Serious injuries in logging truck accident



A fully loaded logging truck was unable to stop at the intersection of the Caribou Trail and Highway 61 in Lutsen, spilling logs, which hit another vehicle as it turned north. Three people were seriously injured in the incident at 1:38 p.m. on March 8, 2016. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, Brandon E. Smith, 32, of International Falls, Minnesota […]

DNR finds PolyMet environmental impact statement “adequate”



Although the PolyMet Mining, Inc. project near Hoyt Lakes in St. Louis County is 110 miles from the Cook County seat of Grand Marais, there are many on the North Shore keeping a close eye on the proposal. On March 3, 2016, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) announced that it has determined that the environmental impact statement (EIS) […]

ISD 166 Preschool Summit raises many questions



As the 2015-16 school year winds down, Cook County Schools – ISD 166 staff and community members are working hard to create a plan for preschool for the next school year that meets space and budget constraints and parental concerns. At the March 3 ISD 166 school board meeting, Greg Gentz reported on a second meeting of the Sawtooth Mountain […]

Townships hear Birch Grove Community School request



Birch Grove Community School (BGCS) Director Caroline Wood was present at the Lutsen annual meeting on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 to represent the school and answer questions about their funding request. When the issue was taken up, there were plenty of questions for her to field. One concern regarded what the money would be put toward. When asked whether any […]

Nature Conservancy offers Susie Island to Grand Portage



“It’s a good day for us,” said Grand Portage Tribal Council Chairman Norman Deschampe to the Cook County Board of Commissioners at their March 8 county board meeting. What Deschampe was referring to was the process to transfer the 142.09-acre Susie Island from the Nature Conservancy to the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Located about one mile off […]

Franchises are nothing new



For the newcomers in our community who are afraid of a franchise or a chain company coming to our town, here is a list that I have lived with in my life here: Sears, Wards, Gambles, Ben Franklin, NAPA, ACE, Radio Shack, Ford, Chevrolet, Standard, Holiday, Super America, Como, Calumet, A&W, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Dairy Queen, Subway, IGA, Big Dollar, […]

Wolves, not global warming killing the moose



I am so tired of this global warming effect on the decline of our moose. What a bunch of crap! I saw a moose just the other day in Evanston, Wyoming on the side of the freeway I-80. Gets hot there in the scrubdesert in the summer. Also I have seen moose all over North Dakota. These politicians and tree […]

Polymet project is a high-risk gamble



We are extremely disappointed in the DNR’s determination that the PolyMet project is ready to move to the next stage. The project PolyMet proposal doesn’t protect our lakes, rivers, and streams. Minnesotans don’t accept polluting our Boundary Waters, Lake Superior, and other treasured waters. Minnesotans don’t believe that the international mining companies that own PolyMet will effectively keep their mining […]

Nolan appreciates DNR decision on Polymet



I am pleased to see the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) deem the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) adequate. This is an important step for a project that will bring hundreds of good jobs to our region while sustaining the integrity of our rivers, lakes and land. Today’s decision is a major win for the Iron Range. With hundreds […]

Carbon fee and dividend is a solution



The time has come to take on climate change. Last year was the warmest year on record, again. The science is clear enough. The projected economic costs of climate change are staggering; the projected costs in terms of lives lost and human suffering is unfathomable. And yet, we have before us a viable and politically attainable solution. Climate change is, […]