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Articles by Robin Washington
Washington: Light rail is safer, but another Green Line passenger pays the ultimate price
Washington: Light rail is safer, but another Green Line passenger pays the ultimate price Although cameras are everywhere, no image of the killer aboard a light-rail train was immediately released. October 12, 2026 at 12:01PM Metro Transit Police officers make their way onto a train at the Stadium Village stop in Minneapolis in 2025: Police and other security personnel are much more visible than a few years ago, writes Robin Washington.
Ka Vang: HmongTown is part of what makes St. Paul vibrant
Ka Vang: HmongTown is part of what makes St. Paul vibrant If market shuts down because of banking dispute, vendors and the community will be poorer. The Minnesota Star Tribune September 28, 2026 at 4:59AM If the HmongTown Marketplace in St. Paul closes, writes Ka Vang, the Twin Cities will lose more than just a place to shop. (Alex Kormann/The Minnesota Star Tribune) Comment Gift Share On a bright, sunny day recently, I went to HmongTown Marketplace in St. Paul.
Washington: As a Republican candidate’s plane goes down, conspiracy theories take off
Washington: As a Republican candidate’s plane goes down, conspiracy theories take off There’s no evidence that what happened to Tom Tiffany’s plane was anything but an accident. But that hasn’t stopped wild speculation blaming both political parties. September 17, 2026 at 12:45PM U.S. Rep.
History is written on the walls in and around Ashland
If you find yourself on Main Street in Ashland and you spy four gentlemen standing next to what looks like a side entrance to the old Ashland National Bank, don’t try to enter. It’s a mural painted on a building — one of many gracing the city, which in 2005 the state Legislature called the Historic Mural Capital of Wisconsin. The one on the bank building was the first.
Washington: Despite fueling AI’s wrong answers, data centers are uniting Dems and the GOP
Washington: Despite fueling AI’s wrong answers, data centers are uniting Dems and the GOP Politicians from both sides of the aisle are raising strikingly similar concerns about water, energy and costs. The question is how long the unity will last. September 8, 2026 at 4:58AM Kassie Gibbons, 35, of Duluth, chants as cars pass by during a protest organized by community members from the "Stop the Hermantown Data Center" group on Nov. 15, 2025.
Events planned to support businesses through bridge closure
SUPERIOR — Events this fall aim to help businesses and others affected by the Blatnik Bridge closure. “We want to give opportunities for businesses to learn about what they need to do to market themselves better, to really get the word out that their business is a destination and people should want to continue to support their business” through the construction, said Kelly Peterson, executive director of the Superior Business Improvement District.
Crash wont sink Dragon Boat Festival
A truck transporting some of the boats for the Lake Superior Dragon Boat Festival crashed on U.S. Route 2 in Iron River this week, damaging some of the watercraft. “We are very, very happy that there were no major injuries or anything like that. People are safe. We really want to thank the first responders of Iron River,” said Belissa Ho, a longtime racer and a co-organizer of the Barker’s Island festival sponsored by the Superior Rotary.
Washington: Forty years after this mine closed, Silver Bay has reinvented itself
Washington: Forty years after this mine closed, Silver Bay has reinvented itself The 1986 shutdown of Reserve Mining erased 500 jobs, forcing Silver Bay to redefine itself from a company town. Donna Moe, of Silver Bay, Minn., reads a 1986 Lake County News-Chronicle article abut Lee and Myrna Benoit. The three formerly worked at Reserve Mining Company, which closed its doors that year.
74th District GOP primary a rematch
Scott Harbridge, an Army veteran and longtime corrections officer from Weirgor, is again looking to unseat 74th Assembly District Rep. Chanz Green, R-Grand View in the Republican primary. Green is seeking a third term representing the district that includes all of Iron, Sawyer and Washburn counties and portions of Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett and Douglas counties. Harbridge also ran unsuccessfully in the 2024 primary. He served in the U.S. Army from 1982 to 1986.
UWS floating classroom almost ready to set sail
Sometime inthe next few months, the University of Wisconsin-Superior is set to debut a new classroom that is unlike any other: it has two levels, its own hybrid energy power source and expansive windows with unparalleled views. That’s because they look out from and within Lake Superior. It’s the Sadie Ann — a 65-foot vessel described as a floating classroom that will be used for both research and instruction.
Summer concert series bring music to Superior parks, porches
Is there such a thing as too much music or too many outdoor concerts? What if they’re free concerts with some pretty high quality talent? That’s the logic behind Bayside Sounds Around Town in Superior, which runs concurrently with Porchfest, another summer-long free concert series in the city. “I love these outdoor concerts. I can’t get enough of them,” said Breanne Tepler of Breanne Marie and the Front Porch Sinners, who are featured in both concert series.
Washington: One-way glass gives crime a free pass at Duluth transit center
Washington: One-way glass gives crime a free pass at Duluth transit center The obscured-from-view police substation undermines the very law enforcement presence other transit systems use to discourage disorder. A bus pulls into the Duluth Transportation Center, which has recently seen an increase in service calls to police. Contributing columnist Robin Washington has witnessed the "deteriorating conditions" at the center himself as a frequent bus rider.
Generations of musicians fill Big Top’s blue canvas tent
A regular summer stop of nationally touring musicians is the Big Top Chautauqua in Washburn, with Lyle Lovett and Judy Collins among this season’s attractions. But the venue is also steeped in local acts celebrating the region, including “Superior!” — a tribute to the Big Lake written and directed by longtime performer and director Jan Lee, who also happens to be the Bayfield County Board chair.
Washington: The most fitting Melissa Hortman memorial still awaits her name
Washington: The most fitting Melissa Hortman memorial still awaits her name From JFK to Walter Mondale, public memorials really can help keep us from forgetting. The soon-to-be renovated State Office Building offers Minnesota another chance. Dozens of roses were laid by state legislatures on the memorial for Minnesota House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman on her vacant desk inside the House chambers at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul in February.
Pro-democracy groups to hold ‘Hands Across the Bong Bridge’
Twin Ports residents planning on flying Old Glory for Flag Day on Sunday may find a display on the Bong Bridge taking the day to a new level — high above St. Louis Bay. Area pro-democracy groups who previously organized the “No Kings” rallies are calling for 3,000 participants to join hands and display flags for a "Hands Across the Bong Bridge" gathering on the 2.2-mile span between Superior and Duluth.
Washington: Fewer ‘party cars.’ More fare checks. Why Metro Transit feels less disorderly now.
Washington: Fewer ‘party cars.’ More fare checks. Why Metro Transit feels less disorderly now. A recent ride-along with transit agents showed how the network is trying to restore rider confidence. TRIP agent Twanna Hawkins checks the ticket of a passenger in St. Paul on Aug. 20, 2025. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune) Comment Gift Share Listen Print First, the good news.
Washington: What exactly has Duluth’s mayor accomplished so far?
Washington: What exactly has Duluth’s mayor accomplished so far? After stoking controversy over whether to close some of the city’s skywalks and to relocate the main library, Mayor Roger Reinert says neither is a priority for him. Mayor Roger Reinert stood in front of portraits of some of the forty Duluth mayors who came before him at his swearing in ceremony on Jan. 2, 2024 in Duluth.
Homegrown festival connects the Twin Ports with music
With more than 170 acts at nearly three dozen venues, the Homegrown Music Festival is the Twin Ports’ largest music event of the year. The week-long fest begins Sunday, April 26, with Superior hosting the acts on Thursday night April 30, starting with a proclamation from Mayor Jim Paine. But planners say a single day for Superior isn’t a dis or afternote. “It’s not one night for Superior and the rest is all Duluth,” said Kala Moria, a member of Homegrown’s steering committee.
Superior businesses get a jump on Blatnik Bridge closure
Twin Ports business and civic leaders got a scare earlier this month with word that the federal government might delay or even withhold its share of the $1.8 billion Blatnik Bridge replacement, scheduled to begin next year. That fear passed with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s release of the funds last week, allowing businesses to get back to developing plans of how to operate as the old bridge is dismantled and a new one built.
Comedian brings humor to life’s challenges
There may be little to laugh about being an undergrad in your 40s, or being a single dad raising 18-year-old and 10-year-old daughters on the straight and narrow after growing up in rough-and-tumble public housing. But for Superior’s Emem Essien, comedy is one way to push through the struggles in life — so much so that his fans include someone who’s supposed to take him seriously. “I have a therapist, and every couple weeks she laughs at me for an entire hour,” he said.
Blatnik Bridge funding uncertainty rattles business plans
Preparations for the replacement of the Blatnik Bridge that connects Superior and Duluth have defined much of the Twin Ports’ political and business landscape over the past few years. But now those plans are up in the air as the Trump administration has withheld more than a billion dollars in federal funding approved as part of the Infrastructure Act. The uncertainty particularly impacts businesses who have already been planning on how to run their operations during the construction.
Washington: Why it won’t be so easy to end the Target boycott
Washington: Why it won’t be so easy to end the Target boycott History suggests boycotts succeed only when leaders can tell participants the goal has been reached — and when those participants agree. Jaylani Hussein, executive director of CAIR MN, and co-founder of the Nationwide Target Boycott spoke during a press conference at Hennepin County Government Center on Jan. 29 in Minneapolis.
Professor's book encourages readers to listen to nature, instincts
With no shortage of turmoil throughout the world, where can those fortunate enough not to be directly affected by those tragedies find peace of mind for daily living? For one Northwood Technical College professor, the answer is all around us — on the shores of Lake Superior or anywhere that nature abounds. “I’ve been hiking and making connections with Mother Nature and feeling that energy for years.
Bayfield County is making millions from carbon credits
International relations and environmental policies have changed significantly under the second Trump administration, including the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accords. While that’s affected everything from windmills to electric vehicle charging stations, it hasn’t stopped every environmental initiative.
Vang: What Alysa Liu, Eileen Gu's wins tell us about double standards for Asian Americans
Vang: The Olympic loyalty test no one asked for They both won gold medals. But Alysa Liu was heralded while Eileen Gu was criticized for her choice to compete for China. February 26, 2026 at 11:00AM Eileen Gu celebrates winning the women's freestyle skiing halfpipe final at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/The Associated Press) Comment Gift Share Listen Print This winter, two Asian American women, Alysa Liu and Eileen Gu, soared across Olympic ice and snow.
Washington: What's all this nonsense about scrapping skyways?
Washington: Instead of scrapping skyways, let’s work on getting people in them From Duluth to St. Paul, there has been talk about dismantling portions of them. But let’s not forget why they were built in the first place. February 24, 2026 at 6:58PM Tommy Sar has to push open the automatic doors that only partially opened in the skyway near the Press House Apartments where he lives in St. Paul.
Vang: Why do so many Latinos join ICE and the Border Patrol?
Vang: Why do so many Latinos join ICE and the Border Patrol? Economic opportunity is one part of the story. February 14, 2026 at 7:30PM Federal agents attempt to control a growing crowd on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis after federal agents fatally shot Alex Pretti on Jan. 24.
Marshall D. Bounting
Marshall D. Bounting, 84, went home to the Lord on December 10, 2025. He was born on April 20, 1941, to Frederick Bounting and Lela Gates in Superior Wisconsin. Marsh graduated from Superior Central High School in 1960. He enjoyed camping, fishing, hunting and golf! Marsh retired from Superior Memorial Hospital as a Maintenance Engineer in 2000 after 37 years.
Jeffrey A Nyquist
Jul. 09, 1956 - Feb. 09, 2026 SOUTH RANGE, Wis. - Jeffrey A Nyquist, 69, South Range, Wis. died Monday, Feb. 9, in his residence. A Celebration of Jeff’s Life will be held on Sunday, February 15th from 1:00 until 3:00p.m. at Downs Life Celebration Center, 1902 N 34th St.
Michael "Captain" J. Wallschlaeger
Jan. 22, 1943 - Feb. 06, 2026 SUPERIOR, Wis. - Michael "Captain" J. Wallschlaeger, 83, South Range, Wis. died Friday, Feb. 6, in Villa Marina Health and Rehab. Visitation will be held on Thursday February 12, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. until the 11:00 a.m. Funeral Mass at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, 4315 E 3rd St. Superior. Burial will be at a later date in the Northern Wisconsin Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery. Arrangements by Downs Life Celebration Center.
Lila Caroline Proffit
Apr. 23, 1923 - Jan. 31, 2026 HAWTHORNE, Wis. - Lila Caroline Proffit, 102, Superior, Wis. died Saturday, Jan. 31, in Middle River Health and Rehab. Services are being planned and will be announced at a later date. Arrangements by Downs Life Celebration Center.
Jacqueline "Jackie" A. Smith
Jacqueline “Jackie” A. Smith, 64, died on Thursday, January 29, 2026, in her home. Jackie was born July 26, 1961, to Florence (Brown) and George Hansen in Superior, WI. She married Bernard Smith, Jr. on April 26, 1961. Jackie was employed for many years as a clerk at Lake Superior Laundry and Dry Cleaning for many years and then part-time as a shopper filling on-line orders for Walmart customers. She enjoyed cooking and baking, and spending time with her cats Bob and Lucy.
Linda Botten
In the comfort of her home, Linda Botten, age 71, passed away on Thursday, February 5th. Linda was a beautiful lady who always dressed with style and flair~ her fashionable clothes and jewelry often getting compliments, but it was her beauty inside that people found soon after meeting her. Linda’s ability to bring fun and laughter to any setting was truly one of her greatest assets. Linda was born in Darlington Wisconsin and moved to the Superior area in 1973. She worked at NBC for 42 years.
Washington: My overnight hotel stay during an ICE protest
Washington: My overnight hotel stay during an ICE protest For an early Valentine’s date, my wife and I booked a stay at a St. Paul hotel where protesters believed agents were staying. February 7, 2026 at 10:59AM Protesters make noise outside the Springhill Suites by Marriott in downtown St. Paul on Feb. 5 to disturb ICE agents who are believed to be staying there.
James Cameron
James “Jim” D. Cameron, 86, passed away on Monday, Feb. 2, 2026 at Essentia St. Mary’s Medical Center. Jim was born July 23, 1939 to Margaret (Giles) and Asa Cameron in Eveleth, MN. He graduated from high school and enlisted in the Marine Corps, serving from 1957- 1960.
Maxine Sharon Ligman
October 26, 1938 – January 14, 2026 Maxine Sharon Ligman, 87, of Proctor, MN, passed peacefully into the arms of Jesus on January 14, 2026, at St. Luke’s Hospital. Maxine was born on October 26, 1938, in Duluth, MN, the daughter of Francis and Opal Hill. She graduated from Northwestern High School in 1956, and married Terrence Ligman on August 3, 1956. Maxine also had a deep and compassionate love for animals. She took immense pride in watching her family grow through five generations.
Washington: Is ICE open to offers to help? A street-level test says maybe not.
Washington: Is ICE open to offers to help? A street-level test says maybe not. Here’s what happened when a Nicollet County official volunteered to help federal agents find their targets. January 30, 2026 at 11:00AM ICE agents return to their vehicle after detaining a man from inside Midtown Global Market on Lake St. in Minneapolis on Jan. 14.
Washington: Will whistles, car alarms or a pickle costume stop ICE in Minnesota?
Following the rules is not just a matter of good etiquette. It can result in more effective policing, even when large segments of the public oppose the underlying mission. A classic example during the Civil Rights Movement occurred in Albany, Ga., where Police Chief Laurie Pritchett thwarted a campaign led by the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. by instructing officers not to beat demonstrators and by securing jail space across a hundred-mile radius.
Vang: One Minnesota woman’s deportation story
Asian Americans are often missing from immigration debates, squeezed between simplistic narratives of “good immigrants” and “criminals.” Yet since 2002, more than 17,000 southeast Asians have received final orders of removal, according to MN8, a St. Paul-based organization that advocates for this group. Many arrived as refugee children fleeing war and genocide. They built lives here, raised families here, paid taxes here.
Washington: The feds were once the last resort for justice. Now, states aren’t so sure.
“The federal government has always been the guarantor of constitutional practice,” he said, pointing to cases after the Civil War in which Washington stepped in to challenge states that continued to enforce white supremacy and mistreat African Americans.
Vang: It’s clear who the villains of this story are
For immigrant communities and communities of color — especially those historically targeted by ICE enforcement — this moment did not necessarily feel new. It felt familiar. But for many others, the realization came suddenly and painfully: immigration enforcement violence does not only happen to “immigrants.” It can happen to anyone. And it can turn fatal in the middle of a workday, on an ordinary street. The blood on the snow is red regardless of who it came from.
Washington: One last Hail Mary idea to save (part of) the Northstar Line
Shahn Dilks, a season-ticket holder from Elk River, said his family has taken the Northstar to Vikings games ever since the service began in 2009. “They were always pretty packed,” Dilks said.
Washington: This painting by an unknown artist may hold secrets to a Green Book hotel’s past
“The first thing you notice when you look at the picture is that swan,” she said — though the object is long gone from the former lobby and hasn’t materialized elsewhere in the building. Himself an artist, Robb Mitchell dubbed the painting “The White Swan of the Avalon” and speculated on the symbolism of the work and clues about its creator. “Is it naive art, folk art, outsider art or itinerant art that existed on the periphery of established culture in America?
50 years after Edmund Fitzgerald wreck, story endures despite ballad's myths
By Robin Washington A Michigan documentarian reflects on how Gordon Lightfoot's song both preserved and distorted the doomed ship's history. The Minnesota Star Tribune November 9, 2025 at 9:29PM A 1959 photo shows the Great Lakes freighter Edmund Fitzgerald, which disappeared Nov. 10, 1975, in a storm on Lake Superior. (The Associated Press) "The ship was the pride of the American side, coming back from some mill in Wisconsin" "...
Washington: 10 good things about Metro Transit
Chances are if you're reading about Metro Transit in the Minnesota Star Tribune, it's because something bad happened. The system's been plagued by high crime, low ridership, rampant fare evasion and an ever-ballooning billion-dollar budget. But there are good things to be said about the buses and trains, and at the risk of looking for lutefisk at a taco truck, I went out to find them. My goal was to find 10 such positives - and who would know better than those who regularly ride the system?
Buses should not leave early. But this one did.
By Robin Washington For matters under Jefferson's control, Buchanan said a meeting is scheduled this week to discuss customer service - I hope that includes a phone line that somebody answers - and "the protocol for when things go wrong." Actually, it could have gone really wrong. Thank heavens I didn't hit a deer! Robin Washington is a contributing columnist for the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Why monarch butterflies recently descended on this part of downtown St. Paul
Their population has nosedived over the years, so seeing them everywhere in the courtyard of my condo building was a pleasant surprise.
Once hyped as Duluth's 'next Sundance,' the Catalyst Institute has moved on to ... Albania
By Robin Washington Nonetheless, Catalyst does wish Duluth well, the statement said, adding that it hasn't given up on its core mission "of making the storytelling arts more accessible to all artists around the world." As in: Today Albania, tomorrow ...? Robin Washington is a producer-host for Wisconsin Public Radio and a former editor-in-chief of the Duluth News Tribune. He lives in Duluth and St. Paul and can be reached at robin@robinwashington.com.
How not to run a railroad
Opinion editor's note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of guest commentaries online and in print each day. To contribute, click here. I have written about transportation systems around the country and am enthusiastic about trains and public transit in general. It may be in my blood; I grew up across from the L in Chicago and took my first solo ride at 5 years old.
Five years later, why Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd is still unknown
Opinion editor's note: Strib Voices publishes a mix of guest commentaries online and in print each day. To contribute, click here. Despite calls for a presidential pardon by right-wing pundits claiming that George Floyd did something to cause his own death, the guilty verdict against Derek Chauvin stands, five years after the murder for which he is serving a 22-year prison sentence.
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