The Minnesota Appeals Court has a lot of power, but in the case of Lance Johnson vs. Cook County, local zoning ordinances trump the state. An August 4, 2009 Minnesota Court of Appeals decision ruled in favor of Johnson, who had taken Cook County to court when his request to rezone his Lutsen property was denied in 2001. The property,... READ MORE >
Friday, September 25, 2009 was an exciting day at Birch Grove Community Center. Community members, Birch Grove Community Center Director Jessa Wallendahl, a business rep, and Birch Grove Community School board member Skip Lamb were all on hand for the delivery of 16½ tons of wood pellets to be used in the building’s new Pelco biomass pellet boiler. A delivery... READ MORE >
The county board decided on September 22, 2009 to make a statement to the U.S. Forest Service regarding the potential impact of the sound of snowmobiles on the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). A lawsuit filed in 2006 has resulted in a federal Court of Appeals directive to the U.S. Forest Service to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)... READ MORE >
With her husband having left Cook County Schools for a job as superintendent of Virginia (Minnesota) schools, Cook County Public Health & Human Services Director Sue Futterer has asked for permission to do part of her work out of the county. Getting approval was anything but a slamdunk, however. On Tuesday, September 22, 2009, Futterer met with the five county... READ MORE >
Big changes in the administration of government-operated human services in Minnesota are in the works, and Cook County intends to stay ahead of those changes to maximize its ability to have a voice in them. On Tuesday, September 15, 2009, the county board met with Cook County Public Health & Human Services Director Sue Futterer to talk about how Cook... READ MORE >
The ISD 166 school board celebrated its first meeting of the new school year with a cake in honor of school board member Leonard Sobanja’s 85th birthday. After that, it was down to business with a report from K-12 Principal Gwen Carman. “We’ve had a really great start to the school year. …Overall it’s been really positive,” Carman said. “I’ve... READ MORE >
The board of Cook County Schools has imposed some limitations on itself that could be difficult to follow. On Monday, September 21, 2009, school board member Mary Sanders reported on the work of a newly formed finance committee comprised of herself and Bill Huggins; Beth Schwarz, Cindy Carpenter, and Lori Backlund of the superintendent’s office;and community members Mark Summers and... READ MORE >
The Crossing Borders exhibit at Johnson Heritage Post in Grand Marais opened with a reception Friday, September 11, 2009. Visitors to the opening reception had a chance to talk with artists about their work while enjoying appetizers and wine along with a wide-ranging variety of art. Crossing Borders is an annual North Shore art tour started in 1996 by a... READ MORE >
A new sled dog kennel has been approved within the county, but this time its detractors were not complaining about its being located too close to population centers – they complained that it was too close to the wilderness. At a public hearing on September 9, 2009, the Cook County Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit (CUP) for David... READ MORE >
Cook County Maintenance Director Brian Silence has been hearing complaints about overgrown bushes in front of the courthouse. They are overtaking the sidewalk on Second Street and making snow shoveling difficult on the front steps. Pruning the shrubs would leave ugly stubs that look like tree trunks, Silence told the county board Tuesday, September 22, 2009. What should he do?... READ MORE >
