446 POSTS

John Ramos

Zoo Director Simonson hires lobbyist to lobby Senator Simonson

Erik Simonson was hired as director of the Lake Superior Zoo in September of 2017. Seventeen days after he started his new position, Simonson announced that the zoo was broke and...

School district stonewalls board’s request for information, again

The Duluth School District has recently come under fire for hiring an assistant superintendent with a criminal record, without informing the School Board of that fact. The new hire...

Flag-raising scheduled for Sept. 18. Or maybe not.

Within the next week, the city will be inviting the public to a flag-raising ceremony for Duluth’s new flag. Though the flags have not yet been ordered in bulk,...

Tourism tax talk

Duluth’s first tourism tax was established on March 17, 1969, by a vote of the City Council. The new tax attached a three percent surcharge to hotel and motel...

$5.4 million of city street and utility money redirected to Medical District from “neighborhoods with greater needs”

Two months ago, when the Monitor alerted the public that Mayor Emily Larson and the state Legislature had earmarked $10 million in street and utility money for the new...

Commissioner Nelson (and mysterious furniture stores) support county buy-local resolution

On Sept. 3, 2019, at the Committee of the Whole meeting of the St. Louis County Board, commissioners considered Resolution 381, which directs county employees “to make every effort...

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How the data center guided the new Hermantown Comprehensive Plan

The most important document underlying Google’s proposed data center in Adolph is the City of Hermantown’s 2045 Comprehensive Plan. The city would not have...

Broken Burke Apartments elevator makes life difficult for disabled tenants

Managed by Accessible Space Inc. out of St. Paul, the Burke Apartments serve tenants with mobility issues and other physical disabilities. On Aug. 13,...

Superior woman paints 90 rocks in memory of father

On Aug. 17, 2026, Superior resident Gemma Davies and her husband, Brad, spent the day traveling around the Twin Ports and along Lake Superior’s...

State shuts down Northland Driving School

On Aug. 13, 2026, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver & Vehicle Services (DVS) taped a Cease and Desist Order to the door...

Behind closed doors, Hermantown staff disparage data center opponents

Department heads at the City of Hermantown have an unusual practice: On the day following City Council meetings, they gather to grade the meeting...