Weekly Weather



Lake County Health & Human Services director resigns after DWI



At a special meeting on Tuesday, July 20, the Lake County board of commissioners approved the retirement of Health and Human Services Director Dennis Henkel. Henkel had been arrested for driving while intoxicated in Cook County on July 13, 2010. When stopped by the Minnesota State Patrol, Henkel was on his way to a regional director’s meeting at Superior Ridge […]

Soil scientists surveying Cook County



A team traveling the North Shore to complete a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) soil survey has been making good progress despite bugs, rain, and getting lost. Tom DeWitt, of Rogersville, Missouri, a retired USDA soil scientist and instructor at Missouri State University, and grad students Ben DeWitt and Cody Wallace are one of the […]

Vacation Bible School



County budget right on track



At exactly halfway through the calendar year, the county has spent its way through 49.3% of its budget, leaving it ahead of schedule by $95,641. “I think it’s great that we’re under 50%,” County Commissioner Bruce Martinson told fellow board members at their regular meeting Tuesday, July 20, 2010. Auditor-Treasurer Braidy Powers informed the board that income from the first […]

School board listens to one percent sales tax report



Cook County Commissioner Bob Fenwick came before the school board on July 21, 2010 with an update about the proposed community center that will be funded through the county’s recently enacted one percent sales and use tax. “The first thing we did was form a steering committee,” explained Fenwick, adding, “So far we have met three times and, although I […]

Lodging tax doing better in Cook County than in Ely area



In the first five months of 2010, Cook County appears to be doing better attracting overnight guests than the Ely area. As of the end of May, the lodging tax that the Ely area had collected so far this year was down 16.2% from last year, the worst decline in the last 10 years for that period of the year. […]

Business is up at Gunflint Hills Golf Course



The hills are verdant and the weather is warm—it’s a good year for Gunflint Hills Golf Course. Income is up 19 percent over last year, “mostly because of April,” Manager Mike Kunshier told the Grand Marais Park Board July 6, 2010. The early spring has helped bring income up, from $53,326 at this time last year to $63,311 this year. […]

Some but not all ATVs allowed on Gunflint Trail above golf course



Now that Class I ATVs are allowed along the edges of county roads as of this month, signs are being posted to designate the routes. Thelast sign to go up will be a larger one on the Gunflint Trail, where Class I ATVs will not be allowed past the golf course. Class I ATVs will be allowed on county roads […]

Photos