Recent content from Pam Louwagie
Long-awaited construction to begin in downtown Duluth
Starting this week, sections of Superior Street will be closed to vehicles over the course of a three-year, $28 million reconstruction project.
Spat over sap causes maple-tree flap in Ely
The sudden emergence of competition to tap city-owned maple trees now has Ely leaders reconsidering whether to allow anyone to do so.
Duluth's hidden creeks create miles of grief under city streets
Duluth's aging tunnels can be ticking time bombs for homeowners, city.
In St. Paul, 20,000 rally for gun control
In rallies at the Capitol and in a few other communities across Minnesota, students found new power and energy as they led March for Our Lives demonstrations.
Park Service favors adding up to 30 gray wolves to Isle Royale
Under the plan, which could be finalized in a month, officials will start looking for healthy ones suitable for moving beginning in late autumn.
For Madeline Islanders, Superior's thick ice is a ticket to freedom
This winter's stretch of bitter cold has been downright blissful for full-time residents of Madeline Island, with subfreezing temperatures finally delivering a sheet of lake ice thick enough to drive over.
Two dozen charged in bust of major heroin ring in northern Minnesota
The distribution network is alleged to have brought multiple kilos of the drugs from Chicago, through the Twin Cities and into the Duluth area.
Should Minnesota's vast St. Louis County be divided?
Once a decade or so, talks stir up the matter of dividing the sprawling Minnesota county.
Duluth plans paddle-only boat launch, park along river
The 7-2 vote came amid controversy, after the city Parks and Recreation Commission voted not to endorse it.
Gun-control advocates sense momentum but prepare to continue fight
A growing cohort of gun-control activists are cautiously optimistic that this time, their voices will make a difference.
After dropping two books with racial slurs, a painful turning of the page in Duluth
The school district's move to drop two beloved books has raised questions and debate about who decides the canon of literature — and when it can change.
Duluth drops 'Huckleberry Finn,' 'To Kill a Mockingbird' from school curriculum
The district made the decision to remove the two classics in an effort to be considerate of all its students.
'Bold North' Super Bowl was smooth showstopper
Super Bowl LII's 10-day celebration of all things winter — ice sculptures, ice skating and even ice in cocktails down Nicollet Mall — culminated Sunday with record-setting cold temps outside as a warm U.S. Bank Stadium cradled a hotly contested game inside.
Can Philly fans change their image? Only if they want to
Deep loyalties to sports teams form early in life, establishing a culture of conduct, both good and bad, that can be difficult to change, sociologists and psychologists say.
Downtown Minneapolis barber calls it quits after 50 years
John Vreeman was a calm sounding board for political bigwigs, CEOs, FBI agents.
North Shore businesses searching far, wide and close to home for workers
New strategies include recruiting underemployed rural workers and students in small-town high schools, starting a culinary school program and reaching out to displaced Puerto Ricans.
What are the odds? Extra point in Vikings game counts for gamblers
Once he had stopped jumping up and down and doing karate kicks inside his living room minutes after the Vikings' walkoff victory Sunday, one fan turned his thoughts to winning an extra $260.
Duluth celebrates winter with Cold Front February
Organizers hope the new festival will lure residents outside.
Will you be my co-pilot? Flight over Minn. lake leads to creative marriage proposal
A flight student proposed to his girlfriend in lofty northern Minnesota style.
Madeline Island ferry put on ice by big winter chill
Frigid weather on Lake Superior halts service to Madeline Island.
Winter causing misery in Minnesota with frostbite, busted pipes
Despite the stretch of biting cold temperatures, the winter season, at least so far, has been deemed mild by those who track the so-called Winter Misery Index. And relief is on its way as temperatures warm up on Sunday.
Sky's the limit for energy-packed Duluth Mayor Emily Larson
Mayor Emily Larson shows up with energy and pluck
Regional airports prep for Super Bowl landings
At St. Cloud Regional Airport, staff members are counting out corporate jet parking spots and rehearsing scenarios to plow snow from runways amid more takeoffs…
Minnesota state parks to offer 'First Day Hikes' on New Year's Day (weather permitting)
About a dozen state parks are slated to offer "First Day Hikes" on Jan. 1. But the forecast calls for a bitter start to 2018, with Monday's expected high temperature in the Twin Cities to be 2 below.
Wheels in the wilderness? Bill to allow bikes divides outdoor lovers
Bill splits cyclists, conservationists over bikes in BWCA, other wild areas.
Minnesota high court considers whether late serial killer deserves case review
Innocence Project wants to clear the name of Billy Glaze and seek justice.
Could cascade of allegations send #MeToo off the rails?
Some fear the cultural shift in the movement engenders backlash.
Snowy owl rescued from Minnesota coffee roaster's equipment
A snowy owl somehow got stuck inside a vent at a Duluth coffee roasting facility.
Minnesota counties file lawsuits against opioid manufacturers
They join a wave of lawsuits across the country trying to recoup costs for the public health crisis.
After financial woes, a sweet solution for Duluth bakery
Eileen Brown has brought the goods loved at How Sweet It Is Cakes to the Duluth Grill.
Cult leader's prison sentence ordered reduced by six years
Victor Barnard's sentence reduced to 24 years.
Minn. counties, cities joining rush of lawsuits against opioid producers
They are joining scores of county and local governments alleging manufacturers and distributors of prescription opioids are largely responsible for an epidemic of dangerous addiction.
Grassroots effort is sprucing up Chisholm
Locals brainstormed on making downtown better with grant money.
You are here: Phone maps help find the way in state forests
Hunters, hikers and others who bring their smartphones into Minnesota state forests soon won't have much of an excuse if they get lost.
Deer stand thieves caught on camera in Duluth
The thieves, wearing bandannas, were photographed stealing from deer stands in the city's public woods.
Lake Superior is near record high and threatening shoreline
The high lake level is sinking fixed docks and causing problems as water seeps into homes on Duluth's saturated sandy spit known as Park Point.
Minnesota's 'next generation' campground opens in St. Louis County
Perched on a ridge at Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park, the 33-site campground booked up quickly for autumn weekends.
Lake Superior island returned to Chippewa
The rocky Susie Island is home to unusual native plants and wildlife
Most Minnesotan race ever? A canoe portaging division in Ely half marathon
Six people have registered for Saturday's event, and more are welcome to sign up during registration on Friday.
Duluth judge adds personal touch to help repeat DWI offenders
Shaun Floerke uses empathy to guide his decisionmaking in drunken-driving cases.
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Up North sees the light, realizing its dark, starry skies lure tourists
An alluring image of green streaks in a dark sky above Lake Superior glowed across digital billboards in Chicago, Kansas City and Denver this summer.…
Leech Lake solar garden is first in nation linked to energy assistance program
Solar garden is first in nation linked to an energy assistance program
Cloudy skies aside, Minnesotans fully dazzled by partial eclipse
Across most of Minnesota, overcast skies granted only glimpses of the much-anticipated solar eclipse, but throngs of people went out to get a look anyway.
Mercury regulations put Grand Marais in awkward spot
Leaders in this scenic North Shore tourist town pride themselves on trying to run things green and clean, but town leaders find themselves fighting state and federal mercury regulations, a worthy goal to protect Lake Superior that leaders say is misguided and costly.
Lovin' Spoonful drummer embraces new beat in Red Wing
Since 2012, Mike Arturi has been running a nonprofit music school.
Minnesota resorts scrambling for summer help have extra hurdle
Tourism-based businesses across Minnesota are short on workers. It's likely to be an annual struggle, but a policy change on worker visas especially hurt this year.
John LaDue works to build a life where he had planned massacre
He seemed to lead an ordinary southern Minnesota life in Waseca, until he was discovered planning a mass killing. Now he wants his life back — but unsettling questions about his case may never be answered.
Attorneys for Minneapolis serial killer, now dead, seek to clear his name
Billy Glaze, who died in prison in 2015, was convicted of murdering three woman in 1989.
1 airlifted, 5 others hurt after school bus crashes, rolls north of Bemidji
The school bus landed on its side in a ditch after being struck by a car early Wednesday morning.
Gunflint Trail marks 10 years after devastating Ham Lake fire
Residents and visitors are seeing rebirth.
Ely steps up after vandals destroy trees at veterans memorial
The new veterans memorial in Ely was coming along nicely near the shore of Miners Lake. Since starting construction last summer, flagpoles had gone up…
At Mayo Clinic, pioneering steps toward helping paralyzed patients
A spinal cord stimulator helps a man injured in a snowmobile crash to stand on his own and move his legs.
Onetime 'person of interest' in Wetterling case sues investigators
Daniel Rassier is claiming that law enforcement wrongly went after him, defaming him and inflicting emotional distress.
State lawmakers take Real ID battle to the airport
Partisan bickering continued over the issuance of driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants.
Osakis district now says prom dress preapproval merely a suggestion
Girls had been told they would have to submit photos of their dresses.
In Duluth, Superior Street businesses champion 'Brewer's Row'
The nine-block-long stretch of Superior Street is heavy on hops.
Glensheen shining in bid for return tourists
Just a few years ago, the historic Glensheen mansion perched on Lake Superior’s North Shore struggled to lure tourists through the door. It was a…
North Dakota deputy shot and killed; suspect also dead
The deaths happened in northern North Dakota near the town of Belcourt after a chase involving a stolen truck, according to reports.
Duluth looking to spread downtown revitalization
Leaders seek proposals for historic building near Superior Street
Amid U firestorm, opinions across campus divided
Students disagree on sexual assault inquiry, process and punishment.
Obituary: Marcella Isaac, known as Marcia Hall, Minnesota lead guitarist
Marcella Isaac played under a stage name but was the real deal when it came to picking her guitar.
Hibbing school board debates future of gun range in school
A gun range in the basement of a Hibbing elementary school sits empty while the school board ponders its fate, balancing modern-day fears with a rural Minnesota tradition that values hunting and the Second Amendment.
Jacob's friends and family confront his killer at sentencing
Danny Heinrich was sentenced to 20 years in prison
Patty Wetterling says son's killer made horrible choices
'To state that he never had any intention to commit this heinous crime is ludicrous,' Patty Wetterling said Friday of Jacob's killer.
Duluth's Bentleyville light display bigger than ever
If good weather holds, crowds could top last year's 270,000 visitors
How Trump almost won Minnesota
The Republican president-to-be won in a number of greater Minnesota counties that were previously won by Barack Obama in 2012, while Hillary Clinton racked up her Minnesota-winning tally in the bigger cities.
Judge denies appeal of deceased Minneapolis serial killer
Judge Toddrick Barnette ruled that attorneys for Billy Glaze hadn't yet proven his innocence with the evidence they introduced, meaning there was no "live controversy" to be resolved.
Cult leader Victor Barnard sentenced to 30 years in prison
Victims spoke of the lasting effects of fear after the sexual abuse.
Two dead in six separate Anoka County heroin overdoses Saturday
A wave of heroin overdoses in just a 12-hour period Saturday in or near Anoka County left two people dead and four others taken to hospitals, one of them in critical condition.
Minnesota cities share bikes freely but want them returned
Bicycle-sharing programs called a success in Willmar and Austin.
Minnesota drifter is suspect in Pennsylvania murder 25 years ago
ID of man arrested in 1991 slaying quells suspense in small Minnesota town.
Wetterlings look to the future now that search for Jacob is over
"It takes a while before your head settles down. I don't know that mine is yet," said Patty Wetterling said.
Ely's volcanic wonder turns into a hot issue
The city is debating whether the primeval "Pillow Rock" should get a more visible home.
11 candles lit as thousands join Wetterlings to remember Jacob
The community that linked arms nearly 27 years ago to search for the sandy-haired boy who was snatched at gunpoint by a masked man came together Sunday morning to celebrate his life, console his family and say goodbye.
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