Fox21Online
Nine area fire departments and more than 30 first responders worked the fire.
July 14, 2021
VIRGINIA, Minn.- The community of downtown Virginia is rebuilding after a fire destroyed multiple businesses there last Friday the cause still unknown.
According to Virginia Fire officials, the fire stated above the Rocks the Jewelers store on the 300 Block of Chestnut Street.
Other businesses that suffered damages include a nearby bakery and florist.
After the small town came out to support one another. Ronda Harvey, the Executive Director of the Virginia Community Foundation, said she’s working with officials to formulate a plan to respond in future emergencies.
VIRGINIA â Black smoke rose from downtown Virginia late Friday morning as crews battled a fire in the upper floor of a building between two longtime businesses in the city.
Multiple fire departments responded to the fire around 10:55 a.m. between Pepâs Bake Shop and Rocks The Jewelers on the 300 block of Chestnut Street.
Firefighters attempted to reach the fire from the inside but safety concerns halted those plans.
Flames roared through the top of the building, evacuating nearby businesses and closing off a block of downtown Virginia as crews fought the blaze and bystanders took photos, videos and provided water bottles to first responders.
But itâs been an extra sweet week at Canelakeâs Candies.
The iconic candy shop, in operation since 1905, has something new to add to its long history. Canelakeâs, on Tuesday, opened an expansion into the adjacent building, broadening its selection of merchandise and preserving its history â and that of the Virginia area â for generations to come.
The Canelake family spent more than a year renovating 416 Chestnut St., to increase retail space and establish a candy (and Iron Range) museum, said co-owner Pamela Canelake Matson.
Walls are adored with enlarged photographs depicting the shopâs transformations through the decades: An image of the 1900sâ storefront, complete with wooden sidewalks and bananas displayed in the window; second-generation candy makers, brothers John and Leo Canelake, posing in front of the shop in the 1960s; longtime candy dipper, Liona Forst, dipping chocolates at a table now used as a display in the expansion.
CHISHOLM â Craig Roberts has worked for 30 years as a handyman, and as a self-employed contractor he said he never thought heâd ever be out of work.
âThings might slow down every now and then, but never for more than a week or two,â he said. âNothing like this.â
Roberts is one of many individuals across the nation whose livelihood has been uniquely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. His work was not up-ended due to government mandates or a lack of demand but rather the heightened safety concerns due to the pandemic.
âPeople donât really want anyone coming in and out of their houses right now,â Roberts pointed out.
VIRGINIA â ReVive Virginia s popular art walk will be back this year in a new and more frequent form. First Thursdays QC (Quad Cities) is a monthly event that will pair local businesses with local artists, musicians and performers to celebrate the regionâs creative community and small businesses, organizers told the Mesabi Tribune.
âWeâre very excited to make this a monthly event and invite surrounding towns to participate,â Betsy Olivanti, ReVive chairwoman, said in a news release. âCommunity art events lead to repeat customers and increased sales for businesses, and new markets for artists. Itâs a good example of a project that benefits a range of people.â