Public Affairs
Area closures due to weather
-Another snowstorm hit the county overnight - with some areas reporting 10 or more inches of snow.
Following are closures and/or delays, due to the weather:
WTIP's "Bringing Out the Best of Ourselves" nominated for Touchstone Award
Ann Possis-The Touchstone Award from the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation recognizes outstanding work reflecting the foundation’s ideals of generosity, inclusiveness, and
Roberta Walburn writes fascinating biography of crusading federal judge Miles Lord
-Judge Miles Lord was a unique man who went from modest roots on the Iron Range to being one of the most colorful and prominent judges in the country. Roberta Walburn, a Minneapolis attorney who served as one of the judge's law clerks, has written a portrait of Lord as a man and a judge. She talked with Ann Possis about the book, "Miles Lord: The Maverick Judge Who Brought Corporate America to Justice."
Chuck Gould, director of the International Co-operative Alliance, on The Roadhouse
-Chuck Gould is the director of the International Co-operative Alliance, based in Brussels, and a part-time resident of Cook County. He joined CJ recently to talk about the international co-operative movement and why it's important. We have two co-ops here that are integral to the community: Arrowhead Electric, and Cook County Whole Foods Co-op.
Did you know you can borrow library books by mail? For free? Here's the scoop
-You can borrow paperback books and other materials from the Arrowhead Library System via U.S. Mail--free of charge. ALS Executive Director Jim Weikum joins Tracy Benson to explain.
One man's 'Search for America'--listening to what ordinary folks think about democracy
-Lars Hasselblad-Torres, a Vermont writer, artist and educator, is making a road trip across the country to find out what regular people have to say about democracy and about making our country 'a more perfect union'. Dave caught up with him somewhere near the West Coast to learn more about his project, "Search for America," and what he's finding so far. You can follow his trip and blog here.
2016 IgNobel prizes awarded--research that first makes you laugh, then makes you think
-The IgNobels are awarded every year at Harvard University for research that first makes people laugh, then makes them think. Mike Reeves chatted with Marc Abrahams, editor of the Annals of Improbable Research, about this year's awards, the incredible prizes involved, and why the whole thing got started. Nature (magazine) calls the IgNobel awards "the highlight of the scientific calendar." Celebrating research like the effect of wearing trousers on the sex life of rats, or assessing the perceived personalities of rocks, who could argue?
Hands for Humanity, Minnesota-based nonprofit serving children & families in Ecuador
-Kate Welp, a surgical cardiac nurse at Mayo Clinic and regular Grand Marais Rec Park guest, founded Hands for Humanity in 2002, a few years after adopting her daughter from Ecuador. She joined Dave to explain the conditions and needs in Ecuador, what kinds of projects they do, and how volunteers are involved. You can learn more here.
Restorative justice: A different approach to addressing crime and harm between people
-Restorative justice is an approach to repairing harm that considers all parties involved and focuses more on healing and rebuilding than it does on punishment. Kay Pranis, senior associate at the Center for Restorative Justice at Suffolk University in Boston, will give a talk about the process at Cook County Higher Education Thursday, July 28 at 7 p.m. She joined Dick to explain what restorative justice is and give a preview of her talk.
Renewable energy projects could add many jobs to NE Minnesota economy
-A recent report from the U of MN's Energy Transition Lab indicates that biomass and solar energy expansion could add over 2,000 jobs to the NE Minnesota economy. Ellen Anderson, executive director of the lab, joined Dave to talk about the study and the projects involved. You can learn more about the Energy Transition Lab's work here.