North Shore News Hour

The Cook County Chamber of Commerce committee that is meeting to develop a plan to help businesses during the reconstruction of Highway 61 through Grand Marais cancelled a meeting this week because of a possible delay.

Chamber members said there is apparently a delay in efforts to acquire right-of-way for the project, which could delay the overall roadwork.

The city of Grand Marais is hoping to set a meeting with Minnesota Department of Transportation officials soon, but in the meantime, WTIP’s Rhonda Silence reached out to Michael Kalnbach of the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) to learn more.

Kalnbach is the project manager for the Highway 61 project, which is intended to repave and reconstruct the highway from the Cutface Creek Rest Area to the east end of the city in 2019-2020. More information on the plan can be found here.
 

Great Expectations School (GES) in Grand Marais is governed by a school board and the board meets the first and third Thursday of each month. The first meeting of each month is a workshop format and the third Thursday brings more business and is the time that the board makes official motions. After each of those meetings, WTIP checks in with Great Expectations. 

WTIP's Rhonda Silence speaks with GES Director Peter James about the school's audit, strategic planning, curriculum and more. 

A two-car collision on Highway 61 in Lutsen on Sunday, January 20, sent several people to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The crash occurred just before 5 p.m. on Sunday, when a 2015 Toyota Sienna minivan traveling south on the highway came to a stop for a vehicle that was making a left turn into Lutsen Resort.

A 2006 Buick Rendezvous, driven by Lee Hall, 28, of Lutsen was also traveling south and struck the back of the Toyota.

The driver of the minivan, Bret Andrew Deneson, 41 of Otsego, Minn., Catherine Deneson, 41, also of Otsego and a 12-year-old male passenger suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to North Shore Health by Cook County Ambulance.

The other passengers, Michael Anderson and Valentina Anderson of Brooklyn, Minn., as well as two juvenile males, ages 9 and 10 and one 13-year-old female were not injured.

Hall was not injured, but her passenger, Jhaquelline Costilla, 18, suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to North Shore Health.

According to the Minnesota State Patrol, all of the parties except Costilla, were wearing seatbelts  at the time of the crash.

In addition to Cook County Ambulance, the Lutsen Fire Department and First Responders assisted on the scene.

Another round of snow is likely heading into the northland, with the National Weather Service predicting 6 – 8 inches of snow in Cook County starting around 6 p.m. Monday night and continuing through 6 p.m. on Tuesday, January 22.

The heaviest snowfall is anticipated from midnight Monday to 6 a.m. Tuesday morning, so motorists should plan accordingly.

The weather service cautions drivers that roads may be slippery and adds the following advisory:

• Clear snow and ice from windows and lights.
• Brake early. Leave twice the amount of room for stopping.
• Don’t use cruise control in wintry conditions.
• Don’t cut in front of other vehicles.
• Take it slow and delay travel, if feasible.

Photo by Rhonda Silence, WTIP

In recent news from the Cook County Sheriff’s Office, there were two incidents of a “missing” snowmobiler. WTIP followed up on those reports and learned the lost riders had become separated from a group of other snowmobilers. We asked Mary Manning, a local Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer for some advice on how to prevent that from happening.
CO Manning talked about trail etiquette and safety in this interview.

And she reminded snowmobilers who were born after Dec. 31, 1976, that they need to complete the DNR snowmobile safety course.

Manning said adults do not have to complete the field test as youths do, but can take the training on line. Click here for course information.

For more information about snowmobile safety—or any other outdoor recreational activity in our northwoods—contact CO Mary Manning at (218) 387-5285.
 

At the first meeting of each year, the Grand Marais City Council handles its usual annual organizational matters, such as appointment of Councilor Anton Moody to act as mayor if Mayor Jay Arrowsmith DeCoux was absent. The council set its mileage reimbursement rate at the IRS suggested level; and councilors selected all three local financial institutions to handle various city accounts.

All of those matters were handled with little discussion. That was not the case with selecting an official newspaper in which to post legal notices.

At the Cook County Commissioners’ meeting just the day before there had some discussion before selecting an official newspaper.

County Administrator Jeff Cadwell informed the commissioners that the rate of the one bidding newspaper—the Cook County News-Herald—was $9 per column inch of newsprint. Cadwell told the board that neighboring Lake County was being charged less than half that rate--$4.40 per column inch.

County Commissioners moved unanimously to adopt the Cook County News-Herald as its official newspaper, with one commissioner noting that the county has no other choice, as the News-Herald is the only publication registered with the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office as an official newspaper.

Likewise the city council had discussion, but the concern was not regarding rates, but some of the News-Herald’s content.
Mayor Jay Arrowsmith DeCoux said the city is not required to designate an official newspaper. Administrator Mike Roth said the city already uses its own website, as well as other sources to distribute information to the public. He said whether or not the News-Herald was selected as the official newspaper, the city would continue to do so.

The council ultimately passed a unanimous motion to approve the Cook County News-Herald as its official newspaper, but Councilor Kelly Swearingen added that she was frustrated with some of the publication’s content.

The Grand Marais City Council meets the second and last Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Grand Marais City Hall. 
 

Cornerstone Community Church in Grand Marais has ties to a community in Haiti, where they help support a church and school. Community members have taken several trips to Haiti and one woman, Valita Bockovich is preparing for her third visit to the island nation. She will be in Haiti from Feb. 25 to March 8. 

Bockovich is hosting a spaghetti dinner and presentation on Haiti at 6:30 pm on Thursday, January 17 at the church, located at 1 Cedar Grove Lane in Grand Marais.

Anyone who would like more information is invited to contact Valita at 218-370-9226.

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence spoke with Valita about her previous visits and the upcoming trip.
 

The Cook County/Silver Bay Alpine ski team hosted the KooKoo Invite at Lutsen Mountains on Thursday, January 10. It was a challenging day of racing for the North Shore team.

Coach Charles Lamb said the top finisher for the girls’ team was Elsa Lunde, who earned a personal best and a standing in the top 10. She put together two solid runs to finish in 9th place.

The varsity boys’ team earned 2nd overall with Will Surbaugh claiming 2nd place and Cy Oberholtzer taking 6th.

The JV boys did extremely well, with Weston Heeren taking 1st  and Andrew Hallberg taking 3rd.

Coach Lamb said it was a poignant meet, the last for the Cook County seniors—Elsa Lunde, Reilly Wahlers, and Sela Backstrom.

The Vikings now have a bye week and then head to the CEC Invite at Mont du Lac Ski Hill on Thursday, January 24.

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence learned more about the meet in this interview with Coach Charles Lamb.
 

Each week the Cook County Sheriff’s Office provides a brief report of calls made to the Cook County Law Enforcement Center in the past week. This week’s report provides details logged by law enforcement dispatchers from Monday, January 7 to Sunday, January 13.
 
WTIP Community Radio asked for more details on a number of calls, such as a report of suspicious activity at the U.S. Port of Entry in Grand Portage on January 13. That call led to the arrest of a 20-year-old Duluth man who was charged with driving while intoxicated.
 
After putting his Chevy Silvarado pickup in the ditch on Devil Track Road, a 23-year-old Grand Marais man was also charged with DWI on January 13.
 
There were two calls from snowmobilers who had become separated from the group they were riding with, the first on January 9. That rider was in the Esther Lake area in Hovland. He was able to reach the Ontario Provincial Police, which in turn contacted the Cook County Sheriff’s Office.
 
Cook County Search and Rescue was activated and after about an hour of searching for the individual, he was found stuck at the Esther Lake campground. Search and Rescue and Border Patrol officers were able to get him out to be reunited with his party.
 
A second snowmobiler called for help from the Cascade River Road in Grand Marais on January 13. The rider did not know where he was, but the law enforcement dispatcher was able to direct him to the nearest road, where he was picked up and taken back to the lodge where he was staying with his group. The snowmobile was left to be picked up later.
 
Animal disturbance calls included a call from a person concerned about an owl sitting on the ground. There was also a call about a missing—and then found—dog in Grand Marais.
 
The Sheriff’s Office handled a number of “public assist” calls. Two were to assist motorists who had gone in the ditch and the report says a deputy assisted with lights and a shovel.  Another public assist call came from a person needing a ride to the doctor’s office.
 
The law enforcement dispatchers also fielded 15 crank 9-1-1 calls during the week.
 
If you need help from Cook County Law Enforcement, dial 9-1-1. For non-emergency calls, contact the Cook County Sheriffs Office at 218-387-3030.