Low cost/high impact partial climate change solution

Many people are finding it easier to accept climate change is happening more quickly than could be imagined. They can see the impacts such as increasingly dangerous and powerful storms viewed on the news or experienced firsthand, the extinction or widespread loss of animals that were familiar and common when we were children such as Monarch butterflies and more frequent […]

Remembering the silent generation


“At daybreak, I got up and ran to the window. A tiny bit of golden sunlight was already peeking over the horizon. Less than half an hour later, I was at the foot of the mountain. I climbed higher and higher. More and more often, rocks blocked my way. Piles of rocks stained with moss and roots of trees twisted […]

Vera Schumann is retiring


North Shore Health Financial Director Vera Schumann has announced she is retiring and moving to Kahuku, Hawaii. Her last day of work will be June 12, 2020. Schumann has been the chief financial officer since December 30, 2013. According to North Shore Health Director/CEO Kimber Wraalstad, “Vera brought increased knowledge, direction and financial professionalism to our organization. She came as […]

Weekly Weather

Fifty years ago


May 1970, it happened, and that evening became more life-altering and life-giving than decisions I would later make to move to other continents, get married, have children, get a PhD, get ordained. Fifty years on, I’ll share it, using part of my recent book OMG. May 1970. My boyfriend promised a friend we’d go hear a speaker at a Presbyterian […]

John (Jack) M. Carr

John (Jack) M. Carr, age 79, of Duluth, was born August 10, 1940, and died Saturday, May 9, 2020, of cardiac failure at Essentia Health St. Mary’s Medical Center. He was preceded in death by his parents, Martin and Bernice Carr, his in-laws, Myrtle and Albin Trempe and brother-in-law, John Trempe. He is survived by his wife Dianne, with whom […]

Historical Reflections

The Chapter One Program provides tutoring in math and reading for elementary students. Shown above are the tutors and Sawtooth fifth grade students. Around the table from L-R are Teresa Borak, Yarrow Korf, Lana Ludwig, Lynn Heinzen, Desi Whiteside, Wendy Yecoshenko, and Jody Houglum.

Down Memory Lane

20 YEARS AGOMAY 22, 2000 The quest to develop a park out of the Grand Marais harbor Standard Station is rolling right along. The first major stage of the project, purchasing the Gene Erickson property in downtown Grand Marais, was accomplished with the signing of the deed in February 2000. The property had been the site of the Standard Gas […]

County board extends local stay of emergency indefinitely

Following the meeting for discussion and action related to the COVID- 19 Pandemic Response, the Cook County Board of Commissioners voted to indefinitely extend its declaration of a local state of emergency associated with the novel coronavirus COVID-19. The vote came at the board’s Tuesday, May 18 meeting. Cook County Emergency Management Director Mike Keyport requested the extension as part […]

Recycle center extends its hours

On Monday, May 18 the county expanded its hours of operation at the Cook County Recycling Center for the drop-off of materials. While the hours have been expanded, Cook County Land Services Director Tim Nelson said, “Unfortunately the facility is not ready to be open fully as it had been prior to this Covid-19 pandemic, but at this point we […]