10 YEARS AGOJULY 18, 2009 A group of canoeists in a 24-foot voyageur canoe will make a stop at the future Chik-Wauk Museum and Interpretive Center on July 13 to help celebrate the 100th anniversaries of the Superior National Forest and Quetico Provincial Park. The “Canoe the Heart” expedition involves various groups of canoeists traveling the “heart of the continent” […]
Big changes at Senior Center
The Cook County Senior Center has undergone a lot of changes recently, including a name change. From now on the center will be called the Hub. Inside the building there is new tile and carpeting on the floor and newly painted walls waiting for some artwork to be hung on them. Instead of two computers at the Hub, there are […]
Reducing the stigma surrounding mental health
There will be several community presentations and conversations surrounding mental health in the county next week. One in five adults will experience some form of mental illness. It’s time we start talking about it. Make it OK is an anti-stigma campaign that provides information and encourages individuals to talk more openly about mental illness. By breaking the silence, we can […]
Shannon Elizabeth Quinn
Shannon Elizabeth Quinn passed away on July 5, 2019 after a short battle with kidney cancer. She was born Dec. 19, 1948 in Chicago, Ill. to John and Doris Miller Quinn. In 1956 the family moved to Lombard, a suburb 20 miles west, staying there until 1964 when her father’s company moved to Alabama. The family moved to Grand Marais, […]
South Shore Drive project under way
The 3.4-mile paving project on CSAH 18 (South Shore Drive) is scheduled to begin Tuesday, July 16 and be completed this fall, the Cook County Highway Department announced on July 12. KGM Contractors, Inc. of Angora will be the contractor for this project, which runs from CSAH 8 (Devil Track Road) west to the end. The project includes repair or […]
Public Health and Human Services hears a report about smoking and vaping
In Northeastern Minnesota, only Itasca County’s has a higher percentage rate of adult tobacco users (25.5 percent) than Cook and Carlton Counties, which are tied at 21.6 percent. Aitkin has 19.4 percent, St. Louis County, 17.3 percent, and Lake County is at 13.1 percent. The state average is 14.4 percent. This was just a tidbit of information presented to the […]
County budget process
Minnesota counties are required by law to formally approve budgets and levies. Cook County’s annual budget process is typical for Minnesota counties. It involves three steps: budget preparation, budget adoption, and budget execution. The budget calendar has varied from time to time, usually because of state actions, but generally follows the timeline below: Budget Preparation and Adoption . June: The […]
Bids come in higher than expected for Highway 61 project
Scuttlebutt turned into reality when it was announced that the bids for the Highway 61 project came in significantly higher than MnDOT, or the city expected. “Unfortunately, the details of the bid results are not public, so MnDOT is unable to share them with us” said Grand Marais City Administrator Mike Roth to the council at their June 26 meeting. […]
County extends deadline to hear from residents about the online transportation plan survey
Cook County announced that it has extended the deadline for its online Transportation Plan Survey from July 14 to July 26, 2019. The survey, part of the county’s 20-year visioning effort, gives residents and other stakeholders the opportunity to discuss the county’s transportation needs. Local input is vital as the county sets long-term transportation system priorities, said Highway Engineer Krysten […]
90 years of Fisherman’s Picnic
Our annual Fisherman’s Picnic is just around the corner. Can you believe that it has been going on for 90 years? That makes it the same vintage as Naniboujou Lodge and the Stickney Inn & Store (now Cross River Heritage Center), both built in 1929. It started the summer of that year as an informal gathering of North Shore fishermen […]