PDD News Sieve
Duluth 2018 General Election Primer
With federal, state, county and judicial races on the ballot — and a triad of Duluth School Board questions — there’s plenty for voters to sort through this fall.
The countdown is on with eight weeks left to study up; the General Election will be held on Nov. 6. Below are the races that will appear on ballots in Duluth. Only one of the three Minnesota State Representative races affecting Duluth will appear on individual ballots. See the note on each for a description of which geographic areas apply.
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BusinessNorth owners purchase Lake Superior Magazine
Left to right above: New Lake Superior Magazine owners Beth Bily and Ron Brochu, former owners Cindy Hayden and Paul Hayden
Two longtime, Duluth-based media organizations with a combined 66 years in existence are now under the same ownership following the Aug. 31 sale of Lake Superior Magazine and its associated books and merchandising operations to the publishers of BusinessNorth and Scenic Range News Forum. The entities announced the sale in a news release today. (more…)
Thirsty Pagan Brewing moving to Soo Line Depot
The Superior Telegram reports Thirsty Pagan Brewing will move to the Soo Line Depot at 1615 Winter St. in January.
“The move marks a step into the brick-and-mortar phase — owning a building instead of leasing,” the story notes. “The depot also offers more private seating options for meetings, events and parties, although the total number of seats will remain roughly the same. … Groups already meet regularly at Thirsty Pagan, but the current configuration isn’t ideal for privacy. At about 7,500 square feet, the depot will provide more space to spread into.”
Funding agreement in place for St. Louis River cleanup
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Steel Corp. announced an agreement yesterday to undertake a $75 million cleanup and restoration project at the former Duluth Works site on the St. Louis River at Spirit Lake in Duluth. This is part of a larger effort to restore the St. Louis River Area of Concern through the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative. (more…)
Duluth planning for passenger cruise ship stops
The Duluth City Council and Duluth Economic Development Authority have approved funding to help establish a temporary customs facility to allow Great Lakes cruise ship passengers to disembark in Duluth.
As Minnesota Public Radio reports, “Duluth is not expecting massive oceangoing cruise ships the size of small cities to drop anchor in its harbor,” but instead is looking for smaller adventure cruises “that can accommodate up to about 200 passengers, plus another 100-plus crewmembers.”
MPR: Duluth as a cruise stop? With City Council vote, it’s one step closer
Slacklining at Palisade Head
The big topic on Perfect Duluth Day’s Facebook page over the past two days is whether the above photo showing a slackliner at Palisade Head is legit or a carefully edited hoax. (more…)
R.I.P. Carter Hotel
The Duluth News Tribune reports the vacant Carter Hotel building at 17 N. Second Ave. E. will be torn down. The Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa will replace it with a surface parking lot for its Fond-du-Lac Casino. (more…)
Duluth top city for paycheck stretching, according to indeed.com
Indeed.com released a report today entitled, “US Cities Where Salaries Go Furthest: 2018.” Of 185 metro cities, the one that topped the list for stretching the buying power of a paycheck is Duluth. (more…)
Duluth 2018 Primary Election Results
With 4,112 of 4,112 precincts reporting, here are the statewide results for races relevant to Duluth. (more…)
Will they take the “Duluth” out of the Duluth Harbor South Breakwater Outer Light?
The West Central Tribune of Willmar reports the Willmar City Council is considering bringing the Duluth Harbor South Breakwater Outer Light to the west-central Minnesota community.
Story link: Could a lighthouse soon light the way for boaters on Willmar’s lakes? (more…)
Duluth 2018 Primary Election Sample Ballot
Primary Election polls open Aug. 14 at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. (more…)
Beleaguered Sound restaurant closed, but could reopen soon
Sound, the not-quite six-month-old restaurant occupying the ground floor of the former Duluth City Hall building at 132 E. Superior St., closed on Friday. Dennis Kempton, a public relations professional connected to the restaurant, announced on Facebook today that owner Alison Underthun has backed out of the project. A new group of partners will relaunch the business soon, according to Kempton. (more…)
Lakewalk Galley in Canal Park officially opens Friday
Crabby Ol’ Bill’s is no longer crabby … or Bill’s. The landlocked food boat in Canal Park will officially reopen Friday, June 22, under new ownership and with a new name. Justin Steinbach of Vista Fleet is the new owner and Derek Snyder of Lake Ave Restaurant is running it. They have renamed the establishment Lakewalk Galley by Lake Ave Restaurant. (more…)
R.I.P. Marlin “Bud” Nelson of Madeline Island Oasis
Visitors to Madeline Island this summer will discover one of its icons has passed on. Marlin “Bud” Nelson, proprietor of the Madeline Island Oasis, died earlier this year. A celebration of life event is planned for Saturday, June 23. (more…)
Man vs. Duluth Food: Casey Webb was here; show airs July 9
Casey Webb, host of the Travel Channel program Man v. Food, was in Duluth and neighboring communities in April. He visited Northern Waters Smokehaus in Canal Park, Breeze Inn in Lakewood Township and Betty’s Pies in Silver Creek Township. The travel channel has announced the episode will air on July 9 at 8 p.m. and repeat on July 10 at 11 a.m. and July 14 at 12:30 p.m.
The show summary:
Casey Webb heads to Duluth, Minnesota, where he tastes the city’s best fish fry, visits a specialty sandwich shop and attempts to finish a three-pound platter of pie and ice cream in 20 minutes or less.
Freighter American Spirit runs aground near Aerial Lift Bridge
Photo by Mark Nicklawske
The Aerial Lift Bridge is closed to ship traffic after a 1,004-foot freighter ran aground in the Duluth harbor around 3:30 p.m. today. (more…)
Copper Crow Distillery open near Bayfield
The Arrowhead region’s supply of hooch expanded in April when Copper Crow Distillery opened on the Red Cliff Reservation about four miles north of Bayfield. It joins Vikre Distillery in Duluth as the area’s only makers of alcoholic spirits. (more…)
Kickapoo Coffee will replace Big Water in Bayfield
Business North reports that Kickapoo Coffee will open this summer at 117 Rittenhouse Ave. in Bayfield. It’s the former location of Big Water Coffee Roasters, which closed the coffee shop last fall and slowly wound down coffee roasting operations in the following months. (more…)
Bubble Tea Company of Duluth open in Miller Hill Mall
Duluth has a Taiwanese pearl-milk tea shop. Fox 21 reports that Bubble Tea Company of Duluth opened in May at the Miller Hill Mall in the former Teavana location. (more…)
Duluth’s Best Bread opening breakfast cafe at Endion Station
Robert Lilligard’s research trip to France.
Duluth’s Best Bread will open a European style bakery-cafe on July 7 at Endion Station Public House in Canal Park. The cafe will operate from 7:30 to 11 a.m. Fridays through Sundays, before Endion Station’s typical business hours.
Duluth’s Best Bread at Endion Station will serve sweet pastries including French-style croissants, monster cinnamon and caramel pecan rolls, and homemade Pop Tarts. It will also serve new savory items, including a classic quiche with bacon and ham. (more…)
Duluth City Council has an open seat; here’s how to fill it
Duluth City Council President Elissa Hansen announced last month she will vacate her at-large council position on July 17 to focus on her new job as president and CEO of the Northspan Group. Hansen began her at-large term in 2016; her replacement will be expected to hold the position until January 2020.
Applications for appointment to Hansen’s soon-to-be-open at-large council seat are available in the city clerk’s office and online at duluthmn.gov.
Completed applications must be received by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, July 9. Applicants will be interviewed by the council on Thursday, July 12, following the regular agenda session.
The process for filling the vacated seat was established by City Council Resolution 18-0471R, adopted by the Duluth City Council on June 11.
Corktown Deli & Brews and Love Creamery will open June 13
Two new eateries, next door to each other at 1906 and 1908 W. Superior St. in Duluth’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, will officially open full hours on Wednesday, June 13. (more…)
Steve Earle was in Deluth
According to the back of the tour shirt, Steve Earle made a stop in Deluth recently. He must be friends with Christie Brinkley — when she visited Duluth in 2016 during John Mellencamp’s tour stop she Instagrammed photos from around town and noted that she loves “Deluth.”
Harbor Lookout: Duluth Port Ship Tracking
There’s a new website for those who like watching the ships roll in and then watching them roll away again. Saturn Systems, a Duluth-based software engineering firm, recently launched a shipping tracker at harborlookout.com. The site lists arrival and departure times and displays a map with icons showing ship locations.
Duluth News Tribune: New maritime website unveiled in Duluth
Bob Dylan: Duluth Ski Bum?
A profile on Roger McGuinn in No Depression, a quarterly roots music journal, opens with an interesting Duluth-related tidbit.
McGuinn says he and Dylan went skiing in Minnesota — near Duluth or Dylan’s hometown of Hibbing — during a Christmas break in Dylan’s historic 1975-76 Rolling Thunder Revue tour.
“He’s fast,” McGuinn recalls. “I was a beginning skier on the intermediate slope going down cautiously. I look to my right, and Bob goes vroom right past me.”
So, was it Spirit Mountain? Chester Bowl? Mont du Lac? Giants Ridge? Lutsen Mountains? Let the speculation begin.