Coleraine, MN Local News and More

Bovey cattery breeds Maine Coons with a focus on health

BOVEY — For Holly Buescher, the love of Maine Coons began with one very special cat, but it has grown into something much bigger than she ever imagined. Today, through TheraCoonzzz of Minnesota, she shares that same love with families across the country, one kitten and one forever home at a time. What began as a dream of owning a Maine Coon has blossomed into a small, family-centered TICA-registered cattery in Bovey, Minnesota, built around the belief that "every kitten deserves the very best beginning, and every family deserves to feel supported long after the excitement of bringing their new companion home." The name TheraCoonzzz was inspired by Buescher's first Maine Coon, Eddie, who became her constant companion while she worked from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. His comforting presence, affectionate personality and unmistakable bond with her inspired the name and eventually the dream of sharing the breed's special qualities with others. "They're more like a dog," Buescher said. "They follow you everywhere. They want to be by you." It didn't take long for her to realize that she wanted other families to experience that same kind of companionship and unconditional love. A dream that grew Buescher fell in love

Bovey, MN · 2d

Grand Rapids Herald Review

Declining kindergarten enrollment, sub pay top agenda at Grand Rapids School Board meeting

GRAND RAPIDS — Declining kindergarten numbers and a push to raise substitute teacher pay topped the agenda as the Grand Rapids Area School Board met for its regular meeting on Monday, Nov. 10. Director of Business Services Alex Kaczor and Superintendent Matt Grose opened with an Enrollment Indicator Report detailing current district trends. Total enrollment across ISD 318 stands at 3,874 students. While total headcounts match figures from two decades ago, district leaders pointed to a sharp drop in incoming kindergarteners as a growing concern, with this year's class sitting at just 198 students. Grose noted that smaller incoming classes bring financial and staffing consequences that the district will begin navigating as early as this spring. Demographics across Minnesota show families having fewer children, though nearby districts are reporting similar drops. ISD 318 has scaled back from 73 elementary sections in 2022 to 60 this year. Kaczor also pointed to the district’s massive geography—the third largest in Minnesota—as a unique factor alongside state funding rules, which set basic funding at $7,863 per pupil for FY27. Debate over substitute teacher pay The board also took up a proposal from Kacie Maeder to increase pay for substitute teachers to stay competitive with

Grand Rapids, MN · 6h

Grand Rapids Herald Review

Veterans Day programs set Wednesday in Itasca County

GRAND RAPIDS — Robert J. Elkington Middle School will hold its annual Veterans Day program at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, in the school gymnasium. Grand Rapids Area Schools is inviting the entire community to attend. The school’s program is one of several Veterans Day events planned in the area. Other ceremonies are set for Wednesday morning at Rapids Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids and at the Greenway Auditorium in Coleraine. Many area businesses and restaurants are also offering free or discounted meals to veterans. Veterans Day is a federal holiday observed each year on Nov. 11 to honor all military veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, living and deceased, in wartime or peacetime. It differs from Memorial Day, observed in May, which specifically remembers service members who died while serving. Veterans Day is commonly marked with parades, memorial services and community events, as well as a national wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. RJEMS program Angela Berg, a math teacher who coordinates the middle school event, said the school has welcomed the public to the program for as long as she has worked in the building, almost 10 years.

Itasca County, MN · 7h

Grand Rapids Herald Review

Swan Lake Country Club gets new preservation fund through community foundation

PENGILLY—The Grand Rapids Area Community Foundation has established a charitable fund to support maintenance and improvements at Swan Lake Country Club in Pengilly. The Swan Lake Country Club Preservation Fund will provide money for the club’s ongoing upkeep, facility improvements and long-term preservation. The club is a nonprofit, public nine-hole golf course. Because the fund is set up through the foundation, community members can donate directly toward the course’s care. “Swan Lake Country Club has been an important part of our community for generations, and creating this fund is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time,” said Mike Anderson, the club’s president. “We wanted to find a way to ensure this special place continues to be here for future generations—not only for golf, but for recreation, connection, health and wellness, and the many ways it brings people together.” The foundation said the fund will address both current and future needs, such as improvements that keep the course accessible to players of all skill levels. Mindy Nuhring, executive director of the foundation, said community foundations help people invest in the places and organizations that matter to them. “The Swan Lake Country Club Preservation Fund is a wonderful example of

Pengilly, MN · 2d

Mesabi Tribune

Outpouring of support for family of Hibbing man

HIBBING—The community is rallying around the family of Nick Groszbach, a 37-year-old husband and father of three, who lost his life in a two-car collision this past week just north of Minong, Wis. Groszbach was traveling home from work. He and the other driver, an 80-year-old man from Minong, both died as a result of the crash that happened just before 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 4, according to the Wisconsin State Patrol as reported on several news outlets. Groszbach is survived by his wife, Pia, and the couple’s three young children, ages, seven, five and one-year-old. News of the tragic loss hit close to home at the Hibbing Parents Nursery School and Daycare, where Pia Groszbach, Nick’s wife is the director. “The sweetest, most loving family is going through an unimaginable loss right now,” Niki Steel, a Board Director at the childcare center wrote on a Go-Fund-Me page she set up to help out the family. “This is just horrible,” said Sara Krauth, a teacher at the nonprofit, parent cooperative that provides childcare to children from 16 months through 11-years-old. Krauth said Pia and Nick moved to the area from Rochester in 2022, and since have been embraced by

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WDIO News Duluth-Superior

Free food boxes once a month for veterans thanks to Operation Full Plate

Operation Full Plate means there’s going to be free food boxes available once a month for veterans across the Northland.

Chisholm, MN · 1d

Grand Rapids Herald Review

Senior runner Lainie Jackson goes out on top for Grand Rapids

HAM LAKE — Grand Rapids’ record-holder Elaine Jackson competed against roughly 160 of the state’s top runners on Saturday at the Class 2A Cross Country State Championships and finished 17th overall with a final time of 18:54.0 - the senior’s personal record in the 5,000 meters throughout her high school competition. After setting her previous best (18:58.3) at the Section 7AA Championships last week, she needed just one week to turn in her new best, and proved she’s still getting faster. Each of her final two races was the first two times she’s ever crossed the finish line in under 19 minutes. Her final race time of 18:54.0 now rests as the new school record for Grand Rapids girls cross country. Jackson has been running with the Thunderhawks varsity cross country team since 2022 as an eighth grader, chipping away at her first-ever varsity time of 24:33.0 before closing out with her fastest time individually and for the program, and an All-State nod at Majestic Oaks Golf Course in Ham Lake. Jackson qualified for the state cross country meet for the first time last season as a junior, running a 20:05.6 to place 72nd. Another offseason full of focused and

Grand Rapids, MN · 1d

Grand Rapids Herald Review

Governor’s Deer Opener returns to Grand Rapids, and a new plan for the city’s cannabis dispensary

Governor’s Deer Hunting Opener returns to Grand Rapids State conservation officials, tourism leaders and hunting groups gathered in Grand Rapids on Thursday for the Governor’s Deer Hunting Opener, ahead of Saturday’s start of firearms season. DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen said deer license sales are up this year, while leaders from Visit Grand Rapids and the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association spoke about hunting’s economic importance to local communities. Grand Rapids council eyes leased site for cannabis dispensary The Grand Rapids City Council toured a possible location for a municipal cannabis dispensary at its Oct. 26 work session . City officials moved away from building a new facility after reviewing Anoka’s dispensary finances, and now say leasing a 2,800-square-foot suite at 1200 S. Pokegama Ave. could save the city about $200,000 a year.

Grand Rapids, MN · 2d

FOX 21 Online

Four local football teams learn their 2026 state seeding

DULUTH, Minn. (KQDS-TV)- Over the weekend, four local football teams learned their MSHSL state seeding. In the Class AAAA tournament, Grand Rapids earned the second seed in the north and will face Fergus Falls in the first round. Over in the Class A tournament, Mountain Iron-Buhl will face Breckenridge in...

Grand Rapids, MN · 1d

Mesabi Tribune

Hibbing Board explores options to fund high school roof repair

HIBBING—There are portions of the Hibbing High School roof that are leaking and are in critical need of repair, and the school board is considering options to fund the repairs. Through a 2025 Legislative change a levy option is now allowable for schools to access funds through the levy process to complete roof projects over $100,000 per site, District Business Manager Lance Takkunen explained. The School Board took up the matter as a discussion item this past week, and is anticipated to discuss the costs and levy impact for taxpayers at its next two meetings, according to Takkunen. “Our historical approach has been to do section by section roof repairs and use our LTFM (long-term facility maintenance) capital funds to fund those projects,” Superintendent Carrie McDonald explained during a discussion on the matter at the school board meeting Wednesday. “Our current challenge that we face is that the high cost is consuming a substantial amount of our capital and leaving fewer dollars for other facility needs each year.” Going from a proactive to reactive approach for roof repair An option is to do “a strategic shift” where the district would evaluate a new bonding authority to try to solve its

Progressive Rail Roading

Minnesota rail authority seeks short-line operator for steel mill spur (11/9/2006)

The Itasca County Regional Rail Authority (ICRRA) is seeking a short line to operate a spur the agency will build for a proposed steel mill near Nashwauk, Minn., according to the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association. ICRRA plans to construct a nine-mile spur and 10 miles of yard...

Nashwauk, MN · 1d

Grand Rapids Herald Review

Honoring a fishing and conservation legacy

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources dedicated the Tioga Public Water Access in Cohasset in memory of Tom Neustrom, a nationally recognized fishing guide, Hall of Fame angler and longtime conservation advocate who died in July 2026. Pictured at the dedication are DNR Assistant Commissioner Bob Meier, Neustrom’s wife, Renee Neustrom, and DNR Commissioner Sarah Strommen. Neustrom, who made his home in the Grand Rapids area, devoted much of his life to sharing his passion for fishing and helping others experience Minnesota’s outdoors. His contributions extended beyond guiding, including serving on the DNR fishing roundtable and the State Walleye Advisory Committee and Mille Lacs Advisory Committee. He also introduced countless people to fishing through seminars, radio programs and podcasts while advocating for the conservation of Minnesota’s fisheries.

Cohasset, MN · 6h

Grand Rapids Herald Review

Grand Rapids overpowers Hermantown for section title, Returns to Class 4A State Football Tournament for second consecutive year

Section 7AAAA Championship Grand Rapids 38, Hermantown 7 DULUTH — Logan McNear was 5-of-7 for 134 yards through the air, including a touchdown pass and two touchdown runs, and Ethan Morgan carried the ball six times for 131 yards and two rushing touchdowns as Grand Rapids drove past Hermantown 38-7 to capture the Section 7AAAA Championship for the second season in a row. Last season the Thunderhawks defeated the Hawks to earn their berth in the state tournament, and did so again Friday with authority at Duluth Denfeld’s Marv Heikkinen Field. A fast start put them up 17-0 in the first quarter after a Fynn Schlicht field goal, onside kick, and rushing touchdowns from McNear and Morgan. McNear was also sharp throwing the ball, while Morgan split the backfield carries with Mason Johnson, who got a heavy dose of runs early in the game to set a hard-nosed, physical tone for Grand Rapids. They’d go up 24-0 heading into halftime after McNear found Gunnar Anderson deep down the seam of the defense and in the end zone with a pinpoint throw and fantastic catch - one of two catches for 92 yards in the game for Anderson. Hermantown opened the

Grand Rapids, MN · 1d

northernnewsnow.com

Iron Range community rallies around family after deadly crash near Minong

HIBBING, Minn. (Northern News Now) - Three children were waiting for their father to come home from work. But Nick Groszbach never made it home. Groszbach was killed in a wrong-way crash near Minong last week. The other driver also died. Now, friends, neighbors and strangers are coming together to...

Mesabi Tribune

Star of the North Maternity Home-Iron Range chili cook off returns

HIBBING—A friendly competition is heating up that raises money for a nonprofit that helps moms and babies on the Range. Now in its third year, The Star of the North Maternity Home-Iron Range Chili Cook off fundraiser is from 5:30 to 7:30 Saturday, Nov. 14, at Blessed Sacrament Church, 2310 Seventh Avenue East. Star of the North Maternity Home-Iron Range is a non-profit operating under the umbrella of the non-profit Together for Life Northland. Its residences in Duluth and Hibbing house women while pregnant and after they have their children or are with children up to the age of 10 years, according to information on its website. The program helps the moms with education, employment, and finding transitional housing, supporting them in their time of need—each with unique situations. Proceeds from the chili cook off go toward general expenses for the Star of the North Home-Iron Range to keep it running. Attendees at the chili cook off serve as taste testers for this event, and get to cast their ballot for People’s Choice. There’s also a Judge’s Favorite category added this year, whereby a panel of judges will determine the top chili in that category. There’s still time to get

Grand Rapids Herald Review

Cohasset council certifies election results

COHASSET, Minn.—The Cohasset City Council on Monday formally certified the results of the Nov. 3 general election, confirming that Mayor Josh Casper and Councilors Kevin Tinquist and Andy Haarklau will each serve another term beginning in January. Casper, the only candidate on the ballot for mayor, received 1,183 votes, with 24 write-in votes also cast. He will serve a two-year term running through 2028. In the race for two four-year council seats, Tinquist led with 928 votes, followed by Haarklau with 636. Richard Lee Kortekaas Sr. received 398 votes and Samuel Soule 328. Another 15 write-in votes were cast. The new terms run through 2030. According to the canvass, 1,534 people voted. The city had 2,124 registered voters as of 7 a.m. on Election Day, and 42 more registered that day. The county’s abstract of votes lists 292 accepted absentee and mail ballots. Councilor Andy MacDonell moved to adopt the canvass resolution, and Councilor Shannon Benolken seconded. The motion carried. Three of the five council members were present: Casper, MacDonell and Benolken. Tinquist and Haarklau were absent with notice. During discussion, a council member noted that the staff memo accompanying the item was dated Nov. 10, while the meeting was

Cohasset, MN · 8h

Mesabi Tribune

Family Discovery Day: 'Together We Learn,' 'Maamawai Giwii-Kikendamin'

CHISHOLM—A partnership between Minnesota Discovery Center and Bois Forte Heritage Center is behind a family-focused event to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 14, a Family Discovery Day entitled “Together we Learn,” Maamawai Giwii-Kikendamin” is taking place at Minnesota Discovery Center. Admission is free. As part of the event’s community giving component, guests are encouraged to bring a new, unopened toy to donate to children in the Bois Forte community. The first 100 guests who bring a toy donation will receive a free meal ticket. One toy donation equals one meal ticket per person. Lunch will also be available for purchase while supplies last. This is the second year for this family-focused event that includes hands-on activities, cultural experiences, food, music and shared learning, in celebration of Native American Heritage Month. Last year’s inaugural event welcomed 245 members of the public and collected more than 100 new toys for children in the Bois Forte community, according to a press release. “We could not be more excited to host this event again,” said Allyse Freeman, Museum and Research Center Director at the Minnesota Discovery Center. “Celebrating indigenous art, culture, and resiliency while eating delicious

Chisholm, MN · 11h

businessnorth.com