News and Current Affairs Posts

This Week in LakeVoice

This week, LakeVoice releases its fifth spring issue, featuring stories on Mentor Duluth and its search for volunteers, the Re-Leaf Duluth program and its plan to replenish the city’s landscape, the Duluth Transit Authority’s plans for a new station and the changes that are coming to next year’s Bentleyville season.

Be careful out there

DTA buses are sliding all over the place and bus service might be stopped before the end of the work day.

The Duluth Police Dept. reports that slippery conditions and poor visibility have contributed to over 20 crashes within the past two hours. The department is asking that residents stay home and only travel if necessary.

The zoo is closed. Goodwill is closed. Open skating at the Heritage Center is cancelled. The Duluth Parks and Rec clean up event at Chambers Grove Park is cancelled. Assume most things aren’t happening.

Found cat in West Duluth

The poor dummy is high up in a tree on the Western Waterfront Trail just south of Indian Point Campground. I invoked the Fire Dept., but the location of the tree was determined to be too tricky for rescue, and, so I’m told, cats always come down on their own … eventually.

This Week in LakeVoice News

LakeVoice News’ sixth issue of the spring features stories on Native American housing in Duluth, Renegade Improvisation at the Teatro Zuccone and Pak’s Green Corner’s innovative culinary creations. Also, listen to an audio piece about Meghan, who works for the Incline Bowling Station, and a take a look at a photo story of Lake Superior Zoo’s EGG-Stravaganza.

Jim Carlson: “The Nazis got me again.”

[This post originally contained an embedded video that is no longer available at its source.]

This afternoon Duluth police arrested Last Place on Earth owner Jim Carlson and his son, Joseph Gellerman, on probable cause based on prior sales of illegal controlled substances to undercover police officers.

Both Carlson and Gellerman were transported to the St. Louis County Jail and booked for three counts of fourth-degree sale of controlled substance.

Is the Duluth News Tribune taking potshots at special education?

The DNT has run two recent articles on special education in our public schools. Both articles seem to be to be blaming the current overcrowding and school budget crisis on special education costs.

Eight places to enroll in the nationwide cancer prevention study

First Covenant Church
St. Michael’s Catholic Church
US Bank Building
Superior Public Library
Peace in Christ Church
Asbury United Methodist Church
First United Methodist Church
Mariner Mall

There is one week left to enroll in the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Prevention Study-3. For dates and details visit cps3twinports.org

Not-So-Perfect Duluth Comet

Finally. Clear skies after sunset allowing my first, eagerly anticipated view of Comet PANSTARRS over Duluth. Sigh. Unfortunately, PANSTARRS isn’t really delivering the goods. I took these pictures Saturday night about 45 minutes after sunset, looking due west over the UMD campus, and trust me, even though the comet was visible to the naked eye, the photos are better than what I could see, even with binoculars. Still, if you get a chance (and the weather Gods permit) I recommend checking this underachieving celestial visitor out.

Looking for grant applicants

The Duluth Legacy Endowment Fund Committee is looking for grant applicants.

The Neighborhood Grant program awards grants up to $5,000 for projects and programs improving Duluth’s neighborhood parks and services. The deadline is April 1. Applications and other details are at
dsacommunityfoundation.com.

Please apply. Or please pass this along to anyone you think may be interested.

LakeVoice publishes second issue of spring

LakeVoice After several weeks of preparation, LakeVoice News published its first issue of the semester Feb. 28. The issue features the kickoff of LakeVoice’s Photo-A-Day project, video and audio pieces, and local issues stories produced by UMD journalism students. Since its launch, LakeVoice has published a second issue that includes a “Duluth on Ice” section, which features the history behind area hockey rinks.

Has anyone recently looked at the Unfair Campaign?

There are a bunch of posts promoting radical leaders who advocate racial genocide on the Un-fair Campaign’s Facebook page! Yipes! Is this what Duluth has come to?

Why are we not?

I just headed down to Goodwill to pick up a suitcase. I’m heading to Scotland to work on an organic vegetable farm for a couple of months. As I was coming back up the hill, I happened to look at the freeway and the thought came to me: Why is it that there are no solar photovoltaics on the south-facing sides of the freeway? What a perfect spot. Out of the way, not doing anything. Some places 20 to 30 feet from the ground to the road bed. South facing. Don’t have to take anything down. We own the right away. Why don’t we do something like that in Duluth? Apathy, ignorance, afraid of change, sold out to power companies, scared, need the money for hockey rinks … what’s the reason? I just don’t get it.

This is a revolution that is sweeping the world. The cost of solarvoltaics is cheaper then fossil fuels in some places. We can’t even try something so small as one solar street light. For 15 years I’ve been going on this rant. Is it going to be another 15 years? Is Duluth going to be that far behind the rest of the world? I just don’t get it.

Well aren’t you Mr. Popularity, Mayor Ness?

[This post originally contained an embedded video that is no longer available at its source.]

And to think that only yesterday you were a hate monger.

Note: KARE 11’s approval rating drops after failing to correctly spell the names of Jason Wussow and Peter Passi.

Karen Diver discusses another court decision against Duluth

At risk of setting off an avalanche of flaming comments here on PDD I am going to post this interview that I worked on today.

Rocket Bar Renovation

The ragged building at 208 E. First St. in Downtown Duluth is being gutted of debris in preparation for renovation. Bob Monahan and his father, Robert H. R. Monahan, plan to open an “artist friendly” cafe/lounge on the main floor later this year, with a recording studio in the basement level. They have already replaced the roof on the 127-year-old building, which they are in the process of acquiring from Jack Arnold through a contract-for-deed agreement.

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