2+ hour, 44+ min ago (508+ words) DULUTH " Although city councilors cast no binding votes regarding the future of the now-defunct Lester Park Golf Course, discussion of the property's best prospective use dominated their discussion Monday night. The council did pass a resolution notifying residents of the city's intent to consider conveying 230 acres of the former municipal golf course to the Duluth Economic Development Authority. But that resolution, in and of itself, does not clear the way for the authority to gain control of the property. Any actual transfer instead will depend on the successful passage of an ordinance the council is expected to consider upon a second public reading at its next regular meeting Dec. 8. Since the deal would involve the release of city parkland, it requires approval by no fewer than eight of the council's nine sitting members. As of Monday, Nov. 24, two councilors " Azrin…...

16+ hour, 21+ min ago (240+ words) Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of "staff." Often, the "staff" byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story. DULUTH " A new bridge over Lower Knowlton Creek will benefit brook trout and enhance climate resiliency for a section of the Willard Munger State Trail. The first mile of the trail, between Pulaski Street and Riverwest Drive in Duluth, will be closed starting Monday, Nov. 24. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will replace a significantly undersized culvert with a…...

8+ hour, 12+ min ago (634+ words) DULUTH " A St. Paul man has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for the prolonged sexual abuse of a child in Duluth beginning more than two decades ago. Jonathan Thomas Hill, 54, received the guideline sentence Friday from Senior Judge Dale Harris after pleading guilty in September to first-degree criminal sexual conduct. The crimes date back to 2001 through 2009, according to court documents, with the victim telling police that there were an estimated 40-50 incidents over that time period. The boy, who was known to Hill, was under the age of 13 when the abuse began. A criminal complaint said the now-adult victim came forward to police in June 2023 to report the assaults. He told investigators that the incidents started with Hill showing him pornography, then progressing to touching and sex acts. The complaint says the victim went to record phone conversations with Hill…...

5+ hour, 55+ min ago (602+ words) DULUTH " For years after the Essentia Duluth Heritage Sports Center was built, people wondered what to do with the "warming house" that sits above the Sill Rink. First, it served primarily as a conference or meeting room, and more recently, it served as artist Tim Cortes's public studio. After two years at the rink, though, Cortes decided to move out of the Heritage Center. Earlier this year, Bob Nygaard approached Heritage Center President and CEO Jeff Stark about a donation to make some cosmetic improvements to the building in memory of his mother. Stark asked Nygaard to hold off and let him think of perhaps a more practical improvement to the Heritage Center. When Cortes moved out late this summer, Stark thought the space could be a weight room for hockey players at the Heritage Center. He called Nygaard and…...

20+ hour, 14+ min ago (956+ words) DULUTH " Community Action Duluth's board of directors has launched an investigation into the nonprofit's executive director after the union representing its staff raised concerns of financial mismanagement and a hostile work environment. Friday's announcement came one day after the union, represented by AFSCME Council 5, held a news conference announcing it had approved a vote of no confidence in Executive Director Classie Dudley and CAD's board of directors. Cece Netzer, CAD's community market food justice specialist, said the no-confidence vote stems from "a history of financial mismanagement, a hostile work environment and an unwillingness to address concerns." Netzer said that staff brought their concerns to the board in September, but the board hadn't responded by Thursday evening. "It seems that the board leadership is more concerned about protecting the executive director than they are with advocating for the organization and its…...

13+ hour, 56+ min ago (681+ words) HERMANTOWN " The city's school district is facing a lawsuit on behalf of a former employee who is alleging retaliation after raising concerns over compliance with special education laws. Minneapolis-based law firm Storms Dworak is representing former speech-language pathologist Emily Bellamy in her suit alleging that the Hermantown school district violated the Minnesota Whistleblower Act. The law firm filed a complaint in State District Court on Nov. 2, claiming that the Hermantown school district had retaliated against Bellamy by not renewing her employment contract after she made numerous reports regarding administrator conduct and the handling of individualized education plans, or IEPs, for students with disabilities. As part of the lawsuit against the district, she is seeking $50,000 in damages, citing loss of income, emotional distress and harm to her reputation. Following a request from the Duluth News Tribune, Hermantown Superintendent Wayne Whitwam stated…...

22+ hour, 16+ min ago (1189+ words) ST. PAUL " Laughter spilled out of Sen. Ann Rest's office, tucked into a corner on the third floor of the Minnesota Capitol. As she eased back into her leather chair and attempted to contain her laughter, she took a sip of her morning coffee from a mug etched with the word "Nice." What was so funny? The thought of running again for public office. The 83-year-old from New Hope is preparing for her last session after 41 years serving in both the House and Senate. She is among the top 10 longest-serving lawmakers in Minnesota history, with 14,928 days served. While retirement announcements continue to stream in as the 2026 session and midterms approach, Rest is among a few veteran lawmakers set to hang it up after 2026. She's joined by Sen. Sandy Pappas, a 76-year-old Democrat from St. Paul, who also came into the…...

18+ hour, 34+ min ago (581+ words) A 1-1 tie at No. 2-ranked Augsburg on Friday in Minneapolis marked another eyebrow-raising result for St. Scholastica women's hockey in its first season under head coach Sydney Brodt. The Saints stole their first Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference point of the season on Grace Chapman's power-play goal with 2:49 to play, combined with 29 saves in regulation from CSS goaltender Makenzie Cole (Grand Rapids/Greenway). CSS then grabbed a second point after Hanley Block scored in the fourth round of the shootout and Cole was equal to the task on Augsburg's corresponding shooter. The teams met again in Duluth on Saturday, and this time the Auggies responded in force for a 6-1 victory at Mars Lakeview Arena. Morgan Mitchell scored the only Saints goal, assisted by Sophie Parendo. Cole made 38 saves. CSS (2-4-1, 0-3-1 MIAC) is scheduled for games in Wisconsin this week, Tuesday at Wisconsin-Superior…...

5+ hour, 29+ min ago (894+ words) ST. PAUL " U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and other Somali leaders in Minnesota gathered in the Capitol rotunda on Monday, Nov. 24, to push back on President Donald Trump's threat to revoke deportation protections for Somali Minnesotans. "Minnesota, under Governor Waltz [misspelling Gov. Tim Walz's name], is a hub of fraudulent money laundering activity," Trump wrote. "Somali gangs are terrorizing the people of that Great State, and BILLIONS of Dollars are missing. Send them back to where they came from. It's OVER!" According to a 2025 congressional report, 705 Somalis in the U.S. are on TPS status set to expire on March 17, 2026. It's unclear how many are Minnesotans, but Omar estimated the number at roughly 300. Omar also asserted that Trump doesn't have the authority to remove TPS. "It is unfortunate that we are led by a president who does not understand the laws of this land…...

3+ hour, 58+ min ago (379+ words) The Gophers punched a ticket to their Thanksgiving tournament title game with a win Monday, and with it, earned a matchup with a tournament team from a year ago. Minnesota downed South Florida 57-45 in the opening game of the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship in Nassau, Bahamas. The Gophers will meet Alabama in the Junkanoo Division title bout Wednesday. The Crimson Tide (6-0), who beat Harvard, 80-60, in the other matchup, were a No. 5 seed in last year's NCAA Tournament who reached the second round before falling to Maryland in double overtime. That could very well serve as Minnesota's best nonconference game on its slate this season, and is another chance for the Gophers to earn a quality win away from the confines of Williams Arena after Minnesota fell in Kansas last week. Minnesota controlled the game from the outset against…...