Weekly Weather

Sing for joy


“How lovely is thy dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yea, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.” Psalm 84: 1, 2 We were walking the Banadad Trail in an interlude last week between snows and rains. The balsam trees lining the trail were dripping from […]

UCare introduces new 2020 Medicare benefits

UCare’s market-leading Medicare Advantage plans will be enhanced with several new benefits in 2020. UCare, a community-based, nonprofit health plan, currently has the highest Medicare Advantage enrollment – over 105,000 members – across Minnesota. The plan also offers EssentiaCare partner plans in Bayfield, Douglas and Washburn counties in Wisconsin. Every year UCare evaluates opportunities to enrich coverage for members. For […]

Library unveils health portal


The Grand Marais Public Library has undertaken to make reliable health information available to the community. Access to the portal may be gained at the library home page www.grandmaraislibrary.org, and clicking on the Red Cross symbol labeled “Health Topics” in the jewel bar near the top of the page. (Scroll left or right if it doesn’t appear immediately on the […]

Seagull Tower Bridges Gap in Communications



A few weeks ago, quietly, and without fanfare, a new ARMER (Allied Radio Matrix Emergency Response) tower went online on the eastern shore of Seagull Lake. The outcome of this project is a significant improvement in Public Safety emergency radio communication at the end of the Gunflint Trail. The solution resolved a major service gap and did so with a […]

Historical Reflections

The Cook County high school band raised funds to attend the International Lions Convention at Atlantic City as participants in the annual parade in June 1961. Shown are some of the band members who will make the trip, front row from left, director Harold Ikola, Sondi Gilchrist and Gail Linnell; in back are Jack Hedstrom and Bill Tormondsen. In all […]

Down Memory Lane

10 YEARS AGOOCT. 24, 2009 The Pine River Bridge near the end of the Arrowhead Trail has three to four more years of life left in it, according to an inspection by Erickson Engineering of Bloomington, if it can get some new decking to hold it over. County Engineer Shae Kosmalski told the county board on Oct. 20 that there […]

Winter mode descends on the forest


As people are well aware, we’ve had our share of weather recently. Snow, rain, and winds over 50 mph have pretty much spelled the end of the fall color season and moved all the photographers out of the forest and onto the shore of Superior to take pictures of waves. If you are one of those wave watchers, beware. A […]

Large turnout for first Grand Marais Apple Festival


The First annual Grand Marais Apple Festival, held on Oct. 19, was a huge success. In all, more than 400 people participated in a variety of activities throughout the county. The Apple Festival was based at the Cook County Community Center, where vendors Melinda Spinler and Carolyn Dry were set up in the 4-H building with apples, apple goodies, and […]

Learn more about the county’s community health assessment and improvement plan


Cook County Public Health and Human Services (PHHS) is offering two public presentations to share the findings of its recently completed Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan. The first presentation will be Saturday, November 2nd, from 3-4:30 p.m. at the Grand Marais Public Library. The second presentation will be Monday, November 4th, in the Commissioner’s Room of the […]