This week we look back at the year's top stories with Duluth News Tribune editor Rick Lubbers.
Some of the top stories are obvious ones, like the allegations against U.S. Senator Al Franken and his resignation, or the October storm that destroyed the Lakewalk, while others are more specific to each reporter.
Hear Christa, Tom and Brady share their personal favorite, or most memorable, stories from 2017, while Rick shares the many changes the paper underwent this past year.
What stories stuck out to you? Let us know at podcast@duluthnews.com.
Katie Danielson and Stacey Achterhoff work with homeless youth in the Duluth School District every day.
Last year, Danielson said 488 youth in the school district were homeless. Achterhoff has 49 students along at Myers-Wilkins Elementary that are homeless this school year.
The two educators explain what their days look like working with homeless youth, what types of services they provide to the children and their families and how they keep the kids school lives as normal as possible.
In November, Renee Van Nett was the first female Native American elected to the Duluth City Council.
"I didn't even think about that part until somebody said it publicly in that language and I thought, 'Oh, really?' " said Van Nett. "It's an honor and I totally dig it, but I'm focused on getting things done."
We catch up with her to see how she is preparing to take her seat on the council representing Duluth's 4th District. Van Nett shares her top priorities and how her Native American culture will help her to understand the people of her district, which included Duluth Heights, Piedmont Heights, Lincoln Park and part of West Duluth.
He's been called "The straw that stirs the drink" in Duluth's music scene.
Bob Monahan, aka Duluth's Music Mayor, visits with News Tribune reporters to talk abut the Twin Ports music scene, his music venue The Red Herring and his newest hostel venture.
Not the horror movie, the trendy European way of exploring a new city without having to spend most of your money on a hotel instead of food and experiences.
Monahan describes what his hostel will look like, what it will feature and who he expects to attract as customers.
Duluth folk musician Charlie Parr, known for his guitar playing and authenticity, recently released his 14th record.
"It didn't feel good, but it was something that I needed to say. So that's exactly what this record is about," said Parr about his new album "Dog," which addresses his battle with depression and mental health.
"It's cathartic for sure. I'm glad it's out of me. ... It's not as therapeutic as I'd like it to be."
Parr shares what it's like to be a "hobo" on the road eating beans off the hood of his van and what he enjoys most about being home when he's not on tour.
Brady Slater, Tom Olsen and Christa Lawler share their favorite moments, guests and so much more from the past two years of producing this weekly podcast for listeners in the Northland and beyond.
The crew talks about what goes on behind the scenes in our makeshift studio and what plans lie ahead for year three.
Two years ago, to the date, the Pressroom Podcast was born. And today our very first guest joins us to reminisce about our venture into the unknown.
Just like we have changed and grown in the last two years, so has singer/songwriter/yogi Mary Bue. Since we last saw her, Bue moved away from Duluth, started her own yoga studio, got some new bandmates, and went on an artists retreat of a lifetime.
Birthday Bonus: After you listen to this episode be sure to check out our bonus episode where we share our favorite moments and guest from the last two years.
"Christmas City, wonderful city ..."
You know the rest.
Dave Jensch, vice president and station manager at KBJR, joins us ahead of Friday's Christmas City of the North Parade.
"You know it's like one of the duties right up there. You know, make money. Do good journalism. And make Sure the Christmas City parade happens," Jensch said about his job.
Hear the history behind the winter parade, how things work behind the scenes, and the greatest moments of the annual holiday tradition that began in the 1950s.
As always you can reach us at podcast@duluthnews.com.
We are coming up on the anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald, a shipwreck many people know about. But do you know about the Mataafa, or the Socrates, or the two French minesweepers that went missing after leaving port in what is now modern day Thunder Bay?
With the Gales of November upon us, Duluth News Tribune editor Andrew Krueger, who accidentally became our resident shipwreck writer and historian, joins us this week to talk about a few of the storms and wrecks you may not know about. Don't worry we also leave time to talk about ghost ships.
"All gave some, some gave all."
You may have heard these words before, especially around Veterans Day and Memorial Day. For Duluthian John Marshall, they are words he carries close to his heart every single day.
Marshall, captain of the Duluth Honor Guard, joins our podcast this week to talk about a variety of issues surrounding veterans. He shares his own own experience with PTSD, what it's like to attend so many funerals (of which he went to one right after we recorded this episode), and what he thinks about NFL players kneeling during the national anthem.
Producer's note: This episode contains a discussion related to suicide.
Employment equality, affordable housing, and making sure city services are accessible to all people are just a few of the things that keep Duluth Human Rights Officer Carl Crawford busy every day.
On this week's episode, Crawford shares what his job is like, what things he's doing to improve the city, how he measures his success and how we are doing as a community.
Have an idea or comment? Email us at podcast@duluthnews.com.
Whether you've been reading every sentence of every news story involving the sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein or you are just tuning into the #MeToo conversation, we've got you covered on this week's episode.
Erin Naughton-Garrison, volunteer coordinator at PAVSA in Duluth, joins us to talk about sexual violence in a variety of its forms - victim blaming, "boys will be boys" mentality, rape culture, dress codes, etc.
She also shares what you can do if you or someone you know is in crisis and what we can all do to help support victims of sexual assault.
She was a pathologist for 20 years before shifting her focus to shamanic healing. Duluthian Sarah Seidelmann recently released her third book "Swimming with Elephants," in which she shares her experience of shifting from physician to shamanic healer.
In this episode, Seidelmann, whose sister is well-known comedian Maria Bamford, explains what Shamanism is, how she got into it and how she has found it to help others.
You've probably read a story or two of his before. And if you are like Pressroom Podcast hosts Brady and Christa then you may be wondering, "How does he do it?"
How does News Tribune outdoors reporter Sam Cook just embed himself in people's hunting shacks for a weekend every fall and come out with stories that resonate with just about everyone in the Northland?
Well this week he tells us how he does that, how it's not as easy as it may seem and how he keeps the material fresh every year even though the subject is inherently the same.
Would you get up in front of a room full of people and share some of your most personal stories? If you answered yes, then there is a platform for you to do so and it's right in downtown Duluth.
This week Adeline Wright, owner of Adeline, Inc., tells us about her new venture Gag Me With A Spoon, which is a "public storytelling platform" that happens the second Sunday of every month at Blacklist Artisan Ales.
"I feel like we are so disconnected from actual relationships these days and I wanted to create something that was in contrast to that," said Adeline, who also shared a personal story of her own as an example of something you might hear at the event.
The college hockey season begins in just nine days.
Yesterday, September 20th, was NCHC Media Day down at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. News Tribune sports reporter Matt Wellens was down there and got a chance to talk with all eight coaches in the conference as well as some of the players.
At the end of the day, Wellens sat down with other college hockey beat writers to discuss their predictions for the 2017-18 season.
You may have seen his videos on Perfect Duluth Day or perhaps you've seen him in the act with his scaly-orange T-shirt diving into the big lake.
Amateur freediver and video enthusiast Jim Richardson, aka Lake Superior Aquaman, shares his origin story with the Pressroom Podcast this week.
With a GoPro and camera pole in hand, Richardson takes his viewers on a swim underneath the chilly waters of Lake Superior for a chance to see what many people will never see. Hear about his underwater experiences, which include swimming alongside a 3-foot muskie.
As always you can contact us a podcast@duluthnews.com
All the 20 Under 40 Award winners will be announced in Thursday's Duluth News Tribune, but we are going to give you a sneak peek of who made the list and how we decide who makes the cut.
Laura Mullen, one of four co-founders of Bent Paddle Brewing Company, and Nate LaCoursiere, an assistant city attorney, join reporters and two of this year's award judges Christa Lawler and Brooks Johnson to share what they do, why they love Duluth and how they want to make Duluth a better place to work, play and raise a family.
We want to hear from our listeners. Send us your feedback and comments at podcast@duluthnews.com.
He was raised here, went to Denfeld High School, and has spent the last 26 years on the Duluth Police Department.
"Yup, I grew up in Morgan Park, Minnesota, as I always say," Duluth Police Chief Mike Tusken said on this week's episode.
News Tribune reporters Brady Slater and Tom Olsen pepper the chief with questions ranging from what was young Mike Tusken like as a kid growing up in Duluth to what has he learned the most in his year and a half of being the top dog in the department.
Not much is off limits, including heroin and use of deadly force. And we even learn a secret hobby of his.
This week Christa Lawler and Brady Slater catch up with Michelle Lee, former news anchor for the local NBC affiliate. In her first time back on air since her retirement 8 months ago, Lee shares what she is up to now.
"That was one part of my life and I'm really proud of it and I love the people there, but I have not been back to the newsroom," Lee said about her time at KBJR. "I do a little social media with the folks I used to work with, but I'm trying to reinvent myself."
She's finding that to be harder than she thought. The first thing she did publicly after her retirement was attend the Women's March on Washington. Lee shares that experience, what life has been like away from the newsroom, and her possible political aspirations.
You may recognize our guests' voices on this week's episode.
You've probably heard them on your computer, in your podcast queue, or perhaps in the Underground theater in the Duluth Depot.
Blake Thomas and Mary Fox with Take It With You join Christa and Brady to discuss where their idea for a live radio theater podcast came from, how they got started (one of our fav origin stories thus far) and what goes into preparing for a show.
As always you can send your questions and comments to us at podcast@duluthnews.com.
You may have heard about this solar eclipse thing that is happening in a few days. Well we just happen to have two people in the newsroom who are traveling to the middle of the country to view the moment of totality.
Photo editor Bob "Astro Bob" King and managing editor Andrew Krueger are traveling to Nebraska to view the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21. Bob shares his insight from viewing and photographing previous eclipses while Andrew shares what he hopes to see when experiencing his first total eclipse.
Have a question or comment? Email us at podcast@duluthnews.com
Her parents started Alakef Coffee Roasters in Duluth in the early 90s and for the past few years Alyza Bohbot has been adding her own flare to the company with the addition of her socially responsible City Girl Coffee Brand.
Her "unapologetically feminine" brand is sourced from women-owned or managed farms from all over the world and a portion of every sale goes back to the organizations that help support those women. Hear Alyza talk about her mission, how she got here, and what plans lie ahead for both brands.
Find us on Facebook and email us at podcast@duluthnews.com.
From her first paining on an attic window shade when she was a little girl to having her work recently featured in a New York City gallery, Duluth artist Kay Kurt joins the podcast to tell us how she got her start and how she found herself focused on painting giant pieces of candy.
"The white chocolates was for me a liberation in a sense that I had no preconception about anybody ever having painted candy," Kurt says. "And that's what I needed. I needed a fresh subject."
The Pressroom Podcast is a weekly audio program featuring News Tribune reporters interviewing guests from the community. Email us at podcast@duluthnews.com.
Whether it’s by bike, kayak, or pint glass, the way visitors (and residents) explore Duluth takes on many forms these days. And Dave Grandmaison, co-owner of The Duluth Experience has a little something to do with that.
“There was a niche to be filled,” said Grandmaison, who started the tour company in 2012 with a few friends.
On this week’s podcast, he shares with us how the Duluth Experience came to be, what types of tours they offer and what to expect when you book a tour with them.
What we are into this week: Glensheen Mansion play, bean bag toss, handkerchief, and the Beach Boys.