family-owned Hermantown bowling business that added a host of other attractions over the decades is planning to expand to the Twin Cities Skyline Social & Games aims to begin construction this summer on its second Minnesota location, planned for Apple Valley's sprawling Orchard Place development The new family entertainment center is set to span over 97,000-square-feet across an indoor and outdoor facility a dozen cornholl courts and four bocce courts included in the list of attractions Photo courtesy of Skyline Social & Games "Skyline has earned its reputation as the Midwest epicenter for league play," the company wrote in its pitch to the city of Apple Valley noting the Hermantown center hosts over 600 teams during the summer months the facility is proposed to operate from 11 a.m The Apple Valley Planning Commission voted unanimously April 2 to recommend approval of the plan Skyline Social & Games. Rendering via city of Apple Valley. By  Christine Schuster is a St which features a swimming beach and splash pad in the venerable Farmers and and Mechanics Savings Bank building with criminal charges indicating the driver's actions were intentional Minn.- The Proctor/Hermantown Stealth hosted Columbia Heights on Friday night It was all Stealth as they defeat the Hylanders 16 to 1 Ella Rothe led the Stealth in goals with four Proctor/Hermantown is back in action on Saturday Unable to provide repairs needed for city compliance the owner of as mobile home park in Hermantown announced closure plans we got the latest update on what was happening over at Maple Field The court has ordered the landlord to present himself in person on April 8th for an evidentiary hearing 54 lots fill the mobile home park known as Maple Field The location rents 46 mobile homes units with the remainder of the dwellings occupied by owners who pay to lease the space in the park tenants have been receiving notices of termination as the owner of the park seeks to close the park because of the hazard living conditions The place has fallen into disarray as over a year ago the city of Hermantown received complaints about hazardous conditions the Building Official of the City of Hermantown found that there were indeed hazardous conditions in not only one unit but majority of the units State partners and Hermantown Officials visited and found that the units were not in a complaint state or not even having steps outside fire doors The city approached the owner several times throughout the last year and required repairs With “the only actual financial expenditure we’ve seen go out towards park repairs is approximately $900,” said Brandom Holmes the Building Official As some continue to have open sewage on the ground and some trailers who have fallen through their bedroom and living room floor Holmes explained how things went with the court “The courts have issued several orders primarily requiring that the landlord initiate repairs comply with permitting requirements based on state and federal law that the landlord rehoused those people in hazardous units.” When a handful of tenants received notices of a month to leave before termination “I bought Maple Fields with the hope of fixing up units to provide high-quality budget housing given no notice of the extend of structural issues and repairs that had gone unaddressed for years.” He went on to say: “I can find no pathway to bring the operation of Maple Field to current city of Hermantown requirements After more than a year of looking unsuccessfully for creative solutions to keep Maple Field open I made the difficult decision to close the park I Have greatly valued out tenants and will continue to work to help them find new housing for our community” The city of Hermantown has been working alongside local businesses to help provide and make sure that the people who live in Maple Field do not suddenly become homeless Those who own and are leasing are protected by Minnesota law of an at least a year notice to leave but those on monthly leases are in a more precarious situation there are no permits since the court ordered permits to be applied for have even been applied for Engineers have not assessed the units for safety The city of Hermantown had another hearing with the court asking them to issue an order to make sure their previous orders are followed through with There has been no response for the court so far The court has granted the city of Hermantown’s request and has ordered the landlord to present himself in person on the 8th of April for an evidentiary hearing where he must show good cause or he will be held in contempt of court for failing to comply 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 HERMANTOWN — The owner of a mobile home park that has fallen into disrepair is now threatening to close the operation rather than execute court-ordered repairs have notified residents of Maple Fields Mobile Home Park that they must vacate their homes a move that has triggered additional legal action A Monday court filing on behalf of affected residents asks Judge Shawn Pearson to block the proposed evictions and nullify notices that have been sent had barred Elevated Management from engaging in any form of retaliation against mobile home residents who had raised concerns about the park's condition stating that if she did not vacate her mobile home by March 31 LaCourse said his clients acted within their rights when they notified Hermantown city officials of rental violations but are now being threatened with consequences for their actions “Defendants refuse to make the repairs and now issued termination notices in response,” LaCourse wrote “Defendants would not be closing down the park or issuing termination notices if not for this lawsuit and the reports to the city of Hermantown.” When contacted by the News Tribune through his attorney Tuesday Schneeberger provided the following statement: “I bought Maple Fields with the hope of fixing up units to provide high-quality budget housing given notice of the extent of structural issues and repairs that had gone unaddressed for years.” He went on to say: “I can find no pathway to bring the operation of Maple Fields to current city of Hermantown requirements After more than a year of looking unsuccessfully for creative solutions to keep Maple Fields open I have greatly valued our tenants and will continue to work to help them find new housing in our community.” Hermantown Building Official Brandon Holmes says Elevated Management has done little to demonstrate good-faith efforts to rectify issues at the mobile home park we have not seen any real money spent on any sort of repairs,” he said “I think the most we’ve seen spent on repairs is $900 they appear to have money for law firms to fight the order But they aren’t willing to put money into fixing the park for the residents.” That $900 outlay occurred in early 2024 and was used to clear and reconnect an obstructed sewer line Holmes said the previous repair was not done in a compliant manner with proper permitting “but at least something was done.” I have seen no compliant repairs done by any qualified or licensed individuals,” he said “I have mandates under state law that I can’t not enforce and I want to see people kept safe,” Holmes said “But I also never want to just make someone homeless with no recourse on their end — with nowhere to go I’ve been trying to coordinate with county officials in case it comes to the point of people being made homeless.” Holmes described the current set of circumstances as “a very difficult situation where we really need the courts to enforce their own order so that people can be made safe.” Maple Fields rents 46 mobile home units in the 54-lot park with the remainder of the dwellings occupied by owners who pay to lease space in the park These individuals also have been advised that they must leave Maple Fields This prompted Minnesota Assistant Attorney General Katherine T Kelly to notify Schneeberger that residents who own their mobile homes are entitled to advance notice of at least a year that they will need to relocate you cannot close Maple Fields within the next 12 months and comply with Minnesota law based on the documents this office has reviewed.” Many other Maple Fields residents have been living on short-term month-to-month leases Even if the mobile home park is allowed to close soon Holmes said it is his duty to ensure that during the interim residents have safe “I’m very concerned that if people do have to leave at the end of the month that people are not going to have new housing lined up by then I’m hopeful that’s not what’s going to end up happening here Molly Edwards, an advanced practice registered nurse and certified nurse practitioner specializing in family medicine, is thrilled to join the Essentia Health-Hermantown Clinic She has spent the last two years working for Essentia in the same role at the Essentia Health-Ely Clinic and is excited to bring her expertise to the Hermantown area “I chose to practice family medicine at Essentia because I am interested in caring for patients throughout the lifespan from birth to elderly,” said Edwards “I also enjoy the wide scope of care and variety that is provided in a family practice setting.”  Edwards received her education from the College of St She is certified by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners “Managing our health is oftentimes a difficult task,” said Edwards “I want my patients to feel comfortable coming into the clinic to seek health care and asking questions and leave them feeling that they want to come back again.” please visit EssentiaHealth.org and click on “find a doctor.” Like most websites, we use cookies and other technologies to keep our website reliable, secure, and to better understand how our site is used. By using our site, you agree to our use of these tools. Learn More Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application while doing one of his favorite things: fishing Lonnie enjoyed developing relationships with others through playing Lonnie had the ability to converse with anyone he crossed paths with; anywhere he went Organized sports were a big part of Lonnie’s life; he enjoyed the competition and camaraderie that came with being part of a team where Lonnie began forming friendships by joining the town's Little League baseball team Lonnie graduated from Biwabik High School as a baseball and basketball standout Lonnie continued to play basketball collegiately; first at Mesabi Community College and then at the University of Minnesota Duluth Lonnie began his professional career in Virginia It was there that he met and developed a relationship with his wife of 43 years where they went on to raise three children together Lonnie most loved Pam’s selflessness Lonnie was a lifelong banker and often voiced great appreciation for his work friends and clients Lonnie was also deeply grateful for his community Lonnie held many volunteer positions throughout his life including serving on the Hermantown Little League He dedicated countless hours to coaching hundreds of children and football in the Duluth and Hermantown area Lonnie returned to his love of fishing for walleye and crappies and embracing the well-earned freedom of retirement Lonnie was a calming presence and a trusted friend He was equally engaged as a grandpa; playing on the floor alongside the grandchildren Lonnie held a special place in his heart for all the family pets Lonnie will be remembered as a man of strong faith He loved his family deeply and was very proud of his involvement in the community Warren (Jackie); and countless other loving relatives and friends Visitation will be held from 5:00 - 7:00 pm Friday preceded by a visitation at 10:00 am.  the family asks those who wish to express sympathy to consider a donation to The Catch Your Moment Foundation All funds donated will support efforts towards hosting a Lonnie Swartz Memorial Fishing Tournament on Island Lake in the summer of 2025 Please include your name and Lonnie's name in the memo line of your donation Checks can be made payable to: Catch Your Moment Foundation Venmo or PayPal donations can be made to - @catchyourmoment Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors — True North Goodwill held a packed grand opening for their new Hermantown location It was packed grand opening today for new Hermantown flagship location after construction for the store took 8 months The 8000 square foot store front offers a wide selection of household items The new store was filled with lots of smiles as customers filled the rows looking at unique treasures with check-out lines stretching far into the store’s aisles “This is a major upgrade from the previous location,” said Scott Vezina the director of communications and marketing for True North Goodwill “We are looking at about 8000 square feet of sales floor compared to about maybe 5000 at the other location One thing that we’re always in need of more is household items True North Goodwill will also be oping up another facility in West Duluth in May at the Atlas Industrial Park The new facility will be a resource and training center The center will serve as a community hub providing education opportunities support services and work readiness and exploration The facility will also be the company’s new regional territory headquarters for Ture North Goodwill Northern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin HERMANTOWN — Sometimes it seems like homefield advantage is a little overstated in high school baseball — particularly in northern Minnesota With schedules thrown into a blender by the early spring weather seemingly on an annual basis it sometimes seems more a question of “who has turf” than playing on any particular home field the Hawks’ field was closed for renovations A new turf field was constructed along with new dugouts reopening this spring as Centricity Park at Fichtner Fields Tuesday's Proctor game didn’t go as well as last week's against Denfeld The Rails' Tyler Berglund rallied from a shaky start to keep the Hawks at bay in a 5-2 win even a “home game” in Proctor or at Wade Stadium Nor is having all your practices in the gym or on the football field “It was just tiring to think about even,” Freeman said “You’re playing four games a week and you’re traveling every single game — it just gets to be a lot and it really wears you down.” The Hawks did “figure it out” down the stretch ending the season in the elimination bracket finals against eventual Section 7AAA champion Grand Rapids all those games without a real home field felt like something a little more akin to Little League than varsity baseball but it’s also left Hermantown appreciating its new field even more “It wasn’t easy to do all that,” Lukovsky said “But now that we’re actually able to get out here and practice it’s been a lot more fun too — it feels a lot more like high school sports.” the turf has allowed home games earlier than Freeman’s seen in his time at Hermantown we have not played a home game this early in the year — half the time our field was still underwater at this point it’s beautiful out here and I’ve really enjoyed it.” There are still a few finishing touches to be made to the field — like the installation of the scoreboard in the next couple of weeks — but it’s nice to have a place to call home “We’ve been on the road this whole time,” coach Troy Warren said “It's nice to see people show up for the home team I think it’s going to help our program in the long run just because everyone’s excited about the new field With the early afternoon mist and rain Tuesday in Hermantown the game against Proctor would likely have been postponed on the old natural surface field they have three more Section 7AAA teams and they still have their eyes on getting to the state tournament something the Hawks haven’t done since 2013 we have a lot of guys playing in big roles who don’t have much experience,” Lukovsky said they’re all willing to learn and work hard so I think it’s going to be interesting to see what we can do this year.” The Hermantown School Board has proposed budget reductions for the 2025-2026 school year Reductions were discussed at Monday night’s School Board meeting where the district said there is an expected spending deficit this school year of about $350,000 and general costs of inflation are all factors “Next year we’re projected to be at about $1.3 million budget shortfall said Hermantown Superintendent Wayne Whitwam “Originally we were going to try to cut a half million but then at the last boarding meeting I recommended we go up to $750,000.” The plan to get the school back to a balanced budget calls for that initial $750,000 cut followed by $450,000 cuts in the two following school years and not filling positions of staff who are retiring While the administration and school board work to get back into the black the teacher’s union wants to make sure that they’re part of the talks everyone is so different and has such different experiences and maybe they have kind of a creative solution that we just haven’t thought of yet,” said Brent Chouanard-Nguyen a Hermantown teacher and president of the Education Minnesota local 1096 “We just want to make sure that we are looking at all different avenues of where can we make some of these other cuts so we don’t have to lose people.” The Hermantown Schoolboard is expected to vote on the proposed cuts during it’s March 10 meeting Proposed reductions & savings estimates: The School Board is expected to vote on the cuts at their March 10 meeting Minn.- The Cloquet softball team hosted Hermantown in a Lake Superior Conference battle on Thursday the Lumberjacks picked up their tenth win of the season with a 6 to 4 victory over the Hawks DULUTH — An incumbent and two new members were elected to the Hermantown School Board according to unofficial results Wednesday morning an implementation project manager at UnitedHealthcare followed by first-term incumbent Ashley McFarland and nurse practitioner Eric Griffith (20.76%) The nonpartisan board members are elected to four-year terms Board members Lindsay Clauson and Heather Holst did not seek reelection an attorney representing several of the concerned residents informed Pearson on Tuesday that he had consulted with all but one of his clients and they had been willing to resolve the case as part of a draft settlement agreement proposed by the defendants While LaCourse explained that he had yet to consult with one of his clients he said he would prefer not to move forward with the case until he could and said a settlement agreement likely was within reach Hermantown City Attorney Gunnar Johnson said he had only been informed about the basic framework of the prospective settlement agreement within the past 90 minutes or so Until he had an opportunity to review the document in greater detail Johnson said he was not prepared to drop the case and remained in a legal holding position Judge Pearson ordered Elevated Management to make repairs to the 54-lot Hermantown mobile home park Elevated Management owns and rents mobile homes on 44 of those lots The remainder were occupied by mobile home owners who leased the land on which the units were situated said that as the cost of needed repairs became evident her clients determined that it was no longer feasible to continue operating Maple Fields and notified residents of Elevated Management’s intent to close the park Pearson raised concerns that Elevated Management had acted in a retaliatory fashion by threatening to evict tenants who did not move of their own accord even with the owner’s offers of returned safety deposits and transitional assistance Issues flagged at the park included: failed plumbing; sewage spills and backups; unsafe wiring; inadequate egress to ensure fire safety; caved ceilings and floors due to water infiltration; inadequate anchor systems; holes and gaps that let in the cold and rodents; and unreliable access to running potable water Johnson said the city of Hermantown takes housing violations seriously throughout the community whether they involve mobile homes or other types of dwellings and will take steps to ensure all residents have a healthy and safe place to call home Given the current state of affairs at Maple Fields LaCourse said the pending settlement agreement appears the best likely alternative the agreement will mean moving out and moving on,” he acknowledged allowing time for additional details of a prospective settlement agreement to be negotiated Huyser requested that any questions for her clients be sent via email following the hearing neither she nor Schneeberger had responded to queries from the News Tribune Huyser explained earlier that her clients did not recognize the state of the property and the amount of deferred maintenance that had accrued there when they acquired the park a few years ago Maple Fields has been listed for sale since its legal battles began in late 2024 LaCourse said mobile home parks have long offered a valuable option for people seeking affordable housing in the region and expressed his hopes that Maple Fields could return to operation under new ownership or other such parks may spring up to fill the void left by its closure HERMANTOWN — A report produced by an independent consultant shows the Hermantown school district's special education needs improvement Special education consultant Michele Mogen discussed the report with the Hermantown School Board on Monday The report highlights issues with individualized education plans (IEPs); a lack of cohesion among the special education departments at different education levels; the need for more communication and collaboration among staff; and the need for more evidence-based curricula to be implemented "I do want to comment that throughout this process it's very apparent to me that your entire staff and specifically the special education staff and everyone seems motivated to do what's best for the students," began consultant Michele Mogen "This is a snapshot of your district based on one set of data points like an MCA (Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments) test result." Mogen stated that she contacted staff via surveys and a review of special education documentation She said that a lot of the staff were appreciative that someone was asking them their opinions on the state of things but that they "also expressed doubt that anything would come out of it." One of the most significant areas of concern to Mogen was the development and progress of IEPs which are written plans for students with disabilities that outline the students' needs and ways to help them make educational progress Mogen said she saw many "boxes are being checked the paperwork is being generated," but that not a lot of information is changing from one year to the next which could be grounds for a substantive complaint "Lots of paperwork that was narrative-based," she said but it’s hard to write goals and objectives based on a narrative It’s hard to collect data on a narrative and then demonstrate progress She identified two areas in IEP development where the Northern Lights Special Education Cooperative would be helpful: in the creation of more data-rich descriptions for IEPs and the creation of data tracking tools to measure and report progress Mogen said relationships between the schools and the Northern Lights Special Education Cooperative need to be further developed to help fill the gaps Another concern is a lack of communication and collaboration between staff in and out of the special education department paraprofessionals don't have enough time in the day to meet with the special education teachers to talk about progress and collaborate general education teachers aren't always collaborating with special education teachers and paraprofessionals "Probably one of the biggest barriers I saw in this district," Mogen said "is that everyone reported valuing collaboration but there was very little evidence of it actually occurring There was a lot of on-the-fly in the hallway The system does not really support the teachers being able to collaborate outside of their same group." Another issue Mogen outlined was a lack of cohesion between the different levels of special education Staff at the elementary school don't seem to know what the staff at pre-K do regarding special education and staff at the high school aren't aware of the system at the middle school "It's a disconnect that results in a lot of assumptions being made about the levels above and below them," Mogen said She recommended cross-training for the special education departments so that there's more awareness Mogen also noted a lack of evidence-based curriculum for the special education departments "I think your new TOSA (teacher on special assignment) is working on that but there's just a lot of people generating their own stuff," Mogen said but it's not very effective in specialized instruction There's little evidence of any kind of evidence-based curriculum that has a scope and a sequence to it." Superintendent Wayne Whitwam said he'd received the report barely 24 hours before the school board presentation and that he was still reviewing and digesting it "I went through and highlighted stuff and started thinking about what we can do at what level to work on this," Whitwam said "We have our next executive cabinet meeting next Friday principals got it last night so we haven’t had time to develop a plan yet." School board Chair Tim Peterson asked further specifics about whether the district was "out of compliance" regarding special education Mogen replied that they would be considered out of compliance in some areas "What I'm hearing is not heartening," Peterson said Mogen responded that the district has "pockets of brilliance." The staff develop meaningful relationships with the students and that should be celebrated," Mogen said "But when you start getting into the whole provision of special education services We need to go with the intent and develop that further." HERMANTOWN — The Hermantown School Board has proposed $750,000 in cuts to district staff services and curriculum for the 2025-26 budget Board member Ashley McFarland said during the meeting Monday that the board has been "extremely conservative." "It was less than five years down the road (that) if we didn’t make these first corrections we’re essentially turning the school over to the state,” said McFarland but next year has got us deficit spending at $1.3 million,” he said the district would lose two paraprofessionals from the elementary school and a playground paraprofessional These eliminated positions would save the district an estimated $78,000 The district has multiple upcoming retirements and two of those vacated positions would be replaced under the proposed budget With the outgoing teachers at the top of the pay scale Whitwam said the district is looking at saving $60,000 if they’re able to hire new teachers on the lower end of the pay scale the district plans to eliminate the business elective and won’t replace a retiring social studies teacher adding a combined $206,000 back to the budget Whitwam noted during the meeting that this would likely result in larger class sizes for social studies but that many students elected for post-secondary enrollment options through local colleges for social studies classes “Some of this is right-sizing,” Whitwam said of the staffing cuts and adjustments the district proposed reassigning positions in the middle school and high school math departments with a half-time position instead The budget also includes the loss of an assistant track coach and the removal of German 1 language classes for a reduction of $57,000 There’s the possibility for German language classes to be eliminated altogether in the next few years and need for further budget cuts down the line Hermantown’s media specialists have worked a few extra weeks into the summer their employment would now end with the regular school year The proposed cuts also include $60,000 in reduced contracted services for maintenance the district also reviewed plans to cut $50,000 from both the curriculum and technology budgets The school currently sets aside $400,000 for curriculum and another $170,000 for technology which help pay for new school equipment and updating school devices Another $18,000 would be redacted from the $50,000 capital equipment budget which goes toward maintaining school property like desks and chairs you don’t ever get them back,” Whitwam told the board the district will remove one nurse from the middle school to serve as a one-on-one licensed practical nurse in order to reduce the need for outside services While originally the district was looking to reduce next year’s budget by $500,000 Whitwam said that he believed taking a more aggressive approach this year would be better in the long run The district anticipates having to cut an additional $450,000 next year and the year after before their budget is stabilized “It’s only going to get harder,” Whitwam said with the potential for new mandated expenses from the state to contend with like unemployment insurance and sick leave state funding would offer little relief in regards to budget shortfalls Even if the state were to pick up those expenses McFarland cautioned that current cuts would still be necessary “Even if all the good things shower down on us that's all just less we have to cut next year It doesn't change anything with the scenario that we have in front of us right now because we're that far behind that,” she said While no action was taken during Monday night’s meeting on the budget the board intends to vote on the proposed cuts during the March 10 school board meeting Proctor baseball came out on top in a resilient win over Hermantown giving up just one earned run in the second inning striking out the side to solidify the Rails win The Rails move to 4-0 while Hermantown falls to just 1-1 Proctor turns to take on Esko on Friday at 4:30 in a big section matchup while Hermantown will look to bounce back against Hibbing on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m Kohanski was teammates with Zam and Max Plante and Ty Hanson at Hermantown High School in 2021-22 when the Hawks won the Class A title he was third on the Hawks in scoring with 21 goals and 37 assists Pitcher River Freeman christened Hermantown’s new baseball field in style throwing a complete-game one-hit shutout of Duluth Denfeld on Wednesday Freeman struck out nine and didn’t walk a batter over his seven innings taking a no-hitter into the last inning before Brett Lapcinski recorded a double for the Hunters’ only hit Denfeld also had two batters reach base on errors Jacob Evason and Micklain Martalock carried the offense Evason doubled in the game’s first run in the bottom of the second then added two RBIs on a single in the fourth Vinny Udd worked all six innings for Denfeld allowing four runs (two earned) on the four hits Gavin Willeck drove in six runs and pitched six innings as the Panthers dominated on the road in Cloquet on Wednesday scoring two runs in both the first and second innings Willeck had an RBI double in the second inning a bases-clearing triple in the third and RBI singles in the fifth and sixth Blake Olson also had a big day at the plate going 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and three RBIs allowing four runs (three earned) on six hits Nico Gentilini had a pair of hits for Cloquet The Wolverines came up shy during a pair of games on their home field in Eveleth on Wednesday Jaxson Lamppa drove in one Rock Ridge run when he reached on an error while Tyler Reid followed with an RBI single but Bemidji allowed just one hit the rest of the way Thunderhawks pitcher Sam Dick was too much to handle in the other game as he fanned 10 Wolverines and allowed just two singles and a walk in a complete game Will Kemp took a hard loss for Rock Ridge despite allowing only one run on two hits and three walks but the Thunderhawks made Klaus Jones’ RBI single in the first inning hold up for the win Keira Leach went 3-for-4 with three RBIs as Esko prevailed on Wednesday Leach’s two-run double in the fourth inning made it 7-6 and after Proctor tied it again in the top of the sixth Clara Swanson and Brooklyn McKibbon had two-hit games for the winners Lexi Gomez and Savanna Verhel had two hits for Proctor Cloquet pitcher Allie Jones mowed down 11 Greyhounds on Wednesday at Ordean East Middle School in a one-hitter Rylie Goranson had a 2-for-4 game with two RBIs and six other Lumberjacks recorded hits East’s Amity Sjerven homered to lead off the second inning for the only major blemish on Jones’ ledger Kyler Black scored all of the Hilltoppers’ goals as they claimed a come-from-behind victory over the Lumberjacks at Members Cooperative Credit Union Stadium in Cloquet The Hunters swept to a win on Wednesday and took all the sets while Cailen Suomala and Ethan Ames prevailed by the same score at No 1 doubles over Kieran Kilsdonk and Allen Welch Mateo Watson came closest to a win for Stella Maris with Lenny Jennings taking a close decision 7-5 The Greyhounds left no crumbs on Wednesday while Hans Humphreys and Henry Wizik claimed their point by the same total at No a mobile home park that has fallen into serious disrepair has been ordered to appear in court April 8 to defend himself against contempt charges Judge Shawn Pearson has notified Elevated Property Management LLC and its owner that party representatives will be expected “to show cause as to why the court should not enter an order finding you in contempt of court for violating the court’s orders.” the order cites Elevated for notices it sent to tenants notifying them of the limited liability company’s intent to close the park and informing them that they faced eviction if they did not leave voluntarily by the end of March the court ordered the defendants not to retaliate against tenants who had raised concerns about the park's conditions including failed plumbing; sewage spills and backups; unsafe wiring; inadequate egress to ensure fire safety; caved ceilings and floors due to water infiltration; inadequate anchor systems; holes and gaps that let in the cold and rodents; and disrupted access to running potable water Elevated appeared willing to address needed repairs but then company representatives notified Maple Fields tenants of plans to close the park there is prima facie (based on first impression) evidence indicating that defendants have violated this court’s orders," Pearson noted he wrote: “Defendants now have the burden to prove that the notice to quit was not served in whole or part for a retaliatory purpose.” indicated that her client is acting out of financial necessity rather than any desire to retaliate Elevated had collective monthly profits of just $6,000 with 29 of the 44 rental homes on the site now vacant tenants have been allowed to discontinue rent payments and several have been temporarily lodged in hotel rooms at Elevated’s expense “Defendants no longer have the financial ability to even pay the mortgage on the park property let alone invest in repairs,” Huyser wrote Hermantown building inspector Brandon Holmes said he would have no choice but to force the closure Hermantown City Attorney Gunnar Johnson suggested Elevated Properties had engaged in constructive eviction through disregarding needed repairs over the past few years the cost to fix the damage continued to mount Elevated has offered to forgive outstanding debt and to help cover the cost of dislocated tenants finding new shelter an attorney for several Maple Fields residents expressed concerns that an across-the-board closure could force some to become homeless due to the shortage of affordable housing in the Duluth area Huyser agreed it’s a difficult situation.“Defendants acknowledge the frustration for tenants defendants cannot provide housing in perpetuity for free She pointed out that the rental tenants occupied their homes on month-to-month leases and were being provided with more than a month’s notice of Elevated’s plans to close Maple Fields The fate of Maple Fields and its residents remains to be determined pending Judge Pearson’s decision following a scheduled April 8 court hearing HERMANTOWN — Candidates for Hermantown School board will face off Nov Five candidates are vying for three spots on the school board: Jodi McShane Age: 53Occupation: Executive director of Welch Center Inc dba Valley Youth CenterEducation: Bachelor’s degree in urban planning and administration University of Minnesota DuluthPublic service: Members Cooperative Credit Union Board; Skyline Rotary Club; Leadership Duluth alum; "20 under 40" winner; West Duluth Business Club Board; past member Hermantown Summer Softball Association; past assistant coach Hermantown recreational girls basketball and girls softball; supporter of girls volleyball what cause or initiative would you champion and how would you pursue it Accountability to higher education institutions when it comes to students and their pursuit of college credits before graduation Acquiring college credits before graduation is a huge financial benefit to our students but it comes at a cost to our school district (all districts) The funds that typically would come to high schools end up following the student to their desired higher ed destination I would like to see reimbursements back to high schools from the higher ed institutions in cases where upon graduation or they are required to take said courses again as college freshmen What is Hermantown Community School's greatest strength and how would you bolster it Hermantown has earned a high-quality level of successes in many schools-based benchmarks: scholastic performance intramural activities and high-level engagement with/from our community residents and businesses I would bolster this earned identity by following what is already set forth by prior HCS board members and offer quality conversations in future HCS district business pick up where former board members left off pursue education and training on being a school board member and be a quality steward of the boardroom while I am entrusted with the position What is Hermantown Community School's greatest weakness and how would you fix it The challenges that face our school district are challenges facing most districts with similar high-quality benchmarks and expectations The loss of funds to higher ed with little accountability when it comes to credit(s) transfer application and student retention through graduation needs to be addressed There should be reimbursements back to high schools when commitments are not upheld from the higher ed institutions Districts also face boardroom turnover risk When district boardrooms lose quality board members quality leadership replacements are needed vs candidates with axes to grind that can hinder quality Townsquare MediaEducation: Graduated from UMDPublic service: Throughout my radio career I have worked with many groups and organizations to spread awareness and participate or host events on their behalf I have also volunteered to coach Little League I would champion initiatives that create the best educational environment for our students and staff While that certainly means students getting a first-rate education it also means providing them with various extracurricular programs that help provide a well-rounded experience is to work together as a board and as a community Teamwork is crucial to overcoming all challenges and moving forward in a way that best benefits Hermantown Schools We are only as good as our teachers and staff and we’re fortunate to have a top-tier staff working within Hermantown Schools We must continue to put their best interests at the forefront of our plans and decisions as best we can as we chart our path forward We can continue to attract the best staff by striving to have Hermantown Schools be the gold standard I’m not sure I’d use the word "weakness," but one big challenge is the growing Hermantown population creating class size issues and an elementary school that needs to be able to handle that number of students This will be overcome by working with experts and those within our community and not just those with children in our schools While there is no “perfect solution” for any issue we can find solutions that work the best overall for the community Age: 41Occupation: Nonprofit executiveEducation: Master of Science political science and environmental studiesPublic service: In addition to serving on the Hermantown School Board for the past four years I have served on several nonprofit community boards including most recently for the Hermantown Legacy Fund and 218 Lax Valkyries I am also a member and volunteer at the Rock Hill Community Church The primary initiative I championed during my first term was expansion of Career Technical Education (CTE) offerings in Hermantown I strongly believe schools should provide diverse and purposeful opportunities for students to explore various pathways that will prepare them for the workforce I worked with several members of the community and school to secure funding to grow our CTE program and hope to build upon that foundation if I am reelected Leveraging my grant writing experience and relationships in the community I will seek additional funding to build capacity to support these burgeoning programs Hermantown’s greatest strength is that our school is the heart of our community residents rally in support of Hermantown youth in their various endeavors whether it be through business sponsorships or philanthropy so our district continues to offer the opportunities and spaces needed to provide a high-caliber education I also believe our district has earned its reputation because of the tremendous teachers staff and administrators that show up each day for our students We must do all we can so they feel supported and want to stay in the district Our region has several options for students to enrich their high school education through offerings at nearby colleges and universities any time a student leaves our building to seek education elsewhere students are leaving to take classes we offer within the district I believe we need to provide more robust experiences so that we can compete with the draw to take courses elsewhere I hope to continue working with the district to identify how to become more competitive and to secure resources necessary to retain students pediatric and adult endocrinology/diabetesEducation: Hermantown High School diploma; University of Minnesota Twin Cities Bachelor of Science in nursing; College of St Master of Science in nursingPublic service: Volunteer coaching (basketball Hermantown has many wonderful things happening and some challenging issues facing the school district One of the things that I would like to see is smaller classroom sizes for our elementary-age children Smaller classrooms means more time and resources can be dedicated to each student As Hermantown looks at infrastructure spending over the next four years I want to make sure that ample planning is done to not only meet the needs of the district now but to also meet the needs of the district in the future Hermantown remains a community where people know one another I want to ensure that the community of Hermantown remains entwined with Hermantown Schools I believe this occurs through communication and a welcoming spirit I would endeavor to keep this pipeline of communication open welcoming community members to events and participation in activities even if an individual does not have a student attending Hermantown I believe that our greatest weakness is the rapid growth of Hermantown This rapid growth is a testament to the Hermantown School District and the community of Hermantown at large we need to look creatively at spending and infrastructure development that will meet the needs of our school district in the future I will bring an open mind and willingness to seek out all ideas to find an equitable solution that fits within the financial constraints facing all school districts at this time Age: 43Occupation: Implementation project manager at UHC Education: Bachelor’s degree from UMD in communications this would be my first time serving on a board There are opportunities to improve transparency and communication between the school and parents It’s essential for parents to be informed about school activities decision-making processes and policy implementations Ensuring parents are aware of their children’s curriculum is crucial I would achieve this by utilizing existing tools direct emails and in-person forums to communicate with parents Hermantown Community School’s greatest strength is its sense of community I would promote this by actively participating in community events and attending school activities I would encourage others to engage by promoting effective communication and raising awareness about activities and community events One of the most pressing issues the Hermantown Community Schools face is its growing and desirable community which has led to limited space in schools for our younger students It is crucial to explore and discuss opportunities to expand the elementary school My project management experience would be valuable in this process I would contribute by welcoming all suggestions and exploring options that positively impact the Hermantown community Following other protests held in the Northland in opposition to President Trump a large crowd of demonstrators gathered in Hermantown to call on Representative Pete Stauber on February 23 those in the crowd chanted slogans and held signs denouncing the Trump administration Many also called on Stauber and other Republicans in congress to do more to “stand up” to the White House “The first thing is that I think they should rein in Elon Musk I don’t think he has any constitutional authority to be doing what he’s doing,” said Brian Vroman a veteran and member of Itasca Area Indivisible “I want them to assert their authority as a separate branch of government and not just cede all their power to the executive.” Vroman said that his group wants to talk to Rep but claims that despite attempts to get in touch with the office We’ve been calling his office both here and in D.C We’ve been asking for a meeting and he’s ghosting us And we don’t think that’s right Whether he agrees with on the issues or not he should be willing to talk to his constituents.” Protesters were gathered outside of Stauber’s office in Hermantown setting up along the intersection of Highway 53 and Lavaque Road Stauber’s office for an official comment on the protest but have not yet received a response with the Hermantown Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2nd Annual Job Fair and Business Showcase About 30 groups set up booths at the Aspirus St Luke’s Sports and Event Center in Proctor told us he was impressed with the variety of places that were there DULUTH — A former treasurer’s theft of more than $100,000 from a Hermantown school fund was “not just selfish but heartless,” a representative told a judge Thursday The embezzlement perpetrated by Trista Irene Swanson forced the Hermantown Parent Teacher Organization to suspend activities during the 2022-23 school year and important priorities like replacing a “crumbling,” 30-year-old playground remain unfulfilled she has taken from the whole Hermantown community,” Jaime Wentzel said has agreed to repay the full amount — though she acknowledged limited financial resources that will make it difficult “These thefts occurred over a long period of time and it’s degraded the trust,” Pearson said and of every child in the Hermantown schools who took over as treasurer following Swanson said the thefts came to light when the nonprofit was unable to pay for a bounce house that had been booked for an event deceptive puzzle started to come together,” she said in a statement read on behalf of the PTO’s leadership Authorities said she accomplished the thefts by writing checks to herself using the account debit card to withdraw cash directly and by making personal unauthorized purchases Wentzel said records indicate Swanson spent the money on a variety of personal expenses from various retailers to DoorDash deliveries to bowling and she speculated that cash taken in by the organization was likely stolen as well She said the thefts harmed more than 1,200 students as well as tarnished the organization’s name and called the reputations of innocent people into question “White-collar crimes are seen as less offensive to some than more violent crimes,” Wentzel said “but we want to express that this is not in any way a victimless crime.” Defense attorney Chris Stocke argued for a stay of adjudication which would allow the convictions to remain off her record upon successful completion of probation He said his client had a dysfunctional childhood and had a child killed by a drunken driver in 2013 She has no criminal record outside traffic offenses and is now going to counseling She pleaded guilty and agreed to pay full restitution but she’ll do her best to pay back every cent of that.” “I would like to apologize for any wrongdoing I did,” she said Louis County prosecutor Mike Ryan said he didn’t see “an appropriate amount of remorse or acceptance expressed” in her presentence interview with a probation officer He asked the court to impose the other option under the plea agreement: a stay of imposition That means the felonies will go on her record but can be deemed misdemeanors if she successfully meets all conditions or probation acknowledging Swanson’s background but citing the gravity of the crimes and a “lack of accountability.” “It’s everyone’s responsibility to heal the community,” the judge said Swanson said she currently could afford to pay approximately $250-$300 a month in restitution But Stocke indicated to the court she is likely to lose her job as a result of the sentences being entered on her record Signup for our newsletter to get notified about sales and new products Return to shop Moorhead extended their win streak to 15 with a pair of wins last week In the latter game Mason Kraft had two goals and two assists as he continues his torrid scoring pace Kraft now has 21 goals and 27 assists in the team’s 16 games, good enough for third in the state behind Rogers linemates Mason Jenson (23-28-51) and Parker Deschene (13-36-49). 2 Hill-Murray 2-1 last Tuesday behind a strong effort from senior goalie Cody Niesen who stopped 32 shots Luca Pedri scored the game winner in the third period for the Cadets who improved to 13-2-0 3 but rebounded after their loss to STA with two lopsided wins over Hastings (9-0) and Two Rivers (7-2) Boden Sampair had four goals in the win over Hastings with Logan Montpetit adding a pair of goals as well Sampair is committed to Holy Cross and now has 21 goals and 20 assists on the season They are 10-0-1 in their last 11 games and their only loss was to St Jenson and Deschene are putting together a strong season up front for the Royals who look to get through Section 5AA for the first time in school history losing 3-0 Saturday behind a shutout from STA’s Niesen and a pair of goals from Michael Mikan who leads the Cadets with 35 points (13-22-35) which seem to have a hold as the upper echelon of teams in Class AA No. 10AA Grand Rapids vs. No. 3AA Hill-Murray Hermantown started their week with a 3-3 tie with No 18 Proctor but finished strong with a 6-0 win over St River Freeman had a hat trick in the 6-0 win and now has 18 goals on the season Cloquet/Esko/Carlton took a loss to AA Sartell-St Warroad and Hibbing/Chisholm round out the top five as the Class A schedule heats up down the stretch Click the button below in order to sign into your account to renew your subscription update your payment method and much more.. 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Hermantown and Duluth Marshall earned pivotal home wins Duluth Marshall held off Esko 3-2 at Wade Stadium It was their first meeting since the 2024 Section 7AA title match The Hilltoppers scored two in the third and one in the fifth to lead 3-0 entering the seventh when Esko’s Jackson Peterson brought it their two runs Aaden Westerbur tallied one hit and one RBI and Charlie Hayden had two hits and one RBI for Marshall Duluth’s Owen Marsolek pitched 11 strikeouts in 7.0 innings while Esko’s Peterson threw seven strikeouts in 6.0 innings Duluth Marshall (2-0) is next scheduled to host Aitkin Wednesday Esko (2-1) next takes on Two Harbors Thursday at 10 a.m Hermantown christened their brand new turf at Fitchner Field shutting out Duluth Denfeld 4-0 in the Hawks’ season opener while Mick Martalock went 2-2 with one RBI for Hermantown The Hawks’ pitcher River Freeman allowed just one hit in 7.0 innings while throwing nine strikeouts Hermantown (1-0) is next scheduled to host Proctor Tuesday Denfeld (0-4) next hosts Chisago Lakes Friday at 3 p.m A Hermantown team that has spent much of the boys basketball season near the bottom of the Lake Superior Conference turned the tables on a Cloquet team that had been hanging out near the top upsetting the Lumberjacks 74-64 on Wednesday March 5 in a Section 7AAA quarterfinal at Cloquet Middle School Five players scored in double figures for the Hawks then scored 42 more points in the second period Alex Schott scored a team-leading 16 points for the sixth-seeded Hawks while Sawyer Senst added 14 and Blake Sundland 13 Hermantown (5-22) will play at second-seeded Hibbing in the section semifinals on Friday night Cloquet got 22 points from Jack Battaglia and Jacob Nelson 15 but their season ends with a record of 18-9 The Bengals employed a trifecta of scorers to put away the Greyhounds in a Section 7AAAA quarterfinal on Wednesday night in Blaine Three Blaine players scored 20-plus points: 23 from Nanno Gemta and 22 apiece from David Diamond and Shiloh Ayitey The Greyhounds got 20 from Ty Nyberg and 13 from Aaron Anderson-Bonner The fifth-seeded Cardinals fended off a surprisingly strong challenge from No 12 Cook County on their home floor on Wednesday but Cromwell-Wright finally pulled ahead by scoring 40 second-half points while Brady Dahl scored 16 and JJ Skalko-Olesiak connected four times from 3-point range in a 14-point game Denali Blackwell led Cook County with 28 points The Cardinals advance to face Littlefork-Big Falls in Saturday’s section quarterfinals at 12:30 p.m Ayden Cappo led the way with 22 points as Cherry cruised through its first postseason test on Wednesday night in Iron Mason Heitzman added 20 points and eight rebounds while Carson Brown scored 10 and dished out nine assists Cherry’s win was one of several for the 7A favorites as all eight second-rounders were won by the home teams on Saturday in Esko in the first of four quarterfinals to be followed by Littlefork-Big Falls and Cromwell/Wright at 12:30 From minor code violations to a condemned status potentially forcing some residents out as temperatures plummet – In a mobile home park in an affluent suburb of Duluth an 11-year-old girl sleeps next to a wall where water leaks into an electrical outlet floors cave under carpeting and ceilings sag throughout the odor of mold masked by scented candles Sewage spills from one unit to the ground outside and several residents in the Maple Field park of more than 50 homes are without water Residents say they’ve made repeated requests for improvements especially when it comes to problems that pose threats to public health and safety and the region’s acute affordable housing shortage has them hamstrung where are we going to go?” resident Amy O’Donnell asked as her husband revealed a toilet shattered by a heaving bathroom floor The city of Hermantown alleges several misdemeanor crimes in a complaint filed against the Twin Cities-based owner of the park where every single one of the homes has at least one code violation Calls made to park owner Steven Schneeberger Hermantown building official Brandon Holmes began receiving anonymous complaints as soon he was hired early this year: unpermitted work lack of water during freezing temperatures exposed water pipes daisy-chained from one home to the next and electrical supplies draped across roofs and zip-tied to walls Residents detailed buying supplies and making their own repairs when complaints went unanswered He eventually found that about a dozen homes are in severe disrepair was one that had been without water for months after a line failed and flooded A caving roof was held up by a two-by-four The resident’s complaints to the owner and a maintenance worker had gone ignored Louis County to find alternate housing for the resident he had filed a lawsuit against the park owner he had been the first resident to allow Holmes in Hermantown’s complaint alleges several misdemeanor crimes including failure to provide safe living structures and potable water and sewer connections to all units Corrective actions have been ordered by the city and the state but the little work that has been done continues to be unpermitted and substandard calling living conditions “deplorable” and the situation a “park-wide failure.” Maintenance of manufactured homes can be difficult but he’s never seen anything so dire in his career “The last thing we want is to see people hurt or displaced and we’re starting to run out of time,” Holmes said “A lot of this is related to being provided with drinking water and bathing water which they’ll lose most likely in these freezing conditions.” An email provided to the Minnesota Star Tribune shows that Schneeberger told residents they shouldn’t allow Holmes entry noting those who owed rent faced eviction by a potential new owner He knows the new owner will fix the homes and yet he feels compelled to troll around put notices on doors and spread rumors and fear,” the email reads He started calling for help immediately and was repeatedly told a plumber would come the Minnesota Assistance Council for Veterans began working with him after learning of his plight Members of the Red Cross delivered water this week as 10-degree weather set in and fierce winds whipped through the area County and state officials also began working with those with frozen pipes The Minnesota Department of Health confirmed it was working with Hermantown on the situation The department inspects mobile home parks annually but declined to provide Maple Field’s records The state Department of Labor and Industry which has authority related to plumbing in manufactured homes The city has also solicited help from the state Attorney General’s Office and has referred tenants to a free legal aid service The mobile home park’s apparent condition is atypical for the state president of the Manufactured and Modular Home Association of Minnesota The majority of manufactured homes in parks are owner-occupied and some that aren’t are in cities where inspections are required by city ordinance a city of 10,200 where more than 75% of residents own their homes doesn’t have a rental ordinance that dictates inspections The majority of units in Maple Field are rentals The park is nestled against a forest and has little traffic with lots of families with kids The tow truck driver has tried to find something with fewer problems that doesn’t cost more than the nearly $1,000 he pays per month now He asked the owner to move them to another unit but “he wanted to raise my rent to move me away from the problems he won’t fix,” O’Donnell said Kelsey Miller was without a working stove for two months and is forced to block off holes in her floors so her kids and cats don’t fall through She just wants improvements made so her family can live the life they hoped for when they moved here two years ago They were homeless before moving to the park “We thought it was going to be a decent place to live,” she said Jana Hollingsworth is a reporter covering a range of topics in Duluth and northeastern Minnesota for the Star Tribune. Sign up to receive the new North Report newsletter. Duluth “We remain committed to our mission of sharing Palestinian culture and cuisine albeit in ways yet to be determined,” its owners wrote The program placed occupational therapy graduate students in regional classrooms but students are more diverse than they used to be and their families are choosing different kinds of schools In the Section 7A boys hockey quarterfinals Tuesday 4 Proctor earned wins to advance to the semifinals RELATED STORY: Section 7AA boys hockey semifinals set as Rock Ridge holds off Duluth East 8 Moose Lake Area 9-0 at Northwoods Credit Union Arena The Lumberjacks scored three goals in each period Bobby Thornton and Luca Gentilini each scored two goals while Jordan Sewell had one goal and two assists the Rebels’ Eli Gilbertson made 51 saves while CEC’s Jacob Iallonardo made eight 5 International Falls 4-3 in overtime at the St The Rails led 1-0 after the first thanks to Austin Bryant The Broncos scored first in the second from Kaden Korpi but Proctor’s Breckin Ross (power play) and Tanner Ross made it 3-1 after two In the third William Yerxa scored on the power play for International Falls then Korpi scored his second to tie the game 3-3 where Cooper Annala scored the game-winner for the Rails just 36 seconds in Kane Thompson made 30 saves while Proctor’s Brayden Mclean made 14 1 CEC will faceoff in the Section 7A semifinals Saturday 7 Greenway 16-0 at the Hermantown Hockey Arena in their quarterfinal Beau Christy and River Freeman scored hat-tricks Christy tallied five points off three goals and two assists while Kole Lendzyk had five points off one goal and four assists Greenway’s Blayne Kelly led their trio making 31 stops 6 North Shore 11-0 at the Hibbing Memorial Arena Cole Swanson had three goals and one assist while Tate Swanson had two goals and three assists while Rex Walli made 11 for Hibbing/Chisholm For the bracket, Click here. New budget reductions for the 2025 -2026 school year was on the agenda for the Hermantown School Board on Monday March 10th The new budget plan includes the first cuts in a multi- year plan to get the Hermantown district out of the red after a projected 1.3 million dollar budget shortfall for next year The plan proposed $730,000 in cuts which would reduce many areas including technology and curriculum budgets staff asked for the proposed budget cuts to be tabled so leaders could consider more creative money saving options Like switching their insurance plan and waiting for a pension bill and insurance bill to move through the Minnesota legislature “The staff understands that we don’t want to drain all of our reserves,” said Brent Chouanard-Nguyen “But using some reserves as well as finding ways to work together to alleviate our budget shortfalls in the future will help keep our educational programs and staffing at current levels.” But waiting to make cuts as the projected shortfall builds was a concern for Hermantown Superintendent Wayne Whitwam what I’ve learned is when you need to make budget reductions “My fear with postponing it is we actually end up having to cut more.” The plan including $730,000 in budget cuts for the 2025-2026 school year was passed in a unanimous vote by the Hermantown school board It was probably only a matter of time before Hermantown took over the top spot in the Class A rankings The Hawks defeated another perennial top 5 team in Mahtomedi 5- Noah Thurston and Beau Christy all had a goal and an assist in the win Bryce Francisco stopped 26 shots to earn the win in goal The Lumberjacks got a late goal on a penalty shot from Nikolas Gentilini to defeat No 7 East Grand Forks 4-3 in a battle of northern foes  It was gentility’s second snipe of the night and he now has nine points in four games as the Lumberjacks stayed undefeated and moved into the No The Warriors fell out of the top spot after a 6-1 loss to No They will have a tough couple games coming up when they take on No The Bluejackets got back on the winning track with a 4-1 win over Totino-Grace last week Tate Swanson had two goals and an assist and Rex Galli stopped 28 shots to earn the win Swanson also had three assists in their 5-0 win over No Maybe a little slow out of the gate for the Crusaders but they’ve hung in the Top 5 this week Jaeger Wood netted the game winner with just a little over a minute to play Wood and Bo Schmidt each finished with a goal and three assists and Griffin Strum added three helpers in the win passed away unexpectedly at home on November 9th Born to Ron and Arlene (Rappana) Thomas on May 27th Mike grew up on the north shore of Lake Superior and graduated from Silver Bay High School He was a four-sport letterwinner in baseball Mike attended college at the University of Minnesota-Duluth from 1977-1981 earning degrees in physical education and psychology A regular on the football field all four years winning NSIC conference honors in ‘79 and ‘80 Duce Rasmussen award for scholastic achievement Mike continued his passion for sports into coaching as an assistant baseball and football coach at UMD for 20+ years Mike was a member of the ‘88 Class A National Fastpitch Championship team While they planned to get married on the 2nd it was postponed a week due to the Halloween mega storm of ‘91 Together they created a home in Duluth/Hermantown where they raised their four children Mike’s avid love of sports extended into his children where he helped coach and support each of their active sports careers Sports also led him to build his business and career of running Jersey City for 30+ years Besides traveling around the Midwest watching his kids’ games bird hunting and spending time at the family cabin on Fish Lake.  Mike is preceded in death by his father Ron Kevin Ritzer (Heather); and many nephews and nieces.  Visitation will occur from 1pm-3pm on Thursday at Peace in Christ Lutheran Church (5007 Maple Grove Rd MN 55811) followed by memorial service at 3pm A Celebration of Life will follow the service at Skyline Social at 4:30pm.  Funeral arrangements by Dougherty Funeral Home.  One man is in custody following an early morning pursuit on Tuesday The Hermantown Police Department say they engaged in a traffic pursuit just after midnight that resulted in an arrest and damage to one of their squad vehicles A HPD sergeant was conducting a routine business check when he came upon a suspicious vehicle behind the Goodwill Store located off of Miller Trunk Highway Authorities say the sergeant spoke with the driver of the vehicle The report said the driver traveled northbound on Miller Trunk Highway before turning south on Stebner Road The pursuit continued southbound into West Duluth The pursuit ended with the use of a Precision Intervention Tactic (PIT) disabling the fleeing vehicle at 25th Avenue West and West 2nd Street in Duluth Authorities say the driver then fled the vehicle on foot but was apprehended without incident just before 12:30 a.m The HPD squad car did sustain moderate damage due to an impact from the suspect’s vehicle during the pursuit but there were no injuries to the suspect or officers involved The driver is facing felony charges of Fleeing a Police Officer in a Motor Vehicle and misdemeanor charges of Fleeing a Police Officer on Foot and Driving After Revocation Hermantown police say The Minnesota State Patrol Louis County Sheriff’s Department assisted in the apprehension HERMANTOWN — A number of residents of the Maple Fields Mobile Home Park likely will be moving into temporary housing until their landlord makes necessary repairs to their rental homes Judge Shawn Pearson ordered Elevated Property Management Ltd to pre-pay for three weeks of alternative housing for residents whose properties have been flagged by the city as unsafe for habitation will not be allowed to return displaced tenants to their mobile home units until Hermantown building officials deem them inhabitable again said his clients had yet to be offered temporary housing Yet he expressed optimism the landlord would comply "It's all about bridging the gap until needed repairs can be made," he said They've been holding up their end of the bargain Pearson explained why the relocation and repairs were necessary writing that the action was “due to the loss of running water A court hearing originally scheduled for Jan and the next remote virtual meeting of the involved parties before Pearson is slated for Jan Pearson allowed for displaced tenants to pay their rent into a third-party escrow account that would not be transferred to the management company until safety concerns had been addressed Hermantown City Attorney Gunnar Johnson informed the court that city officials had been trying for nine months to bring the landlord’s properties into compliance with building standards plus frozen pipes and broken plumbing that have left several residents without water service Johnson told the court that concerns about living conditions at Maple Fields have continued to mount as temperatures drop and winter weather threatens In a petition to the court on behalf of his clients wrote: “The tenants live in substandard living conditions with the city of Hermantown declaring the trailers dangerous.” He also said the suit was brought in hopes of obtaining better-quality housing for residents The group of Maple Fields residents who are party to the case also have sought reimbursement for legal fees and court costs although the court has not yet ruled on that aspect of the complaint LaCourse noted that if living hazards at the mobile home park are not abated Hermantown has indicated its intention to issue “Don’t occupy” orders that could force tenants out of their homes with no clear place to turn While LaCourse represents five households living at Maple Fields he believes additional tenants could file similar claims he said many residents are hesitant to get involved for fear of repercussions Pearson specifically ordered the management company to engage in no forms of retaliation Elevated Property Management continues to have the Hermantown mobile home park up for sale offering the following description online: “The community consists of 54 sites with 46 park-owned homes Many of the POHs are renovated and continue to be improved as they turn over.” Interested parties are advised against visiting the property unannounced by the Pennsylvania-based real estate agency that is marketing the park Please do not go to the community without setting up a showing appointment with the listing agents do not under any circumstances speak with any tenants or employees Please contact us for additional information.” aiming to ease urban crowding and give families a way to grow food and keep animals Listen and subscribe to our podcast: Apple Podcasts | Spotify – Dozens of quaint houses in this city north of Duluth were built as a government experiment in back-to-the-land living Its signature 1.5-story houses were built in the 1930s One area resident described them as looking like the brick house from “The Three Little Pigs.” Reader Stacey Burns of Minneapolis became curious about the Jackson Project after reading a Minnesota Star Tribune news article about a deadly Hermantown crash. In 2022, a single-engine airplane crashed into one of the houses on Arrowhead Road the Strib’s reader-generated reporting project Set on roomy properties along some of Hermantown’s main roads the houses were built by the federal government in response to the Great Depression People could apply for a chance to move in as renters and eventually get the opportunity to buy them The project was part of a New Deal program supported by President Franklin Roosevelt to get struggling Americans out of overcrowded urban areas and into rural places where they might be able to sustain themselves The colony of 84 houses took the rural township of Herman which then had just a few hundred residents Hermantown incorporated in 1975 and is now a city of 10,000 Nearly 90 years after the houses were built the people who grew up in the Jackson Project credit it with creating the robust community they’ve remained tied to “It gave people a chance,” said Linda Bray who lives in the Jackson Project house where she was born and is among the resident experts on the city’s history “That was a big deal,” added Delaine Carlson whose in-laws were the first owners of the house hit by the airplane She and her husband built a house on the back end of her in-laws' acreage Carlson and Bray are part of a team that collects and shares information about Jackson Project history Locally, it was called the Jackson Project, named for the nearby Jackson school. But the federal government called it the Duluth Homesteads and created similar subsistence homestead communities in Austin and Albert Lea The idea was to build affordable houses set on enough land for residents to independently produce food and keep animals The homes would be for people with marginal incomes who didn’t meet guidelines to collect welfare successfully applied to be a part of the program in the early 1930s the federal government had finished surveying land for soil type and proximity to graded roads They bought 400 acres north of the city from a private company They cleared the land of large rocks and built a main road First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt insisted the designs be beefed up to include indoor plumbing and electricity Construction on the Jackson Project houses began in 1936 and the project grew to include 1,220 acres The first batch of 40 houses drew 350 applications from hopeful families railroad men and those employed by the steel plant according to “The Jackson Project: Ties that Bind,” published in 2007 Residents would rent the houses with an option to buy after two years Delores Levander grew up in a nearby township on a 20-acre hobby farm She remembers driving past the Jackson Project homes as a child reminded her of the setting of “The Three Little Pigs.” Bob Levander’s family was among the first to claim one of the houses she points out that the Jackson Project houses had luxuries not seen on her family’s farm or in the surrounding rural area: indoor plumbing “They had all the conveniences of a city,” Delores Levander said Members of the first chosen families — described as with “eyes alight” and “trying their best to conceal their excitement” by the Duluth News Tribune — gathered to draw numbers in March of 1937 This determined the order in which each family could select the property that they would move to the next month The houses were all similar; the locations He and his wife had four school-age children and he had a job at a packing firm in downtown Duluth at the time “I like the idea first rate,” he told a reporter The Sundstrom family was the first to move in according to a Duluth News Tribune account They were a family of six who had moved from what is now Duluth’s Lincoln Park neighborhood to a new “snug little brick home,” according to the newspaper With three bedrooms and an open living space automatic water and a fruit and vegetable cellar Sundstrom took a reporter on a tour of the new house “Look at all this closet space,” the new homeowner said residents had formed a cooperative homestead association and paid off the entire $225,742 debt to the U.S although his additions have more than doubled the size of the original 800-square-foot house There are bragging rights to living in one of the historic houses Mary Murphy, the longest-serving woman in the Minnesota House, spent her life in one. It’s referenced in her obituary: She loved tending to the home and the 5-acre yard and garden “followed by a refreshing root beer on the porch with her favorite nephew Gregg.” More than a handful of Jackson Project Kids whose parents were the first to live in these houses The Jackson Project house that Bray lives in was secured by her parents in the second round of offerings Bray describes a tight-knit community that feels like family her mother selected friends from the neighborhood as godparents Roger Johnson still lives on the family’s property on West Arrowhead Road where his parents moved from West Duluth in 1937 The family of five shared a three-bedroom house with gardens and livestock “We had plenty of room here to do whatever we wanted.” When a plane crashed into one of the houses in 2022, all three on board the aircraft were killed. The “high-energy impact“ also destroyed the house and what remained of it was later torn down It’s one of only two Jackson Project houses that are no longer standing although many have been renovated and expanded The other was sold to the Hermantown School District and demolished because it was too expensive to move The plane crash sparked renewed interest in Hermantown’s signature houses — and not just from Burns The University of Minnesota Duluth’s University for Seniors program added a class about the colony’s history they gathered at the Hermantown History Center to work on their presentations They worked a few feet away from a small brick replica of a Jackson Project house A spittoon sat in the corner near a sturdy chair There is always a new question about this unique chapter of Minnesota history to find answers to If you’d like to submit a Curious Minnesota question Is Duluth the most inland seaport in North America? Was Duluth once home to more millionaires per capita than any other U.S. city? What’s the story behind Duluth’s Aerial Lift Bridge? Why did Duluth’s economy collapse in the 1980s? How many WPA projects were built in Minnesota as part of FDR’s New Deal? Was Minnesota once home to U.S. government-sponsored hemp farms? Christa Lawler covers Duluth and surrounding areas for the Star Tribune. Sign up to receive the new North Report newsletter. Curious Minnesota First called “Washburn Park,” the neighborhood was designed to be a fancy suburban retreat Morey’s and Trident trace their history to a broken-down truck and a crate of corn – A man told police he had to urinate before taking Hermantown Police on a miles-long midnight chase Tuesday 54-year-old Justin Lee Briggs has been charged with fleeing police after an attempted traffic stop around 12:10 a.m The police report said an officer attempted to stop Briggs’ vehicle because it had no front license plate Briggs pulled alongside the officer in the Hermantown Goodwill parking lot and allegedly told the officer he had to urinate The officer told Briggs to stop but he instead drove out of the lot Hermantown Police pursued Briggs for over 11 miles before a PIT maneuver brought the vehicle to a stop near 25th Ave West and West 2nd Street in Duluth Briggs attempted to escape the vehicle on foot but the report said he tripped in the snow and was arrested without further incident Briggs said he did not have a valid license CLOQUET — In her first two varsity seasons patrolling the Proctor/Hermantown blue line freshman defenseman Taylee Manion has established a reputation for rising up in the Mirage’s biggest games Manion scored the crucial opening goal in the third period of an eventual 4-0 victory over Duluth Marshall in the Section 7A finals and went on to tally the lone goal for the Mirage in the Class A state quarterfinals against Warroad “She's just a phenomenal kid (and a) phenomenal player all the way around and we rely on that,” said head coach Emma Stauber “There’s a sense of confidence that we have that we can rely on her no matter what she’s always prepared and these big moments are made for her.” Manion picked up where she left in Saturday’s Section 7A semifinal matchup against No dishing out two assists and adding a second-period goal in a dominant 10-1 victory over the Rebels at Northwoods Credit Union Arena The win pushes her team back to the Section 7A final for the sixth-straight season “It’s awesome,” said Manion of making it back to the section final who spent part of her summer competing in the 2024 USA Hockey National 15 Camp sat out six games midway through the season with a wrist injury before returning to the team’s top defensive pairing with junior Rylee Kalkbrenner in early January The strong-skating duo combined for five points in Saturday’s win we talk on and off the ice,” said Manion of their on-ice chemistry “We know where each other are gonna be and it just feels like (we have) a really great bond.” each found the scoresheet early for Proctor/Hermantown after assisting Ella Kaups’ game-opening goal at the 6:15 mark of the first period The Mirage proceeded to add three more over the next 10 minutes and Addi Hieb in a period played almost exclusively in the Rebels’ defensive end as evidenced by a 23-1 first-period shot advantage The quick start was crucial in combating MLA’s star goaltender Mallory Hartl who’s shown the capability of stealing games “The most important thing for us was to play at our pace and pressure as much as we could offensively to try to break them early if we could,” said Stauber So it's just something that we focused on this week is scoring and breaking through as soon as we can to get us rolling.” The Mirage blew the game wide open in the middle frame with five goals by Mya Gunderson Ella Rothe (two) and Elise Eckstrom en route to taking a 9-1 lead into the final intermission Manion added an assist on Hieb’s goal and another on Knight’s goal in the first “She’s definitely an offensive threat and you could see it today she was aboslutely buzzing and she was feeling the game,” said Stauber The Rebels (11-15) avoided the shutout with a power play goal by Lily Ludwig with assists from Mackenzie Hoffman and Autumn Painovich late in the second period the Mirage added a final goal in the third period by Hieb assisted by Rothe for her team-leading fourth point of the game 3 seed Rock Ridge in the Section 7A final at Northwoods Credit Union Arena on Wednesday — Hermantown Community Schools is slashing next year’s budget by $750,000 On Monday night’s school board meeting the school board unanimously approved of budget which looks to cut $730,000 for the 2025-26 school year Wayne Whitwam, the Superintendent of Hermantown Community Schools, sent a letter to parents of the Hermantown School District he states that Hermantown isn’t the only school facing these budget problems “A majority of schools across the state are struggling financially Hermantown is fortunate to have a fund balance our fund balance will be completely gone in four years and major reductions would still be needed The School Board will vote to cut $750K for the 2025-26 school year and we project cutting $450K the following two years in order to balance our finances,” wrote Whitman Hermantown Community Schools gave their teachers a 6% and a 4% increase in salary to retain staff and offer competitive wages the school district had unfilled positions in paraprofessionals The district were able to retain staffing then by giving an approximate $2/hour raise in those unfilled positions The superintendent says a lack of state funding has left schools underfunded The Mirage had 10 more shots on goal in the game but Holy Angels' two goals in the third period was the difference and senior goalie Zoe Rimstad saved 34 shots to give the Stars the win at Xcel Energy Center in the Class 1A semifinals Proctor/Hermantown will move to the consolation bracket and play the River Lakes Stars on Thursday at 3 p.m Academy of Holy Angels wins the opening faceoff and we're underway Shots are 6-5 in favor of of Proctor/Hermantown with 11:39 remaining in the first period the shots are even at eight as both teams fight for possession of the puck Neither team has had a great chance so far Proctor/Hermantown is dominating in the face-off circle with an 11-4 advantage in face-off wins Mirage goalie Neelah McLeod with a great pad save to keep the Stars off the board The game is tied with one minute remaining in the period Both teams have nine shots on goal through the first period The Mirage are dominating the face-off circle with a 13-5 advantage Mya Gunderson leads all skaters with five face-off wins Proctor/Hermantown wins the face-off and we're underway Proctor/Hermantown with three shots on goal in the opening five minutes Stars' goalie Zoe Rimstad saves each of them Eight minutes remain in the second period and the game remains scoreless Academy of Holy Angels has a shot hit the crossbar with 4:45 remaining in the second period Proctor/Hermantown with a 10-5 shots on goal advantage in the second period but neither team can capitalize with a goal The Mirage finished with 14 shots on goal to seven shots on goal for the Stars Proctor/Hermantown wins the opening face-off and we're underway Marissa Jung lifts a rebound over McLeod to give the Stars a 1-0 lead less than one minute into the quarter Taylor Lesnar is called for body checking with 11:17 remaining in the game Jung scores from in front of goal and buries the puck through the five hole 30 seconds remain and Holy Angels is putting the pressure on the Mirage Rimstad with a fantastic save on a rebound to keep the Mirage off the scoreboard The Mirage pull their goalie with 1:25 remaining To get live updates on your phone - as well as follow your favorite teams and top games - you can download the SBLive Sports app: Download iPhone App | Download Android App JACK BUTLERJack Butler is the Regional Editor of the Midwest for SBLive/High School on SI Jack has covered high school sports in Oregon © 2025 ABG-SI LLC - SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Louis County got to hear a regional update from the mayors of Hermantown These local leaders talked about their future goals they have in mind to help improve their respective cities Over 18,000 residents live in these three cities, according to the Hermantown Chamber of Commerce. All three mayors spoke at the annual State of the Cities Luncheon hosted by the Hermantown Chamber of Commerce and Rice Lake discussed their future plans for housing Hermantown Mayor Wayne Boucher says housing continues to be a high priority for the city and there are already plans in the works “We did a housing study where we found that there’s a demand for 2,000 housing units a year in Hermantown Now I don’t know how long that would last if the demand were met,” Mayor Boucher said “It certainly shows us that there’s a lot of people that want to live in Hermantown We just approved a 35-apartment building on a preliminary planned unit development Someone is looking at about 65 units somewhere else.” Another objective these mayors are tackling includes growing local businesses within their respective communities. One of the goals is bringing more businesses along interstate 35.  Mayor Chad Ward of Proctor says the city is in talks with local businesses to help provide more housing opportunities for future residents “One of our main focuses right now that I-35 corridor is going to be a big expansion for us Hopefully we can attract some new businesses and new benefits to our residents,” Mayor Ward said “I know our administrator has sat down with Cirrus and Apex over housing discussions and lack of housing in the area So she’s been working diligently on housing opportunities.” Finally, infrastructure is top of mind for Rice Lake Mayor Suzanne Herstad Louis County is moving forward with the Rice Lake Road Corridor Project “It’s a two-year project and it’ll be about 2028-2029 We’re still in that design stage and so we’ve got a place to go before we get there,” Mayor Herstad said “Right now we’re trying to pull some community to belong to a corridor study group We’ll be able to have their active input into that corridor project during that design stage all the way through construction.” Now what if residents are looking for more of an immediate update Hermantown Mayor Boucher says there’s a couple of exciting projects in the next couple of months “This year we’re celebrating our 50th anniversary as a city on December 31st I’ve been told Bass Pro Shop is supposed to open May 1st That will increase our retail sales,” Mayor Boucher said “Our new Fichtner park is supposed to have the first ball game or the opening ball game on April 17th It’s a great way to build a community.” The Hermantown Hawks won their road game against the Eden Prairie Eagles on Saturday The team put in a strong effort and got a shutout The Hawks took the lead early in the first period The Hawks' River Freeman increased the lead to 2-0 halfway through the first The Hawks made it 3-0 with another goal from River Freeman in the middle of the first assisted by Jaxson Erickson and Alexander Nicklin 4-0 came from Bradford Skytta who increased the Hawks' lead The Eagles will face against the Benilde-St with the Hawks set to challenge Proctor on Tuesday HERMANTOWN — Plans to redevelop a former Superfund cleanup site took a giant leap forward Monday thanks to a $2 million infrastructure grant announced by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development But the state funds must be locally matched Hermantown’s economic development director offered assurances that the city and the property’s manager each potentially putting up another $1 million toward the project The project also stands to increase the value of Hermantown’s property tax base and generate additional sales tax revenues offers excellent access for the sort of large-scale development that could benefit not only Hermantown but the entire region The property is controlled by TK Diamond Inc. could not be reached for comment late Monday afternoon Ronchetti said he believes there is strong interest in redeveloping the site he said he was not privy to specific details about prospective future tenants of the proposed industrial/business park The grant provides a five-year window for infrastructure investments to be made on the property but Ronchetti expressed confidence the site will attract additional “top-tier” private development well before that deadline The $2 million award announced Monday — the maximum offered statewide — speaks to the strength of the application Hermantown put forward who described the selection process as “super-competitive.” “It is critical that we get our fair share of support in greater Minnesota to help us secure new business development and expansion that will create good jobs and grow our local economy," state Sen “That is why I am proud of the work we did in passing a budget that included more funding for the needs of economic development in greater Minnesota," he said "and I'm grateful that funding is coming to my home community of Hermantown because our community is ripe for growth and jobs." The Arrowhead Refinery recycled waste oil until the facility’s closure in the mid-1970s The property was classified as a federal Superfund site and a massive $40 million cleanup began in 1977 more than 1 million gallons of petroleum products were removed from the site as well as more than 71 million tons of contaminated materials It was delisted as a Superfund site in 2021 and has since undergone an Alternative Urban Areawide Review to determine the types of redevelopment that could suit the remediated property HERMANTOWN — Bailey Hermanson and the Hawks wasted no time getting down to business Hermantown opened Saturday’s Section 7AAA semifinal against North Branch with a 9-2 scoring run that spanned two minutes and included five Hermanson points most notably a 3-pointer from the top of the key that got the Hawks rolling The hot start offensively sparked what Hermantown head coach Eric Borndal called their most complete game of the year which yielded a 78-45 victory and Hermantown’s first Section 7AAA title game berth since the 2019-20 campaign “This was our most complete game of the year,” Borndal said “It really was the perfect time for us to have it North Branch and its zone defense had no answer for Hermantown’s ball movement Whether it was timely skip passes or drawing attention from interior defenders and then hitting a cutting teammate for a layup the Hawks dismantled North Branch’s defense It was an utterly selfless brand of basketball that turned good offensive chances into excellent scoring opportunities Borndal said the offensive success is a testament to the great chemistry and selflessness of his team everybody’s confidence goes up,” Borndal said and we did a really good job today of turning those (good) shots into great ones.” was one of two primary catalysts offensively The starting backcourt duo led Hermantown to the tune of 78 points the Hawks’ highest-scoring performance of the season one that senior forward Olivia Johnson attributed to the unique connection that Hermantown’s juniors and seniors have methodically developed the past two years “Our ball movement was really good tonight,” Johnson said “We didn’t have a lot of seniors last year — just one — so we had more time to develop that chemistry and I think that has really helped us this year.” and she snagged around a dozen rebounds for the Hawks Most of her buckets came on assists from well-timed Hermanson bounce passes which Johnson said is one of the benefits of playing alongside a talented guard “(Bailey) played great tonight,” Johnson said and that makes it easier for everyone else.” Hermanson made five 3-pointers against North Branch and poured in a game-high 22 points 15 of which came in an incendiary first-half effort that helped Hermantown take a 45-26 lead into the intermission which has guided Hermantown to an 18-8 overall record is largely because of the tight-knit group leading the program “Our chemistry is unmatched,” Hermanson said The Hawks held North Branch senior guard Ella Kuhlman to just 15 points despite her averaging 22 per contest this season It was a complete-game effort for Hermantown Borndal hopes the momentum carries over to the 7AAA title game on Thursday at the neutral site of Duluth Denfeld Hermantown will square off against Rock Ridge a state-ranked program that boasts a 23-5 record “We know what we’re up against,” Borndal said Our coaches are going to have to figure out what to do between (Anna) Westby and the Lamppas Hermantown is looking to knock off Rock Ridge win the section and advance to the state tournament for just the second time since 2006 Hermanson has loved experiencing success with the group of girls alongside her I’m going to be very sad to see the seniors go Louis County judge ordered Elevated Property Management to make immediate repairs to units without water DULUTH – A St. Louis County judge has granted emergency relief to several residents of a Hermantown trailer park who have been living without water amid other hazardous conditions 27 order to Elevated Property Management LLC includes funding three weeks of alternative housing for six displaced households while repairs are addressed at the Maple Field mobile home park in northeast Minnesota the city of Hermantown alleged several misdemeanor crimes against the park owner Every one of the more than 50 homes has at least one code violation The owner pleaded guilty to several misdemeanor violations in early December have been living with electrical hazards and burst pipes in water-damaged units where floors Judge Shawn Pearson ordered Steven Schneeberger to immediately make repairs to trailers without water and other essential services and fix all other code violations He must pay for housing that includes kitchens until violations are fixed Tenants will escrow their rent with the court 23 hearing where the emergency order was sought Hermantown’s building official said more than a dozen units weren’t habitable and “do not occupy” orders would be issued Hermantown City Attorney Gunnar Johnson said the city had been working on the issue for nine months “It’s a big health hazard for the community,” he said “this needs to be addressed as soon as possible.” Schneeberger is invested in resolving the issues but he balked at being ordered to find alternative housing An attorney for the nonprofit Justice North who is representing the tenants said his clients have been paying rent for months “in frankly terrible — beyond anything I have seen in a long time — conditions.” and it’s not their fault,” said the attorney The city filed a complaint earlier this year after investigating anonymous reports from residents particularly for problems that pose threats to public health and safety and affordable alternative housing options during a regional shortage are slim residence in the park removed them from homelessness Schneeberger had told residents via email that they shouldn’t allow the city’s building inspector entry to their homes He called Hermantown building official Brandon Holmes an “adversary” of the residents The Minnesota Department of Health is also investigating the park LOS ANGELES — Hermantown hockey has officially sent another player to the National Hockey League Wyatt Aamodt made his NHL debut with the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday in a game against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena The defenseman recorded two shots and played 15 minutes 9 seconds without recording any other statistics already guaranteed a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs to start next weekend rested several regulars in advance of the postseason After exhausting his eligibility with the Mavericks Aamodt signed with the American Hockey League's Colorado Eagles for whom he has made nearly 200 regular-season and playoff appearances Aamodt is now second among all players in NHL history in alphabetical order by last name behind only Antti Aalto who played for the Anaheim Mighty Ducks from 1998-2001 the Proctor/Hermantown Mirage girl’s hockey team took down Marshall 2-1 to claim the Minnesota State Class A Consolation championship title for the second year in a row PREVIOUS REPORTING: Proctor/Hermantown Mirage reflect on heartbreaking loss in Class A State Quarterfinal – WDIO.com After falling 2-0 in the State Class A quarterfinal matchup 2-0 to the Academy of Holy Angels the Mirage reset and returned to the ice to battle River Lakes on Thursday The Mirage would advance to the consolation championship The Mirage returned to battle Marshall on Saturday and they would come home with hardware thanks to two goals in their favor the Mirage end their season with a 22-7-1 record 2 Cloquet-Esko-Carlton boy’s hockey defeated No 1 Hermantown 3-1 in their regular season matchup a potential preview for the 2025 Section 7A championship game Hermantown’s Ethan Aysta would put the Hawks on the board with 1:36 left in the first period CEC’s Niko Gentilini would retaliate with a goal of his own with 25 seconds to go in the first period CEC’s Bobby Thornton would net the puck to take the Lumberjack lead and with 1:31 left in the third period CEC’s Grady Knutson would solidify their lead with an empty netter after Hermantown pulled their goaltender Hermantown’s goaltender Bryce Francisco would make 25 saves throughout the game while CEC’s Jacob Iallonardo would make 29 Hermantown (13-6-3) will return to play Moorhead on Friday, January 13st at 7PM in Hermantown. Click here to view their full season schedule Cloquet-Esko-Carlton (17-4) will return to play Minneapolis on Saturday, February 1st at 3PM in Cloquet. Click here to view their full season schedule HERMANTOWN — The pilot of a plane that crashed into a house in 2022 told his flight student the day before that he was nervous to fly because it requires instrument flight rules and he was not confident in his instrument abilities according to the National Transportation Safety Board Aircraft are flown under instrument flight rules — a set of Federal Aviation Administration rules and regulations — when the weather obscures visibility The pilot must conduct the flight solely using specialized instruments instead of relying on basic instrumentation and visual cues like landmarks for navigation The plane struck a power line shortly before crashing into Crystal and Jason Hoffman’s home weather conditions during takeoff included low cloud cover Low-instrument flight-rule conditions were expected throughout the area air traffic control gave Fretland instrument flight rules clearance and instructed him to climb to 6,000 feet after departure Fretland was instrument-rated and had 7.9 hours of “actual instrument flight experience,” the report said but only 18 minutes of actual instrument flight experience in the 15 months leading up to the crash “This relative flight inexperience in actual instrument conditions combined with his lack of instrument confidence as reported by the pilot in a conversation with a student pilot on the day before the accident indicate that the pilot was likely at increased risk for becoming spatially disoriented,” the report said making a 270-degree turn in a counterclockwise circle and climbing to 2,300 feet above sea level before descending and picking up speed before the collision Damage to the house shows the plane was in a 40-degree bank to the left at the time of the crash “The airplane’s erratic flight track in the final two minutes of flight followed by a steep left turn with a rapid descent were also consistent with the known effects of spatial disorientation,” the report said Fretland and his two passengers flew from the South St Fleming Field to the Duluth International Airport earlier that day to attend a wedding The plane crash occurred on their flight back to Fleming Field The board said Fretland was likely fatigued as he had flown that morning spent 11.5 hours at a wedding and began the return flight late at night it would have further degraded his ability to recognize and recover from any spatial disorientation that he was experiencing,” the report said Between 5% and 10% of general aviation “accidents” are due to spatial disorientation The board said Fretland held a commercial pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane and a flight instructor certificate with an airplane single-engine rating “The instructor (Fretland) expressed during the flight that he was a little nervous about the next mornings (sic) flight in IFR conditions,” the report said “He had the hours but did not feel confident in his instrument abilities.” The autopsy did not reveal any medical condition that may have contributed to the crash and initial toxicology tests came back negative An additional toxicology test by the FAA showed a “low level” of codeine in Fretland’s urine but not blood which could have come from codeine consumption but also could have come from poppy seed consumption It was “unlikely” to have contributed to the crash No “preimpact” mechanical or engine malfunctions were found in an examination of the plane’s wreckage The board concluded the probable cause of the crash: “The pilot’s loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation during initial climb in dark night and low instrument meteorological conditions Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s fatigue due to a long day of flying and personal activities.” Maple Fields mobile home park residents have faced raw sewage leaks caved-in ceilings and serious fire hazards despite repeated complaints to the park owner Hermantown, Minn., city officials have barred nearly half of the 50-plus trailers in a neglected mobile home park from occupancy because of their threat to human life as the owner pays residents to move out so he can close the park But the number of households in uninhabitable trailers has grown prompting it and some residents to ask the court to hold the owner in contempt The closure and lease termination notices given to residents violate court orders and appear retaliatory an attorney for the nonprofit Justice North who is representing some of the residents And court records show about 20 households have already moved out because of the notices “They can’t just get rid of these people without any sort of compensation or anything to help them,” he said Owner Steven Schneeberger said last week he’s generally offered people security deposits “And I just give them the full security deposit versus kind of dinging them for repairs and things,” he said also noting he’s paid thousands per week for hotel rooms with kitchens since January for residents he was ordered to accommodate and given out referrals and lists of housing options “I am not an ultrawealthy business guy,” he said “I am doing the best that I can for the residents has missed several court-ordered deadlines to make improvements said Hermantown Building Official Brandon Holmes Schneeberger began giving closure notices to both renters and trailer owners The park is unusual in that most residents are renters The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office told him in a letter filed in court that he was violating state law by not giving enough notice along with failing to meet several other state requirements involved in closing a mobile home park; violations that could lead to $25,000 in fines for each Assistant Attorney General Katherine Kelly wrote denied that he didn’t follow state law in giving notice to renters and trailer owners He began warning people he might close the park a few months ago He bought a park with problems decades in the making and little was brought forward until Holmes began inspecting it last winter When he was confronted with multiple code violations A prospective buyer fell through in the fall contractors have told him most units aren’t worth saving relying heavily on referrals from current residents and there are always people waiting to get in and we did our best to keep it up,” he said wrote in court filings two weeks ago that Schneeberger can’t afford to pay for repairs or operate the park with its high number of vacancies She said that Elevated Management is “not on a repair path Hermantown City Attorney Gunnar Johnson wrote in court filings that it appears the company is attempting to evict residents by “making staying so miserable that the tenant just leaves,” called constructive eviction but that means evicting residents through “no fault of their own.” Holmes said not all of the residents know their rights so some think they have to accept a buyout or get nothing “We have seen just a doubling and tripling down on a refusal to comply with court orders or city orders,” he said and only a few relocated to hotel rooms that Schneeberger is paying for Rhiannon Buckwalter ended up at Maple Fields a few years ago when she needed a residence in the region quickly because of a family illness she was offered $1,100 to move out by March 1 a sum equivalent to the monthly rent she and her husband paid for a trailer where they raised an infant and teen “squishy” floors and leaky windows were among its problems and they arrived at $3,600 to secure an apartment on short notice After Buckwalter made a comment on social media about how he’ll pay residents to leave but won’t spend money on repairs he emailed her saying she received more money than anyone else and called her an expletive A hearing where Schneeberger must prove his moves haven’t been retaliatory is scheduled for early April The Minnesota Department of Health has two pending enforcement cases against Elevated Management for the park’s noncompliant sewage system and a daisy-chained water line Some families lived without water during the region’s coldest days this winter some who were homeless before they moved there say they made repeated requests for improvements Schneeberger said fewer than 10 trailers remain occupied Proctor dropped their season opener to Bemidji 5-3 at Egerdahl Field while Superior bested Hermantown 5-3 at the NBC Spartan Sports Complex coming off their third straight state tournament appearance Superior’s Melania Luostari hit a two run homer helping the Spartans down the Hawks and protect their perfect start Superior improves to 4-0 and next visits Rock Ridge Thursday at 4:30 p.m Hermantown (0-1) next visits Cloquet Thursday at 4:30 p.m they seem to be connected by an unseen athletic force these days as the Hawks and Spartans were slated for another state tournament matchup after the Minnesota State High School League released football pairings on Saturday After winning Section 7AAAA on Friday night Hermantown (9-1) received the second seed of four teams in the northern half of the state and will meet the 8-2 Spartans in a state quarterfinal on Thursday night at 6 p.m This is the first season in which the MSHSL splits the state tournament field north and south and then seeds the four teams in each half for the quarterfinals The previous system had a fixed alignment of sections regardless of the strength of the teams qualifying Hermantown boys hockey played Orono in the state boys hockey third-place game and state boys basketball quarterfinals in 2023 while the Proctor/Hermantown Mirage met Orono in the state girls hockey semifinals in 2022 and 2023 The Hawks are in the state football tourney for the eighth time overall and first since 2018 while the Spartans have won Section 6AAAA for the third time in four seasons The teams will be reseeded after the quarterfinals Byron or Marshall) in the semifinals at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on Nov Moose Lake/Willow River has been in the last six state tournaments contested but has lost in the quarterfinals in five straight trips The Rebels’ next chance to change their fate will come on Friday 8 in a Class AA state quarterfinal against Kimball Area to take place in Brainerd The Stearns County-based Cubs are undefeated at 10-0 and the top-seeded team in the North half of the bracket but they haven’t been to the state football tournament since 1991 The Rebels are 9-2 with their two losses (to Barnum and Rush City) by a combined five points There’ll be two Northland teams in the state IX-Player bracket but even under the geographical set-up 1 seed Mountain Iron-Buhl ended up with a relatively short trip to face Stephen-Argyle on Thursday at 7 p.m The 11-0 Rangers are averaging a 67-8 margin of victory this season but faced some strong competition from Cherry in the Section 7 final getting away with a 34-28 win at Mesabi East High School in Aurora MI-B is trying to establish a dynasty of its own as they’ve played in the last six state tournaments contested and haven’t lost a regular-season game since 2021 playing in every state tournament from 1996-2007 and winning seven state championships though this is their first appearance since 2018 The teams met in an overtime thriller in the quarterfinals in 2018 in Bemidji themselves four-time champions in the division drew the long trip and will play Fertile-Beltrami in another quarterfinal on Thursday 1-ranked and defending champion Nevis on Thursday night Solon Springs/Northwood finished in the top three in Division 3 team competition at the WIAA state cross country meet SS/N landed in third among teams after a second-place finish in 2023 Cedar Grove-Belgium and Prentice/Rib Lake took the top two spots turning an eighth-place finish last year to a sixth in 2024 21.3 seconds for the 5 kilometers was four seconds faster than 2023 and less than 30 seconds behind individual champion Declan Gregg of Aquinas Sophomore Jacob Taggart was the next SS/N runner over the line Penelope Burfield finished 69th overall (21:22.5) in the girls’ race Northwestern sophomore Sophie Navarro notched a top-20 finish less than two minutes behind winner Emmerson Drobac of Deerfield/Cambridge Tigers teammate Morgan Martens took 58th in a field of 150 the boys race in 17:22.9 Superior’s Elena Almonte broke the 20-minute mark in Division 1