"Past practice has been to give this unsuitable material to private individuals within the area.…" On Tuesday, June 9, 2009, the county board approved a request by County Engineer Shae Kosmalski for the county to adopt a policy on sharing extra dirt with residents who are lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time. The measure... READ MORE >
Cook County fire departments will now have the benefit of tax dollars from properties they have always served but that were previously outside their fire districts. On Tuesday, June 9, 2009, the county board approved a request to officially extend county fire service to cover all private properties within the county. People not formerly taxed will now share the fire... READ MORE >
At the April Lutsen town meeting, long-time chief of the Lutsen Fire Department and EMS Fred Schmidt said he intended to step down as fire chief. Schmidt said he would be willing to continue as EMS chief and suggested that Assistant Fire Chief Paul Goettl be appointed to the fire chief role. The restructuring raised questions over how the positions... READ MORE >
Cook County Higher Education Director Paula Sundet announced this week that work has begun on the renovation of the former First Baptist Church building—the new campus for Cook County Higher Education (CCHE). Unfortunately, funding is not available to complete the entire project, but Sundet said Higher Ed is excited to begin the first phase of the North Shore Campus building.... READ MORE >
The University of Minnesota has asked the Cook County Board of Commissioners to write a letter supporting its application for a grant to fund a symposium on balancing environmental conservation with economic progress, but the board decided on Tuesday, June 9, 2009 to decline the request. A one-day symposium entitled Economics, Wildlife, and Climate Change in Northeastern Minnesota has been... READ MORE >
The Superior National Forest turned 100 this year. On February 13, 1909, Theodore Roosevelt, wanting to leave a final legacy after two terms in office, set aside 644,114 acres of land in northeast Minnesota, much of it burned-over or cut-over and considered by some to be land that nobody else wanted. Now the area is almost four times its original... READ MORE >
In July 2008, the Cook County Sheriff ‘s Department conducted an alcohol compliance check, resulting in six citations and $100 in penalties to servers and sales clerks. If you work in an establishment that sells or serves alcohol and would like to avoid such problems, training is available this month. Cook County Higher Education in collaboration with Cook County Law Enforcement and the Minnesota... READ MORE >
Cook County residents have done a great job clearing their properties of brush and overgrowth that could compound problems during a forest fire, but disposing of the material is proving to be not so clear cut. Paul Nelson and Dick Parker of Cook County’s Firewise Committee reported to the county board Tuesday, June 9, 2009 that the eight pits designated... READ MORE >
It is the policy of the Cook County News- Herald to withhold the identities of individuals in Cook County Law Enforcement briefs. When court proceedings are complete, the Cook County News-Herald publishes a complete accounting of names and penalties in its Matters of Record. Monday, June 1 3:18 p.m., Grand Marais: Report of campers overdue from the BWCA. Their permit... READ MORE >
Although the Cook County News-Herald knows that the majority of sportsmen and women are law-abiding folks, there are a few who 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... READ MORE >
