When moms say, “Don’t forget to wash behind your ears” and “Don’t forget to wash the backs of your hands. They get dirty, too. And doggone it anyway, please use soap…” they are usually talking to their small children or their inattentive spouse. Sometimes both. In our house, it seems it’s always both. But Steve and Deb Dobbelmann have an... READ MORE >
Patrons young and old packed the Arrowhead Center for the Arts (ACA) on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 to witness—and to some extent take part in—the 5th annual College in the Schools theater sports competition. And as far as competitions go, this was one wacky, fun-filled event. According to Michael McHugh, master of ceremonies, theater sports is “improvisational theater with a... READ MORE >
Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Mark Dayton told a small gathering of Cook County business people March 23, 2010 that he could balance the state’s budget with a progressive tax that would make the state’s richest people “pay their fair share.” Dayton said that if “the top 10% of wage earners pay the same portion of income tax as the rest of... READ MORE >
Most of us know the Gordon Lightfoot song about the Edmund Fitzgerald. It closely chronicles the sinking of the ship in a legendary, wild November 10, 1975, storm. All 29 crew members were lost. A tragedy reported around the world. But why did this happen? Study after study was conducted into this horrific accident. Report after report was issued. But... READ MORE >
On March 20, Senator Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook) formally ended his bid to receive the 2010 DFL endorsement for governor. Bakk made his announcement at the St. Louis County DFL Convention. Bakk said he hopes his campaign slogan of “jobs, jobs, jobs” will stay at the forefront of the gubernatorial race. “As a carpenter who ran out of unemployment in the... READ MORE >
In 2008, 78.3% of Cook County residents owned their home, a percentage greater than the statewide average of 74.6%. Median household income for that year was $46,406 versus $57,318 for the rest of the state, however. Some 9.1% of Cook County residents fell below the poverty line while 9.6% percent lived below poverty levels throughout Minnesota. These and other interesting... READ MORE >
Birch Grove Community Center was the site of the 2010 Town of Tofte annual meeting held Tuesday, March 9, 2010. Tofte Supervisor Paul James was selected to moderate the approximately 25 people who spent 2½ hours listening to department reports, discussing the town’s proposed 2011 budget line-by-line and sometimes arguing over a variety of new proposals. In election results, Jim... READ MORE >
Darrel A. Trulson is an accomplished man. A father of six. He’s written over a dozen books, served as an elected trustee for five years in Arlington Heights, Illinois, owns a business, “PenLine Productions,” spent seven years teaching school and acted as a school administrator, and served as an associate pastor at a Wisconsin church. And, Trulson would like to... READ MORE >
Much loved and well respected former Cook County sheriff John Lyght passed away on Friday, January 15, 2010 at the age of 82. An icon in Minnesota law enforcement, Lyght was—and still is today—the only elected black sheriff in the state’s history. After being appointed sheriff in 1972, he won reelection in 1974 with 97.4 percent of the county’s vote.... READ MORE >
Trying to make sense of one’s property tax bill can be difficult, especially if it is drastically different from that of the neighbor next door. At a December 15, 2009 truth-in-taxation public hearing, County Auditor-Treasurer Braidy Powers and County Assessor Mary Black tried to explain the complexities of taxation. The system used in Minnesota has advantages and disadvantages, Powers told... READ MORE >
