St. Louis County leaders broke ground Thursday on the new Central Range Transportation Facility in Balkan Township, northeast of Hibbing.

On May 1, 2026, at 7:30PM, members of Lake Superior Violent Offender Task Force and Hibbing Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in the 11400 block of Spudville Road in Hibbing. The driver of the vehicle, Michael Lemar Fitzpatrick DOB 1/29/1978 was detained during the stop and a search warrant was later executed on the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, approximately 28 grams of cocaine were located.

Yesterday, after six days of trial, a Hibbing jury found Travis James Paul Lukkar, 31, guilty of one count of Murder in the 3^rd Degree and one count of Controlled Substance Sale in the 4^th Degree, announced County Attorney Kim Maki.

Today, after a four-day bench trial, Chief Judge Leslie Beiers found Shawn Francis Mortensen, 46, guilty of four counts of criminal sexual conduct against a minor, announced St. Louis County Attorney Kim Maki.