Donald Ralph Sorlie Sr.



Donald Ralph Sorlie, Sr., 90, passed away February 2, 2016, at North Shore Community Hospital in Grand Marais with his family at his side. Donald was born January 14, 1926, in St. Paul, Minnesota, to John and Harriet (Lafayette) Sorlie, Sr. He grew up in St. Paul and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in October 1943, serving 2 ½ years […]

Celebrating and soup at the Senior Center



January is always an exciting month as it marks the time of year when designated Cook County nonprofits receive a payout from the 1st & 2nd Thrift Store, which is a program under the Cook County Council on Aging. This was made possible only by the amazing volunteers who put in endless hours–sorting, pricing, organizing and selling. In 2015 there […]

Historical Reflections



Down Memory Lane



10 Years Ago Feb. 10, 2006 Lutsen supervisors voted to send a letter in support of increased commercial fishing to the Department of Natural Resources, Lake Superior Area Fisheries, as proposed by that group in a new 10-year fisheries management plan. The DNR proposal is to allow a commercial harvest of another 3,000 lake trout from Cascade River to the […]

Misadventure in Hovland for snowmobiling teens



In an “everything that could go wrong, did go wrong” snowmobiling scenario, three Cook County teens kept their cool and survived several hours stranded in the cold on Sunday, February 7. Three youths—MaeAnna LaFavor, 17, Colton Furlong, 16, and Billy Hackett, 16—set out from the LaFavor home on Tom Lake in Hovland at about 4:30 p.m. for an evening snowmobile […]

Suspects in November burglaries being prosecuted



In November 2015 the Cook County Sheriff ’s Office received several calls in the Grand Marais area about break-ins to business and residential buildings and vehicles. In an interview with the News-Herald on November 28, Sheriff Pat Eliasen said he couldn’t divulge information at that time because the matter was under investigation. However, Eliasen said, “We are thinking that the […]

County board okays contract to fix tennis courts



Short and sweet is the best way to describe the Cook County Board of Commissioners’ Tuesday, February 9, 2016 meeting. And while there is plenty of snow on the ground and icicles hanging from buildings and trees, tennis was one of the main topics of discussion. After months of finding ways to pay for the more than $170,000 in repairs, […]

Park board discusses Park Access Project



The Grand Marais Park Board welcomed new board member, Jennifer Stoltz, to the board at their February 2 meeting. Stoltz is the general manager of the Cook County Whole Foods Co-op. She has served on various boards in the past, including the Cook County Chamber of Commerce and North Superior Ski and Run Club. History on the waterfront Carrie McHugh, […]

Junior Alpine team shows courage and confidence



Oh man, the Lutsen Junior Alpine Ski Team has been rippin’ it up on the slopes! Every Tuesday evening, 35-40 eager Cook County shredders have been out on Lutsen Mountain’s Ullr run under the lights fine-tuning their GS and Slalom skills. Sundays are race day and this coach is proud to report the Cook County youth are holding their own. […]

Jack of All Trades



Jack of all trades, master of none…. when I was growing up my mom said this often. I don’t remember who she was referring to but I remember thinking it was about someone who had a lot of jobs but wasn’t necessarily good at any of them. Now I believe that a person can have several jobs and be fairly […]