New faces at Birch Grove Community Center



Birch Grove would like to introduce our new managers at the Birch Grove Center. Please welcome Brenda Nelson Melin and Nancy Iverson. Brenda Nelson Melin was raised in Lutsen and in times gone by (we won’t mention how long ago those times were) was a student at Birch Grove! Brenda then went on to Cook County High School. She has […]

Historical Reflections



Down Memory Lane



10 Years AgoOct. 21, 2005 Terry Eggum of the U.S. Forest Service notified the county board that a user survey and traffic count will be done in various places in the Superior National Forest during the upcoming year, with activity getting “hot and heavy” in mid-May. Eggum said the survey is done every five years in all national forests, and […]

Cook County Senior Center starts reading program



At times and for many reasons, there can be little interaction between the generations, which can result in young people not understanding the needs and abilities of older adults, and older adults often forgetting the positive emotional benefits of being around young children. Jes Rodne, program and services coordinator at the Cook County Senior Center, feels passionately about bringing the […]

Schools and community work together on Farm to School programs



It is always exciting to share ways in which local schools and communities are working together to improve educational outcomes for children. October is National Farm to School Month, which provides an opportunity to share information about efforts that local schools are making towards health and wellness. We can all agree that promoting childhood health is a shared community value. […]

AEOA again offers help with heating costs



Once again, the Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency is offering energy assistance to help low-income residents heat their homes throughout the winter by providing help and information to manage fuel costs. Eligibility is based on household gross income, and households must provide income verification. Statedeveloped forms must be used for all households claiming zero or low income. In general, income guidelines […]

Schroeder board approves rescue squad agreement



Tofte Supervisor Jim King came before the Schroeder Town Board on October 13 with a request for the township to pay half of the cost of operations of the Tofte/Schroeder EMS squad for 2014-2015. King was following up on an agreement between the townships made some time ago. Each share emergency management services provided by volunteers and the cost borne […]

Sliding Fee Scale helps everyone get quality healthcare



Sawtooth Mountain Clinic’s mission is to provide access to high quality, comprehensive, primary healthcare in Cook County to all users, regardless of financial ability to pay for services. Amy Schmidt, an RN at Sawtooth Mountain Clinic explained, “In other words, we want everyone who needs medical care to get it, even if they can’t pay for it. To that end, […]

Care Partners wins Northland grant



The board of trustees and staff of the Northland Foundation awarded 68 grants totaling $403,613.61 during the third quarter of 2015. Locally, Care Partners of Cook County will receive $4,300 to develop marketing and outreach materials for services to older adults and their caregivers. Among some of the special awards made this past quarter was nearly $20,000 aimed at helping […]

Law Enforcement grievance over seniority settled



A dispute between the county and Law Enforcement Labor Services (LELS), the labor union representing Cook County’s non-administrative police officers, was settled in the county’s favor, County Attorney Molly Hicken told commissioners at the October 20 meeting. An arbitrator ruled for the county on August 13 in a 15-page decision. Problems arose within the Sheriff ’s Office following the last […]