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 October 22 - 27. WTIP requested more information on a number of the incidents logged by law enforcement dispatchers.

A motorist on Bally Creek Road called the law enforcement center at 12:05 p.m. on October 22, expressing concern because his vehicle is low on gas and he is worried he is heading into the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness. Cook County directed the driver to county roads which would lead him into Grand Marais.

At 12:52 a.m. on October 23, a call came in from a party in Lutsen who was frightened because an intoxicated boyfriend was yelling. Deputies talked to the boyfriend. There was no threat of physical harm, but deputies stayed in the area for a while.

The sheriff’s office was informed that 5th Avenue West between West 3rd Street and 4th Street would be closed starting at 7:46 a.m. on October 23. The city completed its work and the street was reopened at 6:02 p.m.

A concerned person contacted the law enforcement center on October 23 to ask that the sheriff’s office to contact their neighbor on Croftville Road to let them know that part of a large tree had fallen on their propane tank. The property owner does not live here. Law enforcement left a message for the property owner and contacted Como Oil to check the tank.

A welfare check came in for a Grand Marais man wasn’t answering his phone. A sheriff deputy found that man who had fallen, but he refused medical treatment. Someone was found to stay with him until a family member returns.

A party who took a wrong turn on the Superior Hiking Trail called law enforcement at 6:52 a.m. on October 24 to ask that her ride be contacted to let them know to meet in a different place. Cook County notified the friend. 

At 1:52 p.m. on October 24, a party called the sheriff’s office for assistance with an elderly man who is confused and angry. Cook County Public Health will assist the family.

A fire call at 5:05 p.m., reporting lots of bluish gray smoke at a neighbor’s house, turned out to be meant for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and fire departments. Information was shared with Lake County.

The sheriff’s office assisted Cook County Probation with testing on October 24 and October 26.

There was a report of suspicious activity at 7:15 p.m. on October 24. A party reported a vehicle and two men at the Colvill electrical substation. They appeared to be working on an electrical box, but the vehicle seemed to be too “sporty” for a work vehicle. One of the men waved at the reporting party. When a deputy arrived, the vehicle was gone.

At 8:26 p.m. on October 24, deputies visited several locations in Grand Portage to pick up a party on a Cook County warrant. Deputies were told party was in Duluth.

Sheriff deputies checked on a man walking along East Highway 61 at 8:42 p.m. on October 24. The man was out taking photos of the sky.

The sheriff’s office received a call from a local business about shoplifting on October 25. A deputy watched video of the incident and agreed something had been taken. The business said it did not want to press charges, but wanted the party to know they were being watched.

A party called in a disturbance at a residence in Grand Marais at 10:11 a.m. on October 25, saying a female was trashing his house. A female party was taken to Cook County Jail.

At 12:52 a.m. on October 25, there was a report of an inmate destroying jail property.

A party called on October 25 to express concern about a property owner in Grand Marais who lives near a path walked by many people. The party has dogs that bark at walkers and act like they will come through the fence. The owner recently put up no trespassing signs and a sign that says “Don't worry about the dogs, worry about the owner with the gun." The party just wanted this on record.

A sheriff deputy noticed a vehicle parked at the “concrete house” on Trailsyde Road in Hovland at 11:56 p.m. on October 26. Four juveniles were outside of the car, one wearing a respirator. There was a duffel bag next to them and they told the deputy they had spray paint in it. They admitted they were going to “tag” the structure. The deputy collected the paint. Calls were made to parents.

There was a call of suspicious activity on Pike Lake Road on October 26 as some youths were working with an excavator and backhoe. A sheriff deputy talked to the youths who said they were working for their father, Seth Jeffs. They said they had a permit from the US Forest Service to dig on the site. The deputy confirmed they had a permit and no violations were observed.

There was a call of a lost child on Wisconsin Street in Grand Marais at 4:06 p.m. on October 26. The little girl was shopping with her mother and grandmother. The adults went different directions, one to Joynes Ben Franklin, the other to the Beaver House and each thought the girl was with the other. While on the phone with law enforcement, the girl was found.

A call of a disturbance on the beach by First Avenue East was made at 2:03 a.m. on October 27. There were five to 10 people by the hotel making a lot of noise. A deputy spoke to the group, who said they had decided to call it a night.

Lost and found
As there often are, there were several reports of lost or found items. A party reported the loss of a small black coin bag with a dog face on it, containing credit cards, on October 22. Information was taken so the owner can be contacted if the item is found.

There was a report of a lost small brown wallet on October 23. The wallet has no cash, but does have credit cards. On October 24, a party reported a lost Chevrolet keyless key fob.

And on October 25, a wallet with a dog print pattern was found outside of The Big Lake store in Grand Marais on October 25. The owner called and was told it was at the law enforcement center.

Downed trees reported
There were several calls about downed trees during this period, starting with a “check hazard” call at 9:50 a.m. on October 22 reporting a tree down in the driving lane on the Sawbill Trail near County Road 2.

There was another tree down, partially blocking the Pike Lake Road at 3:44 p.m. on October 22. Information shared with Cook County Highway Department.

A call came in at 6:20 a.m. on October 23, reporting another tree down on Trout Lake Road between Makers Lane and County Road 14. Reporting party said it was purposely cut down with a chain saw. Superior National Forest was contacted and said they will respond as soon as they are able. A deputy responded and by 7:17 a.m. one lane was cleared. The Forest Service called back just before 10 a.m. Tree has been cleared.

Animal disturbances
There were also reports of “animal disturbances,” ranging from lost dogs to car-killed deer.

At 6:18 p.m. on October 22, the sheriff’s office received a call of a missing female collie with a leather collar and tags. Deputies checked area and will continue to do so throughout the night. At 10:27 p.m., the owner called back. The dog had been found and returned.

 At 8:38 a.m., a party reported a deer standing in the middle of the road on Highway 61, just east of Judge Magney State Park. The party said the deer was drooling and acting weird. The call was shared with Minnesota State Patrol.

At 9:34 a.m. on October 23, a party reported that a big collie/St. Bernard dog came into their yard. The dog has a tan collar with a metal chain attached to it. Party said they would keep the dog for the day to see if anyone reports it missing and will call Animal Advocates later.

There was a report on October 24 of a small to medium sized golden brown dog with yellow eyes being found. The sheriff’s office had no report of a missing dog. While the reporting party was on the phone with law enforcement, they received a message from the dog’s owner.

A party hit a deer at 10:54 p.m. on October 24. The deer ran off, but the vehicle is damaged.

A party picked up a large, white, long-haired dog near Five Mile Rock at 6:43 p.m. on October 25 and took it to Holiday in Grand Marais to try to find the owner. Someone at the gas station knew the dog is Odin and contacted the owner. A friend of the owner came and took custody of Odin to return to his owner.

A call came in reporting a deer in the roadway that needs to be dispatched at 7:48 p.m. on October 26. A deputy responded, but was unable to locate the deer.

 A party called on October 26 to report they found a golden retriever with an orange bandana and blue collar. Cook County gave them the number for Arrowhead Animal Rescue.

Another dog was found in Grand Marais on October 26, a husky with a pink collar. Cook County advised that the dog belonged to their neighbor. They took it over to the owner.

A German shepherd was seen crossing Highway 61 at 3:30 p.m. on October 27. A deputy located the dog and shortly after, a friend of the dog’s owner who will walk the dog home.

A party hit a deer on the Caribou Trail at 10:16 p.m. on October 27. They called law enforcement to let them know in case someone wants to harvest the deer. There is only minor damage to his car and he has no injuries.
 
During the reporting period, there were six medical calls. There were 27 traffic stops, 20 which resulted in reprimands and seven in citations. Deputies checked 19 businesses and residences.

Law enforcement dispatchers handled six crank or misdialed 9-1-1 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.
 

When Grand Portage American Legion Post 2009 and the Grand Portage Veterans Memorial Committee hosted its 2019 Veterans Day commemoration, the event had many of the traditional elements—there was drum song and a moment of silence; a wonderful luncheon and cake and a gathering of friends.

However, the cold weather meant no flag-raising ceremony. The flags were raised in advance and waved in the winter wind as the U.S. and Canadian National Anthem were played inside the Post 2009 building.

Something else was different this year -- the guest speaker was not a veteran. In fact, Grand Portage American Legion Post 2009 invited this reporter to share some thoughts on Veterans Day.

It was an unusual request. As a journalist, I’m normally covering events, not becoming part of them.

But I realized, it is a great honor to be asked to be part of this ceremony. So, I agreed to give the speech, honored to share the day with the Stonebridge Singers and community veterans.

My life has been touched by many veterans in my family circle—my brothers – Randy Bockovich in the US Air Force; Ryan Bockovich in submarine service in the Navy; my sister, Rhodelle, a Navy Seabee; my uncles, Hallie, Gillie, Bob and Bruce Bockovich; and my dad, Richard Bockovich—who was serving his stint in the Army when I was born at Ft. Carson, Colorado. And of course, my soldier husband, Chuck, who served in the Army for 22 years.

Because I was with Chuck for most of those 22 years, traveling to Washington State, Germany, Colorado, California, Germany again, and Virginia, I sometimes joke that I’m not a veteran, I’m a “camp follower.”

So, as a camp follower, a military spouse, I thought maybe I do have something worth sharing this Veterans Day…So…
To Grand Portage Veterans Services Officer Clarence “Clinker” Everson; to American Legion Post 2009 Commander Orlando Swader; and the other organizers, thank you  --miigwetch -- for this opportunity.

Giving this speech gives me the chance to talk about one of the greatest honors I’ve ever received, the gift of a brick in the walkway at the Grand Portage Veterans Memorial.

Receiving a memorial brick was such a wonderful surprise. I was told the brick was given in appreciation of the work I’ve done telling veteran stories. As I was preparing for this speech, I thought of all the veterans I’ve talked to—too many to mention in this radio report.  And sadly, too many have passed on, making those stories all the more precious.

I was also told that my brick in the memorial walkway was in recognition of my reporting on the work of Grand Portage veterans and community members, during the fundraising, the development and the construction of the Grand Portage Veterans Memorial next to the old school.

I can tell you there were tears when I visited the beautiful memorial site where a golden eagle stands guard and saw a brick declaring: “Rhonda Silence - a friend of veterans.”

Such an honor. An honor that I don’t really feel I deserve because …I was just doing my job.

I was just doing my job. Sound familiar?

Time and again, as I listened to veterans and recorded their stories, I heard that. From brave men and women who faced unimaginable horrors. From veterans who were ready at any time to face hardship, loneliness and even death. “I was just doing my job.”

That job—defending the freedom of our country, protecting our citizens and those in foreign lands from danger, doing the work that others don’t want to do—that job is one that must be honored and respected.

It seems like a fitting time to share a poignant quote, attributed to Rudyard Kipling:

"In times of war and not before,
God and the soldier we adore.
But in times of peace and all things righted,
God is forgotten and the soldier slighted."

That is why ceremonies like this one are so very important. It is important to pause on this 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month – the anniversary of the armistice, which was the end of the “war to end all wars” -- to remember the sacrifices of our heroes. It is important to say THANK YOU.

Thank you, veterans, “for just doing your job.”
 
 
 

Students and staff at Cook County School District 166 came together to host a Veterans Day program on Monday, November 11. The school once again partnered with American Legion Post 413 to open the program with the Post 413 Honor Guard posting the flags.

After the flags were posted, the Cook County Middle School/High School Choir, under the direction of Cindy Johnson, sang the Star-Spangled Banner. Senior band member Adam Dorr led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance.

ISD 166 Principal Megan Myers and Assistant Principal Mitch Dorr welcomed everyone and the choir sang another song, Proud of Our Veterans, adding sign language to their presentation.

The Cook County High School/Middle School Band, under the direction of Mikkel Haas, performed the Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Hovland resident, Staff Sergeant Theodore Rex, retired, took part as the guest speaker, sharing his thoughts on the day. SSG Rex spoke about the diversity of the modern Armed Forces, in ethnicity and religious backgrounds. He noted that those differences mean nothing to the men and women who have made the commitment to serve the United States, in peacetime or war.

SSG Rex spoke briefly about the challenges he faced in deployment and injury, stressing that he is not unique amongst the veteran population. He spoke of wounds visible and invisible. He emphasized the importance of supporting veterans not just on this special day, but throughout the year.

Rex mentioned a number of resources and encouraged veterans to reach out. See the links below for more information.
Assistant Principal Dorr again thanked all of the veterans and asked the members of the various branches—Navy, Army, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Air Force—to stand and be recognized. The band followed with a rendition of the Armed Forces Salute.

The afternoon performance ended with CCHS Sophomore Jonah Schmidt with a lovely version of Taps.

Resources for veterans

Veterans Administration

Minnesota Veterans Administration

Military Order of the Purple Heart

American Legion

Veterans of Foreign Wars

Disabled American Veterans (DAV)

Wounded Warrior Project
 

On November 12 at approximately 1:41 a.m.,  the Cook County Sheriff’s Office received a call that a woman was in labor and birth was imminent.

The caller said the baby was not going to wait for the mother to get to the hospital before entering this world.

Darcy Ziller was the Cook County Sheriff’s Office dispatcher on duty and took the call with all the professionalism of a seasoned dispatcher. Simultaneously paging out the ambulance and other first responders, Darcy stayed on the line with the father delivering instructions as the delivery progressed.

At 1:52 a.m., before any medical assistance arrived, Darcy was able to walk the father through the birthing process and the baby was born.

The ambulance arrived at the residence shortly after and at this time, all involved are doing fine.

Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen said, “Thank you, Darcy, for your calm, professionalism, and steadfast commitment to helping people in any situation.”
 

As reported last week, the elm trees marked for removal in the upcoming Highway 61 reconstruction project were cut down Nov. 6.  

Clearing of trees and vegetation along the Highway 61 in Cook County was done in preparation for the 2020-21 highway reconstruction project. KGM Contractors, the road construction company for the project, is performing the tree clearing.

Nine of 11 elm trees in the section of Highway 61 between Voyageur Brewery and Buck’s Hardware were removed last week.  

The city of Grand Marais heard from many citizens asking that the trees be saved, or at the least left standing for a year closer to the road project in 2020. The city council asked MnDOT what it would cost to delay the tree cutting for a year.

At an Oct. 30 meeting, City Administrator Mike Roth shared MnDOT’s reply. Roth said the extra expense to the city would be approximately $4,600.

After some discussion, with Mayor Jay Arrowsmith DeCoux absent, there was no motion to direct MnDOT to postpone cutting down the elm trees, which cleared the way for the clearing.

There were protests, online and on the street leading up to the takedown of the elm trees. Hear some comments from the scene downtown in this interview.

In addition to pleas to save the elm trees, another question that WTIP has heard repeatedly is: What will happen to the wood from the elm trees?

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence checked in with someone who has a tentative answer, Mary Somnis, director of the Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority. Here’s what we know.
 

At the end of October, Hedstrom Lumber Company announced that after 43 years of service, including 30 years as president, Howard Hedstrom had retired from the family-owned business.

Howard is the last of the third generation of the Hedstrom family involved in the business.

A new leadership team of other longtime employees has taken the reins. They are Chris Hegg, president; Jeff Johanns, vice president; Tina Hegg Raway, finance/HR; and Hedstrom family fourth-generation members Matt Anderson, engineer/facilities; and Kent Anderson, mill consultant, took over the reins at the end of 2018.

Howard and his wife Bonnie Gay are looking forward to traveling and spending time with their three children and five grandchildren. They are active in the local arts community, and Howard remains very active in community leadership positions with the Chamber of Commerce, Grand Marais Art Colony, Great Expectations Foundation, and the Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority.  

In the announcement of Howard’s retirement, Tina Hegg Raway, speaking for the new leadership team, said, “Hedstrom Lumber employees are looking forward to the opportunities available in the constantly evolving lumber industry and overcoming the many obstacles involved in being a small but nimble player in the worldwide market. 

“With the strength of the next generation, the relative steadiness of the market in recent years, and hopefully no more fires, the future of Hedstrom Lumber is looking very bright indeed,” said Hegg Raway.

WTIP's Rhonda Silence caught up with Howard Hedstrom at the lumber mill.
 

Clearing of trees and vegetation along the Highway 61 in Cook County in preparation for the 2020/2021 highway reconstruction project began today. KGM Contractors, the road construction company for the project, is performing the tree clearing.

KGM Contractors began clearing trees from the Cutface Creek end of the project. They cut trees to the outskirts of the City of Grand Marais and then moved on to the eastern end of the project. They will return to the city to complete clearing, including the section by the bike path through the Grand Marais Recreation Park and the elm trees between Voyageur Brewery and Buck’s Hardware, on Wednesday, Nov. 6.

A representative of KGM Contractors working near Lupine Lane in Grand Marais (next to Aspen Inn) said the City of Grand Marais has asked the company to cut and leave the elm tree logs along the road for the city.

It is not yet known what will be done with the elm logs, but it is hoped that the wood can be used in some way to benefit the community.

The city heard from many citizens asking that the trees be saved, or at the least left standing for a year closer to the road project in 2020. The city council agreed to ask MnDOT what it would cost to delay the tree cutting for a year.

At the Oct. 30 meeting, City Administrator Mike Roth shared MnDOT’s reply. Roth said the extra expense to the city would be an additional expense of approximately $4,600.

After some discussion, with Mayor Jay Arrowsmith DeCoux absent, there was no motion to direct MnDOT to postpone cutting down the elm trees, which cleared the way for the clearing. Hear some of the city council's discussion here. 
 

On October 14, sixth graders at Cook County Middle School participated in their all-terrain vehicle (ATV) Safety Field Day.  Following completion of required online coursework in Emma Spoon’s sixth grade Safety class, students capped off the ATV Safety unit with the driving test. 

This testing is a required portion of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) ATV Safety certification process. Students must demonstrate competence in identifying key parts of the machine and dashboard and then drive a prepared course that includes driving on the side of a hill, navigating between obstacles, and backing into a parking spot. As they drive, they must show correct hand signals to communicate their actions to those around them.  

This year, School District 166 had nine experts supervising and guiding students through the prepared course that was set up on Cook County Schools’ field space.  These leaders included four DNR Conservation Officers from Cook and Lake counties, one U.S. Forest Service officer, and four DNR-certified ATV Safety volunteer instructors. 

Instructor Emma Spoon said, “It was empowering to see students, especially those who were first-time ATV riders, blossom under the leadership of this team of experts.” 

All students walked away proud of their accomplishments and many are eagerly anticipating receiving their MN DNR ATV Safety certifications so that they can legally and safely operate ATVs on public lands in Minnesota. 

In all, 31 students completed the ATV Safety Field Day training this fall. 

School District 166 training for Middle School students will continue with boat safety, snowmobile safety, and firearms Safety throughout the remainder of the 2019-20 school year.
 
 

The Grand Marais City Council met on Wednesday, October 30 and perhaps one of the most awaited topics on the agenda was the city’s report on its “follow-up” with the Minnesota Department of Transportation regarding the fate of nine elm trees in the MnDOT right-of-way in the city.

For many months, citizens have made appeals to the city of Grand Marais to protect the elm trees that are slated for removal in advance of the 2020/2021 Highway 61 reconstruction project. At a very well-attended October 9 city council meeting, some citizens asked that if the trees could not be saved, could their removal be delayed?

The trees are currently slated to be cut down some time in early November – just days away.  

At that October 9 meeting, city councilors acknowledged that a delay might be possible, but at a cost to the city. However, they agreed to ask the question of MnDOT. At the October 30 meeting, City Administrator Mike Roth shared MnDOT’s reply. Roth said the extra expense to the city would be an additional expense of approximately $4,600.

After some discussion of the project, Acting Mayor Anton Moody asked if there was a motion to direct MnDOT to postpone cutting down the elm trees. None of the councilors introduced a motion, which means the upcoming tree clearing will proceed. The cutting will include most of the elm trees between Voyageur Brewing Company and Buck’s Hardware. Two elm trees, which the city and MnDOT hope to preserve, will remain.

The tree discussion closed and the council moved on to another aspect of the Highway 61 project, the removal of contaminated soils underground between the Cobblestone building and Harbor Inn, which means a temporary shutdown of Highway 61.

Councilor Craig Schulte asked for confirmation of the timeline and expressed concern about the highway being closed for the work from June through July, the busiest time for local businesses. Schulte said not enough thought had gone into the schedule and how it would impact businesses along Highway 61.

Reasons for that timing were discussed, including the impact of weather on construction projects, and Councilor Tim Kennedy said he thought there had been give and take on the project phases. Councilor Kelly Swearingen said she believed the MnDOT contractor would start earlier, if the weather allowed.

Administrator Roth asked if the council wanted to reach out to MnDOT once again. Councilor Schulte said yes, the city needs to stay involved and push for earlier completion.