Last year’s 120-mile Beargrease midrace champion Rita Wehseler moved from third to second place in this year’s race while at home in Tofte. Following the awards ceremony, Beargrease race officials were notified by several folks who had followed the race on GPS tracking that the second place finisher Nick Tursten, a Two Harbors’ musher, had obviously cut corners in the... READ MORE >
Last October 2022, Cook County Commissioners were happy to learn that the County would receive an additional $2,039.902.62 from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) through the Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Fund. Administrator James Joerke came before the board on January 24 with suggestions about where to allocate those new dollars. Administrator Joerke explained that the funds “can be... READ MORE >
Keith Aili was a happy man at the finish of the 39th running of the John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon. As he was being interviewed several hours later by the press, his wife and fellow musher Erin Aili stood near, a broad smile lighting up her face in the darkness. The Aili’s operate the Miles ahead Racing Kennel in Ray,... READ MORE >
On January 28, the Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library announced the finalists in all nine categories for the 2023 Minnesota Book Awards, and Grand Marais author Staci Drouillard’s Seven Aunts was one of four books nominated in the Memoir & Creative Nonfiction category. Who were the aunts? A brief description from the book gives the reader a glimpse... READ MORE >
After a warmer-than-usual January, temperatures have taken a deep dive across the Northland. Cold weather is here and it’s nipping at your nose and numbing your toes if you don’t dress for it. Paired with wind, the Arctic cold has made for some dangerous wind chills in Cook County. Monday, January 30, saw wind chills of -25 to -40°. According... READ MORE >
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has made a preliminary determination to reissue a wastewater permit to Ciffs Errie-Taconite Harbor Dock for five years. Still, they are asking for public input before making a final decision. Cliffs Erie LLC is responsible for the inactive Taconite Harbor Dock and Closed ash landfill site in Schroeder. Work at this site consisted of... READ MORE >
Staff shortages continue to plague the North Shore Health Care Center. There are 37 rooms, but some remain empty because there aren’t workers available to take care of residents who would reside there, and there is a waiting list to get in. To help remedy that, management has come up with a plan and the following goals: Reduce staff burnout... READ MORE >
After a tough stretch of games playing larger schools, last week, the Vikings met an opponent, a neighbor, and played a game against a school about the same class size as Cook County, and the results were in the Vikings’ favor. The Cook County High School girls’ basketball team used a strong second half to put away the Silver Bay... READ MORE >
The Cook County Boys’ basketball team hosted the Moose Lake Willow River (MLWR) basketball team on Monday, January 30, and ran into a buzz saw. Behind forcing turnovers for easy lay-ups with their double teaming and sometime triple teaming the man with the ball on their press, Moose Lake Will River jumped off to a big lead, going into the... READ MORE >
A local youth sports program that has spawned more than a half dozen amateur “World” champions recently took a big hit. They now have no place to practice their sport after the YMCA canceled their pool practice time. As of now, the North Shore Logrollers winter program is dead in the water. The Cook County/ Grand Marais YMCA recently notified... READ MORE >
