Cluster flies versus stable flies: What am I seeing?


As summer approaches and we see the emergence of various species of flies, it is almost like an unofficial calendar. Cluster flies emerge from overwintering sites, followed by black flies around Mother’s Day, followed by stable flies and finally as summer ends, the return of the cluster flies, looking for overwintering quarters. Each of these poses their own issues insofar […]

Great Places in Cook County

Wondering 61

As you wander Cook County on and near Highway 61, you see murals, sculptures, outdoor chairs and benches, picnic tables, playgrounds, planters, and gardens in great profusion. Most of us just enjoy those visual and physical amenities, but some of us wonder where they came from. If you read the June 6 issue of this paper, you had a clue […]

What happened?


Hummingbirds are zooming around the feeder. A fritillary butterfly sucks nectar from the purple chive plant flower. Trees and grass are a lush green. Even the sun is shining. But I do not have that light-hearted “summery” feeling. I feel trapped and beleaguered and nothing done by Mother Nature seems to rid me of this feeling. My life, as well […]

Enjoy the wildflowers, but please don’t dig them up


Summer is upon us in the Forest. There’s still some clinging snow I’ve spotted at Lutsen and in a couple of places where plows made enormous mounds, but it is safe to say that the natural snow cover is gone. Given that it is June, it is about time. Our woods are fully leafed out, and the springtime blossoms of […]

The story isn’t finished


We checked out a book from the library in the first grade, my little buddies and I. In the middle was a two-page spread with illustrations of a couple dozen breeds of dogs. My buddies Rob and Ron and I sat together and with #2 lead pencils on that good school art paper we practiced drawing copies of the dogs. […]

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Due to the Coronavirus, check before you plan to go. Ruby’s Pantry Cook County Ruby’s Pantry, 2nd Tuesday of the month food distribution 4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m., $20 (cash only) Sponsored by Spirit of the Wilderness Church. You will be amazed at all the food you get at the Cook County Community Center. No financial or other qualifications—this is […]

Conservation Officer Tales

Although the Cook County News-Herald knows that the majority of sportsmen and women are law-abiding folks, there are a few that run afoul of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Conservation Officers. Periodically, the DNR provides a report of some of the miscreants the Conservation Officers (CO) have encountered. The News-Herald shares these stories as a reminder to all […]

Lake Superior Magazine’s 2020 “Best of the Lake” contest


If you love Lake Superior and its surrounding communities and attractions, you can make your feeling known by voting in Lake Superior Magazine’s annual “Best of the Lake” contest. But hurry, because by the time this paper comes out you will only have a few days left to cast your ballot. The deadline is June 22 and the winners will […]

Matters of Record

Travis Daniel Unger, 26, Duluth, Minnesota, pled guilty on June 4 to a petty misdemeanor of traffic speeding 80/60 on May 7. Fines and fees total $225. James Loren Weber, 30, Stillwater, Minnesota, pled guilty June 4 to a petty misdemeanor of traffic speeding 82/60 on February 1. Fines and fees total $225. Cody Louis Moser, 35, Lutsen, Minnesota, pled […]