North Shore News Hour

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office shared a brief report of calls made to the Cook County Law Enforcement Center from December 10 – December 23. WTIP requested more information on a number of the incidents logged by law enforcement dispatchers.

December 10, 2019
9:43 a.m. – Sheriff deputies picked up a Grand Portage man on an outstanding warrant. The man was seen in court and released until his next court appearance. He was transported home at 12:33 p.m.
9:59 a.m. – There was a report of a dog hit on the road, about a half-mile from the Law Enforcement Center. After some investigation, the owner was notified.
12:20 p.m. – A two-vehicle accident was reported just south of Tofte, between an SUV and a Como Oil & Propane truck.  The SUV airbag deployed and a male party complained of pain in his chest. Tofte and Lutsen firefighters and First Responders responded. One party was transported by Cook County Ambulance to North Shore Health. All responders were clear of the scene by 1:48 p.m.
2:16 p.m. – Sheriff deputies were asked to assist Cook County probation in a vehicle search before court. Nothing suspicious was found.
8:13 p.m.  –  There was a minor collision between a pickup and a car in the parking lot at Ryden’s Border Store. The parties exchanged insurance information but wanted to confirm that was what they needed to do.

December 11
8:44 a.m. – A party saw a large Otter sled with a hitch on the snowmobile trail last Thursday. When the party returned today it was still there. The caller hauled it out and will keep it at his residence. The Sheriff’s Office will contact him if it is reported lost.
9:53 a.m. – The courthouse reported concern about a person in the building getting agitated. Deputies responded and the party left peaceably at 10:38 a.m.
1:37 p.m. – A party came into the law enforcement center after picking up a large black dog about two miles east of town, in the middle of Highway 61. It was determined that the dog’s name was Scooby. The owner was located and the dog returned to him.  
1:56 p.m. – A white, curly-haired, poodle mix dog was found wearing a brownish sweater. The dog has a rabies tag from Lake County. Cook County contacted Lake County Veterinarian Clinic to try to find the owner. They were unable to find it, but will keep looking and will call back. The dog will wait in the pound. The owner was located and picked up the dog at 3:56 p.m.

December 12
8:30 a.m. – A party called to request a welfare check for an individual who has been out of work without explanation for several days. There was no sign of the party at the residence on file and the landlord said he believed the person was moving to Canada. The sheriff’s office contacted Canada Border Services who had a record of the party crossing the border.  Thunder Bay police were contacted to do a welfare check. Thunder Bay police reached the party, as well as their companion, both said all is well, the party is just going through some personal issues.
2:45 p.m. – There was a report of a black lab running around on east Highway 61, in the traffic lane. It is Scooby again. The owner apologized and said he will start chaining the dog.
2:50 p.m. – A city streetworker came into law enforcement to advise that a business on Highway 61 had snow-blowed all the snow in front of their building onto the middle of Highway 61. The Minnesota Department of Transportation was advised of the need for plowing in that area. A deputy spoke with the business owner to let them know that are not allowed to put snow onto the highway or city streets.
3:01 p.m. – There was a report of a semi-trailer in the ditch on Highway 61, no injuries. A tow is on the way and the call was transferred to the Minnesota State Patrol.
3:20 p.m. – A small, white dog, possibly part poodle in a little sweater was seen wandering on First Avenue.  The reporting party was concerned because it is cold outside.
5:22 p.m. – A motorist reported a large animal lying in the middle of County Road 7, west of Fall River Road. A deputy went to clear the road and found an individual clearing a deer off the road. The party will come in to get a deer tag in the morning.
5:42 p.m.   – A motorist called to report having hit a deer. They are unable to lift anything, so they cannot move it off the road. There is damage to their vehicle grill, but the vehicle is still driveable.
5:54 p.m.   – An international student called the law enforcement center to say they are stalled in the road on west Highway 61. The call was referred to the Minnesota State Patrol.
8:08 p.m.  – A party called the sheriff’s office to ask if they can stay parked at Coast Guard Point overnight. Party was informed they should not and were advised to go east of town to stay at the Kadunce Wayside Rest.

December 13
8:21 a.m. – There was a call reporting trespassing on a property in Grand Portage sometime on Wednesday night. Damage was done to the door of a shed. A latch was broken and entry was made, but nothing was taken. The sheriff’s office will visit the area to make a report.
1:12 p.m. - A probation check was made at a Pike Lake residence.
2:14 p.m. – A caller reported a car whipping “shitties” on the ice rink at the Cook County Community Center. The vehicle was a four-door, tan, car with a roof rack, with two teenaged males. A deputy inspected the ice rink and saw no visible signs of damage. The deputy found the vehicle and spoke to the driver, who stated he drove on the rink because it seemed like it would be fun. Because no damage had been done, the driver asked if instead of receiving a citation, he could shovel the rink. The deputy said that would be okay.
3:46 p.m. – A caller reported a little boy who was dropped off by the school bus who seemed upset.
4:19 p.m. – A party requested a welfare check on a family member in Grand Marais who had called, sounding very anxious. Cook County Public Health attempted, but was unable to reach the person. Deputies checked the residence twice and on the second visit, the party was there. Party was upset but said they would take a bath and read a book, which will help them calm down.  
4:36 p.m. – A motorist reported hitting a deer in the Croftville area. It is still alive in the snowbank. A party called asking to take the deer. They will come in to get a deer tag.  
8:33 p.m.   – A two-vehicle accident was reported on West Highway 61. A Chrysler mini-van, owned by Lutsen Mountains, and another car collided. The vehicles hit mirrors.

December 14
10:43 a.m. – A party called from the Temperance River State Park, on the lakeside. The party camped overnight with a pickup and snowmobile trailer. He now cannot get out because of all the snow. He tried to get a tow, but was told he had to wait until the park plowed the roads. Cook County provided contact information. The party said they were okay with staying an additional night, if needed.
12:15 p.m. – A party called from Grand Portage reporting some problems with kids. The party said a kid threw eggs and something else at their vehicle. The reporting party drove to their house and shouted at them and there was an altercation. The reporting party called again at 12:25 p.m., reporting that three young men had broken down the door and assaulted them. Deputies arrived at 1:33 p.m. to obvious signs of break-in to the house. The party refused medical attention.
Deputies spoke with two suspects. One adult male, one juvenile male was taken into custody.
2:58 p.m. – A local lodging facility called to report that a party with the USDA was checking in with a weapon. They asked for advice. Cook County told the hotel that having a weapon depends on the facility’s policy.
3:06 p.m. – A party called from Grand Portage with more information on the earlier call that led to arrests.
4:29 p.m. – There was a report of two vehicles, a semi and a Ford truck. The caller reported that the truck sideswiped the semi. There were no injuries.
4:58 p.m. – A caller reported that a large black dog had been outside the co-op for over an hour. The dog is barking and seems to be cold. When asked about the dog, its owner got angry. The dog and owner were gone when the deputy arrived.
8:19 p.m. – A party from Olmstead County called asking if the Sheriff’s Office could check a residence in Lutsen to see if some stolen snowmobiles were located there. Deputies were unable to reach the address in question as the road was not plowed.
9:35 p.m. – A party hit a deer. There are no injuries, but the deer needs to be dispatched. The car is driveable, but the motorist wants the sheriff’s office to know he is driving with only one headlight. Another party asked to take possession of the deer. They will come in for a deer tag.

December 15
1:38 p.m. – A dead deer was removed from east Highway 61.
8:14 p.m. – A caller reported a snowmobile trailer ramp in the northbound lane of the Gunflint Trail, by Northern Light Lake. Cook County found the vehicle it likely belongs to parked on the Gunflint Trail on the outer side of the corner.  The vehicle owners came back and moved, but were given a reprimand for parking.
12:31 p.m. – A caller said there was a lot of smoke in the Mort Meadows Road area of Grand Marais. A deputy investigated. It appears smoke is from an outdoor boiler. No structure fire.
7:48 p.m. - The sheriff’s office was called to respond to a family disturbance in Grand Portage. Grand Portage Human Services also responded.
11:59 p.m. – A party called with concerns about a possibly suicidal person. Cook County contacted the person and a deputy was paged. The party was transported to North Shore Health.
December 17
7:46 a.m. – A party called to report a dead wolf in the northbound lane in Tofte. A conservation officer responded and removed the animal. It was a coyote in rough shape.
11:58 a.m. – There was a report of a mail carrier hitting a deer on West Highway 61. The driver is okay, but the deer needs to be dispatched.
1:17 p.m. –  A party called the law enforcement center concerned about something she saw on Twitter. Cook County showed the party how to block the Twitter account.
2:40 p.m. – A man called to let law enforcement know that his neighbor might be calling to complain about him. He said he startled her by yelling “Merry Christmas.” The neighbor almost fell down the stairs. A deputy spoke to the party who said she just wants to be left alone. The original caller was advised to leave his neighbors alone.
9:03 p.m. - A caller reported a man acting suspiciously at Grandma Ray’s in Grand Marais.
9:19 p.m.– A party called to express concern about a tall, thin man in his 60s laying outside under a tree on West Highway 61. The man is not causing trouble, but seems goofy. Party is concerned that he has no place to go. A deputy checked on the man and transported him to North Shore Health.

December 18
9:36 a.m.– A party called asking for a welfare check on an 89-year-old friend who he hasn’t heard from. Cook County visited the man’s residence and he was not home, however, his dogs were there and seemed well-cared for. The man was eventually found at Subway and seemed fine.
2:19 p.m. – The sheriff’s office assisted Grand Rapids on a probation violation warning.
4:11 p.m. – A male party came into the law enforcement center to report being harassed by another male.

December 19
8:00 a.m. – Assistance was given to a party in Grand Marais to set up Project Lifesaver for a family member with dementia.
8:52 a.m. – A party in Grand Marais reported that her mother is being harassed.
9:28 a.m. – A party locked out of their vehicle was given a ride to their house and back to Holiday to get back in the car.
11:00 a.m. – A test of the paging system was conducted.
4:34 p.m. – A party reported a lost small, shiny, gold wallet with driver’s license and credit cards.
4:50 p.m. – A party reported lost sunglasses in a black clamshell case somewhere in Grand Marais.
8:31 p.m. – A party reported a theft, however, the incident took place in Virginia, Minnesota. Cook County transferred the call to the appropriate dispatch.
9:21 p.m. – A caller reported a small, yellow pickup in the ditch in the Tofte area, on the upper side on a bad curve. A tow was requested to get it moved. The vehicle owner arrived with someone to pull the vehicle out.

December 20 
9:12 a.m. – A party called asking about road conditions. Cook County shared information on the MN511 website.
12:18 p.m. – A party reporting receiving not one, but two calls claiming to be from Social Security and needing information. Cook County advised them to not give out any information.
2:08 p.m. – A party called to report a lost skull ring, probably on the Arrowhead Transit bus.
3:54 p.m. – A party on probation came in for testing. No one was available to conduct the test. Cook County contacted probation and was told the party could leave.
5:46 p.m. – There was a car/deer collision on West Highway 61.
9:48 p.m. – A party asked for a welfare check for his sister in Grand Marais. He hadn’t heard from her for three days. A deputy stopped by the residence. The sister is okay, she is having trouble with her phone.
10:01 p.m. – A caller reported a Jeep Wrangler in the ditch on the lakeside near White Birch Road. The call was transferred to Lake County.

December 21
12:10 a.m. – A party called asking for help with a dog that ate something poisonous to dogs. No veterinarians are available, but the law enforcement center has hydrogen peroxide on hand for dogs. Party will take the dog to a vet in Duluth later.
10:37 a.m. – A party came into the law enforcement center with a notice that was stuck to the vehicle he was using. The notice was not issued by Cook County. It turns out it was a joke.
9:55 p.m. – Two calls were received from West Highway 61 reporting a dead deer in the middle of the road. The call was referred to the Minnesota State Patrol.

December 22
8:15 p.m. – A party lost a set of dentures.

December 23
8:05 a.m. – A party in Grand Marais reported that she had left her car unlocked overnight and someone had gone through the belongings in the center console. It doesn’t look like anything was stolen. Cook County advised the party to keep her vehicle locked.
8:47 a.m. – A party reported that he had left his company pickup in his driveway in Grand Marais and someone rifled through the cab. A torque wrench was taken. The vehicle was not locked.

Other miscellaneous calls
During this time period, sheriff deputies conducted 50 checks of businesses and residences and had 39 traffic stops. The traffic stops resulted in 33 reprimands, three warnings, and three citations.
Deputies also worked with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol on the joint monitoring program Operation Stonegarden.
There were also 19 medical calls.
The law enforcement center issued two permits to carry and 12 burn permits. Law enforcement dispatchers also handled 14 crank or misdialed calls.

For non-emergencies, call the Cook County Sheriff's Office at 218-387-3030.  If you are experiencing an emergency, call 9-1-1.
 
 

We've recently heard the question, where are the finches?  WTIP's CJ Heithoff gets some possible answers from naturalist Chel Anderson in this edition of North Woods Naturalist. 

 
A New Year’s Eve beer with a friend. A glass of wine at a family member’s home. One shot for the road. A drink here or there may not seem like much, but one drink can affect a driver’s judgment.
 
Add in the challenge of driving in inclement weather and you have a recipe for disaster. This holiday season, the Minnesota State Patrol recommends giving the gift of life by choosing a sober ride every time you decide to have even one drink.
 
Snow and ice make driving conditions challenging enough. Drivers who consume even one drink can experience delayed reaction times. That’s why drivers should line up a sober ride any time they decide to drink alcohol.
 
Over the last five years, more than 125,000 people were arrested for DWI in Minnesota. Almost 13,000 of those DWI arrests happen between the Thanksgiving and New Year’s holidays. That’s 10 percent of all DWIs in the last five years.
 
The decision to get behind the wheel after drinking is costing too many people their lives over the holiday season: drunk driving has contributed to 28 deaths on Minnesota roads during the holiday season in the last five years (2012-2017).
 
The Minnesota State Patrol says it will have extra drunk driving enforcement out on New Year's Eve. They encourage everyone to find a sober ride home from their celebrations.
 
WTIP’s Rhonda Silence spoke with Sgt. Neil Dickenson of the Minnesota State Patrol about this additional enforcement—and what a motorist can expect if stopped while driving while intoxicated.
 

A Grand Portage family lost their home to fire over the weekend. A 9-1-1 call came into Cook County Law Enforcement just before midnight Saturday, Dec. 28 reporting a fire in the basement of a home on Store Road.

The family—two adults and four children—were home at the time of the fire and were all able to escape safely.

The Grand Portage, Hovland and Colvill fire departments were paged and multiple responders were on scene by 1:40 a.m.

Responders reported smoke coming from all sides of the residence and then, shortly after arrival, flames were visible coming from the right corner of the structure, where the woodstove and water heater were located. Firefighters worked to contain the blaze until nearly 3:30 a.m.

The State Fire Marshal was contacted and will investigate, but arson is not suspected.

The home was completely destroyed by the fire and the family—two adults and four children—lost all their belongings. Clothing and essentials for the family are being accepted at the Cook County Sheriff’s Office in Grand Marais and Mount Rose Church in Grand Portage.

Clothing is needed for:
One adult male – pant size 38/32, extra-large shirts, shoe size 11 or 12
One adult female – size 15 - 17 pants, 2X shirt, shoe size 7 or 8
Teenage girl – size 11-12, XL shirts, shoe size 9
9-year-old  girl - pants size 5, large shirts, shoes 6 or 6.5
Twin 2-year-olds – boy, size 5T and shoe size 10 and girl, size 6T, shoe size 10

The family will also need furnishing and household goods, an update will be posted when needs are determined. 

An account has been established at the North Shore Federal Credit Union under “Amy Deschampe, Grand Portage House Fire.” 

It is almost time for citizens in Lutsen, Tofte and Schroeder interested in serving on their respective township boards to decide if they would like to run for office. For the latest township news as you're considering a run, click on the links below to hear the latest town board updates. 

The filing period for anyone interested in running for a township seat in Lutsen or Schroeder is December 30 through January 14. In Tofte, the filing period is January 2 through January 15. There is a filing fee of $2. To file, citizens need to contact the town clerk.

All of the townships have openings for a three-year supervisor seat and a two-year clerk position. Lutsen has an additional seat on the ballot to fill a vacancy for one year.

In Schroeder, the incumbent supervisor is Rick Anderson. The current Schroeder clerk, Doug Schwecke, has announced that he will not be running for clerk. Schroeder is also seeking an assistant town clerk, a non-elected position.

In Tofte, the supervisor position currently held by Craig Horak will be on the ballot. Craig Horak told WTIP he will be running again. The current Tofte clerk is Kay Burkett.

In Lutsen, Andrew Beavers is holding the supervisor seat that will be on the ballot. He has yet to officially file, but told WTIP he plans to run again. The current town clerk is Sharon Hexum-Platzer.

To file for township office
Lutsen
Call 218-663-7002 or email [email protected]

Tofte
Call (218) 370-0763

Schroeder
Call 218-663-7500

Elections and annual meetings are held on the second Tuesday of March, which in 2019 will be March 11.

Here's WTIP volunteer Marnie McMillan with Schroeder Supervisor Tina McKeever:  

Here's WTIP volunteer Jane Alexander, speaking with Tofte Supervisor Craig Horak:
 

Here's WTIP volunteer Marnie McMillan with Lutsen Supervisor Andrew Beavers:

The City of Grand Marais has openings for the 2020-2022 terms on three important entities: the Grand Marais Park Board, the city Planning & Zoning Commission and the Grand Marais Public Library Board.
 
The City Council appoints members of the public and one member of the council to each board. Appointee’s terms are three years and limited to two consecutive terms.
 
The City Council will review board applications at their meeting on Wednesday, January 8, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. Interested citizens should apply as soon as possible to give councilors time to consider applications.
 
Applications can be found on the city’s website or at city hall.
 
For more information contact Patrick Knight at 218-387-1848 or email [email protected]. 
 
WTIP’s Rhonda Silence learns more about these openings from Grand Marais Communications Director Patrick Knight.
 

In the past year, Cook County Schools has seen the arrival of a number of students from Puerto Rico. In addition to adapting to our winter climate, these students—two in 11th grade; one in eighth grade and one third-grader—face the challenge of learning a second language, while participating in the regular school curriculum.

The four students from Puerto Rico are assisted with language learning by an English as a Second Language instructor. This is just the second year that School District 166 has had a teacher dedicated to this ESL position.

WTIP checked in with ISD 166 Principal Megan Myers to learn more about the work of the ESL teacher.

Myers tells us this teacher fills an interesting role, not just helping the more recent Spanish-speaking students, but any student who may come to the school with English as a second language. Myers said there are currently 100 different languages being spoken in the state of Minnesota.

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence learn more in this interview.
 

As Christmas approached, WTIP Community Radio reached out to some of listeners to ask if they had a favorite holiday memory to share. Here’s our roving reporter Rhonda Silence with some thoughts from community members about memorable Christmases past.

Thanks, Rob, Lincoln, John, Dean and Gwen (and her mom, Virginia) for talking to WTIP.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Photo courtesy of David Johnson Photograpy. See more of David's work here. 
 

Cook County Girl Scout Troop 4279 in Grand Marais is as excited about the holidays as anyone can be. They agreed to pause from a recent Girl Scout meeting to talk to WTIP’s Rhonda Silence about the holiday.

Thanks Patience, Hailey, Avery, Tori, Natalie and Leah–and Merry Christmas!
 

As 2019 comes to a close, WTIP invited Grand Marais Mayor Jay Arrowsmith DeCoux into the studio to take a look back at activities in the city in the past year.
Join WTIP’s Rhonda Silence as she and the mayor talk about ordinances, highway construction, climate change, city hall plans and more.