Wondering ’61

Last week’s column had a blank space for the response of the North Shore Health (“NSH”) Board and executives. I had inquired about defamation lawsuits against NSH critics being discussed. They did not respond by my press deadline.

U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Amy Klobuchar Reintroduce Bill to Secure Critical Federal Funding for Northeastern Minnesota Counties

U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) reintroduced their bill to provide critical federal funding for northeastern Minnesota counties hosting federal wilderness lands. Cook, Lake, and St. Louis counties benefit from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) as a world-renowned tourist destination, but they also forgo property taxes and other potential revenue streams. The bill would restore fairness to the longstanding Thye-Blatnik payment system and prevent massive cuts in county revenue now or in the future.

ISD 166 Robotics team readies for largest high school robotics competition in the world

BRIAN LARSEN Despite the school being closed for Presidents’ Day, Sara Anderson, the ISD Robotics coach, along with two dedicated students, Ava Niemeyer, a freshman, and Ian Cooley, a sophomore, were hard at work in the school’s shop class, preparing the team’s robot. They were joined by Marie Tessier, a mentor and software development specialist, in their efforts.