Propane tanker accident closes Highway 61



An emergency page went out to Minnesota State Patrol at 4:40 p.m. on Sunday, January 23 reporting an overturned tractor-trailer near Mike’s Holiday on Highway 61 in Tofte. The semi, which was hauling propane, was partially blocking the highway. Because of the potential hazard of an explosion, Highway 61 was closed for five hours as the scene was assessed and […]

County chooses community center architect— city cannot take part



The Cook County Board of Commissioners took the plunge on January 25, 2011, approving The Meyer Group and JLG Architects to design the new community center/pool complex to be funded with 1% sales and use tax revenue. This means the City of Grand Marais will no longer participate in planning or funding the facility because of a contractual agreement it […]

County to hire consultant to oversee 1% projects



If you were on a board commissioned with spending up to $20,000,000 of tax revenue on amenities intended to enhance your community, would you spend the time that was necessary to coordinate the projects yourself, making sure that the public’s money was not wasted in any way, or would you spend some of the money to hire an expert who […]

Solbakken cabin damaged by fire



An emergency page went out to the Lutsen Fire Department at 2:22 p.m. on Sunday, January 23. Guests at Solbakken Resort had returned from cross-country skiing to cabin 4 to find a fire. They called 911 and the Lutsen Fire Department responded to find one wall of the Lake Superior cabin ablaze. The fire department doused the fire with water […]

Fearlessly slip sliding away



I am one of the many North Shore residents who has been stepping and sitting a bit gingerly in recent weeks. I am one of many folks who slipped and fell on the ugly ice earlier this month. It happened because I was in a hurry, of course. I was leaving my house and I got tired of chipping away […]

Cartoon



Make downtown less slushy, more inviting



Regarding Stephan Hoglund’s Jan. 15 letter. I also believe the streets in downtown Grand Marais get slushy and dirty looking. I wonder if a plow could come before the cars pull back into town and clean the streets up. The holiday tree really helped brighten up downtown. I was sorry to see it removed so early. Many small towns keep […]

Entire county could be more welcoming



My wife and I completely agree with the content of Stephan Hoglund’s recent letter to the editor regarding making Grand Marais more attractive. We also have traveled a lot to various places and see how many of them do all they can to beautify already very attractive settings. We think Grand Marais (including those of us who live outside town) […]

Community Fund supports the community



This past fall we asked those who love our community to step forward and support the Cook County Community Fund. The fund, an affiliate of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation, is a permanent endowment that supports nonprofits in the region. The Cook County Community Fund offers a way for individuals and businesses to support the community they love today […]

Dupre quits his quest to climb Denali



Lonnie Dupre’s quest to become the first person to solo climb Mount Denali in January ended on January 27. Dupre was at 10,000 feet and headed down the mountain to his base camp as of press time. After making record time early in the climb, Dupre ran into harsh weather conditions three-quarters of the way up the mountain. Dupre didn’t […]