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Representative David Dill succumbs to cancer



The Northland was saddened to hear that Representative David Dill passed away on Saturday, August 8, 2015. Dill was 60 years old. Unbeknownst to many, Dill (DFLCrane Lake) had been undergoing treatment for cancer and was admitted to the Mayo Clinic in mid-July. It was the latest in a series of health problems. Dill suffered from diabetes and underwent a […]

School levy election to be conducted by mail-in ballots



The School District 166 school board narrowly agreed at their August 4, 2015 meeting to do a district wide mail-in ballot for the upcoming vote on the operating referendum in November. School Board Chair Jeanne Anderson said that she personally liked the idea of holding the election in the same manner as all other elections rather than a full mail […]

Tip of the Trail auction date set



The convoluted process to get the Tip of the Trail property on the Cook County tax rolls continued on Tuesday, August 11 when Assessor Betty Schulz brought forward an appraisal for the end of the Gunflint Trail parcel. The property, appraised by John M. Vigen, SRA of Ramsland & Vigen, Inc., was found to be worth $335,000 and that will […]

Towers and discretionary funds on county agenda



Commissioners took another step toward improving countywide emergency radio communications when they approved the lease of county tax-forfeiture land to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) on August 11. MnDOT will build a 180-foot ARMER (Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response) tower near the end of Sawbill Trail on the property. The tower will be part of the county’s and […]

More than a legislator




Like so many others in the Northland, I was shocked to hear that Representative David Dill had died on Saturday, August 8. I had heard that his health was failing. David’s good friend Hal Greenwood of Grand Marais told me a month ago that he was undergoing treatment for cancer. But I couldn’t imagine that Dave wouldn’t come through this […]

School pride was shown at Fisherman’s Picnic



I want to thank all the businesses and individuals who contributed to and supported our efforts to promote Vote Yes for an operating levy for ISD 166. At Fisherman’s Picnic, parents, teachers, staff and community members passed out information on the referendum, talked with interested people, marched in the parade and contributed money to be able to hand out brochures, […]

Nurses should be included



What a great turnout for the groundbreaking for the North Shore Hospital and Care Center renovation! But, as I scanned the line-up of shovelers, I noticed a glaring absence: no nurses. Where is the nurse who was called to ride the ambulance to Duluth in the middle of the night with a cardiac patient? Where is the nurse who performed […]

Kidney donor doing great



I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone in Cook County for the incredible support I received before, during and after my kidney surgery. As you may know from the May 23, 2015 News-Herald article, on May 13 I donated a kidney to a nursing school classmate’s mom. I was home over Fisherman’s Picnic weekend this year and so […]

Indoctrination is like other addictions



Nelda and I are back to square one. It goes without saying, we all have a constitutionally protected right to our differing choices of religious beliefs. My earlier letter was not “bitter” as Nelda sees it, but contained a heavy dose of sarcasm, as we are bombarded ad nauseam with the recitation of banal biblical passages. My original plea was […]