Joe Friedrichs

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has set dates for recreational netting of whitefish and cisco, also known as tullibee, on six lakes in the Grand Marais area in Cook County. Greenwood Lake: open to netting Friday, Nov. 3, through Sunday, Dec. 17 (minimum 1.75-inch mesh size). Devil Track and Poplar lakes: open to netting...

After winter, comes construction season. Or so goes the Minnesota rhetoric. And next year, road construction is coming to the lower section of the Gunflint Trail. In June 2024, the Cook County Highway Department will start a significant construction project on the Gunflint. The project will impact the Trail from its intersection with Fifth Avenue...

In August, the Cook County Board of Commissioners approved on a four to one vote what is known as the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The CIP could involve spending approximately $25 million over the next several years as the county updates its buildings and other facilities it owns. The specifics of the plan remain fluid,...

There’s a lot of news coming from the nation’s capital in late October. Mike Johnson being named speaker of the house, funding for overseas wars and conflicts, border security, and the 2024 presidential election tend to dominate national headlines. However, as is often the case, there’s more happening in Washington than what makes the headlines....

Minnesota State Sen. Grant Hauschild represents Cook County and a large section of northern Minnesota at the Capitol in St. Paul. He was in Cook County this week to meet with local leaders and community members and discuss a variety of topics, including housing, childcare, Minnesota’s regulatory branches of government, healthcare, and other topics relevant...

It doesn’t align with the brand of “America’s Coolest Small Town,” but methamphetamine is as much of a reality in Grand Marais and other parts of Cook County as are the endless stream of accolades that tourism magazines and other such entities apply to the scenic North Shore, according to numerous law enforcement officials who...

The Minnesota Supreme Court in August ruled that the state’s Pollution Control Agency improperly granted permits to a fiercely contested copper-nickel mine and concealed environmental concerns about the project, which critics say threatens to pollute Lake Superior and hurt tribal lands. The proposed mining project, a 50-50 joint venture with PolyMet Mining and Teck Resources, was...

That being the case, action taken this week by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources that will allow a mining company to perform exploratory drilling in the watershed of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness stirred up a variety of emotions.

It certainly will be compared to many other voting and election offices across Minnesota. While other polling places expect a surge Nov. 7 for certain elections, there are no ballots being mailed and there are local races this year for Cook County voters.

A record number of lake herring are swimming along the North Shore this November, thanks to high recruitment of the prized fish into the population, according to officials from the Minnesota Department of Natural Rescores.