News

After nearly 5 years of painstaking labor, Ross Wilson finally launched his Viking ship on Mille Lacs Lake in early September.

The North Central Drug Task Force made six arrests between Aug. 24 and Aug. 27.
On Aug. 24, Task Force members and Mille Lacs County deputies arrested Gretchen Marie Johnson, 34, and Jeffery Allen Parkki, 35, on Hwy. 169.

Waves crashed over the shores of Mille Lacs Lake on Friday, Sept. 3.

Visitors of Grand Casino Mille Lacs and Grand Casino Hinckley will have their chance to audition to be a contestant on Wheel of Fortune as part of a preliminary contestant search. Three one-hour sessions will be held at Grand Casino Hinckley on Friday, Sept. 10, beginning at 5 p.m., 6:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. and at Grand Casino Mille Lacs on Sunday, Sept. 12, beginning at 12 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3 p.m.

It’s hard to think about winter when it’s 85 degrees outside and you have your air conditioning on high. All the winter gear is packed away in the closet, the snow blower is covered with dust in the shed and we’re still enjoying sweet corn and ripe tomatoes.
Alas, summer is about to end and signs of fall are starting to emerge. That first frost could be here in September.

Be a part of this patriotic day when the Northland remembers those who died on Sept. 11, 2001. This is a day of both remembering those who died on that tragic day, and to honor our northland heroes.

Sheriff Brent C. Lindgren reported last week that the 2010 Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office compliance checks of predatory offenders were recently completed. The county wide effort included all townships in Mille Lacs County as well as the cities of Bock, Foreston, Isle, Onamia, Pease, and Wahkon.

The Mille Lacs County Board took the following action at the Aug. 24 meeting:
•    The board passed a motion to accept a proposal for recycling services submitted by Jim’s Mille Lacs Disposal. Michele McPherson, land services director, presented two proposals received in response to the RFP that was released for recycling services:  Jim’s Mille Lacs Disposal for $57,600 and Bemis Truck Services, Inc., for $64,000.

State Representative Al Doty attended the regular meeting of the Garrison City Council on Sep. 2. “It’s always nice to visit a town that seems to be able to get things done,” he said as he took his seat before the council.
Doty spoke of his desire to make state government more accessible to community government, and eliminating barriers between the two.

Senator Al Franken, on recess from duties in Washington, made stops in Mora, Ogilvie and Milaca on Sept. 1.
In Milaca Franken met with city council members, city administrator Greg Lerud and Chamber of Commerce director Becky Bergstrom.

A Mille Lacs County jury found Geraldine Garbow, 20, guilty Sept. 3 of felon in possession of a firearm.
Garbow was arrested in November of 2009 after witnesses reported that she took a Winchester firearm.

Sheldon Leonard Garbow, 20, was charged Aug. 30 with two counts of felony domestic assault after a family member reported that he had punched her in the face and head with a closed fist.

Officers performed CPR at gas station, powwow.
Mille Lacs Tribal Police officers have saved two lives in the past month.
On Aug. 5, officers Noah Melberg and Craig Nguyen were dispatched to the Marathon Gas Station on Hwy. 169. Upon arrival, the two officers noticed a woman lying unresponsive on her back next to her car. Her skin was purple, and her sister was performing CPR.

Fred Ness and Steve Dunn took advantage of clear skies, cool weather and a steady breeze on Mille Lacs Lake on Aug. 26. The pair made a loop arond Hennepin Island.

When Marie Frazier moved to Isle, about a year and a half ago, she planned on continuing in her business as a cake decorator. Marie’s mother was a cake decorator and she found she had the talent for that vocation. But when she got to Isle, she realized there wasn’t the demand for her product that she had in the Cities.

The 32nd annual White Pine Logging & Threshing Show is back in McGrath Sept. 4-6 7 a.m. to midnight.
A few of the attractions include grain threshing, a working print shop, shingle making, a working blacksmith shop, water powered feed mill, farm animals, barrel making, lumber sawing and more.

Quiz helps you determine if you need financial help.

Many Americans are seeing their credit card balances growing, their savings account balances diminishing and are unsure how to escape from that vicious cycle.

Jess Huppler’s life has always been about theater and American Sign Language — and she wouldn’t have it any other way.

If you are a friend of Jess Huppler’s on Facebook, you may notice that her interests include ASL (American Sign Language) and theater. She’ll be the first one to say that, other than her son, those two things are her whole life.

Mild-mannered editor gets in touch with his inner cop.
“Ever shot a handgun before?” Al Tutland asked.
“Not very often,” said the newspaper reporter, embarrassed to tell the truth — only once, about 12 years ago, the last time he did a story on firearms training.
Tutland, a firearms instructor with the Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office, went over the weapon (a Glock) and the course.

“I’ve been in the Long family for 17 years, and I never ate one,” Mary Long said of the wedding ring pickles her mother-in-law, Irene Long, made for her family. Mary is married to Irene’s son, Steve.