LATEST NEWS

From the Cook County Highway Department - December 1, 2023. With the 2023 construction season wrapped up at the Highway Department, we have already been working on projects for the 2024 season. Projects are slated all throughout the county, from Tofte to the Gunflint Trail and up to Grand Portage.

The Cook County North Shore Hospital District Board announced yesterday that it will be holding a special board meeting on December 5, 2023, at 10:00 am. According to the Board Meeting agenda, the meeting will consist of a strategic planning follow-up, as well as a closed session (due to attorney-client privilege) addressing "Litigation regarding defamatory statements made against the Hospital".

Photo from Unsplash and unrelated to the city. For most people, it is a constant necessity of life to manage gas prices. The national average price for a gallon of regular-grade gas on Friday is $3.248, a week ago the price is $3.265 , according to AAA.

The first weekend of Dec. in Grand Marais arrives with karaoke, sauna sessions, and a frozen fish toss. That is a small sampling of this weekend’s numerous holiday festivities for the first annual Holiday Harbor Village event in Grand Marais. The downtown business coalition, a small group of business...

Photo: The Hovland Arts Festival saw a good turnout of both artists and visitors. All photos by Haley Brickner. Over 20 local artists gathered for the annual Hovland Arts Festival on November 26, 2023 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hovland, MN. The tiny unincorporated community of Hovland delivered a wonderfully festive event complete with food, music, and tons of local talent. According to the Hovland Arts Festival event organizers, "We had a very successful winter Hovland Arts Festival, with 17 local artists, 2 food vendors, local music, and hundreds of guests and visitors. Everyone had a wonderful time and we look forward to our summer festival in July!"

WTIP brings you “Agency and Authenticity in Works of Fiction,” a panel discussion featuring authors and literary scholars David Mura, Carol Miller, Michael Torres and moderated by Staci Drouillard. The group explores the question, “Who can best tell the story of people of color in works of fiction?” The conversation took place as part of the North Shore Readers and Writers Festival in November, 2023.

On Monday, November 27, the Cook County Sheriff's Office shared in a Facebook post that it is investigating a recently discovered sunken pontoon on Pike Lake. The pontoon, which appears to have been underwater for a long time, was found by someone using an underwater camera for fishing and confirmed by Cook County Search and Rescue "using side-scan sonar equipment", according to the Facebook post.

From Birch Grove Community School - December 1, 2023. Birch Grove Community School/Service newsletter below.

The Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) was once again a top agenda item for the Cook County Board of Commissioners at their November meetings. The commissioners met for regular meetings on November 14 and 28. While a decision from the state on whether the bonding application has been approved won’t be...

After a month-long process of gathering input from students, staff, parents, and community members, the ISD 166 school board and administration reviewed the results of the feedback and input during the Nov. 16 school board meeting. Earlier this year, the school board hired ICS, a project management firm, to conduct...

The darkness of night is shrouded in mystery. Fear of the dark is a common phobia, causing our imaginations to run wild, always wondering what could be hiding in the shadows. We envy animals that can see things at night in ways we cannot—at least not without a little help.

As the holiday season approaches, many families gather to celebrate cherished memories and honor loved ones who have passed away. For those who have lost loved ones, this time of year can also be a time of reflection and grief. Light Up a Life, an annual event observed worldwide by hospice organizations, offers a unique opportunity to remember loved ones while supporting the important work of hospice care.

We had pretty stiff SW winds all day so as evening approached, I headed down to Lake Superior to photograph the Sawtooth Mountains at sunset. It was a beautiful evening. The largest waves would break along the point west of the Grand Marais Campground shooting spray several feet into the air.

As fall celebrations and Thanksgiving weekend arrive in Cook County, WTIP wanted to hear from youth and students in Cook County about what they are thankful for. Students from the Oshki Ogimaag Kindergarten And First Grade class, Great Expectations School, and ISD 166 shared their thoughts on the fall season and what they were thankful for this year during a one-hour special program on WTIP following the Oh Ole’ Night parade in downtown Grand Marais.

If you know of any other organizations hosting holiday art and craft events, reach out to us at [email protected] to have your event added to the list. You can also add it to our free community events calendar at: https://www.boreal.org/calendar. Event details are subject to change. Please reach out...

Pete Kavanaugh is a longtime musician of Cook County known for playing electric blues and fronting a number of local bands over the years. His latest band is called Zulu Link alongside bassist Jonathan Steckelberg and drummer Ted Czaplicki. Watch a performance by Pete and Jonathan and listen to their interview on The Scenic Route from November 17th below.

Update: As of 5:09 p.m. Nov. 28, power was restored. If you are still without electricity, call Arrowhead Electric Cooperative at 218-663-7239. An isolated power outage that began at approximately 10 a.m. on Tuesday near Tofte continues into the evening. Earlier this morning, law enforcement and Arrowhead Electric were notified...

Lin Salisbury has brief conversations with popular authors in her Superior Reads “Shorty” segments. In this edition, Lin talks with novelist and poet Rachel Coyne.

Photo: Karina Roth singing during a past concert alongside singer Ella Hedstrom. Photo by Sarah Reller. Editor's note: This is part two of a two-part series on the Borealis Chorale and Orchestra. Part one was published on November 29, 2023, and can be found here. At 33 years-old, singer Hannah...

From Cook County Public Health and Human Services - November 28, 2023. Cook County Public Health and Human Services, in collaboration with Grand Portage Human Services and Cook County Higher Ed, will host three safeTALK suicide prevention classes. December 4 from 12:00 – 4:00 p.m. at the Grand Portage Log...