The Cook County-Grand Marais Joint Economic Development Authority (EDA) voted at its October meeting to create a new management board to run Superior National Golf Course at Lutsen. EDA board Chair Mike Littfin brought the idea to the board. “There have been numerous city/county/ EDA meetings regarding the golf course,” said Littfin. “I believe that from a county standpoint, everybody […]
Forest Service proposes McFarland Lake land exchange for PolyMet project
A piece of property on McFarland Lake owned by Wheaton College, located 25 miles west of Chicago, is being sought by PolyMet Mining Corporation in order to facilitate the “NorthMet” mining project it is pursuing in St. Louis County. PolyMet has proposed construction of an open pit copper/nickel/cobalt/precious metals mine, ore processing plant, and tailings basin near Babbitt and Hoyt […]
McFarland land and county tax impact
The Wheaton College land, off the Arrowhead Road about 10 miles north of Hovland, has been categorized as non-taxable 2b-Rural Vacant Land, but Assessor Mary Black is consulting with the Minnesota Department of Revenue on whether this is the proper classification. She has also asked the college to explain why it believes it should be tax-exempt. If the property had […]
Big fall storm topples trees, spills boats onto shore
Call it the epitome of wind energy: trees were downed, waves were up, boats were beached, shingles blown off, power outages reported countywide, and in Grand Marais people gathered along the shore to take pictures or just watch Mother Nature pound over the breakwall and stir the lake into a boiling froth. The midweek storm was a witch’s brew just […]
Will space be for rent at school?
In the late 1990s Cook County High School held approximately 600 students. “But today we have 476 students,” said Superintendent Beth Schwarz to the school board at its October meeting. With extra space and more coming — projections are for a continued decline in student enrollment — Schwarz said, “We want to explore ideas of how to use our facilities […]
New hires at School District 166
The school board unanimously agreed to hire two school bus drivers at its Oct. 20 meeting. Both Anne Rosenquist, who used to drive school bus, and part-time driver Terry Backlund were given full-time jobs. The school board accepted, with regrets and “sincere appreciation of service to the district,” the resignation of school bus driver Clark Bloomquist. Two resignations accepted with […]
St. Mary’s Hospital is now Essentia Health
Cook County residents scheduling appointments at St. Mary’s-Duluth Clinic (SMDC) in recent weeks may have been surprised at the new telephone greeting, “Essentia Health, Duluth Clinic.” Patients need not be alarmed. According to SMDC spokesperson Kim Kaiser the new name should not impact day-to-day interaction between patients and caregivers. Kaiser said Essentia Health symbolizes the consolidation of numerous health care […]
Grand Marais man fined for Canadian moose hunting violation
A Grand Marais man has been fined a total of $1,400 after being convicted of offenses related to moose hunting. Anthony Everson was fined $1,000 for discharging a firearm across the traveled portion of a road and $400 for providing a false statement to a Ministry of Natural Resources conservation officer. The court heard that on October 27, 2009, conservation […]