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A grand celebration for Chik-Wauk Nature Center



There was no ribbon to cut, but there were bars to cut and cookies to eat and lemonade and coffee for those in attendance at the July 3 Chik-Wauk Nature Center grand opening. Located at 28 Moose Pond Drive, Chik-Wauk Museum and the new nature center was very busy on Sunday as nearly 200 people attended the grand opening of […]

County, EDA working to improve Border Patrol facility



A few weeks ago at a Cook County Board of Commissioners’ meeting board chair Heidi Doo- Kirk talked about the cramped and to some, what would be called deplorable conditions at the Border Patrol office in Grand Marais. Especially troubling to Doo-Kirk was the open-air bathroom that was part of the workspace. Efforts have been under way for some time […]

City Council hears an update on the comprehensive planning process



Mayor Jay Arrowsmith DeCoux took some time during the Grand Marais City Council meeting on Wednesday, June 29 to inform the council members of the progress being made toward creating a new comprehensive plan for the city. Arrowsmith DeCoux first asked the council to approve a contract with Community Design Group (CDG) and Weber Group, who will provide consulting services […]

Drugs seized from lost motorists



Two women who got lost on their trip from Quebec to British Columbia, Canada ended up at the Grand Portage- Pigeon River U.S. Port of Entry. They were almost arrested on federal drug charges. The two women in a vehicle with Quebec license plates approached the port at about 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 2. They told the Customs and […]

Double standard for different businesses



My husband and I are totally disgusted and more than a little angry concerning Mayor Jay Arrowsmith DeCoux’s comment quoted in the June 25 News- Herald which read, “It’s not the city’s job to tell people how they can use their property. But we do need to ensure that they are in compliance.” Funny, the city sure made it their […]

Consider the “pencil” program



Apparently ISD 166 may not be in as dire financial straits as they have claimed. Recently the school board has been adding back items recently cut from their “bare bones” budget, along with adding new staff positions. The school board also unanimously approved a new technology based math protocol called the “Singapore curriculum” with associated costs totaling $127,940. This did […]

Minnesota legislature speaks out against forced organ harvesting



In May, many Asian and Pacific Islander communities across the country celebrated and shared their history, culture and traditions, as part of Asian- Pacific American Heritage Month. As a Chinese-American, that month was extra meaningful for me because the Minnesota State Senate unanimously passed Senate File 2090 on May 20, 2016. My gratitude goes out to Senator Thomas Bakk (DFL-Cook), […]

Life, liberty and respect



All across our state, Minnesotans gathered with family and friends to celebrate the Fourth of July. There were picnics, parades, and of course, fireworks. It’s good fun, and it’s for a great reason–to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence and to give thanks that American patriots were brave enough to risk everything to found a new nation. Our […]

Proudly it waves?




It was wonderful to see the crowd in Tofte on the 4th of July. The parade route was a sea of red, white and blue. Americans were proudly wearing the stars and stripes in an interesting assortment of styles. There were cool T-shirts, headbands, earrings, baseball caps, and some funky shorts and pants. There were flags everywhere. Little ones were […]