January 2024

Celebrating the Impact of Public Arts Funding with MN Citizens for the Arts and Minnesota State Arts Board

“Cook County and Grand Marais are recognized across the state as leaders in the arts,” said Sue Gens, Executive Director for the Minnesota State Arts Board. “The arts, as a portion of your economy, is only behind St. Paul and Minneapolis. What this community has accomplished is remarkable.” This affirmation of the work of local artists and arts organizations opened the morning’s public listening session, which was attended by a number of local artists as well as staff from Visit Cook County and North House Folk School. Caroline Taiwo from the McKnight Foundation and Joe Bagnoli, Lobbyist for MN Citizens for the Arts, were also in attendance.

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Fatal snowmobile accident on Poplar Lake

On Friday, January 19, the Cook County Sheriff ’s Office was notified of a snowmobile accident on Poplar Lake. The victim was discovered by another snowmobiler and believed to have hit a rock and was thrown from the snowmobile. A Cook County Sheriff ’s Office deputy arrived on the scene, and it appeared that the rider had crashed sometime during the previous night.

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COUNTY CONNECTIONS

The Cook County Real Estate Market entering 2024 Another year of real estate transactions has been studied and another assessment is being finalized in Cook County. In short, the price of real estate on the North Shore is still increasing.

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Changes at Visit Cook County

This week Cook County Chamber of Commerce and Visit Cook County Director Linda Jure announced some recent changes at Visit Cook County and the Chamber. With Nick Cusick leaving the Event and Marketing Manager position on January 31, 2024, Malorie Brazell has been promoted, Jurek announced.

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Will Minnesota pass a Single Payer Health Program?

As health care insurance becomes increasingly more expensive for businesses and private citizens, there is an effort underway in Minnesota to provide health care for every citizen through a program called Single Payer Health Program. It is a program used by Canada and many other countries worldwide. As a nation, the U.S. spends more on health care than any other industrial country. Yet, the U.S. has the lowest life expectancy at birth and the highest rate of people with chronic disease, according to the Commonwealth Fund, an independent research group. The report released in January 2023 said the U.S. has the highest death rates from avoidable or treatable causes and the highest infant and maternal death rates. A lot of dollars are thrown at health care, but where are those dollars being spent?

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Conservation Officer Tales

Although the Cook County News-Herald knows that the majority of sportsmen and women are law-abiding folks, there are a few that run afoul of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Conservation Officers. Periodically, the DNR provides a report of some of the miscreants the Conservation Officers (CO) have encountered. The News-Herald shares these stories as a reminder to all to be safe and to follow the rules!

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