News and Current Affairs Posts

St. Paul nonprofit is new owner of Duluth North Pierhead Light

Minnesota Public Radio reports the historic lighthouse at the entrance to the Duluth Ship Canal is St. Paul-based Rethos, a nonprofit that plans to open the lighthouse to tours.

Efforts revived to assess mercury in St. Louis River watershed

Agate, an online magazine focused on the environment and people of Minnesota and the surrounding Great Lakes region, published a story this week about the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s recently revived effort to calculate how much mercury the St. Louis River watershed can handle and still meet established water quality standards. The goal is to determine the mercury reductions needed to meet water quality standards and support healthy consumption of fish.

PDD Quiz: February 2023

For such a short month, February was chockablock with news. Dig into this week’s current events quiz and see how many headlines you remember!

Another installment of Duluth movie mentions will come your way on March 12. Submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by March 9.

Duluth Grill group plans new Lincoln Park burger bar

The Duluth Grill Family Restaurant Group will take over operations at the former Coach’s Bar and Grill, 2113 W. Superior St. The new restaurant will be called Burger Paradox. (Photos by Mark Nicklawske).

A popular Lincoln Park restaurant group is adding another bar and grill to its neighborhood food empire.

Duluth Grill Family of Restaurants co-owner Tom Hanson said this week his organization has secured a 10-year lease on the longtime home of Mitch’s Bar and Grill, 2113 W. Superior St. The site was most recently home to the short-lived Coach’s Bar & Grill.

Amazing Grace Café and Grocery closing

Amazing Grace Café and Grocery in Canal Park will close on Feb. 27 according to a news release from owner Connor Riley.

Duluth Mail Bag: Snow Removal, Budgets and Bag Fees

Hobbs Mail BagAs a two-time Duluth city councilor, now in my final year of service, one of my goals is to make city government more accessible, or at least help citizens become more informed. I figure there are a lot of Duluthians who would like some simple answers to some simple questions. I learned in school that if there is something you don’t understand it’s likely there are many others who feel the same way. Hence the idea of the Duluth Mailbag column.

I won’t divulge who is asking the questions, but I’ll answer them in this format about once a month. Feel free to put a question in the comments for next month’s “Duluth Mailbag” or tweet me via @Hobbs_Duluth or email me at hobbsforduluth @ gmail.com.

Also, if you want to have a longer conversation, you can sign up for a 45-minute cup of coffee through my 100 Cups of Coffee project.

OK, here we go!

Management shift at WDSE “The North” brings change

Under new station manager Brian Rickman, 103.3 FM WDSE has moved to new music programming software and begun considering changes to its schedule, the Duluth News Tribune reports.

West Duluth theater project moves forward, seeks city loan

The Alhambra Theater sits just to the east of the West Theatre on Central Avenue in West Duluth (Photos by Mark Nicklawske)

A long-lost vaudeville theater renovation gained ground this week when city officials authorized grant money to fund a business loan for the West Duluth entertainment district project.

The Duluth Economic Development Authority approved a $150,000 grant Jan. 25 to the city of Duluth 1200 Fund for restoration work at the Alhambra Theater, 321 N. Central Ave. The move allows the 1200 Fund to loan building owner Paladin Properties LLC a total of $200,000 for project completion.

PDD Quiz: January 2023

The first month of 2023 is nearly over; how many of its headlines do you recall? Jump into this week’s PDD quiz to find out!

A Valentine’s Day-themed quiz comes your way on Feb. 12. Submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by Feb. 9.

Superior FunLand is open at Mariner Business Center

The Superior Telegram reports that a new indoor play space for kids has opened in the Mariner Business Center, 69 N. 28th St. Superior FunLand had its grand opening on Jan. 14. It’s owned by Paul Bothun and Desiree Hughes.

Duluth reconsidering mandated parking minimums

The Duluth News Tribune reports that proposed changes to city code would eliminate requirements for developers to provide a specific number of parking spots.

Low fights for rights to master recordings

I’m surprised I didn’t know about this yet, but the Star Trib just posted a story about the difficulties Low and other mostly indie bands are having with re-releasing and/or getting the rights back for their older recordings. What a goofy system to deal with art! Art belongs to the artist(s)!

PDD Quiz: 2023 Coming Attractions

Peek into the future with this week’s quiz about 2023 Duluth area happenings.

The next PDD quiz will review this month’s headlines; it will be published on Jan. 29. Submit question suggestions to Alison Moffat at [email protected] by Jan. 26.

Many new Duluth-area restaurants kept it in the family in 2022

 

Twin Ports food fans gained some favorable new restaurant options in 2022 — from high-end dining to downhome comfort food, tacos and the return of an old classic.

Miller Hill Mall Perkins leads list of 2022 restaurant closings

The Miller Hill Mall Perkins closed in March after 37 years of service. The national chain still operates at two other Duluth sites. (Photo by Mark Nicklawske)

Restaurants come and go all the time but some seem like they will be around forever. The Miller Hill Mall Perkins is a perfect example. The naugahyde booths, chrome-plated tables, gigantic breakfast menu and sweet pies made each visit feel like the one before — like eating in a time machine that would never end.

But then it did end.

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