North Shore News Hour

Local media has been in the news quite a bit of late. WTIP Community Radio learned that the Cook County News-Herald had been sold at the end of November. WTIP reached out to the new owners listed in documents related to the sale numerous times, with no success. See the related story: Sale of Cook County newspaper remains shrouded in mystery. 
 

That raised questions in many people's minds here on the North Shore. Who are these buyers? Why are there two companies involved in this sale--15 Grand, LLC and CherryRoad Technologies? What will happen to the local paper, will it become online only? 
 

Some asked if there were political motives behind this, along the line of Metric Media or Sinclair Broadcasting. 
 

WTIP's Rhonda Silence spoke with the new publisher, Jeremy Gulban to ask these questions and more. Here's their conversation. 

A report from Minnesota's Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Task Force (MMIW) was presented to Gov. Tim Walz, Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, and the Minnesota Legislature Dec. 16. 
 

The task force consisted of members of the Minnesota House and Senate, representatives from law enforcement agencies and the courts, various Indigenous services groups and of course representatives from each of the 11 federal recognized tribes. 
 

One of those tribal representatives is Jacki Kozlowski, who is the Human Services Director for the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Kozlowski is also the past Domestic Violence Advocate in Grand Portage. 
 

Kozlowski was on hand for the very beginning of the work at the Minnesota Humanities Center in September 2019, when Governor Tim Walz and Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan signed the legislation establishing the task force. 
 

Kozlowski and the group members heard from law enforcement, representatives of the courts, the Minnesota coroner's office, from Indigenous anti-violence groups such as Mending the Sacred Hoop. And perhaps most painful, the task force heard stories from survivors and their families.
 

The task force gathered an impressive amount of data, focused on the following information:

Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people are far more likely to experience violence, be murdered, or go missing compared to other demographic groups in Minnesota. While Indigenous people make up just 1% of the state’s population, 9% of all murdered girls and women in Minnesota from 2010-2019 were American Indian 
 

Along with higher rates of homicide, American Indian women and girls make up about 15% of female missing persons cases every month despite being less than 1% of the state's population.
 

WTIP Community Radio spoke with Jacki Kozlowski, asking her if she was aware of those disturbing statistics before she joined the task force. Kozlowski said yes, she had heard that in her previous work as a domestic violence advocate. But instead of deterring her from what would undoubtedly be an often painful process, it made her even more determined to do her part. 
 

In a statement on the release of the report, Lt. Governor Flanagan said, "For far too long, Native women have been, at best, invisible, and at worst, disposable. As Native women and girls experienced violence, went missing, or were murdered at disproportionate rates, too often, the cases and root causes went unexamined."
 

Asked what will happen next, Kozlowski said she hopes the governor's office and the legislature will take a close look at the task force recommendations and take action on them; to fulfill the goal of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Task Force. Kozlowski emphatically explains that the goal is to see that not one more woman, not one more girl, goes missing or is murdered. 
 

To see the MMIW Task Force report, click here. 

Here more from Jacki Kozlowski, speaking with WTIP's Rhonda Silence below. 

 At the December 8 meeting of the Cook County Commissioners, Tim Nelson, the county's solid waste administrator, told the county board that it was time for a review of the county's waste management plan. 
 

The county gave Nelson authorization to proceed with the waste management plan update, which won't happen overnight. Nelson tells WTIP that this is a two-year process. 
 

It is a topic that is important to the community, however, including the two waste management companies, North Shore Waste and Nelson's Machine Products. There will eventually be an opportunity for the public to weigh in, as it did back in 1999 when the county closed its landfill up the Gunflint Trail. 
 

WTIP's Rhonda Silence learns more about trash and recycling, past, present, and future in this interview.  

The city of Grand Marais held a regular meeting via Zoom on Wednesday, December 9 and one of the first matters of business was a nearly-final discussion of the city's levy and budget for 2021. 
 

After a presentation by City Administrator Mike Roth detailing the city's five-year capital improvement plan, projected expenses, and revenues, the council reached a consensus to increase the city levy by 1.82 percent. 
 

The city will finalize the levy at its last meeting in 2020, on Wednesday, December 30. 
 

Joining the meeting to discuss the possible purchase of new gear for the Grand Marais Fire Department was Assistant Fire Chief Aaron Mielke, who shared information on the need for new self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) for the department. 
 

Mielke said the fire department applied for and received a FEMA grant to aid in the replacement of the department͛s current inventory of outdated SCBA. The amount requested in the grant application was $87,731.00. Assistant Chief Mielke said the fire department was awarded $68,919.00. 
 

The fire department received quotes from three companies, ranging from $68,342 to $74,412. Mielke said the department recommended purchasing the SCBA units from MSA, which is the higher-priced option. However, Mielke explained that the fire department has worked with MSA in the past and they know the units work well. Service and support have been excellent. Mielke said over time the cost of maintenance of the MSA units would less. 
 

To accept the FEMA grant, a municipality is required to contribute an amount equal to or greater than 5 percent of the funding, so the fire department asked the city to contribute $3,281.86 toward the purchase, with an additional $5, 493 from the fire department's budget. 
 

The city council accepted the fire department's recommendation with a unanimous motion, with thanks to the men and women of the fire department for their service to the community. 
 

The council also once again discussed the proposed changes to the city's zoning ordinance which are hoped to make it easier to construct housing in the city. There was an amendment to clarify some language regarding multi-family dwellings in the city's mixed-use zone and then a first reading of the amendment was done. After a second reading at a subsequent city council meeting, the changes to lot sizes, lot setbacks, and allowed uses will be official. To see the latest information on the zoning ordinance, visit the city's housing webpage here. 
 

In other business, the city accepted a purchase offer for the Menard building formerly used by the public works department in the Grand Marais Recreation Park. The building needs to be removed for the upcoming Minnesota Department of Natural Resources boat launch project. The city advertised the building for sale, to be relocated, and received one offer for $7,026 from Sheldon Houglum. 
 

The city council also approved tobacco licenses for 2021 for Buck's Hardware Hank, Gene's Foods, Mike's Holiday, and the Grand Marais Marathon. The motion passed unanimously, with Councilor Craig Schulte abstaining, as he is co-owner of the Marathon station. 

As of Dec. 16, neighboring Lake County had registered 13 deaths due to COVID-19. Unfortunately, nine of those deaths have been at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Silver Bay. 
 

WTIP's Rhonda Silence spoke with Daren Rife, director of the veterans home, about the status of COVID-19 at the facility. As of Dec. 16, Rife said in addition to the nine deaths, two residents currently have positive test results along with one staff member. 
 

That is fewer than when WTIP last spoke with Rife. On Nov. 23, there were 17 staff members and 25 residents registering positive COVID-19 test results. See more about the situation at that time here. 

 

There are about 180 employees at the Silver Bay veterans home and all participate in COVID-19 testing. At this time, because Lake County has a 10 percent positivity rate it is considered a "red zone" for the coronavirus. Due to that higher positivity rate, veterans home staff are tested twice weekly. 
 

Here's WTIP's Rhonda Silence with an update from Silver Bay Veterans Home Director Daren Rife. 

Cook County residents were shocked to hear the news of a young girl abandoned on Highway 61 in Grand Portage Dec. 10 who was not dressed for the winter weather. The WTIP report on this incident can be seen here: Mother arrested in Cook County after child found abandoned near Highway 61
 

The child was spotted by two local men who quickly got the 6-year-old girl to safety. Fathers themselves, Delwyn Wilson and Daniel Deschampe, Sr. of Grand Portage say they just did what any parent would do. 
 

Despite their humble statement, the community is grateful to them and that was shown at the Dec. 16 meeting of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. Wilson and Deschampe received thanks from the Tribal Council, the Cook County Sheriff's Office, and the Office of Gov. Tim Walz. 
 

Here's WTIP's Rhonda Silence with more. 

The Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority, the EDA, met on Tuesday, Dec. 8. And as always, there was plenty of discussion of local businesses and business opportunities. 
 

But before the EDA board tackled all that, they spent a little time reminiscing with County Commissioner Heidi Doo-Kirk. EDA Executive Director Mary Somnis invited various government officials to join the Zoom meeting to share memories and well wishes with county board liasion Heidi Doo-Kirk as this was her last EDA meeting. There was a lot of laughter as colleagues and friends shared stories, thanked Doo-Kirk and wished her well as she leaves the county board.
 

Director Somnis asked those government officials to log in to the Zoom meeting at different times, so as not to violate Open Meeting laws.
 

Also remembered was Hal Greenwood, the EDA board member who passed away November 19. It was noted that Hal had done a lot of the community, much more than was apparent in his position on the EDA, the Grand Marais Planning Commission and as a founding member of the School District 166 education foundation. EDA board members said he was always working quietly behind the scenes for the benefit of Cook County. 
 

The EDA moved on to regular business after that and distributed $5,000 from its business and housing development fund to Dapple Fern Fibers, a new yarn and fibers shop open now online. Dorothy Broomall and Mary Ellen Ashcroft were at the Zoom meeting to share their plans for an eventual "brick and mortar building." For now, they are offering items online and working with North House Folk School on taking part in the next Northern Fibers Week. 
 

There was a report on Superior National at Lutsen, with EDA Treasurer Scott Harrison reporting that the golf course did much better than anticipated at the start of the seaon in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Harrison said the golf course finished with some funds and those were being reinvested in drainage and erosion issues on the older portion of the golf course. 

The EDA also made a payment of $25,000 on the $175,000 loan it received for season start-up funds several years ago. The EDA has been paying interest on this loan, but has not had sufficient revenues to pay on the principal until this year. 

EDA Director Somnis informed the EDA board that a $25,000 purchase offer for a lot in Cedar Grove Business Park had been withdrawn. Brad Shannon, of the nonprofit organization North Point, has found another location on which to build a youth center. The sale to Northpoint was on hold as language in the EDA covenants was considered by the EDA, the Grand Marais Planning Commission, and the Grand Marais City Council. There were questions on what is allowed in the business park, about the original purpose of the business park, and about what sort of services should be allowed. 

NorthPoint had hoped to buy a small lot just off the Gunflint Trail to the west of the Como Oil and Propane lot. The new location has not yet been announced.

Two other lot sales are moving ahead, said Somnis. North Superior Fishery, LLC and Cook County Towing each requested a lot purchase to expand their current area in the business park. North Superior Fishery operates a boat storage company and Cook County Towing has towing equipment and salvaged vehicles. Both companies need more room for operations. The EDA approved the lot purchases and there will be a public hearing via Zoom on December 15 at 4 p.m. Anyone who would like to participate should contact EDA Director Somnis at [email protected]. 

The EDA also heard of a possible new option to help fill the ongoing worker shortage on the North Shore. Local business owner and entrepreneur Sarah Hamilton brought a couple of employees from Pine Ridge, South Dakota, an economically depressed area, here for the opportunity to work. Somnis and Hamilton had a brief discussion on whether there would be other workers from Pine Ridge that might be interested in coming to the North Shore. Director Somnis said this is something that will be pursued, as well as the EDA's and Cook County Chamber's efforts to fill positions with international students on Visas and from Puerto Rico. 

Somnis also encouraged any local businesses that are struggling financially to contact her or Small Business Development Center Representative Pat Campanaro for information on possible assistance. Contact Somnis at her email or call 218-410-0412. 

WTIP's Rhonda Silence learns more about all this in this interview with EDA Executive Director Mary Somnis. 

 

Cook County's fire and emergency medical departments are always training on rescue techniques--on the water, with ropes on treacherous hillsides, with vehicle extraction equipment, and more. Local departments also work hard to have the latest life-saving technology on hand. The Lutsen Volunteer Fire Department has an important new piece of medical equipment on which to train, a LUCAS. 
 

The LUCAS is the latest in the Lutsen Fire Department's inventory that could mean the difference between life and death in a long-distance rescue.
 

WTIP's Rhonda Silence spoke with Matt Kartes, a Lutsen firefighter and EMS Chief to learn about this interesting and potentially life-saving device.