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Good morning, Duluth! In today’s edition: Noon year’s celebrations, new paid family and medical leave, Studio Ghibli classics, and more. Let’s get to it!
— Cait Baker
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📰 In the news
Family fun meets learning: Duluth Public Library and Duluth Children’s Museum hosted Noon Year’s celebrations with bubbles and noise makers. The library also began its winter reading program, running through the end of February — read the full story.
How daily life could shift: New laws in Minnesota and Wisconsin took effect Jan. 1, including changes to MinnesotaCare eligibility, the launch of Paid Family and Medical Leave, and tighter cellphone limits in public schools — see what’s changing in both states.
Cold-weather cravings satisfied: Three new Duluth restaurants brought comfort classics in 2025, including PhởHolic’s new London Road location, November’s Sol Hong Kong Cafe, and the Duluth Whiskey Project known for cocktails and comfort-driven fare — check out the full lineup.
Compare rates for free: The national average for car insurance is around $175 per month. Paying more than that? Same, so I did some shopping around and ended up cutting my premium in half. If you haven’t checked in a while, you’re probably overpaying too — here’s the comparison tool I used.
Protect your nest egg: Savvy investors are turning to gold amidst today’s inflation, national debt, and market uncertainty for a reason. It holds its value when everything else feels shaky. Case in point: it’s up ~62% since this month last year. If you’re curious about adding it and other precious metals to your portfolio, American Hartford has a super helpful guide that covers everything you need to know. It’s free, and definitely worth a read — check it out here.
*We do our best to avoid paywalled articles. If any slip through, let me know which ones and I’ll permanently remove them from our source list!
Highlights this week:
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🫶 We got your back
Growth on the horizon: Duluth Coffee Company is moving its Superior Street cafe to a larger downtown space as part of its plan to build a full coffee community. A temporary cafe next door opened Jan. 2 for three months while the original is gutted and expanded, with renovations expected around summer 2026. Get all the renovation details.
Rainy-day sanity saver: Whether snow squalls or cabin fever hit, let kids climb, pretend-pilot a Cirrus cockpit, and burn off wiggles while you exhale. At Duluth Children’s Museum, the indoor Adventure Climber, toddler-friendly Little Explorers, and hands-on STEM stations keep it feeling like play.
Indoor dinks, anyone? Whether you’re chasing round-robin chaos or sneaking in a lunchtime game, Duluth Indoor Sports Center serves up eight indoor courts, open play, rentals, and lessons. Forgot gear? They’ve got free loaner paddles and balls, so you can walk in, warm up, and swing.
Thinning hair? Same: I’ve been shedding a lot, and recently noticed my ponytail feeling thinner. After way too much panic-Googling, I discovered Keranique’s hair regrowth system. Everything with them is surprisingly easy: no quizzes, no pills, no choosing between dozens of products. Just grab the kit and follow the instructions. The best part? It’s $75 off right now, you’ll get three free gifts, AND you’ll get your money back if you don’t love the results.
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📆 Around town this week
All events are subject to change without notice. Always check official event pages for the most up to date information.
🌱 Refresh in the Greenhouse @ Growing Duluth | Monday (1/5) at 9:00 AM – Whether your home office feels like a cave or your to-do list needs a tropical pep talk, escape the winter blahs with Monday hours in a heated greenhouse. Rent a table by the hour, work, read, meditate, or create, and leave noticeably refreshed.
🖌 Watercolor & Drawing Workshop @ Duluth Children’s Museum | Tuesday (1/6) at 10:00 AM – Whether your kid is a doodler or you need an excuse to get out, Duluth Children’s Museum hosts watercolor and drawing with artist Linnea Rose, Tuesday mornings in January. Free with admission, all ages, and caregivers can play too. Because January in Duluth needs color.
🦠 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Surveillance @ Online event | Tuesday (1/6) at 6:00 PM – Settle in with a mug and nerd out as The Raptor Center and Hawk Ridge unpack raptor flu sleuthing. It’s real science, not doomscrolling, with PCR, antibodies, and surprising survival stories. Online, registration required, and yes, your couch absolutely counts as fieldwork.
🧵 Red for MMIWR Sewing Circle @ Damiano Center | Wednesday (1/7) at 5:00 PM – Winter calls for purposeful projects, so join the Twin Ports sewing circle making red shawls, skirts, and shirts in honor of MMIWR during Awareness Month. Bring your skills or your scissors, RSVP to help schedule sessions, and make something with weight, heart, and hope.
🐾 Adoption Event @ The Caddy Shack Indoor Golf & Pub | Wednesday (1/7) at 5:30 PM – Skip the back nine and swing by Caddy Shack to meet adoptable dogs. Grab a drink, chat with the rescue team, and maybe fall for a wagging tail, responsibly. FYI, you will need an approved application to take a pup home.
🔭 Wonderstruck Wednesday: Exploring the January Sky @ Marshall W. Alworth Planetarium | Wednesday (1/7) at 7:00 PM – Skip the streaming queue and look up instead at this free planetarium dive into January’s sky. Planets, constellations, and upcoming meteor showers and eclipses get the spotlight, seats are first come and go fast, and yes, it’s snack-free, but just a quick half hour.
🏞 Duluth 101: A Tale of Two Parks @ Dovetail Cafe & Marketplace | Thursday (1/8) at 6:00 PM – If you like your Duluth lore with receipts, hear Chester Park’s past and Quarry Park’s glow-up from the guys who built the playbook. Graveyards, vanished ski jumps, ice climbs, disc golf, and a new chalet update on tap. Free, with a social hour.
Wanna see more? Browse our full events calendar →
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📻 Duluth report
Weather forecast
Today – High: 31°F – Low: 26°F – Precip: 2%
Mostly cloudy. High near 31, with temperatures falling to around 28 in the afternoon. Southwest wind around 0 mph. Later: Patchy fog between 9pm and 10pm, then a slight chance of freezing rain. Cloudy, with a low around 26. Southwest wind 0 to 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. Little or no ice accumulation expected.
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Tomorrow – High: 32°F – Low: 19°F – Precip: 29%
A chance of snow and a chance of freezing drizzle. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 32. West wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than half an inch possible. Little or no ice accumulation expected. Later: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 19. West wind around 5 mph.
This house is wild
Modern townhouse privacy on London Rd sits on a double-wide wooded lot with a bold exterior. A heated 2-car garage and a mudroom set the tone, with a modern staircase beyond. Large sliders frame trees, and the kitchen brings stainless appliances, a gas stove, and a backsplash window. Dining flows to a living room with a gas fireplace. Lake Superior shimmers from the front patio, and a fenced back deck suits evenings. A main-level half bath completes things.
Upstairs are 3 bedrooms and a laundry closet. The primary suite adds a walk-in and private bath with a custom tile shower. Another bedroom shows an exposed beam, the third faces the forest. HOA-maintained exterior.
Take a peek inside →
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