News and Current Affairs
Hundred-year commemoration of Duluth lynching could see 10,000-person rally
It’s been nearly 100 years since Elias Clayton, Elmer Jackson and Isaac McGhie were falsely accused, taken by force from the old Duluth jail, and lynched by an estimated 10,000 community members at the intersection where the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial now stands.
On June 15, 2020, the community will commemorate those three men and continue to work toward a mission of fostering peace, racial equity and growth. Organizers are asking for more than 10,000 community members and visitors to attend an event at the intersection of the memorial and in the surrounding streets to listen to keynote speaker Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, a human rights organization in Montgomery, Ala.
The Noble Pour cocktail lounge planned for Lincoln Park
Duluth Grill owner Tom Hanson stands behind the bar at the Noble Pour, a new lounge he is developing at 1907 W. Superior St. Hanson purchased the bar from the now-closed Red Herring Lounge.
A new Lincoln Park night spot will feature an artifact from the recently closed Red Herring Lounge, a well-loved but short-lived downtown Duluth music venue. (more…)
Duluth sees its first ‘virtual restaurant’ with Bowls to Go
Restaurant developer Rick Lampton shows off the 310 Pub kitchen in Duluth where Bowls to Go menu items are prepared. Lampton and his partners own the 310 Pub, 7 West Taphouse and Grizzly’s Wood-Fired Grill.
A new Duluth restaurant is going without wait staff, tables, even walls because its fresh, hot food is delivered wherever hungry customers want to eat. (more…)
Adas Israel Congregation synagogue destroyed by fire
The Duluth Fire Department responded at 2:23 a.m. to a report of a structure fire at Adas Israel Congregation, a Jewish synagogue at 302 E. Third St. (more…)
Missing Person: Jacob Lavoie
The Duluth Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in locating 21-year-old Jacob Michael Lavoie. He was last seen at Grandma’s Sports Garden in Canal Park on Saturday, Aug. 31, at around midnight, and early on the morning of Sept. 1.
Lavoie is a white male, 5 feet 10 inches tall, weighing approximately 150 pounds, with strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. He might be wearing a black Nike baseball hat, red/salmon long-sleeve shirt and jeans. Anyone who has information about Lavoie’s whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Duluth Police Department Juvenile Services Unit at 218-730-5560, or call 911. (more…)
Iwen wins prize
The Arkansas Democrat Gazette reports that UW-Superior professor Jayson Iwen has won a $5,000 poetry prize. (more…)
Superior Entry Lighthouse on Wisconsin Point sold
The century-old Superior Entry Lighthouse on Wisconsin Point sold for $159,000 to Steven Broudy of San Francisco, Calif. The new owner will have to maintain it. (more…)
PDD Quiz: August 2019
August is drawing to a close; how many of this month’s headlines do you recall? Quiz on to find out!
The next PDD quiz, on Duluth in literature, will be published on Sept. 15. Submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by Sept. 8. (more…)
Duluth 2019 General Election Primer
One week ago the field was thinned. Below is a look at the Duluth municipal and school board races to be decided during the General Election on Nov. 5.
Duluth Mayor
Emily Larson
David Nolle (more…)
West Duluth bar scene adding Boreal House
Katie Fast, left, and Julie LaTourelle stand outside 330 N. 57th Ave. W. The two women purchased the former home of RJ’s Coffee Den and plan to open a new bar in West Duluth. (Photo by Mark Nicklawske)
Two women plan to open a new bar later this fall in a West Duluth neighborhood that boasts some of the oldest drinking establishments in the city.
Katie Fast and Julie LaTourelle, operating as K & J Industries LLC, recently purchased the former RJ’s Coffee Den at 330 N. 57th Ave. W. The century-old building is being remodeled and is expected to reopen as the Boreal House in late November. (more…)
All hail Duluth’s new flag
Duluth has a new flag. Blane Tetreault was selected as the overall winner of the city’s flag-design contest launched earlier this year.
“This was a once in a lifetime opportunity to contribute to a community that I love,” Tetreault said in a news release from the city. “My goal in participating in this project was to help establish a symbol that represents the rich history, culture, and natural beauty of Duluth.” (more…)
Duluth 2019 Primary Election Results
With 34 of 34 precincts counted …
Duluth Mayor
(Top two candidates advance to General Election)
Emily Larson – 5,225 | 66.87%
David Nolle – 992 | 12.7%
John Socha – 450 | 5.76%
Daniel Weatherly – 285 | 3.65%
Donald Raihala – 220 | 2.82%
Caleb Anderson – 206 | 2.64%
Jesse Peterson – 193 | 2.47%
Corey Ford – 160 | 2.05%
Doris Queen Lavender – 83 | 1.06%
At-large Duluth City Councilors
(Two positions; top four candidates advance to General Election)
Arik Forsman – 3,570 | 26.87%
Noah Hobbs – 3,313 | 24.94%
Derek Medved – 3,003 | 22.6%
Mike Mayou – 2,338 | 17.6%
Stephen Abernethy – 498 | 3.75%
Nathaniel Rankin – 321 | 2.42%
Matthew William Stewart – 242 | 1.82%
Third District Duluth City Councilor
(Top two candidates advance to General Election)
Roz Randorf – 661 | 47.9%
Theresa O’Halloran-Johnson – 454 | 32.9%
Henry Banks – 185 | 13.41%
Ryan Glenn – 80 | 5.8%
Hey look, a 45-inch Lake Superior trout
Caught by Steven Gotchie and Jordan Korzenowski on Lake Superior, about five miles out from the Aerial Lift Bridge.
Big changes at Wildwoods rehab facility
Left: New Wildwoods Executive Director Jessica LaBumbard. Right: Outgoing Director Farzad Farr.
Wildwoods, the Duluth-area wildlife rehabber, recently posted its early-season stats: 1,260 animals have been helped by the organization this year, through Aug. 1. Migration season, a busy time for Wildwoods, is still to come.
Meanwhile, Executive Director Farzad Farr will be stepping down on Sept. 21 after 13 years with Wildwoods. He’s going back to California to be close to family. New director Jessica LaBumbard has already began. (more…)
