Todd Ford, Public Information Coordinator All North Shore Health and North Shore Living Staff and visitors, due to exceeding the values of a respiratory illness outbreak defined in the Respiratory Illness Prevention Program, we will be mandating mask use until further notice. If you have any questions, or concerns, please contact Troy Batchelor, Director of Nursing or Jason Yuhas, CIO, ICD, QIC.
In last week's issue of the News Herald, Dr. Bruce Dahlman directly referred to a letter from Wapiti’s Vice President of Medical Staffing, Jen Lloyd, revealing that both Wapiti and the North Shore Hospital worked together to dismiss him from his many years of service at our hospital ER. Repeated statements from North Shore Hospital board chairperson, Kay Olson, assuring us that this was a unilateral action taken by Wapiti and that the hospital was not involved are now shown to be misleading at the least. Chairperson Olson’s dismissal of community testimonies and concerns as emotional and misinformed have, themselves, proven to be condescending and misinformed. Consequently, I find it hard to trust communications from the hospital board and the hospital administration.
Cook County Emergency Director Mike Keyport presented the Cook County Emergency Operations Plan Review to the commissioners at the board’s December 12 meeting. Every four years, commissioners must review the county’s emergency plans.
Cook County University of Minnesota Extension will host a winter meet up for local farmers and agricultural producers in January. The gathering will take place from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Brian Larsen Grand Marais city councilors met on December 13 and held a Budget and Levy Hearing. At the Grand Marais City Council's September 13 meeting, the Council set the preliminary 2024 levy at 7.19 percent, but better than expected revenue from the recreation park and lower health insurance costs than first projected meant the final levy could be cut significantly from the proposed levy, said City Administrator Mike Roth who met with the Council on December 13.
Brian Larsen While Minnesota Municipal Liquor stores saw increased sales last year, 'increased operating costs drove down net profits,' said State Auditor Julie Blaha, who released her annual report on December 13, 2023. Two hundred eleven municipal liquor stores were operating across 176 cities in 2022, which took in a combined $432.2 million in sales, an increase of $8 million over 2021.
Ann Marie Mershon “And let it begin with me.” Ah, so easy to sing, yet difficult to attain. We can start at a personal level by making peace with ourselves and all of our shortcomings.
You'll forgive us if, as children and youths, December was less outdoorsy, being the great Midwestern, the great Northern, the great North-European, the great childhood season of light and good cheer in the darkness. My grandpa didn't start walleye fishing until the end of December or even into January.
One of the greatest struggles with the foster care system is that there are not enough people to provide care for children in need. Whether for a few days, a few weeks, or longer, foster care providers are great gifts to the community.
Storms a’comin’ Let me begin with a recap of this year’s weather. This year, 2023CE, we have come from Winter, the season of dark, enduring cold - to Spring, the season of slightly less dark, but-still-enduring cold… plus wet - to Summer, the season that makes life worth living - to Fall, the only season we have that’s named after the comings and goings of a leaf.