5/22/2025

DULUTH - Minnesota’s governor has declared a peacetime emergency as the wildfires burn across the northeastern portion of the state.  Gov. Tim Walz is also directing state agencies to help respond to and recover from the devastating damage in St. Louis and Lake counties.  Under the peacetime emergency, the Department of Public Safety will continue to help coordinate on-site support and assistance to affected local governments.  Monday, St. Louis County officials declared a state of local emergency, requesting public disaster assistance.  Last week, Gov. Walz authorized the Minnesota National Guard to provide emergency assistance to help respond to active wildfires in northern Minnesota. Walz also surveyed fire damage and met with emergency management officials last week in the Two Harbors area.  the Camp House fire near Brimson, is now at 59% contained, The Jenkins Creek fire is still at 6% contained, Both fires have burned tens of thousands of acres.

...FROST ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM CDT TO 9 AM CDT/ TOMORROW

...FROST ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM CDT TO 9 AM CDT/ TOMORROW for most of the region.  Overnight low temperatures of 33 to 36 are expected.  Frost could harm sensitive outdoor vegetation. Sensitive outdoor plants may be killed if left uncovered.

5/21/2025

ASHLAND - A former Ashland businessman has been sentenced to life in prison. Nathan Monkelien was found guilty of first- and second-degree intentional homicide in the shooting deaths of 30-year-old Manuel and 27-year-old Luis Garcia Salas, outside of his bar in 2023. Monkelien was given a life sentence for the first-degree murder charge and a concurrent sentence of 20 years for the second-degree murder charge. He would be able to petition for release to extended supervision after serving 30 years of the life sentence. Attorney General Josh Kaul said the sentence “ensures the defendant is held accountable for a horrific act of violence.”