Recent content from Christa Lawler
USA divers will plunge into frigid Duluth Harbor in competition during tall ships fest
USA Diving's Superior High Dive Challenge will feature a 65-foot platform, 10 international competitors, and 60-degree water at the mid-July event.
He won't talk about his service in Vietnam. His children got a glimpse on his Honor Flight.
Doug Heiken, a veteran from Grand Rapids, Minn., shared a trip to Washington, D.C., with his son and daughter.
Northern Minnesota worried recent dip in Canadian visitors portends slow summer
The economy of Cook County, nestled between Lake Superior and the Canadian border, is driven by tourism. A lot of the tourists are from Canada.
![Firefighters work to put out a hot spot as part of the efforts to combat the Camp House wildfire in Brimson, Minn. on Thursday, May 15, 2025. ]
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Northeastern Minnesota wildfires mostly contained, but risk of fire remains
The area has seen about half the average amount of rainfall and a hot, dry weekend is ahead.
Iron Range city councilor cut power to three cities during dispute with utility, charges say
Joseph Vaida of McKinley is accused of cutting a tension wire on his property, which knocked out power to Biwabik, Gilbert and his own constituents.
Duluth man choked a deputy until officer could no longer speak, charges say
Gideon Joseph Martin, 37, has been convicted of violent crimes it the past.
New Port Authority director has eyes on reconstructing Duluth Lake Port
Kevin Beardsley, the public agency's chief financial officer, takes over for Deb DeLuca next week.
Man chokes St. Louis County deputy; arrested after climbing tree
The deputy was treated and released.
Grand Rapids man with piles of dead goats faces 20 charges tied to animal torture
Of the 140 goats he moved to a Bovey property to help manage shrubs and brush, 92 died.
Man who stabbed Duluth woman outside bar found guilty of unintentional murder
Chantel Moose's family wore red for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women as Darrius Lamar Plummer was convicted.
Former Cloquet police officer guilty of trying to bilk senior with dementia
A Carlton County jury found Laci Marie Silgjord guilty of one count of attempted theft by swindle.
Bouncer testifies about night woman was killed outside Duluth bar
Darrius Lamar Plummer is accused of second-degree murder without intent in stabbing death of Chantel Moose.
Northern Minnesota wildfire response: 'This is when you find out what kind of community you live in'
By midday Tuesday, the Camp House fire near Brimson had grown to 12,000 acres.
Duluth area's garbage gets new home on the Range — and could contribute to cleaner water
Resource Renew will route solid waste to an innovative Iron Range landfill after Moccasin Mike closes in 2026.
Nate Bargatze has sold more tickets than any other act to play Duluth's Amsoil Arena. Who are the Top 5 artists to perform at the DECC?
The comedian has sold nearly 8,000 tickets for Thursday's performance, causing a bit of panic at the venue that has onsite parking for only 2,000.
Popular Grandma's Marathon brought $40 million to Duluth's economy
The total take is good news as slots for all three races this June are filled already.
Duluth's first Palestinian café to close after less than a year
"We remain committed to our mission of sharing Palestinian culture and cuisine, albeit in ways yet to be determined," its owners wrote.
Feds cut grant supporting St. Scholastica students' mental health work with schoolkids
The program placed occupational therapy graduate students in regional classrooms.
Duluth tourist hot spot will get upgrades during monthslong construction project
The Army Corps of Engineers' Lake Superior Maritime Visitor Center at Canal Park is getting a $3.5 million shoreline upgrade.
No charges in Hibbing native Adam Johnson's death during 2023 U.K. hockey game
Johnson, who played two years at UMD, was beloved among his former teammates and townmates.
Duluth businesses lauded for promoting less light, more night sky
The Lake Superior Zoo was among several local organizations tapped by Starry Skies North. The bats love it.
Fiery, funny punks to nostalgic synth art-pop: Duluth's Homegrown is eight days of local music on dozens of stages
The festival started as a birthday party for Scott "Starfire" Lunt, but more than two decades later is much, much more.
Man charged in July fatal stabbing, arson in Duluth's Lakeside neighborhood
Tyler Walter Edwards is accused of killing Maxton Keith Gudowski in July 2024, then lighting him and his apartment on fire.
In the midst of global trade war, first saltie of the season arrives at Port of Duluth-Superior
Federal Nagara, loaded with sugar beet refining equipment, cruised through the canal Monday morning.
Professor fired for not complying with COVID-19 vaccine mandate sues Walz, school leaders
The former Lake Superior College instructor said in a court filing that he refused to be coerced into something that "violates fundamental rights."
Cheng-Khee Chee, globally renowned watercolorist from Duluth, dies at 92
Chee won hundreds of awards in his lifetime and is best known for illustrating "Old Turtle" by Douglas Wood.
How a small Minnesota town 'seceded' from the U.S.
"We will be similar to Monaco," Kinney's leaders said in the 1970s.
Minnesota high school dean extradited to Georgia, charged with 'obscene internet contact with a child'
Christopher John Chad of Eveleth was arrested in mid-March and is now in Fulton County jail in Atlanta.
Duluth man gets prison for sexual conduct against young church-goers
Clint Massie pleaded guilty to acts against girls in his church, but violated the terms of his pre-sentencing release when he went to a funeral where children were present.
IRRRB picks new chair to replace Justin Eichorn, out after he resigned from Senate after arrest
Sen. Robert Farnsworth of Hibbing is new chair of the Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board.
Employee of Rock Ridge High School arrested on suspicion of 'obscene internet conduct with a child'
The Eveleth man was arrested Tuesday by the St. Louis County Sheriff's Department and will be extradited to Georgia.
Fire contained at Iron Range explosives plant Dyno Nobel
A fire started near an exhaust fan at Dyno Nobel outside Biwabik, triggering a brief evacuation. The blaze did not affect "sensitive materials on site," a spokesperson said.
Second suspect in 'Wizard of Oz' ruby slippers theft dies
Jerry Hal Saliterman, who died Sunday, was accused of keeping the shoes worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz" buried in his backyard.
Searchers find Minnesota-bound freighter that sank in Lake Superior in 1892
The Western Reserve was en route to Two Harbors when it was lost during an August storm, leaving only one survivor.
What's best for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame? Its home on the Range or a move to St. Paul?
The nonprofit's board members are split: Some favor Iron Range tradition; others want more foot traffic.
Duluth teen with terminal cancer gets the party of her life, with hundreds of friends
Shimia Nord, 18, was told in January that she has weeks or months to live. Last weekend, classmates and friends celebrated her at a Halloween-themed early graduation party.
No. 4 Gophers fall to No. 1 Badgers on goal with 25 seconds left in WCHA Frozen Faceoff final
All of the semifinalists are expected to be among the teams invited to the NCAA tournament Sunday.
Gophers push past Buckeyes and into the WCHA Final Faceoff title game
Minnesota, ranked fourth, scored six goals in a row after No. 2 Ohio State took a 2-0 lead. The U will play No. 1 Wisconsin for the championship.
John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon finals coming today
Erin Aili, who won in 2021, had a 24-minute lead as of Monday morning.
Time capsule's delayed opening offers a glimpse into the Iron Range past
The 100-year-old artifacts surfaced during a delayed dedication of a county building in Virginia, Minn.
Delayed John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon gets a new starting point where snow is plentiful
The race, which usually starts in Duluth and ends in Grand Portage, will begin Sunday north of Two Harbors.
'Murder at the Lighthouse' brings northern Minnesota vistas and intrigue to Lifetime
The new thriller, compared to "Misery" and "Sleeping with the Enemy," was filmed in and around Duluth in fall.
St. Louis County OKs funding to combat aquatic invasive species in lakes
Walz wants decreases to this fund, but the board will fight for the full amount in the future.
St. Louis County received $54.5M in pandemic-relief aid. Here's where it went.
More than 100 projects received funding, including road improvements, expanded broadband access, upgraded water systems and a high-tech landfill.
Tall ships festival will return to Duluth in July
Festival of Sail Duluth is July 10-13 and will include old-timey replicas.
Duluth police investigating ID of week-old baby left with staff at local shelter
The baby was dropped off with diapers and formula, and the woman told staff she couldn't care for it.
Vikings' Ham for Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year? His hometown of Duluth is rooting for him.
Fullback C.J. Ham has stayed connected to his roots, supporting the organizations he frequented as a kid, including the Denfeld High School football program.
Duluth's Team Dropkin wins USA Curling men's national title; Eagan sisters' rink takes women's championship
Team Casper, based in Minneapolis, finished second in the men's competition, and Team Cousins, out of New Hampshire, was the women's runner-up.
Family of 12 makes cross-country ski racing a lifestyle and winning a hallmark
From the middle of the birth order comes Della Bettendorf, who hasn't lost a race this season for Proctor/Hermantown's high school team.
Iron Range man found guilty, again, of raping and murdering a Chisholm woman in 1986
Michael Allan Carbo collapsed to his chair when the verdict was read Friday night at the St. Louis County Courthouse.
Iron Range man on trial a second time for cold-case murder finally testifies
"I'm not capable of murdering nobody," Michael Allan Carbo Jr. testified, breaking his silence after being arrested five years ago.
'Nosy' neighbors tell of Iron Range woman's call for help in rape, murder case
Defendent Michael Carbo Jr.'s trial extended into its third day at the St. Louis County Courthouse.
Witness in Iron Range woman's 1986 rape, murder faces heat during cross-examination
Lawyers for the man convicted in her death question her friend about the time he spent with the victim and his interest in the investigation, in a retrial of the case.
Key witness in Iron Range murder trial emphatic he did not kill Nancy Daugherty
Brian Evenson, who is the alternate perpetrator at the center of Michael Carbo's defense, provided hours of detailed testimony.
What's the story behind Hermantown's little brick houses?
The 1930s Jackson Project built dozens, aiming to ease urban crowding and give families a way to grow food and keep animals.
Iron Range cold case trial redux begins this week with defense pointing to different suspect
Michael Allan Carbo will be back in court this week after the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that he should have been allowed an alternate perpetrator defense.
ATV riders shell out millions riding northern Minnesota trails, study finds
University of Minnesota Extension researchers found an economic impact of $36 million in St. Louis, Lake and Koochiching counties in 2023.
Hermantown lands $2 million grant for developing industrial park at former Superfund site
The Hawkline Business Park is expected to cost $5 million, with the rest of funding coming from the city and private investments.
John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon postponed to early March
The annual 300-mile race up the North Shore, which was canceled in 2024, was scheduled to begin later this month.
Mary Murphy, longest-serving woman in the Minnesota House, has died at 85
Murphy, of Hermantown, took office in 1977 and served until she lost to Natalie Zeleznikar in a close general election in 2022.
Bob Dylan's hometown fans get an early look at 'A Complete Unknown' in Hibbing
The Dylan biopic had a pre-screening Friday night at a theater in his boyhood home.
James Ulland, a former Duluth-area Republican lawmaker turned investment adviser, has died at 82
Ulland was an economist and tree farmer when he entered the political arena.
Police ID man, woman found dead in car at Duluth airport
Lawrence and Ann Roscoe, of Duluth's Lakeside neighborhood, were found in the top level of the parking ramp on Thursday evening.
St. Louis County Board OKs largest budget yet, at over $500 million
The budgeted $504,403,199 goes toward public safety, roads and bridges, public health and human services, employee wages, community programming, infrastructure and more.
Duluth bike group asks for safer roads after cyclist dies crossing Mesaba Avenue at rush hour
Vibrant Streets Duluth wants right-of-way enforcement and a transportation commission, among other safeguards for those using roads.
Man, woman found dead in car parked in ramp at Duluth airport
Duluth police found the two people while trying to track down the man, who reportedly had been struggling with his mental health.
Gilbert woman charged with murder after man ODs; she then wrote about it in a private Facebook message
Ashley Rose Cook wrote, "I gave [the victim a] perc 30 and he died," according to the criminal complaint.
Ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in 'Oz,' stolen and missing for years, are sold at auction for $28M
The famous shoes, owned by collector Michael Shaw, were stolen from Grand Rapids' Judy Garland Museum in 2005 and recovered in an FBI sting in 2018.
Virginia adds floating bridge to Silver Lake, also known for largest floating loon
The city held a ribbon-cutting last month.
Duluth man takes last-minute plea deal in criminal sexual conduct case
Clint Franklin Massie, 49, pleaded guilty to four counts of assaulting children he knew through church, family, instead of facing jury.
Bids for ruby slippers stolen from Grand Rapids museum surpass $1 million in online auction
The live auction for the shoes, worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz," starts at 11 a.m. Saturday.
Duluth airport sets flight record in September, and makes push for funding
The airport's air traffic control tower is the third-oldest in the country and no longer meets a key FAA requirement.
St. Louis County approves 'conservative' cannabis ordinance, allowing room to adjust in the future
Only Commissioner Ashley Grimm voted against the ordinance during Tuesday's meeting at the St. Louis County courthouse.
Fired Duluth church youth leader sentenced in 3 more sex assault cases
Jackson Gatlin was sentenced Tuesday for sexually assaulting three more victims, but it doesn't add to his prison time.
Former Duluth youth leader sentenced to 13 years in prison for sexual abuse of young girls
Jackson Gatlin, his parents and Duluth Vineyard church are also facing civil lawsuits from at least nine victims.
