News and Current Affairs Posts

Ness will launch economic development business

Ness - DNT PhotoOutgoing Duluth Mayor Don Ness announced at a news conference today he will launch a new business called Hillside Ventures. The Duluth News Tribune reports Ness will offer his services to assist clients with economic development and “public-sector strategy work, working with other communities in the region, especially on the problem-solving and visioning piece.”

Merry Christmas from Superior Mayor Bruce Hagen

Obama Humbug

Sorry. Couldn’t resist.

Superior mayor stands by comments, says he won’t resign
Superior mayor won’t back down
In wake of protest, Superior mayor plans to return to address controversy over remarks
Hagen agrees to meet at mosque
Hagen apologizes for Facebook comment

Glensheen set to hit 100,000 attendance mark for 2015

Glensheen Attendance

From the Glensheen Facebook page:

This Saturday we will reach over 100,000 visitors for the first time since the 1980s.

To put this in perspective, we had only 56,000 visitors in recent history. Many thought this resurgence would not be possible. We are very thankful to all who have helped us turn the curve, especially you our guests.

Bonnie the wild bobcat trapped at the DECC

Bobcat at the DECC

From Duluth Police Chief Gordon Ramsay’s Facebook page:

When I heard about a man in a mental health crisis looking for a bobcat in downtown skywalks and in the convention center I knew it wasn’t true. Then I saw these pictures. You can’t make this stuff up … nobody knows how this wild animal made it into the convention center. It was trapped by the DNR and Wildwoods inside the convention center.

Drone crashes behind skier. Safety first!

A multirotor drone crashed on live TV behind skier Marcel Hirscher in a slalom event on Tuesday. It shattered on the icy slope a few seconds after the Olympic silver medalist started his second run.

Senator Al Franken roasts Duluth Mayor Don Ness

Duluth Mayor Don Ness held his “Final Mayoral Address and Concert Celebration” at the DECC’s Symphony Hall on Dec. 16. Senator Al Franken was not able to attend, but sent this video in order to, “once and for all tell Don what I really think about him.”

Duluth Pack on Minnesota Bound

[The video originally embedded in this post is no longer embeddable and can only be viewed directly on YouTube.]

Duluth Pack was featured on Minnesota Bound last week in their Minnesota Bound Classic segment at the end of the show. Check it out.

Cross City Trail Master Plan

RCC LogoInterested in connecting the Lakewalk with the Munger Trail? Now is the time to give your thoughts on which route or combination of routes you like for the West Duluth segment. The city has four routes for you to comment on. Visit the Cross City Trail website and take the survey.

The Trails/Parks Committee of the River Corridor Coalition has videos of the entire river route broken into seven segments, along with an interactive map to help identify where the segments are. Visit crosscitytrailduluth.com to check it out. This is the lesser known route that is harder to find and understand, so be sure to check it out.

The city wants your input, so go to the survey and participate. This is a regionally significant trail connection, connecting two great state trails, the Munger Trail and Gitchi-Gami Trail. When all is complete you can go from Hinckley to the Canadian border.

“Holy Night”

As Duluth weighs the pros and cons of allowing people to keep small farm animals within city limits, I thought it would be appropriate to share this recording. Just think … you could wake up some frosty winter night and be serenaded by your neighbor’s singing goats.

Toasty’s Downtown Duluth location open

TOASTYSThe Duluth News Tribune reports Tom and Rachael Hagen opened their second Toasty’s Grilled Cheese Shop on Dec. 11. The new location at 220 W. Superior St. is best known as the former home of Mr. Nick’s Famous Charburger and the short-term location of seven different failed restaurants since 2002. The Downtown Toasty’s will be open weekdays from 11 a.m. to 5 pm., offering a similar menu to the Hillside location — sandwiches, soups and salads.

Story link: Toasty’s opens new downtown Duluth location

Closed without a peep

Screen Shot 2015-12-10 at 9.57.54 AM

Somehow, I missed this. 

Lark o’ the Lake Ice Cream Coffee Café open in Greysolon Plaza

Lark Cafe ownersThe Duluth News Tribune reports the new Lark o’ the Lake Café opened in the Greysolon Plaza on Nov. 27. Owners are Sandra Ettestad, Mark Marino and Don Monaco.

“The menu includes coffee and espresso drinks, smoothies, pastries, deli sandwiches, soups, salads and old-fashioned ice cream desserts,” the DNT article notes. “Prices are affordable, with most lunches less than $10. The cafe has Wi-Fi and is close to getting a wine and beer license.”

Duluth News Tribune: Lark Café opens at Greysolon Plaza in Duluth with a focus on aviation

Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad will run in 2016

LSMRLake Superior & Mississippi Railroad, which recently made VacationIdea magazine’s list of the “25 Best Things to See & Do in Duluth, Minnesota,” has been notified that the U.S. Steel clean up on the St. Louis River won’t start until the fall of 2016. So rail tours along the shoreline will return next summer.

Come on out and volunteer. You will meet some great people while having fun along the St. Louis River!

Superior exploring possible “exposition district”

Superior Exposition DistrictBusiness North reports an economic development group called Better City Superior intends to seek state permission to create an “exposition district” to attract new developments, such as a 150-room hotel, 20,000-square-foot convention center, 50,000-square-foot water park, a sports field house, a movie theater and a corporate campus.

Business North: “Better City Superior announces growth vision

Nathan Gustavsson of Hermantown

Since the shooting in the Twin Cities at the Black Lives Matter protest, it was revealed that one of the suspects is from Hermantown.

Nearly 1,000 people marched to City Hall on Tuesday, less than a day after five protesters were shot near a Black Lives Matter demonstration, an apparently racially motivated attack that pushed Minneapolis into the national spotlight.

Minneapolis police said Tuesday that they have arrested three men in connection with the shooting. Allen Lawrence “Lance” Scarsella III, 23, was arrested in Bloomington. Sources said Nathan Gustavsson, 21, of Hermantown, and Daniel Macey, 26, of Pine City, were taken into custody after they turned themselves in. All three suspects are white. Earlier Tuesday, police arrested a 32-year-old Hispanic man in south Minneapolis, but he was later released because, police said, he was not at the scene of the shooting.

Minneapolis Star Tribune: 3 men in custody, 1 released in Minneapolis 4th Precinct protest shooting

A friend of mine in the Cities wanted to know how that revelation played out up here.  To be honest, his question was the first I’d heard.

Thoughts?