North Shore News Hour

WTIP's Rhonda Silence spoke with Superintendent Lindholm who notes that Cook County Schools has done a good job avoiding a COVID-19 positive for this long. He said he is unaware of any other schools who have had no cases, and in fact, many schools have multiple cases. 

Lindholm also encourages the community to continue to support one another at this time. 

It’s been nearly a year since Senator Tom Bakk changed his political party affiliation from DFL to Independent. WTIP spoke with the District 3 senator at that time and caught up with him again this week to find out how he has been received at the Capitol—and in the district—as an Independent.

Senator Bakk was just finishing a tour of bonding projects throughout the state and shared some reflections on dozens of interesting projects on the list to possibly be funded by state general obligation bonds. There is not a lot on the list for Cook County, aside from requests for funding for segments of the Gitchi-Gami State Trail.

Bakk also shared thoughts on serving on the Senate redistricting committee, a coveted Senate appointment that he said was only possible because of his Independent status.

WTIP also asked Bakk for his thoughts on new DFL Senate Minority Leader Melissa Lopez Franzen. Bakk also spoke about Governor Tim Walz’s handling of the COVID19 pandemic and other matters. And, Bakk commended Cook County for its formation of a Housing and Redevelopment Authority in Cook County.

Find Senator Bakk's full "on the road" conversation with WTIP’s Rhonda Silence below. To learn more about a particular topic of conversation, click the links below.

9:43 - More on bonding, including the Gitchi Gami State Trail

15:17 – Bakk on the Senate redistricting committee

27:49 - Senator Bakk on working as an Independent at the Capitol

35:14 – Senator Bakk on a potential run for Governor

44:11 - Thoughts from Bakk on new DFL Senate Minority Leader

48:20 - Senator Bakk on working with Governor Walz on COVID and other matters

53:00 - Comments from Senator Bakk on the formation of a Cook County HRA

Since our very first broadcast, WTIP Community Radio has enjoyed interacting with the youth of our community.

We have had young people in the studio for youth radio projects and to give us the latest school news report. We have reported on sporting events, plays, and of course graduation ceremonies. And…we periodically check in with these former Cook County residents as they’ve gone on to interesting adventures and important careers in a series called Where Are They Now?

In this segment, WTIP’s Rhonda Silence speaks with Brandon Cole, now a Duluth resident working in the film industry. Cole’s voice may sound familiar to longtime listeners, he was once a WTIP volunteer radio host.

He went from radio to film and has been working on some interesting projects in Duluth. The photo above shows Brandon Cole (on the right) with colleague Wesley Johnson, a project writer, and actor Chris Mulkey on a recent set.

Cole had some exciting news to share with WTIP about the upcoming Catalyst Film Festival in Duluth taking place from September 29 to Sunday, October 3. He was encouraged by colleagues to submit a script to the festival’s script competition and he did, reviving a film idea he had worked on while in college. He has been invited to share his script at the festival. We learn more about that in the interview below.

You can also see Cole and some of the other participants talking about their work in this PACT-TV Duluth segment.

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If you know of a Cook County resident who could be featured in a future WTIP Where Are They Now? segment, contact Rhonda Silence by calling 218-387-1070 or email [email protected]

Where are They Now? is made possible in part with funding from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.

On September 16, the Lake Superior School District, which includes the Two Harbors and Silver Bay schools, reported three positive cases of COVID-19 at Minnehaha Elementary School and one case at Two Harbors High School.

Those cases, as well as an uptick in cases overall in Lake County, led to some changes for School District 381 in Lake County. Students and staff in elementary schools are now required to wear masks.

For Two Harbors and Silver Bay High School, masks are still recommended, but not required. School District 381 has a vaccination rate of over 70 percent in the high school student population.

Lake Superior School District Superintendent Jay BelCastro noted that things could change if school and/or community COVID-19 cases increase.

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence learns more about School District 381's policy on masking and quarantine from Superintendent BelCastro. 
 

An outbreak of COVID-19 at a school district in northern Minnesota led to the cancellation of the Cook County Vikings upcoming football game.

The Vikings were set to travel to Bigfork for a football game on Friday, Sept. 24. However, School District 166 Athletic Director Mitch Dorr announced this week that the game is being called off.

WTIP has learned the game was canceled due to a spike in the number of positive COVID-19 cases at the Bigfork/Grand Rapids School District.

In August the Big Fork/Grand Rapids School District made the decision to begin the new school year with masks strongly recommended, but not required for staff and students. 

At that time, Superintendent Matt Grose said that the decision was subject to change based on recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health and the CDC.

The school district established a COVID-19 dashboard to “aid the district in decisions regarding coronavirus mitigation measures, including masking and quarantine requirements.”

The dashboard, updated September 21 reports 33 student cases and eight staff cases of COVID-19 in the Bigfork/Grand Rapids School District.

The school website also states: “If the virus starts to peak in a classroom, grade-level, or school, we will require masks in that space. Hopefully, masking requirements will only be necessary on a short-term basis.”

However, no such announcement has been made at the school yet regarding the requirement to wear masks. In a letter sent to some parents notifying them of a lab-confirmed case of COVID-19 in their student’s learning community, the school district stated, “We recommend that all people in our learning environment wear a mask or face covering.”

The Bigfork/Grand Rapids School District is in Itasca County, which has a cumulative total of COVID-19 cases of 5,119 and 71 deaths. Itasca County has a 47 percent rate of people who are considered fully vaccinated.

School District 166 set its preliminary levy at the September 16 school board meeting at the maximum amount allowed, which equals a .8 percent increase. WTIP spoke with Superintendent Chris Lindholm who said the current levy number can be decreased, but not increased.

Lindholm said anyone with questions about the school levy can attend the School District 166 Truth-in-Taxation hearing at 6:00 p.m. on December 16.

Superintendent Lindholm also spoke about the COVID-19 situation at the school. As of September 17, Lindholm told WTIP that there have been no known cases of the coronavirus in the school. There have been individuals who quarantined due to contact with someone who has tested positive.

Lindholm talked about the quarantine and testing process and reminded everyone to stay home if they feel ill.

Lindholm, who is present on the ISD 166 campus daily, said he is pleased to see how students and staff are responding to the requirement to wear a mask throughout the school day. He said for the most part, students are wearing their masks without complaint.

Superintendent Lindholm also explained the glitch that prevented live streaming the school board meeting. To see the school board meeting video after-the-fact, click here.

Here’s WTIP’s Rhonda Silence speaking with Superintendent Chris Lindholm.
 

Tracy Benson returned to government service at the beginning of September when she was appointed to fill a Grand Marais City Council vacancy. Benson previously held a seat on the council but resigned several years ago when she moved to the Twin Cities area.

Now a full-time resident of Grand Marais once again, Benson is filling a seat that became vacant when former City Councilor Kelly Swearingen resigned in July.

This is the second time Benson has been appointed to the city council. She filled a vacancy in 2016 when Councilor Jan Sivertson was elected to the Cook County Board of Commissioners.  She was subsequently elected to the council and served for most of her term, resigning in February 2018 because she was moving.

WTIP Community Radio checked in with Benson to learn why she wanted to serve on the council for what she describes as “Round Two.”

Benson’s appointment creates another vacancy, on the Grand Marais Public Utilities Commission. Benson is the citizen representative on that board. Craig Schulte is the council representative and only one councilor can serve on that board. At the next meeting, the council will need to decide who will continue to serve on the PUC. The council will also need to appoint another citizen representative.

The city still needs someone to fill the vacancy on the Grand Marais Planning Commission, which had been filled by Councilor Kelly Swearingen until her resignation.

In addition, at the September 8 city council meeting, Councilor Craig Schulte said the Grand Marais Park Board also needs a citizen to serve. Board Member Rita Hinchman has resigned from her seat.

Anyone interested in the Grand Marais Park Board, the Planning Commission, or the Public Utilities Commission may contact City Hall at 218-387-1848 for more information.

The next City Council meeting, which will be the first for new and returning Councilor Tracy Benson will be Wednesday, September 29 at 6:30 p.m. at Grand Marais City Hall.

Here’s Rhonda Silence with Councilor Benson.
 
 

Since the Highway 61 project began in 2020, WTIP Community Radio has been checking in periodically with Minnesota Department of Transportation project engineer, Ed Welch.

On Monday, September 13, Welch told WTIP that MnDOT contractor, KGM Construction, is on track to complete the project as anticipated in “mid-September.”

On Friday, September 17, the concrete construction barriers will be removed and the entire section of Highway 61 through the City of Grand Marais will be open.

There is some remaining finish work in the road right-of-way, such as the planting of approximately 60 trees, installation of bike racks and some other sidewalk finishing, but Welch told WTIP that should not interfere with traffic.

Here’s WTIP’s Rhonda Silence speaking with Engineer Ed Welch in what will likely be the last interview on the Grand Marais Highway 61 construction project.  
 

More construction work began along Highway 61 at the end of August. However, it is not road work but work on the newest segment of the Gitchi-Gami State Trail.

Motorists going through Tofte may occasionally enounter single lane traffic between the US Forest Service Tofte Ranger Station and the Tofte Homestead Drive, across from Bluefin Bay.

Construction is expected to be complete by November 1, 2021.

WTIP's Rhonda Silence spoke with Oliver Lu of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Parks & Trails Division about the new segment and about future connections.