the rural area of Quapaw The Sheriff’s Office says she is possibly with Jeremy Sertich (33) of Duluth Or the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office at (918) 542-2806 the Duluth Fire Department responded at 9:57 pm to a report of a structure fire on the 700 block of W Third Street Crews arrived to find fire visible on the porch of a duplex they found the Tenants were attempting to extinguish the fire with a garden hose Crews from downtown and Lincoln Park stations knocked the fire down Two residents from one unit were displaced and are being assisted by the American Red Cross Duluth Fire thanks its partners at the Duluth Police Department and Saint Louis County 911 Dispatch for their assistance in the incident response with a small amount of damage to the interior wall of one unit DULUTH — Former Minnesota Duluth defensemen Neal Pionk and Dylan Samberg played over 40 minutes each Sunday night for the Winnipeg Jets in a come-from-behind 4-3 double-overtime victory over the St Louis Blues in Game 7 of their first round series Pionk had three assists and finished with 46 minutes He was credited with the primary assist on the game-winning goal after his shot from the blue line nicked Blues center Oskar Sundqvist and Jets’ captain Adam Lowry — who was given the goal — en route to the back of the net with 3:50 left in the second OT A #Game7 that @NHLJets fans will remember forever ✈️ #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/et3zln3Nzn Winnipeg lost defenseman Josh Morrissey early in Game 7 on Sunday leading to extra shifts for the five remaining defensemen Samberg logged 44 minutes as the Jets face a quick turnaround for the second round Samberg and Pionk are two of four former Bulldogs playing for the Jets this postseason along with former UMD forwards/linemates Alex Iafallo and Dominic Toninato Iafallo was on the ice for two of the final three Winnipeg goals while Toninato — playing in his third NHL postseason — suited up for the second time in the series Toninato and Pionk were teammates on UMD’s 2016-17 team that lost to Denver in the NCAA championship in Chicago The coach of the Pioneers was Jim Montgomery Samberg won back-to-back national championships at UMD as a freshman in 2018 and sophomore in 2019 while he and the Bulldogs shot at a three-peat was dashed by COVID-19 in 2020 The four “Winnipeg Bulldogs” are the only UMD alumni remaining in the Stanley Cup Playoffs after Justin Faulk and the Blues were beaten on Sunday Mikey Anderson and the Los Angeles Kings lost in the first round to the Edmonton Oilers Matchups are set. It’s time to make your picks... 👀Tag the teams that'll make it to the Finals! 👇 pic.twitter.com/128jduYatp Three former UMD Bulldogs are chasing a second-consecutive Professional Women’s Hockey League Walter Cup championship while seven are seeking their first PWHL postseason title this spring The defending champion Minnesota Frost will take on the Toronto Sceptres in a best-of-three series that begins Wednesday while the Montreal Victoire host the Ottawa Charge beginning on Thursday Fourth-seeded Minnesota is the defending champs and returns three former Bulldogs from last year’s title team in forward Michela Cava defenseman Maggie Flaherty and goaltender Maddie Rooney The former UMD goalie enters the postseason second in the league in goals against average at 2.07 THE GOAL THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING 🚨Kateřina Mrázová's OT thriller sends @PWHL_Ottawa to their first-ever PWHL postseason! pic.twitter.com/LD5BFry4Ua The third-seeded Charge are making their first postseason appearance after missing the inaugural tournament The Charge and Frost both needed wins Saturday — the final day of the regular season — to get in the playoffs with the Frost needed two regulation wins in their final two games to get in who then needed an overtime goal by Mrazova — playing Saturday with a broken hand — to get in Montreal is the top seed and got to choose its first round opponent Former Bulldog Catherine Daoust has been a reserve player for Montreal this year Annika (Linser) Rankila is the lone former Bulldog playing for second-seeded Toronto but has dressed for just three games this year This story originally listed the incorrect start date for the second-round series between the Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars We wrap up the weekend on another sunny day for much of the area Temperatures will have a strong gradient around the region due to a light east-northeast breeze Along the shore from Duluth up through Grand Marais highs look to stay in the low 50s for a pleasant but much cooler spring day than we see inland and then once you get out towards Grand Rapids Monday will see similar overall conditions but not as harsh of a temperature gradient from the shoreline to the Arrowhead while the rest of the Arrowhead will still hold on to the mid-70s for a beautiful start to the work week with plenty of sunshine a wind shift to out of the west will send North Shore highs up towards 70 before we track a few clouds moving in for a cooler midweek but we are still tracking a warmer stretch returning by Mother's Day Weekend Sam Haugen’s RBI double broke a lengthy deadlock in the top of the 10th inning as Esko went on to win 6-4 on Saturday A leadoff walk and a one-out single set up Haugen for the go-ahead hit Jamis Halverson pushed in an insurance run by drawing a four-pitch walk with the bases loaded Luense completed his winning relief outing with a pair of strikeouts striking out six and walking four to go with a 3-for-5 day at the plate Starting pitcher Jackson Peterson and Conor Sullivan added two hits apiece The win slipped away late for the Hawks on Saturday at Centricity Park at Fichtner Fields in Hermantown RBI singles from Jimmy Barsch and Cam Lukovsky put Hermantown in front 2-1 after three innings and all the way until the seventh The visitors got a clutch two-out hit from Cam Noland that drove in the tying and winning runs Ethan McCubbin had a pair of hits for the Hawks Hermantown starting pitcher River Freeman hit his pitch count with one out in the seventh inning after allowing two runs on eight hits Max Berrisford and Aaden Westerbur combined to hold the Lumberjacks to a single hit over five innings on Saturday Berrisford retired the first 10 batters he faced before a Brody Dushkin single in the fourth inning Westerbur cleaned up the fifth inning on the mound but only after driving in four runs Junior Lucero was also 2-for-3 and drove in three for Marshall (9-0) The Spartans dug their way out of a 6-0 deficit to win on Saturday the Spartans found themselves trailing big after just two innings the rest of the way with only two hits allowed and one miscue the rest of the way Superior’s bats woke up in the fifth on a three-run homer from Melania Luostari and with two-out and the bases loaded in the sixth Ari Robillard delivered a go-ahead grand slam Luostari and Mattie Schilling had two hits apiece Taylor Morley had a big day for the Wolverines throwing 14 consecutive shutout innings in back-to-back wins Ayla Troutwine had a three-run homer and an RBI single Morley allowed three hits and a walk and struck out five more Scott and Morley all had RBI doubles in a four-run third inning Allie Jones had a two-hit shutout on Saturday in a three-game day in Becker but the Lumberjacks dropped the final two games of the day Lilly Witte and Emma Parks had two-hit games for Cloquet against Osseo Cloquet had a 9-8 edge in hits but trailed from the first inning on Addison Shay and Kendal Gustavsson recorded three hits apiece but the Bluejackets couldn’t overcome allowing four runs in the top of the first inning on Saturday A single point proved the difference in the boys competition at the 69th annual Doc Savage Invite at Cheever Field in Hibbing on Saturday with Hermantown edging the hosts 165-164 Martin Sleen was a triple winner for the Hawks but stayed on the ground to win the 100 (11.08 seconds) and 200 (22.1) Aidan Adamski proved unbeatable in the throws the senior reaching 136-9 with the discus and 44-11 in shot put Hibbing won four individual events and a relay Hibbing scored 147 points to win the girls’ title Temperatures will be cooler by the lake today with shoreline communities only reaching the 40s to low 50s and some areas towards Brainerd will even reach the low 80s Similar conditions are in store for this upcoming week as an Omega Block formation sets up across the U.S High pressure over the Upper Midwest will be stuck between an upper-level low over the southwest and one over the Ohio River Valley this means calm conditions and above-normal temperatures Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east in the morning North wind 5 to 10 mph becoming east in the afternoon So much change is happening at the federal level that it is hard to keep up and hard to know how the changes might affect you and the people you care about Getting lost in all that are big questions being raised about the rules for nonprofit organizations This could have a big impact on you if you work at or benefit from a nonprofit — which is everyone in Minnesota and the whole country we should all be concerned about keeping philanthropy out of culture-war battles If nonprofits are dragged into culture-war battles then what is defined as “charitable” could switch back and forth creating big challenges for nonprofits and those who rely on them The risk may be easier to see right now if you are concerned about issues like climate change or support for refugees or anything related to diversity But even if you don’t care about those issues you should be worried that the federal government could block you from giving to something you care about Preventing this requires keeping the definition of “charitable purpose” broad — broad enough to include things you like and things you might not like but maybe your neighbor likes We all should also be concerned about keeping charities out of politics You may not have heard of the Johnson Amendment It is a rule set back in 1954 that prevents public charities from endorsing candidates and other political-campaign activities imagine the pressure on nonprofits to align their political activity with donor preferences This could affect community clubs and associations and all kinds of nonprofits serving people — and pets Imagine what we lose if nonprofits are no longer a haven for civic good where we can work on problems together and across political differences Nonprofits have long been one of our country’s greatest strengths They enable us to work together to do good things we see inspiring work by nonprofits in the 87 counties and 11 Native nations across Minnesota every day Keeping nonprofits out of partisan politics will require a whole lot of us to speak up It is a question of whether the federal government can tell any of us what issues we can and can’t care about and support Not only is this a big constitutional issue it would undermine one of philanthropy’s most essential roles Philanthropy is able to raise issues and offer help in areas not already addressed by the government If the federal government intervenes in philanthropy and aligns it with government priorities we will lose a strength and a freedom that has been critical for the entire history of the country Minnesota is known for our charitable spirit and the strength of our charitable organizations they feel secure knowing there are zoning restrictions These restrictions are a mutual agreement between the buyer and the city players shouldn’t change the rules while playing Duluth made a deal with Woodland-neighborhood buyers but now is changing the rules and reneging on the deal How can citizens trust their government when that government is not trustworthy Leave the current zoning restrictions alone Email submissions to: letters@duluthnews.com Only names and hometowns will be published the Minnesota Legislature has a chance to show what bipartisan partnership looks like by passing a capital investment These bills fund critical infrastructure projects across the state or the Range Association of Municipalities and Schools and local leaders from across Northeastern Minnesota are calling on the Legislature to pass a bonding bill in 2025 to address the urgent needs of our region Outdated water and sewer systems threaten the health and safety of our communities Aging wastewater plants no longer meet environmental standards These aren’t just local problems; they’re statewide responsibilities This infrastructure may be buried underground but its importance couldn’t be more visible Bonding bills aren’t just about pipes and pavement; they’re about people They support local economies and attract new private investment by making communities more livable and business-friendly they offer relief to towns that can’t afford to make the improvements on their own local governments face the impossible choice between raising taxes or letting infrastructure fail It's about doing the right thing — for all of Minnesota and our future depend on infrastructure that works Northeastern Minnesota — and the entire state — can’t wait Widespread fog is likely early this morning Temperatures will be in the upper 40s to 50s near the lake we will reach the 60s to the low 70s in the afternoon The Wisconsin Fishing Opener Weekend will be sunny and warm and we will likely have similar conditions for the Minnesota Fishing Opener next weekend will mean high pressure over the Northland for the next several days This will keep conditions calm and warmer than usual for this time of year it will be a fantastic week for spending time outside as it finally feels like spring Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast in the morning