Steve Fernlund and The Long Way Home

Cook County Independent School District 166 has put a levy renewal request on the 2022 general election ballot. In 2016, county voters approved an operating levy of $800 per pupil to support smaller class sizes, elective opportunities, and some extracurricular activities. That levy is set to expire on December 31st this year. According to a letter sent to voters from Chris Lindholm, Superintendent of Cook County Schools, if that levy expires it would reduce the annual revenue of the district by $350,000 to $400,000 a year. That loss, according to Lindholm’s letter, would force the district to reduce some teaching positions and program offerings for the kids. The ballot question asks voters to approve a ten-year extension of the 2016, $800 per pupil levy. A vote to approve the levy request will not result in an increase in current property taxes however allowing the levy to expire may reduce property taxes. ISD 166 has scheduled informational meetings to meet with voters. A virtual mee...

The Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority has released a report it commissioned that is titled a Comprehensive Housing Needs Analysis for Cook County Minnesota. The 75-page report is dated May 2, 2022, and was prepared by a St. Paul-based consulting firm called LOCi Consulting. LOCi is managed by a man named Grant Martin who submitted this report. According to its website, LOCi does “market feasibility studies across the country for a wide variety of commercial real estate uses, including retail, office, residential, and mixed-use.” The report does not present much in the way of new information from what local folks might have heard in conversations at the post office, hardware store, or coffee shop in recent years. On the other hand, it is well researched and presented in a logical fashion. It provides an analysis of demographic and economic trends to estimate future demand for housing to assist government planners looking to address housing issues. Jason Hale, Execu...

When our oldest daughter was entering the fourth grade, we moved the family from East Bloomington, MN to West Bloomington, MN. To understand the cultural ramifications of this move, think about moving from Hovland to Lutsen. Or maybe think about the Jeffersons moving to that deluxe apartment in the sky. As young parents with four kids, we were hyper-alert to their happiness and safety. Other than an occasional night away from us, staying with siblings and grandparents, our kids had never been away from their doting parents. So when we heard that fourth-grade teacher Mr. Porter was planning a several-night field trip at a camp in Northern Minnesota, I had many questions. Attending the information meeting at the school I quickly raised my hand when question time was called. First, if I am paying taxes in Hennepin County to fund parks and nature centers, why do we have to send kids on an overnight trip to a nature center? Murmurs were heard in the crowd. Next, what about kids like mine w...

A Rusty Crayfish caught From Zebra Mussels to Eurasian Watermilfoil and Rusty Crayfish, there are many plants and creatures in the waters of our ten thousand lakes that have invaded. Some are benign, but others cause enormous negative changes in lakeshores, sport fishing, and other water-based activities. Not to mention public health. The fight against these invaders is led by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Cook County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is at the frontline. Cook County first received funding for its aquatic invasive species (AIS) efforts from the DNR in 2014. In 2015, with an AIS Prevention Plan underway, Amanda Weberg was retained by the county as its AIS Coordinator. The county put the AIS program under the SWCD in 2020 and Weberg’s status was changed from independent contractor to part-time employee, working up to 25 hours per week. “The mission of the AIS Prevention Plan is to limit or prevent the spread of aquatic invasive spe...

The General Election is scheduled for Tuesday, November 8th, and the ballots will be full. In addition to voting for Governor, Lt. Governor, and the rest of the statewide offices, there will be candidates for the US House, state representative, and state senator. Due to redistricting, all five County Commission seats will be on the ballot in addition to the County Attorney, Auditor-Treasurer, Recorder, and Sheriff. Other local positions will also be on the ballot. Candidates for election to Cook County offices must file their intent, in person, with the County Auditor by Tuesday, May 31 at 5:00 pm. Filing opened on May 17th. Candidate filings for the hospital board, school district, and city offices must file between August 2nd and August 16th. Candidates are subject to State law for campaign finance disclosures. If more than two candidates file for election to a specific position, a primary election will be held on August 9, 2022. If you have ever thought about running for public offi...

Todd Ford Cook County government and North Shore Health are sharing Todd Ford. He serves as the new Public Information Coordinator for both organizations. He enters this new position after serving as Marketing Director for Grand Portage Lodge and Casino. Although the work of both organizations is quite different, Ford’s areas of influence are the same. A big issue for the county and the hospital is employee recruitment. He will work with Human Resource departments to effectively improve current, and develop new, recruiting programs. In the area of media and public relations, Ford will edit and distribute media releases and articles. He will arrange interviews for representatives of each organization and provide talking points that will keep a consistent and effective message. Ford received his Marketing Degree from Columbia College Chicago and he spent ten years in a leadership position with an advertising agency in Chicago. From there he was recruited to become the Creative Director a...

Jason Hale has assumed the Executive Director position in the recently formed Cook County Housing and Redevelopment Authority. Most recently, Hale worked for almost seven years at the City of Duluth. He worked in business and economic development efforts, ending with the position of Senior Housing Developer, a newly created position that he held for three years. A native of Owatonna, MN, a small city in southern Minnesota that he says is a great place to grow up, Hale ended up completing his bachelor degree at the University of Minnesota Duluth and he has been in the Arrowhead for more than a decade. Hale received his Master Degree in Management and Change Leadership in 2016 from The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth. He has been a registered investment advisor and is a licensed Real Estate Broker and Appraiser. He worked for a year with the St. Louis County Assessor's Office as an appraiser in 2014. Hale was one of two finalists for the Cook County position and began his tenure...

  After 15 months on the job as the County Administrator in Cook County, James Joerke says that there are two major issues the county faces, and they are inextricably entwined. Number one--Housing, of all kinds. Number two--child care. Both issues are creating a drag on hiring, the third issue facing the county. To attract new residents to fill existing job openings requires the community to have access to housing and child care for those workers and their families. “We’re going to need a range of housing options. Workforce housing. Housing for young and growing families. Housing for seniors and the disabled,” said Joerke. “When you look at a map for areas of the country affected least by climate change, northeast Minnesota is very attractive,” said Joerke. Add in the benefits of great broadband, our environment, and the high quality of life, Cook County is seeing an increase in the numbers of climate refugees, further complicating the housing issue. To begin addressing the housi...