Dispatches from Douglas County: Refinery report, remembering a Solon Springs legend, an OT hero and more

Storage tanks damaged by fire frame several refining towers at the Husky Energy refinery in Superior. The refinery experienced a large fire earlier this year that damaged much of the infrastructure at the facility. --- Clint Austin / caustin@duluthnews.com — Storage tanks damaged by fire frame several refining towers at the Husky Energy refinery in Superior in 2018. The refinery experienced a large fire earlier in 2018 that damaged much of the infrastructure at the facility.

By Jen Zettel-Vandenhouten

January 06, 2023 08:00 AM

SUPERIOR — Happy New Year!

I hope 2023 is off to a great start for you and that this weather hasn't been too difficult for you to get through.

Photographer Jed Carlson was outside photographing the latest storm and got some cool shots around Superior. I really like the first photo of Superior High School student Nevaeh Malone silhouetted against a window that is covered with snow.

Here are more headlines from this week:

Report released

042718.N.DNT.EXPLOSION14.jpg — An enormous plume of smoke from a second fire at the Husky Energy refinery in Superior billows to the south on April 26, 2018. Residents within 10 miles in the direction of the smoke were evacuated.

More than four years after the explosion and fire at the Husky Superior Refinery, the U. S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board released its final report on the incident.

The report noted several safety failures.

Remembering Gitzy

A photograph of Gitzy Wicklund with some the children she cared for sits on a blanket. — A photograph of Gitzy Wicklund with some of the children she cared for sits on a blanket. The children pictured are now in high school and college.

The Solon Springs community lost a beloved member in December, Gitzy Wicklund. Several people shared some of their favorite memories and lessons from Wicklund with reporter Maria Lockwood.

And in case you missed it, photographer Jed Carlson shared some of his memories of Wicklund in his year-end column.

Traveling on U.S. 53 recently, I couldn't help but notice the name of the town changed from Solon to Gitzy Springs. Curious.

Overtime heroics

Superior’s Autumn Cooper (21) jumps into the boards as she celebrates Isabella Thompson’s game-winning goal in overtime during the Spartans 3-2 come from behind victory over North Shore at the Superior Ice Arena on Tuesday evening, Jan. 3.

The Spartan girls hockey team continues to roll, with sophomore forward Isabella Thompson scoring an overtime game-winning goal to help the Spartans defeat North Shore, 3-2.

More stories to check out:

We've got the details on local election filings -- Mayor Jim Paine and nearly every other city council incumbent will run unopposed, but there will be a contested race in the 3rd District.
It's a different story for local school boards, where only one incumbent across all three public school district boards in the county filed for reelection.
Rika and Daniel Weisberg, owners of the Cedar Barn, will close their storefront at the end of the month.

Editor's note: Dispatches from Douglas County is a newsletter I publish every Friday morning. Please consider subscribing — it's free — and hits your inbox just once a week. You can sign up here.