February 2024

Weekly Weather

Date High Low Precipitation Weekly Weather From Josiah Avery, East County Road 14 February 6 39.4 28.2 0 0.00 February 7 39.2 30.4 0 0.00 February 8 42.3 32.7 0 0.00 February 9 38.5 25.0 0 0.00 February 10 26.1 18.9 0 0.00 February 11 31.3 17.8 Snow 1.00 February 12 32.9 19.6 Snow 0.80 Season to date snowfall: 23.1 Inches Last season to date snowfall: 88.5 Inches Fun fact: Let's look back on January 2024! Here is my weather data for October compared to seasonal normals according to NOAA. The average high temperature was above normal at 24.16 degrees.

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EATS coming March 7

Once again, a fun, family- friendly community fundraiser is back, calling for those with a strong appetite for education and good food to attend. E.A.T.S (Enriching Academic Through Sustenance) is conducted annually by the Cook County Schools Education Foundation.

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Northland Foundation awards 56 grants totaling $1,962,509 October through December 2023

Rural aging, child care expansion funding awards highlighted The Northland Foundation awarded nearly $2 million in grant funds in the last quarter of 2023 to benefit people and communities in its geographic service area. Locally, the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa received three grants.

Read MoreNorthland Foundation awards 56 grants totaling $1,962,509 October through December 2023

Minnesota Association of Townships announces 2024 Scholarship Program for high school juniors

The Minnesota Association of Townships (MAT) is proud to announce its 2024 Scholarship Program, which will award up to five $2,000 scholarships to high school juniors. The Scholarship Program is designed to heighten awareness among young people about Minnesota’s grassroots township government.

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Food safety workshop comes to Cook County for those new to food processing and valueadded food production

University of Minnesota Extension’s “Head to the Kitchen” workshop is designed for entry-level food business participants such as smallscale farmers and growers, food producers and processors, food entrepreneurs, and cottage food producers to gain critical food safety knowledge.

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Comparing the Events of History

A recent editorial comparing the events of January 6th to the events of December 7th, 1941, was very disheartening and truly insulting to anyone whoever wore the uniform especially to those brave men and women we fought and died at Pearl Harbor. I will admit that the events of January 6th is a stain on American history but it was nowhere near an insurrection. There are evil forces in this country on both the right and the left whose sole purpose is to create chaos and destruction of the status quo. You see these actions take place throughout many areas of the United States usually as a follow up to another event. When Donald Trump was first elected as president, chaos broke out in many major cities and the riots and looting left cities in destruction and turmoil. If you recall the events of Minneapolis and watch the nightly news as a police station is being abandoned, business is going up in flames, police cars being torched and the massive destruction that was taking place day after day, a logical question is, “who are these individuals that feel it is their right to create such a massive disruptive event? Ironically these events are broadcast on the nightly news as “mostly peaceful “events where they hide behind the catchphrases of our” First Amendment right to protest” and “social justice”. How many of these individuals were held accountable for their behaviors and the billions of dollars' worth of damage that was left in their wake. How many of these people were held accountable for the businesses that were destroyed and a huge area of the city was left burning in ruins. How many of these individuals were held accountable for the massive numbers of injuries to our police officers that were hugely outnumbered and not even given the right tools to do their job. And let us not forget the civilians that were caught up in the mayhem and happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I understand that there are a lot of people out there who hate Dona

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The Northland is warming and you can do something about it

With the cancellation of dog sled races and the difficulties facing our winter resorts this season, it’s time for us to take effective action to combat climate warming now - before it’s too late. The 2023 Yale Climate survey showed that 75% of residents of Cook County already understand that our climate is warming and 62% of us accept the strong evidence that this is due to human activity. So let’s do something.

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ISD 166 Bathroom/Locker Room Policy

Recently I’ve heard from friends of ours who have children in the local school district I.S.D. 166, and who’ve become concerned about the School District’s policies on bathrooms and locker rooms. Not knowing much about it, I was directed to page 23 of the Middle School/High School Handbook, located at cookcountyschools. org, in regard to the transgender or non-conforming students use of bathroom/ locker rooms. The district states that: “any student who desires increased privacy shall be provided with a reasonable alternative changing area.” However, the handbook also states that “All students, including transgender and non-conforming students shall be permitted to use any and all facilities consistent with their gender identity.” So, if a child is changing in an area with others of the same sex assigned at birth, another child with genitalia of the opposite sex can change their clothes in the same room.

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