Thanks to our educators!

As a retired teacher and principal, I have had the opportunity to work for Grand Portage, but serve students in the classrooms of ISD 166. Although I have worked in Cook County Schools for years, over the last two weeks, I have observed the incredible teamwork between bus drivers, food service, custodians, paraprofessionals, academic tutors, secretaries, teachers, district office personnel, […]

Weekly Weather

What do we do now?


I am writing this column at 10:51 in the morning on a bright, sunny, beautiful Tuesday morning March 24, 2020. The snow in the parking lot outside my office window has begun to melt revealing tire stripes of dark, smushy, gravelly mud. It is beginning to look and feel like spring. Sort of. I am writing from my office knowing […]

Roger James Waage

Roger James Waage, 72, of Litchfield, Minnesota, died Friday, March 20, 2020, at his home. He was born November 26, 1947, in Roseau, Minnesota, the son of Enok and Agnes (Olson) Waage. He attended grade school in Greenbush, grades 6-8 in Winger, and graduated high school from Lake Park in 1965. Roger worked as an electrician for nearly 45 years. […]

Gary Allen Banks

Gary Allen Banks, 47, of Marion, Iowa, fell asleep in death on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, at the Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy in Hiawatha, Iowa, after a long illness. There will be private services held at a later date. Gary was born May 8, 1972, in Two Harbors, Minnesota. Gary was raised in Grand Marais, Minnesota, and he later […]

Douglas Bonell Tuttle

Douglas Bonell Tuttle, age 96, of Overland Park, Kansas passed away February 13, 2020 at the Colonial Village surrounded by loving family. Doug was born April 19, 1923 in Livingston, Wisconsin to Clayton Larabee Tuttle and Edna Belle Tuttle (Bonell). Seventy years later as he visited his birthplace, he fondly recalled playing in the display window of the pharmacy his […]

Historical Reflections

The annual Lions athletic awards banquet was held on May 29, 1972 to recognize both students and coaches who participated in the various sports at Cook County Schools during the 1971-72 school year. Shown here are retired basketball coach Lee Thomas, right, receiving an award for his many years of service from Lions Club President Walt Mianowski.

Down Memory Lane

10 YEARS AGOJANUARY 23, 2010 Blanca, a dog belonging to Deb Benedict and Jim Raml on the Gunflint Trail, loved to ride along with Jim on a snowmobile as they groomed the Banadad Trail for yurt-to-yurt skiing. On Tuesday morning, January 26, 2010, a major communication outage occurred in northeastern Minnesota. It may have been caused by a fiber optic […]

Update on services offered at the YMCA


This week, the Cook County YMCA is redeploying our resources to best support the most pressing needs in our community. We are aligning with our city, school district, and community partners to serve parents who must work, including health care workers, first responders, and essential employees who protect our community and its members. We will also work to provide access […]

DEED creating emergency loan program for Minnesota small businesses

~Thousands of businesses negatively impacted by COVID-19 could be helped~ The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is creating an emergency loan program to help Minnesota small business owners who need immediate assistance to meet their families’ basic needs during COVID-19 closures. The loan program was created under the Small Business Assistance Executive Order 20-15 announced by Governor […]