Good year for Grand Marais Municipal Pool



A total of 24,288 visitations were made to the Grand Marais Municipal Pool in 2009, 49 more than the year before. Cash receipts were $65,688.27, up 8.5% over the year before. Walk-in income was $33,931, up $2,673 over 2008, and ticket sales were $7,980, up $1,158 over 2008. At a Tuesday, January 5, 2010 park board meeting, Head Lifeguard Charles […]

Highway Department snow-handling procedures



The following is a statement by Cook County Highway Department Maintenance Supervisor Russell Klegstad regarding how the county handles snow and ice on the roads. Cook County does not have a bare pavement policy. The policy is simply that users should drive according to conditions. We do, however, put forth the best effort to keep the roads safe and in […]

Curtis released pending new trial



The conviction of James Lee Curtis for attempted murder in the second degree was reversed and remanded by the Minnesota Court of Appeals on September 15, 2009, giving Curtis the opportunity to seek a new trial. Curtis was imprisoned at the Minnesota Correction Facility of Faribault at that time. He was released on December 15, 2009 as his attorney Thomas […]

Cook County Law Enforcement briefs



It is the policy of the Cook County News-Herald to withhold the identities of individuals in Cook County Law Enforcement briefs. When court proceedings are complete, the Cook County News-Herald publishes a complete accounting of names and penalties in its Matters of Record. Monday, Dec. 28 12:18 a.m., Grand Marais: Report of a man walking along the highway between mile […]

Matters of Record



The Cook County News-Herald publishes Matters of Record to inform the public of arraignments and dispositions of criminal cases in which the potential punishment exceeds $100 and/or 10 days in jail. All fines have additional surcharges and fees and may be much higher. It is the Cook County News-Herald’s policy that this information contains a complete record. Requests for items […]

Conservation Officer Tales



Although the Cook County News-Herald knows that the majority of sportsmen and women are law-abiding folks, there are a few who run afoul of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Conservation Officers. Periodically, the DNR provides a report of some of the miscreants the Conservation Officers (CO) have encountered. The News-Herald shares these stories as a reminder to all […]

Winter Olympics weeks away – city preparing for luge run?



Thecity streets are slick. Optimists might say the glare off the ice when the sun shines brightens our winter days. Others might be wondering where our public works departments are and why people are left to slide and fall across town. When asked about the City of Grand Marais’ policy on keeping streets and sidewalks clear, City Administrator Mike Roth […]

Mayor sees 2009 as a good year

“ We’ve really worked hard this year and we got a lot of things off our list. ”

Grand Marais Mayor Sue Hakes told City Council Dec. 30 that she believes a lot was accomplished during the past 12 months. Hakes presented a list of council’s accomplishments during the past year — her first as mayor — and said she was satisfied with the progress and council’s willingness to take on issues. “We’ve really worked hard this year […]

Work to begin on Arrowhead Trail bridge



Work is scheduled to begin on the Pine River bridge on the Arrowhead Trail (County Road 74) on Wednesday, January 13. The bridge over the Pine River, which flows between McFarland and Little John lakes, was restricted to vehicle weights of five tons in September 2009 due to concerns about the aging bridge. In October 2009, an inspection report from […]

County board distributes duties



The Cook County Board of Commissioners started its new year with the reappointment of Commissioner Fritz Sobanja as county board chair and Commissioner Jim Johnson as vice-chair. The pair served in those roles in 2009 and after their Tuesday, January 5, 2010 reappointment, they each thanked their colleagues. Commissioners then spent nearly two hours reviewing the various boards, commissions and […]