September 2025
First Congregational Church UCC Breaks Ground to Upgrade Playground Area
On Wednesday, September 17, 2025, SJ Bautch Construction broke ground to upgrade the playground at the First Congregational UCC in Grand Marais. Plans call for digging out the soil around the play equipment to the depth of eight inches and replacing it with wood chips for a softer surface. The crew will also pour a concrete pad for a handicapped-accessible picnic table, and footers for two benches and a bike rack. Bruce Tyler, the project manager for the church, expects the table, benches and bike rack to arrive in 6-8 weeks and hopes to have them installed before snow flies.
Silence Memorial ATV Fall Pizza Ride
The Cook County ATV Club invites the public to ride with club members for a Rhonda Silence memorial ATV fall pizza ride on Saturday, September 27, at 10 a.m. The fall pizza ride will be held in honor of the club’s longtime secretary and founding member, Rhonda Silence.
Letters TO THE Editor
Letters to the editor are the opinions of the writer and don’t necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper. Letters should be 300 words or less but exceptions will be made for longer letters in some cases. All letters must include the writer's legal name, phone number, and email if applicable.
Exciting news from Grand Marais State Bank
The ownership, Board of Directors, and staff at Grand Marais State Bank are pleased to announce the future acquisition of CenBank, a community bank in south-central Minnesota. The merger is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 2026 and is subject to regulatory approval. CenBank is an affiliate of Grand Marais State Bank and is under the same ownership. We are excited to welcome the CenBank team and have them join Grand Marais State Bank. This acquisition will give Grand Marais State Bank additional branches in Hutchinson, Buffalo Lake, and Ortonville, in addition to the current branches in Grand Marais and Tofte. This will give Grand Marais State Bank S locations to serve their communities and surrounding areas. This merger provides Grand Marais State Bank an opportunity for significant growth and will only add to the strength and service of the bank as a whole.
Foreign journalists visit Cook County
The fourth annual World Press Institute International Journalist community discussion was held at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts on Tuesday, Sept. 16. Marja Erickson, the moderator, played a crucial role in facilitating the discussion as the nine journalists onstage introduced themselves and then took questions from the audience.
Joyce Carolyn (Krambeer) Riggle
Joyce Carolyn (Krambeer) Riggle passed away at Franciscan Health Center in Duluth, MN, on September 12, 2025, after a two-decade battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Public Health and Human Services report notes the coming changes in Medicaid
Cook County Commissioners received a report from the Public Health and Human Services (PHHS) department on Tuesday, September 16, with some of the information concerning new federal laws relating to PHHS.
Foreign journalists visit Cook County
The fourth annual World Press Institute International Journalist community discussion was held at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts on Tuesday, Sept. 16. Marja Erickson,… Login to continue reading Login…