On January 23, 2026, the Honorable Nicole Hopps sentenced Jesse James Kowalczak, 22, of Proctor, Minnesota, to 48 months in prison, stayed for 5 years of probation, announced St. Louis County Attorney Kim Maki. 

At 1300 hours on Monday, January 19th, the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office received a report of a structure fire in the 6700 block of Rice Lake Road in Gnesen Township. The victim in the fire has been identified as Neil Gordon Hendrickson, DOB 07-08-1950, of Duluth, MN.

On January 17, 2026 at approximately 0006 hours, a 67-year-old, Makinen man, who lives in the 3300 block of Curt Lane, called 911 to report that he had accidently shot himself in the leg with a .45 caliber pistol.

A new program aimed at improving medical response times in rural areas will launch in northern St. Louis County on Monday, January 19.

On January 14, 2026, around 1:20 P.M., area Law Enforcement and Fire Departments were dispatched to a cabin fire in rural Greenwood Township.